Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and readers. 

My wish is that you will travel safely, eat well, 

and enjoy your families during this holiday. 

May we also remember 

to include the lonely and less fortunate in our abundance.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and readers. 

My wish is that you will travel safely, eat well, 

and enjoy your families during this holiday. 

May we also remember 

to include the lonely and less fortunate in our abundance.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A Little Help From My Friends

Earlier this month Arkansas Women Bloggers converged at Ferncliff Camp in Little Rock for AWBU 2013 Conference. I was preregistered and totally excited to be going, after all, the keynote speaker was Sophie Hudson, alias Boo Mama, author of A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet.

But, darn it, things don't always go as planned. Just before the big day I got a strange ailment that caused my right foot to swell up and feel like it was broken. But x-rays didn't show any broken bones, so the doctor decided to treat me for the good old-fashioned gout. My ailing foot continued to be too tender to drive the three hours to the conference, and quite frankly I was a little embarrassed to go anyway sporting such an unattractive limp. I put my puffy foot up on the ottoman and poutingly stayed home, missing out on all the fun.

There's one thing I didn't miss out on though, thanks to some special friends - my conference T-shirt. A dear blogging friend, Amanda Jane Brown, went above and beyond to be sure I got my T-shirt. I've only met Amanda one time, last year at a band concert in Little Rock, but I have known her through the blogging world for the past two years. Amanda previously lived in Little Rock, but now is a Mississippi blogger. She was attending the AWBU conference, and I emailed her to see if she might be able to snag my T-shirt while she was there. I wasn't sure exactly how I would get it from her, but I knew that we had some common acquaintances. Amanda not only grabbed my shirt for me, she then delivered it to a mutual friend, Joely, in Little Rock before she left town, who passed it on to my daughter to hang on to for me. Long story, but last weekend I was able to pick up my AWBU 2013 T-shirt thanks to Amanda!

I know it was a busy weekend for Amanda, but she was willing to go the extra mile, and it helped to ease my disappointment of not being able to attend the conference that I had looked forward to for months. The T-shirt was passed from Amanda to Joely to Angela to me, but I also feel that a special bloggy friendship was passed along with it. My gimpy foot has improved considerably, and I think you could even say that I'm "back in the saddle" and looking forward to next year's conference.




This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers

Earlier this month Arkansas Women Bloggers converged at Ferncliff Camp in Little Rock for AWBU 2013 Conference. I was preregistered and totally excited to be going, after all, the keynote speaker was Sophie Hudson, alias Boo Mama, author of A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet.

But, darn it, things don't always go as planned. Just before the big day I got a strange ailment that caused my right foot to swell up and feel like it was broken. But x-rays didn't show any broken bones, so the doctor decided to treat me for the good old-fashioned gout. My ailing foot continued to be too tender to drive the three hours to the conference, and quite frankly I was a little embarrassed to go anyway sporting such an unattractive limp. I put my puffy foot up on the ottoman and poutingly stayed home, missing out on all the fun.

There's one thing I didn't miss out on though, thanks to some special friends - my conference T-shirt. A dear blogging friend, Amanda Jane Brown, went above and beyond to be sure I got my T-shirt. I've only met Amanda one time, last year at a band concert in Little Rock, but I have known her through the blogging world for the past two years. Amanda previously lived in Little Rock, but now is a Mississippi blogger. She was attending the AWBU conference, and I emailed her to see if she might be able to snag my T-shirt while she was there. I wasn't sure exactly how I would get it from her, but I knew that we had some common acquaintances. Amanda not only grabbed my shirt for me, she then delivered it to a mutual friend, Joely, in Little Rock before she left town, who passed it on to my daughter to hang on to for me. Long story, but last weekend I was able to pick up my AWBU 2013 T-shirt thanks to Amanda!

I know it was a busy weekend for Amanda, but she was willing to go the extra mile, and it helped to ease my disappointment of not being able to attend the conference that I had looked forward to for months. The T-shirt was passed from Amanda to Joely to Angela to me, but I also feel that a special bloggy friendship was passed along with it. My gimpy foot has improved considerably, and I think you could even say that I'm "back in the saddle" and looking forward to next year's conference.




This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Caramel Coconut Pie

I was hooked the first time I had a taste of this pie. My sweet Aunt Dot made me one for a milestone birthday that I didn't want to acknowledge (it was the big 5 - 0), and this pie really did make the birthday better and easier to face. She gave me the recipe, and it is super simple, so if you know someone who needs a distraction from a birthday downer this is the pie to do it!

Print Recipe

Caramel Coconut Pie

2 deep dish pie crusts baked according to package directions and cooled

1/2 cup butter

1 (7 ounce) package flaked coconut

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, add coconut and pecans. Toast until light golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (16 ounce) carton whipped topping, thawed

1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping

Optional: Additional whole or chopped pecans for garnish

Combine cream cheese and condensed milk with mixer until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Fill pie shells in layers beginning with cream cheese mixture, then toasted coconut mixture, then caramel topping, then finish with cream cheese mixture on top. Top of pie may be garnished with whole or chopped pecans. Freeze until ready to serve. Makes 2 pies.

Every time I make this pie now I think of the day my Aunt Dot surprised me at my office with one of these Caramel Coconut Pies for the birthday I tried to forget. A happy memory makes everything better.




This recipe was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers
Weekend Potluck
Full Plate Thursday
All My Bloggy Friends

I was hooked the first time I had a taste of this pie. My sweet Aunt Dot made me one for a milestone birthday that I didn't want to acknowledge (it was the big 5 - 0), and this pie really did make the birthday better and easier to face. She gave me the recipe, and it is super simple, so if you know someone who needs a distraction from a birthday downer this is the pie to do it!

