Southern With A Twist

Sausage, Onion and Potatoes

2013-06-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

This is always a good recipe when when the pantry and frig get low. With three basic ingredients, it's also quick and easy! It's also a good meal for the meat and potatoes man/woman in the house!

1 pound of Kielbasa Sausage, sliced

4 or 5 red potatoes, boiled and cut into chunks

1 large onion, diced small
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Saute in a frying pan in a little oil over a medium heat... just enough oil to keep it from sticking, because the sausage will render some fat. Cook until sausage and potatoes take on some good color... about 15-20 minutes.

Great-Aunt Vashti's Browned Squash

2013-06-07T16:51:00.002-07:00

Last night, I attempted once again to re-create an old family recipe... My Great-Aunt Vashti's Browned Squash! To get the intense browning that she did, I have to cook it low and slow on the stove-top. If the temp is not just right, it will burn and you'll end up with a bitter flavor. I discovered that I don't have the patience to cook this dish often! It took me 2 hours to even get close!

Aunt Vashti used:

Yellow Squash... about 4 or 5

3 T butter

1 onion, minced

Basil

3 cloves minced garlic

Salt and black pepper, to taste.

Cook in a sauce pan on medium low, stirring occasionally. I covered it for the first 30-45 minutes for it to cook down. Then let it simmer and turn golden brown. (about an hour to an hour and a half) Aunt Vashti's squash was always a deep bark brown, and caramelized to perfection! YUM!

Mine is not a brown as hers was, but like I said, I'm not as patient! :-)

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

2013-06-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about the taste of fresh corn... on the cob! There is nothing like it! I've never grilled or roasted corn. Our grill is on the fritz again, so I decided to try oven roasting some. I left mine in a little too long so watch yours closely. 20 - 25 minutes should be plenty of time.

4 cobs of fresh corn
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 tsp of you favorite seasonings per ear ( I used garlic powder, onion powder and basil)

salt and pepper
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 °F.

Remove husks and silk from corn and rinse off. Place ears on foil sheets, dot with pats of butter, and sprinkle with seasoning, salt and pepper (and cheese if you want).

Bake for 25 minutes, or until soft and steaming.

Deviled Eggs

2013-06-01T12:06:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had a request to make deviled eggs for a lady at church. She presented me with a dozen eggs. I told her, "You do know that makes 24 deviled eggs?" She said, "Yeah! What's your point???" LOL She has always said that she loves my deviled eggs! I guess so!!!

6 eggs, hard cooked and peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish (optional)**

pinch of salt

fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half. Arrange egg whites cut side up on a serving plate and put the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Mash and stir all ingredients together well.

* I insert a plastic bag into a cup or plastic container...

Seal the bag releasing all the air...

Clip a corner of the bag with scissors and squeeze to fill each egg.

Oops! The bag split... LOL

Bunches of eggs... on a mission!

Ready to be packed up and go to Miss Cyndi's house! :-)

*If you are doing a small batch, just spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle eggs with red pepper or paprika, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

** Tip of the day... If you have someone that doesn't like the pickle chunks, or kids that just don't like green stuff. Use pickle juice instead of the pickle relish. I do it all the time and noone ever notices! They even comment that they like mine because there isn't any pickles in it! You can do the same thing with onion!

Pizza Phyllo Packets

2013-05-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

I was running low on groceries and scraping around for something to fix a starving teenager. I had the ingredients for pizza, but nothing for the crust. I remembered that I had phyllo dough in the freezer.

2 cups of cheese, I used Colby/Jack

1 cup spaghetti sauce

1 pkg pepperoni, chopped

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 pkg Phyllo Dough Sheets

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Follow the directions on the phyllo dough to thaw and arrange sheets. Lay out one sheet of dough and brush with melted butter or lightly spray with oil. Repeat two more times.

Mix all the ingredients, except dough, stirring til mixed.

Cut dough in half with a pizza cutter.

Spoon 2 tbsp of mixture at one end.

