Little Family in the Big Woods

Hydrangeas

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 03 May 2026 20:45:09 +0000

It’s hard to believe these hydrangeas came from my hydrangea bush last summer.

They stayed on my screened porch for much of the summer and fall, but have been in my house since.

I hope this is the beginning of more blogging and pictures for me. My retirement is just around the corner. That simply means more time for the things I love around the house.

Stay tuned….

Peanut Butter Chocolates

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:09:00 +0000

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I wanted to be sure I got the ingredients for these little lovelies recorded. I want to be sure to make them again next year. So fun and so easy to make and so yummy!

The best part of this is I purchased the molds at Target’s after Christmas sale and payed less than a dollar for them.

1 bag Ghirardelli white chocolate melting pieces

1/2 - 1 bag Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips

1/4 -1/2 cup peanut butter

Add to microwave safe bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals stirring at each stop until chips are completely melted.

Spoon into molds. Wipe knife across back of mold to clean off excess chocolate.

Refrigerate until set.

Pop out of molds.

Store in an airtight container.

The fun of these molds is being able to use just the snowflakes and snowmen on into December. Very easy and fun Christmas treat.

Enjoy!

Summertime Produce

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 15:21:00 +0000

It is such a joy to come upon a hidden surprise.

This is exactly what happened to my

daughter and I last weekend.

Who would have guessed that there was a hidden gem less than 5 minutes from her home?

Bloomsbury Farms is located in Smyrna, TN.

They have a special day to open their farm called Farm Fridays.

The public is invited to purchase from an assortment of homegrown fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

The produce for sale is only a part of the prize of finding this place.

The drive to get there is peaceful and beautiful and relaxing.

I will share the flowers in my next post.

They deserve their own attention.

Strawberry Parfaits

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:16:00 +0000

Sometimes, I choose to make my favorite strawberry pie recipe as parfaits rather than making an actual pie.

To do this, requires making a graham cracker crust.

I used 2 cups crushed graham crackers, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and a stick of melted margarine all mixed together.

You can then add as much as you like of this mixture

to the bottom of each parfait dish.

The recipe for the cream cheese part of these parfaits can be found here:

Recipe for Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Strawberries can be sliced any way you like.

Then, add strawberry glaze on top.

I usually cover each of these with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Delicious!

Blue Hydrangeas

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:08:00 +0000

It's hydrangea season in Tennessee.

These came from my sister's house.

Gorgeous, gorgeous blooms of blue.

The flowers are huge!

I bought a few fake ones for my porch, so I could have them a little longer than the season.

This is an arrangement that was at my church on Sunday.

These are beautiful blue hydrangeas and white oak-leaf hydrangeas.

These are a blooms from my small hydrangea bush.

I love to bring them inside when they are just beginning to bloom.

See the ladybug on the top?

Spring Brunch

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 23:41:00 +0000

A spring brunch on a beautiful day is one of the feel goods of life.

This one included a bacon/egg casserole, fruit, hash brown casserole, and a very special featured treat.

Can you spot the special treat?

My daughter had given me a box of pastry’s from

Ballerina Farms

for my birthday.

They were absolutely delicious.

The ones on the top are plain, and the ones on the bottom are chocolate filled.

My little treat for my guests was their own mini take out

box of fruit.

Something fun on such a special day.

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:44:00 +0000

One of my favorite things to see when I open my refrigerator door is a bowl of potato salad.

Potato salad is such a wonderful side item to make ahead and eat on for a few days, or to make ahead for company or to take to a covered dish dinner.

I typically start with 8 potatoes chopped into small cubes.

This is the perfect size cube.

Nobody likes potato salad with big pieces of potatoes.

Cover the potatoes with water and boil on medium until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the potatoes are boiling, boil 6 eggs (I boil mine about 5 minutes.), and begin chopping the other ingredients.

If you’re lucky enough to have a brother that makes really good Chunk Sweet Pickles, chop some pickles into very small pieces. We like sweet pickles in potato salad. Some people prefer dill.

Do the same with the white sweet onion.

Chop very fine. I typically use about 1/4 of a large onion.

Once the eggs are done, cooked , and peeled, chop them the same way.

