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Sisters Sandra Bolden, left, and Vanessa Flemmings both cook large meals for their families on Sunday. See their recipes, Page 9A.

Sisters Sandra Bolden, left, and Vanessa Flemmings both cook large meals for their families on Sunday. See their recipes, Page 9A.

TUPELO – Just about every week, whether you're eating at Vanessa Flemmings' house in Guntown or Sandra Bolden's in Tupelo, you're going to be treated to a big old-fashioned Sunday lunch.

The two sisters both cook for their families and friends after church, and have for years. While the menus are often similar, their processes are different.

"I get up at 3 a.m. and start cooking when the house is quiet," said Flemmings, 61. "Then I take a nap, and get up in time to finish before church and Sunday school."

"My routine is to start my corn in the microwave, get the vegetables on the stovetop and the cornbread in the oven," said Bolden, 60. "I make my dessert the night before. The only thing I have to do after church is fry the chicken."

The sisters are two of 11 siblings born to the late Annie Bell and L.C. Westmoreland of Plantersville. Bolden and Flemmings were 10 and 11 when their mother died in 1972.

"Our older sister Fannie Jean helped Dad raise us," said Bolden, who works for Ambassador Services at North Mississippi Medical Center. "She loved to cook. I was always in the kitchen with her. When she got down sick, I cooked for her, but she was very picky."

"Every plate had to be pretty and colorful," said Flemmings, who works in the Mississippi Action for Progress program at Head Start. "You couldn't serve anything on plastic, and everything had to be clean."

Both women use some of Fannie Jean's recipes, and Flemmings is faithful to the "Bell's Best" cookbook, which Fannie Jean favored. But Bolden is more apt to try something new to add to her repertoire.

"I like to get in the kitchen and try new things," Bolden said. "If I go to a restaurant, I come home and try to make the dish. I also get ideas from Pinterest."

The sisters have both had weight-loss surgery, so they're careful about what they eat now. While Bolden stays aways from snacks and junk food, Flemmings has found there are a lot of things she can't eat now. And neither one uses any type of alcohol in their cooking.

"We were strictly raised," Flemmings said. "A lot of things are just ingrained in us. Both of us married pastors."

Bolden and her husband, Gregory, are at Miracle Life Ministries in Verona, while Flemmings and her husband, John, are at Shammah Church of God in Christ in Tupelo. Both sisters cook a lot for their churches.

"We were brought up to help people, to feed people," Flemmings said.

"It's an act of kindness," Bolden said. "We don't expect anything in return."

DO YOU KNOW A GOOD COOK? Send your nominations to Ginna Parsons, Cook of the Week, P.O. Box 909, Tupelo, MS 38802. Or you can call (662) 678-1581 or email them to ginna.parsons@journalinc.com.

Place croissants on ungreased cookie sheet. Combine softened butter, corn syrup, honey and cinnamon and drizzle over croissants. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to minutes.

1/2 cup self-rising flour, plus 3 to 4 cups  

Place chicken pieces in a large bowl. Cover with milk. Add 1/2 cup flour and mix in well with milk. Make sure all chicken is coated.

In another large bowl, combine 3 to 4 cups flour with seasoned salt, onion powder, paprika and garlic powder, to taste.

In a deep fryer, combine stick of butter with oil and heat.

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, remove chicken from milk mixture and dredge in flour mixture. Place in hot oil. Work in batches. Fry until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

2 tablespoons mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, or to taste

2 slices finely chopped deli ham

2 slices finely chopped deli turkey

Cut boiled eggs in half. Place egg yolks in a bowl and set whites aside.

To the egg yolks, add mayonnaise, relish, sugar, ham, turkey and bacon bits. Mix well, then stuff egg whites with mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.

3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

In a large bowl, combine cooked, mashed sweet potatoes, sugar butter, eggs and vanilla. Pour mixture into a greased casserole.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, melted butter, flour and pecans. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until topping is done.

2 bags frozen whole kernel corn

Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish, stir well. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes. Stir, then microwave 10 minutes more. Stir. Microwave 10 minutes more and serve.

3 packs of tropical punch Kool-Aid

In a 1-gallon pitcher, stir in all ingredients. Add water to fill.

1 box red velvet cake mix

For the crust, combine cake mix, melted butter and egg and mix well. Press mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.

For the filling, cream butter and cream cheese. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and mix well. Pour filling over crust. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired. Bake at 335 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour. When cool, cut into squares.

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 cube Knorr’s chicken flavor bouillon cube

1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetable

Boil chicken with seasoned salt, pepper and meat tenderizer until fully cooked. Reserve broth. Cut into small cubes.

In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, mixed vegetables and 2 cups reserved broth (or to suit your taste.) Add diced chicken and mix well. Pour into a casserole dish.

For the crust, combine melted margarine and milk and then whisk in flour by hand. Pour evenly on top of chicken/vegetable mixture and bake at 350 degrees until crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

1 bottle Tony Charachere’s Injectable Creole-Style Butter

2 stalks celery, cut in pieces

Inject all parts of the turkey with the Creole-style butter. Use same bottle to inject melted butter and 1/2 bottle of water into the breast of the turkey. Rub mayonnaise over the whole turkey. Combine seasoned salt, garlic powder, black pepper, Creole seasoning and soul food seasoning and sprinkle/rub seasoning all over the turkey. Place the apple, celery and onion inside the turkey cavity. Place the turkey inside a large black roasting pan and cover with the lid. Cook on 350 degrees until the pin pops out or at least 2 hours (depending on size of the turkey). Baste turkey during the first hour. Let turkey rest 30 minutes after it’s fully cooked before slicing.

3 cubes chicken bouillon cubes, divided

1 (16-ounce) bottle Italian salad dressing 

Place green beans in a large pot or a big electric roasting pan. Add 2 bouillon cubes, onion, seasoned salt, salt, pepper and soul food seasoning and cook on high for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, add turkey necks and bacon drippings, and cook for another hour or longer. When beans are done, add Italian dressing, remaining chicken bouillon cube, butter and sugar (if using). Cover beans and keep warm on low for 30 minutes or until needed.

1 (15-ounce) can cream of coconut

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, cream of coconut and flavorings. Mix well.

Divide batter between 3 greased and floured 8- or 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees until done and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, combine cream cheese and milk. Gradually add in sugar. Next fold in coconut into the mixture. Make sure the cake is completely cool before frosting. Leave in the fridge for 3 days before serving.

Cake can be frozen for up to two weeks.

2 cans Wolf chili with beans

1 can Wolf chili without beans

2 cans Hormel chili with beans

1 can Hormel chili without beans

In a skillet, season the ground beef with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Add onion, bell pepper, chili powder and chili mix and cook a bit longer.

Transfer beef mixture to a Crock-Pot. Add the chili with beans and chili without beans and barbecue sauce and stir everything together well. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

2 (7-ounce) packages blueberry muffin mix

In a large bowl, combine muffin mixes, sugar, melted butter and milk. Stir well, then divide mixture between cups in a muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

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