Bacon Grease Dressing
This makes 1/2 cup liquid.

Sawmill Gravy
Gravy is very tricky to make. For those of you who know how to make a roux, then, this will be easy. (For you rednecks out there, a roux is a hot mixture of fat and flour). Anyway, this recipe makes 2 1/2 cups of gravy.

About 2-3 tablespoons bacon grease
About 1/4 cup flour (you can either kind, I usually use self-rising)
Salt and pepper to taste
Milk (about 2 cups)

Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Whisk the flour into grease and cook until the flour is golden brown - about 5 minutes. If you undercook this, it will taste like flour and grease, yuck.

Reduce the heat to low and slowly add milk, a little at a time. Whisk constantly, if you don't, you will have lumpy gravy and your family will never let you live it down (like the time you left the guts in the turkey, right Sherri?).

Bring this to a simmer, and it should start thickening immediately. If it firms up too fast, remove from heat and whisk in a little more milk or water to thin. If it doesn't thicken, just keep simmering it - the liquid will reduce, I promise.

Season with salt and pepper, and pour over Momma's Biscuits

Cornbread
This makes 8 servings, and it does NOT contain sugar. I've never understood sweet cornbread.

2 cups of self-rising cornmeal
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of milk or buttermilk
1/3 cup bacon grease (or vegetable oil if you're a Yankee)
1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional

Preheat well-greased 8- or 10-inch skillet in 425º oven. Or if you are skillet-less, grease an 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Blend all ingredients, stirring until moistened. The batter should be lumpy. Pour batter into preheated skillet or pan. Bake 25 to 30 or until center is done.

Mary's Yorkshire Pudding
Mary said, "I remember a recipe I learned in high school using bacon grease that I wanted to share. I slept through high school but this was the one great thing I remember from cooking class!"

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup bacon grease
3/4 cup milk

Mix flour & salt together until blended. Make a well in the flour. Add the milk and whisk until the mixture is light and frothy. Set aside for an hour (or if it's the day before, cover in the fridge overnight). When the bacon grease is ready (nice and hot), ready the mixture. Preheat the oven to 400º degrees. Pour off drippings from bacon and measure out desired amount (about 1/2 cup). Pour drippings into a 9x12 baking dish and place into the oven until the drippings sizzle. Pour the batter over the drippings and bake for 30 minutes or until the sides have risen and are golden brown. Cut into eight portions and serve immediately.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
You can use just plain salt or use your favorite spices on these. Some ideas: a package of taco seasoning, a package of ranch mix, garlic salt, Old Bay seasoning, Italian seasoning (oregano and thyme), rosemary, your favorite dry rub ... anything goes!

Salt
Water
Pumpkin seeds from a fresh pumpkin
Bacon grease

Preheat oven to 375°.

Pick the pumpkin guts out of your seeds and rinse them off. In a sauce pan, mix together about two cups of water and 1½ tablespoons of salt for every cup of pumpkin seeds. Bring the seeds to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain off water and dry the seeds as best you can.

Toss the seeds in bacon grease - using about ¼ teaspoon of oil for every 1 cup of seeds. Either grease or line a shallow baking pan with parchment. Spread the seeds in a single layer in prepared pan, sprinkle seeds with salt or your favorite spice, and then bake on your oven's top rack for 5 minutes. Stir the seeds, and then bake for another 5 minutes. Repeat this until the seeds turn golden brown. This usually takes anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your seeds.

Remove from oven (duh), cool, and eat. Store any leftovers in airtight container for up to a week.

Ideas:

• Season your veggies (green beans, collards, cabbage, peas, beans, etc.) with them. Just add about three to four (or more) tablespoons.
• Fry stuff in it (squash, tomatoes, okra, zucchini, fritters, etc.).
• Two words: Fried Chicken.
• Barbecue sauce. Add a couple of tablespoons to prepared barbecue sauce for a great salty smoky flavor.
• Add it to your chili! Yummy, I promise.
• Make popcorn in bacon grease - ain't nothin' better!