Fold the end over forming a triangle... keep folding corner to corner.

Tuck the end in on the last fold.

Arrange on a baking sheet covered in foil

and lightly sprayed with oil.

Lightly spray with packet. Bake for 20 minutes,

or until golden brown.

OOPS! Well, maybe I can save them...

Well... they taste pretty good.

Brown Rice

2013-05-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is the recipe that I use on Wednesdays for my church crowd. It feeds about 30 people per pan. I use 2" deep buffet pans. I have had a lot of people ask how to make this much at one time. It's a good recipe when you are preparing for a reunion or church social. If you want to make a 13X9 pan, split the recipe in half.

Brown Rice for a Crowd

2 sticks Butter

1 Onion, sliced

6 cups Rice

4 cans sliced Mushrooms, with liquid

4 cans Beef Broth

4 cans Beef Consommé

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté onions in butter and put in shallow buffet pan. Stir in rice, and liquids. Add mushrooms and liquid. Cover and bake for 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Voodoo Rolls

2013-05-20T12:39:00.003-07:00

I saw a picture of Voodoo Rolls for the first time the other day on Serving Houma's Facebook Page. They offer an amazing service. For restaurants in their area that don't deliver, they'll order for you, go pick it up and deliver it to you! What a wonderful service especially for those house bound individuals! Anyway, I contacted them and told them that I wasn't asking for a recipe, because I knew that only delivered, but could they describe the rolls to me. Their picture looked so good, and they were very nice to describe them for me. To me, they sounded like a Louisiana version of the lobster rolls that Red Lobster used to sell... just kicked up with some good andouille sausage! I had worked for a long time to try and replicate the Lobster Rolls, so I figured I'd try my hand at these Voodoo Rolls! I'm not sure if these taste anything like the ones in Houma, La, but they were VERY good!!! The hubby gave them a thumbs up... because his mouth was to full to talk! LOL

Voodoo Rolls

1 1/2 cups Crawfish Tails, chopped
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 tsp Butter
1/4 cup Onion, minced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3/4 cup Andouille Sausage, cut in a small dice
4 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 cup corn

1/2 block of Cream Cheese (4 oz, room temp)
12 Egg Roll Wrappers

In a large bowl, add crawfish and seasonings.

I didn't have the crawfish this time, so I substituted shrimp.

I'll try the crawfish next time!

In a skillet, saute onions and garlic in butter and Worcestershire

sauce,

until tender. Add crawfish and sausage.

Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Dump back into the large bowl to cool.

Mix cheeses and corn until well mixed.

Add to the cooled meat mixture.

Put an egg roll wrapper on a dry surface.

Place 2 tablespoons or so of the filling mixture

in the middle of the wrapper.

Fold the top down...

Tuck the bottom in a little and fold over the sides...

Fold in the other side... Notice the small white bowl?

It has water in it...

Wet the top edge with a water on your fingertip

and roll toward the end. The water will seal the edges.

Press to seal.

Fry rolls at 375 degrees until golden, about 2 minutes.

My plate...

The Hubby's plate!

Potato Salad

2013-05-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Potato Salad... or as we say in the South... Tater Salad is a must for any gathering, picnic, church social, pot luck, etc. This is also another recipe that I NEVER measure! It's always by look and taste. That being said, I try to come up with recipes for those of you that comment that you NEED a recipe. LOL

Here is what I came up with... try this recipe, and as always, taste and adjust until it's just right for you! :-)

6 potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed
4 eggs, boiled and peeled
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish*
pinch of salt
fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half and remove yolks and place. Chop egg whites and place in a large bowl with the cubed potatoes. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the potatoes and eggs. Stir all ingredients together well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

* If you don't like the bits of pickle in the potato salad, or if you have a little one that doesn't like pickle, just add 1 tsp of sweet pickle juice from the relish jar. They will never know. I do this for my church crowd, and they always tell me that they love it! Onion is also optional. If you like the flavor, but not chunks of onion, grate the onion and add about a teaspoon to the salad.

