Black-Eyed Peas

I hope everyone already has their black-eyed peas in a pan soaking. For those of you who aren't privileged to be Southern, black-eyed peas are a tradition. The saying goes that you'll have one day of good luck for every pea you eat on New Year's Day. I don't know if it's true or not. I was never able to eat that many peas in one day, though I did try as a child. Did you know that black-eyed peas have a way of expanding in your stomach?

The other tradition -- another way of saying superstition in this God-fearing land --is to never, ever wash clothes on New Year's Day. The belief is that if you do you'll be "washing for a corpse" before the year ends. I don't have any idea where that comes from but my Mother has always preached it. Every year. To everyone who will listen and quite a few who don't. Her mother believed it. Her mother-in-law believed it. Frankly, it's easier to bypass the washer and eat.

Black-Eyed Peas

1 bag of dried black-eyed peas
salt and pepper to season
piece of ham, slice of bacon, or other meat for seasoning

Place peas in a pan of water. Soak overnight. The peas will greatly expand during this process.

Wash the peas thoroughly. Place in a boiler with water. Add the meat and a little salt and pepper to season. I've used a slice of bacon or a piece of ham left over from Christmas. Of course, you're supposed to add something I would never dream of buying much less touching. Trust me. Ham or bacon works just as well.

Be prepared to cook the peas for a couple of hours. They're done when the peas are tender. That means soft. You may need to add more water. If you let the water cook out, you'll have burned peas. Not a good way to start the year.

Oh, and don't forget the cornbread. Happy New Year!
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Baked Ham

Has everyone had a wonderful Christmas? I did. I ate my way through. It was fabulous! I've never been one to run around during the holidays telling everyone what I can't eat or even what I shouldn't eat. I choose to eat too much. It's Christmas!!!

One staple of al lSouthern holiday dinners is Baked Ham. I supposed everyone has their own recipe for this. I got mine from my Mother years and years ago. I always used it and people love eating at my house. Well, this year she decided to use a different recipe. I didn't even know that was allowed! I thought there was some kind ofrule that says mothers always have to use the same, good recipes they've always used. The new recipe was fine. But not the same. Christmas is filled with traditions. So here's my recipe for Baked Ham!I know you'll love it!

Baked Ham

Ham -- I prefer the pre-sliced kind
brown sugar
coke -- the real stuff, no diet or cherry flavored allowed

Use two sheets of tin foil to make a "nest" for the ham. Place in a baking pan with at least 2" sides. Put ham in its nest. Place brown sugar on the ham. I pat it all over so that the ham is coated in brown sugar. Pour the coke on top of this. Now you know why you needed a pan with sides on it.

Bake in a 325 degree oven 20 minutes for each pound of ham. Serve warm.

If you're lucky you can use leftovers for sandwiches. Just take sliced ham and place on a croissant. Add mustard, lettuce, cheese. Even tomato, if you must. Watch everyone around you eye your lunch with envy. Enjoy!

M and M Party Cookies

I've been baking these cookies for longer than I care to admit. They're one of my Mother's favorites. They're good to eat any time of the year but I love to use the red and green M & M's that come out during Christmas. It just makes them extra special. And who can resist M & M's? Not me for sure.

M & M Party Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups M & M plain candies

Using a mixer, blend the shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar together. Mix thoroughly. Beat in vanilla and eggs.

Mix together flour, salt and baking soda. The original recipe called for sifting the flour and then sifting the salt and baking soda with it. I've never done the sifting part. It works just fine without that step.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar/shortening mixture. Blend thoroughly. Using a spoon or spatula, stir in 3/4 cup of the M & M candies.

Use a teaspoon to drop the batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate the tops with the remaining candies. I always try to make sure I have a mixture of red and green candies on top.

Bake at 375 degrees to about 10 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown. Remove the cookies with a spatula and cool completely on a wire rack.

Rice Krispies Treats

Has everyone seen that commercial where the two small children and their grandmother are mixing Rice Krispies Treats? It's one of those "awhhhh" moments. The kids are so cute as they help stir the ingredients. It makes you want to rush into the kitchen and make some Rice Krispies Treats right away. If you can find the recipe.

Well, here it is! Fortunately, my Mother eats Rice Krispies and Kellogg's is kind enough to put the recipe on the inside of the box. It's almost as if the company anticipated that everyone would need this recipe as soon as he or she saw that commercial.

Just be sure to let the melted stuff cool a bit before allowing kids to stir. They always make a mess and get it everywhere -- including on themselves. But it all washes up and the pride they feel in helping us "cook" is worth the extra time.

Rice Krispies Treats

3 tablespoons margarine or butter (use only the real stuff; nothing reduced calorie)
1 package (10 oz) large marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Obviously, don't let the kids help with this part.

Add the cereal and stir until it's well-coated. Kids love to do this. Just make sure the butter and marshmallow mix is cooled to the point it won't burn them.

Use a buttered spatula to press the mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan that you've coated with cooking spray.

Cut into squares as soon as it is completely cool. This tastes better if you eat it the same day. Who could resist doing anything else? In face, Kellogg's says to store it in an airtight container (think Tupperware) for no more than two days. What a wonderful excuse to eat it all in one sitting!

You can also use the microwave to make this recipe. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a microwave container on HIGH for two minutes. Stir. Heat another minute. Stir until smooth. Then just stir in the cereal, etc.

Snickerdoodles

I love to bake Snickerdoodles when Christmas is almost here. I don't know why I wait. Maybe it's the smell of cinnamon that fills the air while they bake in the oven. It just seems festive somehow.

I was feeling festive yesterday. The Christmas tree lights were finally hooked up correctly. (Read about that affair at bouffantblonde.blogspot.com) I wanted to celebrate the twinkling lights and vibrant ornaments. So I baked. Doesn't everyone bake when they're happy?

And when they're sad? And when they're angry? Baking is a really good outlet for your emotions. I used to bake bread when I was really, really upset. I did it the old-fashioned way where you knead the dough rather than have the mixer do it for you. It was wonderful.

But that's a whole other recipe for a different day. This is a happy recipe. I know you'll love Snickerdoodles. In fact, you might want to go ahead and bake two makings. They really don't last long.

Snickerdoodles

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the tablespoon plus teaspoon of sugar and cinnamon. Stir together in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar. Stir together and set aside.

Cream the shortening. Gradually add the 1 1/2 cups sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Add the vanilla.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamy mixture. Be sure to blend completely.

Shape the dough into 1-inch size balls. Roll the balls in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place the balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 6 minutes. Don't overcook. The cookies should be lightly browned. If you cook them too long, they're hard and Snickerdoodles are not supposed to be hard. Place them on a wire rack to cool. Enjoy.

Hot Chocolate

It's really chilly around here today. Of course, this is the Deep South. We think we're having a cold, cold day when it's only in the high 50's. That would be today. It is, however, the perfect day for Hot Chocolate.
This recipe is quick, easy and delicious. A friend taught me years and years ago and it has served me well. This recipe makes two servings. You can double or triple it easily. I know you'll enjoy it.

