Loretta Lynn’s Howdy Spread

Last summer, as my mother and I drove through Tennessee for my pilgrimage to Graceland, we kept seeing these along the highway:

We couldn’t stop on the way down, but we knew that we HAD to go swing by Hurricane Mills, TN on our way back.

I mean, there was a gift shop!

We both ordered a pretty standard Southern breakfast with eggs, bacon, and grits. I had to have a biscuit with sausage gravy as well because I love biscuits. They are definitely in my top 10 favorite foods. And also, I have a penchant for foods that could eventually kill you. The food wasn’t the greatest, but for kitsch the place gets a 10.

Here is me sitting with the buffalo at the front of Loretta’s kitchen:

Here is my mum with the portrait of Loretta that hangs in the entrance to the restaurant.

Miss Loretta must really love that picture of herself because it is on the cover of this little gem that I found in the gift shop:

HELL. YES.

Is it any surprise that I couldn’t leave without buying a copy?

I love these celebrity cookbooks. The best things about this particular one are the weird names of some of the dishes. Like You Ain’t Man Enough Casserole and Louisiana Woman Pie. I assume that those are based on the titles of her songs. But there’s also a recipe for Wiggle, which I have a hard time believing that she ever sang.

For a Memorial Day cookout with Manny and the boys, I chose to make Loretta Lynn’s Howdy Spread. Because I can’t resist a name like that!

Loretta Lynn’s Howdy Spread

• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup drained, crushed pineapple
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Just put it all in a mixing bowl and let it do its thing.

• 

Making the Howdy Spread was worth it because, unbeknownst to me, Coal Miner’s Daughter is Kevin’s favorite movie of all-time.  So for the rest of the day he kept going “HOW-DEEEEE!”

The verdict?

After the first bite Richard asked me, “is there chicken in this?”

You can take that however you want.

We ate it.

Here’s Loretta singing about Butcher Holler.

I am loving that dress.