March 24, 2019

Asbury Bedenbaugh and the China Hutch

I bid a fond farewell to our almost 40-year old china hutch.

If I ever decide to become a novelist, my first protagonist will be named
Asbury Bedenbaugh.  Isn’t that a great name?  I actually encountered the real
Asbury Bedenbaugh over 38 years ago; a southern gentleman in a Prosperity,
South Carolina furniture store…

I first saw it, the top of my china hutch, while browsing the clearance section of our local furniture store in Columbia, South Carolina.  I wanted that hutch!  The price was right, but the bottom section had been sold (right out from under it, so to speak. :o)). I returned  home disappointed.  

A brochure from the furniture collection that my china hutch came from.
(Note that the term “country” decor/design had not yet come into use.)

I could not get the thought of the pretty hutch, with the chicken wire in the glass, out of my mind.  I began a calling quest to furniture retailers around town, to see if I might be able to locate the bottom half of my dream china hutch. Eventually, one local store suggested that I inquire at a furniture store in Prosperity (30 miles away), equipping me with the long distance phone number (that means that it cost extra money to call Prosperity, as this was in the days before cell phones and the Internet).

Another look at the furnitures collection brochure.

Upon calling, I spoke to a gentleman (with a charming southern accent) and explained my dilemma. He told me that they did, indeed, have the piece that I sought, both the top and bottom. He agreed to match the other store’s price for the top piece, if I bought the bottom section, as well. The store would hold the china hutch for us, upon our approval.  I made an appointment for Dale and me to see the piece, writing down directions (again, this was in the pre-Internet days), and struggled to jot down the friendly voice’s unfamiliar, yet lyrical, name on paper: Asbury Bedenbaugh. 

Me, about the time that I met Asbury Bedenbaugh.
Charleston, South Carolina
1979

Entering the Prosperity Furniture Store, I was now able to match the wonderful name to a kind and smiling face. Dale and I purchased the china hutch from Mr. Bedenbaugh that day, and sadly we never made it back to Prosperity (South Carolina), or saw this delightful fellow, again, but I have always remembered his unique name.
Through the magic of the Internet, I was able to find his touching obituary, written in 2002.  You can read it, here.

A new china hutch for Dale and me in our first apartment.
Check out our rotary wall phone in harvest gold!
Columbia, South Carolina
1980

This sturdy china hutch has served us well over the years, moving with us from
South Carolina, to Texas, to Ohio, and lastly, to Maryland.  But, in the past couple of years, as I began clearing out various excess furniture pieces from the rooms of my home, it became apparent that the china hutch had out lived its usefulness, for us.

While streamlining and decluttering the dining room,
it became apparent that there was too much furniture for this room.
March 2018

On March 1, a young friend, with limited kitchen cupboard space, became the happy new owner of this “vintage” piece. I know that it will be useful again, and well-loved.  Farewell, china hutch, and thank you.

The cleaned out china hutch awaiting its move to a new home.

The “Bedenbaugh China Hutch” enjoying life in its new home. :o)
Thank you, Sydney, for sending me this photo!

A Recipe Blast from the Past

As a young married couple in Columbia, South Carolina (1978-1981), two-three times per year, Dale and I made the ( two and a half hour) drive southward to Hilton Head Island, for a long weekend. Those were idyllic visits, and often included a much anticipated  outing to Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks.

This cute mermaid sign currently graces the roof at 
Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks.
August 2015

As a gastronomic tribute to our china hutch “of old”, and our first married years living in South Carolina, I will attempt to include an archived Hudson’s recipe here, sort of….

Dale and I share an appetizer of Hudson’s popular, and delicious, She-crab Soup 
on our 40th wedding anniversary.
May 28, 2018

“Back in the day”, one of my favorite desserts was Hudson’s Fluffy Key Lime Pie.
( I added the “fluffy” part to the name.) I loved it! It was the perfect light dessert to
top off an always delectable Hudson’s seafood meal.  

Hudson’s famous, and addicting, hushpuppies were an amazing compliment to a
recent meal on the deck area.
March 2018

A delicious Hudson’s shrimp meal, where the seafood is always fresh.
February 2017

Shrimp boats bring fresh-caught seafood right up to the Hudson’s dock.
September 2018

While dining at Hudson’s in the late 1970’s, I requested the key lime pie recipe from our server.  Her response? The pie was basically cool whip, some lime juice, with a touch of green food coloring mixed together and put into a pie crust.
(I think it was a graham cracker crust, but I am not 100% sure on this point.)

