Sweet Taters!

     The kiddos have gone to Georgia for the holidays, and I am home sick. So I thought "What a perfect time to work on my blog!" :)

     For most people, Christmas time is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to reflect and celebrate with family and friends the year that has passed. This Christmas is a very special one for me. Although I will not get to spend it with Jeremy or the kids or my family, I have so much to celebrate! This year, though it has been tough, has been very rewarding. I have grown as a person, as a partner, and as a mom. It hasn't been easy, and I still have A LOT to learn, but when I sit back and see all of the accomplishments I have made, it makes it all worth it! I have an amazing family and the best friends and family a girl could ask for!  I am so very blessed in more ways than I can count, and this year is definitely one I will never forget!
     One of Jeremy's absolute favorite holiday foods is sweet potato casserole, so what I have done is taken his Granny's recipe and my Mama Betty's recipe, along with some tips from my Maw Maw and created my own scrumptious version of this holiday favorite. :)

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 medium or 2 large sweet potatoes
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark, whichever you have)
1 stick of butter (soft)
about 1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup (toasted and chopped) pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
kosher salt
oil
marshmallows! (Jeremy's favorite part! lol. The small ones work best.)

     Instead of boiling the sweet potatoes, I roast them. To me, they have a lot more flavor and aren't as mushy. Just place them on a pan and cover them with oil (I use olive oil, but whatever you have will work), then top them with kosher salt and place them in the oven (400°), depending upon how big they are, about an hour or so until they are soft. Allow them to cool a bit. Next, add the potatoes, eggs, brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, a very small pinch of salt and pecans and mix it well. Spray your casserole dish with cooking spray and pour in the sweet potato mixture. Bake it in the oven at 350° for about 30 minutes, then add the marshmallows on top and bake it until they are golden. Enjoy! :)

Thinking about the holidays...

With Thanksgiving just around the corner (and still no where near finished with this book), I have been thinking a lt about the HUGE Thanksgiving dinners we used to have. What was even better was that we had TWO huge dinners! (One at Mama Betty's and one at Maw Maw's.) Between the two dinners, we had turkey, ham, fried chicken, dressing, gravy, green beans, corn, and a TON of pies and cakes!
The kiddos will be with their dad for Thanksgiving, and since we aren't sure if Jeremy will be home or not, I am not making plans to cook a dinner this year. However, I would like to share the recipe for Mama Betty's cornbread dressing.


Mama Betty's Cornbread Dressing


1 small chicken (a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store will work just fine, but you will need a cup or two of chicken broth)
1 can cream of chicken soup
Prepared cornbread (Mama Betty always made cornbread in a large cast iron skillet. The easiest recipe i can give you for this is 2 cups cornmeal mix, 1/4 c. crisco, 1 egg, and about a cup and a half of buttermilk or whole milk. Bake it at 400 degrees for about a half hour.)
4 or 5 biscuits
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
1 stick butter, melted
2 tblsp. ground sage
4 eggs, beaten


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Boil chicken. (if you are not using a rotisserie chicken)
In a large casserole dish, crumble cornbread and biscuits.
Add the onion, celery and melted butter.
Mix well.
Add the sage and salt and pepper to taste.
When the chicken is done, shred the meat into the mixture (leaving some for the giblet gravy) and add some of the broth and the cream of chicken soup.
Mix well.
Taste the mixture to make sure you have enough salt, pepper and sage.
Add the eggs last, then mix well. (It needs to be a little soupy. If it's not soupy, add more broth.)
Bake it until it is firm.

BBQ and football anyone?

     So I've decided to go in a different direction with this cookbook/blog. Since the kids have been home with me, I don't really have a whole lot of time to write out stories and memories. I could, however, tell you guys about my day/life and incorporate a recipe. (That requires a lot less thinking.  :) lol.)  Since my goal for finishing this cookbook was the middle of November, I probably need to be a little more productive. lol. Thank you so much for being patient with me, and I hope that you guys will enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it. :)



      Football season is probably the biggest battle any wife/fiancé/girlfriend will ever fight. Let me tell you a secret, ladies, it's not worth the fight. Unless you are just super controlling and want your man to be miserable, you are stuck with the "pig skin fever" for at least four months of every year. During the fall/winter, the weekends belong to the testosterone, beer, and HD tv's. Tuesday isn't a bad "date night", after all. :) One of Jeremy's favorite "game time" meals is BBQ ribs. Maw Maw has taught me a quick and easy way to whip up some tender, delicious BBQ ribs without spending hours in the kitchen or standing over a grill, and I am going to share this recipe with you. :)

SUPER SIMPLE BBQ RIBS

1 rack baby back pork ribs (I look for very meaty ribs with very little fat)

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (we LOVE bulls eye)

• Cut the ribs into two's and place them in a large pot. (we generally start the coals on the grill about this time too. if you're using a gas grill, i guess you could start it up a little later. :) )
• Cover the ribs with water and bring them to a boil.
• Boil the ribs for about 20 minutes.
• Take the ribs out of the water and cover them in the BBQ sauce.
• Place the ribs directly over the coals and grill them for about 15-20 min on each side brushing them once or twice with the BBQ sauce. (you want the coals to be gray/white before you put the ribs on.)

The ribs aren't going to "fall off the bone", but they are still very tender and very yummilicious. :)

Guacamole & Margaritas

Who doesn't love sitting on the porch, back deck, on the beach, or by the pool with a delicious frozen margarita?!?  I know I do! I guess it's just one of those little joys in life. :) Here's a quick, easy, and super yummy recipe for frozen margaritas. But you can't have margaritas without chips and salsa or guacamole dip! I haven't quite got the recipe down for homemade salsa, but here's my recipe for guacamole dip that will knock your socks off! Enjoy!