The real secret to potato salad is draining the potatoes and then allowing them to cool before adding the other ingredients. This is what keeps the potatoes together and keeps them from becoming mushy.

After adding all the chopped ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste and then add about 3/4 cup mayonnaise and a couple tablespoons of mustard.

Really all of this is to your taste.

I also add some pickle juice from the jar!

Stir it all up.

Potato salad can be eaten warm, but I like it best cold from the refrigerator!

Enjoy!

French Coconut Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 22:43:00 +0000

I was looking at a past post of this French Coconut Pie, and I decided to redo it. It looked as if something was just not right.

It was the pie plate!!!

Who would think a pie plate could make that much difference?

Before, I had used a deep dish pie plate, and the pie filling had gotten lost in all that crust.

This go round, I decided to use this vintage Corning Ware pie dish that is a little thinner and still quite lovely.

I also chose to go with a Pioneer Woman pie crust that I had previously made and frozen.

I must say that I have become a huge fan of this crust. It is so easy to make a pie when you have this on hand. Here is a link to the recipe:

Pioneer Woman Pie Crust

Just be sure to add enough flour so it will not stick to your board when you are rolling.

If it does stick, just ball it back up and try again.

That is what I had to do, and it turned out fine.

Here are the directions for the pie filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco shortening

1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Whisk the eggs.

Add the sugar, vanilla, and melted Crisco.

Finally, add the coconut.

Pour into crust.

Bake 425 degrees for 10 minutes and then,

lower to 325 degrees to cook an additional 40 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

Enjoy!

Lemon Delight Dessert

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 04:25:00 +0000

Why not make individual desserts that guests can carry home for your next party or luncheon???

I usually make this dessert in a 9 x 12 inch pan.

But, it worked perfectly to make in these 4 Rubbermaid glass containers instead!

Start by chopping up 1/2 cups nuts.

I like to chop these very fine.

Combine the pecans with 1 1/2 cups of plain flour and

2/3 cup melted butter.

Press this mixture in the bottom of pan (or in this case pans) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Next cream an 8 oz pkg cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1cup cool whip.

Spread this mixture over the top of the crust.

Blend 3 cups milk with 2 small packages Lemon Instant pudding.

Spread this mixture over the cream cheese.

Top with cool whip.

Add some lemon zest or other decorations if you like!

I added some rosemary sprigs and a slice of lemon. These turned out so pretty.

I added a little velvet ribbon just for fun!

This dessert is great for a light treat at the end of a meal.

Cinnamon Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 03:31:00 +0000

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas in the Big Woods.

I just love the smell of Cinnamon Ornaments in the house.

These ornaments are super fun and easy to make.

Especially when you make them with someone else.

My daughter helped me with these.

These are the necessary ingredients...

1 cup cinnamon

3/4 cup applesauce

2 Tablespoons white glue

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, ground nutmeg, or ground cloves

Mix together, then roll out to 1/4 inch using cinnamon to keep the dough

from sticking to your dough board. Cut our with cookie cutters.

Let dry for 24 hours or longer.

Remember to use a small straw or something to make a hole in the top for hanging with thread.

We have so many cookie cutters.

But, we decided to stick with stars, angels, and trees.

I used the stars to decorate this little tree in my kitchen.

I used the trees on my kitchen cabinet doors.

Such an easy and fun Christmas craft.

Fried Apple Pies at Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:31:00 +0000

Today has been a day for making fried apple pies.

I tried using less crisco today when making my crust.

The result is a crispier pie that is easier to hold in your hand.

Follow this link for the recipe:

Fried Apple Pies Recipe

Apple Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 20:19:00 +0000

This apple pie was a joy to make!

We picked the apples ourselves while visiting

Haney Apple Orchard in Somerset, Kentucky.

I think they are McIntosh.

The recipe, as you can see here, is an old one.

It is a recipe that my Mother (Mary Lantz) used to win blue ribbons at our county fair.

I have adapted it to be easier for me to make today by

using two bought crusts.

I followed her directions for making the filling, and then placed that filling in a bought pie crust.

