Sass!

Brown Sugar Chews

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 pound brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 11×7 with cooking spray. In a small boiler, melt the butter. After the butter has melted add the brown sugar and turn the heat off. Stir until well incorporated. Next, stir in the eggs one at a time. Pour flour into the brown sugar mixture. Add the pecans and vanilla and stir until nuts are combined with brown sugar mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

This recipe is so versatile. I chose shrimp but you could use any seafood, combination of seafood, you can leave the seafood out and add beef or chicken or omit all of the meat. This can be used for a side dish or a main course.

Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients:

2 large eggplant
Olive oil to coat eggplant
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 medium onion, diced
2 medium ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 cup fresh mushrooms, rough chopped

1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon basil
3 tablespoons alouette garlic and herb cheese (or cream cheese)
¾ cup finely grated parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced
1 egg, beaten

½ cup Italian bread crumbs
Extra parsley, chopped (for sprinkling)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve the eggplant lengthwise. Place them in the baking dish, cut sides up. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season to taste.

Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Scoop out the eggplant flesh with a spoon and mash it gently with a fork. In a skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the chopped garlic and onion to it. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring often, for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, bay leaf, basil salt, and pepper.

Cook stirring often for 3-4 minutes and then stir in the eggplant flesh. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until the mixture is pulpy. Discard the bay leaf. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Stir in cheese, parmesan, parsley, shrimp, salt, and pepper into the eggplant mixture. Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the beaten egg and bread crumbs. Fill the eggplant shells back with the stuffing. Return the shells to the baking dish. Sprinkle with olive oil.

Bake the eggplant for 30-40 minutes or until shrimp is done and stuffing is hot. During the last 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the reserved parmesan on top of the eggplant and sprinkle with parsley.

Girls, put your petticoats and hoop skirts on for this recipe. This recipe takes you back to a simpler place and time. Our mother has fond memories of these butter rolls being served to her as a child. She said that it was always a treat to retire to the front porch and listen to all the small town gossip of Smithville, Georgia while enjoying these butter rolls. One bite of this magnificent roll will have you dreaming of sweet summertime porch swinging. You are defiantly going to need a corset (aka spanks) after eating these.

Old Fashion Butter Rolls
Ingredients:

2 cups self rising flour
1 cup shortening
½ cup milk
1 stick butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Milk Sauce
2 cups milk
2/3 cups Sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7×11 casserole dish. Pour flour into a large bowl. Cut shortening in until mixture looks like crumbs. Add the milk, and stir until combined. Do not over mix. Form a ball using your hands. On a floured surface, roll dough out into a large rectangle. Spread the butter equally over the top, and then sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll up tight like you are making cinnamon rolls. Pinch ends to seal. Cut into 12 equal slices. Place cut side down in baking dish. In a saucepan, heat remaining milk, sugar and vanilla until bubbles form. Remove from heat, and pour over top of rolls. Bake 30-40 minutes.