My mom shared this recipe at our family Christmas gathering. Delicious!

Marinated Vegetable Salad Recipe
10 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 pound ripe tomatoes seeded, cored and diced
1 cucumber, halved and seeded diced
1 can (12-16 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup fresh chopped basil
1/3 cup fresh chopped mint
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper
/2 cup olive oil
8 ounces feta cheese
Toasted pita bread (see directions below)
Toss first seven ingredients. Combine lemon juice, garlic, 2 tsp salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly wisk in olive oil t make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the veggies. Toss gently to coat. Refrigerate over night. Add the feta cheese and toss just before serving.
Toasted Pita Chips
1 package whole wheat pitas
Olive oil in spray can
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder

Cut pita bread into triangles. Place onto a cookie sheet and spray pita triangles with olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt and garlic powder on all triangles. Broil until toasted. Turn over triangles and repeat.

The weather has been cool this week and what better to comfort you on a cold evening than a bowl of warm creamy soup. I never follow a recipe for soup, but add as I go to get the desired taste and texture. This soup was no different.

Cheesy Potato Soup

6-8 medium potato
3-4 chopped scallions
2 cans chicken broth
1 can cheese soup
1 can milk
1/2 can sour cream
Garnish- sour cream, grated cheese, bacon

Wash potatoes, peel, dice and cook by boiling in water. Once potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander. Mash half of potatoes with a hand mixer. Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on high for one hour and change temperature to low setting. Cook on low for two-three hours. Serve and garnish with desired toppings.

Thank goodness my family only eats turkey once as we make our way from house to house during the Thanksgiving holidays, but some eat it over and over again. Over the years I have tried various recipes with the turkey leftovers. One of my favorite ways to eat leftover turkey is on a sandwich. My inspiration for this recipe was a panini I tried at Panera Bread. This isn't just any sandwich, but my favorite panini. I used one of my favorite ingredients- dijon horseradish mustard.

Turkey Panini

One small jar of marinated artichokes
3 tablespoons of Hellman's mayonnaise
1 teasoon dijon horserasish mustard
one sliced tomato
a handful of wilted seasoned spinach or 1/2 cup cooked spinach
turkey, thinly sliced
swiss cheese slices
favorite bread slices
butter

Drain marinated artichokes and reserve liquid to make salad dressing. Using a food processor chop artichokes. Add the spinach and continue to process. Finally, add mayonnaise and mustard and process a few seconds. Spread the artichoke/spinach/mayo spread on the slices of bread. Top with turkey, tomato slices and swiss cheese. Heat a griddle and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter per sandwich. Place sandwich on griddle and cook until cheese melts. Serve. The artichoke/spinach/mayo mixture should make about three sandwiches.

Several years ago my mother started making a tangy marinated coleslaw. Since that time the slaw has become a favorite to serve with all types of pork. It is a must have with hotdogs as well as ham. The tangy slaw is very different from the creamy version we have grown to enjoy. This slaw is also delicious on a bun with your favorite BBQ.

Marinated Coleslaw

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp tumeric (this will stain your clothing-be careful)

1 large bag of shredded cabbage
1 large onion, diced finely
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sweet pickle cubes
1/2 cup shredded carrots

In a saucepan, mix first 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil and pour over remaining ingredients. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one day. This slaw will keep for one week. Serves 8.

Every year we spend Thanksgiving lunch with my husband's family at the place we affectionately call the Pond. The kids love riding the golf cart, zipline and going for a hayride to the river. Some might even perform the newest dance routine or sing a little karoke. My mother-in-law believes in have a stress free holiday and has a caterer prepare the turkey and dressing. We all contribute the sides. Since I had some great recipes for appetizers I recycled the recipes from the oyster roast. I also prepared my children's favorite veggie- green beans. Canned green beans seem to be a staple in my pantry, but I always add a little something to enhance the flavor.

Fancy Green Beans

2 cans green beans
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb. bacon fried, save some drippings
1/2 onion chopped, finely

Drain the green beans and set aside. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Fry bacon in a skillet. Near the end of frying add the onion and cook until tender. Drain the bacon and onions on paper towels. Combine the green beans, white vinegar/sugar mixture, onions and two tablespoons of bacon drippings. Crumble the bacon and save. Allow bean mixture to marinate for an hour. Cook at medium heat in a saucepan. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.