I then inverted the second pie crust on top of the first and placed them in the oven like this for the first 10 min of baking. You then remove the top pan and take the pie out of the oven to flute the edges.

The top crust will fall perfectly on top of the bottom crust. It will be cool enough that you can flute the edges together.

Then, add a little sugar and cinnamon to the top before returning to the oven.

Finish baking until the crust is golden brown.

This pie was so easy and very delicious.

Your guests will think you made the crust by hand.

Enjoy!

Improved Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 22:45:00 +0000

Let me introduce you to two secret ingredients for making your chocolate oatmeal cookies so much better.

Since I have started using Califia OatMilk and Gluten Free Quick Oats, I have noticed a delicious taste and texture to my chocolate oatmeal cookies.

And…they are now gluten free!

I also used chunky peanut butter in these.

You can see the peanuts in the cookies.

I always place my cookies on waxed paper to cool.

These were ready to move to a plate about 30 minutes after I made them.

Here is my recipe again:

2 cups sugar

3Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup OatMilk

1 stick Parkay Margarine

Bring to a full boil for 2 minutes

Remove from heat and add:

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1teaspoon Happy Home vanilla

3 cups Gluten Free Oats

Drop by large spoonfuls onto wax paper.

Enjoy!

Sausage Rice Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 11:22:00 +0000

These are the ingredients needed to make this delicious casserole:

1pound sausage

1cup chopped Onion

2cups mild Cheddar cheese

1 can Cream of chicken soup

1 can Cream of mushroom soup

1cup uncooked rice

Cook the rice.

Brown the sausage and onion together in a skillet and drain.

Then, mix all ingredients together saving back 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees in a casserole dish for 25 min.

Remove from oven and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

I made this casserole with turkey sausage. It was soooooo good. This is one of those comfort food dishes. Enjoy!

Blackberry Cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:24:00 +0000

We just celebrated July 4th in the Big Woods.

Once July 4th is here, people in Tennessee start looking for wild blackberries to make a cobbler.

I don't always find them, but this year, I found some growing around the edges of the farm.

It takes about 2 cups of berries to make a good cobbler.

We hit this just right with our picking.

I think I managed to pick these without getting any chiggers or briar scratches.

Once I got them back to the kitchen, I washed them through at least 4 clean water cycles, being careful to handle the berries with care and remove any stems.

I started by making biscuit dough, but adding a little more Crisco than I would if making biscuits.

2 cups self-rising flour

1/3 cup Crisco (This is what I used.)

2/3 cup milk

I pinched off a baseball size piece of dough to save for the top crust and then rolled the rest out to less than a quarter inch thickness. I cut this into strips to be ready to pinch off for dumplings.

The berries are put in a pot and covered to the top with water.

I brought them to a boil, and then added 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar.

I let this cook for about 10 minutes...maybe a little longer...at medium high.

Then, I brought the berries back to a full rolling boil and added a half stick of butter. Then, I start adding the dumplings.

You add the dumplings by taking a strip of dough and pinching off pieces and dropping in the liquid.

I would carefully stir the dumplings to be covered by the juice as I went.

After cooking the dumplings for about 10 minutes, I poured the mixture into a casserole dish.

That extra dough I saved back gets rolled into a crust and cut to fit the top of the dish.

The last step is cutting some slits in the top and sprinkling a small amount of sugar over the crust.

I baked this one at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Some people like to add butter to the top and eat their cobbler just like this.

We like to add vanilla ice cream to ours.

Enjoy!

Blackberry Cobbler

2 cups self-rising flour

1/3 cup Crisco shortening

2/3 cup milk

2 cups blackberries

1 1/2 -2 cups sugar

1/2 stick butter

Make biscuit dough.

Save back dough for crust and roll and cut remaining dough for dumplings.

Bring berries to a boil with water covering.

Add sugar and cook on medium 10-15 minutes.

Bring back to a boil and add butter.

Drop in dumplings and cook for 10 minutes more.

Pour into casserole dish and add crust sprinkled with sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Lemon Ice Box Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 02:04:00 +0000

My Uncle Marvin came to every family covered dish meal with his famous

Lemon Ice Box Pie.

It was always a hit with everyone.

I made this pie using his recipe, and even though it was good, I just believe his were better.

