When the holidays are over, some people may find themselves missing the special times with family that the season brings. But, for Carol Knight of Randolph County, a family meal is never far away.

“Some of my earliest memories are of helping my mother in the kitchen,” she says. “My mother and I still cook together a lot, and my husband and I and my parents eat together nearly every night. It’s wonderful,” adds Carol, who says she comes from a family full of good cooks.

“My mother, Helen, is just the best cook ever, and both my grandmothers and my mother-in-law, too. We’re just a family that loves to cook and eat,” explains Carol.

Another family tradition Carol continues is a dedication to education. Now in her 30th year as an educator, Carol is the guidance counselor at the Randolph-Roanoke Career Technology Center.

“My dad taught vocational agriculture, and nearly every aunt and uncle I had was an educator,” says Carol.

Although Carol and husband Dale have jobs off their farm, she says both enjoy the time they’re able to spend on their cattle and hay farm and their involvement in the Randolph County Farmers Federation.

“I’m also very involved with Relay for Life and other volunteer projects of the American Cancer Society. My mother and I are both breast cancer survivors, so it’s something I’m truly passionate about,” Carol says.

Dale and Carol have two daughters. Daughter Suzanne and her husband, Michael Brown, live next door, while Ellen and her husband, George Huckabay, live in Fairhope.

“Suzanne is a registered nurse, and Ellen works with the Cooperative Extension System, and we’re very proud of them both,” says Carol.

According to Carol, most of her recipes have come from special people in her life, and the recipes she shares with the Country Kitchen this month are no exception. “The recipes for Sour Cream Pound Cake and Chocolate Pie came from my mother. The Tea Cakes are from my grandmother, Carrie Bugg, and the Chicken Casserole is a recipe from my other grandmother, Hazel Birchfield,” she says.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup and Hot Chicken Salad are also included, and both are simple enough to help even the busiest cooks get dinner to the table in no time.