Hope your holiday was as delightful as the one I experienced. I have enjoyed cooking so much and I just hate for all of the fun to end when I return to work tomorrow. We visited with family and friends for several days while enjoying lots of good food. Some great friends host an annual oyster roast on Thanksgiving Eve. We love steamed oysters, but nobody loves them more than my eleven year old son. Each year we anticipate a really bad night after he eats his weight in oysters. Our host and hostess always ask everyone to contribute an appetizer. Each year I have fun trying something new just for the occasion. This year I tried- Hot Bleu Cheese Dip with Granny Smith apples (we are still eating the apples from the Rotary Club fundraiser) and Citrus Marinated Feta and Olives (the current issue of Southern Living- page 183). The dip had an awesome flavor that can be attributed to the mixture of bacon and bleu cheese. Meanwhile the marinated feta and olives had a zingy flavor that was just delightful on fresh french bread. Feel free to look up the Southern Living recipe for the marinated olives and feta. I will share the dip recipe. This week I will continue to share more about our celebrations as well as recipes.

Hot Bleu Cheese Dip

1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened
5 oz blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp minced garlic
7 slices of backon, fried and crumbled
Granny Smith apple slices (Cut up ahead and soak in orange or pineapple juice to keep from browning. Place in a colander to drain before serving.)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except apple slices. Spoon into a greased 1-quart baking dish. Bake 30 minutes. Serve with the chilled apple slices.

Who else loves Pinterest? I love pinning all of my favorite things and recently I've found lots of great recipes. My hubby has gotten in the habit of looking over my shoulder and eyeing the pics as I pin away. Today, due to a case of pink eye I had lots of time to pin great ideas and recipes. The Philly Cheese Sloppy Joes made my mouth water. Hubby and the kiddos loved them and put them on the repeat list. This recipe made enough for two nights for a family of four.



1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons steak sauce (I used A-1)
1 cup beef stock (I used canned beef broth)
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup provolone, shredded

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil and then brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and green pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes. Serve on buns and top with grated provolone.

My hubby and children have claimed these muffins are "the Best". I looked at several recipes before I decided to try this one. The topping makes it. Sorry, I forgot to take a photo.

Pumkin Cheesecake Muffins
This recipe claimed to make 2 dozen muffins, but I got about 18 muffins from these ingredients.

Filling:
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
3 tbsps sugar

Topping:
5 tbsps sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
3 tbsps butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Muffins:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsps cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 375º. Spray muffin pans with Pam. You might also use paper liners, but spray the liners.

In a bowl, mix the filling ingredients together and set aside.

In another bowl, mix the topping ingredients together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In another bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the pumpkin mixture in. Mix with a fork until well moistened. Do not use an electric mixer because the muffins will get over mixed.

Evenly divide half the batter between the 24 muffin cups. Place 2 teaspoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top and then divide the rest of the batter between the cups covering the cream cheese as best you can.

Sprinkle some of the pecan mixture over the top of each muffin.

Bake until golden ~ about 20 to 25 minutes. Insert a toothpick in center to check for doneness.

No long story about why I haven't blogged in FOREVER-My dear daughter is preparing for the Nutcracker and we have been traveling an hour to practice almost every weekend.

I have tried some great recipes lately. If all works with my computer today, I will share some great fall recipes.

My husband is in the Rotary Club. Each year the club in our community sells apples as a fundraiser for community projects. Everyone in our community looks forward to the apples arriving. We start looking for great recipes as soon as we order our bushel.

Apple Cake Recipe
3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups raw apples, peeled and chopped fine
Sauce:
1 cup packed brown sugar (for sauce)
1/4 cup milk (for sauce)
3/4 cup margarine(1 -1/2 sticks) (for sauce)

Mix oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, soda. Add to first mixture. Fold in pecans and apples. Bake in tube pan at 350 for 1 hour.

For the sauce, mix and cook ingredients 3 minutes after it begins to gently boil, stirring constantly. Pour over hot cake while cake is still in pan. Let cake cool completely before removing.
This is a picture of the cake after I poured the caramel sauce over it. Once the carmel sauce soaks in and the cake cools you may remove it from the bundt pan. Moist and delicious!

