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

Can you believe that Christmas is almost here once again? Good Lord…where does the time go? Quickly, and you’ll probably be told this by us a few more times prior to…Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year as well.

Boy, don’t you know that there’s a ton of kids who’ll be finding getting to sleep mighty hard just here directly. I remember myself as a child, and man, oh man, was Christmas Eve the longest night of the year by far! I could hardly get to sleep wonderin what ole Santa Claus might be droppin off at our place.

I remember one Christmas that my Dad put a dern cow patty (manure) in my stocking. I got up, reached up inside the dern thing, and there it was, just as pretty as you please. Dad asked, “What’d ya get son?”

I replied that Santa had evidently brought me a cow… but the dern thing done got up and run off! It always was pretty hard to catch me at a loss for words! LOL!

Well, quickly I heard read a story a buddy of ours in Georgia sent to us the other day, and I thought that I’d like to share it with you guys today. This has absolutely nothing at all to do with cooking, or recipes, but I found the story heartwarming enough that I figured several of you might like to read of this too.

It is the story of an injured elephant in the wild that a human walked up on, saw he was injured in some way, and the man helped this wild elephant out. It’s a great story, and is another example of a wild animal and human bonding together. Please read and send on to others if you’d like.

The Injured Elephant Story

Okay, what’d you guys think of the elephant story?

With that taken care of, why don’t we fire off the ole cook stove?

Our first recipe today comes from a good friend of ours from Virginia. Her name is Diane, and I think maybe for just a little bit, Diane may be “quite a card!” She sent us this Christmas cookie recipe, and I believe you’ll like it.

Our other two recipes today come from the “Heritage of America Cookbook,” and this was put out by Better Homes and Gardens.

We hope you enjoy them all!

Christmas Lace Cookies Recipe:

• 1 cup melted butter or margarine
• 2 cups quick oats
• 3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine butter, oats, sugar and flavoring.

Mix well.

Drop 1/2 tsp of batter on well-greased (or line baking sheet with aluminum foil/parchment paper) baking sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake at 325 in oven for 10 minutes or until cookies are thin.

Cool slightly and remove from baking sheet with spatula.

Diane

Peach Pie:

• ½ to ¾ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A dash of ground nutmeg
• 6 cups thinly sliced, peeled peaches, or frozen unsweetened peach slices
• Pastry for Double-crust Pie (see below)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Dash ground cinnamon
• Milk

In a large mixing bowl stir together the ½ to ¾ cup sugar, flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add fresh or frozen peaches. Gently toss till the peaches are coated. If using frozen peaches, let stand for 15 to 30 minutes or till peaches are partially thawed but still icy.

Prepare and roll out the pastry as directed (again, see below for pie crust recipe). Line a 9 inch pie plate with HALF of the pastry. Stir peach mixture, then transfer to the pastry lined pie plate. Trim the bottom pastry to the edge of the pie plate.

Cut slits in the top crust. Place top crust on filling. Seal and crimp edge. In a small bowl stir together the 1 teaspoon sugar and the dash of cinnamon. Brush top crust with milk and sprinkle with the sugar-cinnamon mixture.

To prevent over browning, cover edge of the pie with foil. Bake on 375 for 25 minutes for fresh peaches (50 minutes for frozen peaches). Remove foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more for fresh peaches (20 to 30 minutes more for frozen peaches), or until top is golden. Cool pie on a wire rack.

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening or lard
• 6-7 tablespoons cold water

In a mixing bowl stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening till pieces are the size of small peas.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat till all is moistened. Divide dough in half. Form each half of dough into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, flatten each ball of dough with your hands. Roll out dough from center to edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around a rolling pin. Unroll pastry onto a 9 inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry even with the rim of the pie plate.

For top crust, repeat rolling remaining dough. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Fill pastry in pie plate with desired filling. Place the top crust on filling. Trim top crust to ½ beyond edge of plate. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust; flute edge.

Bake as directed in individual recipes.

Apple-Cherry Pie:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen pitted tart red cherries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples
• Pastry for Double-Crust Pie (see above recipe)
• 2 tablespoons butter, or margarine
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Dash of ground cinnamon

If using frozen cherries, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or till partially thawed. Stir together the 1 cup sugar, flour, the 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and the nutmeg; set aside.

In a large bowl combine cherries and apple slices. Add sugar mixture. Toss to coat. Transfer to pastry lined 9 inch pie plate. Dot fruit with butter. Adjust top crust. Seal and flute edge.

