They say to state your New Year resolutions in more specific terms. Not, I’m going to lose weight, but I’m going to lose 10 pounds this year. Not, I’m going to save more money, but I will put $50 in my savings account each payday or I’m going to save an emergency fund of $2000. Express your desire to do better in certain terms. Get the idea?
A Little bit better.
Tiny plate, tiny spoon.
I know better than to say I’m giving up sweets for the new year. So, I’ll just have smaller portions. We should be realistic in our goals as well.
Happy New Year Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
A late breakfast of bread pudding and sausage was more like brunch. I wasn’t really hungry so, I prepared a little Christmas tea for my mid-day meal.
The electric tea kettle is a Chefman and works great.
I love the electric tea kettle. And the plain white tea pot. And the Snoopy tea cup and saucer. The oblong dish filled with goodies is vintage Avon, along with a 1970’s Christmas a napkin. I love them, too.
Christmas tea for one.
In the tea pot is Biscotti tea from Red Stick Spice Company. It is so good! They are in Baton Rouge, LA. Shop on-line, if you can’t get to Baton Rouge. Here’s a link:
It would be easy to jump into the bustle of the holiday, but I decided to stay in this Saturday and practice the pause. I could have just grabbed a cold drink and a snack, not bothering with a plate, but chose to have something elegant.
Tea time is a deliberate practice: Choosing the size of tea pot, selecting the tea cup and saucer, deciding on what to nibble on with your tea and finding a tray to hold it all. It makes you slow down. You hone the skill of patience, as the water boils and the tea steeps.
Christmas carols are in my head. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is on the television. I’m surrounded by my Nativity Scenes, tucked here and there on book shelves and the mantle. A quiet Saturday before the rush of the next two weeks of the Christmas season.
I’m telling my age by writing this, but a memory of a cardboard “fireplace” came to my mind the other week. I asked some people I know around my own age, ahem, and they all remembered the fake red brick fireplace, brought out at Christmas time. It had fake flames, a fan and a light to simulate a fire.
Now, I don’t know if we actually had one of these cardboard Christmas time wonders. I should ask my older brothers… Any way, I may have seen one somewhere. A cousin’s house, maybe? Or a neighbor’s?
Nostalgia got the better of me. I googled, I searched Pinterest and found lots of pics of what I remembered.
Not wanting to drop any money on either a vintage faux fireplace or a new version, I decided to collect boxes from work and make my own.
I found Charlie and Snoopy at a big box store and thought they could flank either side of my homemade version of the cardboard fireplace. Charlie and Snoopy are full of Nostalgia of their own. All will go out onto the blue porch, along with a collection of snowmen and a Nativity scene.
Christmas is coming Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
I’ve been under the weather for over a week. Excuse this sentence if you are easily grossed out, but if snot were a commodity, I could have cornered the market last week. Tests for covid and flu were negative; I’ve never had covid, but I have had the flu many times. And whatever I had, it felt a whole bunch like the latter. Steroids and a broad spectrum antibiotic, oh my! I figured I’d add some comfort food along with the prescribed meds now that I’m no longer prone. Self-care 101.
Slow-cooker Chicken Noodle Soup simmered midmorning to early evening. A boneless, skinless chicken breast was nestled down in the middle of onion, potatoes, carrots, frozen corn, and broccoli. Seasoned liberally with salt, pepper, Tony’s seasoning, garlic, and basil. One can of chicken broth with two cans of water. Egg noodles were added the last 15 minutes of simmering. Simple cheese toast was served alongside a hearty bowl of goodness.
Friday night’s supper hit the spot.
In recent weeks, cider recipes have been flashing through social media. I’ve never made cider and can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had a mug of it. Thinking that the concentration of fresh fruit and spices may benefit my recovery from the gunk, I decided to tweak the many recipes I looked up. Here’s what I did for
Small Batch Spiced Cider:
In an 8 quart pot, I simmered 2 Gala apples and 2 Honeycrisp apples, cored and cut into chunks. I added 3 each of navel oranges and little mandarin oranges, peeled and chunked as well. Five cinnamon sticks, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. To sweeten it, I added a scant 1/3 cup of white sugar and a 1/ 3 cup of MaBell cane syrup. If you cannot get MaBell cane syrup, try Brer Rabbit.
All of this was covered with 6 cups of water. It cooked down for two hours over medium heat with the pot lid vented. After the fruit was cooked down and the cinnamon sticks removed, it was carefully put through a strainer, packing and squeezing the solids to extract the juice. I then strained it a second time through a couple of layers of cheese cloth.
Now, I do not have any designated cider mugs. I’m not sure what it’s served in, although the term ‘a mug of cider’ rings in the back of my mind somewhere. So, shopping around in my cupboards and hutches, I found my pretty Flora Gold Louisa pattern. They’re a pretty autumnal color and hold heat well.
I heated the cider back up with just a tiny bit of salt to cut the sweetness and brighten the orange and apple flavors. The heated cider was poured into a warmed tea pot and placed on a pretty tray. And yes, that’s candy corn and dry roasted peanuts mixed together. Tastes like a Payday candy bar.
Pop your favorite microwave popcorn. I used 3 single serve Orville Redenbacher popcorn. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the popped corn in as much as a single layer as you can. Set this to the side.
Next, make the jelly caramel. I used mayhaw because that’s what I had in the pantry. Any mild jelly will do, like crabapple or apple apple. In a 2 quart, heavy bottom pot melt 1/2 stick of salted butter and a 1/2 cup of mayhaw jelly, over medium high heat. It’s going to bubble up; stir it constantly while it reduces. Turn the heat down a little bit and add 1 tablespoon of honey and a splash of vanilla. Whisk in and continue to reduce the jelly mixture. It’s ready to drizzle over the popcorn when it coats a spoon. Carefully pour evenly over the popcorn. Now, add 1/ 2 cup chocolate chips and, if you like, shake on some seasonal colored sprinkles. Gently toss everything together. The warmth of the caramel will help to melt the chocolate chips and set the sprinkles. Serve in your popcorn bowl set… what? You don’t have a popcorn bowl set? No problem. Any big bowl will do.