More recipes will be posted this week. Enjoy!

Homemade Mac n Cheese

For several weeks my daughter has begged me to make macaroni and cheese. She did not want Easy Mac or Kraft from the box. Last night she and I had some alone time so I decided to have her help me.  She was so proud of "her" macaroni and cheese.  She even got a fist pump from her Daddy- Yummy!  As a southern girl I have tasted and attempted several recipes for this dish.  The recipe I have developed is based on a combination of other recipes.  Hope you enjoy! This makes a large pan-perfect for a large family gathering.  Divide this recipe to make for a smaller crowd.  We will be eating leftovers and sharing with our friends and neighbors.

16 oz macaroni
1/2 stick butter (real.butter)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tap salt
1/2 tap pepper
4 cups milk
16 oz grated cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1/2 stick butter
1 sleeve Ritz cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil macaroni according to directions on the box (I used Muellers). Drain and rinse the macaroni in a colander. Combine next five ingredients in a large saucepan-cook on low until butter melts. Add grated cheese. Stir until sauce appears to be a rich and creamy cheese sauce. Beat four eggs in a small bowl. Add to cheese sauce and wisk until combined. Add cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce. Spray a 9"x12" pyrex dish with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer macaroni and cheese sauce from saucepan to pyrex dish. Melt 1/2 stick of butter and combine with cracker crumbs. Top the macaroni and cheese mixture with the buttery cracker crumbs. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes-1 hour. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I'm about a week behind, but the recipes we served for our Derby Party this year are timeless.

Menu:
Shrimp Salad
Chicken Salad
Spicy Carrots
Tomato Biscuits
Ham Biscuits with Blackberry Butter
Key Lime Squares
Derby Pie and Chewies (a friend's contribution)
Sweet Tea Mint Juleps (May issue of SL)

The Shrimp Salad recipe was from one of the more recent issues of Southern Living and so was the Blackberry butter.  I made homemade biscuits, but you could use biscuits from the freezer section of your grocery store. 

Blackberry Butter
1 stick of butter, softened
2 heaping tablespoons of blackberry jam/jelly

Mix and serve.  This stuff is incredibly impressive and too easy to make.

Shrimp Salad (the dish of salad was empty at the end of the party- a keeper)

Two bags of small frozen shrimp (the SL recipe uses fresh shrimp, but frozen is more economical and sometimes easier to access)

1 jar sliced pickled okra
1 (4oz) jar pimento
1/3 cup mayo (I always use Hellmans)
3 TBSP- minced red onion (soak in milk for a thirty minutes to get rid of strong flavor)
1/2 tsp. lime zest
3 TBSP lime juice
1/4 tsp pepper
Dash of salt

Place frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold water over it to defrost.  Combine all ingredients and serve immediately.

Tomato Biscuits
2-3 TBSP Mayo (Hellmans)
1 tbsp grated vidalia onion
pinch of garlic powder
Small biscuits
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Basil

Combine mayo, onion and garlic- let this sit overnight in the refrigerator.  You could use frozen angel biscuits or make your own- bake according to instructions.  Slice cherry tomatoes into mini tomato slices.  Chop the basil.  Slice open biscuit and spread some mayo mixture on the inside of both pieces.  Top with a tomato slice and a pinch of basil.  Yummy!  I make my summer tomato sandwiches the same way.

I'm continuing to post a few recipes I tried over spring break.  This is a sweet treat we shared with guest during playtime at our house.  Hope you enjoy.  Feel free to add ingredients and try variations according to what you have on hand.

Strawberry Limeade

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lime
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 pint fresh strawberries
Sprite
lime, mint or whatever you have to garnish

Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor.  Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves.  Add the strawberries, grated lime and lime juice.  Allow to cool.  Poor ingredients into a one gallon pitcher and fill with Sprite.  Add ice and serve.

Note to readers-  Due to busy schedules we eat our fair share of frozen pizza and fast food just like most families, but spring break allows me to time to spend time in my favorite room of the house-my kitchen.  I believe in truth in blogging- so I want to make sure you know we are just like many families.

