Roasted Potatoes with Parmesan are crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside and the Parmesan gives ‘em a burst of flavor.

6 to 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

4 or 5 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever oil you have on hand)

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (or onion powder)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme (optional)

 DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a large cookie sheet VERY GENEROUSLY with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir potatoes, oil, seasonings, Parmesan and thyme (if using) – make sure to coat all potatoes.

Pour all into pan and spread out.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until golden brown. Turn a couple of times to ensure browning on each side.

Enjoy! Please come back real soon. Love, Cindy

This Blueberry Biscuit Bake is fruity, nutty and has a crunchy streusel topping. I think you’ll really like it for breakfast, brunch, a snack or dessert served with vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry Biscuit Bake:

1/4 cup pecans (or your favorite nut – CRUSHED or chopped fine)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coffee Cake part:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 (12-ounce) tube buttermilk biscuits
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed (more if you love ‘em)

1 tsp. vanilla to pour on top

Directions:

This Broccoli and Bacon Salad is sweet and tangy with a taste of crisp bacon and onion. Bursting with flavor.

It’s a favorite family recipe from my sister, Lisa. She was always in the kitchen when we were growing up. She’s a great cook, like Mama, and can whip up a smocked dress in nothing flat.

Here ya go.

Broccoli and Bacon Salad:

3 c. broccoli florets, chopped

6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp, drained and chopped in medium-sized pieces

1/2 to 1 cup onions, chopped fine (depending on how much you like onion – I used 1/2 cup and it was wonderful) PREFERABLY VIDALIA OR SWEET ONION

1/2 cup celery, chopped fine

1 c. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar (very important)

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

1/2 TO 1 c. pecans, chopped fine

raisins (I didn’t use) NOTE: If you use raisins, put them in at the last minute and if left overnight – remove and replace with fresh ones before serving

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, (if you use too much it makes the salad seem less sweet and a little bitter)

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar.

Add other ingredients EXCEPT BACON – ADD AT THE LAST MINUTE TO KEEP THE BACON CRISP. Add raisins at the last minute, too – if using. 

Stir and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

You will absolutely LOVE this salad, I promise. Come with copies of the recipe in hand if you’re taking this dish some place special – you’ll need ‘em.

Please share with your family and friends and come back real soon. Love, Cindy

Mama’s coleslaw is creamy and Southern to the core. It’s a little sweet and a little salty. Perfect with barbecue, hot dogs and hamburgers.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 head of cabbage

1-2 cups of mayonnaise

1 tsp. salt OR to taste

pepper, to taste – it doesn’t need much (I use white pepper sometimes to hide it from the kids)

1-2 tbsp. sugar, taste first before you add more

How you make it:

Rinse the head of cabbage and pat dry. Remove outer leaves.

Cut cabbage head into large chunks (big enough to hold if you’re gonna grate it) and grate OR place in a good blender or food processor. If you use a blender or food processor, make sure not to over-do it – it can become mushy – and don’t put too much cabbage in at one time. I usually shred half of it and put half in my Ninja blender. The grated cabbage comes out a little softer and is a plus with creamy coleslaw.

Add 1 cup of mayonnaise and stir and see how you like it. (You just want to make sure it isn’t dry. But, if you add too much mayonnaise, it’s too wet.) Add more if it needs it and stir.

Add salt, pepper and sugar and stir.

Taste to see if you need to make any adjustments.

Enjoy! This coleslaw recipe has been passed down for generations in my family. Pretty much everyone I know knows how to make it and brings it to Sunday dinner – it goes with everything! This was Aunt Peggy’s favorite side dish to bring to Mama’s each week when she was alive. She never failed to bring it. We miss We miss Aunt Peggy and her famous coleslaw.

Please come back and drop in again real soon. Love, Cindy

These Ham and Asparagus, Cream Cheese Roll Ups are a nice cold appetizer on a hot summer day. Creamy, salty and smooth.

Perfect for showers, parties and brunches.

This recipe is from my friend, Dr. Laura Beverly Moore of Peachtree City, Georgia. We worked together many moons ago in publishing. She’s all grown up now and practices medicine back home.

Ham and Asparagus, Cream Cheese Roll Ups Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 block cream cheese, softened

1 can asparagus spears, drained

1 pkg. your favorite sliced ham (not shaved – it’s too thin)

Directions:

Blot each slice of ham with a paper towel on both sides.

Place a teaspoon or two of softened cream cheese on each slice of ham and spread.

Place one asparagus spear onto the ham slice on the edge closest to you and roll up.

Place seam side down.

Slice or leave whole.

Refrigerate and serve.

These roll ups look pretty and a little fancy. You won’t believe just how good they are. Even people who don’t like asparagus usually like them.

Enjoy, y’all! Thanks for dropping by! Love, Cindy

Creamy, fruity, light and fluffy is what this fruit dip is. Serve it with your favorite fruits – we especially love it with strawberries and grapes.