Greek Chicken and Poatoes

2013-05-16T11:42:00.004-07:00

This recipe is so delicious! The lemon and spices and herbs make my house smell so good! This is so simple, but it can make you look like a master chef in the kitchen. The key is to use the Cavender's Greek Seasoning and a whole chicken cut into pieces with the skin ON! Please don't use skinless or it will dry out. If your diet dictates that you can not have the skin, you probably should not be eating a dish that calls for half a cup of oil. OR! Maybe you can forego the diet for one meal! It is so worth the guilt.

Greek Chicken and Potatoes

• 1/2 cup butter, room temp

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• Cavender's Greek Seasoning
• 2 lemons, juiced or 1/4 cup juice

• 1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces

• 4 or 5 baking potatoes, cubed
• 1 large onion, cut into thick slices
• 2 lemons, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix the butter, garlic, 1 tbsp Cavender's and lemon juice. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers or with the handle of a spoon. Be carefull not to break the skin. Loosen as much as you can even down the legs. Place a scoop of the butter mixture under the skin and rub down, spreading the butter under the skin. Repeat this process until the butter is covering the entire chicken. Dust chicken with Cavender's Greek Seasoning. Place the potatoes, onions and some of the lemon slices in a 13X9 casserole dish. Drizzle with oilive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle the Greek Seasoning over the potato mixture. Place chicken on top of potatoes and onion.

Bake uncovered for an hour and a half

or until chicken is golden brown and potatoes are tender.

Southern Style Green Beans

2013-05-14T11:00:00.001-07:00

Usually in the South, when you see green beans on the holiday table, they are in the form of a casserole. You know the one... cream of mushroom soup with the crunchy french onion topping. I never liked the french onion stuff. I changed the casserole to a cheese topping with the cracker and butter crunchy topping, but it seems that my kids kind of skip over the casserole. When I serve them plain, just heated through with salt and pepper, they don't get much attention either. Sooo, this time I dumped them in the crockpot and let them simmer all morning. These turned out to be the best green beans I've ever fixed! (I would have used fresh beans, but I didn't have any available. Use fresh whenever you can.)

2 family-size cans Green Beans
4 slices Bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
2 tbsp of reserved Bacon Grease
2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Kosher Salt

Combine the above ingredients in a crockpot and set on medium. Simmer beans for 2 or 3 hours or until the beans take in the flavor of the seasonings. The juices will darken as they cook down. This juice is awesome with a chunk of cornbread!

Cornbread Pudding

2013-05-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

After my hubby's Grandmother passed away, two different churches in the family brought food over to her house which is a tradition in the South. One of the dishes that was most talked about was the Cornbread Pudding. My daughter-in-law asked me about it, and asked if I could get her the recipe. I decided it was the perfect recipe to share here! It is an awesome casserole!

Cornbread Pudding

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can cream-style corn

1 stick of butter, melted

1 package Jiffy cornbread mix

Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Stir in cornbread mix and seasonings. Pour into a greased 13X9 baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center. Serve warm.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

2013-05-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

When I went to shop for a catering job, I notice that my local Piggly Wiggly grocery store had Baby Back Ribs on sale for $2.99 per pound. Here, that is an awesome deal. I actually bought 3 slabs of them. I've also been looking at a dry rub and finally decided to try it. I usually just use my house blend of salt, pepper and garlic, but this dry rub has caught my eye several times. I tend to stay away from spice blends that are loaded with paprika because to me, it makes them bitter. This blend has paprika, but it is very well balanced. The flavors blend very well, and none stands out to strong. Willie's Hog Dust is a very good dry rub for these ribs! I heard that the manager of The Pig uses it on his steaks every time he grills out! I'm sold!

1 slab of Baby Back Ribs
Willie's Hog Dust

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. I cut the ribs in half and heavily dusted the ribs with Willie's Hog Dust. Place them on a grill pan or a rack in a pan.

I cooked them for an hour

and turned the pan for them to cook even.

