Well, how bout all you Mothers? Did ya’ll have a great Mother’s Day? I know Deb and my Mom did. We went to Moms and had a great time. All of our kids and grandkids made it, so yes, Deb was in her environment!

My Mom as well had all her children, and was only missing one granddaughter from having all her grandchildren as well. All in all we had a great meal, a great time visiting, and a great day as a whole! We hope you guys did too!

Well, how about we take a look at what our good friend Gary sent to us…it’s about golf.

Two women were playing golf. One teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole. The ball hit one of the men.

He replied: It feels great, but I still think my thumb’s broken!

I thought that was hilarious, and thanks Gary for sending it.

Well, let’s fire off a cook stove and bake up a cake or two…

Milky Way Cake

• 8 milky way bars
• 2 sticks oleo
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2-1/2 cups flour, plus ½ cup more if flour is sifted first
• ½ teaspoon soda
• 1-1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Melt Milky Way bars and 1 stick oleo and set aside. Cream sugar and 1 stick oleo; add eggs. Add alternately flour and soda with buttermilk. Add melted candy mixture. Add pecans; fold them in. Bake in tube pan on 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Icing

• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup marshmallow cream
• 1 stick margarine

Cook sugar and evaporated milk to soft ball stage. Add chocolate chips, marshmallow cream and oleo. Stir until all melted. Spread on cooled cake.

Shirley Patterson

VV’s Chocolate Dump Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup Crisco
• 1 stick margarine or butter
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour and sugar in large bowl. In saucepan, bring Crisco, margarine, and cocoas to a boil, stirring often. Pour over flour and sugar. Add baking soda to buttermilk and add to above mixture. Add eggs beaten with vanilla. Bake in large, greased and floured pan on 350 for 20 minutes or until cake is done.

Icing

• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 stick margarine or butter
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Five minutes before cake is done, mix and heat cocoa, milk, and margarine to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add sugar, nuts and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour over cake while hot.

Patty Sue Walters Griffin

Chocolate Apricot Fruitcake

• 1 cup dates, coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup raisins
• 1 cup Grand Mariner
• 2/3 cup flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Combine dates, apricots, raisins and grand mariner. Cover, let stand 2 days. Stir occasionally. Then drain fruit, pressing lightly to extract excess liquid. Reserve liquid. Place fruit in another bowl. Butter, then flour a 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 in baking pan (loaf).

Stir flour, cocoa and baking powder in small bowl. Add walnuts and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Gently fold in flour mixture and fruit. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake for 50 minutes on 325 or until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and glaze cake by brushing on ¼ cup of reserved liquid. Cool cake completely. Unmold and wrap in plastic. Store in container and let mellow for one week before serving. (Can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months.)

Jane Leathersich

Dirt Cake

• 1 (20 oz.) package cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
• 2 (3 oz.) packages French vanilla instant pudding mix
• 3-1/2 cups milk
• 1 (12 oz.) carton non-dairy whipped topping

Blend cookies in blender until they look like potting soil. Set aside. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until light. Beat in dry pudding mix. Stir in milk and combine well. Fold in whipped topping. In clean 8 x 10 inch clay pot, alternate layers of crushed cookies, and cream cheese mixture, ending with a thick layer of crumbs. Decorate with silk flowers, if desired, and serve wityh a trowel for a spoon. Serves 8 to 10.

Bev Bray

If you’re on a diet, or just tryin to eat more health wise, forget about hangin out, although I do tell Deb these cakes do have SOME fine, healthy ingredients. You just have to look, and use your own definition to the term…healthy.

If you look though, you can read into it what ya want. Let’s see now, hmmm, I see right off the bat…oranges. Those are good for ya, right? Then I see cloves. There’s two right off the bat, huh?

Shoot, I’m lookin now at an ingredient that just has to be beneficial to us all…coconut! Okay Deb, I’m three for three! Last but not least I spy something that “back in the day,” I dearly loved. Loved it so much I’d only buy it by the gallon.

BOURBON…yes sir, good for pretty much whatever ails ya! Medicinal purposes were my main use. My head hurt…I’d take a shot. Sometimes several. Stress, shoot, there ain’t nothing no better. Cough or sore throat, you betcha!

On top of all that, it’s supposed to be very, very good for…snakebite! So good in fact , that me and several of my good, doctorin buddies just like myself, would always tote small snakes in our pockets.

So as you can see, the recipes we’re sharin with you guys today, all CAN be described as healthy! It’s just like anything else in life. You get out of it, only how you read it!

These recipes come from one of my Mom’s cookbooks. It is a church cookbook we’ve shared from before, and was put out by the Presbyterian Church in Apopka, back in 1990.

Mom and Dad don’t attend this particular church, but many of their friends do. The title is, “Treasures and Pleasures.”

Why don’t we fire off the dern cook stove and get started. Miz Judi TOLD me a while back, “Why don’t you do a whole lot less talkin, and a whole lot more cookin?” I asked her if she was telling me this, but she said she was…only suggesting. Yeah, right! LOL!

She tried to explain it to me as simply as she could. Less communicatin works out to be more, “profit makin!”

Simply put, these days you better be into much, much, more “profit makin,” cause our current administration condones getting your wealth… “through takin!”

Let’s git started!

Clove Cake

• 1 cup butter (or Crisco)
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon soda

Beat eggs and add to creamed butter and sugar. Sift flour and spices. Add alternately with buttermilk mixed with soda, ending with flour. Bake on 350 for 45 to 55 minutes in a 10 inch tube pan. Check center for doneness.

