These Sweet Spiced Figs are an excellent addition to any charcuterie board, or you can serve them as an appetizer with cheese. Sweet Pickled Figs The original recipe was called Sweet Pickled Figs, but we now refer to them as Spiced Sweet Figs to better enhance the true flavor profile. These have a unique taste and will surprise you. They have become one of the recipes we so look forward to making every year. Jim's Mother had the fig tree, and as soon as the figs were ready to be picked, we would gather 3 quarts to make sweet spiced figs. Since then, Jim's mother has passed away. However, we still enjoy fresh figs from my daughter, Jennifer's growing fig tree. This past week, we picked enough plump figs to make several jars of sweet, spiced figs. The recipe is simple with few ingredients. You start off by cooking them with vinegar, sugar, and pickling spice for 10 minutes, three consecutive days. These ...
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Perfect Green Beans
Perfect Green Beans have to be fresh, crisp in texture, and seasoned perfectly. These Green Beans have all of the above, making them perfect. How To Cook Green Beans Perfectly My recipe for these sauteed green beans is easy to make with only four ingredients, and it cooks in under 10 minutes, so you can whip them up just before serving. My foolproof recipe for cooking fresh green beans perfectly begins with a hot skillet and two tablespoons of olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper, and toss them often to coat with the oil as they release their juices. Next, reduce the heat to medium-high, cover them with a lid, and toss occasionally until tender. Just before serving, add a couple of tablespoons of butter, and season with the perfect seasoning, Grill Mate Montreal Steak Seasoning . Green beans are a reasonably inexpensive vegetable and make a great side dish. They were a great accompaniment to my Stuffed Bell Peppers ...
Blackberry Dumplings Cobbler
Blackberry Dumplings Cobbler features luscious, juicy blackberries layered between three layers of buttery, flaky crust, with a rich syrup of butter, sugar, vanilla, and water poured over the entire cobbler. Old Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler Blackberry Cobbler is a timeless, old-fashioned dessert inspired by my mother's recipe. She liked to layer pie crust between layers of blackberries. This is where all the magic happens when the dough in the center forms pillows of tender dumplings. I know you're thinking, 'Why am I posting a recipe for blackberries, a summer berry?' Well, we love blackberries and eat them throughout the year. I missed the window for posting the recipe this summer and thought, why not? When I was young and newly married, blackberries were only in the grocery stores and, better yet, on the vines during blackberry season in the summer. The produce these days has changed so much. We now see blackberries all yea...
Chicken Terrific With A Surprise Twist
For an easy family meal, try cooking this delicious chicken casserole. The surprising ingredients make it truly terrific. Chicken Spectacular Casserole The Chicken Casserole is sometimes called Chicken Spectacular, featuring wild rice, water chestnuts, and French-style green beans, giving it a twist on a classic chicken and rice casserole. It is generously topped with buttery herb stuffing. My daughter introduced me to this recipe several years ago. Chicken Terrific is a favorite casserole on her dinner table and has become a favorite of mine as well. The dish makes a lot, and with five growing boys, she wants a dish that gives leftovers. Now that her family has grown, she makes two. This is not your typical casserole. The ingredients might surprise you, including wild rice, water chestnuts, French-style green beans, and a buttery herb stuffing that elevates it to the next level. In fact, it's even better the next day when al...
Stew Okra and Tomatoes
This stewed okra and tomato recipe is as classic as it gets for a summer dish in the South, featuring fresh okra. However, don't worry, frozen okra saves the day during the winter months. Southern Stewed Okra and Tomatoes Southern Stewed Fresh Okra, a humble but beloved Southern favorite, has spicy Creole flavors for a mouthwatering side dish. This recipe calls for fresh or canned vegetables, so no rules. Use what is in the pantry or refrigerator. Since I still had plenty of okra leftover from the last blog post, I decided to make my Mother's Creole Okra. Her recipe starts off with bacon. How yummy can you get it? Then, it comes together with the flavors of onion and tomato, and she continues to layer on flavors depending on what she has on hand. This recipe I added onion, bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, and minced garlic. Growing up, this delicious dish often made center stage on our dinner table, serving it with rice or cornbread.
