Oh that's such a cute story. I never had a Dog, would Love to get one maybe. a lot of commitment. Yorke's are so cute. Cookie

Kevin, I Love Dirty rice mix that same brand. I have to get some Jiffy Corn Bread mix. That a good idea! I Love the Jiffy Brand. Cookie

I must be in a minority, but other than convenience I don't think much of the Jiffy mix.

The end result is too sweet, to begin with (down hear we sometimes do mix sugar and meal. But we call the result "cake."). And I don't like the texture; it's crumbly without having a decent crumb. And, at base, I don't find that there's much flavor to it.

Plus, of course, for those for whom it matters, Jiffy contains lard in one of three forms.

Fact is, there are dozens of cornbread/muffin/sticks recipes out there, none of which involve particularly more work than the Jiffy. And not all that much time difference either.

Among several that I have, my day-in, day-out favorite came from a small, family diner in Cumberland, Kentucky---a little town nestled in the hill country. This was the recipe used by the owner's grandmother, and she graciously shared it with me:

Leonda's Cornbread

1 1/4 cups each self-rising cornmeal and self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/4 cups water
Pinch salt
Oil

Mix dry ingredients. Mix buttermilk and water, and gradually add to flour mix to form a thick batter.

Spray a 10" (cast iron) skillet with cooking spray and add enough oil to form a layer about 1/4 inch thick. Put skillet in oven, and preheat to 400F.

Remove hot skillet from stove. Pour in batter. Return to stove and back for one hour. If the bottom seems to be browning too quickly, flip the bread the last 15 minutes or so.

My buddy Dave Reed came up with this recipe specifically for corn sticks:

Dave's Corn Dodgers

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup whole grain flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 cup milk
1 tbls baking powder

Mix ingredients together. Bake in preheated, oiled cornstick mold for 10 minutes at 450F.

There are two kinds of cornstick molds; those that make cylindrical sticks (sort of like Slim Jims) and those that make corn "ears." I have both kinds. The straight stick ones are, historically, more original. But, frankly, the "ears" are more fun. And the molds for them more readily available, too.

I love Jiffy mixes, Brook- mainly due to the time-saving factor. Plus, as I've shared at threads of other topics- I don't drink milk, and I kind of got used to the travel life-style where I didn't keep dairy in my fridge at all- so the just-add-water quality of the 34-cent box of Jiffy Corn Muffins fast became a staple in my kitchens at home and in a cabin I keep.

Kinda weird about the "sweet factor" you mention... Maybe Kentucky isn't far enuf south to count in this particular discussion, but I usually consider sweeter products/recipes as coming from down south. For instance- many northerners up my way don't use Jiffy because they abhore the corn bread's sweetness- they all prefer recipes that are more savory than sweet, when it comes to cornbread. (in fact, many add garlic or onion powder to their cornbread up this way) But I like the sweet...

Of course I've made cornbread, muffins and stix from a dozen different recipes over the years- and all of them are yummy... In commercial kitchens its a great way to use bacon fat... I just like the Jiffy mix for its ease and price.

Kind of ironic, Kevin. My experience has been the opposite. I don't know hardly anyone in the south who puts sugar in their cornbread products. But up north everyone I knew did so. That would include living in the greater New York, greater Boston, and greater Chicago areas.

Go figure!

It's generally true that sugar is one of the four food groups in the South. But not when it comes to cornbread.

I understand all your reasons for choosing Jiffy. And, particularly, that you can't beat that pricetag. But for me, ultimately, it's taste and texture that are the determining factors. And Jiffy just doesn't cut it in those respects.

As I stated, I know I'm in the minority in this respect. Hey! Does that make me a member of an oppressed minority group? Is there a government program that exists just to throw money at me? Bring it on!!!!

I'm really not a "corn bread fan." I like it as a treat now & then. Kevin your right it's a time factor for a lot of people who use Jiffy. They kinda want that Country comfort smell in the kitchen without being in the kitchen all day. Sometimes when I'm really lazy, I pick up a meal at Boston Market exceptionally if I'm working long hours some place & get the whole meal with corn bread. Oh yea put some Honey on it mm, What a treat! Yum
Cookie