Mary Green

Four Day Four Layer Coconut Cake

Day 1

• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups sugar
• 16 oz. frozen coconut, thawed

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Day 2

• 1 box yellow cake mix

Mix up a Duncan Hines yellow cake mix. Substitute milk instead of water. Mix and bake according to box. Use 2 round cake pans. Let cake cool. Cut rounds in half crosswise, making 4 rounds. Put icing between layers and cover the top with icing too. If icy happens to be too soupy, just add more dried coconut.

Cover in tight cake storage container.

Days 3 and 4…Must remain in refrigerator before eating.

(Note from Dub…Deb would have her hands full tryin to keep me outta that mutha for days 3 and four!!)

Lynn Goodwin

Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake

• 1 cup solid shortening
• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups sifted flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup bourbon (I usually set out 3-4. Don’t want to be coughin and hackin, while bakin)
• 1 cup finely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour 10 inch tube pan or Bundt pan.

In large mixer beat shortening and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until very smooth. Meanwhile, sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; add to sugar mixture alternating with sour cream and bourbon- beginning and ending with flour. Beat just till well blended; fold in pecans.

Turn into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking center for doneness. Turn out onto wire rack to cool. Pour glaze over cake; decorate with pecan halves if desired.

Bourbon Glaze

Mix 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon bourbon and enough water, about 2 tablespoons, to make a pourable glaze. Beat until very smooth and pour over cake.

Sis Pitman

Little Orange Chiffon Cake

• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup egg white (4 whites)
• 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sifted flour
• ¾ cups sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup salad oil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons orange rind
• ¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in mix. Add egg yolks, orange rind, juice and oil. At medium speed, mix until smooth. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar to very stiff peaks.

Slowly pour first mixture over whites. Fold in gently until just blended. Pour into a 3-1/2 inch deep tube pan. Bake on 325 for 50 to 55 minutes. Check center for doneness. Cool as you would an angel food cake.

Betty Mountan

We’ve been telling everybody how pretty the weather’s been lately, and shoot…today’s even prettier. High of about 85, a good breeze blowin, and spring’s bearin down upon us! Boy, it’s so nice to be alive and kickin, isn’t it?

Today we’ve hung another set of shelf racks in the greenhouse, planted 20 strawberry plants, and are now mowing a few high areas with the little push mower and bagger. Getting some fresh, green grass clippings to go on the compost pile.

Ole Deb’s been rakin leaves under a big oak tree where she’s fixin her up a flower bed. She feels great and is busy as a dern bee! She’s a mess, I know that much! She’s into something constantly!

We’re taking her leaves and they’re going in the compost pile too. It’s time to get that mutha fired off again, so we’re loadin it down, and fixin to start turning it a couple times a week. The weather is warm enough now to heat that baby up!

Until we started doing this site, I never had used compost. Honestly. We’d use manure or commercial fertilize, and we still do, but commercial is used much less. We kept hearing of the benefit of compost from many of you guys and shoot, next thing I knew, I was getting up some soil, some leaves, hay, paper, manure, grass clippings (went and bought a small push-mower with a bagger?? ) That set me back some guys…thanks! LOL!

Deb started saving our vegetable scraps, egg-shells , banana peels, even the pulp leftover from our morning juice. Which had some tomato seeds in it, by the way. They’d “volunteered up,” so we stuck em in some 5-gal. buckets with compost from the pile, 9 of em. Then, we kept them until we finished the beds in the greenhouse.

We set them a couple weeks back, and this morning we counted 90 plus tomatoes on them. Talking about working hand in hand? So, today we compost. LOL!

Then I kept stoking that thing up” with grass clippins, juice pulp, vegetable scraps, stirring it up, wettin it down…getting it HOTTTT!

Then I didn’t water it for a few days, or stir it…and I burnt up a pasture! Dern thing spontaneously combusted…I’d created…a MONSTER! Not really. I call it kiddin ya’ll…Deb calls it lyin to ya! LOL!

BUT, we do believe in, and use compost anytime we can, plus everything you need is right here. No cost.

Anyway, that’s some of what we’ve been up to. Ya wanna fire off a cookstove? Let’s do it!

Today’s recipes come again from “Bless This Food at the End of the Fork.”

It was a gift from Deb’s “older sister,” Louise, and was put out by members of the church Louise attends. These women, and men, can cook! Louise is a good cook for sure, and I can vouch for that personally!

I keep waitin on her to call one Sunday and say, “Hey Dub, we’re havin dinner on the grounds Sunday…ya wanna come?” So far…no call? I think I worry her.

Mini Fruitcakes

• ½ lb. candied cherries, chopped
• ½ lb. candied pineapple, chopped
• 1 small pack coconut
• 2-1/2 cups pecans, chopped
• ½ can self-rising flour
• 1 can condensed milk

Mix cherries, pineapple coconut, nuts and flour. Add condensed milk and mix. Use mini cup cake pans, fill about ¾ full. Put small pan of water in bottom of oven and bake on 325 for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool before taking out of the pan. Makes 48 mini cakes.

Dean Griffin

Buttermilk Pies

• 3 cups sugar
• ½ cup self-rising flour
• 1 stick butter
• 6 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 pie crusts

Melt butter and mix with sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating until mixed good. Add flour, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into your two pie crusts and bake on 350 for 45 minutes, or check center for doneness. If you’d like, you can sprinkle cinnamon on top prior to cooking.

Marie Caraway

Bread Pudding

• 2-1/4 cups milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup raisins

Combine milk and egg and pour over bread crumbs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Place in a shallow pan and bake on 350 for 45 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

Ruby Young

German Chocolate Upside Down Cake

• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Grease bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle mixture into bottom of the pan.