Earlier this week Beth Dunn at Social Climbers tweeted a question asking fellow tweeters what they thought about the Real Housewives of Miami reunion show.  Until this past Sunday or Monday night, I had never seen an episode of any of the "real housewives".  We don't have Bravo on our cable package and we choose not to purchase satellite service.  Some might think I have deprived myself, but after watching one episode I've decided I can live without it.  Please continue to enjoy if you like it.  My comment to Beth was "they seem like a bunch of retired Vegas showgirls".  I realize this entire franchise of shows was titled as a play on Desperate Housewives.  I enjoy reality tv as much as the next person, but I worry our young people are getting a distorted view of reality- noveau riche style.  I'm not sure I agree with the character Jim Williams from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil- he said, "Yes, I am "nouveau riche," but then, it's the "riche" that counts, now isn't it?"
Back to reality-This week is spring break at our house.  Hubby is getting to spend the week with us.  We visited my parents and now we have spent a few days at home.  After a year of nagging, my hubby finally sanded and painted the railing on our back porch.  I thought I would reward him with a week of homemade meals and dessert- recipes will start today and be posted over the next few days.  Today he enjoyed a round of golf while the children and I entertained friends.  Before our friends arrived, my daughter and I spent the morning cutting fresh flowers to put in vases throughout the house.  The children and I also enjoyed decorating our Easter tree with lots of paper mache eggs as well as small wooden ornaments.


Porch Painting Recipe #1- Homemade Pulled Pork

1 Boston Butt
1/2 cup white vinegar
BBQ sauce of choice

Place Boston Butt and vinegar in a crockpot.  Turn temperature to high and cook for 5 hours.  After five hours begin to pull pork with a fork- it should shred easily.  Continue to cook on LOW for 1 to 2 more hours.  Just before serving drain liquid from pot and place dry meat in the  pot to keep warm.  Serve on buns with your favorite BBQ sauce.

Porch Painting Recipe #2- Margarita Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softenened
1/2 crisco vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lime peel
1/4 cup key lime juice

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP key lime juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp tequilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a bundt pan.  Beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer.  Add sugar gradually until light and fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition.  Stir together dry ingredients.  Add to the butter mixture, alternating with milk.  Beat after each addition.  Stir in vanilla, lime peel and lime juice.  Poor batter into the bundt pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Prepare glaze- place ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Cool cake for 15 minutes before inverting and removing from the pan.  Drizzle with the glaze and serve.

Coming up:  Strawberry Limeade, Grits Cakes (what do you do with leftover grits)

Today I am so thankful for weekends.  I am hopeful the dark circles and bags under my eyes will disappear after resting and relaxing.  This week has been unbelievable with four late nights, a birthday party and an all out effort to stay well.  Several meetings topics: economic development, strategic planning and funding for public education- woohoo, my idea of a good time! Ha!  Just as bad the flu is hitting our small town hard and heavy.  My neighbor's three children all have the flu and many others are experiencing the same illness.  With a week like we just experienced it was soooooooooo important we stay well.  I cranked out the orange juice, refilled all the hand sanitizers and enforced bedtime as soon as we arrived home each night.  I have one more big event this coming week and then I can relax.  A four day weekend is approaching, but not fast enough.


Just because we thought we didn't have enough to do, we threw a birthday party into the mix on Saturday.  My favorite boy turns eleven in just a few weeks and we decided to celebrate early so we can participate in other events in the coming weeks.  On Saturday, friends and family joined us for what we hoped would be a game of backyard football for some great boys.  It rained all week and into the night Friday night, but the sun emerged on Saturday just in time for a messy and fun game of football.  At my son's request the menu consisted of ice cream cake, queso and pigs n a blanket- little boys are easy to please.  Thanks Mama Henley for reminding me my house didn't have to look perfect.  After the boys tracked in grass, straw and mud from the backyard, I'm glad I didn't over do it.