Print Recipe

Caramel Coconut Pie

2 deep dish pie crusts baked according to package directions and cooled

1/2 cup butter

1 (7 ounce) package flaked coconut

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, add coconut and pecans. Toast until light golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (16 ounce) carton whipped topping, thawed

1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping

Optional: Additional whole or chopped pecans for garnish

Combine cream cheese and condensed milk with mixer until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Fill pie shells in layers beginning with cream cheese mixture, then toasted coconut mixture, then caramel topping, then finish with cream cheese mixture on top. Top of pie may be garnished with whole or chopped pecans. Freeze until ready to serve. Makes 2 pies.

Every time I make this pie now I think of the day my Aunt Dot surprised me at my office with one of these Caramel Coconut Pies for the birthday I tried to forget. A happy memory makes everything better.




This recipe was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers
Weekend Potluck
Full Plate Thursday
All My Bloggy Friends

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Holy Cow, Someone's Forty

Even though I'm just an amateur at cake decorating, I still like to put together one of a kind birthday cakes for my family. Today a special family member celebrated a milestone birthday, so we needed a cake to mark the occasion. This cake was baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan and was frosted with Classic Vanilla Buttercream. I don't have a lot of experience using fondant, but I made up a batch from a very simple recipe and found it to be easy to use for the decorative cutouts.

Print Recipe

Marshmallow Fondant

16 ounces mini marshmallows
2 - 5 teaspoons water
2 pounds powdered sugar
Crisco shortening (to be used for greasing hands)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the marshmallows and 2 tablespoons water together, stirring after 30 second intervals. When marshmallows are melted, stir in about 5 cups of the powdered sugar, mixing well. Grease hands with Crisco and knead in the remaining powdered sugar. Add food coloring as desired. Knead the fondant for about 7 minutes. Additional water may be added 1/2 tablespoon at a time if mixture is too dry. Dust surface with powdered sugar and roll to 1/8 inch thickness to cover cake or to cut into decorative shapes. To store the fondant for later use, roll in a ball and lightly grease with Crisco. Double wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then seal in a zip-top bag. Store in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before rolling out.

My cow shape was cut from white fondant with a cookie cutter. I used pink and black tinted fondant cutouts to complete the cow. The letters and numbers were cut from red and black tinted fondant. The fondant pieces will adhere to the cake when dampened with a few drops of water on the back, then positioned into place.

Happy birthday, Susan! The cake may say 40, but you'll always be this little girl to me!





This recipe was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers
Weekend Potluck
Full Plate Thursday

Even though I'm just an amateur at cake decorating, I still like to put together one of a kind birthday cakes for my family. Today a special family member celebrated a milestone birthday, so we needed a cake to mark the occasion. This cake was baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan and was frosted with Classic Vanilla Buttercream. I don't have a lot of experience using fondant, but I made up a batch from a very simple recipe and found it to be easy to use for the decorative cutouts.

Print Recipe

Marshmallow Fondant

16 ounces mini marshmallows
2 - 5 teaspoons water
2 pounds powdered sugar
Crisco shortening (to be used for greasing hands)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the marshmallows and 2 tablespoons water together, stirring after 30 second intervals. When marshmallows are melted, stir in about 5 cups of the powdered sugar, mixing well. Grease hands with Crisco and knead in the remaining powdered sugar. Add food coloring as desired. Knead the fondant for about 7 minutes. Additional water may be added 1/2 tablespoon at a time if mixture is too dry. Dust surface with powdered sugar and roll to 1/8 inch thickness to cover cake or to cut into decorative shapes. To store the fondant for later use, roll in a ball and lightly grease with Crisco. Double wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then seal in a zip-top bag. Store in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before rolling out.

My cow shape was cut from white fondant with a cookie cutter. I used pink and black tinted fondant cutouts to complete the cow. The letters and numbers were cut from red and black tinted fondant. The fondant pieces will adhere to the cake when dampened with a few drops of water on the back, then positioned into place.

Happy birthday, Susan! The cake may say 40, but you'll always be this little girl to me!





This recipe was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers
Weekend Potluck
Full Plate Thursday

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Mud, Snakes, and Birthday Cakes

When I think of birthdays I think of cakes, blowing out lighted candles, and getting a year older. When my grandson thinks of birthdays, he thinks of mud and snakes. Landon celebrated birthday number 8 last week, and he had some definite ideas about how he wanted me to decorate his cake.

The first cake I made for him was for a family party. This cake was all chocolate and was baked in an 11 x 15-inch sheet pan. The frosting was his favorite Chocolate Buttercream recipe, and he wanted it to have a Gator and a four wheeler playing in the "mud" on top. Once he chose the vehicles for the top, the rest of the cake was a cinch to put together. I used the wheels to "track" up the top of the cake icing and finished with a shell border made with a #22 tip. The script was also written using chocolate buttercream with a #4 round tip.

After the family party, Landon had another party with friends. For this party his idea was to have another chocolate cake with Chocolate Buttercream frosting, but this time he wanted it to be shaped like a snake. I thought cupcakes would be an easy serving solution for a group of children, so I put together this rattlesnake from cupcakes. The eyes are yellow M & M's and the tongue is cut from pink fondant.
The cupcakes are frosted with a #4B tip, the eyes are made from a #12 round tip, and the diamond shapes on the back are made by combining copper, black, and yellow coloring with white buttercream then piping through a #16 tip. The rattles on the end are made with a round #7 tip.