Cake

• 1 box German Cake mix
• Ingredients listed on cake box

Prepare by box directions and pour on top of coconut and pecans.

Topping

• 1 (8 oz.) box cream cheese
• 1 stick butter
• 1 box confectioners sugar

Mix together and put on top of cake in small spoonfuls. Bake on 350 for 45 minutes, or until center is done.

We got this in an e-mail yesterday. Read closely, then sink it in. We did an old post a few months back called “Please Don’t Feed the Bears,” covering this same topic.

Isn’t It Ironic?

Meanwhile, the Park Service, also managed by the Department of Agriculture, threatens to prosecute those who “Feed Wild Animals,” because the animals may grow dependent upon us and not take care of themselves.

To all of you people out there who haven’t come to grips with the fact our government is going to tank us through these types of entitlement programs, whether they be passed out to their “have-not constituents,” or the public sector pension plans, buy-outs, double and triple-dipping, health care, and more of, “We’re the Power…” read the statement above once more.

It says it all!

You guys have a great day, and God Bless! Deb says be sure to tell you guys to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

We had a new baby last Friday, and the mama had taken it off away from the other cows. Well, yesterday ole Deb couldn’t stand it, so she walked off out in the woods, and found them. She had Red take the mama some hay, and shortly after that, they came out and joined the other cows.

We’d been a little concerned because this mama has some big, I guess the proper description is “teets,” but shoot, I just call em tits?? With this being the case, we normally try and watch those little fellers pretty close, only to insure they are getting a drink as they need it.

Sometimes with them being so big, the little calf cain’t suck, so we watch to make sure they’ll be fine. If not, we pen the mama and put the baby to her, or if that doesn’t work out, then we’ll bottle feed them. 9 outta 10 though, they figure it out for themselves.

Well, like I said, the mama did bring him out to join the rest of the cows, and that little joker got out there jumpin around and kickin his heels, and it was quite evident that the little thing was getting its share of the milk! No problem!

Deb was tickled pink when the mama came out, and she saw that it was doin just fine! She really gets attached to all these farm animals, our dogs, and even the wildlife that drifts in and out. Shoot, there’s times she acts as if she kinda likes me too! You did catch the “there’s times,” right?

We’d told you guys we were putting up the greenhouse, and we got to work on it yesterday, again. This thing is comin along pretty good, and we’re almost ready to pull the plastic for the roof, and hang the curtains.

We won’t make it before Deb’s cookout, but hopefully by Tues. or Wed. of next week, we’ll be windin the outside down. Then it’s build a few beds, a few benches, run micro-jet for the water, and run power to it. After that…it’s time to start some plants!

We’re sure getting excited and really lookin forward to getting this project completed. I tell you guys, the Good Lord surely blesses Deb and I! In regards to Deb, I can see why he blesses her, but I still get stumped from time to time tryin to figure out how he can even like me! LOL!

Honestly though, you only have to ask him, and he will come into your heart. I’m in no way, shape, or form the, “perfect guy,” far from it, but through all my short comings and faults, I know that he does indeed love me, and there’s no doubt he walks with me as well…

Well, today ole Deb and I got up with a dern sweet tooth. We tried to shake it off, but sweet breads, cakes, and such just seemed to be stuck on our brains this morning. We just decided that if that’s the case…why fight it? LOL!

So, let’s go on and fire off the cook stove, and see what comes out!

Carrot Nut Bread:

• ½ cup corn oil
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1-3/4 cups un-sifted flour
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir together oil, and sugar. In large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; stir into corn mixture. Stir in carrots. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in nuts.
Turn into greased 8-1/2x 4-1/2x 2-1/2 inch loaf pan. Bake on 350 for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Date Nut Loaf:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup oil
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 pound pitted dates
• 1 pound pecan halves

Combine eggs, sugar, and oil; beat well. Add dry ingredients, mixing well. Fold in dates and pecans. Prepare pans by greasing with shortening and flour, or spray generously with Pam. Place in 5 small 7-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 2-1/4 inch pans, or one large pan.

Start In cold pans and bake small pans 30 to 45 minutes (large pan 1-1/2 hours), on 300, or until bread begins to shrink from sides of pan, or springs back from touch, and is nicely browned.

DO NOT overbake. This causes the dates and nuts to become hard.

Orange Bread:

• ¾ cups orange rind, slivered
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/3 cups water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/3 cups orange juice
• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon soda
• 2 teaspoons salt

Remove thin orange rind and cut into very thin slivers. Combine sugar and water; add rind; stir constantly over heat until sugar is dissolved. Cook slowly 5 minutes. The peel and syrup should measure 1-1/3 cups. Add butter; stir until melted. Add orange juice and beaten eggs.

Sift dry ingredients together into mixing bowl. Add the orange mixture and mix just enough to moisten ingredients. Batter should be lumpy.

Bake in a greased and lined loaf pan, 9x5x3 inch, on 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn on rack to cool.

Chocolate Banana Bread:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup mashed, ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup flaked coconut
• ½ bag semi-sweet chocolate

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour into a lightly grease 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes on 350. Cool 10 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, then slice.

Bill and Sandy sent us an e-mail the other day. It had several sayins on it. One I particularly liked. It stated that I had reached the “snapdragon part of my life. Part of me has snapped…and the rest of me is draggin!?

Then I received another e-mail, and this had a very poignant question… “IF a man stands up, and shouts in a roomful of politicians, “YOU LIE,” how do they know which one he’s talking too?”

You guys have a great day, and God Bless. Deb says to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

First off, it’s the time of the year for family gatherins, and many just might like “to partake” in a little nip from time to time. Now myself, I usually don’t do this at’tall unless it’s a “special occasion,” like for example…the sun comes up, OR if it goes down! LOL!