Hot Chocolate

2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 heaping tablespoons Nestle Nesquik Chocolate Drink Mix

Place all ingredients in a boiler. Heat on high, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Pour into two mugs. I prefer to enjoy my Hot Chocolate with nothing added. Some folks like to add those little marshmallows. They do look festive sprinkled on top of the Hot Chocolate. Others like to add Reddi Whip topping. Just squirt a little on top and enjoy.

Ice Box Fruitcake

'Tis the season for the great Fruit Cake debate. It's one of those things where you either love them or hate them. Sometimes. As with most foods, some recipes are better than others. I've never been a fan of those packaged fruit cakes that are baked. You know what I'm talking about. You buy them in a box, stick them in the refrigerator and slice at the appropriate time. No fuss. No time involved. Not much taste involved either. I grew up on Ice Box Fruitcake. I love it. So does my Dad. No one else seems to care for it in our family. However, a number of friends who "knew" they didn't like Fruit Cake like this one. It takes a little time to put together but it truly is worth the effort.

 

Ice Box Fruit Cake

1 quart chopped pecans

1 can Eagle Brand milk

1 lb. candied cherries, finely chopped 

1 lb. candied pineapple, finely chopped 

1 lb. raisins

1 lb. graham crackers, crushed

5 tablespoons lemon juice 

Stir pecans, cherries, pineapple, graham crackers and lemon juice together. Gradually stir in the milk. This mixture is very, very sticky so be prepared. I place wax paper on the bottom and sides of a bread loaf pan. Put the cake mixture in this. Fold the wax paper over the top of the mixture. Cover this with tin foil. Place in the refrigerator at least overnight. You can do this a week or more ahead of time. It's Fruit Cake. It keeps. Just slice what you want when you want it and store the remaining Fruit Cake in the refrigerator.

Pecan Delights

This is the season for pecans in the Deep South. Pecans are falling from their trees. Which is a good thing. It is so not fun to try and knock the pecans from the limbs. I know. Some folks have expensive tree shakers. Really. They hook up to the tractor and then the tree. They shake the tree, sort of like one of those body vibrators. Before you know it, you've got a shower of pecans coming down. Better duck. Pecans can hurt.

We don't have expensive equipment like that. My father only has about 50 trees. So we gather then the old-fashioned way -- we use our hands or this little roller thing. Can you say back-ache?

Yesterday we finished gathering pretty much all that we're going to gather. This afternoon we finished sorting through the buckets, discarding the bad or "light" ones along with the rubbish that comes along for the ride. And, yes, there is some expensive equipment to do that too. And, no, we don't have it either. What we have is a system. I go through and get the worst ones. My father goes behind and gets the light ones. My mother prefers to operate independently. We're all happier that way.

Why go through it all? Well, we do sell some of the pecans. But they are also excellent for eating and baking. This recipe is something my mother baked when I was a child. I carried the recipe away from home with me and have always used it. It's not too sweet but don't worry. There are plenty of calories.

Pecan Delights

1 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Using a mixer, cream butter. Gradually add sugar until well blended. Mix in water and vanilla. Slowly add flour. Then stir in the chopped pecans.

It's okay to mix this up ahead of time and chill it in the refrigerator. If you're in a hurry, just go ahead and bake.

Use a teaspoon to drop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Leave about an inch between each drop.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in a 325 degree oven. These cookies taste much better if you don't get them too brown.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Two of my friends got together one afternoon and baked two loves of Pumpkin Cranberry Bread. Apparently one friend had pumpkin in her cupboards. The other friend had the cranberry in her cupboards. They gathered at one house, mixed everything together, slid the pans into the oven, then headed to the back porch for some good old-fashioned socializing. What a great excuse to reconnect and enjoy the company of our friends!

We were fortunate enough to get a few slices of the result. It was wonderful! Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs
2/3 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup dried or fresh cranberries, chopped.

Beat sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in mixer bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and spice. Stir only until moistened. If you keep stirring, the bread will be dry.

Grease two 9" x 5" loaf pans. Evenly divide the batter, placing half in each pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes.

Share with friends!

Apple Dumpling Cobbler

This recipe has one of those little post-it markers sticking up so I can easily find it. It's a yummy, easy dessert that is perfect for the fall.

Apple Dumpling Cobbler

1 (8-oz) can of crescent rolls
2 large apples
1 cup orange juice
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel and quarter the apples, making sure to get rid of the seeds, etc.

Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Unroll the crescent rolls and separate. Wrap each apple quarter with crescent roll dough. Place in baking dish.

Bring orange juice, 2/3 cup sugar and butter to a boil in a sauce pan. Pour mixture over apple dumplings.

Stir together 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over dumplings.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Creamy Chicken Manicotti

I've always thought I must have a little Italian blood in me somewhere. I've never found any in my periodic genealogy searches but it's got to be there. I love pasta and I talk with my hands. Isn't that some kind of qualification for being Italian? Okay. Maybe it's just another weird Southern trait looking for an excuse.

This is a wonderful company dish. It's also a wonderful anytime dish. Be prepared for lots of laughs as you prepare it though. I never have managed to stuff those manicotti shells too well. I tend to shove the ingredients in one end of the shell and watch it come out the other. I know there's a trick to it. It's just that after all these years, I still haven't found it. This is worth the effort though. Just remember to laugh.

Chicken Manicotti

8 manicotti shells
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 (4-oz) can sliced mushrooms, undrained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions except don't add the salt. Drain. Set them aside.

Combine the soup and sour cream together, stirring well. Combine half the soup mixture with the chopped chicken. Stir well. Stuff the chicken mixture into the manicotti shells. Remember to laugh as you do this. Place stuffed shells into a greased 12 x 8 x 2 Pyrex dish. It's okay to use another type of dish. I just have a Pyrex dish that's perfect for Chicken Manicotti.

Place onion and margarine in a skillet. Saute until the onion is tender. Add the mushrooms. Stir in reserved soup mixture. Pour this over the manicotti shells.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional five minutes.

This serves about four people.

Cocktail Sausages

Everyone sometimes needs to take something somewhere. Right? We've already discussed numerous foods suitable for feeding the family after a funeral and covered dish events. But what about when you need something yummy to take to a social event that requires snack or finger foods?

Here in the South Saturdays revolve around football. Period. It you aren't at the game, you're expected to watch it on television. Parties are numerous. It's generally better to attend a party where pretty much everyone roots for the same team. Things can easily get out of hand otherwise. But that's another story.

These cocktail sausages are wonderful. And you'll get a good laugh when you look at the ingredients. Who knew that grape jelly could be a secret ingredient? Get the cheapest jar on the shelf. This is one time when quality really doesn't matter.

Cocktail Sausages

1 lb. cocktail sausages
1 12-oz. bottle chili sauce
1 16-oz. jar grape jelly

Boil and drain sausages. Mix chili sauce and gape jelly in a saucepan and heat to simmering. Add sausages. Use those little toothpicks for serving. These should be served hot.