I also made a white snake for the children who didn't like chocolate, but for this one I had to alter the design that I had planned. The cupcakes were white, and I frosted them with a Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. My plan was to use yellow, green, and blue tinted frosting to make polka dots on each cupcake, but I couldn't make them that way after reading the food coloring label.

All my colorings had the same warning on the label - "made in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts," etc. Another grandson is very allergic to peanuts and all tree nuts, and I knew he liked the white cake. There was no way I could add the coloring to those cupcakes with this warning on the label. I did however, add a few colored lines for stripes, being very careful to leave many of the cupcakes untouched by the color so they would not be contaminated. Looks like I'm going to have to discard my current food coloring and look for a safe brand.

The cupcake snakes were kid-friendly and easy to serve at the party.

Eight-year-old boys are easy to please, it just takes a little mud and a couple of snakes.




This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers
Weekend Potluck

When I think of birthdays I think of cakes, blowing out lighted candles, and getting a year older. When my grandson thinks of birthdays, he thinks of mud and snakes. Landon celebrated birthday number 8 last week, and he had some definite ideas about how he wanted me to decorate his cake.

The first cake I made for him was for a family party. This cake was all chocolate and was baked in an 11 x 15-inch sheet pan. The frosting was his favorite Chocolate Buttercream recipe, and he wanted it to have a Gator and a four wheeler playing in the "mud" on top. Once he chose the vehicles for the top, the rest of the cake was a cinch to put together. I used the wheels to "track" up the top of the cake icing and finished with a shell border made with a #22 tip. The script was also written using chocolate buttercream with a #4 round tip.

After the family party, Landon had another party with friends. For this party his idea was to have another chocolate cake with Chocolate Buttercream frosting, but this time he wanted it to be shaped like a snake. I thought cupcakes would be an easy serving solution for a group of children, so I put together this rattlesnake from cupcakes. The eyes are yellow M & M's and the tongue is cut from pink fondant.
The cupcakes are frosted with a #4B tip, the eyes are made from a #12 round tip, and the diamond shapes on the back are made by combining copper, black, and yellow coloring with white buttercream then piping through a #16 tip. The rattles on the end are made with a round #7 tip.

I also made a white snake for the children who didn't like chocolate, but for this one I had to alter the design that I had planned. The cupcakes were white, and I frosted them with a Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. My plan was to use yellow, green, and blue tinted frosting to make polka dots on each cupcake, but I couldn't make them that way after reading the food coloring label.

All my colorings had the same warning on the label - "made in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts," etc. Another grandson is very allergic to peanuts and all tree nuts, and I knew he liked the white cake. There was no way I could add the coloring to those cupcakes with this warning on the label. I did however, add a few colored lines for stripes, being very careful to leave many of the cupcakes untouched by the color so they would not be contaminated. Looks like I'm going to have to discard my current food coloring and look for a safe brand.

The cupcake snakes were kid-friendly and easy to serve at the party.

Eight-year-old boys are easy to please, it just takes a little mud and a couple of snakes.




This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers
Weekend Potluck

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Seafood and Such

*This post is based on my own opinions and is non-sponsored.*

Over the past week my cousin Sherma and I have been on a road trip to Myrtle Beach celebrating her retirement as a school librarian. Any way you map it, Myrtle Beach is about a 14 hour drive from our hometown in Arkansas. We wanted to enjoy the drive as much as possible, so we took a northern route through Knoxville on our way to the beach and a more southern route through Savannah on our way home.

We did our best to stimulate the economy of South Carolina with some intense shopping during the week we vacationed there, but some of the restaurants we visited were the real highlight of the trip. In Myrtle Beach, Benjamin's Calabash Seafood came out as our #1 favorite seafood buffet. Any kind of seafood your little heart desires will be found on that buffet, and every morsel is delicious. The dessert bar was about a mile long with irresistible cakes, pies, cookies, and other sweet treats. The atmosphere is complete with their own resident pirate.

Some other great dining we enjoyed in Myrtle Beach was the Mexican food at Banditos and the peel and eat shrimp at Pier 14, just behind where we were staying on the beach.

Sunrise at Myrtle Beach

After our week of wonderful food we weren't willing to leave the experience behind, so we headed down the coast toward Charleston for some sight-seeing, then up to Savannah to find Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons Restaurant. When we arrived in the historical city and located the restaurant, we found that there would be an hour wait, so we spent the time on a walking tour viewing the beautiful downtown area.

Sherma at The Lady & Sons

Our meal was traditional southern country cooking, complete with fried chicken, turnip greens, sweet potatoes, and all the trimmings.

You can bet when you dine with Paula Deen, the sweet tea will be done right.

The last leg of our trip was up through Atlanta, then Chattanooga, then on to Nashville were we spent the night with my son and sweet DIL. They have just recently built a new home and this was my first chance to visit them since their move. I love that their home is designed to be in keeping with the style of period homes in the neighborhood.

Before we departed Nashville for home, we enjoyed a noteworthy brunch at a European inspired cafe, Marche. This is a place not to miss in East Nashville.

We all had something different from the menu, and everyone loved the food. I had the traditional eggs, bacon and grits, and the portions were much too large to finish. 

Most trips mean a new cookbook for me. This time I found my treasure in a used bookstore in Nashville.

This is a very old cookbook compiled by the Junior League of Charleston, and I was interested in it because of the many seafood recipes. Those visits Sherma and I made to Benjamin's Seafood buffet in Myrtle Beach have me craving more seafood, so I'll have to see if I can find something in this cookbook to satisfy me until the next beach trip. I'm betting that the ladies of Charleston know how to cook seafood.