I cooked them for about 2 more hours.

Sauce:

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp butter
1 cup ketsup
1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Texas Pete hot sauce
2 tbsp worchestershire sauce

Saute onion and garlic in butter in a large pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes. Remove ribs from oven and slather heavily with sauce. Increase the heat to 300 degrees and return them to the oven for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and created a sticky glaze on the ribs. (Be careful not to let the sauce burn!)

Done!

This one has a sweet yet spicy rib sauce...

This one has Daddy's BBQ Sauce...

Potato Wedges on the Side...

This is when I remembered that

I hadn't taken a picture of the finished ribs! LOL

Pizza Dip

2013-05-05T11:18:00.001-07:00

I found this dip on The Slow Roasted Italian and fell in love! My son loves all things pizza, so it was perfect for him. I served it with bread sticks, but you could serve it with crackers or chips. For the complete recipe and instructions, click on the link above.

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and cheese until smooth. Spread in the bottom of an oven proof dish.

I changed and added a couple of things.

I used a jarred spaghetti sauce and added hamburger.

Sprinkle with bacon and add cheese. Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper.

Add pepperoni and a little more cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 or 20 minutes.

I used canned biscuit dough and shaped them into bread sticks.

YUMMY!

Pizza Tarts

2013-04-29T14:52:00.001-07:00

Most kids like pizza, but my son likes anything that resembles the flavor of pizza. I made a pizza dip last night and had plenty of stuff left over. He requested that I make these tarts!

1 can refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits per can)
Spaghetti Sauce
Cheese, (I used Colby/Jack)
Pepperoni
Basil
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Flatten out each biscuit and put them into a muffin tin. Top with a teaspoon of sauce, cheese, the seasonings and finally 1 or 2 slices of pepperoni. I added a tiny bit more cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Remove from the oven and use the tip of a knife to transfer the biscuits to paper towels to absorb any grease from the pepperoni.

Seasoned Potato Wedges

2013-04-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

My family loves potatoes. The hubby is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I love to bake and fry potatoes. We actually had potato wedges for lunch today... the hubby is home with a backache. This was the perfect treat for him. I like to try and get more flavor when frying, so I made up this simple coating. It turned out awesome!

4 potatoes, (I used Yukon Gold) cut into wedges
1 cup flour
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Oil for frying

Heat oil to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour and seasonings.

Add potato wedges and toss.

Remove from flour and gently place in hot oil. The oil must be up to temp or the coating will boil away.

Cook until golden brown and floating on the surface of the oil.

Yummy!

Cheesesteak ~ Style Sloppy Joes

2013-04-28T19:42:00.001-07:00

1 lb. ground chuck
1 onion, sliced
1 Tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1 c. beef stock
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms
Provolone cheese, slices

2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Buns/Rolls

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In large pan brown the hamburger, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until they start to get tender.

Stir in the Worchestershire sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a simmer and cook until most of the liquid has cooked down. If sauce is too thin, make a slurry with about an ounce of water and 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch. Bring to a boil for desired consistency.

Split open rolls, place a scoopful of the meat on the bottom half and add place one slice of cheese on top. Toast in the oven until the cheese is melted and the bun starts to take on color.

Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

2013-04-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

Every time I bake, my kitchen dies a little. It usually turns out alright. It's never a pretty site! These cakes fell, but my hubby says that it only makes room for frosting! :-)

1 pound Flour = 4 cups
1 pound Sugar = 2 cups
1 pound Butter = 4 sticks
9 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl. Cream the butter and sugar to the texture of whipped cream. Add one egg at a time until 5 have been added, beating each egg 2 1/2 minutes. Add the others 2 at a time, beating 2 1/2 minutes. Add lemon extract. Fold in flour, a cup at a time. Grease and flour cake, bundt or loaf pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

This recipe made 2 loaf pans and a 5 inch cake pan full!