If desired, cut decorative shapes from dough scraps. Brush the backsides of the shapes with milk and arrange on the top crust. Cut slits into the top crust. Brush top crust with milk. Combine the ½ teaspoon sugar, and the dash of cinnamon; sprinkle over crust. Cover edge with foil.

Bake on 375 for 25 minutes (50 minutes if using frozen cherries). Remove foil. Bake for 20 to 25 more minutes or till the top is golden and fruit is tender.

You know that Deb’s had me…GASP…on a diet. I’m down to 278, which happens to be, hang on, I’m tryin to do the math. I’ve had to kick my shoes off to help me add this up…hmm, looks like…39 pounds. Shoot, if I’d been a normal size guy to start off with, I’d probably look like I had aids by now!! LOL!!

But, being as I was, well, let’s see, kinda pleasantly plump, I’m still…kinda pleasantly plump, just not quite so bad!! LOL!!

Anyway, desserts have not been on Deb and my list of things to eat for the last few months. She surely doesn’t need the sugar, and dad-gummit, I REALLY don’t either! So, most times now, desserts to us are like…fantasizing!

Yeah, it’s quite a bit different than fantasizing at say, age 25, but I gotta tell ya something. I can’t honestly say that my fantasizing over a dern dessert at age 55, is ANY LESS appealing than fantasizing over, well, let’s just say something else, when I was 25!! LOL!!

I think Deb does pretty well in regards to no desserts, but dern if I don’t miss em!

Quickly though, I have to tell you this morning, that Deb is doing absolutely great! She still feels good, looks good, and is very, very positive that here before long, this stuff will be whipped! What an inspiration she is to me!

So, today, in honor of I, and we, can’t have them, we’re gonna fire off the cook stove and talk lovingly of…DESSERTS! I guess after cooking them up, we’ll just…feed em to the dogs!

Ain’t it a dern shame you guys don’t live a little closer? If so, you could have swung by the house here this morning, and took these babies back home with you today…for about 6-7 bucks a pop!! LOL!

Let’s get started…

These recipes today come from the cookbook, “Best Kept Secrets of the South’s Best Cooks.” It is compiled by the editors of Southern Living.

Sweet Potato Cobbler:

• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, (about 1-1/2 pounds)
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1-2/3 cups self-rising flour
• ½ cup buttermilk
• **Streusel Topping (see below)

Melt ½ cup butter in a 10-1/2 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Whisk in whipping cream, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg. Remove from heat.

Layer sweet potato slices evenly in cream mixture. Cover with aluminum foil, and place on a baking sheet.

Bake on 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover.

Cut 1/3 cup butter into flour with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly; stir in buttermilk until moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 to 4 times. Pat or roll dough onto a 10-1/2 inch circle; place over cobbler. Sprinkle with Streusel topping.

Bake uncovered, on 350, for 25 minutes or until golden.

Streusel Topping:

• 1/3 cup uncooked regular oats
• 1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Combine oats, flour and brown sugar; cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in pecans.

Lemon-Blueberry Cream Pie:

• 1-2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 (3.4 oz.) package lemon instant pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons blueberry preserves
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh blueberries

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, and granulated sugar; press evenly in bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate.

Bake on 350 for 8 minutes; remove to a wire rack, and cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, milk, and powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add pudding mix, rind, and juice; beat until blended. Spread half of lemon mixture evenly onto crust.
Stir together blueberries and preserves; spread evenly over lemon mixture. Spread remaining lemon mixture over blueberry mixture; cover and chill for 2 hours, or until set.

Beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, and spread around outer edge of pie, forming a 3 inch border. Garnish, if desired.

Fried Strawberry Pies:

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, mashed
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 (15 oz.) package of refrigerated pie crusts
• Vegetable oil
• Powdered sugar

Combine strawberries, granulated sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring strawberry mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute, or until thickened. Cool completely.

Roll 1 piecrust to press out fold lines’ cut into 9 circles with a 3 inch cutter. Roll circles into 3-1/2 inch diameters; moisten edges with water. Spoon 2 teaspoons strawberry mixture in the center of a circle; fold over, pressing edges to seal. Repeat with remaining crust and strawberry mixture. Place pies on a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze at least 1 hour.

Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch into a large heavy skillet; heat to 350. Fry pies in batches, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with powdered sugar.