My Granny was a mountain woman from the heart of the Appalachians. She cooked three huge meals a day, and she made corn bread every day...sometimes twice a day. I formulated this recipe from watching her make bread. She never measured anything, so one time I made her stop and let me measure what she was doing. I then cut that amount in half.

She baked her cornbread in a big cast-iron skillet in a wood stove. Here's my adaptation of what Granny made....

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put about 1 teaspoon bacon drippings in an 8x8 pan, and put it into the oven to heat.

In medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in remaining ingredients, beating by hand Just until smooth. Batter will still be lumpy.

Pour into hot, prepared pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until done in center. Immediately remove from pan, and cool a little. Cut into nine squares.