Perfect Frozen Margaritas

1 can frozen Limeade
tequila
triple sec
ice
(limes and salt)

In a blender put in the entire container of frozen limeade. Using the limeade container, fill it about 3/4 full of tequila, then the rest of the way with triple sec. Add that to the blender then fill with ice. Blend it till its smooth and all of the ice is crushed. Voila! Delicious frozen margaritas! On the glasses i usually slice up some lime and go around the glass with it then dip it in kosher salt, or margarita salt (if you have it), then just put the lime on the side of the glass.  =)

CuKoo's Guacamole Dip

3 large ripe avacados (avacados are ripe when they are a deep purplish color and when you press your thumb in, it gives a little. you don't want a firm avacado.)
1 lime
1 small tomato, diced (a roma tomato works perfect)
about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
1 small clove of garlic (you don't want it too big because it will be too overwhelming)
1 small piece of onion (i really don't know how to tell you a measurement on this... just remember, you don't want it too overwhelming. you want the avacado to be the star of the show, not overpowered by all ov the other flavors.)
1/4 serrano pepper (seeds and stems removed) {you can use jalapeno too, if you'd like. and if you want it with a little more kick, just add more pepper, if you don't like the spice, you can leave it out.}
salt and pepper

On a cutting board, mince up the garlic, onion, cilantro, and pepper as finely as you can, then add a pinch of kosher salt and mash it all up until it's like a paste. (the salt will help break it down). {if you don't have the time or ingredients to do this, just use 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and dried cilantro, then a pinch of cayenne.}
The easiest way to prepare the avacado is to lay it on the cutting board on its side, then take a sharp knife and slice down into it until you hit the pit or seed. Holding the knife in place turn the avacado until you have sliced it completely in half. Holding each half, twist it until the half seperate. I usually start with the side the the pit is not on. {this is really hard to explain without showing you. lol} Hold the avacado half in one hand, and with the knife make little slits going longways through the avacado (not puncturing the skin, just cutting the flesh). Then do the same going crossways, making little cubes. Then take a spoon and scoop the flesh out of the skin and into a bowl. (remove any bad parts you see). Take the other half and remove the pit, {the way i do it is a bit dangerous, I take my knife and hit the pit with it so that it sticks and just twist it out. you can also remove the pit with a spoon.} then do it that same way you did the first half. Once you have all of the avacado in the bowl, take a potato smasher or whisk, or a fork, and mash it all up.
Add the tomato, garlic, onion, pepper, and cilantro and a little salt and pepper. Zest a little bit of the lime, then add the juice (actually, start with half the juice, then add more if you like... some limes give a little more juice than others, so it's hard to tell).
Mix it all up and dive in with your favorite tortilla chips! {I also like it with bell pepper slices, carrots, cucumber slices, and other veggies.}

Nutty Naners

I apologize again for not posting lately, there has been SO much going on and it has been hard to find that time to sit down to write.

This recipe is one that I have been working on for a while. I have taken Ms. Cathy's recipe, and one that I had and kinda mixed them together. Then I made little changes here and there until it came out perfect. :)  I hope you all enjoy!

Banana Nut Bread

1 stick of softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs (beaten)

3 really ripe bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts. whichever you prefer)

• Prehea oven to 250°.

• Cream together the butter and the sugar until it looks kinda like wet sand.

• Slowly add in the eggs, bananas, and vanilla.

• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then pour it into the wet ingredients a little at a time. (I usually do it in like 4 batches. I’ll mix in a fourth of it until it’s incorporated, then another fourth, and so on.)

• Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed well, stir in the pecans (or walnuts).

• Grease and flour a bread pan and pour in your batter.

• Bake it at 250° for 2-3 hours. (I know that is a big gap of time, but really it depends on the batter. After about 2 hours I start doing the toothpick test every 20 minutes or so.)

so sorry!

I know all of you are waiting on these posts, and I apologize for not posting regularly. There is a lot going on right now, and I promise to be back in full force soon! ;)  I appreciate all of you! lots of love!! ~C~

Pears & Mayonnaise?

I had forgotten all about these two things until Aunt Vicki sent me her cookbook entry. Most of you will probably say, "Potato candy and mayonnaise on pears... gross!" But really, it's not what it seems. Honestly, you just gotta try it! Thanks Aunt Vicki! <3

I apologize for my inconsistent posts lately, since Jeremy has been back to work, things have been a little hectic. I promise to get back to posting regular posts a.s.a.p.!! =)

Holiday Potato Candy

     During the 20 years I was a Norton, it was imperative that I make the “famous” potato candy for Christmas every year. The first time I heard of “Potato Candy” I thought my new husband was insane (which later proved to be semi-true). Anyway, I digress, how you make this yummy, and yes, I MEAN yummy, treat is to take one large Russet Potato and boil till it is easily poked with a fork. Once it is VERY soft, remove the potato from the water and peal the skin off. Mash that sucker up and slowly add almost all of a box of confectioner’s sugar (reserve the rest to pour out onto the wax paper). Mix up this mess. Pour the rest of the confectioners sugar on the wax paper. (Tip: wet your counter top and then spread the wax paper on this so it will stick to the counter) Spread the Confectioners sugar out and dump the potato mess on this and roll out like a pie crust-BUT not as thin. Once it is evenly rolled out, spread peanut butter (your choice smooth or crunchy) on to the rolled out potato mix.  Then take one end of the wax paper and begin to roll the potato mixture up (don’t include the wax paper in this-it is just a guide). Once it is rolled up into a type of potato/peanut log, take dental floss (a butter knife works well too, but this makes a cleaner cut) and slice into nice sized disks. Refrigerate and enjoy in about and hour.