Lemon Glaze:
1½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, finely zested

In a small bowl mix the confectioners sugar, lemon juice and zest together until well blended. Use a toothpick or skewer, poke holes in the cake for the glaze to soak into.
Using a large spoon, spoon the glaze onto the cake and spread it around using the back of the spoon.

Corn Chowder

2013-04-23T11:46:00.001-07:00

I received a request for my corn chowder recipe after I posted a lot of pictures and videos of our trip to Old McCaskill's Farm. We joined in the fun at the Grits Mill, shelling/shucking corn. The kids had a blast! So, as requested... here's my recipe.

Corn Chowder

1/2 cup diced bacon

1 cup diced sweet onion

1/2 cup carrots, sliced

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1 tablespoon flour

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups corn

1 1/2 cups half-and-half, or heavy cream... your choice

1/4 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon fine kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook bacon in a large pot until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add onion, carrots and celery to bacon fat and cook, stirring, until onion is softened. Stir in flour until well incorporated. Pour in the broth a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Add potatoes and corn. Simmer, covered, until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Return bacon to the pot and stir. Season with basil, salt and pepper.

Old McCaskill's Farm ~ Spring Farm Day

2013-04-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, some of my family and I went out to the 2013 Spring Farm Day. What a wonderful day it was! The sun was shining, and the weather was warm and breezy. The sites, the sounds, the smells... yes, a farm definitely has smells, but this was the smell of food. Awesome food! As we walked along the tents, I got a whiff of spices that were very familiar... Greek Seasoning! We tasted some local lamb seasoned with Cavender's Greek Seasoning... the lady laughed when I did my happy dance!

Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!

As we walked along the tents, we talked to the ladies about their tatting. For you folks who aren't familiar... that's not tattoo-ing. Tatting is a technique for handcrafting a particularly durable lace constructed by a series of knots and loops. To me, it looks like crocheting with thread.

Another tent contained a live bee hive, and yes the store sells the honey from Bell Honey in Rembert! :-)

It was very interesting to watch the bees in the hive. My daughter-in-law's main question was, "Is the queen in there?" Not sure if the queen was entertaining guests yesterday. :-) As we walked along, we came upon a big barrel or tub half full of corn for the kids to play in.

Of course, Miss Kendal had to have a turn!

Her Granddaddy and Uncle JR buried her up to her tummy in corn!

We took a break to grab some good food. They had BBQ sandwiches, Ribs, Hot Dogs, Sausage Dogs, and brick oven Pizza. My son had the pizza and said it was good. For a teenager, that's a very good review!

Brick Oven for pizzas

Yummy Pizzas!

And then we were off to see the animals! We watched the Boarder Collies show off there herding skills with sheep and with ducks! Kendal got to pet the baby chicks. We watched the sheep being sheered, and we saw many other farm animals as well as a new baby goat!

Kendal's Mom holds up a baby chick for her to pet!

Some before sheering and some after...

My little calf buddy from the last visit!

Goats! :-)

The little pigs were cold in the wind...

Protective Mommy!

and the Baby Goat!

There was so much to see and do! There was the Blacksmith Shop, the Grits Mill, the Root Cellar, the Store and so much more.

After roaming around we came back around and the ice cream that was churning was done... and Kendal and her Granddaddy shared a Chocolate Frozen Banana!

Ice Cream

Kendal with Granddaddy... eating a chocolate frozen banana

and drinking Coca Cola!

If you know of a farm, a working farm, in your area, check them out and more importantly... support them! The quality of their products is unequaled by mass produced products! The lamb I mentioned earlier was totally amazing! If you know me, you know I love Greek food and the Greek seasoning that they used on the lamb. Here's a recipe for Greek Potatoes that would be awesome along with the lamb!!!

Greek Potatoes

This recipe is so delicious!
The lemon, spices and herbs make my house smell so good!
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Cavender's Greek Seasoning
• 2 lemons, juiced or 1/4 cup juice
• 4 or 5 baking potatoes, cubed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a plastic bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, 1 tbsp Cavender's (I use more like 2 T, but we like more spice.) and lemon juice. Pour mixture over potatoes. Bake uncovered for 45 min to an hour or until potatoes are golden brown and tender.