This is a slight variation of a fruit dip that was popular in the late 80s and 90s.

STRAWBERRY FRUIT DIP

INGREDIENTS:

1 8 oz. block cream cheese OR 1-8 oz. carton strawberry spreadable cream cheese

1 to 2 tbsp. strawberry Jello (the powder from the package – not already made Jello) NOTE: Start with 1 tbsp. and see how you like it and then add another one if you like the strawberry flavor burst.

1-8 oz. carton Cool Whip, thawed

1-7 oz. jar Marshmallow creme

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese and strawberry Jello until light and fluffy.

Fold in the whipped topping and marshmallow creme. (You can also just beat these last two ingredients in and mix it.)

Cover and refrigerate. Serve with your favorite fruits. Mmm.

Enjoy and please come back real soon. Love, Cindy

RAMEN NOODLE SLAW is crunchy, sweet, tangy and nutty. A delightful twist on this Southern summer salad.

Mama got this recipe from her friend, Linda Arnall, about 15 years ago when they worked together in the school system. Linda is a sweet Southern belle and a great cook.

RAMEN NOODLE SLAW INGREDIENTS:

1 12 oz. package broccoli coleslaw (you can use regular coleslaw, too)

2 pkgs. chicken flavor Ramen noodles (3 oz.) ***SAVE THE FLAVOR PACKETS*** – crumbled and uncooked (you can use a kitchen mallet to crumble while they’re in the package)

1 cup slivered almonds

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

2-4 tbsp. of your favorite vinegar (or whatever you have on hand)

2 packets of chicken flavor seasonings (the little packets inside the Ramen noodles)

1 tsp. soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Crumble uncooked Ramen noodles and mix with broccoli slaw and almonds. Stir.

Mix together oil, sugar, seasoning packets, vinegar and soy sauce and stir.

You can also shake the dressing ingredients together in a mason jar with a lid.

Stir the dressing in with the broccoli slaw, Ramen noodles and almonds and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

This is a very crunch salad that was popular about 10 or 15 years ago in the South.

Still great to serve at showers, parties and get togethers.

To make this a meal, simply add cooked, shredded chicken.

Enjoy and y’all come back real soon. Love, Cindy

My kids love these Brussels sprouts. No lie. The outside leaves get crunchy like potato chips and the sprouts and walnuts have a deep nutty, salty flavor. It’s a great way to get more greens into your family’s diet.

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS:

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil or 3-4 tbsp. bacon grease
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375°.

Slice off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any outer leaves and those with spots.

Cut Brussels sprouts in half.

Mix together the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper and walnuts in a bowl and stir.

Pour onto cookie sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, until tender on the inside.

Pour up and serve immediately – but, also good at room temperature.

Note: you can also add chopped, cooked bacon to send these over the edge.

Please let me know how you like them and, as always, come back real soon. Love, Cindy

Buttermilk Biscuit Bites are buttery, fluffy and tender. Taste like homemade without the fuss.

Buttermilk Biscuit Bites:

Ingredients:

1 tube refrigerated biscuits of your choice

1/2 cup butter, melted in skillet or dish

1/16 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

10 in cast iron skillet or 8×8 casserole dish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet OR 8×8 casserole dish in the oven. It only takes a couple of minutes. (If you’re using an 8×8 glass casserole dish, you can melt the butter in the microwave.) Remove butter when melted.

Add salt and sugar –  spread it around when you pour it in and gently stir or it’ll slosh up on you.

Cut biscuits into fourths. A few at a time, place the cut biscuits into the melted butter mixture and turn on all four sides to coat every square inch.

Bake at 375° for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown on top and done in the middle.

Enjoy!

This recipe is from Donna Owens’ – my sweet cousin who also just happens to be a fantastic cook. She shared this recipe with my family about about 25 years ago. We’re so thankful.

Please stop by again soon. Love, Cindy

Biscuit Bites are packed with flavor, crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Buttery, too.

INGREDIENTS:

1 canister of refrigerated biscuits of your choice (I used Grands, homestyle)

1 tbsp. oregano

1 tbsp. basil

1/8 tsp. garlic powder or Adobo

1/2 cup butter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet OR 8×8 casserole dish in the oven. It only takes a couple of minutes. (If you’re using an 8×8 glass casserole dish, you can melt the butter in the microwave.) Remove butter when melted.

Place all herbs into dish with melted butter and stir.

Cut biscuits into fourths. A few at a time, place the cut biscuits into the herbed, melted butter and turn on all four sides to coat every square inch.

Bake at 400° for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown on top and done in the middle.

Enjoy! NOTE: You can also use any of your favorite herbs instead of these. For just plain biscuits, simply leave out the herbs and follow the directions, minus the herbs – you’ll have butter biscuit bites.

This recipe is from Donna Owens’ – my sweet cousin who also just happens to be a fantastic cook. She shared this recipe with my family about about 25 years ago. We’re so thankful.

Please stop by again soon. Love, Cindy