Pear Salad

     The last contribution I have was a staple at every large family meal/gathering I attended after I became a Norton, Pear Salad. This is also the easiest thing to make. Go to the store and purchase a large can of Del Monte Pears that are cut in half. (Cut in half is very important because then you can cram the other ingredients into the cavity left by the removed center). Place the pears on a plate and place a large teaspoon of “Blue Plate” (God help you if you use any other brand because then it just isn’t the same----whatever) mayonnaise in the “hole.” Then sprinkle (mild or sharp-your choice again) cheddar cheese on the mayonnaise and eat. 

Don't Forget the Olives!

I wouldn't really call this entry a "recipe". It's really more like a memory involving food (and alcohol). I really miss my friends, and I am so glad that we have been able to stay in touch. I have so many wonderful memories with them, and I am so happy to have found a way to incorporate some of them into this cookbook. :)

“Pasketti”

Back in my younger, wilder days, my best friends and I would get together as much as we could for what we called “pasketti night”. Since these nights usually involved a lot of beer and Bacardi-o, the recipe isn’t exact, and the outcome was different every time we made it. Karen and I have co-written this recipe from what we can remember. There is no ingredient list or specific instructions because we really can’t remember exactly how we made it.

Start out with a block of cheddar cheese to snack on, a bottle of bud light, and an o-bomb (bacardi-o and red bull). Since the night is young and you’re just getting started, go ahead and have another o-bomb. Brown about a pound and a half to two pounds of hamburger meat and chop up an onion and some bell peppers while you sip on your bud light. {Karen prefers the different colors of bell peppers, so make sure you have a variety.} Eat some more cheese and have another o-bomb. Drain the meat then add the onion and bell peppers and cook it for a min while you try to find the spaghetti sauce you bought. Get side-tracked, and decide it’s time for another o-bomb. Remember the meat and veggies (hopefully before they burn), and locate that dern sauce. Add the sauce to the meat, and because you think you are an awesome chef, add some spices like garlic powder and oregano and whatever else sounds like it might be good. Is it time for another o-bomb yet? Wait, this part is really important if you want your pasketti to turn out right… Add an entire jar of green olives. Now it’s time for another o-bomb! Refill your bud light and grab another block of cheese. While the sauce is simmering, boil some water and olive oil (so the noodles don’t stick) and preheat the oven for the garlic bread. O-BOMB!!! Make fun of each other for stupid stuff you’ve done, laugh, take silly pictures to post on myspace/facebook, eat more cheese, drink more beer… Oh yeah!! The water is boiling, the sauce is sticking, and the oven’s ready. Stir the sauce, dump the entire box of noodles in the water, and put your frozen bread in the oven. Remind yourself to set the timer, but forget. Who’s turn is it to make the o-bombs?

Surprisingly, we never burned the noodles or the bread, but more often than not we were full from all the cheese and never even ate the “pasketti”. LOL! Most of the time “pasketti night” was at Eric’s apartment, and the real treat was bubba burgers for breakfast! We also loved to go down to the Marietta Square in our pj’s and eat breakfast at Le Peeps, then walk around Eddie’s Trick Shop for an hour. Sometimes it would be at Bo's, and we'd drink red wine instead of o-bombs. J So many great memories!  I love my friends and miss them dearly!

P.S.  Be careful not to get so drunk that you get sick, Karen and Eric will surely put a plastic bag around your ears and take pictures! Don't say I didn't warn you!
{No, I will not post the pics!}

Jazzed Up Cheese Dip?

Life in the oil field is by no means glamorous. It's dirty, stressful, unpredictable, and dangerous. It's also really hard on your relationships and family. The money is good, but the work is unsteady, and you spend a lot of time away from home.
In spite of all of the negative aspects, Jeremy loves his job. For him, the good outweighs the bad, and for me, I love seeing him do what he loves. Our time spent apart is filled with just as much love as when we are together, and the nights spent alone make the ones we spend together even more special. =)

Jeremy’s Oil Rig Chicken Spaghetti

Jeremy picked up this recipe while he was out on an oil rig. It’s a meal that we have pretty often, and Jeremy loves it. It’s a little spicy and VERY cheesy, so don’t say you weren’t warned! LOL!

1 (12oz.) package of spaghetti noodles

½ large package Velveeta Cheese

1 can Rotel; drained

1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

4 boneless chicken breasts; cooked (I usually either roast them, or just boil them) and cut into cubes {you can also use a whole chicken. Sometimes I’ll just get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and use all the meat from it.}

• Bring the water for your noodles to a boil, then cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. (It’s usually about 9-10 min.) {You can also add some chicken bouillon to the pasta water too, I generally add a few tablespoons. It just adds a little more flavor.}

• While the water is boiling and the noodles are cooking, start the sauce by cutting ½ a package of Velveeta into cubes and putting them in a microwave safe bowl. (I usually add just a touch of milk so it melts a little better.)

• Add the soup to the cheese and microwave it until it’s melted. (You want to try to stir it every 30 seconds or so, that way it doesn’t burn.)

• Once the cheese is melted and the soup is incorporated, mix in the Rotel and microwave another 30 seconds.

• Drain the noodles, put them back in the pot, add the chicken, then add the sauce and stir it up.