This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers
Vacation Post Link-up

*This post is based on my own opinions and is non-sponsored.*

Over the past week my cousin Sherma and I have been on a road trip to Myrtle Beach celebrating her retirement as a school librarian. Any way you map it, Myrtle Beach is about a 14 hour drive from our hometown in Arkansas. We wanted to enjoy the drive as much as possible, so we took a northern route through Knoxville on our way to the beach and a more southern route through Savannah on our way home.

We did our best to stimulate the economy of South Carolina with some intense shopping during the week we vacationed there, but some of the restaurants we visited were the real highlight of the trip. In Myrtle Beach, Benjamin's Calabash Seafood came out as our #1 favorite seafood buffet. Any kind of seafood your little heart desires will be found on that buffet, and every morsel is delicious. The dessert bar was about a mile long with irresistible cakes, pies, cookies, and other sweet treats. The atmosphere is complete with their own resident pirate.

Some other great dining we enjoyed in Myrtle Beach was the Mexican food at Banditos and the peel and eat shrimp at Pier 14, just behind where we were staying on the beach.

Sunrise at Myrtle Beach

After our week of wonderful food we weren't willing to leave the experience behind, so we headed down the coast toward Charleston for some sight-seeing, then up to Savannah to find Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons Restaurant. When we arrived in the historical city and located the restaurant, we found that there would be an hour wait, so we spent the time on a walking tour viewing the beautiful downtown area.

Sherma at The Lady & Sons

Our meal was traditional southern country cooking, complete with fried chicken, turnip greens, sweet potatoes, and all the trimmings.

You can bet when you dine with Paula Deen, the sweet tea will be done right.

The last leg of our trip was up through Atlanta, then Chattanooga, then on to Nashville were we spent the night with my son and sweet DIL. They have just recently built a new home and this was my first chance to visit them since their move. I love that their home is designed to be in keeping with the style of period homes in the neighborhood.

Before we departed Nashville for home, we enjoyed a noteworthy brunch at a European inspired cafe, Marche. This is a place not to miss in East Nashville.

We all had something different from the menu, and everyone loved the food. I had the traditional eggs, bacon and grits, and the portions were much too large to finish. 

Most trips mean a new cookbook for me. This time I found my treasure in a used bookstore in Nashville.

This is a very old cookbook compiled by the Junior League of Charleston, and I was interested in it because of the many seafood recipes. Those visits Sherma and I made to Benjamin's Seafood buffet in Myrtle Beach have me craving more seafood, so I'll have to see if I can find something in this cookbook to satisfy me until the next beach trip. I'm betting that the ladies of Charleston know how to cook seafood.




This post was shared with:
Arkansas Women Bloggers
Vacation Post Link-up

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Butter!

I have always been under the impression that making butter is a difficult process. I was so wrong. My grandson Charlie learned to make butter at school last week. He knew I would be visiting at his house this week, so he couldn't wait to show me how we could make our own butter too.

Read more »

I have always been under the impression that making butter is a difficult process. I was so wrong. My grandson Charlie learned to make butter at school last week. He knew I would be visiting at his house this week, so he couldn't wait to show me how we could make our own butter too.

Read more »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

You're Invited!

When a person enjoys blogging as much as I do, 

the only thing that could be better 

than having a blog to write is having two blogs. 

In addition to the usual recipes, crafts, and home organization 

that I blog about at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen, 

I have recently started blogging 

about children and issues related to the family 

at The Family Dance. 

This forum also gives me a place to write 

about issues of concern to myself, 

like where my memory has gone 

in the post "Beware the Sweet Potato Thief". 

All my blogging friends are invited to come on over 

and check out the new site, 

and if you are interested in children, parenting, education,

or other family matters,

I'd love for you to sign up

by email or by GFC.

When a person enjoys blogging as much as I do, 

the only thing that could be better 

than having a blog to write is having two blogs. 

In addition to the usual recipes, crafts, and home organization 

that I blog about at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen, 

I have recently started blogging 

about children and issues related to the family 

at The Family Dance. 

This forum also gives me a place to write 

about issues of concern to myself, 

like where my memory has gone 

in the post "Beware the Sweet Potato Thief". 

All my blogging friends are invited to come on over 

and check out the new site, 

and if you are interested in children, parenting, education,

or other family matters,

I'd love for you to sign up

by email or by GFC.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Playing With My Food

During the past week I have been away from home and learning some new things about cooking. First of all, my sister gave me a lesson at her house on decorating sugar cookies with royal icing. There are so many possibilities for using the techniques that I learned from her, and of course, I had to buy some new cookie cutters in anticipation of future cookies I want to make. I have already made and decorated another batch of sugar cookies since I have been back home.

The second adventure of the week was attending a cooking class. After playing in the cookie dough and icing for a couple of days, my sister and I went to the Viking Cooking School at The Woodlands, Texas, to learn about pizza cooking. I had attended a Viking class once before on baking Artisan Bread, so I was excited to be able to go to another one of their classes. I was not disappointed with the tips I picked up there.

The class was a three hour hands-on workshop, and we baked several different varieties of pizza, including dessert pizza.

Read more »

During the past week I have been away from home and learning some new things about cooking. First of all, my sister gave me a lesson at her house on decorating sugar cookies with royal icing. There are so many possibilities for using the techniques that I learned from her, and of course, I had to buy some new cookie cutters in anticipation of future cookies I want to make. I have already made and decorated another batch of sugar cookies since I have been back home.