Fluffy Angel Roll Biscuits
Fluffy Angel Roll Biscuits are light and fluffy, melting deliciously in your mouth. The yeast gives them fluffiness, and buttermilk keeps them fluffy. FLUFFY YEAST BISCUIT ROLLS These yeast biscuit rolls are soft and airy, similar to a dinner roll, but the addition of baking powder and baking soda gives them the structure of a sturdy biscuit. Since yeast was introduced to the baking world in the late 1950s, it is no surprise that they have been popular ever since. Angel biscuits stir many memories of my youth. I learned to make these biscuits in my Home Economics class as a junior in high school. Wow! That will age you thinking about Home Economics. I cut the shortening into the flour mixture in a large bowl for years with my trusty old wire pastry blender, the first step of most biscuit recipes. However, in the last few years, I have adapted the recipe to use my electric mixer with a dough hook. Since I started blogging,...
Creamy Jalapeno Corn Casserole
Creamy Jalapeno Corn Casserole , featuring cream cheese and whole kernel corn with a hint of kick from jalapenos, makes this an inviting casserole for any meal. THREE-INGREDIENT CREAMY CORN CASSEROLE The Creamy Corn Casserole recipe is a budget-friendly side dish that requires only three ingredients and can feed a crowd, making it perfect for potlucks and family gatherings. Our Thanksgiving menu is done, and this Creamy Jalapeno Corn Casserole is one of our favorite side dishes. It is easy and quick, with a great combination of flavor and crunch from the jalapenos and corn. The jalapeños in the dish give an incredible kick in flavor, but not too much heat. This makes it nice for everyone to enjoy, including the children.
Heavenly Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
These Heavenly Homemade Cinnamon Rolls take only minutes to rise. Bake for 15 minutes, and then ready to eat. Don't forget to drizzle lavishly with powdered sugar icing. THE BEST HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS These are the most straightforward cinnamon rolls from scratch. They are perfect for yeast beginners because there is only one 30-minute rise. This is the best cinnamon roll recipe you will ever make. It only took a little nudging from the family for me to make my homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast this Thanksgiving morning. Over the years, I have tweaked this recipe from my Mother's recipe for Angel Biscuits . I think each time I make them, my daughter, Jennifer, says, "Mom, these are the best ones you have ever made." From the Grandchildren and Jim asking me to make them, they just keep getting better and better every time. This is a light dough, yet loaded with lots of butter, sugar, and cinnamon and lavishly drizzled with heavenly icing. ...
Pineapple Chess Pie
Pineapple chess pie has all the ingredients of a traditional chess pie except for adding a small can of crushed pineapple. PINEAPPLE CHESS PIE {Granny's Recipe} When I think of some of the pies that my Mother would make during the holidays, I think of this beautiful Pineapple Chess pie, which is rich and delicious. Isn't it funny how we remember certain things about our Mother's traditions? About one week before the holidays, Mother would set up a dessert table. Do you remember when there were card tables? Beside her buffet, she would lay a pretty tablecloth on a card table, and as she made the desserts, she would place them on the table, ready for guests to enjoy. As a little girl growing up, I always thought, "That is just what I am going to do when I get married "Have a Dessert Table." Well, I kept my plans, which I did about one week before the big day. Now that I am a grandmother, I love to see my grandchildren's eyes light up when they g...
A Southern Classic! His and Her Sweet Potato Casserole
His and Her Sweet Potato Casserole brings two Thanksgiving traditions together. Creamy, smooth sweet potatoes are crisis-crossed with toasted marshmallows and a crunchy pecan topping. Scrumptious!! SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE Southern Sweet Potato Casserole starts with baked sweet potatoes peeled and creamed in a food processor with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon to get that velvety smooth texture. It is indeed simple to make with few ingredients, perfect for the holidays. His and Her Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect sweet potato dish. Half of our family likes the marshmallow topping, and half likes the crumble topping, so last year, I came up with the idea of serving one dish with two variations. It was such a hit that I decided to make it again this year. The miniature marshmallows toast beautifully alongside the crumble topping, and the smooth texture of the sweet potatoes just melts in your mouth. Two Thanksgiving traditions in one fabulous d...