Go Go Gadget Arms!

OH MAN, I love me some some Inspector Gadget!!! LOL!  I haven't tried to make this recipe yet, but I am going to in the very near future. I am probably the only one of my parents children that is old enough to remember spending time with Marti, but unfortunately I don't remember much. I guess my old age it setting in... LOL! Although I can't remember it, I know I love mustard on my pork chops, so I will definitely enjoy this blast from the bast.  Thanks Marti! <3

Marti’s Mustard Pork Chops/Chicken

I really did have a part, no matter how tiny, in you becoming the wonderful, beautiful woman you are today.

Mustard pork chops/chicken- you just take the pork chops/chicken (you liked the boneless), season it up a bit, smear it with mustard, coat it with flour and fry it up-nothing special, but you were always asking me to make it.

I used to carry you around with me, all kinds of places, to Maw Maw & Paw Paw’s or wherever. I would tell you we couldn't tell when we got home cause Anthony would cry- you were so good about walking in the door and telling your mama and Anthony(Amy was still too little) how you could not tell them we had been at Maw Maws, etc... You were the only one I could get to eat vegetables after Amy was passed the mashed up food age- your mama would say Carolyn doesn’t like such and such, and I could say “Carolyn taste this”, a lot of times you liked whatever vegetable it was. You loved going to the little sushi place, and were fascinated with the Japanese people and décor. They would give us small tastes of different things to try. Your very favorites were the California Roll and Soft Shell Crab, and you used Wasabi too! I loved spicy, and you would eat it right along with me, eyes & nose running with mine! Inspector Gadget was your boyfriend and you were going to marry him. (Boy you made me crazy with that cartoon!) I told you he was not real, just a cartoon character, but oh on you insisted you were going to marry the "real" one. It tickled me to death to see it that day when you posted on facebook about the gadget arms! So many wonderful memories stored in my heart baby girl!

I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself.

I want to take a second and thank everyone who is participating in the production of this book. All of the letters and e-mails and stories and recipes are pouring in, and the support is amazing! You guys ROCK!!

Mama Betty's biscuits and gravy are VERY dear to me. I have tried to write out a recipe, but each time I have failed. It seems I could never word it correctly, or my measurements were all messed up. It's one of those that you never really have a recipe for, you just make it. I remember when I was younger, trying to learn how to make biscuits and gravy, Mama Betty would let me do everything by myself. She would stand next to me and give little pointers. "Add a little more grease, you don't want them to be tough", "Your dough is too dry, try adding some more milk", "Don't forget to press them down", "keep stirring the gravy, you don't want it to burn".
Mama Betty passed away 11 and a half years ago, and each year it seems I lose another memory. Her voice, the way she smelled, some of her facial expressions... these are just some of the things that no matter how hard I try, I just can't remember. But when I make biscuits and gravy, I can feel her next to me, and I can hear her voice telling me that my dough is too dry I need to add some milk, or my gravy isn't thick enough I need to keep stirring.
Aunt Vicki did an amazing job writing this recipe (as well as others that will be posted later). I honestly couldn't have done this any better. The only difference I remember is using crisco instead of butter or margarine, but it works well with both.  Thanks Vicki! <3

Cat Head Biscuits and Sawmill Gravy

     First, Let me make this perfectly clear--- recipes are suggestions-I being a “damn Yankee” (those who came and stayed by force or by choice)-learned this the hard way.

It took me about 3 or 4 years to really figure out Betty’s way of making biscuits and gravy, but I now do it quite well, if I say so myself. 

For me, I use, and still do, self-rising flour—Betty ALWAYS used plain flour!!! I never could get it right doing it totally her way, so some compromises had to be had!  But, I finally did get it right. Now my youngest is trying to figure it out. I guess I’ll have to do what Betty did—a one-on-one class.  Anyway her way of making a Good Southern Breakfast—here ya go:  Dump about 2 cups of self-rising flour into a bowl (if you wish to use plain flour, YOU figure out how much salt and baking powder you need cause I haven’t a clue). Then I use a scoop (about 1.5 Tablespoons of butter or margarine-SOFT-and mash into the flour with a fork-for those advanced cooks, a pastry blender works better. I stir it up and add enough milk (here- the argument-true southerners use whole milk but I use fat free organic-your choice-I think they all come out the same as I use the fat free organic) to make the dough thick like sloppy peanut butter (may be a TAD moister) Dump some flour out on a CLEAN counter top then dump the biscuit dough on this. Gently roll it over a couple times in the flour and mold a kind of log with the dough. Then pinch off each biscuit and roll into a ball and pat onto a greased baking sheet (the finger marks are ESSENTIAL for that homemade look). Once you are done---IF, and I repeat IF all goes well, you will stick the pan into the oven on about 375 and watch until the tops start to tan lightly!! 

Now, while the biscuits are cooking, start your sausage patties in the pan (not bacon-but sausage)-(but I finally figured out how to do this with bacon grease too) brown the sausage patties and remove them from the pan-leave the grease!  Add enough flour to the grease to make a thick paste. Brown it up for about a minute (don’t burn-someone will complain). Turn down burner to medium and add milk (again-the stupid argument-you decide) slowly stirring with a wire whisk until the pan is about half full and the white stuff (gravy) is getting thick. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. By now the biscuits should be done (hopefully).

Don’t forget to scramble a dozen eggs with shredded cheddar cheese the “piece da resistance.”

Go For a Dip!