The work week was hectic as hubby and I endured endless meetings.  Both of us as well as our co-workers experienced our fair share of stress this week.  I was looking forward to the weekend for the rest.  After the party my hubby and son decided to go to a basketball game and I offered to have dinner ready for our family and some friends after the big game.  Dining at a local restuarant late at night a couple of times helped me realize I am much more hospitable than night time waitstaff.  Many dread cooking especially after a rough week, but I find it so relaxing to work in my kitchen.  Our friends also work with us and needed, as well as deserved a comforting homecooked meal.  My prescription:  Garden Salad, cooked apples with cranberries, green beans and Savory Chicken Casserole

Savory Chicken Casserole- My husband's assistant brought this casserole to our family after my daughter was born.  My children love it.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked (I seasoned and baked with some dry basil)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoning Stuffing Mix
2 cups chicken broth
1 ream crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 stick melted butter

Sad to say we have lots of ice, but not one bit of snow where I live.  We had no cable this morning and I thought I might commit a crime if locked in the house all day with my hubby with no cable.  He is a sports NUT.  Thank goodness it came back on about fifteen minutes ago.  As long as the power stays on we are in business.  I'm saying a special prayer of thanksgiving for our utility workers today.  We sometimes forget how much we rely on them.  If the power stays on we are set to have leftovers of White Chicken Chili.  I'm not looking forward to telling my crew there is no leftover cornbread.

Recently, a friend called to ask how to make MOIST cornbread.  Like many people, she uses a basic cornbread mix from a box.  I must say I do the same, but add some ingredients to make it moist.  I thought I'd share the cornbread recipe I used last night with the White Chicken Chili.  I added a few jalapenos (jar in the pickle section), but this was not hot.

Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread

2 boxes Martha White Cornbread mix
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup of milk
a few tablespoons of chopped jalapenos from a jar (these are sold on the same aisle as pickles)

Mix and pour mixture into a greased 9 x 9 pan.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until done in a 375 degree oven.

Now that the holidays are over, I'm back to work and back to blogging about once or twice per week.  I enjoyed blogging more often during the holidays, but let's be realistic it is tough to write a weekly blog once reality strikes.  This week has been hectic as hubby and I each had several meetings at night.  My little priss started dance classes again and we went to a basketball game on Friday evening.  Saturday we drove to a neighboring town twice so our little priss could take part in a lock-in at her dance instructor's other studio.  Miss Priss has decided she wants to perform a solo in the coming months.  This will require a few more practices per month.  Last year my son was cast in a production at our local community playhouse and this year both kiddos have been cast in the spring production.  We will be extremely busy carting them to practices for the next few months.  I'm trying to think of recipes I can make in large quantity to freeze or make leftovers.  Our recent cold weather calls for something warm and comforting.

If you haven't heard the deep south is preparing for the winter storm of the century.  This will be the third time we have seen snow in less than one year.  We usually see snow once every three or four years.  When I say "see" snow I mean "see".  Rarely does the snow we have stick.  Facebook friends have reported no milk or bread on the shelves at the grocery stores.   I cannot understand why people buy milk (which must be kept cold) when we could have electrical outages.  I'm thinking if anything we need bottled water, canned meat (aka vienna sausages), crackers, bread, batteries, etc.  My friend Rob even suggest toilet paper.  We are not accustomed to this type of weather so who knows what we might need. 

2 packages McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning Pack
2 tbsp. oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breast- cooked and shreaded
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans water
2 cans navy beans, undrained
Combine in Crockpot and cook on high several hours before serving.  Top with green onion, cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, etc.  We like to eat our chili w/cornbread.

We celebrated Christmas with my hubby's family the Saturday before Christmas.  A few days after our celebration my mother-in-law told me she found a present for me and the other daughter-in-laws she had forgotten.  When she came for dinner on Christmas Eve she gave me two cookbooks. The cookbooks were reprints of a cookbook from her hometown.  The recipes were from her mother's (my hubby's grandmother's) generation.  I loved reading this cookbook- many of the recipes contained not cooking temperature or complete measuring instructions.  One recipe called for a "large tablespoon" of  sugar.  What is a "large tablespoon".  In one of the books I found a caramel icing recipe from my hubby's grandmother.  This afternoon I got this crazy idea to try it.  I'm going back to work tomorrow and I needed to have a little fun in the kitchen.  My friend Amber said "you're crazy" and I agree, but I love it anyway.

I tried found a basic white cake recipe in the other cookbook she brought me and went to work.  The caramel icing was a bit difficult, but I'm still working on it.  The first batch was the perfect color, but the second batch could brown a bit more.  Timing is important with this recipe as it turns to candy and starts to harden if you don't time it just right.  Please feel free to comment if you have good suggestions on the icing recipe.  I have emailed my friend Rebecca Lang and asked for suggestions on timing.  She has written a cookbook with many of her grandmother's recipes- including a caramel icing.  I just love Rebecca's book Southern Entertaining for a New Generation.