I will still make it again.

To make this pie, you will need:

1/2 stick margarine

1 1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers

1 can Eagle Brand milk

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup lemon juice

Start by crushing the vanilla wafers.

I usually put mine in a baggie and roll over the top with a rolling pin a few times.

Melt the butter and combine with the vanilla wafers, then place in the pie pan.

I use this tool to press the vanilla wafer crumbs around the pie plate.

I have no idea what it is called.

Juice the lemons and measure out 1/2 of a cup.

I have also used imitation lemon juice for this pie.

Mix the egg yolks, condensed milk and lemon juice together.

Please note, the eggs do not get cooked in this recipe.

If you do not want to eat uncooked eggs, this recipe may not be for you.

Pour pie filling into crust and smooth around.

My Uncle Marvin always added vanilla wafer crumbs to the top of the pie!

This is a great dessert for a hot summer day.

Enjoy!

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 02:48:00 +0000

+If you are looking for an easy cake that is moist and delicious, this is it.

+ I especially enjoy a piece of this cake warmed up for just 20 seconds in the microwave with a cup of coffee.

+Yum!

+You will need:

1 1/4 cup boiling water

1 cup quick cook oats

1/2 cup margarine-softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

+Pour boiling water over oats in a bowl.

+Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.

+Blend margarine until creamy. Then, add sugars and blend together. Then, add vanilla and eggs and blend.

+Stir in oats mixture.

+Sift together flour, salt, soda, and spices. (Be sure to sift the flour before measuring or cake will be dry.)

=Add to cream mixture. Mix well.

+Pour batter into greased 9x12 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Do not remove from pan.

+Mix topping together and spread on cake. Put back in the over and bake until the topping is bubbly.

+topping

+1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 Tablespoon half-half milk

1/3 cup chopped nuts

3/4 cup coconut

+ENJOY!

Butterscotch Krispies

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 01:39:00 +0000

Today, I want to share one of my favorite recipes. It is super easy to make and loved by kids and adults.

You will need:

1bag butterscotch morsels

1cup peanut butter

1stick salted butter

6 cups Rice Krispies

Begin by buttering a 9 x 12 glass baking dish. Butter the sides and the bottom.

Measure out 1 cup of peanut butter and place in a large saucepan.

Add the bag of butterscotch morsels and the stick of butter to the saucepan.

Melt over medium low heat stirring constantly. I usually remove mine from the heat before the morsels are completely melted, as in the above photo.

Remove from heat and add the Rice Krispies! Stir to combine.

Smooth the mixture in the pan, and then place in the refrigerator for about an hour to firm up. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Green Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 02:57:00 +0000

It 's a known fact that all green beans are not created equal.
My Grandmother's green beans were by far my favorite ever.
I am pretty sure they were blue lake variety grown in her garden.
She seasoned her beans with cooking oil.

I am not particular about the type of green beans that I cook.
I have cooked blue lake and half-runner.
I have cooked French style, cut, shelly and flat.
Of course the best green beans are straight from the garden that you pick and break yourself, but those are hard to get these days, unless your sister has a garden!

Whatever the variety, I typically cook green beans the same way with a few minor variations.

If using beans from a can, pour the beans in a sauce pot. I usually add a little more water.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
I add a slice of bacon or about a tablespoon of cooking oil to season the beans.
Sometimes, I add a small piece of onion to add extra flavor.

I will bring the beans to a boil, add a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Then I let the beans cook for a while as I prepare the rest of my meal. I would say they cook for about 30 minutes. I don't stir them as they cook, but I do watch them to be sure the water has not cooked out completely or they will scorch.

If there is still a lot of water on the beans when I am ready to serve, I will pour most of the water off and return them to the eye to for a couple of minutes. I don't like for there to be water in the bowl when I serve the beans.

I am sure I was made to eat my green beans when I was little, but I have to admit as I get older, they are becoming one of my favorite things to eat at mealtime.

Enjoy!

Puppy Chow

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 23:33:00 +0000

This puppy chow is without a doubt in the top five recipes that I make for my family each year. Everyone in our household loves this sweet snack.

