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Count Your Blessings!

By his hands we are fed. Give us Lord our daily bread. Lord, help us to be thankful for these and all our other many blessings.

Prayers of thanks have always helped define the spiritual South. When we are all gathered around the table with the people we love, there is comfort in the way we repeat certain phrases to the Almighty.

The blessing of the food is part of the ritual of breaking bread together.  It connects us again and again with the faith of our family. We might “offer thanks” or “ask the blessing.” Whatever it may be it is handed down from generation to generation. As Southerners we tend to bow our heads, close our eyes and hold hands and give our thanks. Our Aunt Eleanor would always give the blessing and she was extremely thankful. Even when there had been difficult times that had surrounded us, she would always be so grateful.  She would say, Bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies and our bodies to Your service. We would think for a moment of those who are no longer with us. And then we would give thanks together for our health, for the food we’re about to receive and those who had prepared it and for each and every member of our family.

There is no right or wrong way to give thanks, truly the only requirement is thankful hearts and a yearning to be found worthy.

Amen

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Chicken New Orleans (Crock Pot )

  • 2 (1 ounce) packages bearnaise sauce mix
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 shallots, minced
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 lb red potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 can of artichokes, halves
  • 8 ounces of fresh mushrooms
  • 2 lb chicken breast tenders

Directions:

Turn crock pot on high while preparing ingredients.

In crock pot, mix together both packages of bearnaise sauce mix, wine, tarragon and garlic powder until well blended.

Add shallots, green pepper, potatoes, artichokes, mushrooms and chicken. Stir gently.

Cover, reduce heat setting to low and cook 6 hours

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Don’t Throw Away Bad Bananas!

I can’t stand having to throw out food.  groceries prices are ridiculously high and there are so many people who don’t have anything to eat. I try to find ways to help me from having to trash food.

Tip of the Day – Banana’s that have darkened can be peeled and frozen in a plastic container until it is time to bake bread or cake.

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French Vanilla and Brown Sugar Cake with Walnuts

A couple of years ago a client at work brought me a piece of cake that her mother had made and it was delicious.  A couple of days ago I asked her mother for the recipe. The recipe called for sour cream, regular vanilla pudding and pecans.  I didn’t those things so I made some substitutions.  I used whipping cream, walnuts and French vanilla pudding.  It turned out great.  Andy and I both loved it.  I hope you will enjoy this recipe too. 

French Vanilla and Brown Sugar Cake with Walnuts

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 pkg. 3.4 ounce French Vanilla Instant Pudding

4 eggs

2/3 cup whipping cream  

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 ½ tablespoon of granulated sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon  

2 tsp. powdered sugar 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

BEAT first 6 ingredients with mixer until well blended. Add brown sugar and nuts; mix well.

Sprinkle sprayed pan with sugar and cinnamon.

POUR into 3-L fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.

BAKE 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan; invert onto wire rack. Remove pan; cool cake completely.

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Baked Potatoes

To bake potatoes quickly, place them in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Pierce skin with a fork and then finish in a preheated oven.

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The South…

The Soul of the South is it’s People!

Living in the South and being raised in the South is a privilege. Food has long been our passion. We love our BBQ, sweet tea, fried chicken and collard greens.

We love college football, fishing, hunting, festivals and bake sales. I noticed driving to Florida and glaring out the window how extremely rich our land is. I couldn’t help but admire all our beautiful peaceful land. The irrigation, fields that had just been plowed, cotton and farm land. It all brought me back to sweet memories growing up in a small town in the “South”.

I thought about all the things that make us Southern –

Mason Jars, Muscadines (great for fruit, jam, jellies and wines), Pickled Okra, tomatoes Sandwiches, Story Telling, Our Humor, Good Ole Music, Shade Trees, Porch Swings, Fresh Garden vegetables, Boiled Peanuts, Dirt Roads, Fresh Cream Corn, Home Made Biscuits and our genuine Love for our family and friends.

I am so proud to be a Southerner!

Give us your ideas of what memories you have of the South!!!

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No More Tears

Why do onions make you cry? Onions are made up of a tunic of outer leaves (the brown layer), scales (the white firm juicy edible part), and the basal plate (often called the “hairy part” or the “root”). Onions make you cry because:
1. When you cut the basal plate or shoot, they release an enzyme.
2. That enzyme reacts in the rest of the onion to release a gas.
3. When that gas combines with water, it creates an acid.
4. If that water is in your eye, you have acid in your eye. That makes you cry.So, if you still want to cut some onions, there are some simple steps that keep you tear-free!

Before cutting an onion rinse the onion under cold water. 

You can also stick the onion in the freezer for a 10 – 15 minutes before cutting it.

Breath through your mouth and not your nose.

Put vinegar on your cutting board.

Use a very sharp knife.

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A New Flavor for Tea

Add a different flavoring for tea: Instead of sugar, disolve old fashioned lemon drops in your tea.  They melt quickly and keep the tea clean and brisk.

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Shrimp Stock

Having shrimp for dinner?  Don’t throw away the shrimp peels.  The shrimp peels make a wonderful shrimp stock that you can freeze and use later.

  • tbsp spoon of oil
  • shrimp peels
  • bay leaf
  • carrot
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1 onion
  • clove of garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Heat oil, add all ingredients

Cook for a few minutes.  Add 8 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.  Simmer for an hour or so.  Strain, cool, freeze and use for your next soup or stew.

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