Cash got a new rope toy yesterday and we had a blast playing with it last night! It's the little things like that that I never want to take for granted. =)
I think I have made 10 versions of this in the past 2 weeks just trying to find the best recipe. By golly, I think I've got it! Let me know what you think!

Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip

1 (10 oz.) box of frozen chopped spinach; thawed

1 (15 oz.) can of artichoke hearts

4 oz. (½ package) of cream cheese; softened

½ cup mayo (or ¼ c. mayo, ¼ c. sour cream)

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (not the powdery stuff you put on your pizza)

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flake

• Preheat oven to 350°.

• Lay a clean, dry kitchen towel flat on the counter or table you are working on and then lay a paper towel on top. (Make sure it is a towel that you don’t mind messing up, as it will surely turn green.)

• Put the spinach on the paper towel (don’t worry about spreading it out or anything) and roll it up.

• Wring the spinach in the towel over the sink until the spinach is dry.

• Wring the artichokes the same way, then chop them up.

{You want to try to get them as dry as possible so the dip isn’t watery. Usually, to make sure they are as dry as I can get them, I lay them together on a plate or something, then lay a paper towel over them, then get another dry towel and fold it and press it down onto the spinach and artichokes.}

• In a casserole dish, add the cream cheese, mayo, parmesan, mozzarella, garlic powder, salt, and pepper flake and smash it all together. (I usually use the potato masher for this.)

• Add the spinach and artichokes and mix it all together really well.

• Put it in the oven for about 20 min, or until all the cheese is melted and bubbly. (I even stir it a few times while it’s in the oven.)

Slimey Okra?

This is probably a new favorite for me. Jeremy grew up on stewed tomatoes and okra, but I had never even heard of such a thing until this year. Honestly, it sounded pretty nasty. I'm not a fan of slimey okra, so I've only ever eaten it fried. Since I am not one to write off any kind of food because it looks or sounds gross (Well, except liver and onions. I will never try that.), I found a recipe that looked good and I tried it. Much to my surprise, it was delicious! This recipe is pretty easy, and it goes with just about any meat.

Stewed Tomatoes and Okra

My first thought when I saw this recipe was, “Gross!” When okra gets wet, it is slimey. I wasn’t very excited about making “slimey tomatoes & okra”. LOL!  For some reason, this works tho. It is really good over rice and you can serve it with just about any meat you like. My favorite is baked chicken breast, and I make the rice with a little chicken bouillon in it (I’ll add that recipe to the bottom). If you make this meal, you can cook the rice and the chicken together in the oven and when it only has 20 min or so left, start the okra & tomatoes. Ta-daaa, everything’s done at the same time! =)

4 slices of bacon (cut into ½ inch slices)

1 medium onion; diced

3 cups frozen okra

1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes

1 small clove of garlic; minced (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)

1 teaspoon dried savory (or ½ teaspoon ground savory)

Salt & Pepper

(you can also add a can of corn if you’d like)

• Heat your pan over medium to medium-high heat (an iron skillet works best), add the bacon and render until crisp.

• Remove the bacon and set it aside.

• Add the onion to the bacon fat and sauté till it’s tender.

• Stir in the okra, tomatoes, garlic, savory, and salt & pepper to taste. (and the corn if you are adding it)

• Simmer for 15 minutes or until okra is warmed through. (If it starts to get dry, you can add a little water or chicken broth.

Chicken Flavored Rice

1 cup regular long grain rice

1 teaspoon butter

2 cups water

1 heaping tablespoon of chicken boullion

• Preheat oven to 375°.

• Put the uncooked rice in a casserole dish with the butter and microwave it for about 20-30 seconds. (just to melt the butter) Then mix the butter in, coating the rice so it doesn’t stick.

• Pour in the water and add the boullion, then give it a little stir to mix everything.

• Cover the dish and bake for about 40-45 min. (The length of time it takes to cook is always different for me. I usually just keep checking it after about 30 min, when the rice has absorbed all of the broth, it’s done.)

Nothing Warms Your Tummy Like Some Good Ole Homemade Soup

It's been really wet and cold here this winter. It seems as though we have had more rainy days than dry, and the wind is unmerciful. The cattle gather out in front of Ms. Cathy's house to block the cold winds, and we try to stay inside to keep dry and warm. Generally I welcome the winter weather, but this year has just been miserable!   I can just hear all the northerners now, they're laughing their butts off saying, "Look at the little southern girl, she's complaining about 40 degree weather in February! Hahahahaha!" Guess I am a bit of a sissy, huh? LOL!
There's nothing like a hot bowl of soup to warm your tummy when those northern winds come creepin' in, so I thought I'd share this one with y'all. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! =)

Granny’s Ham & Veggie Soup

Most of Granny’s recipes are not written down, so she has either showed me how to make them, or told me over the phone. Unfortunately, my memory isn’t that good, so I can never get the recipe right. This recipe is what I can remember from Granny’s recipe, with my own little twist.

When I bake a ham, I usually slice almost all of the good meat off, leaving some on the bone, then I freeze the bone in the juices until I am ready to make the soup. As the juices cool and freeze, the fat will make a pretty thick film on the surface, I just scrape all of that off before I thaw it. I also like to cut my potatoes either the day before or at least a few hours before I make the soup. I put them in a butter bowl and cover them with cold water and let them sit in the fridge until I am ready for them. This helps make the soup less starchy. Also, if you are using fresh veggies, make sure you are aware of how long each of them takes to cook. Carrots and potatoes take a lot longer than peas and green beans. You don’t want your peas to be mush and your carrots crunchy. And if you are using dried beans, I would boil those separate before you even start making the soup, because they take FOREVER to cook and they are very starchy. (You will end up with a stew rather than a soup.) LOL! This recipe makes A LOT of soup, so I hope you have freezer space! =)

Leftover hambone and juices from baked Ham (plus extra water)

4 medium potatoes; peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 medium to large onion; chopped

2 cloves of garlic; roughly chopped

{You can use fresh or canned veggies, but I generally just use frozen. It is cheaper and easier.}

2 small bags (or one large bag) of frozen, mixed veggies

1 large (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with the juice

1 small bag frozen, cut okra

¼ cup chicken bouillon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon white pepper

• In a large pot, put the hambone and juices then fill to the top with water.