Another tip is to use a crock pot. It helps keep everything warm while the party goes on. Just be sure to double or triple the recipe. You'll need it!

Beef Taco Skillet

Okay, does anyone out there sometimes want supper that is quick and easy and requires a minimal amount of pans? Yeah. Me too. Beef Taco Skillet is one of those recipes. It's a Campbell's soup recipe. They usually offer recipes that can be thrown together with ease.

One warning though: traditional meat and potatoes people probably won't be patting you on the back with gratitude. Older Southern men generally fit that description. This recipe is for busy people and kids. Oh, and people who love Tex-Mex food.

Beef Taco Skillet

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 3/4-oz.) tomato soup
1 cup chunky salsa
1/2 cup water
8 flour or corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1" pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Pour off the fat.

Add soup, salsa, water, tortillas and half the cheese. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for five minutes or until it's hot.

Top with remaining cheese.

Eat and enjoy!

Squash Casserole

Sometimes it's easy to understand why the Deep South is know for being a little overweight. Not that we would ever cook anything that would adhere directing to one's thighs.

Squash Casserole is not something for those concerned about calories and weight gain. It is for anyone who loves something truly mouth-watering wonderful. This is my Mother's recipe. Indulge!

Squash Casserole

2 lbs. yellow squash
1 to 2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 stick margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
plain bread crumbs
extra shredded cheese

Wash squash. Cut off ends and discard them. Cut up squash into one to two inch pieces. Place squash in water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Drain off water and mash squash until it resembles a course batter.

Stir together squash, mayonnaise, onion, egg, cheese and margarine.

Coat a 12" x 12" baking dish with cooking spray. Pour mixture into the dish.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over top of mixture. The top should be lightly covered.

Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven

Sprinkle grated cheese on top of crumbs. Bake an additional five to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Marbled Brownies

Everyone needs a chocolate fix every now and then. Some folks need it more often than others. That would be my mother, who doesn't eat many "sweets" but loves chocolate. This recipe is perfect. It also came from her. I don't remember exactly when but probably around the time I left her kitchen for my own. It's easy (always a good thing) and is dressy enough to serve anywhere.

Marbled Brownies

1 package Duncan Hines Family Size Brownie Mix
2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons butter (softened)
5 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Mixture: Beat the cream cheese and butter together with your mixer. Add the sugar, two eggs, flour and vanilla. Beat until it's smooth. Set aside.

Brownie Batter: Empty the brownie mix and chocolate flavor packet into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water and three eggs. Mix by hand until thoroughly blended.

Pour half the brownie batter into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Pour all the cream cheese mixture over the brownie layer. Spoon the remaining brownie batter here and there over the cream cheese batter. Move a knife through the batter in wide curves to create a swirl design.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until done. Cool before you frost it.

Easy Chocolate Frosting

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the cocoa until it is blended thoroughly. Add the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until it's smooth. Add more milk, if necessary. until the consistency becomes easy to spread.

Frost brownies. Let them sit until the frosting is firm. Then cut into serving size pieces.

Chocolate Cake

I guess a person knows she's a true Southern cook when she takes stock of what she has on hand and then decides what to cook. That was me recently. I needed to bake a cake. Specifically, I needed to bake a cake that could be considered a birthday cake. Without all the decorations. Though I did consider decorations. Cutting out cake designs is similar to cutting out wood designs, only using a knife instead of a saw. But I didn't. The young man was turning 15 and I didn't think he would be impressed with cutesy.

What I ended up making was a Chocolate Cake. Everyone loves Chocolate Cake, don't they? I used a basic pound cake recipe for the layers. The recipe came from my cousin, who got it from her mother, who got it from her mother-in-law. For those who aren't Southern, this is how many, many good recipes are passed down in this part of the country.

I wasn't sure what type of chocolate frosting to make. But I knew I didn't want to go to the store. When you live outside the city limits, going to the store takes a little longer than five minutes. And it involves make-up and a change of clothes. I didn't want to do that. I didn't have enough semi-sweet chocolate for frosting. I could have used chocolate powder but I didn't really want to. I did, however, have a package of milk chocolate chips. Guess what kind of frosting I made! Yep. Milk Chocolate Frosting.

It all turned out pretty good. None of the cake went to waste, as the saying goes. They ate every slice. That's the best compliment ever.

Chocolate Cake

3 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
5 to 6 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Beat the sugar, butter and cooking oil with a mixer until it is creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Mix the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.

Grease and flour four round cake pans. Divide the batter equally between the four pans. I use a large spoon to do this, dipping out equal amounts into each pan until the batter is all gone.

Cook the cake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Because I use a rather small oven (or so it seems sometimes), I had to cook two pans at a time. It took about 35 to 45 minutes each time. I just kept checking it. (Which probably explains why I don't remember exactly how long I cooked the layers!) Every oven is different though. I know I say that a lot but it is true.

Let the layers cool thoroughly before icing.

Milk Chocolate Frosting

One 11 1/2 oz. package milk chocolate morsels
6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the chocolate morsels, butter and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir. Heat for another 30 seconds. Stir again. The ingredients should be melted. If not, continue until thoroughly melted. Don't overcook.

Pour mixture into a mixing bowl. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and milk, alternately. Beat in the vanilla extract. The frosting should be smooth. If necessary, you can add a little more milk to thin the frosting so that you can easily work with it. Just be sure to beat thoroughly after the addition.

I turn the cake layers upside down to ice them. I don't know why but the underside always looks better to me. Select the best looking layer to be the top one.

Center the bottom layer on a cake plate. Frost the top. Add each layer and frost the top until all the layers are stacked. Then frost the top and sides of the cake. When you put a dollop of frosting on the top, don't backtrack until all the frosting is spread. This will help keep those pesky crumbs from wrecking havoc on your pretty cake.

This cake is wonderful for company or for a family of chocoholics.

Blueberry Muffins

If you haven't figured it out by now, I love blueberries. I use them a great deal in baking. That's especially true this time of year. Sadly, the crop is about to come to its end. But I've got lots in the freezer thanks to my very generous aunt!

I really prefer muffins I make at home from scratch. Some folks like those mixes (my mother is one of those) but they just don't taste the same to me. There's nothing like homemade that says special. You can serve these for breakfast (that would be me), a snack (that would also be me) or dessert (that would be my mother). They're pretty much welcome any time of the day.

Blueberry Muffins

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar

Lightly beat the egg with a fork. Add the milk and cooking oil, beating lightly with the fork. Set it aside.

Stir together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the pan. Pour the egg mixture in. Stir only until moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Do NOT over mix.

Add the 2 tablespoons sugar to the blueberries. Stir. Fold the blueberry mixture into the batter. Again, only stir enough to thoroughly mix.

Put those little paper baking cups into the muffin pan. You can grease the pan and forgo the little cups. It's just that the little cups make the muffins easier to get out of the pan and make it easier to clean said pan. Also, they just look pretty.

