White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies....Paula Deen Style.

Who doesnt like Paula Deen and her Southern cooking? I happen to love Paula. Her food, her humor and her southerness. Most people are trying to live a heathy lifestyle, and i can understand that, but sometimes you just have to live a little. One of my weaknesses is cookies. Warm, yummy, mouthwatering cookies straight from the oven. YUM!!!! Ive made every cookie you can think of since my children were little. My oldest son is 26. So can you imagine all the cookies ive cooked in 26 years? So so many. When i came across these cookies by Paula Deen called White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies, my mouth went to watering, and i just had to try them. Let me tell you this much, honey. These cookies are to die for!!! Easy recipes are what attract me into giving them a try, and these fit the bill. White chocolate and cherry. You can only imagine. I knew something this good only could come from that famous Geogia Peach, Mrs Paula Deen.  

Do yourself and your family and friends a favor and try them for yourself. You wont be sorry!!! ENJOY

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2   large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup candied cherries

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Set aside.  Sift together flour, soda, and salt.  Add milk then add flour, soda, and salt to butter mixture.  In another bowl, combine nuts, cherries and white chocolate.  Then add to mixture, stirring only to blend.  Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.  Bake for approximately 11-13 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Winter in Dixie and Loaded Baked Potato Soup

As winter draws near to a close here, down south. I wanted to share one of my all time favorite crockpot soup recipes with ya'll. Loaded baked potato soup is so filling. All the flavors of a baked potato, in a creamy, yummy soup and better yet, fuss free because you just put the ingredients in your crockpot in the morning, and that evening....supper is done. Our winters here in Mississippi arent as bad they are up in the Northern states. But, they are cold to us because we are used to sweltering heat and humidity. Swatting mosquitoes are a way of life here and even though we have had a cold winter, i have still seen a few. So that goes to show you that it didnt get cold enough to make them run and hide. Still, winter and fall are my favorite times of the year and i love cooking one pot meals. Who doesnt like less clean up? Soups, stews, chili, jambalya, you get the idea :). Whatever makes your life more simple, right? Serve this soup with some shredded cheese on top, bacon chopped and a few chopped green onions, some crusty bread and your family will think you have been in the kitchen all day. Enjoy!!!

Ingredients

6 large baking potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 quart chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced (or pressed)
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cream or half-and-half cream
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 cup sour cream 
8 slices bacon, fried & crumbled
cheese, for sprinkling

Directions

Combine first seven ingredients in a large crockpot; cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours (potato should be tender). 

Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soupy is slightly thickened. Stir in cream, cheese and green onion

Top with sour cream (if used), sprinkle with bacon and more cheese and chopped green onion.

Southern Cornbread

Lets talk Cornbread......Not the sweet kind that you may eat up North, but the succulent Southern kind, that is made with no sugar, or hardly any sugar, baked in a pan that is slathered ( yes i said slathered lol) with bacon grease that makes the tastiest crust.  As a kid growing up in Texas, we ate ALOT of cornbread. It tastes great with soups, stews, a big ol pot of pinto beans, or black eye peas, etc. If you havent tried it with a huge frosty glass of buttermilk, then you have no idea what you are missing. The smells that come out of a southern kitchen while supper is being prepared, are the best aromas on earth. Baking this cornbread, will give you a little piece of that heaven. So get your paper and pen handy, and jot down this quick, but oh so delishous recipe, and bring a little South to your table tonight. 

Southern cornbread

2 cups white self - rising cornmeal
1/2-TSP baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
2-cups buttermilk
2- tablespoons bacon grease (or vegetable oil)
#6 cast iron skillet

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place both tablespoons of fat of choice in a #6 cast iron skillet (bacon grease taste the best but vegetable oil or shortening works with a little added salt) Put
skillet in oven to preheat, Combine cornmeal, baking soda, eggs and buttermilk in bowl.
Whisk together until well blended. Carefully remove hot skillet from oven and pour grease from skillet into batter. Pour batter into skillet which will sizzle and may splatter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes

Beautiful Vicksburg Mississippi and Southern Fried Catfish

Recently my husband and I, along with my 2 teenage sons went on a mini vacation to Vicksburg Mississippi. Let me say this about it. Its absolutely charming and the history, so much history in this beautiful old city! One of the places we visited was the Vicksburg National Military Park. Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful National Memorials. It is one of the most heavily monumented parks in the world with over 1330 monuments, tablets, markers and plaques. The landscape is kept in emaculent condition and you can almost feel the history as you step out into the park. Another great place to visit is the Old Courthouse Museum. The Old courthouse was built in 1858 and stands today as Vicksburg most historic structure. There are thousands of artifacts housed in this Beautiful old building and if you are a civil war buff, then its a must see. The Antebellum homes downtown are absolutely gorgeous. Most of them are bed and breakfasts now, so you have a chance to spend a romantic night or weekend in them. There was just so much to see and experience there and you will need a good 5 days to see it all. The people of Vicksburg were very welcoming and hospitable. They are a proud people always eager to share the history of their fine city with you! Each day you are there, you can look forward to the tasty restaurants that are awaiting you, after a day spent sight seeing. No matter what you food preference is, Vicksburg has it, whether it be, fine dining, casual, or fast food. I hope that anyone reading my blog will consider a vacation to Vicksburg Mississippi. You wont regret it :) In the mean time cook up some good ole Southern Fried Catfish from the recipe below and taste a little bit of the south in your own home!!!

Southern Fried Catfish 

Ingredients

---

• 4-5 lbs catfish fillets
• 1 cup finely ground yellow corn meal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• ½-¾ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• ground cayenne pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp yellow prepared mustard
• 1 Tbsp Louisiana style hot sauce
• oil for frying, enough to completely submerge fish

---

Directions

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Rinse catfish filets and drain on paper towel. Mix all dry ingredients together in shallow bowl. Put eggs, buttermilk, mustard and Louisiana hot sauce in a separate bowl and mix well. Soak catfish filets in wet ingredients for 10min. Remove filets one at a time and coat evenly with cornmeal mixture. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, drain on paper towels. I serve this with hushpuppies and coleslaw. Yummy :)

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Southern Pea Salad w/Cheese

In my last post I mentioned our Sunday Dinners including Pea Salad. This is an old family recipe that Id like to share with ya'll. Enjoy :)


PEA SALAD W/CHEESE

Ingredients

• 15 ounces canned peas, drained*
• 1 cup cheddar or Colby cheese, chopped in small squares*
• 1 cup celery, coarsely chopped*
• 1/4 cup Red Onion, chopped*
• 2 hard boiled Eggs, chopped*
• DRESSING:
• 1/2 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup bacon bits 

Directions

• Place peas, cubed cheese, chopped hard boiled eggs, celery and onions in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over pea and cheese mixture and blend well. If desired, fold in bacon bits.
• Cover and refrigerate before serving. Doubles easily.

*Note:Frozen peas can be used; place the peas in a strainer in the sink. Pour boiling water over the peas to thaw; and then allow peas to cool before preparing the salad.

What I love about the South!!!

Have you ever visited the South? Or maybe you were lucky enough to have been raised in one of the quiet, little charming towns, that uniquely make up this great part of the United States. There is a great deal to be said about the Southern people and their heritage, way of life. I am one of the lucky ones who was raised in a small little town among proud people where God, family and community came before anything else. Families taught their kids morals and respect. You always sat down to Sunday dinner with family and a lot of times with extended family. Sunday dinners may include Fried catfish, hushpuppies, Fried Chicken, Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Green beans with onions and bacon, Pea salad, Skillet fried cabbage, rolls and a Yummy cobbler or desert. Lets not forget about the Sweet Tea, with or without lemon!! Of course menus changed from house to house, but you get the picture. Sundays were something to look forward to, a day to gather and relax with the ones you love the most. I remember I could walk next door to the neighbors house and be treated like one of their own children, as my family did the same for the neighbors children. The summers are HOT down south, but we always found a way to keep cool as children. Squirting each other with the water hose was a favorite pastime as was swimming in the bayou. Oh i shudder to think about getting in that muddy water now, and seeing the gators laying up on the banks as we jumped in off of a rope swing from the tree, all the while thinking as long as they are up on the bank then we are safe. That wasnt the smartest thing to do. As a matter of fact it was down right stupid LOL but we lived to tell about it. My sweet parents never even knew that we did it. Now it scares the wits out of me thinking my children would do that and I have warned them to never do it, least they get ate by an alligator ( even though they are on the bayou banks). I had such a great experience growing up in the south.I continue to love this part of our great country :)