• Boil the bone over medium heat until the meat falls off.

• In the sink, place a colander over a larger pot and pour in the ham and juices. (You want the juice in the larger pot and the bone and pieces in the colander.)

• Let the ham cool, then pick off the meat and put it into the large pot and throw out the bone, fat, and cartilage.

 • Once you all the meat in the juice, place the pot on the stove and turn the burner on medium heat.

• Add the bouillon, salt, pepper, oregano, potatoes, onion, garlic, veggies (except okra), and tomatoes.

• Boil until the potatoes are soft. (I don’t know how long it takes because I am usually doing other things while it boils.)

• When the potatoes are soft, turn the burner off and add the okra. Stir it into the hot soup and let it sit until the okra warms through. (I’d say about 10 or 15 min or so.) When the okra is warm you, the soup is finished.

Kitchen Fun with the Youngins

So it's Saturday morning, and you and the kids are watching Saturday morning cartoons in your pj's, when they start saying, "I'm hungry!", what do you do? Fix them a bowl of cereal? Eggs? Pop Tarts? Pancakes? How about taking that can of biscuits you were gonna make with the eggs, and make donuts with the kids!  Some of us are super lucky and get to stay home with our children, but for the most part, we work during the week, so on the weekends we have to squeeze in all the "together time" with our kids that we can get. =) This recipe is a lot of fun no matter what age you are.

Canned Biscuit Donuts

What can I say? These bad boys are the stuff!!! LOL! They’re super simple to make, yummy-delicious, and the kids love putting their own icing and decorations on top!

Canned biscuits (you can use whatever kind you like, just make sure you don’t get the flakey kind. lol.)

Oil for frying (vegetable oil works fine, but I would recommend peanut oil if you can afford it. Canola oil is good too.)

(ingredients for the glaze(s) and/or topping(s) you are using)

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium to medium high heat until it reaches 350°. (If you are using the larger biscuits, you wanna try to stick with medium heat. They take longer to cook, and you don’t want a golden outside and doughy inside.)

• Take the biscuits out of the can(s) and place on a very lightly floured surface, then cut holes in the center. (for the bigger biscuits, I use a small shot glass, and for the smaller ones I use a small spoon or if you have one, the large end of a piping tip works too. Don’t forget to flour whatever it is you are cutting with.)

• Fry them on each side until they are golden brown, then drain on paper towels.

(Fry the holes too!  For me, those never even make it to the dressing table. Lol.)

{The donuts themselves are not sweet at all, so you definitely need to add a glaze or sugar of some sort.}

Glazes & Toppings

Plain Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla (I usually use a tad less, you definitely don’t want to add more.)

Maple Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons Maple syrup

Chocolate Glaze

½ cup chocolate chips

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 tablespoons milk

• Microwave the ingredients in high, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds, until the chocolate is melted.

Fruit Glaze

2 tablespoons grape, apricot, or peach jam

1 cup powdered sugar

1 or 2 teaspoons of milk

• Microwave the jam for about 15 second, then add the powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency.

Cinnamon & Sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup sugar

{You can also sift powdered sugar on them, you can add sprinkles, or whatever you like.} 

I Like My Chicken Fried

Who doesn't love fried chicken?!? If only it were a little easier to make, we'd probably make it more often, huh? lol. Well, I wish I had that "super simple fried chicken" recipe, but I don't. I do, however, have Maw Maw's fried chicken recipe! Who wants it? Who wants it? 

Maw Maw’s Fried Chicken

You can always tell when I’ve been frying chicken, I look a mess! I’m usually covered in grease and flour from head to toe, my face is red from standing over the stove, and I won’t even go into the crazy things my hair does.

One of my favorite things to eat as a child was (and still is) Maw Maw’s fried chicken. Nothing else can even compare! When Maw Maw would make fried chicken, her whole house would smell good enough to eat, and she would come out of the kitchen without even a hair out of place. How she did it, I guess I will never know!

4 chicken Legs

4 chicken thighs

8 eggs

3 cups of flour

Salt & Pepper

Oil for frying (vegetable oil or shortening works fine. If you can afford peanut oil, it has an awesome flavor. I wouldn’t recommend olive oil, it’s too sweet.)

The night before…

• Beat 4 eggs with a fork and salt & pepper them well.

• Rinse and pat dry all of your chicken.

• In 2 big zipper bags (1 gallon) place half the chicken in one and half in the other.

• Pour the eggs into the bags, half in one, half in the other. (Sometimes I just beat the eggs separate, so I don’t have to try to split it evenly.)

• Put the chicken in the refrigerator, and let it set over night.

The next day…

• In a large frying pan, pour the oil until it’s a tad less than halfway up the sides of the pan.  (To get the amount of oil right is an art. Too much and it bubbles over, not enough and the chicken doesn’t cook evenly. Trust me, I’ve done both! LOL!)