The first recipe today comes from a reader, Texas Gal. She sent us this via e-mail, and we sure appreciate her doing so! I’m thinkin pretty hard about goin on and mixin one of these baby’s up just as soon as we finish up here this morning! LOL, and thanks for the laugh Texas Gal!!

Our last two drink recipes come from the cookbook, “White Trash Gatherings,” and was written by, Kendra Bailey Morris. It was published by, Ten Speed Press. It’s a hoot to read, and has many tips, and some good “down home” cookin! Check it out.

Christmas Cake:

Once again this year, I’ve had requests for my yummy Holiday Tequila Fruitcake recipe so here goes… But please try to keep a copy as I am beginning to tire of retyping it every year!

• 1 cup of water
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• Some Lemon juice
• 4 large eggs
• Some Nuts
• 1 bottle tequila (preferably Jose Cuervo Gold, or better yet, Hornitos)
• 2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the tequila first to check the quality.

Take a large bowl and check the tequila again to be sure it is of the highest quality…it is best to pour one-level cup and drink. Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one cup of sugar. Beat again. At this point it’s best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup, just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of fried druit. Pick the frigging druit up off floor. Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the bleaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the tequila again to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt or whatever is left. Check the tequila. Now crack the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar or whatever you can find.

Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don’t forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the tequila and wipe the counter with the cat. Nobody likes fruitcake anyway……CHERRY MISTMAS!

Hot Damn Punch:

According to the author, this is the type of warm drink that after your first big pull off it, you’ll wanna slap your knee and holler out, “Hot Damn!!”

• 2-1/4 cups pineapple juice
• 2 cups cranberry juice
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1-3/4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks, plus extra for garnish
• 1 cup (or more) vodka
• ½ cup cinnamon liquor (optional)

Percolate all your ingredients together in a crockpot until you can REALLY taste the spices in your cocktail. Serve in mugs with a cinnamon stick for garnish.

High Dollar Mountain Margarita’s:

This recipe, according to the author once again, suggests that this is about as fancy as it gets in regards to boozy drinks when it comes to “White trash Gatherings.”

• 4 ounces Jose Cuervo Especial tequila
• 2 ounces Grand Marnier
• 4 ounces frozen limeade (1/3 of a 12 oz. can)
• 4 to 6 ounces of water
• Juice of ½ fresh lime, plus lime slices for garnish
• Ice cubes
• Margarita salt

Get out your fancy tequila, Grand Marnier, limeade, water, and lime juice. Mix it all in a wide-mouth quart jar. Add enough ice cubes to almost fill it, and stick the jar in the fridge until it’s nice and chilled up.

Now, get out 4 margarita glasses and coat the rims in salt. Fill each glass with your chilled margarita mix, adding more ice cubes if you think you need it. Garnish your glasses with a lime slice.

We had some friends of ours send Deb and I an e-mail a couple days back. They’re Bill and Sandy, and they live in Mobile. They’ve become friends just like so many of you guys have since the startup of our site.

Anyway, although I’d seen this before, Deb and I had never participated in one. It is a pretty dern neat way of sharing recipes. So, Deb and I participated, and what a great way to pick up recipes from friends around the Country, and even worldwide. We thought it was a very good idea.

So, I thought we’d take it a step further, and put it up on the site this morning. If you guys would like to participate, feel free to do so. We’re always looking for new recipes and we found this unique in its ability to supply you with tried and proven ways in which to prepare meals.

Just take a look at the way this is done, and again, if you’d like to participate…just jump right in. You send one, and in return you’ll be supplied with many. The way to go about this is very simple. This in itself is a Godsend for me, cause…I’m pretty simple anyway.

Here’s the e-mail Bill and Sandy sent us. Just follow what they have to say, and before long you’ll see your new recipes begin to start dropping in!

We are participating in a collective, constructive, and TASTY experiment.

After you’ve sent the recipe to the person in position 1 below and only to that person, copy this letter into a new email, move my name to position 1 and put your name in position 2. Only my and your name should show when you send your email. Send to 20 friends BCC (blind copy). You should receive 36 recipes. It’s fun to see where they come from! Seldom does anyone drop out because we all need new ideas. The turnaround is fast as there are only 2 names on the list and you only have to do it once.

1- billgrant@bellsouth.net

2-dubanddebs@gmail.com

Now…how easy is that? Isn’t it wonderful to meet new friends and share your ideas and techniques in different ways? THIS, is what our Country is all about…sharing knowledge, and helping others!
Granted, there are some who don’t know how, or care enough to help themselves. Sadly, this has become a sort of “indoctrination” our elected leaders are instilling in many today. Whether you contribute or not (Work), makes no difference…you STILL should benefit from the people who do contribute, or work.

Somehow, or somewhere along the line, our politicians figured out the convenience of “buying the vote.” As most know, this is by no means to help “we the people” out! But, far too many today believe this to be a fact.

Through this, the legacy of our Country, as laid out for us through our Founding Fathers is being interpreted by our elected leaders as full of flaws, and as they claim, not was what our Forefathers actually intended.

BUT, It IS EXACTLY what our Founding Fathers intended…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! America was built upon the right of free people to start a business, if so desired, worship as you like, and supply you, through capitalism, to better not only your own lives, but the lives of your family as well!

This is why all these people have immigrated here since the founding of our Country. All they wanted by coming here was the ability to work, save, and worship freely. Today though, too many immigrate here only for…a free ride on the “Nanny State” train! It just makes me sick.