The second adventure of the week was attending a cooking class. After playing in the cookie dough and icing for a couple of days, my sister and I went to the Viking Cooking School at The Woodlands, Texas, to learn about pizza cooking. I had attended a Viking class once before on baking Artisan Bread, so I was excited to be able to go to another one of their classes. I was not disappointed with the tips I picked up there.

The class was a three hour hands-on workshop, and we baked several different varieties of pizza, including dessert pizza.

Read more »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A Sweet Welcome Home

Yesterday I came home to a sweet surprise. I had been gone to Texas for a couple of family celebrations over the weekend. I drove down with my mother last week so we could attend a baby shower for my niece Jena and a 30th birthday party for my nephew John.

When I am at home I typically pick up my grandson Landon after school each day and bring him home with me until his mother comes home from work. While I was out of town his granddad filled in as the after school ride.

Landon has spent a lot of time helping out in my kitchen after school and during the summers, so he knows his way around the pantry. While granddad was watching TV on Friday afternoon, Landon decided that he would make up a surprise for me. I'm not really sure how many ingredients he found to use in his original recipe, but he had this creation in my refrigerator for me when I returned home on Sunday.

I was quite impressed with his attention to detail and making a nice presentation! I believe that at age seven Landon may be well on his way to creating some unique dishes. I can't really give Landon's recipe, because only he knows the ingredients, but I'm told there was part of a loaf of bread missing with the crusts cut off on the counter, and I can see that underneath the marshmallows are mini chips and chocolate syrup, then he has garnished with a few candy melts and made a border with suckers.

That was a very sweet welcome home, Landon!

Yesterday I came home to a sweet surprise. I had been gone to Texas for a couple of family celebrations over the weekend. I drove down with my mother last week so we could attend a baby shower for my niece Jena and a 30th birthday party for my nephew John.

When I am at home I typically pick up my grandson Landon after school each day and bring him home with me until his mother comes home from work. While I was out of town his granddad filled in as the after school ride.

Landon has spent a lot of time helping out in my kitchen after school and during the summers, so he knows his way around the pantry. While granddad was watching TV on Friday afternoon, Landon decided that he would make up a surprise for me. I'm not really sure how many ingredients he found to use in his original recipe, but he had this creation in my refrigerator for me when I returned home on Sunday.

I was quite impressed with his attention to detail and making a nice presentation! I believe that at age seven Landon may be well on his way to creating some unique dishes. I can't really give Landon's recipe, because only he knows the ingredients, but I'm told there was part of a loaf of bread missing with the crusts cut off on the counter, and I can see that underneath the marshmallows are mini chips and chocolate syrup, then he has garnished with a few candy melts and made a border with suckers.

That was a very sweet welcome home, Landon!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Holy Mackerel!

Our family recently traveled on vacation to Orange Beach, Alabama. We were able to get all three of our children and their spouses, as well as the three grandchildren together in one place for a whole week. We stayed at beautiful Turquoise Place on the beach, and enjoyed the pleasant temperatures there after our summer heat and drought at home. On one of the days this little fishing party set sail for some gulf fishing.

Their luck was quite good at catching mackerel as you can see in this photo.

My son Daniel will attempt most any cooking challenge, so he took over the chef's duties when it came time to prepare the mackerel for dinner. He used two different methods to cook the mackerel and both were excellent. Some of the fish was dipped in a tempura batter that Daniel made with flour, cornmeal, garlic, soy sauce, and freshly grated ginger, then deep fried - super yummy! He also cooked up some by pan frying in butter, then he made a sauce to pour over the fish using the butter, minced garlic and red wine vinegar - also wonderful! We consumed all the fish we could eat, but with the many pounds that our fishermen caught, a large quantity remained to be cooked.

We also tickled our taste buds at some of the local Orange Beach restaurants. One of the places we visited was Calapso Joe's Caribbean Grill. I had a great Cuban Pork Sandwich with the trimmings and my husband dined on the Rib Eye Steak and Mashed Potatoes. While we were waiting on our orders, the grandchildren were invited to watch the crab races.

Cosmos was another restaurant worth mentioning that we visited on this trip. Fortunately, we arrived early enough that our wait wasn't too long, but it filled up quickly. I had a salmon salad that was topped with julienned apricots, and it was not your ordinary salmon salad! My husband had his usual rib eye steak, and the grandchildren were happy to find edamame and sushi on this menu.

But then, what to do with all that mackerel still left in the refrigerator? No one was now in the mood to eat it, and we were told by the men who dressed it that it did not hold up well when frozen. It seemed like there might be no choice but to trash it, when Daniel came up with the idea to cure it. Apparently curing fish is not a new process and has been done successfully for hundreds of years, but this was to be my first experience with "the cure." The recipe that I used has been modified slightly from the original.

Print Recipe

Gravad Mackerel
2 pounds mackerel fillets
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
5 tablespoons finely chopped dill

In a bowl, combine sugar, salt, caraway seeds, and dill; mix well. Sprinkle the bottom of a large dish with a handful of the mixture. Place a layer of the fish in the dish, then sprinkle with more of the sugar mixture; repeat layers until all fish has been covered in the cure. Cover the dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Serve by slicing thinly.

Sugar, salt, caraway seeds, and dill make up the cure. Fresh dill would be nice, but being away from home I used what I had with me.

Spread a layer of the mixture in the bottom of a large dish.

Place a layer of mackerel fillets on top of the cure.

Sprinkle the fish with another layer of the sugar mixture, then repeat the layers until all the fish has been covered. Refrigerate for 1 - 2 days.

The texture of the fish changed considerably after 24 hours. The fish becomes stiff and what I would call "pickled." Instead of being soft and floppy this piece of fish is now completely stiff.