I have tried different variations of this recipe, but this is our favorite.

You will need:

Chex cereal (rice, peanut butter, or chocolate)

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 stick margarine or butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

This is our favorite puppy chow bowl.

I make the puppy chow in this bowl, and then store it in this same bowl.

You need a large bowl with a lid to shake the mix at the end.

Go ahead and measure out the 9 cups of Chex Cereal and put in this bowl and set aside.

Place the peanut butter, chocolate chips, and margarine in a microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring after 1 minute.

Stir in vanilla.

I always forget this part.

The vanilla is what makes this recipe my favorite.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal.

Stir carefully from the bottom of the bowl, trying to keep the cereal from breaking apart.

It will not seem like the cereal will become coated with the chocolate, but just keep stirring.

See..eventually all the cereal will be coated.

Now, sprinkle the powdered sugar over the mix, add the lid and shake the bowl until all the cereal is coated with powdered sugar.

I used to add a little extra powdered sugar, but I have learned that the amount in the recipe is just right.

I have always made this with Rice Chex Cereal or even Crispix Cereal, but recently I have been using the peanut butter and the chocolate varieties of Chex Cereal.

That variation is now our favorite.

This mix is really good to give as a gift.

You can package in a plastic container or a jar and add ribbon or other decorations.

Cornbread Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 23:30:00 +0000

These are my go to muffins. They are super easy to make and delicious.

They will also keep in the refrigerator for a few days to reheat with whatever else

you are preparing. We are a few last night with done homemade lasagna. The link to the recipe is at the bottom of this post

. Enjoy!!!

https://littlefamilyinthebigwoods.blogspot.com/2010/01/sweet-cornbread-muffins.html?m=1

Hershey Candy Bar Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 03:42:00 +0000

Is this my favorite cake?...

Yes, it is!

I love to make this cake, and I love to eat this cake!!!!!!

This has to be the easiest cake icing ever to both make and spread.

I sometimes use this icing on cakes without the candy bars.

This particular cake is made using a Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake mix

that I made following the directions on the box.

The icing includes the following ingredients:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 cup sugar

8 oz. Container CoolWhip

Mix together with a mixer until smooth.

The icing goes on beautifully, then I shave one large 4.4 oz. Hershey bar and sprinkle all over the cake.

Refrigerate until ready to eat and refrigerate any left overs.

I usually make this cake at Christmas, but this year I waited

and made it for my daughter’s 22nd birthday, which is today!

Wow, she was just a little girl when I started this blog, and this cake was one of my very first post. Funny how I still think of her as that same little girl.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Pie Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 19:30:00 +0000

This strawberry pie gets made multiple times at my house.

It is a favorite of my daughters and is so simple to make! I often make it for others or to carry to church dinners. I tried something different this time by slicing the strawberries instead of leaving them whole. We all agreed we like the taste better!!!

Here is a link to my post with the recipe:

http://littlefamilyinthebigwoods.blogspot.com/2010/05/strawberry-cream-cheese-pie.html

4th of July Onion Rings

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 17:52:00 +0000

Follow this link for the original 2013 post with the onion ring recipe:

http://littlefamilyinthebigwoods.blogspot.com/search?q=onion+rings

Strawberry Dessert

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce) — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 02:25:00 +0000

If you are looking for a great dessert for any occasion, look no further.

This strawberry dessert is so easy to prepare, and...

you can make it a day ahead.

The only thing better than that is the fact that it is absolutely delicious!!!

You will need:

angel food cake

2 blocks cream cheese (softened)

1 cup sugar

8 oz. cool whip

strawberries

strawberry glaze

Begin by tearing the angel food cake into pieces and

placing in a pretty glass bowl.

You can also make this in a rectangular plastic container

with a lid if you are planning to take it somewhere to serve.

Beat the two blocks of softened cream cheese, add the sugar,

beat, add the cool whip and beat some more.

Spread this mixture over the angel food cake in the bowl,

and then begin slicing and arranging the strawberries

to cover the cream cheese mixture.

Cover the strawberries with the strawberry glaze.

Chill and then serve.

If you have any leftovers, they will need to be refrigerated.

Delicious...

Enjoy!