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Judy Vandiver – Author

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Category Archives: The Kitchen Table

Welcome to The Kitchen Table, where I share simple Southern recipes, warm memories, and a touch of old-fashioned hospitality. After 75 years in the kitchen, I’ve gathered a big recipe box full of tips, tricks, and stories that make cooking joyful and meaningful. Consider me your grandma in the kitchen—sharing comfort food, tried-and-true favorites, and the little life lessons that come along with them. I hope something here inspires your cooking and makes mealtime a little sweeter.

Some Things Change, Some Stay the Same: Mimi’s Potato Salad

Judy Vandiver - Author Posted on January 11, 2026 by JudyJanuary 11, 2026
judyvandiver.com - Mimi's potato salad

Last Saturday, our family gathered for a cochon de lait, and if you’ve ever been part of a pig roast, you know it’s about more than the food. It’s about time slowing down, stories getting longer, and people drifting in … Continue reading →

Posted in All posts OR Choose Blog, The Kitchen Table | Tagged #familyrecipes, #potatosalad, judyvandiver | Leave a reply

Shrimp Gumbo

Judy Vandiver - Author Posted on January 1, 2026 by JudyDecember 28, 2025

Allon Manger: A January Tribute to Mama, Daddy, and Cajun Tradition January always makes me think about family. Not in a fresh-start, clean-slate kind of way—but in a remembering way. Remembering where we came from. Who taught us. And all … Continue reading →

Posted in The Kitchen Table, All posts OR Choose Blog | Tagged cajun, gumbo, judyvandiver, shrimp, shrimpgumbo | Leave a reply

The Perfect Turkey

Judy Vandiver - Author Posted on December 16, 2025 by JudyDecember 16, 2025

Basting is the process of spooning or brushing liquid over your turkey as it cooks. That liquid might be pan drippings, butter, broth, or — in my case — a simple homemade basting sauce. If you’ve ever pulled a turkey … Continue reading →

Posted in All posts OR Choose Blog, The Kitchen Table | Tagged glaze, glaze for turkey, how-to-cook-a-turkey, perfect turkey, turkey | Leave a reply

A Christmas Tradition Wrapped in Memory

Judy Vandiver - Author Posted on December 14, 2025 by JudyDecember 16, 2025
date loaf candy 1

Every family seems to have that one recipe that comes out only at Christmas — the one everyone looks forward to and the one that disappears the second it’s spotted. For us, that recipe was my grandmother’s Date Loaf Candy. … Continue reading →

Posted in The Kitchen Table, All posts OR Choose Blog | 4 Replies

24-Hour Fruit Salad Recipe With Egg Custard Coating

Judy Vandiver - Author Posted on December 11, 2025 by JudyDecember 11, 2025

This 24-hour custard fruit salad recipe is a vintage family one made with a homemade egg custard folded over fruit and chilled overnight for rich, nostalgic flavor. Some recipes travel through generations, not just in handwritten notes, but in stories, … Continue reading →

Posted in The Kitchen Table, All posts OR Choose Blog | Tagged 24 hour fruit salad, egg custard | Leave a reply

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