Now that the fish was cured, it could travel home with Daniel and Tiffany to Tennessee. We drained the liquid that had formed in the dish, then mixed up another batch of salt/sugar cure and repacked the fish in layers, this time in zip top bags, then the bags were placed on ice in a cooler.

Our Gravad Mackerel was a success, because I received this picture of the appetizers that Daniel and Tiffany had made after returning home. They sliced the fish to serve on Ritz crackers then topped it off with a Yogurt Dill Sauce that Daniel even included his recipe for.

Print Recipe

Yogurt Dill Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt
Fresh dill, chopped (about 2 inches of a sprig)
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix well.

Our family vacation this summer was a lot of fun. I forgot to mention the beach, the boogie boards, the crab catching, the swimming, and the souvenir shopping. It's just that trying out new food and cooking ideas are the real adventures to me!

Our family recently traveled on vacation to Orange Beach, Alabama. We were able to get all three of our children and their spouses, as well as the three grandchildren together in one place for a whole week. We stayed at beautiful Turquoise Place on the beach, and enjoyed the pleasant temperatures there after our summer heat and drought at home. On one of the days this little fishing party set sail for some gulf fishing.

Their luck was quite good at catching mackerel as you can see in this photo.

My son Daniel will attempt most any cooking challenge, so he took over the chef's duties when it came time to prepare the mackerel for dinner. He used two different methods to cook the mackerel and both were excellent. Some of the fish was dipped in a tempura batter that Daniel made with flour, cornmeal, garlic, soy sauce, and freshly grated ginger, then deep fried - super yummy! He also cooked up some by pan frying in butter, then he made a sauce to pour over the fish using the butter, minced garlic and red wine vinegar - also wonderful! We consumed all the fish we could eat, but with the many pounds that our fishermen caught, a large quantity remained to be cooked.

We also tickled our taste buds at some of the local Orange Beach restaurants. One of the places we visited was Calapso Joe's Caribbean Grill. I had a great Cuban Pork Sandwich with the trimmings and my husband dined on the Rib Eye Steak and Mashed Potatoes. While we were waiting on our orders, the grandchildren were invited to watch the crab races.

Cosmos was another restaurant worth mentioning that we visited on this trip. Fortunately, we arrived early enough that our wait wasn't too long, but it filled up quickly. I had a salmon salad that was topped with julienned apricots, and it was not your ordinary salmon salad! My husband had his usual rib eye steak, and the grandchildren were happy to find edamame and sushi on this menu.

But then, what to do with all that mackerel still left in the refrigerator? No one was now in the mood to eat it, and we were told by the men who dressed it that it did not hold up well when frozen. It seemed like there might be no choice but to trash it, when Daniel came up with the idea to cure it. Apparently curing fish is not a new process and has been done successfully for hundreds of years, but this was to be my first experience with "the cure." The recipe that I used has been modified slightly from the original.

Print Recipe

Gravad Mackerel
2 pounds mackerel fillets
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
5 tablespoons finely chopped dill

In a bowl, combine sugar, salt, caraway seeds, and dill; mix well. Sprinkle the bottom of a large dish with a handful of the mixture. Place a layer of the fish in the dish, then sprinkle with more of the sugar mixture; repeat layers until all fish has been covered in the cure. Cover the dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Serve by slicing thinly.

Sugar, salt, caraway seeds, and dill make up the cure. Fresh dill would be nice, but being away from home I used what I had with me.

Spread a layer of the mixture in the bottom of a large dish.

Place a layer of mackerel fillets on top of the cure.

Sprinkle the fish with another layer of the sugar mixture, then repeat the layers until all the fish has been covered. Refrigerate for 1 - 2 days.

The texture of the fish changed considerably after 24 hours. The fish becomes stiff and what I would call "pickled." Instead of being soft and floppy this piece of fish is now completely stiff.

Now that the fish was cured, it could travel home with Daniel and Tiffany to Tennessee. We drained the liquid that had formed in the dish, then mixed up another batch of salt/sugar cure and repacked the fish in layers, this time in zip top bags, then the bags were placed on ice in a cooler.

Our Gravad Mackerel was a success, because I received this picture of the appetizers that Daniel and Tiffany had made after returning home. They sliced the fish to serve on Ritz crackers then topped it off with a Yogurt Dill Sauce that Daniel even included his recipe for.

Print Recipe

Yogurt Dill Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt
Fresh dill, chopped (about 2 inches of a sprig)
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix well.

Our family vacation this summer was a lot of fun. I forgot to mention the beach, the boogie boards, the crab catching, the swimming, and the souvenir shopping. It's just that trying out new food and cooking ideas are the real adventures to me!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Vanilla Milkshakes

Summer vacation from school is winding down for my grandson Landon. He has spent his summer helping out at my house with the gardening and other chores, while still finding time for swimming and golf most days. He is also always willing to help out in the kitchen, and this summer he was interested in finding a good recipe for a milkshake. We tested out some different versions, but this simple one was Landon's favorite.

Print Recipe

Vanilla Milkshake

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a blender, combine ice cream, milk, and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve. Makes 2 servings.

Two cups of ice cream, one cup of milk . . .

. . . and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, all combined in the blender.

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.

Pour into glasses and serve. That's one cool way to beat the heat!

Summer vacation from school is winding down for my grandson Landon. He has spent his summer helping out at my house with the gardening and other chores, while still finding time for swimming and golf most days. He is also always willing to help out in the kitchen, and this summer he was interested in finding a good recipe for a milkshake. We tested out some different versions, but this simple one was Landon's favorite.