Stuffed Biscuits

2013-04-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I found a 4 pack of canned biscuits that I had bought for the party the other week and never got around to 'whatever' I planned to make out of them. I can't even remember anymore! Maybe Monkey Bread... Hmmmm! Never mind! I made these last night instead...

I did two versions... Chicken Bacon Ranch and Greek Feta and Black Olive

Chicken Bacon Ranch Stuffed Biscuits

Canned Refrigerated biscuits, 10 per package
1/2 cup diced, cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese
1/4 cup crumbled bacon, or more to taste :-)
1/4 cup ranch dressing, or enough to bind the mixture
a sprinkle of basil
Kosher salt & pepper

Greek Feta and Black Olive Stuffed Biscuits

Canned Refrigerated biscuits, 10 per package
1/4 cup diced, cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup Feta crumbles
1/4 cup black olives, diced
1/4 cup Greek Dressing... I suggest The Black Peppercorn's Greek Salad Dressing. It's the best I've found so far! Awesome!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In two separate small bowls, mix the fillings and set aside.

Working one batch (flavor) at a time, open a can of biscuits, working one at a time. With your fingers, flatten the biscuit to about 3 or 4 inches across. Put about a teaspoon of filling in the center. I closed them two different ways.

For the Greek Biscuits, I folded them in half and closed them with the tines of a fork.

For the chicken bacon ranch, I flattened them and brought all the edges together over the filling making a ball. I prefer this method and will make them all like this next time! Bake them for about 10 minutes, take them out and brush them with some melted butter with minced garlic in it and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Pop them back in the oven for a minute or two.

Greek Stuffed Biscuits

Chicken Bacon Ranch Stuffed Biscuits

Inside the Chicken Bacon Ranch

Inside the Greek Feta... YUM!

Garlic Brats... Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches Kicked Up... Off The Chart

2013-04-13T14:04:00.005-07:00

Last weekend I had a party for 30+ people. I made my families famous BBQ and my Daddy's BBQ Sauce. Everyone was excited about that rare treat, but they left talking about my new favorite sandwich...

Recently, I had the good fortune to visit Sunny Cedars Farm and pick up several different pork products. The sandwiches that I made for the party were made with kielbasa and pork sausage. This time I used the Garlic Brats that Russell of Sunny Cedars (Facebook) suggested I try when I was shopping around his display case. Oh man, were they awesome!!! Don't be shy! Hit those links up there and see how to get some of Russell's pork products!!!

Garlic Bratwurst

Onion, sliced

Bell Pepper, sliced

Mushrooms, sliced

Soy Sauce

Butter

Parmesan Cheese

Garlic powder

Basil

Salt and Pepper

Squeeze the brats out of their casings and brown.

Remove sausage. Leaving the drippin's.

Melt about a tablespoon or two of butter.
Add a few shakes of soy sauce, about a tablespoon.
Add the onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Cook until a little color appears and the vegetables have softened.

Return the sausage to the pan.

Mix about a 1/2 cup of softened butter with

1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese. Add seasonings to taste...

I scoop the inside of the bread out to give the filling a place to sit.
(Makes them easier to eat, also... and I'm all for that!)

Spread some of the butter mixture on the top and bottom pieces.

Load it up!

Oooops! I almost forgot the cheese... Monterey Jack Cheese!

Wrap them up and stick them in a 350 degree oven for about

10 or 15 minutes, until warmed through and the cheese is melted!

In the meantime, fry up some zesty seasoned fries!

Hot and fresh out of the oven!

It's ready for it's close-up! OooooLaaaaLaaaa!!!

MINE!!!

OMGoodness!
The hubby says, "Naaa! It's not any good! Go away! Nothin' to see... ummm eat here!"