Basic White Cake

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoons soda, dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water
1 cup sweet milk (no cow in my yard so I used good ole whole milk)
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar.  Add two of the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  You can trash the other two yolks. 

Add milk and flour, alternately; then vanilla and sodawater.  fold in well beaten egg whites (4) and bake in 3-8 inch greased and floured cake pans at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Caramel Icing

2 cups granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons sugar

Place sugar, butter, salt, milk in boiler and let boil until it forms soft ball when dropped in water.  Place 2 TBSP of sugar in small frying pan and brown to a dark color (stir constantly).  Put a couple TBSP. of boiling mixture into the frying pan and stir with browned sugar and then pour this into a boiler with other mixture- add vanilla- then beat mixture until a consistency for spreading.  Make three recipes of this if you would like to completely ice a three layer cake.  I made two (1st for between the layers) and had to let the second recipe drip from the top to the sides.

I hope most of you are well rested and still laughing and smiling from all of the fun you had at your New Year's Eve soiree.  We stayed at home and invited friends over for a kid friendly event.  I pondered my menu for a week or two before the big day.  I decided on pork tenderloin with an apricot mustard sauce and rolls, Savory Artichoke and Greens Dip, Cheese Straws, Shrimp and Southern Caviar.  Thanks to some wonderful friends from New York City we had an assortment of cheesecake from Juniors.  Our guest brought grilled chicken and sausage balls to share. 
As a Southern girl I am well aware of the tradition of eating black eyed peas, greens, cornbread and pork on New Year's Day.  Even though I consider myself a true southerner, I've never enjoyed eating any type of cooked greens.  I've avoided them for many years.  The only dishes I've ever been able to stomach with cooked greens are spinach quiche and spinach dip.  Quiche was out of the question for the evening, but a dip was definitely possible.  I decided to make a hot dip with artichokes and put turnips in the dip.  Hope you enjoye the recipe.  I've also included the recipe for the Southern Caviar.

Savory Artichoke and Greens Dip

1 small bag of frozen turnips (cook according to instruction and drain)
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts ( drained)
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic, minced
 
Mix all ingredients until combined.  Place in a small oven proof dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with corn chips.

Southern Caviar -- I've tried several recipes, but this one is easy and most guest enjoy it.

1 can whole kernal corn
1 can black eyed peas
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 cup zesty italian dressing

Drain liquid from corn and black eyed peas.  Combine all ingredients and chill overnight.  Serve with Tostitos.

**Having trouble loading pictures, but I must say I have some awesome photos of the kids and adults playing my daughter's new Wii Dance for Kids.  Happy New Year!

December was my month to host Girls Night Out.  Many of you know I absolutely love to cook.  Nothing relaxes me more than an afternoon in the kitchen.  I started thinking ahead about what I might prepare.  Last year I found a recipe for a bleu cheese vinagarette dressing and it has become a holiday must have.  The recipe makes enough for multiple dinners so I serve it throughout the holidays.  I knew this dressing along with fresh greens and pears would become part of my GNO menu.  If only I could think of an entree and dessert. 

About a month ago I made chicken piccata for my family.  This is a recipe served at many country clubs.  My kiddos and the hubby loved it and I promised to make more.  A dish very similar to this is veal piccata, but I live in a rural area with limited resources at our local grocery store.  I decided on a simple substitution of pork piccata.  I studied various recipes and thought about what I did and did not like about the chicken version I tried on my family.   I used numerous recipes as well as my own taste buds to create the recipe below.  I hope you get a chance to try it.

For dessert, I decided to revert to a recipe I tried several years ago.  Our local high school band sells citrus fruit as a fundraiser during the holidays.  Several years ago I purchased a ridiculous amount of grapefruit.  This over abundance of grapefruit required me to come up with creative ways to use it.  I looked through numerous cookbooks and located Candied Grapefruit Peel (never again cause it taste like the orange slices you can buy for next to nothing at the grocery store- evidently Martha Stewart had never had the $1.00 bag) and Grapefruit Alaska.  Grapefruit Alaska is different and very beautiful to serve- I must apologize to my friends for one ingredient I like to add to the dessert, but left out.