Mmmm, is the right sentiment about this snack. So good for watching college football. Or make a batch and take it to Fall Fest.
The seasons go from summer to autumn on Monday. In the produce section yesterday, pretty USA strawberries and apples were part of my purchase. Strawberries harken the warmer months, and apples beckon the cooler. I combined the fruits for a nice fruity dessert. Or snack. Or breakfast.
3/4 cup strawberries, washed, stemmed, and thinly sliced
More salted butter, cut into pats
What to do:
Into a 9×9 casserole dish or 9 inch pie plate, pour a little of the melted butter to coat the bottom. Set to the side. Preheat oven to 350°.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and the rest of the melted butter. This will be the crumble top.
Next, arrange your apples in the dish in a single layer. Then, top the apples with the sliced strawberries. Take a few of the pats of butter and dot evenly over the fruit.
Then, take the crumble mixture and sprinkle over the butter and fruit, covering well. Place the rest of the butter pats evenly over the top.
Place the filled dish in the center of the oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is nice and brown.
I served this apple strawberry crumble with a few dollops of light strawberry ice cream and stuck a few crispy apple skins on top. That link is above in the ingredients list.
It’s that time of year when the calendar says autumn, but the temperature says summer. This crumble is a tasty blending of those two seasons. September and October are months of reflection and anticipation. It’s not quite the end of the year, but close. Have we met any of the goals we set back in January? Well, you have three more months and a few days…
Seasons of change Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
One of my grandsons has been diagnosed with different food allergies. With this in mind and wanting chocolate chip cookies today, I started messing around in the kitchen. Wanting the crunch that pecans or walnuts give a traditional chocolate chip cookie, I replaced them with a half cup crispy rice cereal. This recipe should be safe for those with allergies to nuts. In the list of ingredients, I’ve mentioned specific brands on purpose, as the labels say they nut free or have no allergy warnings. Please note: don’t just take my word for it; you read the labels for yourself.
Small BatchCrispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup Pioneer Baking Mix
1/2 cup Great Value rice crisps cereal
1/2 cup Nestlé Allergen Free chocolate chips
Here’s what to do:
Preheat the oven to 350° degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set to the side.
In a medium bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients well. Then, fold the baking mix, rice cereal and chocolate chips.
Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet using a teaspoon. These cookies spread a little as they bake, so leave at least an inch between each.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until they are golden brown. Cool and enjoy.
These cookies are buttery and have a crunchy outside and a chewy inside. The recipe is a small batch, making 12 or so. Add one to your child’s lunchbox for a goody surprise or enjoy yourself with your favorite beverage.
It’s Baby Boy’s birthday today. It’s been ten years since he’s asked for a German chocolate cake.
I used a box mix for the cake layers but made the icing from scratch.
It takes a lot of bowls and steps to make this two layer cake. Of course, I taste tested along the way. I think it will pass the test.
The chocolate icing is a cross between genache and chocolate butter cream. Adding a half cup of chocolate chips when melting the butter gives it a nice sheen.I made a dam using some of the chocolate icing to hold the coconut filling in place. Top layer before the crumb coat. After covering the entire cake with chocolate icing, it was placed in the fridge to firm up.Out of the fridge and piped with a few little shells and rosettes to hold the rest of the coconut icing.
What’s your favorite summertime sip? Is it sweet tea or lemonade? A simple syrup using fresh, sweet basil can liven up these tried and true refreshers. I grow pots of fresh basil each summer; I love to cook with it.
Here’s what I do:
I pluck a few sprigs of sweet basil, rinse them and remove the stems. In a 1 quart pot, I put 1 cup of water and a 3/4 cup of white sugar. Then I stir it to dissolve the sugar. Next, I drop in the basil leaves. Then it simmers over medium heat till it reduces and makes a syrup. I remove the basil leaves and add 2 cups of water into the basil syrup and 2 big tea bags. Then I steep to the strength that I prefer. I like it more medium than dark.
Porch sipping
I pour the sweet basil tea into a pretty pitcher and keep it in the frig. It never lasts long. Serve over ice and enjoy.
Note: The basil syrup can be added to your homemade lemonade. It’s such a nice flavor combo!
Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer. The origins of Memorial Day are claimed by different states, but all began after the Civil War to honor the fallen.
I’ve spent my time off from work gardening and canning. The flower patch has been hit and miss this spring. I’ve planted twice and have had as many volunteers come up as I’ve had those I purposely planted.
The row of Isabellina zinnias are some of the flowers planted early. They have not disappointed. Such a lovely pale yellow.
Green beans, snap beans, string beans – whatever they’re called, the one row I planted have been making this last week. Another bucket was picked on Saturday and I canned them Sunday evening.
In the pantry are three quarts and 12 pints. I like having a full larder for the year. I’ll probably have another picking of beans and a subsequent canning.
I spent a good bit of the weekend cutting grass. Coreopsis planted last year has been beautiful this spring, but it is going to seed. Resseding itself is exactly what I want it to do.
The bike ‘lane’ is planted in cosmos and mixed zinnias and should be in full bloom in a few weeks. I did some cloud spotting while mowing.
This morning, I drove to my eldest’s. He and his wife are selling homegrown vegetables and fresh baked sour dough from their farmstand. They’ve done such a great job building it and filling it! Heron Hollow is what they named their place. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16DTAG7Jo5/
Support your local farmstands and farmers’ markets this summer.
George and I were gardening beasts today. We tag teamed cutting the field, being sure to dodge the coreopsis planted last summer. The drifts of coreopsis and tickseed should be in full-glory yellow bloom starting next week. I picked a faffing bouquet and included a few sprigs of red clover. Ellie Phant seems happy with it. We planted the parade of bikes in the S-swath, along with mixed zinnias and white and pink cosmos. I’m praying the predicted rain will be just the right amount and that everything will germinate and grow as planned. Yesterday, on my way back from Baton Rouge, I stopped at the garden center that Handy Hardware opened. Tomato plants, pepper plants and beautiful, blue Louisiana iris were bought. Such friendly, helpful folks at Handy Hardware. Stop by if you’re in Magnolia. Everything was planted today, including 4 pots of Alstromeria Parrot Lily, I’ve been babying since February. I’m hoping they do well in the ground and spread. It’s such a favorite of hummingbirds.
I’ve had a potting shed built in the back garden. It houses the well and has room to store garden tools. Along the south wall, antique windows are mounted to let in the light. Under the windows is an L-shaped work space. At the end of the work space, in the corner, stands a sink. The porcelain sink had been in the barn collecting leaves; the base is, an old Singer sewing machine that long ago had been my great grandmother’s. I learned to sew using the treadle sewing machine. My daddy taught me how to use it.
I could gleefully go from December 26th straight to March 1st. I don’t like winter. January eeks by. And though it’s the shortest in days, February is a long month.
Itching for spring, I potted up a few zinnia and bishop flower seeds. It’s a windy, warm day today, but rain is coming later tonight, and the temperature will drop back down to finish the month out cold.
February is my birthday month. It’s a big one this year: 60. I admit that I’m not handling it very well. Then I think about my daddy. He died young, age 47, five days after my 16th birthday. That sad anniversary date is another reason February drags on. My daddy never got to be old. He missed so much, and I miss him so much.
Inside the potting shedThe sun comes in pretty.The sink will come in handy this spring and summer.
Is this really Mississippi? Like really southern Mississippi? We’re less than 3 hours from Coastal Mississippi or the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America….
They predicted snow and were right.
We started renovations on the porch back in October, so excuse the tools and boards in the pic. The elephant was my mother’s. The base of the bird bath was, too. I put the pretty blue gazing ball on top after the birdbath bowl was broken. The elephant hasn’t complained about the cold weather. It was 10° F yesterday.
Marigold didn’t want anything to do with the snow while we were in blizzard conditions on Tuesday. (Yeah, the weather people called it a blizzard!) Anyway, Wednesday, Marigold didn’t want to come in. Yes, I have a warm place up on the new porch for her. Here she is in front of that wonderful mayhaw tree. I’m hoping this cold weather will set record fruit yields in the spring. Ah, spring…
The camellias got bitten pretty hard, so their season is probably over for the year.
Herman and Tex were turned into snowmen.
I’m looking forward to spring, but I understand that in every life, a little snow must fall. Really, I’m enjoying the different seasons.
The new porch; I’m looking forward to sipping tea there in warmer days.
Have you ever been junking and come across a glass or ceramic disc with holes in it and wondered, ‘What is this thing?’ Well, it’s a flower frog. It can turn any shallow dish into a flower vessel.
Some moan about there being no flowers in winter. I beg to differ. Plant camellias. If azaleas are the Fun Girls from Mt Pilot who come bursting onto the scene every spring, camellias are the steady and elegant Helen and Thelma Lou. They never demand attention but command your attention.
I took a walk around my camellia garden; they are loaded with buds and beginning to bloom. A big handful of ruffled blooms came back to the house. In the kitchen, I snipped and began to arrange the blooms, but they tumbled out of my flower bowl. I remembered I had a flower frog and no more tumbling flowers. It’s a very handy flower arranging tool.
So, the next time you see one, grab it.
#flowerfrog
#flowersproper
#camellias
#winterflowers
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DELl99AxaoTq1FLvXo2O8Kn7JE6Sfqrij0GYZ00/?igsh=NjN1MGVrZW4wbHZ2
Do you want an easy breakfast recipe for Christmas morning? Prep time is 15 minutes and bake time is 30 minutes. What am I talking about? Well, its store-bought croissants, chocolate chips and a baked custard. I’m not sure what to call it. Delicious, I’ll just say it’s delicious.
Here’s what to do:
In a small oven proof skillet, melt 3 pats of butter, while the oven preheats to 350°.
Split lengthwise 5 to 6 small croissants and set aside.
Crack two eggs into a small bowl and whisk them well. Set aside.
Making the custard:
On the stove, in a one quart pot, combine 1 cup half-and-half, a scant half cup of granulated sugar and a teaspoon of pure vanilla. Heat over medium heat till it just begins to boil.
Now, pour just a little of the hot half-and-half mixture into the eggs and quickly whisk them together to temper the eggs. Repeat. Then, when the eggs are tempered, pour them into the pot with the rest of the half-and-half mixture, whisking to incorporate. Turn off the stove.
Putting it together:
Next, take the hot skillet from the oven and place it on the stove. Be careful. Arrange the bottom halves of the croissants in the buttered skillet. Top each half with a sprinkling of granulated sugar and chocolate chips. Place the croissant tops over each. Then, pour the custard over the prepared croissants. Sprinkle the top with additional sugar. Just a little. The sugar will caramelize and make the tops crunch.
Bake it:
Place croisssant custard in the preheated 350° oven in the middle. Fill a shallow, oven proof dish with water and place on a lower rack. This will help to evenly cook the custard. Bake for 30 minutes or until a case knife put in the center comes out clean.
Chocolate chip croissant custardThe tops have a nice caramelized crunch.
Serve with your breakfast favorites; mine are coffee and bacon… I hope you try this recipe.
What to do with the leftovers from Thanksgiving ? Of course, some of the remaining turkey and dressing were placed in containers, labeled and tucked into the freezer. They’ll be pulled out for easy meals later in the new year.
