If not, I want you to know “straight up” Miz Judi, the possum…was Deb’s idea! LOL!

Well, we better get started this morning, and maybe, just maybe, ole Judi won’t know we even cooked a dern possum in her kithchen, huh? Let me fire off the cook stove, and away we go!

You guys know by now that Deb and I love lookin at cookbooks, and probably me, worse than her. If ya’ll remember the old recipe for getting to sleep at night, well, it was just countin some sheep.

That just never would do it for me. I’d much rather go to sleep countin something else…like pork roasts! So, many times I’ll read through a cookbook just prior to “hittin the sack.” Works every time!

Last night I was readin through a cookbook, “Deep South Staples…or, how to survive in a southern kitchen without a can of cream of mushroom soup,” written by, Robert St. John. Now for ole Sandra, out in Vicksburg, Mr. St. John is a fellow Mississipian…Hattiesburg. It’s published by, the Different Drummer Press, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

So if Mr. St. John uses any language that our Northern, or “Yankee friends” don’t cotton to, well, just give ole Sandra a ring…she’ll interpret it for you guys! Her HOME phone number is…601, jus kiddin Sandra! LOL!!

I’ve looked through this cookbook several times, but last night I went to readin it in earnest, and I gotta tell you, this guy is a hoot! I laughed out loud several times, and I REALLY, enjoy a laugh! It’s great! Once more, get ya one!

Buttermilk Chicken

• 8 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Poultry Seasoning (below)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease (or canola oil)
• 2 cups Mushroom Bechamel Sauce (below)
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup green onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, combine garlic, buttermilk, salt, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and pour over the chicken. Allow to marinate for 1 to 2 hours. After marinating, remove the chicken and reserve the buttermilk marinade. Add poultry seasoning and pepper to the flour.

Place bacon grease in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly flour chicken and brown on both sides in the skillet.

Pour chicken into a 3 quart Pyrex baking dish. Combine marinade, mushroom béchamel sauce, green onion, and sour cream. Spread mixture evenly over chicken. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. (or, until done).

Poultry Seasoning

• ¼ cup Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
• ¼ cup garlic powder
• ¼ cup white pepper
• ¼ cup lemon pepper
• ¼ cup celery salt

Combine and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Yield…1-1/4 cups

Mushroom Bechamel Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, light
• ½ cup onion, minced
• ¼ cup shallot, minced
• ¼ cup celery, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic, granulated
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 10 oz. mushrooms, cleaned, and sliced (4 cups)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 cup whipping cream

Heat oil in a 3 quart saucepot over low heat. Add onions, shallots, celery and salt. Cook vegetables until tender. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Add chicken broth, garlic, and thyme. Bring back to a simmer and cook 10 more minutes.

In a separate skillet, make a light-blonde roux by melting butter and stirring in flour. Add to simmering broth mixture. Cook 3 to 4 minutes and add cream. Freezes well. Yield…2 quarts.

Jill’s Sweet Potatoes

• 4 cups sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 sticks butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup Rice Krispies
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13×9 inch casserole dish. Combine hot sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, cream, half the butter, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl; mix thoroughly. Add sweet potatoe mixture to greased casserole dish.

Combine Rice Krispies, pecans, walnuts and remaining butter, and the brown sugar in a bowl. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center is hot. Yield…10 to 12 servings.

Baked Possum

• 1 large, adult possum

Skin and gut the possum. Place on a nice pine board and slide that combination into a hot oven. Cook for 4 hours. When the possum is thoroughly cooked, remove the possum from the oven…and eat the pine board! LOL!

This book is full of tales, such as, “the possum.” It has some great recipes, and keeps a grin on your face throughout! Like I said a little earlier…next time in town, just give it a look-see!