After I'd decided on a menu I had to ponder on table decor.  I've finally realized I'm highly allergic to almost anything fresh I can cut and bring into the house.  This is the first year in several years I have absolutely nothing fresh on my mantel.  The flowers at the local grocery store looked horrible.  Thank goodness, my flower girl (she is 23 now) came over to cut fresh magnolia to put in the urn in my dining room.  I sent out an urgent Facebook message to the people of my community to help me identify something I could put on the table.  Thank goodness my dear mother-in-law came to my rescue.  She called and offered some fresh greenery and berries from her yard.  I've not gotten the sniffles as of today so I think I've found something I can handle. 

My friends arrived as I made the final preparations for our meal.  I put the bread in the oven and turned it on low.  As we exchanged presents, I got caught up in the conversation and burned the bread.  Thank goodness my friends are forgiving, even though they threatened to post my mishap  as a Facebook status update.

  Hope you enjoy the recipes.

Pork Piccata

Pork tenderloin, cut into 12 or more cutlets
Lawry's seasoning
1 cup flour
four eggs beaten
lots of bread crumbs
olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons capers
Hot cooked fettucine or mashed potatoes
Garnish- lemon slices and parsley

• Pound the pork tenderloin cutlets with a meat mallet to 1/4 inch thickness (it is okay if it isn't exactly 1/4 inch)
• Season the cutlets with Lawry's seasoning
• dredge cutlets in flour
• submerge in cutlets in beaten egg
• coat with bread crumbs
• heat about three tablespoons of oil in a skillet
• brown cutlets on both sides
• place cutlets in a 350 degree oven while you brown the second round of cutlets, then add second round to the oven while you finish preparations
• add wine and lemon juice the skillet and heat
• add butter, garlic, parsley and capers (I also added a tablespoon of flour to help thicken the mixture)
• place fettucine or potatoes on the plate
• top fettucine with three cutlets
• drizzle sauce over cutlets and fettucine
• Makes four servings

Grapefruit Alaska

Four grapefruit
1/2 cup rum
1/4 cup sugar
Vanilla ice cream
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Cut grapefruit in half and section.  Scoop out the sections and place in a bowl.  Add rum and sugar- place in the refrigerator overnight.  Save grapefruit shells for serving.  When ready to serve, pour liquid off of grapefruit.  Divide grapefruit and place in shells.  Whisk egg whites and 1/4 cup of sugar until it becomes meringue and soft peaks have formed.  Place a scoop of ice cream on top of grapefruit.  Top with meringue.  Brown under broiler.  Serve.  Yields 4 servings.

Bleu Cheese Dressing

½ pint cider vinegar
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 pint Wesson oil
2 tablespoons sugar
20 stuffed olives, sliced
2 teaspoon capers
¼ lb blue cheese, mashed
1 clove garlic, minced
½ pint tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire

Heat vinegar and bouillon cubes over medium heat until cubes are completely dissolved. Add remaining ingredients. Store in refrigerator. Must be stirred each time you serve.

Makes 1 quart or more

***Hint- save the gifts for after dinner as to not burn the bread.

I just phoned my hubby to request he pick up some bleu cheese on his way home from work.  When I told him one of his favorite chicken casseroles was in the oven he didn't think twice about my request.  Several years ago when I had our first child hubby's assistant delivered a delicious casserole to our home.   The herb stuffing mix in the recipe makes me crave my grandmother's turkey and dressing.  Tonight I am serving this casserole with fresh greens, pears and toasted pecans along with the homemade bleu cheese dressing.  This dressing recipe is much more common than the tangy recipe I shared last year during the holiday season.  The tangy version will definitely be on the table again really soon.  Hope you are enjoying your fall cooking as much as I am.

Chicken Casserole

2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 stick margarine
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups chicken broth
1 small package herb stuffing mix

Combine soups and broth in a saucepan.  Mix and heat 5 minutes.  Melt margarine and pour over stuffing.  Mix well.  Butter bottom of baking dish.  Cover bottom of dish w/stuffing mix.  Add layer of chicken then a layer of soup.  Alternate layers finishing with stuffing mix on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Creamy Bleu Cheese Dressing

4 oz. bleu cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients and put on tossed salad.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups.