Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Summertime is the season to indulge in a perfect combination of tangy and sweet desserts like this Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake.    Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake Bars These delightful Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake Bars have the perfect combination of flavors, the ease of the recipe, and the ease of carrying it somewhere.   Perfect for any celebrations, picnics, potlucks, or grand enough for any dinner party. Gooey Butter Cake has been around for many years.  It all started with the made from scratch version supposedly made by accident by a man in a St. Louis bakery.  Then, in the early 70s, Paula Deen introduced her version using a butter cake mix.  Since then, there have been many versions of the Gooey Butter Cake. With the ease of making recipes that call for few ingredients, I can whip up a batch of these bars in no time.   I had a couple of cups of blueberries that needed to be eaten, so I added them to the recipe.  The tartness of the lemon zest and cream cheese and the sweetness of t

Old Fashioned Hot Water Cornbread

Enjoy these  little medallions with collard greens, purple hull peas, fried catfish, soup, chili, and the list goes on! Granny's Old Fashioned Hot Water Cornbread Old Fashioned Hot Water Cornbread just like Grandma used to make.  Hot Water Cornbread is more about the feel of the batter than a precise measurement.  The main thing is to get the right consistency with the hot water and the cornmeal mixture. Making Old Fashioned Hot Water Cornbread is more about the feel of the batter than a precise measurement.   The main thing is to get the right consistency with the water and cornmeal mixture.

Oven Smoked Brisket

Oven Smoked Brisket is tender meat that tastes like it has been smoked in a smoker for hours.  You don't need a smoker to enjoy this mouthwatering oven smoked brisket. Beef Brisket Smoked In The Oven The best Texas style brisket is tender without falling apart while slicing, and it has that thick layer of smoky, peppery bark surrounding each slice.  This recipe meets all of those standards. Brisket was a new cut of meat, you might say, at our house growing up as a teenager. When my mother first started cooking brisket, she would cook them in the oven at first, and then, when she got a smoker, she started smoking them. The best part about my mother cooking brisket was not how she cooked them but how she selected the one to buy. The briskets you buy in Texas are usually known as a packer cut—this means that it’s the entire chest muscle, and most of the time covered with a generous layer of fat and weighs anywhere from seven to eleven pounds. 

Very Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins are made with simple, straightforward ingredients and bursting with fresh blueberries.  To taste even better, they are topped with a sweet streusel topping. Classic Blueberry Crumble Muffins These classic blueberry muffins are always a welcomed treat for breakfast or an easy grab and go snack.  They are so easy to make you will be making them often. These are my husband's favorite muffins.  So much so that I decided to update the recipe and add a streusel topping to them.  They are extra fluffy, soft, and moist.  Just like the ones you get in a bakery.   If you are a fan of these blueberries, try my recipe for  Very Blueberry Breakfast Cake ,  Lemon Blueberry Squash Bread , and  Blueberry Scones .

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with mini chocolate chips are sure to please everyone for a special occasion or any day.   These melt in your mouth chocolate chip pancakes are rich, buttery, light, and fluffy, and incredibly easy to make.  Top them with whip cream, and fresh fruit, then drizzle them with warm pure maple syrup. Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes If you want to wow your guest with big smiles on their faces, tell them you are making Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes for breakfast. We love pancakes at our house, but when special occasions come, we pull out all the stops, birthdays and sleepovers are some of our favorites. My buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes are fluffy sweet pancakes with the tang of buttermilk seeping through, giving them the perfect morning dream come true. What I love about making pancakes is there are no crazy ingredients to come up with.  I mostly just need to make sure my buttermilk is fresh.  I use full fat buttermilk in my pancake recipe, yielding the

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a fast and easy recipe that is perfectly sweet with brown sugar and loaded with oatmeal. Oatmeal No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies This is a classic cookie recipe for those that can't have or just prefer not to eat chocolate.   These Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a version of the famous  Chocolate No Bake Cookies  using cocoa powder that I grew up eating in the 50s.  I am especially a fan of no bake cookies during the summer month.  Not having to turn the oven on is a big plus. They always satisfy the craving for something sweet.  I love the moist, chewy texture and rich peanut butter flavor that just takes minutes to make, and the hardest part is waiting on them to set up so you can eat them. When my children were small, I would give them a spoon to scrape the sides of the pan and get all that yummy peanut butter mixture.

Sesame Ginger Bone In Pork Chops

Juicy tender pork chops marinated with a sesame ginger vinaigrette and baked in the oven to perfection. 2-Ingredient Baked Sesame Ginger Pork Chops  A brief time in the refrigerator gives the bone in thick pork chops loads of flavor while tenderizing the meat.  Even if you don't have time for the pork chops to hang out in the marinate, skip the marinating and pour the sesame ginger vinaigrette over them just before you bake them in the oven. Still delicious. I like to cook thick cut porterhouse pork chops with the bone in them because there is so much more flavor.   Other cuts of pork chops will work, like boneless pork chops, sirloin pork chops, and thin cut pork chops, sometimes called rib pork chops.     There is no need to complicate dinner when you can make this simple meal that everyone will enjoy.  You will only need two ingredients,  Maria's Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette and pork chops. Once they go in the oven, you can have a wholesome meal on the table in less than 45 min

Buttery Lobster Tails

Buttery lobster tails served with garlic butter sauce will wow any dinner guest for any special occasion, especially Valentine's.  Incredibly Easy Lobster Tails When you think of lobster tails,  a pricy restaurant meal you could never cook at home comes to mind.  I used to be intimidated and feel the same way until I watched my son-in-law make them at home.   What a fun meal we had, you will want to start making them for special occasions. My son-in-law, Ben, and I love to cook together.  On most holidays and a weekend of trying new recipes,  we will get in the kitchen and cook together.   For Christmas, it is our  Standing Rib Roast , Easter is our  Whole Bone In Ham , and a tailgate appetizer is  Grilled Whole Jalapeno Poppers . For this recipe, I have included two methods of preparation with tips and tidbits, how to broil lobster tails and how to bake lobster tails. 

Super Size Bunless Patty Melts

Two mouthwatering juicy hamburger patties layered with Monterey Jack cheese, caramelized onions, and the Whataburger secret sauce.  Patty Melt {Whataburger Copycat Without The Bun} This version of the popular Whataburger patty melt is delicious and easy comfort food the whole family will love.   I love patty melts. This Whataburger copycat is the perfect version for gameday parties, weeknight dinners, and more.  The sandwich can be great without a bun or toast. To make it easy for your guest, serve them without the bun, but for those who want buns or Texas toast, do them separately. 

Hearty Split Pea Soup with Leftover Hambone

Hearty Split Pea Soup is made with a meaty hambone, generous carrots, onions, and celery, yielding a flavorful broth.  It is easy to make on the stovetop, but I have added a slow cooker and instant pot option. Split Pea Soup It is soup weather, and Split Pea is one of my personal favorites.  So easy to make, and what better time to use the hambone leftover from the holidays.  There is so much flavor from the bone and meat I always save it for later when I cook beans or collards . This soup recipe is all about going back to my childhood using old fashioned ingredients you have in your kitchen.  The split peas are cheap, and you already have your hambone. The carrots and celery are also inexpensive, a delicious humble soup. I use fresh thyme, a couple of bay leaves, chicken stock, or vegetable stock to elevate the flavor.