Breakfast Biscuits were made with leftover ham and cheese this weekend. Waste not, want not, ya know?
Here’s what I did:
I preheated the oven to 350°. In an iron skillet, I melted a pat of butter by placing it in the oven as it heated up.
I then measured Pioneer Baking Mix, according to the directions on the box, into a medium-sized bowl. One cup of Dubliner cheese chopped small, one cup of chopped ham and half a stick of melted butter were added to the bowl.
Then, I added enough 2% milk to bring everything together. Using an oven mitt, I retrieved the hot skillet and placed it on the stove and dropped my batter into cathead biscuits. Then the skillet was returned to the oven and the biscuits baked till their tops were a light golden brown. About 20 minutes.
A side of Two Brooks Grits (a Mississippi company) and leftover cranberry sauce accompanied the ham and cheese biscuits.
Let me know if you try this recipe.
Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
We also had some silly fun with a big pack of kazoo.
I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately. This time of year has me remembering all kinds of things. Nat King Cole has been featured a lot on my playlists. He was a favorite of my Daddy’s.
I’m trying to watch LSU play (?) Bama, right now. We just cannot manage a touchdown. Yeesh… Daddy graduated from LSU with a degree in mechanical engineering. I miss my Daddy.
The other week, two of my sons worked on Tilly, my Daddy’s Kubota tractor. She needed a new radiator and battery cables, so Lee and George fixed her up, and now she starts on the first try. Good job, guys! You’re Mama appreciates you. I know in my heart that my father would be proud to know that his grandsons are keeping the old girl going.
Here’s a nostalgic recipe for you, one I learned to make way back in Mrs. Deaton’s 8th grade home-ec class. Home Economics: Is that taught anywhere anymore? It should be. We’d all be healthier. I digress.
Old Fashioned No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies
Here’s what to do:
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a 2 qt pot, cook 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk, and a 1/4 cup cocoa powder over medium high heat. Stir till the butter is melted and these ingredients are mixed well. Bring to a boil that can’t be stirred down. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes. You’re basically making a fudge base.
Next, take the fudge mixture off the hot burner. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 cup of Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter, and 1/2 cup of allergen free chocolate chips. Stir until peanut butter and chocolate chips are melted. Then, fold in 3 cups quick cook oatmeal.
Using a spoon, drop cookie mixture onto prepared cookie sheets. The size of your spoon will determine how big your cookies will turn out. Big spoon, bigger cookies. Smaller spoon, yadayada.
It’s halftime and LSU is pitiful tonight. A cup of Community Coffee and Old -Fashioned No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies have been the highlight of this Saturday night.
I’m trying to watch the LSU Football game against South Carolina. It’s been a rough one. So, I thought I’d make brownies….
Ingredients:
1 stick of salted butter
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/2 cup allergen free chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup self-rising flour
Sprinkles, if desired
What to do:
Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9×9 pan.
In a 2 quart pot, over medium heat, melt butter, cocoa powder and chocolate chips, stirring to combine. Remove from heat. Add in sugar. Next, add the eggs one at a time, stirring each in quickly so they don’t curdle. Next, add in the vanilla. Lastly, stir in the self-rising flour until it combined; don’t over beat. Pour batter into prepared pan and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. The chocolate chips make these brownies nice and fudge-like.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350°
The second half has been better. I think I can say so because of the brownie ala mode.
Desert Rose cup and saucer for holding dessert
It’s the third quarter and LSU is down by one point. We’ll, no, now they’re down by four points. The brownie ala mode makes things better.
In the 7 o’clock hour this morning, I gathered zinnias from the flower patch. The pail filled up and the butterflies waved their wings at me.
To the open car trunk, the flowers, a jug of water, a broom and the string trimmer were put. Off to Baton Rouge, I went to tend to the cemetery plots of some of my family members.
A stop in Denham Springs at their big Rouses is a must for pit stop and a snack and filler flowers. I chose alstromeria for bouquet making this trip. And a bag of Candy Apple Caramel corn cousins came along for the ride… Yep!
I drove way down Florida Blvd to North Foster and took the first left. Roselawn Cemetery is on the right. The ancient oaks were beautiful, majestic, as always. But it’s an historic cemetery and I guess the owners have a difficult time keeping enough staff to maintain all of the grounds. In recent years, I’ve learned to bring my trimmer and a broom.
The ancient oaks are beautiful, even through a cracked windshield. Ha!
I followed the narrow road the way my Mama taught me. The Baby’s grave was first. He sadly died in utero years before there were ultrasounds and sonograms. His parents were my Aunt Mary Margaret and Uncle Louis Boudreaux. Uncle Louis never said much, maybe because Aunt Mary Magaret kept the conversation lively. She had a friendly smile and spoke with a lisp.
“Mandy, would like a Co-Cola? There’th thum in the frig. Get yourthelf one.”
Did I ever tell y’all the story of Aunt Mary Margaret and Wide, Wide Main Thweet? Well, here goes:
Mary Margaret was the baby of her sibling group, coming way after her brother and three sisters. She put up a fuss one afternoon to ride with her brother Oscar, who was going to town on an errand. Riding along Main Street in Baton Rouge, Oscar completed his errand and started to head home. In the back seat of the family car that winter day, Mary Margaret wanted him to stop and get her some ice cream.
“It’s too cold,” Oscar told his baby sister, meaning the weather was too cold.
“I like it that way,” said Mary Margaret, meaning the ice cream.
“No, Mary Margaret.”
“But I’m hot. I want ithe cream.”
“I’m not getting you any ice, Mary Margaret, and roll up that window. It’s too cold to ride with the window down, and it’s too cold for ice cream!”
They continued the drive home in stoney silence. Opening the car door to get his pouting baby sister from the back seat, Oscar saw that his hat was missing.
“Mary Margaret, where is my hat?”
“Wide, Wide Main Thweet!”
Sweet Aunt Margaret.
After tending Aunt Mary Margaret’s and Uncle Louis’ grave, I made the big loop through the cemetery to the front where my grandmother and her two older siblings are buried. I really had to employ my string trimmer and broom in this part of the cemetery. Roselawn needs to hire more grounds keepers.
Let’s see; Oscar Bueto, the older brother in the above story, and his wife Ollie, Berenice Madoline Bueto (my mother is named for her) and my grandmother Irma Mae Bueto Austin are buried on the same row.
Grandma was a tough lady. When she was born, the doctor said this baby’s not breathing, it’s dead and laid my grandmother off to the side. Her mother snatched her up and shook her till my grandmother started breathing. I’m so glad my great grandmother didn’t take the doctor at his word… Grandma was scrappy, intelligent and, yes, always a lady. A great combination.
This is my great grandmother’s grave, before I cleared it l. I neglected to take a pic of it afterward. Her name was Maggie.My grandmother’s grave. I miss her.
The last grave in Roselawn to tend was of my cousin Mary Lou Boudreaux Spencer. She was another sweet soul and one of Aunt Mary Margaret’s daughters. I remember her coming to our house the night my father died. She was standing near the kitchen and I went and stood next to her and started to take her hand, but then I didn’t. Mary Lou said, “No, take it.” And she offered her hand and she held on tight to mine for the longest time. I’m crying as I write this now. I’m so thankful for the tenderness of a cousin.
Before heading to Resthaven Cemetery, I decided to take a respite from the heat and get a repast. Coffee Call, a Baton Rouge landmark, was doing just that; calling me. So, a nice cup of coffee and fresh beignets hit the spot. If you’re in Baton Rouge, you’ll find them on College Drive. You won’t be disappointed.
My last stop, when I do the cemetery tour, is always the grave of my parents. I only had my Daddy for sixteen short years. He was 47 when he died quite suddenly on a late Friday night. But Daddy gave my brothers and me so many fun memories and conversations around the supper table packed with wisdom. He’d tell us that he was the last of the good guys, straighten his cowboy hat and then light a cigarette. I believed him then; I know it to be true now. Sunday, August 11th would have been his 91st birthday.
How I miss him. He shows up in the faces of my sons and grandchildren and in the little nuances of their personalities. Isn’t that funny and wonderful at the same time?
So, why make the pilgrimage to Baton Rouge every few months and do the cemetery tour? I go because Mama went with her mother and she with hers. It’s tradition, of course, but deeper also. I go because I knew these wonderfully kind, compassionate people or I know the stories told about them, which makes me feel like I knew them personally. I go because it would make my mother happy.
Just some pictures of some things that make me smile. The little elephant cream pitcher was my mother’s. The flowers are from my scaled down flower patch.
The kitchen window ledge: my mother’s cream pitcher and a collection of vintage cream and sugar bowls.
Last year, due to a late spring freeze and then a long summer drought, there were no fresh, locally grown blueberries. This year, the weather has been perfect for berries. The mayhaws in May were plentiful, and now in June, the blueberries are bountiful.
Blueberries are in the freezer and four batches of jam are cooling on the kitchen counter. Their tops are pinging; always a happy sound.
Enough blueberry jam for us to enjoy and also to give to friends and family.Taste testing is my favorite.
To the recipe from the pectin package, I added a pinch of salt and a dash of cinnamon. The spice gives it another layer of complimentary flavor.
George passed through the kitchen while I worked at the stove. I had my modern blues playing. Filling my jam jars.
He didn’t miss a beat: “You jamming. Literally!” Ha!
Supper!
Blessings from the jam pot of the Exile’s Kitchen.
Yep, it’s mayhaw season. The tree is loaded. And so we’re tarps this morning.
After an afternoon processing juice, I’m loaded with jelly. I made a mistake on one jar; I’m not sure if it will set up, so there’s an X on the lid. If that jar doesn’t set, I’ll mix it in some brewed tea.
The little dish off to the side is the foam or sponge scraped from the freshly cooked jelly. Remember to spoon off the foam so your jars of jelly will be clear. Biscuits are on the menu for a light supper and that scraped off part will grace each one.
Are you making jelly this year? Last year the weather did not cooperate. Late freezes and big spring storms killed all the berries – mayhaw and blueberry – in the back garden. So, I’m really happy this year. I should have blueberries late May early June.
Just as I was getting supper ready last night, the power went out. I had my mouth all set for homemade tacos and “sopaipillas,” but I wound up eating Oreos and ice cream. The power came back on at bedtime, so I just put tacos on hold for Saturday. But when I woke up this morning, I thought about the tortillas I was going to fry for dessert last night. Why not fry them up for breakfast? So, I did.
Using an iron skillet, I melted coconut oil over medium heat. The skillet was big enough to fry the small tortillas two at a time. They drained on paper towels, then were sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. I dressed my plate with lite whip topping , a drizzle of local honey, and a ration of bacon.
A walk to the mailbox had me enthralled with the blooming camellias, dotting the landscape. Their colors really brighten up the late winter garden. I picked a big handful and arranged them in a favorite vase.
Earlier in the day, I cleaned house, did a mountain of laundry while listening to albums I found last weekend at TBones in Hattiesburg.
After housework, I got in the kitchen and used up part of a cake mix to make cookie ice cream sandwiches.
If the egg is left out of the cake mix recipe, you can have cookies instead. Here’s what I did:
In a medium bowl, I dumped in the cake mix ( I had about 3/4 of a box mix). I added about a 1/2 cup chocolate chips and a generous dash of cinnamon and ginger. Then I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar and stirred all the dry ingenious together to coat the chocolate chips well. Next, I stirred in half a stick of butter, melted, and enough water to bring everything together. I pressed the cookie dough into a 10 × 12 cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Then I baked it in a 350° oven till the top was golden – 15 minutes or so.
Then I took a round cutter and, well, cut out rounds. I figured this method would be the most consistent.
I put a dollop of my favorite ice cream on one cookie and topped it with another. Repeating till I ran out of cookies, I then put them on a plate and placed them in the freezer to harden up. Each cookie sandwich was then stored in its own baggy and back into the freezer for individual snack time.
Note: Cool cookie completely before adding ice cream. I didn’t wait long enough, and the ice cream began to melt. Learn from my mistake.
The local PigWig wanted $3.99 for a pound bag of vanilla wafers. I wasn’t buying them at that price, because my finances are in penny pinching mode.
I baked my own instead, and though they have a slightly different texture, this recipe comes close to the iconic wafers we all know. The original recipe calls for unsalted butter, but use salted. I think the recipe needs it. When these little round cookies cool completely, they have a satisfying crunch.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 350° and line two ig baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, with an electric mixer cream together, sugars and butter till fluffy. Then add in the egg, vanilla and milk.
Next, add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, slowly incorporating. Chill the dough for about 10 minutes.
This dough is stiff, jsyk. Scoop 1/2 teaspoon size amount and roll into balls (I dampened my hands with cold water so the dough wouldn’t stick to my hands). Place each ball about an inch or so apart.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes till the wafers turn slightly golden.
When cooled, store in an air-tight container. This recipe made about 4 dozen wafers.
Homemade Vanilla Wafers taste tested with Smucker’s natural peanut butter.
Penny pinching Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
Each year, I look back at the media I’ve posted to see which color was predominantly displayed. From young seedlings, unplowed green space between flower swaths, a child’s t-ball jersey, an antique glass juicer, pretty potted mums, fresh from the garden vegetables and delicious turnip green soup- green showed up a lot, well, until the drought hit in late June.
The pots are still planted. I’m looking forward to the grandkids being in ball games this coming spring. Plans to move the flower/vegetable patch closer to the house for easier watering are being worked out. The new year is around the corner. I can see it. And I’m praying it will be a gentler year than 2023.
Happy New Year Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
This recipe serves four to five people, depending on their appetites. MaBell Sausage, a Mississippi company, now has a source for shipping sausage all over the country. Call MaBell’s Simply Shipping at 601-522-5954, if you’re wanting to send Sausage this holiday season – or anytime!
Greens are in season right now. My oldest son grew different types of greens and gave me two grocery bags full. Here’s a recipe using both fresh turnip greens and MaBell Sausage. Your slow-cooker makes this soup a great one to start in the morning and have it ready for lunch.
Ingredientsand what to do:
Add the first 6 ingredients to your slow-cooker.
Enough washed, sorted, and chopped turnip greens to fill an 8 quart slow-cooker. I don’t like eating the turnip stems, so I cut them off. Give your greens a good chop. You want them to fit in your soup spoon, ya know? Put your prepared greens in the slow-cooker.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15-ounce can of Great Northern beans, drained
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces. (My greens didn’t have any roots with them. Had they had roots, I would have added them instead of the potato.)
1 15-ounce can of chicken broth. Using the can, add 2 canfulls of water to the cooker.
A half a pound of MaBell’s Sausage, chopped into bite-sized pieces. I used mild sausage.
Seasoning the soup:
Add all of the following to the slow-cooker.
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
salt to taste
ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s mild Cajun seasoning
Stir all of the above into the tunip greens, cover and set slow-cooker to high. With the slow-cooker on high, the soup should be ready for lunch; set on low, the soup will be ready for supper.
Serve with homemade, buttered cornbread and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Sausage and Turnip Greens Soup
This soup is even better the next day, as the flavors have time to meld. Enjoy and let me know what you think.
It’s that time of year and mum’s the word. Chrysanthemums are flooding garden centers and pouring out of nearly everyone’s front porches. Mine included.
There’s a garden center in Wesson, MS, near Brookhaven, called Buds and Blooms.
I love that place. And boy, did they have the pumpkins and chrysanthemums. Their garden cat Ramona hopped onto my cart and helped me pick out my potted plants. You can find them at the link below.
I brought my selections home and did the pot in a pot trick. The mums probably won’t make it beyond the fall season, so I cleaned up a few empty garden pots and slipped them inside of those. Voila! No fuss, no muss.
Last spring, we planted the little sugar pumpkins, and I mixed them in with the pretty decorative pumpkins I bought at Buds and Blooms. A 1970’s planter (my mother’s) was a special add and held two of the little pumpkins.
During the eclipse yesterday, I took an update photo. The chrysanthemums have started to open. The sun was casting some interesting shadows on Saturday.
The flower show is a week away. I am so excited about the swath of white cosmos. One volunteer of coreopsis, planted from a DOT mix last summer, stands out like that cousin at the family reunion. You know the one; you don’t see them very often, but you enjoy their company and wish you lived closer, so you could visit more. There’s also, as far as I can tell in this early budding, one fushia cosmos near the front edge. So, the high purity rating on the bag of seeds was true. Possibly the fushia is another cousin -that loud cousin that when you see them you take your hamburger and go hide in the quiet garden to eat in peace. Just kidding. Maybe…
I’m nerding out about flowers again. But, hey, that’s what I do!
I was recently asked if I was planning a vacation this summer. No; I have precious few days left that I can take off from work. That being said, every evening is a mini vacation as I step into the garden. The sunflowers are coming along and the cosmos have begun to bud. Fresh picked squash. Zucchini bread just pulled from the oven. The Patriotic Pumpkin Patch is promising for autumn picking. I’ve seen a meme that goes something like ‘Into the garden I go to lose my mind and find my soul’. I don’t lose my mind, but the garden does settle my soul.
We lost our mother in April and learning to live without her is so new and, really, I don’t have adequate words to describe what it feels like.
As a very young woman, I went from my mother’s home to being newlywed and running my own. A wife, a mother, and kids almost all grown and on their own, I found myself divorced 30 years later. Back to Mama I went, which was good for both of us. Her health declined and I took care of her the best I knew how. Now, she’s gone. I don’t have anyone I need to tell my plans to. There is no one I need to consider, but myself. For us women, that is a foreign concept. I remind myself that it is perfectly fine to pick up and go at a moments notice. It’s kind of freeing, but also daunting.
I spent the spring at the ballfields, watching grandchildren play. That was nice, as in recent years I had missed a lot of their activities because Mama needed me. Suppers for one. Light laundry duty. Just Marigold for company in the evenings. I catch myself thinking, “When I get home, Mama will get a kick out of what happened at the grocery store.” But a second later, a sadness washes over my soul. Mama’s in heaven, not at my house. Then I think of all the joy she is experiencing in her new body and that Saint Peter is probably trying to rein in Mama and her three sisters. Man, did they have fun together on earth; in heaven- unrestrained elation!
So, into my garden I go almost each evening to pittle, to weed, to harvest. And my soul is settled.
Miss Marigold was at her food dish, when she realized her favorite person had gone out to get on the tractor. She stretched herself between the kitchen and dining room doorway and threw her soulful eyes at me. But I had just sat down with my cup of coffee and made her wait. Spoiled? Just a bit.
It’s strawberry season, so a pie is on tonight’s menu. Lemon Strawberry Pie. Put this recipe under refrigerator pies and Sunday dinner favorites. Also, it’s just in time for your Easter celebration.
Here’s what to do:
In a big mixing bowl whip up a small carton of heavy whipping cream… (what else does one do with whipping cream?). I added a 1/3 cup of sugar, a little salt and vanilla.
Once nice a fluffy, add the zest of one lemon, the juice of the same lemon and a can of sweetened condensed milk.
Mix all of that together, then add in a generous cup of fresh strawberries that have been washed, capped, sliced and lightly sweetened with a little sugar. I prepared my strawberries the night before, because this step is the most time consuming of this recipe. Slowly let the mixer incorporate the strawberries into the whipped mixture. Next, pour into a graham cracker crust.
I just used a store bought crust, but if you’re industrious enough to make your own, go for it!
Decorate the top of your pie with strawberry slices, if you wish. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and chill in the frig a few hours before serving.
George in the background, with that spoiled bloodhound Marigold.
The local Piggly Wiggly had some springy candies, so I bought Jordan Almonds and Gelly Frogs. They’re gilding the lily of my strawberry pie stand. Try this for Easter dessert.
Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen and spoiled Marigold.
It feels like I haven’t accomplished much on my old farmhouse, lately. However, a few pictures taken from the past and present, reminds me that slow progress is still progress.
I’m calling it the kitchen bedroom, because the space was the original kitchen – dark and depressing and far away from the rest of the house. You know, I had the new kitchen moved to a huge room that sat in the middle of the house. This bedroom is not finished, but it’s getting there. Much brighter and inviting than all that dark, ugly brown paint.
We had an impromptu party Friday afternoon and a toilet seat needed to be replaced in my mother’s bathroom. I did it. I went to the big box store, bought the nearly $60 seat, brought it home, read the directions to install it and boom! New toilet for company. Yay, Me!
It’s the last night of winter. What could be more comforting than homemade mac-n-cheese, on a cold night? Yes, fixing supper is an accomplishment.
Recent pics taken around my property. Pots planted in day lilies, gladiolus, herbs. (Covered tonight, as the temps drop to the 20’s) Yellow flag iris herald spring. The old mailbox standing guard next to singing wisteria. And Miss Marigold enjoying the afternoon.
This apple cake recipe is the best goodie I’ve baked up in a while. Using fresh apples, this cake is super moist and perfect for an afternoon break.
Apple Cake Perfection
Ingredients:
3/4 cup con oil
2 eggs
1 and 2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups apples that have been peeled and diced
Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 10×10 (inches) pan and line with parchment paper.
What do:
In an electic mixer or with a hand mixer, combine the oil and eggs. Then add in the sugar and vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, soda and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. This batter is quite thick. Don’t worry. Next, fold in the diced apples. The apples will give the cake batter more moisture.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread to the corners. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and cut into 16 squares.
The top of this apple cake has a crunchy top. I used Honey Crisp apples and didn’t diced them finely. I like a little chunk in my apple cake. If you would like to add chopped walnuts, go for it.
I’m mad at myself. I overspent at the grocery store last week; easy to do, in this economy. When I got home and started putting things away, I saw that I had bought items I already had. So, yesterday I cleaned and organized the pantry. Three jars of peanut butter – two were opened. A partial bag of chocolate chips left over from Christmas baking. Hmmmm. Three overripe bananas had been trying to get my attention for a few days. The following recipe redeems my lack of pantry diligence.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients:
1/4 cup salted butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 smashed bananas
2 heaping tablespoons peanut natural butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips
What to do:
Preheat oven to 325°. Line a square baking pan with parchment and grease. In a mdium bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients. In a larger bowl, sift flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Add rolled oats and chocolate chips. Then add in peanut butter, banana mixture to flour and oats. Don’t over stir, just incorporate it well.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes. Cool and cut and, as always,
Let’s face it, money is tight. I look for any way to say a dime. Crispy Apple Skins are a byproduct of Fried Apples, which is one of my mother’s favorites. Throwing the apple peelings away seemed wasteful. I don’t have a dehydrator, but I do have a fabulous oven. Spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and baked at 250° for two hours, the apple skins become chip-like. Turn off the oven and let them cool completely. Naturally sweet. My favorite apples to use are Honey Crisp. I’ve also used the peelings of Anjou pears; they’re good too. And what do I do with the crispy apple skins? Mostly I break them up into homemade granola. They could be added to oatmeal or a muffin recipe. Let your children imagination go nuts.
