NEWTON GROVE — Deanna Lawhorn loves to cook. It’s something, she confesses, that was probably a gene thing passed down to her from her mama, Loraine.
“Cooking is fun, and it’s comforting,” she points out. “I enjoy cooking for people, especially when they are sick or have a death in the family … the times when they need you most.”
Because of that love of cooking, and a competitve spirit that draws her attention to entering baking contests, Lawhorn submitted one of her dessert recipes in the Tropicana Supermarket Thanksgiving Meals to Remember contest, sponsored by the Clinton grocer and The Sampson Independent.
Her name was drawn earlier this week as the winner of a $100 gift card. Second place winner went to locallly renowned cook Emily Goodrich; third place went to Anthony Lisboa and Gloria Jordan; and fourth went to Tracy Hobbs.
Lawhorn was thrilled perhaps as much about her recipes being displayed on the front page of the Weekend Lifestyle’s section as she was about the gift card she’ll likely use to purchase supplies for this year’s Thanksgiving meal, being cooked at her mom’s.
She’ll have dessert detail at that family dinner, she attested, something she doesn’t mind since baking desserts is perhaps her favorite part of cooking.
“I like cooking spaghetti and casseroles,” she stressed, “but cakes are my favorite. I really enjoy creating something delicious and pretty.”
She gets the dessert detail, she said, “because they are time consuming and mama has her hands full with the turkey and trimmings.”
This year, Lawhorn will have Thanksgiving at her parents’ home, a tradition made sweeter through the years. “Since mama has gotten older, we help with taking in the food now.”
Thanksgiving is one of her favorite times of the year, in part because of the cooking and, too, because of the time she gets to enjoy with family.
“I love Thanksgiving because it’s a time for families to come together and share a good meal and make memories. It’s also a great time to reflect on all the many blessings God has given each of us.”
She has found memories of Thanksgiving’s past, too, times when, she recalls, her family would pile in the car and head to her Grandma Pearl’s for a delicious meal, a little time together and a whole lot of fun playing with the cousins once lunch was over.
“There’s a lot of memories tied to the holidays,” she attests, “and a lot of memories tied to the food we cook and eat.”
Recipes, she said, remind her of that family time.
Other than holidays, baking is most fun when she’s doing it for others. “I most enjoy cooking at birthday celebrations, for reunions and any time I have family and friends over.
“Cooking, and baking, just brings people together,” Lawhorn said.