This muffin mixture makes 12 to 18 muffins, depending on how much batter you put in each little cup. I tend to go for smaller muffins. Just spoon the mixture into the cups.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Because I use less batter per paper cup, it only takes my muffins 20 minutes to bake. They'll be lightly brown on top whem they're done.

Don't expect leftovers with these. It's difficult to eat only one, especially when they're just-from-the-oven warm.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay. Let's get a count of how many people love Chocolate Chip Cookies. Those who love them raise your hand. Now, those don't can raise your hand. That's what I thought. Everyone loves Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I've tried numerous recipes over the years. These include those on the chocolate chip packages and in special chocolate cookbooks. You probably have a few of those cookbooks devoted to everything chocolate.

Still, the best recipe ever in this one I'm about to share. Shhh...don't tell anyone.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 12-oz. package semisweet chocolate chips

Let the margarine or butter stand until room temperature. I use Blue Bonnet margarine. I also take the foil paper off, put it in a bowl and heat it in the microwave to soften it up. It takes less time that way.

Mix the margarine, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar together with your mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.

In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking soda and salt together. Remember to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back side of a knife. Never scoop it into the measuring cup.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamy mixture. Blend well.

Stir the chocolate chips into that mixture.

Use a teaspoon to drop small amounts of the mixture on to an ungreased cookie sheet. Obviously, the amount you drop will determine the size of your cookies.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown on the bottom. The cookies won't be too brown on the top. Of course, you could cook them a little longer if you want. That makes a harder cookie. I like my chocolate chip cookies soft.

Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and place them on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy. Then hide the rest. Cookie monsters are everywhere.

Fried Okra

Fried okra is a staple around our house this time of year. Whenever any other crop fails, the okra seems to keep on going. One year the plants were taller than me (literally!) when they're usually only about two to three feet high. It made all summer and into the fall. We figured the first frost would be the end of the okra. Nope. We finally threatened my father to not bring any more okra in. We ate okra two meals a day for way too many months. Of course, our taste buds were primed and ready the next year when the okra crop started coming in.

I know some folks boil okra. Some use it in soups. In my world, which is Deep South, it is fried. You were surprised, right? You'll find it easy to do.

Fried Okra

okra
salt
all-purpose flour
cooking oil

Wash the okra. Cut off the ends. Then chop the okra pods into 1/4 inch-thick pieces.

Lightly salt the okra. Mix with just enough flour to coat the okra.

Heat a small amount of grease in a skillet. Of course, we use a cast iron skillet but I suppose any skillet will do. Use a medium to medium-high heat.

Place okra in the skillet, stir, then cover. Stir often. Cooking time varies depending on how much okra you have. Okra should be light brown and green, not burnt! If you're not sure what done okra looks like, just spoon out a little, let it cool and taste it. Then you'll know.

Place a paper towel on a platter. When the okra is done, spoon it onto the paper towel. That helps soak up some of the grease. The remainder of the grease goes into your mouth and directly onto your thighs. Just kidding!

See. That wasn't so hard. I guess it means you're now a Southern cook!

Cinnamon Bread

Once upon a time I cooked a lot. The kitchen belonged to me. I didn't have to share. I didn't need to work around anyone else's schedule. When I felt like cooking, I cooked.

One thing I loved to do was bake bread. I've spent many afternoons waiting for my dough to rise and pounding out my attitude on a poor piece of dough. But sometimes I did things the easy way. Cinnamon Bread is one of those easy recipes. You don't have to wait for dough to rise. It doesn't take hour upon hour to taste the finished results. It does, however, make your house smell wonderful. Cinnamon always does that.

Cinnamon Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice added
1/3 cup corn oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

Combine all ingredients with an electric mixer. I always combine my dry ingredients and stir together before adding to everything else. When measuring the flour, be sure to lightly spoon it into a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. So many people don't realize this and they use the scoop method. ie. They use the measuring cup to scoop the flour from it's container. That packs the flour in and causes you to use too much. Then the bread or cake or whatever is too dry and you can't figure out why. Now you know.

Beat all the ingredients together until fully mixed. You can substitute one cup of buttermilk for the milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice if you'd like. I just never have buttermilk in the house so I'm accustomed to using the substitute.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Streusel

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons margarine or butter, melted

Stir all ingredients together. Pour over batter top. Take a small knife and gently swirl the streusel into the batter.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, remembering that oven temperatures vary. In my oven it takes about 50 minutes. You'll know it's done when a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the pan as soon as you take it from the oven. Let it cool before slicing. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. I always reheat leftovers in the microwave because I like it just a little warm.

This bread is wonderful to freeze. I simply wrap it in plastic wrap and then put tin foil on top of that. Thaw in the refrigerator.

Baked Beans

It's almost the Fourth of July. Time for barbecues and lots of outdoor fun. That's what the ads say anyway. I'm fairly certain those folks don't live in the Deep South with temperatures near or exceeding 100 every day and lots and lots of humidity. Air conditioning is a wonderful thing.

Still, I couldn't wait to share this Baked Bean recipe with you. My mother uses it to dress up a can of beans. Better make extra!

Baked Beans

1 can baked beans
3 tablespoons brown sugar
onion, finely chopped
sweet pickles, finely chopped
3 tablespoons syrup

Mix all ingredients together. Don't forget this is the South so we all cook according to our individual tastes. Mother really likes onions so she adds a little more than I do. Suit your own taste. Sweet pickles around here are homemade but you can buy them already chopped and in a jar at the supermarket. The syrup is just basic pancake syrup. Nothing fancy.

Place in a rectangle pyrex dish (or something similar) and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Serve.

Eggplant Casserole

My Dad's sister was probably the most wonderful cook ever. She could cook virtually anything. A trip to her house was like an awesome adventure. I could eat and eat and eat and never have enough because it all tasted so good. Okay. Maybe not the turnips. I don't like turnips. But everything else was fabulous.

She was raised on a farm with my Dad and two way younger brothers. She could churn her own buttter -- and did -- and make biscuits and cakes and can vegetables and ... Well, you understand. Sadly, she died many years ago from cancer. I still miss her Cornbread Dressing every year at Thanksgiving.

This recipe is one I got from her. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Eggplant Casserole

1 large eggplant
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
grated cheddar cheese
saltine crackers

Wash and peel the eggplant. Cut it into chunks and boil in salty water for about 15 minutes. It will be tender.

Drain the water out and mash the eggplant with a fork or other kitchen tool until it's the consistency of batter.

Stir in egg and milk. Place in an oven-safe container. I usually use a pyrex dish. Sprinkle the cheese and crumble saltines on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

If you're trying to feed a larger crowd, this recipe is easy to enlarge. Just add an extra egg for each eggplant. You don't need to increase the milk by that much. Just stir a little extra in the "batter."

My aunt always sprinkled grated onion on top with the cheese and crackers. I prefer not to do it that way. I guess it's a personal preference type of thing. Much of Southern Cooking is that way.

Sweet Corn

I received a frantic call from my cousin's wife yesterday. I laugh as I write that. She gets upset with me for referring to her as "my cousin's wife." It's a correct description but it doesn't begin to tell others about our relationship. She is my friend who happens to be related to me. God has truly blessed me in that way.

As she called, she was looking at some corn with no idea how to freeze it. For those of you who have never frozen or canned vegetables, you can't just stick something in the freezer and expect to eat it over the winter. It's a little more involved than that.

The first issue is that she didn't know if it was sweet corn or field corn. Sweet corn is wonderful eaten right off the cob. Field corn really needs to be removed from the cob and creamed. She informed me that it didn't really matter. She prefers corn-on-the-cob and that's what she wanted to freeze.

After a quick consultation with my mother (who knows most things about such things), these are the directions.

Freezing Sweet Corn

Remove the husk from the corn and clean it thoroughly. Leave no little hairs to stick in your teeth! I prefer smaller ears of corn so I cut them in half. Either way works.

Place the corn in water. We use big, white enamel pans that my mother has had forever. Normal people probably use large pots. Bring the water to a boil for 5-7 minutes. This is called blanching. I don't even know if I've spelled that right. I do know that pretty much all vegetables that are headed for the freezer must be blanched before said trip.

Remove the corn from the stove and pour out the boiling water. Carefully. Remember that steam burns just as badly as direct hot water. Place the corn in a bowl of ice water until it cools.

Put corn in plastic bags made especially for the freezer. We generally put five per bag. I'm not sure why except that somewhere over the years my mother determined that five ears of corn per bag was the perfect serving size.

When you're really to eat the corn, remove it from the freezer and put it in a boiler or pan. Add water and a little salt. Bring it to a boil. Cook until tender. Serve.

Tuna Salad

One of the great last minute staples in any kitchen is a can of tuna. You can make the Tuna Casserole (see recipe in earlier blog) or a Tuna Salad. What's wonderful about Tuna Salad -- especially this time of year -- is that you don't have to turn the oven on.

You can serve Tuna Salad with fruit for a really light, refreshing meal. This doesn't mean low-calorie. Anything with mayonnaise is not low calorie. But who cares? We're all so active in this 97-plus degree weather that it doesn't matter. Right? Okay. But it's good anyway.

Tuna Salad

1 can of tuna
2 hard-boiled eggs
mayonnaise
sweet pickles

Remove the shell from the eggs. Finally chop the eggs. You can buy sweet pickles already chopped up. Down here in Alabama, we make our own sweet pickles. Then we get to chop them up before putting them in the Tuna Salad.

Drain the water (you do use water-packed tuna?) from the tuna. Combine tuna with eggs and pickles. Add mayonnaise to taste. I don't like a lot of mayo. I prefer just enough to moisten and stick the ingredients together. My mother tends to have the ingredients swimming in mayo. You choose.

Serve the Tuna Salad with saltine crackers.

Tuna Casserole

Many, many years ago a friend shared her Tune Casserole recipe with me. I'd never heard of Tuna Casserole. Shocking, I know. But she explained that it's a wonderful last minute item. The ingredients are items we usually have in our kitchens anyway.

She made one and I learned something else about Tuna Casserole -- it's good! My friend and I lost touch a long time ago. She moved. I moved. Lives that were once parallel went in separate ways. Still, I always think of her with a smile when I make a Tune Casserole. I hope you enjoy it too!

Tuna Casserole

One 5 oz can of tuna
One 10 3/4 oz can of Cream of Mushroom soup
One 8 oz package wide egg noodles
shredded cheddar cheese

Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain.

Sir in the tuna and soup. Place in a glass casserole bowl. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. How much depends on your taste buds. I love cheese so I make sure to cover the top. You might prefer a lighter sprinkling.

Cook in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Fried Sweet Potato

Time seems to really get away from me this time of year! Is it the same for you? We have more daylight but far more to do. Snap beans are getting ready in the garden and that means picking, snapping and either cooking or canning. Okay. I don't do the picking or the canning. My job is weed patrol, which is sweaty and dirty. I do enjoy the snapping so it's almost not like a job. It's a wonderful excuse to sit down and watch a movie without feeling guilty. Just don't tell anyone I said that.

A really easy addition to any meal is Fried Sweet Potato. It takes just a small amount of time and then you've got another vegetable to put on the table at dinner. I usually just do one to feed two or three people. If you're cooking for more, obviously cook a few more potatoes.

Fried Sweet Potato

sweet potato
salt
sugar

Wash and peel the sweet potato. Cut it into slices that are about 1/4-inch thick. Thinner is okay. Don't do thicker though. Lightly salt the slices. I don't like a great deal of salt. If you like lots of salt, then go ahead and throw it on. Just don't blame your water retention on me.

Heat cooking grease in a skillet until it's medium hot. If the grease it too hot, the potato slices will burn before they cook. You probably guessed the next step. Put the slices in the grease and cook until they're lightly browned. Do NOT head off and do something else while you're doing this. These slices brown in what seems like seconds.

Put a folded paper towel on a plate. This is the Southern way of soaking up a little grease. Place the cooked sweet potato slices on the paper towel. Lightly sprinkle sugar on the warm slices.

Serve.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Last week I baked a Blueberry Coffee Cake. It was so yummy! I used to make this -- sort of. I decided to change things around a bit. The result was far better than I expected.

The original recipe was from Bisquick and called Fruit Swirl Coffee Cake. It's wonderful too! I believe that Bisquick is one of those products that should be a staple in every kitchen. There are so many dishes you can throw together at the last minute using this wonderful product.

I halved the original recipe. I also opted to use fresh (well, frozen-fresh) blueberries instead of canned blueberry pie filling. I baked it in a fancy pie dish. It looked so elaborate. I so love to fool people into thinking something took a great deal of time and effort when it really was quite simple. Don't you?

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Grease a pie plate or a square baking pan.

Wash and drain blueberries.

Mix all the ingredients except blueberries and glaze ingredients. I just stir with a fork until completely mixed. It would be okay to use a mixer. That just seems like more trouble than necessary.

Spread 2/3 of the batter into the baking dish. Pour blueberries over this, spreading evenly. Then, using a spoon, drop the remaining batter over the blueberries. It won't completely cover the berries so just get a little artsy with it, putting a little bit here and a little bit there.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. It should be light brown. Remember that oven cooking times vary.

Just before time to take it from the oven, mix the powdered sugar and milk together until it's smooth.

When you remove the coffee cake from the oven, drizzle the glaze over it. Serve warm. It's also okay to serve it cool. I just prefer it warm. For the leftovers, put servings on a microwavable dish and heat for about 25 seconds each. Yummy!

Taco Salad

Okay. How many folks out there are watching their pennies these days? Yeah. That's what I figured. Most of us are doing that right now. I found the most wonderful site recently. It's kraftfoods.com. It was in an insert in the newspaper. I figured I'd try it out. I didn't have much hope though. Usually those coupon things are for products I don't use and really don't want to try. That was so not the case this time. Lots and lots of coupons for things I actually buy and use. Check it out.

