Brandon made me a pan of cornbread the other night – which is a big deal for me. I never get a loaf of cornbread because everyone else in my house prefers hoecakes. Not that I don’t like fried cornbread, I do, but I like the loaf better. The kids tease that the only reason I want it baked is because of cornbread and milk. They’re right.

When I was little with Mamaw and Papaw, we had a meatless night every week. Sometimes Mamaw cooked pintos and greens. But on my favorite nights, she made cornbread and milk. Served in a drinking glass, Mamaw and Papaw liked theirs with buttermilk. Not being a fan of buttermilk, I ate mine with whole milk.

Since I was a picky eater, I ate a lot of cornbread and milk when I was little. It was my go-to on those nights when Mamaw made a dinner I didn’t care for. Even after I moved to Wilmington, when I came home to visit, Mamaw would have extra cornbread laying around for the nights when she made meatloaf.

I never realized how odd cornbread and milk is as a meal until the first time I ate a glassful in front of Brandon. He’d never seen anyone eat cornbread like cereal before. The girls are familiar with it because of me, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of them make themselves a glass. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone outside of Appalachia eating it this way.

How about you? Do you eat cornbread and milk?