Mama's Bread and Butter Pickles

2013-04-11T14:56:00.002-07:00

This is my Mama's favorite kind of pickle and her favorite recipe for them... I made a half batch today. I'm delivering some tomorrow! :-)

Bread & Butter Pickles

Use 4 quarts medium-sized, cucumbers sliced thin (do not peel). Make sure they are not seedy. Add 6 medium white onions, sliced thin, 2 peppers, chopped and 3 whole garlic cloves. Add 1/3 cup salt. Mix thoroughly. Let stand 4 hours in covered container with cracked ice. Drain well. Combine 5 cups sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed, 2 tablespoons mustard seed and 3 cups vinegar. Pour this over the cucumber mixture. Heat just to boiling point. Seal at once in hot sterilized jars.

Chicken Salad Sammies

2013-04-08T14:21:00.002-07:00

Chicken Salad for Sandwiches

One of MY favorites to make and eat!!!

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

4 Eggs, boiled and chopped

1/4 sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup mayo (or more)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp basil

pepper, to taste

Mix until well blended. Store in air tight container in the frig.

For a sandwich... choose your favorite bread. Slice some tomato. Tear some lettuce leaves and assemble! Now rock out! :-)

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Mama's Slaw and Baked Beans... at the 1st Annual Adult Easter Egg Hunt!

2013-04-08T12:19:00.001-07:00

This pasted weekend, I hosted the 1st Annual Adult Easter Egg Hunt. No... by "adult", I mean that this was an Egg Hunt for big "kids". Last year, I shared with my friends that the Hubby and I hide eggs for the kids as usual, but my son stared a tradition of them hiding eggs for the hubby and me. I got such response to that, that it wound up leading to the 1st Annual Egg Hunt for Adults! :-)

We had such fun! Not only did we have an egg hunt, we also had Redneck Golf, Carolina/Clemson Corn Hole Games and many egg games including Easter Egg Boccie Ball and the Spoon Race.

Everyone had fun! So much fun to get together and relax and play... even pulling out a blanket and chillin' out on the lawn!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sammies

Whole Boston Butt

1/2 Apple Cider Vinegar

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Garlic Powder

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Pour about 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar over the pork, and then coat with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bake the Boston Butt at 250 degrees for about 6-8 hours uncovered... until the bone slides out easily and clean. I picked the fat off, and it actually fell apart easily... no fork shredding necessary! Then I added Daddy's BBQ Sauce to it.

This time I used a Hamilton Beach Automatic Roasting Oven that Pixie gave me. Put the pork in it on 225 degrees and 12 midnight and Craig cut it off before he left for work.

Mama's Slaw

Baked Beans*

2 cans Baked Beans, drain some of the juice

4 slices Bacon or salt pork, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup ketsup

2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar

Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish lightly with oil. In a large bowl, combine ingredients, then pour into the baking dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes uncovered.

* This time I used a crock pot to cook them and I added some of "Daddy's BBQ Sauce to them! YUM!

Red Velvet Swirled Bites

2013-04-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

Remember me saying that I am not a baker???

Well, I was making some Red Velvet Swirled Bites. I had the batter all mixed up and turned around to see these... Good Grief!!!

Left out the eggs... time to remix.

Then, the cream cheese mixture wasn't blended well enough

and stopped up my pastry bag. I had to start all over AGAIN!

This looks better!!!

The finished product, finally!!!

Red Velvet Cake Mixture:

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cocoa
3 tablespoons red food coloring
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Mix well. Mix cocoa and food coloring in a cup. Add to eggs and sugar. Add vanilla. Sift flour and salt. Add, alternating with buttermilk. Add soda and vinegar. Let foam and FOLD into mixture. Spoon this mixture into a mini muffin tin, filling each cup about half way.

Cream Cheese Mixture:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla

Cream ingredients and place in a pastry bag or zip-type bag. Cut the corner of the bag, and place the tip into the center and squeeze in the filling until the cup is about 3/4 full. Take a toothpick and swirl the batter and cream cheese mixture to create a marbled effect. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.