By Shannon Williams
Chicken and rice is a simple dish and most of us have a recipe for it that we have used many times. Mine has a story behind it. Let us just say, I am old….I went to high school over 40 years ago. One of the classes that all girls had to take was Home Economics (Home Ec Class is what we called it). It taught an introduction to homemaking skills such as cooking and sewing (I failed that part, but that is another story) and skills that we might need to run a good home. Alma Wrightsil was my home ec teacher, and she taught at the high school for over 40 years.

One of the first recipes we learned was a chicken and rice dish. For some reason, I have just always loved this recipe and it has been a part of my routine meals for years. It was the first meal I served when I was a new bride and my in-laws came for dinner. I taught my son to cook it and to this day, he and his wife cook it. I have always called it “Mrs. Wrightsil chicken” and always thought of her, when I would serve it. I saw her though the years in the local grocery store every couple of months. When I had my young son with me, she would beam with pride that I had become a mother and one of her girls was doing well.

I lived in a small town and worked for a local nonprofit, so at times would make the newspaper and she would always comment on how successful I had become. I failed to tell her about how I loved this recipe and how it had been served at my home for years. About a month ago, I reached out to an old friend about another subject. I needed some insight into a race related issue and the media, and thought of him. While I knew he was related to Miss Wrightsil, I did not know she was his aunt. I told him the story of the chicken and rice and how I had passed it down and how it had been a part of my life. I could feel how proud he was of this and he thanked me for sharing it. I was sad that I had failed to mention it any earlier than this.

It is not so much the recipe but it was how she taught us these skills. At that time, being a homemaker was not on my radar, I was going to set the world on fire being a social worker, which I still am. Somehow, she taught us how to cook with love, the most important thing to put into any dish and I believe what gives it the best flavor. I wish I had let her know before she passed; do not wait to tell someone how he or she touched your life….

Oh, I guess you might want the recipe! Simple, you take a box of Rice-a-Roni (the chicken favored one), a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of water. Mix up the soup and water and the rice and flavor packet. Pour it into a baking dish, set your cut up chicken on top and cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. These days I add fresh herbs and mushrooms. You can cook it with skin off or skin on, with a full chicken, or chicken breast. My son likes me to make it extra gooey so he can have the left over rice.

‘Til next time Bee Kind to someone, and let them know how they have touched your life.

[Aug-3-2020]