Take from the haves, and GIVE…to the have-nots! Our current administration believes this whole heartedly. This is the agenda with community organizing. Our President…is a former community organizer.
Isn’t it amazing that he has “preached” this type of rhetoric for all these years, YET…he didn’t live in community housing, no, no. He lived in a mansion in Hyde Park. He lived the life of, well, let me see…a Capitalist! Still does! Plus most of our other politicians.

You see, capitalism FOR THEM, is okie dokie, just not us! We are actually going through a period of class warfare. Our politicians fire up the have-nots by preaching of all the corruption and fraud of capitalism. In the end, what happens?

The politicians and their cronies end up with ALL the money, All the power, and this means…no middle class eventually. We become a communist based ideology Country, and the freedom we’ve always known is lost forever.

We better wake up and start DEMANDING our rights. In this Country, we’ve always helped each other out. Like our site and so many like it, this old practice continues. We help each other not because we have to, but simply because we want to!

This little recipe sharing by Sandy and Bill is but one example of this. We do not need to be taken care of by our politicians. To be quite honest, I’m quite capable of taking care of my family and myself, but, for only along as “Our Government” continues to allow us these freedoms!

Plus the biggest point is that our politicians are not doing a good job by the most lax of definitions with the use of our taxpayer money! Look at our Country…14 trillion in debt, a school system in shambles, and at the very best mid-pack worldwide. This is literally criminal!

Alright, let me get back out of this. My dern keyboard is beginning to take too much abuse from my fingers now, not from typing, BUT BANGING on the dad-gum keys! But, you get the picture…
Well, let’s get out of politics and fire off a cook stove!

Our first recipe today comes from Diane, I believe from Virginia. If not, please correct me in this Diane! This recipe is very easy to make, and very easy on your pocketbook too!

Thank you Diane!

Sloppy Joes:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 rib chopped celery
• chopped small onion
• 1 small can of Hunt’s tomato sauce
• spices that you like
• Olive oil, for sauteing celery and onion
• One beef bouillon cube
• 2 Tablespoons of water

Heat oil in a medium/hi heat pan. When the oil is hot, cook celery for a few minutes and then put the onion in. Add ground beef and brown. Drain liquid.

Add bouillon cube and water and spices. Reduce for a couple of minutes. Add sauce from the can and cook for a little bit. Serve on top of hamburger buns.

Our second and third recipes are for those with a sweet tooth! I gotta tell you, these are two great cakes, and our ole buddy Roger supplied us with pictures to boot!

Roger is quite the joker, and has supplied many of the jokes we throw in our columns from time to time! Course, if I could bake cakes that turned out as good as evidently his do, shoot, I’d be a happy camper 24-7 myself!!

Thanks Roger!

Black Forest Cake:

• • 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• • 2 cups white sugar
• • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• • 3/4 teaspoon salt
• • 3 eggs
• • 1 cup milk
• • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• • 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
• • 1 cup white sugar
• • 1/4 cup cornstarch
• • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• • 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
Combine whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.

With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.

Check out these pictures from Rajah…

Black Forest Cake

A couple comments from Roger in regards to his “cake making!”

Mmmmm! Sinful! I find that now that I have the time I find I still have the knack for making cakes! Want me to save you a bite? The wife was freaking out when I made her sit down and watch me put this baby together. I made her shave the chocolate for it!

I’ll send you a picture of me holding it. I used to make a lot of cakes when I had my own catering business back when. I used to make multiple tiered wedding cakes with bridges and the bride and groom placed on them. I should have saved some pictures of them from back then. I have the makings for a German Chocolate and a Carrot Cake in the cupboard. Yeah you never know who can bake a cake or use a sewing machine. (I own 2 sewing machines too!) Roger

Mississippi Mud Pie:

Chop pecans. Mix flour and butter. Press in pan. Brown 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely. (Best damned crust there is!)

Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip and powdered sugar and spread over crust. Then put chocolate pudding layer, then vanilla pudding layer on the chocolate pudding. Top with Cool Whip. sprinkle chocolate bar shavings on top.

Mississippi Mud Pie

So, if you haven’t done so lately, why don’t you take a couple minutes, look around, and see for yourself just how fortunate you are.

Anyway, we have had some beautiful weather lately, and the okra is still doing really well. I looked today in our storage room, and we had 181 pints of pickled okra. We’ve had to have given 50-60 pints away easily.

From Saturday before last, until this past Saturday, we pickled 72 pints…last week. Again, up until we get a hard frost the okra will keep on putting out. That suits me just fine!

Our mustards are doing well too. We’ve had 6-8 small salads out of them, and they’re fixing to be doing very well. Once those things start coming in, we’ll be able to put up quite a few quarts of them also.

Man, I love em, and my Mom makes a chili sauce that we serve over them that’ll knock your socks off, which most times you see me during “green season,” I’m barefooted…they knocked my shoes AND socks off!

I’ve asked and asked for her recipe but the woman hasn’t let me have it yet! She’s my Mama too for goodness sakes!

Both today’s recipes came from the cookbook, “Best Kept Secrets of the South’s Greatest Cooks.” It is from the editors of Southern Living.

I’ve enjoyed going through it, though Deb hollers at me from time to time. She claims while I’m going through it, many times she catches me literally… “foamin at the mouth!” I just tell her that shoot, at my age, food is one of the few things that still…excite me! Dad-gummit!

Well, before we fire off a cook stove in Miz Judi’s Kitchen this morning, let’s tell a joke. This is from Roger in Virginia once more…

Skinny Dipping

An elderly man in Louisiana had owned a large farm for several years…

He had a large pond in the back. It was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some apple, and peach trees.

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn’t been there for a while and look it over. He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.

As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond.

He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end.

