A buttload of hoes

I have a crush on the Hillbilly Housewife. Not only does she give me lots of ways to feed my family on the cheap (after the occasional healthy alteration), but she is always teaching me something.

Saturday night we had hoecakes.

I love saying that. Hoes. heh.

Anywho, I did a little research on the history of hoecakes. Come to find out, they originated from fufu (a mix of cornmeal and flour - cooked in boiling water). Slaves in the South would put together some fufu mix, get a fire going and cook the cakes on the spades of their hoes. Thus, hoecakes.

These things are very inexpensive and very yum. It's the perfect little side dish to fill up those growing tummies. You can drizzle on a little honey and OH BOY!!

So, have some hoecakes for dinner. While you're at it, learn about the diligence and creativity of those amazingly strong men and women who had to live as slaves. Working sunup to sundown, they still found ways to enjoy life out in the fields.

Hoecakes

4 cups corn meal
2 tsp salt
4 cups of boiling water
canola oil

Boil the water. Mix the corn meal and salt in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the mix and stir, until it is combined. Heat oil in a skillet for frying. Take about 1/4 cup of the hoecake batter and flatten it into a little patty (just a heads up - you just mixed this stuff together with BOILING WATER - so either use your hands with great caution or flatten with a plate and spoon that have been sprinkled with corn meal). Fry the hoecakes in the oil on one side til brown and crispy. Turn them over and fry some more - again, until brown and crispy. Take them out and let the oil drain off of them thoroughly (on a plate covered with paper towels or a dish towel).

Sprinkle on the honey and enjoy with some pinto beans!

(photo swiped from Mama K's blog - don't ya' love it - kinda' looks like Mickey Mouse!)