Hudson’s chocolicious MUD PIE “ENOUGH FOR TWO”
could have been a meal all by itself!
Yes, Dale and I shared! :O)
February 2017

I went home after that Hilton Head Island trip, made the pie by guessing the amounts, enjoyed eating it, and promptly forgot about making it ever again.  That is, until about fifteen years ago.  It was at that time (in 2004), that I looked up Hudson’s on the Internet and saw that they had a cookbook for sale.

My Hudson’s cookbook,
complete with many of the restaurants wonderful recipes.

You can order their current cookbook copy, here.

I ordered the Hudson’s cookbook, but upon receiving it, I found that the key lime pie recipe listed in the cookbook differed from the key lime pie that I remembered so well.

Hudson’s (current) key lime pie is creamy and delicious!
July 2019

 To make a long story, somewhat shorter, I wrote to Hudson’s requesting MY key lime pie recipe. Their kind reply stated that their dessert cook, Miss Bessie, had been with them for almost 30 years, and that the key lime pie recipe in the cookbook was hers, and the one that the restaurant still serves.
(I have enjoyed Miss Bessie’s mouthwatering key lime pie, mud pie, and peanut butter pie at the restaurant.) 

My joyous return to Hudson’s in 2011, after a 30-year absence.
April 2011

Could it be that Miss Bessie, the dessert cook, came to Hudson’s after I had moved from South Carolina in 1981 (I would not to return to the state again until 2011), and that the recipe that I remember is now a “lost” recipe? It is a mystery.

Below I have attempted to recreate the recipe that I remember.

I believe that I have come up with a reasonable facsimile to that particular
key lime pie that I remember.
My recipe is below.

Fluffy Key Lime Pie

Below is my attempt at recreating the Fluffy Key Lime Pie that I remember.
Please, see my notes and suggestions at the bottom of the recipe.

The ingredients needed for my Fluffy Key Lime Pie

This tasted pretty close to the pie that I remember, except that the pie of my memory was twice as high.
So next time I will double the filling recipe below,
and make my own graham cracker crust. (It would taste better.)

Recipe

Fluffy Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

1 graham cracker pie crust
( I suggest a homemade variety, see recipe under filling recipe.)

16 ounce, original Cool Whip, thawed
(You can double, for a mile-high pie, also doubling the lime juice and coloring amounts shown in the recipe below.)

3 Tablespoons lime juice, or to taste
(a little goes a long ways)
(I used bottled, but may try fresh next go round.
I am guessing that the amount of lime juice may have to be altered, if using fresh)

green food color
(I used the gel variety)

1 fresh lime
(more if squeezing your limes for juice)

Directions

Prepare graham cracker pie crust.

Mix together Cool Whip and lime juice.

Add green food coloring to get desired color, mixing well.

Spoon cool whip mixture into graham pie crust.

Slice lime, and garnish pie.
Save additional slices to garnish individual slices.

Refrigerate at least one hour to firm up pie filling.

Refrigerate left-overs, if there are any!  :O)

Annette’s note-As stated above,
I suggest-
1. Make the graham cracker pie crust from scratch, for
     a more tasty pie.
I have included my favorite graham cracker crust recipe, below.
(It came from Hudson’s !)

2. Next time, I will use fresh-squeezed lime juice.
I would start out using less juice amounts, as guessing fresh may be more flavorful.

3.  Double the amounts above of Cool Whip,  lime juice, and color for a taller pie.
In other words, 2-16 ounce tubs of Cook Whip, and 6 Tablespoons of lime juice.

Enjoy!

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients

1+1/2 cup graham crackers, finely crushed

1/4 cup sugar
( I used a scant/little less than this.)

6 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients together until well-blended.

Press into pie pan, around the sides and the bottom.

Spoon in filling.

Other Fun Hilton Head Blog Posts

Family Fun in Hilton Head/September 2015, click here.

Beach Getaway/February 2017, click here.

40 Years of (being) Married! A Hilton Head of a Celebration/June 2018, click here.

Beach Love/September 2018, click here.

Another past blog post to enjoy

Annette and Dale Get Married, or Someday You’ll Look Back on This and Laugh
/May 2014, click here. 

I’m Annette Stuff

I attempt to post my blog once per month.
Look for my next blog post on, or around,
Thursday, April 18, 2019

Thank you, blog readers!  I love hearing your kind comments!
Please post yours positive thoughts in my comment section.

Become an I’m Annette follower!  It’s easy!!! It’s fun!!! It’s free!!!!
Receive my blog via email, FREE,(yes, I said FREE), immediately upon posting.
Sign up now, on the right-hand side of this page, or click here.

I pause from my beach bicycle ride to enjoy a peaceful Hilton Head sunset.
1980