A Family Business with a Southern Heritage.

Julia Kelly was born December 5 1903 in Cumming, Georgia and married a man her family did not fully approve of. Estranged from her family Julia and Ray moved to Atlanta and started their family. After the birth of two lovely daughters, life got more complicated and Ray left her with two small daughters during the depression. Life was not easy for many folks and Julia had to stand in soup lines to make sure her family was fed. She found work as a seamstress in a sewing shop where she worked until retirement. Later in life she remarried and had a son at age 40 (Its never too late), both a blessing and a challenge at her age. As one of her children, I can truthfully say that her children never wanted and were raised by a meek woman with a character of steel, tempered by the challenges of life. God gives people many gifts and to Julia he freely gave the gift of cooking - she never measured and could make a complex meal look simple. Her typical Sunday table was a piece of culinary art colored with the rich colors and smells of Southern foods. Sunday dinner (lunch in the South) consisted of golden fried chicken, butter beans, turnip greens, rice, beets, candied yams, creamed corn, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, sliced tomatoes and an ample supply of buttermilk biscuits and cornbread. For dessert (Mother always had to finish the meal with a little sweet) she had prepared pecan pie and coconut cake. Now it was only fitting to go out and sit on the porch for a while to let it all settle in and my favorite spot was the creaky swing. If a hungry person happened by the house and asked for a hand out, they were promptly feed a meal fit for a king since there was always enough to share.  Since my mother and father both cooked and loved good southern foods it seems like I can't get away from the legacy as attested to by my bathroom scales. After operating SouthernThings, Inc., for several years we decided it was time to prepare some good ole Southern foods to share with those who love good food. We invite you to enjoy the products prepared in Julia's Kitchen where we do not use the name unless the quality and taste of the foods would have been approved by Julia. If for any reason you are not happy with one of products just give us a holler and we will make it right. We want you to leave the table filled with the joy of eating delicious simple Southern cooking. 

May you have the courage to walk with faith and savor life's blessings. 

Richard, Gaye, Reta and Julie

We would love to hear your stories and invite you to call, email or text us.

Julia's Southern Foods, LLC

919-609-6745