Taco Salad is one of those perfect items to take off from home when the trip calls for a covered dish. Especially this time of year. It's easy to prepare and folks seem to like it. I never get to bring any home.

Taco Salad

1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 (16-oz) can of red kidney beans, drained
1 (16-oz) can cream-style corn
tortilla chips, crushed.
lettuce, washed and shredded
shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium tomato, peeled and diced

Cook the ground beef in a skillet until it's brown. Stir to crumble. You can add a little water, like maybe a tablespoon or so, to make it less likely to stick while it cooks. When it's brown, drain the fat and water off.

Add the taco seasoning mix, corn and beans. Stir until completely mixed.

Place crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of a serving bowl. I use a glass pie plate or a shallow corningware bowl. Make sure to cover the bottom. Place the meat mixture on top of the chips.
Put lettuce on top of that. Then add the cheese. I always put lots of cheese because I love cheese.
Add the tomato, spreading around on the top to make it look pretty.

This makes a fairly large amount though it won't seem that way when people start eating. It goes fast. One thing I love though is that you can use half the meat mixture and make a smaller taco salad. Refrigerate the other half and make a "fresh" salad another day. That's especially wonderful when you're taking it off from home. You have a Taco Salad to take and a Taco Salad to keep.

Corn on the Cob

It's a holiday weekend -- and it's raining in southern Alabama. Poor folks going to the beach. Probably won't have a great deal of sun for the next few days. That has never stopped a good Southern family from eating. In the South, any time is a good time to eat.

Corn on the Cob is a wonderful item to prepare. Most kids love to eat it. Just don't tell them it's a vegetable. Adults like it too. Unless they have false teeth issues. I won't even go there. Just remember that if an older person declines, don't take it personally and don't push them to eat it anyway.

Fortunately, this recipe is prepared inside. It's also something kids can help prepare. Be careful when the corn comes out of the microwave though. It will be hot so it's best if adults handle that part.

Corn on the Cob

corn
butter or margarine
salt
waxed paper

Remove the husk, etc. from the ear of corn. We usually do two or three ears at a time. Obviously, for a crowd do more. Rub a little butter or margarine on the corn. Add a little salt to taste. Wrap each individual ear of corn in waxed paper, twisting the ends to seat it. Place on a microwave plate.

Cook corn in the microwave on high for three minutes. Turn each ear over. Cook for another two minutes or until tender.

Eat!

Blueberry Buckle

'Tis the season to be thinking of berries to go along with all our fresh vegetables. I have a few packages of blueberries in the freezer that are left over from last year's crop. Not our personal crop. Three blueberry bushes do not make a crop. But we've been blessed to have friends and family who have ample blueberries and they share.

My father decided last year that he really wanted to grow blueberries. We supported that decision. The berries are wonderful to eat. I dreamed of picking handfuls or berries from the bushes and eating them right there. I realize that was a stretch. Three blueberry bushes don't make that many. Especially since I'm not the only one who had that dream. Little Guy loves blueberries. Who knew that dogs will pick blueberries? We're down to one bush now. He has a little trouble picking them without destroying the bush.

This recipe for Blueberry Buckle is one I happened on when I was searching for a Blueberry Cobbler recipe. I found it in The Southern Heritage Just Desserts Cookbook. It's quite good. Serve it warm with a little Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. You'll have folks coming back for seconds.

Blueberry Buckle

1/4 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine

Cream the shortening with your mixer. Add 3/4 cup of sugar and the egg. Beat well. Add the milk to that, beating well.

Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add that to the creamy mixture, beating well as you go. Stir in the blueberries with your spatula. If you're using fresh blueberries, be sure to wash and drain them before adding them to the mixture. Since I used frozen blueberries, I thawed them in the microwave and drained them first.

Spread this mixture into a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. I always try to use a pan that is dark colored so I don't have to worry about staining.

Combine the remaining 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until this mixture resembles coarse meal. It's perfectly okay to use a fork to do this.

Sprinkle the crumbly mixture over the blueberry mixture.

Bake the Blueberry Buckle at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or so. The original recipe calls for 45 minutes but that is too long in my oven. When overcooked, the Blueberry Buckle is hard around the sides. Just cook for 35-40 minutes, then check it.

The recipe says it serves 12 to 15 people. They don't know Southern eaters. It serves about half that many. It really is good!

Sweet Tea

It has come to my attention that not everyone knows how to make Sweet Tea. This is a staple in any authentic Southern household. Understand that knowing how to make Sweet Tea does not mean you have to drink it. You just need to know how to make it so you can be a proper Southern hostess and serve it to your guests.

I grew up drinking Sweet Tea. It was served at dinner and supper, ever day of the year. Sometimes other beverages were served with it. Maybe lemonade during the summer. When I left home, I left the Sweet Tea behind. I'd much rather drink Crystal Light or water. After I returned to the South, I dutifully picked up Sweet Tea drinking again. Then I read somewhere that each glass has like a gazillion calories. That ended that. There I was drinking something I didn't really like and consuming more calories in one meal than a person should consume in an entire day. Not happening again.

Sweet Tea is fairly easy to make. And though I tease my mother that only her teapot makes good tea, that really isn't so. Any teapot makes good tea, so long as you have the proper ingredients. Give it a try.

Sweet Tea

6 tea bags
1 1/4 cup sugar
water

Place six tea bags in a teapot. These are single tea bags. Fill the kettle with water and bring it to a boil. In the meantime, place the sugar in a gallon container. If you use a glass jar, you might need to put a metal spatula down against the bottom. I don't know why. I only know that if you don't, the glass jar will most likely bust and you will have a big mess.

When the kettle boils, pour the water into the teapot. Then fill the kettle with water again and bring that to a boil. When it's boiling, pour the contents of the teapot into the gallon container. Stir so that the sugar dissolves. Leave the tea bags in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into that teapot.

Let everything cool down. Then pour the teapot contents into the gallon container. Discard the tea bags. Finish filling the gallon container with water. Chill. You've just made Sweet Tea. Pat yourself on the back and have a glass.

Pound Cake

Everyone in the Deep South must at some point bake a Pound Cake. It's just basic. Pound Cake goes with just about anything. That's especially true this time of year. Bake a Pound Cake. Then dip out a little Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. Or if you're really into a classic experience, make your own ice cream. Then pick fresh strawberries. Puree them with a little sugar. Pour the strawberries over the ice cream. Serve with the warm Pound Cake. You'll be on a sugar high for a week but who cares?

This recipe comes from my mother by way of my aunt. So many really good recipes in the South come that way. Allow plenty of baking time. Then invite a few neighbors overto enjoy.

Pound Cake

1/2 lb. butter (softened) (2 sticks)
3 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Crisco oil
5 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together. Be sure to use real butter. No substitutions! Pour the batter into a tube cake pan. Mother always cuts a piece of wax paper to put on the bottom of the pan. Be sure to grease the bottoms and sides of the pan really well. The idea is for the cake to eventually come out of the pan in one piece.