• Heat the oil over medium heat until it’s about 350°, or until a tiny pinch of flour sizzles and disappears quickly. (Getting the oil the right temperature is an art as well. If it’s not hot enough, the breading will fall off, and the chicken will end up super greasy. If it is too hot, the outside will brown way before the inside is done. I usually heat the oil on medium heat, then when I start adding the chicken I turn it in between medium and medium high. Also, don’t get in a hurry and turn the burner on high to heat the oil, the taste of burnt oil is not very flattering to fried chicken.)

• While the oil is heating, grab 2 medium size bowls. In one pour the flour, in the other add the last 4 eggs and about 3 tablespoons of water and beat them together. (You also want to grab a large plate or platter and cover it in paper towels.)

• Once your oil is ready, take a piece of chicken from one of the bags and place it in the flour bowl.

• Completely cover the chicken in flour then shake off any loose flour.

 Place the chicken in the egg bowl. Completely cover the chicken in the egg mixture.

• Now back to the flour bowl. Cover the chicken in flour one last time and shake off the excess flour.

• Slowly and CAREFULLY place the chicken into the oil with a pair of tongs. (Please don’t try to do this with your fingers. The oil is going to pop and bubble, and your hands will be burned. I’ve done this as well. LOL!)

• Fry the chicken, 2 or 3 pieces at a time (you don’t want to crowd the pan because it will lower the temperature of the oil. Then the chicken will take forever to cook and it will be greasy. Not to mention it will definitely bubble over and make a huge mess.), for about 10 minutes (flipping it a few times), or until it is golden brown and the internal temperature is 160°, then place it on the paper towels. (I’m pretty sure you don’t want to make anyone sick, so make sure the chicken is done on the inside.)

{I generally flip the chicken a lot while its cooking, it seems like it cooks more evenly that way. I could be wrong tho, that’s just my opinion. lol.}

Brown Rounds

Good Morning! I haven't forgotten about you guys, I promise! The past few days I have been so busy with Jeremy's birthday and all, I really haven't had time to work on the cookbook. I don't have an actual cookbook entry ready to post, but I do have a simple recipe to share with y'all. The recipe is only for one serving, so you can add as many as you like.  =)

Hash Browns

1 medium potato

1 tablespoon oil or shortening

(you can add diced onions or cheese or anything you like)

· Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

· Peel and grate the potato.

· Place the grated potato in an old, clean dish towel (or any kind of small towel) and wring out all of the juices. (This is super important! If you don't wring out the juices, the hash browns will be really mushy and will take forever to brown. Also, you want to make sure you are using an old towel or something you don't care to mess up because the potato juices will turn the towel black. I have a few towels that are designated for this kind of stuff.)

· Carefully scatter the potato into the hot oil. (This is where you would add your extras, like onions or jalapenos or whatever you like.)

· Fry the potato until the edges are brown and really crispy. (It usually takes about 10 minutes or so. The middle isn't going to be as crispy, so if you want them really crispy, you almost have to burn the edges. lol.) 

· Flip the potato and fry the other side until it is brown and crispy. (You can't really tell by looking at the edges, so what i do is just take my spatula and lift one side up so I can see under it.) (When it's almost done is when you would add the cheese on top.)

· When it is done, Place the potato onto some paper towels to drain the grease. 

Hooray for "Cake-Cakes"!

My nephew Tyson gets to take all of the credit for my crazy nickname. I guess the closest he could get to "Aunt Carolyn" was "Aunt koo-koo". My sister, Amy, always jokes about how right he is. LOL! I was the only person allowed to love him back then, too. If anyone else told him that they loved him he would say, "nuh uh! koo-koo wuv me!" 
Tyson was 3 when he learned how to make these super easy pancakes. As most 3 year olds do, he had his own words for most things, so he called them "cake-cakes".  LOL!

Perfect Pancakes

 

When Tyson was 3 and 4, he used to LOVE helping me make these “cake-cakes”. On Mother’s Day 2007, he got up really early to make Amy breakfast in bed. He sang his “makin’ cake-cakes for mommy” song while he did the mixing and I added the ingredients, and then I did the cooking with him right beside me making sure I did a good job for his mommy. It was the cutest thing watching him proudly walk down the hall to Amy’s bedroom, covered in flour, and say “wook Mommy, I make you cake-cakes!”

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 ½ tablespoons melted butter

¾ cup self-rising flour

2 tablespoons sugar

• In a medium size bowl, beat the egg a little with a fork.

• Add the milk and melted butter and mix well.

• Slowly stir in the dry ingredients and mix it until there are no large lumps. (you can add more flour or more milk to get the consistency that you like.)

• Heat your pan or griddle over medium heat until it’s about 350° or small drops of water sizzle and disappear. (if your pan is too cool, the pancakes will stick.)

• Spray, butter, or oil your pan lightly and pour about ¼ cup of batter. (I generally just get a ¼ c. measuring cup and use that to dip it out.)

• Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles start to form in the middle of the pancake, then flip t and cook for about a minute more.

• Re-spray, butter, or oil your pan for each pancake.

(this recipe will make about 5 pancakes.)

Say Cheese!

I have 2 recipes for mac n cheese. The first is Jeremy's Granny's recipe and the second is the one that I was making before Jeremy and I met. Although they have different textures and they taste a little different, they are both very good. I have a few more mac 'n cheese recipes, but I will wait to post those. =)


Macaroni & Cheese

 

This is originally Jeremy’s Granny’s recipe. When I called her to get the recipe, I wrote it down, but the next time I went to make it, I couldn’t remember where I had written it! I looked through a few cookbooks and online and finally found a recipe that was close and I changed it so that it was more like the one of Granny’s that I had gotten over the phone. I’ve also added my own little touch. =)

1 lb. bag of macaroni

3 eggs (beaten)

1 can evaporated milk

1 lb. block of medium or sharp cheddar (or a 1 lb. bag of shredded cheddar)

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt & pepper

Milk

• Preheat oven to 350°.

