Last Sunday was homecoming at my church. AKA – Old Folks’ Day. There has been some back and forth on whether we should continue calling it by that name, but I’m a fan. I love the notion of honoring history and the “old folks” who came before us. Maybe once I AM an old folk I’ll change my mind . . .

Homecoming is a BIG deal in these mountains. One of the more “mature” ladies in the congregation talked about how when she was a child her mother always got a new dress for Old Folks’ Day. She also wore her beloved high-heeled shoes, so you know it was important!

The service focused on our 140-year history and our pastor preached a wonderful sermon about the foundation of the church (that would be the standard Sunday School answer–Jesus!). Then we retired to the fellowship hall for a covered dish dinner.

Oh, heavens. I loooooove covered dish dinners. My only quandry was what to contribute? I dithered over dishes, then hit on an idea I think was pure genius. Where better to turn than . . . a church cookbook? So I dug out one of my mom’s from West Virginia and thumbed through until I found two of her recipes that were a perfect fit.

I made corn pudding and pecan sandies (you can also bake them in balls, dust in powdered sugar, and call them wedding cookies–yum!). So in honor of Old Folks’ Day, here’s my mother’s recipe for corn pudding. Cause you can’t go wrong with a stick of butter . . .

NANCY’S CORN CASSEROLE

16 oz. can creamed corn
16 oz. can whole corn, drained
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
8 oz. box corn muffin mix
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheese

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.