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

Remove from the pan. Just turn it upside down on a plate or rack and remove the pan and waxed paper. Carefully. Then put the serving plate where the pan was and flip over. Carefully. It is easy to get burned or just lose the whole cake.

It's worth the effort. There's nothing quite like a little warm Pound Cake to make the troubles of the world go away.

Chicken Parmesan

A friend of my parents recently asked for a recipe for Chicken Parmesan. Of course, he asked my mother. The woman who batters and fries just about everything.

I rarely make this anymore. (See above for the reason.) However, I once baked Chicken Parmesan quite a bit. The little recipe card has the splatters and edges to prove it. I love it because it doesn't require a great deal of time to prepare. I could focus on the remainder of the meal while this baked, just turning it when the little timer told me to. I always set the timer. Some folks blame memory loss on age. I've always had that problem. It's called distraction. So I set the timer.

Chicken Parmesan

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon oregano
dash garlic powder
dash pepper
2 lbs chicken breasts
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
Paprika

Combine crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic and pepper. Roll chicken in the mixture. The original recipe (I have no idea where it came from!) called for "chicken parts." In my world, skinless, boneless chicken breasts are the only way to go.

Arrange the battered chicken breasts in a shallow, 2-quart baking dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over. Bake another 20 minutes.

Stir the soup and milk together. Pour it over the chicken. Sprinkle with paprika and the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.

Bake 20 minutes more or until the chicken is tender. Arrange chicken on a fancy platter. Okay, a regular platter will do but it will effect the table presentation. Stir the sauce that is still in the baking pan. Pour it over the chicken.

Serve. The recipe said this feeds 4 people but if you serve it with vegetables, bread and dessert (and you will because this is the South) it will feed 6.

Breakfast Pizza

I am so not a morning person. It's not that I sleep until noon. But I set my alarm for 8 a.m. Unless I need to be somewhere earlier, like a craft show or driving a Toyota. It keeps me on a schedule. Sort of. But sometimes what I'd really like most is to just sleep until I wake up. Not gonna happen in my world.

Sometimes I even have to get up and prepare breakfast for other people. Company. Funny how they expect to eat. Otherwise, I'm so content with instant grits or maybe a little Raisin Bran. And coffee. Lots of coffee.

So at those times I really must pretend to be a functioning Southern adult woman who cooks even in the morning, I've found this Breakfast Pizza works really well. The original recipe came from the 1985 edition of Southern Living Annual Recipes.

This is also good for brunch or supper. For those of you outside the South, supper is defined as the evening meal. Dinner is at lunch. It's a little confusing at first but you get used to it. It's like Sweet Tea. You just nod, gulp and go on.

Breakfast Pizza

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup frozen hash browns, thawed
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the sausage in a cast iron skillet until it is browned. It's also okay to cook it in a regular skillet. Only older Southern women will look at you funny. When the sausage is fully cooked, drain it well. Set it aside for later.

Separate the crescent rolls. The original recipe said to place them in a circle on a pizza pan. I just put them in a greased 8 x 12 inch pan. Spread it out to make a crust. Be sure to seal the perforations so that the pizza doesn't seep through.

Spoon the sausage over the crust. Sprinkle the hash brown potatoes and Cheddar cheese on top of that. I always thaw the hash browns in the microwave. It's easier than trying to plan so far ahead that they're already thawed when I need them.

Combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix briskly with a fork or whisk. Pour this over the sausage, hash browns and Cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cook an extra 5 minutes.

Serve. This recipe is supposed to feed 6 to 8 people. If you have big eaters, you might make a second one. This is really good so folks tend to overeat.

Ginger Carrots

It's almost time for the garden to start producing. Well, maybe in a month or so. We planted a little late this year. Still, don't you love fruits and vegetables? They are so tasty and good for us too!

Here's an example of an easy vegetable. The recipe comes from the original Cooking Light cookbook from Southern Living. I love it. You may want to double everything though. It's designed for only two people. And what Southern woman ever cooks for only two people?!

Ginger Carrots

3 medium carrots, scaped and cut
1 teaspoon margarine
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

The original recipe calls for cutting the carrots into strips. I just slice them so that they're round and about 1/4 inch thick. It's faster for me to do it that way.

Put them with water in a boiler and boil until tender. I only cook them until they're just tender enough for a fork to stick through. I don't like mushy carrots. So don't overcook! Unless you like mushy carrots. If you do, just cook until you're satisfied.

When the carrots are just tender, drain the water out. Then add the margarine, brown sugar and ground ginger. Stir. It only takes a minute or so for the margarine to melt and to coat the carrots. Then they're ready to serve. The original recipe called for low-cal margarine. (It is from a Cooking Light cookbook after all.) I use whatever is available.

This is a nuitritional and tasty way to cook carrots.

Dorito Casserole

Sometimes the very best recipes come from people who "don't cook." That's certainly true in this case. This casserole is easy and yummy!!!

I use the "mild" Rotel tomatoes. If you like things hot and spicy, obviously choose the "hot" version. Spoon the ground beef mixture on to the crushed Doritos. If you pour it in, the Dorito layer has a tendency to slide up the sides of the casserole dish. I never measure the Doritos. We buy them in a larger bag. I simply crush enough to cover the bottom of the casserole.

This casserole is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it too!

Dorito Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can (5.33 oz) evaporated milk
1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes with diced green chiles
1 pkg. (8 oz) Doritos
1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef, adding the onion, salt and pepper as it cooks. Add the soups, milk and Rotel tomatoes. Cook until heated through.
Spread crushed Doritos on the bottom of a 9 x 13-in. pan. Spoon the meat mixture over the Doritos. Top with grated cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!

Butter-Nut Cake

All of us have a special food that we enjoy making. Butter-Nut Cake is my mother's special. She makes it for birthdays and holidays and deaths and potlucks. You get the idea. The good thing is that she doesn't mind sharing the recipe. She even wrote out several copies to attach to recipe holders she's made for a craft show. (The little pink pigs are so cute!)

So here's the recipe!

Butter-Nut Cake

1 cup Crisco Oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter-nut flavoring

Beat together sugar, Crisco oil and eggs. Add the flour and milk, beating well. Place in four round cake pans. Be sure to grease and flour the bottoms and sides of the pans. Mother cuts little circles from wax paper and puts those in the pans, greasing both sides.
Bake at 350 degrees until the layers start to pull away from the sides. I know. You want a nice, neat little time. But ovens vary and Southern cooks don't generally do a lot of timing in the kitchen. We're fortunate she measures she measures the ingredients.

Frosting

1 8-oz. package creme cheese, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
1 box confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon butter-nut flavoring
3/4 chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients except pecans until it is creamy. Stir in pecans. Frost cake.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

In the South, one is always expected to take food somewhere. It's just part of life. It could be the church supper, a potluck at Aunt Betty Sue's house or to feed the family after a death. It could also be any number of other events. Southerners really like to eat.