One of the women shouted to him, ‘we’re not coming out until you leave!’

The old man frowned, ‘I didn’t come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked.’

Holding the bucket up he said, ‘I’m here to feed the alligator.’

Lemon-Coconut Cake:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 (8oz.) container sour cream
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup cream of coconut
• ¾ teaspoon coconut flavoring
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (18.25 oz.) package white cake mix with pudding
• **Lemon-Coconut Filling
• **Fluffy Lemon Frosting
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• Garnish: lemon wedges

Beat eggs at high speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add sour cream, vegetable oil, cream of coconut, coconut flavoring, and lemon extract, and beat well. Add cake mix; beat at low speed until blended. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans.

Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Lemon-Coconut Filling (see below), between layers. Spread Fluffy Lemon Frosting (see below), on top and sides of cake. Gently press coconut into frosting. Garnish, if desired.

**Lemon-Coconut Filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup water
• 5 egg yolks
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut

Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Stir in rind, juice, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Beat egg yolks until thick and pale; gradually stir half of hot mixture into yolks; add yolk mixture to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; add butter and coconut, stirring until butter melts.

Cool completely.

**Fluffy Lemon Frosting:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• ¼ teaspoon lemon extract

Stir together granulated sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly until clear. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 232 degrees (thread stage).

Beat egg whites at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; continue to beat, quickly adding the syrup mixture. Add powdered sugar, lemon rind, and lemon extract, beating until stiff peaks form and frosting is spreading consistency.

Buttered Rum Pound Cake with Bananas Foster Sauce:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• ½ cup sugar
• **Buttered Rum Glaze (see below).
• **Bananas Foster Sauce (see below)
• Vanilla ice cream

Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Add 2-12 cups sugar, beating 4-5 minutes or until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in extracts.

Beat egg whites until foamy; gradually add ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan.

Bake on 325 for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes; remove from pan, and place on a serving plate. While warm, prick cake surface at 1 inch intervals with a wooden pick; pour warm Buttered Rum Glaze over cake. Let stand 4 hours or overnight before serving. Serve with Bananas Foster sauce and vanilla ice cream.

**Buttered Rum Glaze:

• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons light rum
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons water
• ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

Stir together butter, rum, sugar, and water in a heavy, 1 quart saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in pecans.

**Bananas Foster Sauce:

• ¼ cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup banana liqueur
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1/3 cup light rum

Stir together butter, brown sugar, banana liqueur, and cinnamon in a large skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Add bananas, and cook 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.

Heat rum in a small saucepan over medium heat. (DO NOT BOIL) Quickly pour rum over banana mixture, and immediately ignite with a long match just above the liquid mixture to light the fumes (not the liquid itself). Let flames die down, serve immediately with Buttered Rum Pound Cake.

Before we actually get going this morning, let me share a thought or two on the BIG game last evening. LSU-Bama. For all the Bama fans out there…OUCH! Four missed field goals?? I tell you what, your kicking game can make or break you many times, and to win championships, special teams today play a big role.

The athletes are so big, so fast, and so strong anymore, the deciding factor may very well be your kicking game, and last night this was the difference. To all the Bama fans, you’ve got a great team, and you guys will still have a great season. Take em one game at a time, a couple breaks, and you can be right back in the championship hunt!

Who knows…there may be a Bama-LSU “round two,” in the BCS National Championship! FSU beat Florida in 96, then Nebraska beat Texas, Arizona State beat Ohio State, and boom…Fla-FSU played for the National Championship. So just a little help…you’re right back in it!

Now…LSU. I gotta own up to all the Tiger fans out there…I thought Bama would win. Great game guys!! I was concerned only with the size matchup, and you guys played nose to nose, all night long! Honestly, it was a great game, and what a defensive battle it was. Two great teams, with two great defenses! Congrats, I tip my hat to both teams…great game!

My poor ole Gators took a shellacking from both these teams. By the way…wait till next year!! LOL!

The SEC has 5 straight BCS National Championship titles, so let’s all pull together to support the SEC champ, and go for number 6!

Okay, let’s take a little break from football, and fire off a cook stove. The first recipe is for my Alabama friends who may just be a little “crabby” for a day or two. This is only good natured fun poking at the fans, and believe you me, I’ve taken my share of ribbing the last couple years with my Gators!

Today’s recipes are from the cookbook, “At My Grandmother’s Knee,” written by, Faye Porter. It was published by, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee.

The names I changed just a tidge in respect to last night’s ball game…again, all in humor!

“Bama” Crab (or Crabby) Cakes:

• 1 pound claw or regular crabmeat
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup saltine cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons of butter

Remove in bits of shell from crabmeat, but keep the meat in lumps.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, onions, cracker crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the crabmeat and combine, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab.
Shape the mixture into small cakes about 4 inches in diameter.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the crab cakes until brown on each side, 3-1/2 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

**Finely chopped green bell pepper may be added, if desired. With this being for the Bama fans today, I suggest using a red, or crimson colored bell pepper!

This was taken from the recipe, Crab Cakes, from Mary Clever, Yorktown, Virginia.

LSU “Tiger” Shrimp Gumbo:

• 2 pounds okra, cut in ½ inch rounds
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1-1/4 cup shortening, melted
• 1-1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1-1/2 cups of water
• 4 pounds smoked sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 pounds beef salami, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 pounds ham, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 bunch of celery, chopped
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 4 large red or green peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces ( LSU fans may want to use the yellow, or golden bell peppers!!)
• 2 cans (28 oz. each) stewed tomatoes
• 10 pounds shrimp, washed and peeled
• 4 tablespoons gumbo file’ (Gumbo file’ is a spice used to season and thicken gumbo; it’s made from dried and ground sassafras leaves.)