Print Recipe

Vanilla Milkshake

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a blender, combine ice cream, milk, and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve. Makes 2 servings.

Two cups of ice cream, one cup of milk . . .

. . . and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, all combined in the blender.

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.

Pour into glasses and serve. That's one cool way to beat the heat!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A Golf Cake for the Seventh

My grandson Landon celebrated his seventh birthday this week. My own children grew up in a blink, but my grandchildren are growing up at an even faster pace. It seems that it was only yesterday when I was putting up safety latches and gates, and now he's into golf clubs, soccer balls, and four wheelers. When I asked Landon what sort of cake he'd like baked for his birthday this year, his reply was that he wanted a number seven and a golf cake. This is what I came up with to fulfill his wish.

I learned that my niece Kristy had a cake pan that would bake numeral and letter shapes, so I was eager to borrow it for Landon's cake. After using the pan I was totally in love with it, so I had to order my own. I found the same pan on Amazon, and lucky me, I had a gift card that I had won from Shannon at Cozy Home Scenes, so I used part of that to buy the pan.

Talk about speedy shipping; my new pan has already been delivered! The pan is divided into a grid and comes with 12 spacers that are used to create any numeral or letter in either a large or a small size. The booklet that comes with the pan has clear instructions with pictures that show how to arrange the spacers to create the cake you want. Cool pan!

I'm not a great cake decorator, but I can get by for family birthdays and events. I also added a new tip for this cake, the grass tip #233 that I used for the top borders. A little plastic golf cart, a buttercream golf ball, and some fondant lettering completed Landon's cake.

Happy seventh birthday, Landon!

I have no business connection with Amazon or the manufacturers of the products mentioned in this post; I just love baking cakes!

This post was shared with:
Mop it up Monday

Country Momma Cooks Link and Greet

My grandson Landon celebrated his seventh birthday this week. My own children grew up in a blink, but my grandchildren are growing up at an even faster pace. It seems that it was only yesterday when I was putting up safety latches and gates, and now he's into golf clubs, soccer balls, and four wheelers. When I asked Landon what sort of cake he'd like baked for his birthday this year, his reply was that he wanted a number seven and a golf cake. This is what I came up with to fulfill his wish.

I learned that my niece Kristy had a cake pan that would bake numeral and letter shapes, so I was eager to borrow it for Landon's cake. After using the pan I was totally in love with it, so I had to order my own. I found the same pan on Amazon, and lucky me, I had a gift card that I had won from Shannon at Cozy Home Scenes, so I used part of that to buy the pan.

Talk about speedy shipping; my new pan has already been delivered! The pan is divided into a grid and comes with 12 spacers that are used to create any numeral or letter in either a large or a small size. The booklet that comes with the pan has clear instructions with pictures that show how to arrange the spacers to create the cake you want. Cool pan!

I'm not a great cake decorator, but I can get by for family birthdays and events. I also added a new tip for this cake, the grass tip #233 that I used for the top borders. A little plastic golf cart, a buttercream golf ball, and some fondant lettering completed Landon's cake.

Happy seventh birthday, Landon!

I have no business connection with Amazon or the manufacturers of the products mentioned in this post; I just love baking cakes!

This post was shared with:
Mop it up Monday

Country Momma Cooks Link and Greet

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

White Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Last week when I made the Creeper cake for my son's birthday I also made this White Chocolate Chip Pound Cake so that I would have an alternative dessert for his party. I guess I was just a little paranoid that not everyone would trust the Creeper. This cake is one of those wonderful recipes that begins with a cake mix and has some extra ingredients added to turn it into a real delight. This recipe comes from Amanda at My Heart's Desire.

Print Recipe

White Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 box yellow butter cake mix

1 large box instant white chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream

1 1/2 cups white chocolate morsels

Baker's Joy spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a Bundt pan by spraying well with Baker's Joy spray. 

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, and eggs; mix until all are combined with an electric mixer. Blend in sour cream, then add white chocolate morsels. Pour batter into prepared pan, bake for 55 - 60 minutes until cake tests done with a toothpick. Remove from oven and invert onto a cake plate. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

The sour cream, white chocolate pudding mix, and white chocolate morsels are the extra ingredients to add to the butter cake mix to turn this into a pound cake. I could not find the large box of white chocolate pudding mix at my grocery store, so I used the small box with good results.

Bake in a Bundt pan for 55 - 60 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting.

This is a moist, rich, delicious pound cake! The top can be sprinkled with powdered sugar for little dress up, if desired.




This recipe was shared with:
Sweets for a Saturday
Country Momma Cooks Link and Greet
My Turn Freedom Fridays
Petals to Picots Friday Link Party
Not Your Ordinary Recipes Foodie Friday
These Peas Taste Funny Link it Up Thursday
Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday
A Little Nosh Tastetastic Thursday
Domesblissity Thriving on Thursday
Cast Party Wednesday
NY Melrose Family Whimsy Wednesday
Bizzy's Recipe Box
Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday
Crazy for Crust Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Last week when I made the Creeper cake for my son's birthday I also made this White Chocolate Chip Pound Cake so that I would have an alternative dessert for his party. I guess I was just a little paranoid that not everyone would trust the Creeper. This cake is one of those wonderful recipes that begins with a cake mix and has some extra ingredients added to turn it into a real delight. This recipe comes from Amanda at My Heart's Desire.

Print Recipe

White Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 box yellow butter cake mix

1 large box instant white chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream

1 1/2 cups white chocolate morsels

Baker's Joy spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a Bundt pan by spraying well with Baker's Joy spray. 