• Boil the macaroni in well salted water for about 6 min. (you want the macaroni to be underdone because it will finish cooking in the oven)

• While the macaroni is boiling, shred the block of cheddar.

• In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then beat in the evaporated milk, nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper. Set aside. (I actually mix all this up in my measuring cup because it’s easier to pour.)

• In a casserole dish, layer the macaroni and the cheese. (I generally do this in pretty thin layers, that way all the macaroni gets covered. I also wait until after I pour the egg mixture to put the last layer of cheese on.)

• Pour the egg/evaporated milk mixture all over your layers, then pour milk over it until it almost covers the macaroni. (I usually leave about a half inch or so. If you don’t put that last layer of cheese on, it is easier to see where your milk is.)

• Cover the macaroni with the last layer of cheese (I try to keep back a pretty good bit for the last layer so it completely covers the macaroni) and cover the dish.

• Bake for about 40 min, then uncover and bake it until the cheese is brown.

Velveeta Mac ‘n Cheese

1 lb. elbow macaroni

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

2 ½ tbsp. butter

1 ¾ c. milk

½ bread crumbs

1 lg. block Velveeta, cubed

3 tbsp. flour

• Preheat over to 375°.

• Boil the macaroni in well salted water for 6 min. (you want it to be underdone because it will finish cooking in the oven.)

• Melt 1 ½ tablespoons of butter in a medium pot.

• Add the flour and stir until it is well blended. (this is the base of your cheese sauce.)

• Stir in milk slowly, and cook, stirring constantly, until it gets a little thicker.

• Add seasonings and cheese, and keep stirring until cheese is melted.

• In a large casserole dish, add the macaroni and the cheese sauce and stir until all of the macaroni is coated.

• Melt the last tablespoon of butter and add the breadcrumbs.

• Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the macaroni.

• Bake it for about 30 minutes or until the cheese and breadcrumbs on top start to brown.

Can't Go Wrong With Meat & Potatoes

Jeremy and Ms. Cathy both really enjoy this shepherd's pie. It may not be what you would expect a traditional shepherd's pie to taste like, but the general concept is the same, it's just not as bland. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Shepherd’s Pie

Traditional shepherd’s pie is very bland, but this “meat & potatoes casserole” is super delicious. I have worked on this recipe for a few years, and finally I have come up with a family favorite. =)

2 cups smashed taters

1 lb. ground chuck. (if you use a leaner meat like ground sirloin or turkey, you will need 2 tablespoons of oil.)

2 tablespoons self rising flour

1 can onion soup

2 cups beef broth

½ medium onion; finely diced

1 tablespoon garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves; finely minced)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1 can corn; drained

1 can green beans; drained

(you can also use frozen veggies for this, and you can put just about anything you want in it. I think the traditional shepherd’s pie has peas and carrots, but Jeremy won’t eat either one of those. lol.)

1 box jiffy yellow cornbread

½ to 1 cup shredded cheese

• Preheat oven to 375°.

• If you aren’t using left over mashed potatoes, I would start boiling those first.

• Brown the meat with the onion over medium heat, but don’t drain the fat.

• Add the flour and keep folding it in until the meat is all coated.

• Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the broth. (It will start to make a gravy almost instantly.)

• Add the soup, Worcestershire, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Let it simmer for just a min.

• Add the corn and green beans (or whatever veggies you are using), and let it simmer while you get your potatoes ready. (don’t forget to stir it every once in a while tho, because it will stick to the bottom.)

• Make the cornbread batter according to the directions on the package.

• In a large casserole dish, layer your mashed potatoes on the bottom, then your meat/veggie mixture, then layer the shredded cheese, then spread the cornbread batter on top.

• Bake it in the oven until the cornbread is browned and the juices are bubbling on the sides. (you might want to put your casserole dish on pan so you don’t mess up your oven if it spills out a bit.)

Riscky Business

Since I posted the recipe for smashed taters the other day, I figure now would be a good time to post the jazzed up version. Jeremy asks me to make these with dinner almost every night, and the recipe is barely a month old! LOL! I do have to warn you tho, if you aren't a big fan of cheese, you probably won't like these potatoes too much.

Not So Riscky Potatoes

The first time I ever visited Texas, Jeremy and I flew to Dallas/Fort Worth one weekend in August 2008 to see Cross Canadian Ragweed’s Red Dirt Roundup. While we were visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards, we ate dinner at Riscky’s Steakhouse. Jeremy absolutely loves their “twice baked potato”. To me it just tasted like mashed potatoes with a ton of cheese. So when I tried recreating Jeremy’s favorite potatoes, that’s exactly what I did… I jazzed up some mashed potatoes. =)

(about 3 cups) smashed taters

16 oz Velveeta (it’s about half of one of the big blocks)

½ cup shredded cheddar

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

Sprinkle cayenne

Salt & pepper

• Preheat the oven to 375°.

• Basically I just cut the velveeta into chunks into hot mashed potatoes and add onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and just a little sprinkle of cayenne and mash it all up until the velveeta is melted. Then I pour it into a casserole dish and spread the shredded cheddar on top and bake it till the cheese on top melts and starts to brown a little.