Put the okra in a large bowl and cover with vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes, but not longer. Drain the okra and rinse well.

To prepare a roux, melt the shortening in a heavy 2-1/2 gallon gumbo pot or a Dutch oven. Gradually add the flour, cooking over low heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until the roux is a dark nutty-brown color. Be careful not to allow the roux to scorch or burn ( if the roux burns, you must start over). After browning, add the water and continue to cook until smooth.

Add the sausage, salami, and ham to the gumbo pot. Add enough water to allow the mixture to boil freely. Bring to a full boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the celery, onions, and bell peppers and continue cooking on low for an additional 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and shrimp and continue cooking on low for 2 minutes.

Add the prepared okra and the gumbo file’ and continue cooking on low for about 15 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and the okra is done. Serve warm. If desired, serve on top of cooked rice (only for today I’d suggest serving this gumbo over “Bama” Crab (or crabby) Cakes!!) LOL!!

This recipe is actually called Miss Clara’s Shrimp Gumbo, and is from Clara Louise Suarez Plylar, Biloxi, Mississippi.

Tiger-Tide Apple Cake:

Now, in an effort for the Tiger and Bama fans letting bygones be bygones, we’ll share this next recipe…the Tiger-Tide Apple Cake! Congrats once more to two great teams…it’s a shame someone has to lose in a game as well played as this one!

• 2 sticks butter
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups peeled and chopped apples

The Topping:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ stick of butter
• ¾ cups chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350. For the cake, blend the butter, white sugar, and egg in a large bowl. Add the milk, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix well. Add the apples and mix well. Pour the batter into a greased 13×9 inch baking pan.

To make the topping, blend the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter, and walnuts in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of the batter.

Bask for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 60 minutes before cutting.

This recipe is actually called Esther’s Apple Cake, and is from Taylor Gregg, Richmond, Kentucky.

We planted a row of cabbage and broccoli to see if it just might come in before it gets too cold. Down here you just never know. Dale asked to plant a row or two of collards and we told him to plant whatever he liked.

He’d told us earlier that he didn’t particularly care for mustards. I replied, “Really…that’s the main reason for planting them…cause you don’t like them!” He just laughed and said that sounded just like me!

A quick story on Dale. Deb and I had gone to a good friend of ours in Apopka last week. She’s my best friends Mom, and honestly she is just a doll! Deb and I both love her to no end and she is one fine, fine lady.

Well, what we had done was make lunch for her, and took it to her. Now this isn’t because of her being not able to fend for herself or anything, cause Mrs. C. is a go-getter. She gets along great, but we really enjoy visiting with her, so we asked if we could come and do lunch, and we did.

So, Deb and I cooked a couple prime rib roasts, a BIG ole pot of peas, and a pot of rice. We also brought her several quarts of different types of canned peas, some fresh cut okra, and some pickled okra. When we arrived she had a sqaush casserole (it was primp by the way) , and cornbread. My, oh my, did we eat good.

On our way over, we stopped by my Mom and Dad’s and dropped enough of all of it for their supper as well. Mom was like THANK-YOU!! We had to go right by, so we saved her from cooking that night too.
Anyway, by the time we had gotten everything cooked that morning, we were already a little late. So, we asked Dale when he came up for lunch, would he cleanup Deb’s kitchen some.

Dad-gum people, when Deb walked inside after Dale had gone home she hollered for me to come in and look at something. I thought Dale must have broken something of Deb’s and I was like, “Uh-oh!”
I went in and Deb says to check out her stove and even the microwave. People…it was unbelievable. Both were absolutely immaculate! They looked as if they were brand, spankin new! I told Deb, “Dern, the man is one heck of a maid, ain’t he?”

Now ole Deb will have em both lookin good when sure turns in a cleans them, but DALE?? I gotta tell ya…if there’s any of you “he” females out there, this guy would make you one heck of a housewife!!
So, the next morning Deb sits Dale down and talks with him while I was getting another cup of coffee. Actually I had gone to the bathroom, but Deb told me to tell you I was getting some more coffee. What’s up with that??

Anyway, I came back outside and deb was just a laughing. I look at her and dale, and Dale tells me Deb had a mean streak goin on. He told me when she came out that she told him they needed to talk.
She had told him that with winter coming on the grass was slowing down, the garden was slowing down, it looked like our paving business was slowing down, and this meant less income coming in. With this being the case it looked as if we probably weren’t going to need Dale’s services outside.

Well, ole Dale was like, “Man, I hate to hear that cause there’s not much of anything going on in our area workwise, and I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Deb said that she too was sorry, and hated there wasn’t anything going on outside either, BUT, don’t sweat it cause the dern kitchen looked so good, that she was taking it upon herself to move him INSIDE! He’d be furnished an apron and cleaning supplies, and his job description now was… “housekeeper!”

Ain’t she mean?? Had that guy all shook up…and thought it was funny! One thing about it though. Next time she asks him to clean her kitchen in a pinch…he better do it right, cause now she knows just how well he can do it.

I told Dale he put the noose around his own neck, and from here out…he better perform! Dub’s a heck of a lot easier to work for than Deb, and I believe Dale’s seein it already. I thought it was funny, cause Dale just took some pressure off me as well. Awwwww…life is good!

The recipes today come from the cookbook, “At My Grandmother’s Knee,” and was written by, Faye Porter. It was published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee.

Well, let’s quit gabbing and fire off the cook stove…ya ready?