It's also expected that the "dish" be homemade. As in, made from scratch. As in, store-bought goods are frowned upon. I had been an adult far more years than I'll ever admit before I came to accept that sometimes it really was okay to not take something I'd made from scratch. I'll always thank that sweet little widow (she really was short!) who explained that she gave "from scratch" up somewhere along the time she was left to work and raise three children alone. Time is a huge factor. Just think. I didn't have to stay up to 1 a.m. baking all those years.

Before I realized that things had changed, I developed a few good recipes that were quick, easy and looked like they took a great deal of time. You may notice a theme here among the different recipes I share.

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake is one of those recipes. It also was my best friend's favorite dessert. He always requested it for birthdays and such. Yes, I gave him the recipe. And, yes, he could cook. I guess some things just taste better when someone else makes them for you. He's been dead a good many years now but I always think of him when I make this dessert.

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

2 (8-oz) packages of creme cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
graham cracker crust (6 0z)
Comstock Blueberry Pie Filling

Mix the creme cheese, sugar and vanilla until it's smooth and creamy. If you forget to let the creme cheese soften or simply don't have time, put it in the microwave on medium for a few seconds. Every microwave varies. Just keep checking it until it's softened but not soupy.

Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust. However did we manage before we could buy those crusts already made and ready to go? Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 of the blueberry pie filling on top. I generally use a teaspoon and drop bits of the filling around in little puddles. Then use a toothpick to gently swirl it around. It looks really pretty, sort of like marble.

Bake it at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the center is set. Let it cool until room temperature, then refrigerate.

Serve topped with the remaining filling.

Hey, look at you! You made a cheesecake without having to use a "real" cheesecake pan!

Coconut Pie

In the Deep South, recipes are passed from generation to generations. Sometimes they're simply a scribbled list of ingredients on a scrap of paper. The paper might include an oven temperature but little else. Sometimes the cook can't really tell anyone else how to make it. She never measures. Such was the case with my Grandmother's biscuits. It remains a sad loss.

These days we've progressed to cookbooks. Some of the best recipes are in church and senior center cookbooks. They're the ones with the old recipes, the ones passed along from grandparents and beyond. This is one of those recipes.

My Grandmother made this Coconut Pie when I was a child. It was one of the first recipes I got from her after I went away to college. It's simple and doesn't require a pie crust because it makes its own. Years later she submitted the recipe and it was included in a cookbook for The Coffee Springs Senior Citizens Cookbook. I hope you enjoy it as much as I always have.

Coconut Pie

4 eggs
1/2 cup self-rising flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups sugar


Beat the eggs. Slowing add the remaining ingredients. It's easy just to stir this with a fork rather than getting the mixer out. Either way works.

Pour the mixture into a greased glass baking dish or pie plate. If you use a pie plate, make sure it's deep. I didn't know about that the first time and I had the opportunity to clean up raw pie from the floor. It just jiggled right out as I walked toward the oven.

Bake the pie at 300 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. It just depends on your oven. I use the jiggle test. The pie will firm up some when you remove it from the oven. Th edges will also start lightly browning when it's done.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole has been on our table for every holiday or special occasion meal for almost longer than I can remember. I don't know who gave the recipe to my mother. It's easy to bake and it looks a great on a table. That's always a plus.

I don't know if you were taught as I was to always have a variety of colors on the table. It makes the food look more appealing. This casserole can be your orange or brown. You could add peas or broccoli or corn to the meal. Maybe even dumplings. You get the idea. A colorful table is usually well-balanced.

In the South, we tend to forget the calories and move straight to the comfort. We also use what we have. Hence, the pecans. Doesn't everyone have a few pecan trees? Well, the grocery store is also a good source for pecans. Same for the sweet potatoes. We've never had any luck growing them. That's almost embarrassing to admit. Fortunately, others grow them quiet well.

I hope you enjoy this special comfort food!

Sweet Potato Casserole

6 medium sweet potatoes
1 stick margarine, softened
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
dash nutmeg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 stick of margarine
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup ground pecans

Peel, chop and cook the potatoes until they are tender. Drain the water from the boiler. Mash the potatoes until they are like mush.

Add the stick of margarine, eggs, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Beat together until fluffy.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish.

Melt the 1/3 stick of margarine. Mix it with the brown sugar, flour and ground pecans. Spread on top of the mixture in the baking dish.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Blonde Brownies

Southerner folks, of which Bouffant Blonde is one, always seem to gather around food. We celebrate with food. We visit with food. We mourn with food. We love to eat. No doubt about that. But it is so much more. Food is our connection.

We're good at it too. Raised up to take a covered dish anywhere and everywhere the situation might arise. Dinner (lunch to folks in other parts of the country) means a table laden with food. Any spots are not acceptable. If the table is not groaning ( a Southern expression) then the hostess really hasn't done her guests right.

Food is always a reason to visit with each other. Family reunions are built around food. It's a wonderful excuse to gather together and catch up on the news while eating. No excuses needed for overindulging. It's expected.

Southerners are also known for providing food when someone has a need. It gives us something to do. Casseroles and platters and desserts arrive along with a new baby's homecoming. The same is true when the sick leave their hospital rooms for the comforts of home.

And we're really known for how we feed the grieving. It's as if we believe we can somehow ease their pain by inundating them with food. We take food as soon as we learn that someone has died. We feed the family "officially" either before or after the funeral. We use food as comfort. It speaks words we can't seem to otherwise convey -- "We care," We're here for you," "We hurt with you."

The following recipe is suitable for most any occasion. It is not an original recipe. I was at a show (sometimes it seems that I'm always at a show) and the booth next to me was selling cookbooks for their organization. This was a smart group of women. They baked several of the items, packaged said items for individual sale, then opened the cookbooks to the items. I bought a cookbook because of this recipe. My mama bought a cookbook because of this recipe.

Of course, being a woman and being Southern, I had to alter it slightly. I'm sure the lady who submitted it did the same. It wasn't original to her either. This is my version. I hope you enjoy it!

Blonde Brownies

1 box Betty Crocker Butter Pecan cake mix
1 stick melted margarine
1 egg, beaten
1 (8-oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 stick melted margarine
1 box powdered sugar
2 eggs
3/4 finely chopped pecans

Grease and flour a metal 9 x 13 pan.

Mix 1 stick margarine, the beaten egg and the cake mix together with your mixer. Press into the pan. I use the back of a spoon to press it down. It doesn't seem to stick as much as it does with a plastic spatula.

Next mix the cream cheese, two eggs, the second stick of margarine and the powdered sugar. I always use a clean mixer bowl for this. I know it's tempting to reuse the same one. It might be fine. I don't know. I just have visions of crust in my cream filling. I pour this mixure over the crust layer. Top it with 3/4 cups finely chopped pecans.

Bake it for 55 minutes in a 300 degree oven. All ovens vary so keep a watch on it. When it starts browning and pulling away from the edges, it's done.

Let is cool for an hour or so. It's so much easier to cut when it's cool. Then cut it into little squares. Place the pieces on a pretty platter. Reserve a few extra just for you. Shhh...if you don't tell, nobody will ever know.