Super Simple Snack Idea

I needed to make something snack-y for lunch boxes this week but was low on eggs. This is what I came up with and it turned out super yummy and was really simple. It's made from a cake mix but tastes like a cookie. Only four ingredients. What more could you want?

Chocolate Chip Bars


1 box butter recipe cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 (11 oz) pkg chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your 13x9 pan. Combine cake mix, eggs and butter until blended. Fold in chips. Press into pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool then cut into bars.

Add nuts if you want. Make variations as well.
Use chocolate cake mix for double chocolate chip bars or mint chocolate for mint chocolate chip bars. You get the idea.

Southern Staples

My little patient is resting and recuperating. So I'm finally back to the kitchen. I love cooking in the summer when everything is fresh from the garden.

I thought I'd share one of my favorites, a Southern staple--stewed tomatoes. Our tomatoes are really starting to ripen and I had a big bunch ready at the same time. I made this favorite with them and it was out-of-this-world yummy. A big pile of stewed tomatoes served over rice, you don't get any more southern than that. Well, maybe if you served it with a side of cracklin cornbread. But even I'm not that old school southern. Mama don't eat no cracklins.

Making stewed tomatoes is oh so simple. I never use a recipe, it just depends on how many tomatoes I have. If we have a hankering for them in the winter, I simply use a large can of crushed tomatoes. If you're using fresh ones, I'd use about six to eight tomatoes, depending on their size. Peel them, cut them up (preferably over a bowl to save the juices) and dump them in the pot. To this pot you're going to add salt and pepper to taste. I like a generous portion of black pepper in my stewed tomatoes. And the only other ingredient--bacon grease.

Okay, I'm letting you in on a little secret. most good southern cooks I know keep a cup of bacon grease in the refrigerator. Don't turn your nose up, you non-southern gals. It is the essence of yumminess and the secret to good southern cooking. After I cook my bacon (which I do in the microwave) I save the grease in a little coffee cup.

One or two heaping tablespoons should be all you need for this many tomatoes. You add more when you use more tomatoes. That's all there is to it. And you end up with a little pot of heaven.




And speaking of a little bit of heaven...peaches are starting to get ripe down here. We picked the first peach ever off our own peach trees. It was small but the best one EVER.

Have a happy Rednesday. Be sure to visit over at http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/
and get you cup full of bacon grease.

Gardening, Good Food, Great Time with Family...the Recipe for a Simply Extraordinary Life

Sweet weekends. This one was filled with all the things I loved. Jack's strep meant cancelling a youth group outing (sorry guys), but it did allow me to have some quiet at-home time with everyone there, which is my very favorite thing. There were lots of little things I wanted to tell you or show you. But, I figured we'd just have one long talk instead a thousand little chats.

I've been busy in the yard with planting and transplanting. My iris FINALLY bloomed. I planted some a couple of years ago, one from a friend and one from my aunt, and they have refused to bloom for me despite my constant pleading. I think they gave in and bloomed because they got tired of me making a fool of myself in the neighborhood by whining to plants. All that anticipation made it even more special when the first one finally did bloom. There's another that is just about ready to open up. I transplanted lots more that I got from my mom's house.




I also rearranged furniture in my workroom (the kids call it the parlor). It houses my desk and papers, crafting supplies, and a little spot I just fixed for visiting and sipping coffee. I'll take a picture of that for another day. Anyway, I moved my desk to a spot under the window and decided to go out and cut some roses to put in the little pitcher that sits on top. I can't remember exactly where I came upon the sweet little vase--Goodwill, yard sale--but, as I was filling it with water, I noticed a label on the bottom that read 'Made Exclusively for You by Judy Purdhom Fitzgerald, Georgia'. I'd just like to say thank you, Ms. Judy Purdhom. I love the things you made and they brighten my day when I look at them.

And, you'll never guess what my husband did for me...he washed all the windows, inside and out. Wasn't that the sweetest? Don't know what got into him, but I wasn't about to stand in his way.