Creamed Chicken on Cornbread:

• ½ stick of butter
• 2 tablespoons minced celery
• 1 tablespoon minced onions
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute’ the celery and onions for 3 minutes. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Add the broth, cream, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken. Simmer until heated. Remove from stove.

The Cornbread:

• 1 stick butter
• ½ cup self-rising flour
• ½ cup self-rising cornmeal
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ½ cup of buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the butter in an 8 inch cast-iron skillet and place in the oven until melted. Remove from the oven (do not allow the butter to brown.)

In a medium bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, eggs and buttermilk. Add the melted butter and stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the hot, cast-iron skillet.

Bake for twenty minutes, or until lightly browned. To serve, slice the cornbread into 8 slices and cover with the hot, creamed chicken.

Kelly Simms

Franklin, Tennessee

Grannie’s Mac ‘N’ Cheese:

• 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
• ½ stick of butter
• 2-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup of milk
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¼ cup minced onion
• 1 tablespoon paprika

Preheat your oven to 350.

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain the macaroni well and return it to the pot you cooked it in. Add the butter and stir until completely melted. Add 2 cups of the cheese.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs with the milk. Stir in the mustard and onion.

Pour the egg mixture over the macaroni and stir well. Pour the macaroni into a lightly greased 8 inch square baking pan. Top with the remaining half a cup of cheese and sprinkle the paprika on top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and browned.

Lisa Glasner

Nashville, Tennessee

Mamaw’s Strawberry Pudding Cake:

• 1 box (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup water
• 1 box (1.5 ounces) instant vanilla or lemon pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups mashed strawberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 12 maraschino cherries, halved

Preheat the oven to 350

Add the cake mix, eggs, oil, and water to a large bowl and miz well. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 13 x 9 inch glass baking pan.

In a small bowl combine the pudding mix with the milk and beat until all lumps are gone. Pour the prepared pudding over the top of the cake batter.

In a separate small bowl mix the mashed strawberries with the sugar. Spoon the strawberry mixture on top of the pudding mixture.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is firm, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cake completely. Before serving, spread the whipped cream topping on top of the cake and decorate with the maraschino cherries. Refrigerate any leftover cake.

Alison Harris

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

The woman’s husband also comes home. She puts her lover in the closet, not realizing that the little boy is in there already.

The little boy says, ‘Dark in here.’
The man says, ‘Yes, it is.’
Boy: ‘I have a 7 Iron.’
Man: ‘That’s nice’
Boy: ‘Want to buy it?’
Man: ‘No, thanks.’
Boy: ‘My Dad’s outside.’
Man: ‘OK, how much?’
Boy: ‘$450′

In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the lover are in the closet together..

Boy: ‘Dark in here.’
Man: ‘Yes, it is.’
Boy: ‘I have a golf glove.’
The lover, remembering the last time,
Asks the boy, How much?’
Boy: ‘$250′
Man: ‘Sold.’

A few days later, the Dad says to the boy, ‘Grab your clubs, let’s go to the range and hit a few.’ The boy says, ‘I can’t, I sold my 7 iron and my glove.’ The Dad asks, ‘How much did you sell them for?’
Boy: ‘$700′

The Dad says, ‘That’s terrible to over charge your friends like that…that is way more than those two things cost. I’m taking you to church, to confession.’

They go to the church and the Dad makes the little boy sit in the confessional booth and closes the door.

The boy says, ‘Dark in here.’

The priest says, ‘Don’t start that shit again; you’re in my closet now.

This came last night from a good buddy of ours. I got a big kick out of it, and hope you guys do so as well.

What does this have to do with our recipes for today? Absolutely nuthin!

So, let’s go ahead and check out our recipes for today. Once more they are provided by a cookbook we found that is actually right up my and Deb’s alley…“White Trash Cooking!”

Day Old Fried Fish:

• 3 bay leaves
• 1 bunch of green onions chopped, or one medium yellow onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1 large clove of garlic
• ¼ cup of white vinegar
• 1 lime (use only the juice
• 3 tablespoons of ketchup
• ½ cup of stewed tomatoes
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• Left over fried fish

Heat oil in iron skillet. Fry green onions and garlic until limp. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and cook 15 minutes. Then add lime juice, ketchup, vinegar, salt pepper, and Tabasco. Cook another 15 minutes.
Place cold fish in deep dish in layers, and pour the above ingredients while hot over the cold fish and let stand in the refrigerator for two hours up to two days. The longer you let it stand, the better the flavors.

Salmon Pie:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• ½ teaspoon butter
• ½ cup buttered breadcrumbs
• ½ cup sweet milk
• 2 teaspoons chopped onion
• ½ teaspoon sage
• 1… 1 pound can salmon, drained

Combine all ingredients; place in 8 inch greased casserole dish. Bake on 350 for 40 minutes.

Aunt Cora’s Coleslaw:

• 1 medium head of cabbage
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• ½ pint of mayonnaise (use more if you like it juicy)
• 3 heaping tablespoons of pickle relish (a little juice)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Shred and chop the cabbage head until it’s as fine as you like it, and then put it in a bowl. To the bowl, add your onion, mayonnaise, pickle relish, salt and pepper to taste (black pepper is very important to a good coleslaw). Now let it stand in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

This is perfect for your fish fry, with hush puppies, home fries, or grits.

1-2-3-4 Cake:

• 1 cup oleo
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 scant cup milk or water
• 2-1/2 teaspoons Calumet baking powder
• ½ teaspoon each of McCormick’s lemon and vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Cream oleo, sugar, and egg yolks. Sift baking flour, salt and flour together. Add alternately with liquid; add flavorings. Fold in stiffly-beaten egg whites last.

Bake in tube pan on 300 for 1-1/4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.