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, and eggs; mix until all are combined with an electric mixer. Blend in sour cream, then add white chocolate morsels. Pour batter into prepared pan, bake for 55 - 60 minutes until cake tests done with a toothpick. Remove from oven and invert onto a cake plate. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

The sour cream, white chocolate pudding mix, and white chocolate morsels are the extra ingredients to add to the butter cake mix to turn this into a pound cake. I could not find the large box of white chocolate pudding mix at my grocery store, so I used the small box with good results.

Bake in a Bundt pan for 55 - 60 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting.

This is a moist, rich, delicious pound cake! The top can be sprinkled with powdered sugar for little dress up, if desired.




This recipe was shared with:
Sweets for a Saturday
Country Momma Cooks Link and Greet
My Turn Freedom Fridays
Petals to Picots Friday Link Party
Not Your Ordinary Recipes Foodie Friday
These Peas Taste Funny Link it Up Thursday
Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday
A Little Nosh Tastetastic Thursday
Domesblissity Thriving on Thursday
Cast Party Wednesday
NY Melrose Family Whimsy Wednesday
Bizzy's Recipe Box
Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday
Crazy for Crust Crazy Sweet Tuesday

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Happy Birthday From the Creeper

My son celebrated a milestone birthday this past week, the big 3 - 0, so he needed a special cake. He said he would like to have a Creeper cake, so that is what I attempted to make for him. I must say this is probably the worst looking birthday cake I have ever made, but then again the Creeper is not an attractive character to work with. If you are a fan of Minecraft, then you know that the Creeper is an armless humanoid creature with short legs and empty eye sockets, a mouth with a sad expression and green skin with gray spots.

I decided the first thing I wanted to do was to bake a tasty cake, so that at least this creature would taste good, even if he didn't look so good. I used an Ina Garten recipe for Double Chocolate Layer Cake.

Print Recipe

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For a typical cake - butter two 8-inch pans and line with parchment paper; then butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tap out any excess. (For the Creeper I used eight 2 1/4 x 5-inch loaf pans and two 2 x 4-inch loaf pans, all buttered and lined with buttered parchment.)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt at low speed of an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla; whisk together. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until cake tests done with a toothpick. (The loaf pans for the Creeper baked for 17 minutes before testing done.) Let cakes cool in pan for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off parchment paper.

I used eight small loaf pans and two mini loaf pans for the Creeper's body parts. The pans need to be buttered and lined with parchment paper.

Before I started building the Creeper I crumb coated all the parts with buttercream frosting that I had tinted green. The recipe that I used for the buttercream is found here. I used the two mini loaf cakes as the feet, then stacked one of the larger loaves across them as the base for the body.

I stacked four of the loaves for the body, then used the remaining pieces to make the head, cutting some of the length off.

To make the gray pixels, I gridded a sheet of paper in 1-inch squares, then randomly cut out some of the squares. I used this sheet to apply a coat of Wilton spray-on food coloring mist in a silver color.

To give Creeper his features, I used black marshmallow fondant cut to shape. Creeper was a difficult character to work with. While I was working with his frosting he kept leaning toward me like he was ready to explode or something, so I kept sticking wooden dowel rods in to hold him in place. He ended up looking fatter than I wanted, but all I can say is the guy is full of chocolate cake!




This recipe was shared with:
Domesblissity Thriving on Thursdays
Crazy for Crust Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Flour Me with Love Mix it up Mondays
Mop it up Mondays

My son celebrated a milestone birthday this past week, the big 3 - 0, so he needed a special cake. He said he would like to have a Creeper cake, so that is what I attempted to make for him. I must say this is probably the worst looking birthday cake I have ever made, but then again the Creeper is not an attractive character to work with. If you are a fan of Minecraft, then you know that the Creeper is an armless humanoid creature with short legs and empty eye sockets, a mouth with a sad expression and green skin with gray spots.

I decided the first thing I wanted to do was to bake a tasty cake, so that at least this creature would taste good, even if he didn't look so good. I used an Ina Garten recipe for Double Chocolate Layer Cake.

Print Recipe

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For a typical cake - butter two 8-inch pans and line with parchment paper; then butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tap out any excess. (For the Creeper I used eight 2 1/4 x 5-inch loaf pans and two 2 x 4-inch loaf pans, all buttered and lined with buttered parchment.)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt at low speed of an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla; whisk together. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until cake tests done with a toothpick. (The loaf pans for the Creeper baked for 17 minutes before testing done.) Let cakes cool in pan for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off parchment paper.

I used eight small loaf pans and two mini loaf pans for the Creeper's body parts. The pans need to be buttered and lined with parchment paper.

Before I started building the Creeper I crumb coated all the parts with buttercream frosting that I had tinted green. The recipe that I used for the buttercream is found here. I used the two mini loaf cakes as the feet, then stacked one of the larger loaves across them as the base for the body.

I stacked four of the loaves for the body, then used the remaining pieces to make the head, cutting some of the length off.

To make the gray pixels, I gridded a sheet of paper in 1-inch squares, then randomly cut out some of the squares. I used this sheet to apply a coat of Wilton spray-on food coloring mist in a silver color.

To give Creeper his features, I used black marshmallow fondant cut to shape. Creeper was a difficult character to work with. While I was working with his frosting he kept leaning toward me like he was ready to explode or something, so I kept sticking wooden dowel rods in to hold him in place. He ended up looking fatter than I wanted, but all I can say is the guy is full of chocolate cake!




This recipe was shared with:
Domesblissity Thriving on Thursdays
Crazy for Crust Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Flour Me with Love Mix it up Mondays
Mop it up Mondays

reade more... Résuméabuiyad