Baked Apple Cinnamon Delights
Baked Apple Cinnamon Delights are baked in a lovely bath of apple cider that simmers into a beautiful syrup. Serve them stuffed with glazed pecans, hot or cold, with a dollop of whipped cream. POACHED APPLES WITH CANDIED GLAZED PECANS Poached apples are soft, subtly sweet apples baked in apple cider syrup and cinnamon sticks, then topped with brown sugar and apple pie spice, making for a wholesome and delicious dessert. When buying apples for my Crockpot Apple Butter, Apple Pie Fritters , and my husband, who eats an apple a day, I decided to make some Baked Apples. I served these at one of the catering events I hosted. We made 250 of them. You would think I never wanted to see them again, but they were such a hit I decided to make a batch for my husband. These poached apples are a simple way to achieve an almost perfect way to enjoy the purest flavor of an apple. They are peeled, cored, baked in apple cider, then baked more with brown sug...
Stuffed Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Glaze
Collards and Cornbread Stuffed Pork Chops, juicy, thick gorgeous pork chops slit with a pocket of collard greens and cornbread stuffing and then placed under the broiler with a glaze of pepper jelly. COLLARDS AND CORNBREAD STUFFED PORK CHOPS These pork chops make a beautiful presentation for any restaurant meal experience you want for your guests or just a celebratory dinner for your family. When I saw these thick pork chops at Sams, I knew I wanted to stuff them. My husband had his eye on grilling, and after I had talked him into stuffing them, he got a sparkle in his eyes.
Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie
Old fashioned Chicken Pot Pie is made with whole chicken, mixed vegetables, and homemade white sauce, baked in a flaky crust. Homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Copycat Marie Callender's) One bite of this scrumptious homemade chicken pot pie and your family will know why homemade from start to finish is the only way, just like the widely known chicken pot pie from Marie Callender. While my daughter in love, Brandy, was on bedrest awaiting the arrival of our granddaughter, her friend, Rachel brought over this delicious Chicken Pot Pie. Rachel's Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie recipe should definitely be added to your repertoire. She says, "It is her Mom's famous Chicken Pot Pie! "We LOVE this...it's a must at every holiday." To my surprise, Brandy had one baking in the oven when we arrived on our next visit.
Blackberry Pie Bars
Blackberry Pie Bars have a buttery shortbread crust, a creamy custard filling with a generous serving of fresh blackberries running through, and a delicious cookie crumble streusel topping. BLACKBERRY CREAMY PIE BARS These Blackberry Pie Bars make a super easy summer treat. They are perfect for brunch, entertaining guests, and as a simple accompaniment to an afternoon coffee break. I am a huge fan of pie bars. You are probably familiar with the Pumpkin Pie Bars that roll out in the fall months. Then spring comes, and we see the Lemon Bars make an appearance. But when summer rolls around, I become a huge fan of these blackberry pie bar treats. I'm so impressed with the crafting of these pie bars. Though they are called pie bars, they handle like cookie bars and roar like a blackberry cream pie. They are seriously delicious!
Kay's Swiss Steak
Swiss steak is an inch-thick beef round steak tenderized and browned, then simmered low and slow in a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs on the stovetop or in the oven. THE BEST OLD FASHIONED SWISS STEAK This old-fashioned Swiss steak, with fork-tender meat alongside a billowing pile of mashed potatoes smothered in a beefy tomato gravy, is the ultimate comfort food. Swiss steak is a method of preparing meat, usually beef, by rolling or pounding it and then braising it in a stockpot, either on a stove or in an oven. The name does not refer to Switzerland but to the process of "swissing," which involves pounding or running fabric or other materials through rollers to soften them, in this case, meat.