I guess I'd better give you the menus for the week. I do have other things to tell you and show you, like some flea market finds I got (one for a nickel that I'm so excited about) and of a project I want to make. I'd better save those for another post. Here in the south we say, "She talked my ear off," meaning she went on and on. Is it possible to blog your ear off? I could probably come close. Back to recipes.

Monday--Sweet and Sour Chicken (in Betty Crocker cookbook), rice, salad with Mandarin Poppy Seed Dressing (Winn Dixie brand, it's so very yummy)

Tuesday--Anytime Meatballs, Crockpot Mac & Cheese, Carrot Sticks

Wednesday--Ham and Cheese Gratin, Roasted Asparagus, Rolls

Thursday--Buffalo Shrimp, leftover mac & cheese, Salad

Friday--BBQ Sandwiches, Chips, Coleslaw

Saturday--(you guessed it) Homemade Pizza

Sunday--Leftover Buffet (Lay out everything in the fridge and let them go through, fix there plates, and zap it in the microwave)

I'd better go for now. Meredith and I are finally gonna get to go to the strawberry patch. Hope you have a wonderful Monday.

By Request

Today's been a visiting kind of day. First with the ladies at Bible study, then with my very dear aunt and uncle, and then with my neighbor. And I'm only partly through the afternoon. Now it's time to visit with you for a few minutes. What a great spring day it's turning out to be.

First, I'll report on the diet progress. Day 2 and I didn't go insane yesterday without sugar or flour, even after making a batch of cookies for the kids. I promise, I didn't even lick the spoon. When I hopped on the scale this morning I'd lost three pounds! I know, I hopped back on to double check. I think God was giving me a gracious jumpstart.

Today has gone well too. I did almost have a mishap at lunch though. I had promised Meredith a trip to McDonald's on our way to Aunt Betty's and when I went to order I automatically said I'd take a hamburger and fries. I then had to tell her to scratch that and make it a salad instead. Oh, that was a hard one! I do love me some hot McDonald's french fries. It was only later that I realized it wouldn't technically have been cheating to eat the fries since we'd just said no flour and no sugar, but I wasn't going back. Besides, it saved some starch and some grease that I didn't need.

Now to the requests. I have been given some specific recipe requests and asked to just share my recipes in general. I do love to cook. I guess I'll pass on the info, y'all can eat it. I'll pretend while I eat my salad. Joey also requested that I include my menu plan for the week. Yes, I make out a menu plan that I try to go by for the week. It's one of the many lists I make. The GoGo's had a song on their Vacation album back when I was in high school (yes, that dates me, you do the math) and it went something like "I am a girl of a hundred lists..." and that is me in a nutshell. It could be my theme song. Maybe if I was any good at technical stuff I could figure out how to play it on here. Sorry, I'm digressing.

Back to the menu list. I will put that on here weekly for all who are interested on Mondays. It's nothing fancy. I don't usually do things that are complicated because of busy schedules, kids to please, and from the fact that I like it simple. I've always found that the simpler it is the better it is. That's goes for just about anything. I'll list the main dish and sides. If it's fairly simple I won't give the recipe for it, but you can always just comment that you want to know how I make it and I'd be happy to explain. I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information. And I do have a tendency to ramble on.

Monday--Mini Meatloaves, Rice A Roni (I know it's not gourmet but everybody loves it and it was on sale last week), Corn, and rolls

Tuesday--Grilled Chicken, green beans with new potatoes, and fruit salad

Wednesday--Grilled pork chops (I'm trying to be a good girl), baked beans, tossed salad

Thursday--out to eat this week

Friday--smoked sausage, macaroni & cheese, and glazed carrots

Saturday--homemade pizza

Sunday--baked ham, potato supreme, and Five Layer Strawberry Pie (that's my contribution to the family Easter dinner)

I'll have to come back later and post the actual recipes. Right now I've got to run out and meet the school bus. Hope you're having a great day.