To make fried apples, peel a couple of apples and slice them into saute pan. Add a couple of pats of butter, a generous squeeze of honey and a good dash of cinnamon. Stir around till the butter melts. Then pour a 1/4 cup of water over the apples. Cover the pan and cook over medium/low fire, till the apples are tender.
Simple to make, with ingredients you probably already have on hand Chocolate Ribbon Coffee Cake great for Christmas morning. Enjoy with your favorite hot beverage and those you love.
I will attribute the following parenting advice to James Dobson, though it may have been another psychologist: when disciplining your child, use an inanimate object. Your hands should only being used in a gentle, loving touch.
Not my mother’s, but a picture of one like it. Really, I don’t know what happened to it.
My mother’s instrument of correction was a white, melamine hair brush, made by the Fuller Brush Company- it had a matching comb. They gave it the name Lady Catherine. Long gone these many years, I can still see it resting on the green tiled, bathroom counter. I hated that hairbrush.
Now, Mama used the Lady Catherine to brush our hair, of course. My hair was really thick, when I was a girl; it would tangle easily, but the Lady Catherine was employed to straighten things out. And I’d better not squirm, because I’d get a tap on my butt and an admonishment that it hurts to be beautiful. I would tell her that I didn’t want to be beautiful, if it meant pain… Any way, my mother would brush out my light brown hair that hung half way down my back, take the huge white comb, part my hair from brow to nape and make two 70’s pony tails. She then when would declare me beautimous and send me down the driveway to wait for the school bus.
Mama also used the molded, white, melamine brush with a chip on one corner of the handle to straighten out poor attitudes. Childhood shopping trips were prepped by a simple, little swat on the backside, along with a promise that if we misbehaved in town that a true spanking would be given, when we got home. We marched like little clockwork soldiers, while in public.
My cousin Gretchen was spending a weekend with us and Mama was going to take us shopping or to the movies, somewhere. I don’t remember. What I do remember is Gretchen standing in the bathroom door laughing at my brother and I as we got a warning swat from Lady Catherine. Mama looked at her niece and gestured for her to present herself. Gretchen’s eyes got wide with the realization that she would not be excluded from the swat-before-leaving-the-house.
“Aunt Madoline! You’re not going to whip me. I haven’t done anything.”
“I know you haven’t done anything, Gretchen. I’m not whipping you, this is just a little reminder to behave in town.”
Gretchen got the swat and Mama had three well-behaved children in town. But whenever asked if she wanted to come visit, Gretchen would always wanted to know if we would be going anywhere….
The white melamine hairbrush disappeared. Honestly, I don’t know what happened to it. Maybe one of the floods swept it away. Maybe it started losing bristles. All I know is that it vanished
What did last was the discipline of my mother. Was her method extreme? I don’t think so. It didn’t hurt us. I hated it as a kid. But I see now that Mama did it because she loved us enough to correct us. Though some of you reading this are probably appalled, but as I shop as an adult, I see many young children who could benefit from my mother’s method.
Did I employ the swat-before-leaving-the-house method? Occasionally. Also the reward and praise for good behavior. Both are good for rearing well behaved, well adjusted citizens.
There are words in the back of my mind, usually accompanied with the sound of my mother’s voice. From the time I was little, these admonishments and pleadings and rules of how to be come popping up like bubbles in a pan of hot boiling water. They make me smile.
The first I remember was, “Just take two bites, Amanda.” Followed by, “How do you know until you try it?” There had probably been something green on my plate. I hated vegetables as a kid. Now a few decades later, ahem, I pour over gardening catalogues that arrive in January and start planning my vegetable plot for spring. There are 3 different types of turnip seed on the ktchen table waiting to be planted now. A draught this late summer has prevented the ground being broken, but a good rain yesterday should help. The point? I love vegetables now. My 3 year old self, nope.
The second food related thing I remember is about coffee. My family, on both sides, have always been big coffee drinkers. I remember being little and seeing my mother and her sisters having coffee. I asked for a cup and was told, “You are too little for coffee.” I begged again and Mama said, with a wink at her sisters, ” You’re too little, coffee will turn your ears black.”
“Your ears aren’t black,” I reasoned.
“That’s because we’re grown-ups, ” Mama explained.
I didn’t drink coffee till I turned fifty. And I’ve made up for all those lost cups through the years.
The third food related directive was to eat the slightly over cooked whatever was put on my plate. My daddy once said that my mother was the only person he knew who would serve burnt sausage. My oldest brother piped up and said, “Aunt Gayle does too.” Daddy replied, “That figures.” Mama and Aunt Gayle were identical twins. Figures…
So, I was told to eat the occasionally burnt sausage, toast, pork chop, with the promise that it would make me pretty. Dubious as to whether or not that would really happen, I asked, “Did you eat burnt toast?”
“Do you think I’m pretty?” she answered back.
“Yes,”
“Well, then eat your toast.” Waste not, want not.
The forth food related thing my mother taught me was to never return a dish empty. If someone was kind enough to bring a homemade goodie it’s a good thing to reciprocate. Years ago, when I was a young mother, the neighbor lady called and said she had been baking and had muffins for my boys. We enjoyed her baked goods and a few days later I returned her pan with something that I had baked. She was surprised at my offering and I explained my mother’s take on returning dishes. And then the game of baked goods tag began. She sent more muffins. I sent back cookies. The last time she showed up at the front door, handed me the pan filled with goodies and said, “Keep the pan, I don’t want it back.” Maybe just a thank you note would have sufficed.
The fifth related food thing was born out of pure kindness. When you’re invited to someone’s home, eat whatever is offered. No matter how humble or poorly seasoned or whatever, eat it. They did their best and opened their home to you. Be gracious.
The sixth thing Mama taught me, but only after taking months clearing out cabinets and cupboards before her house was sold. I found beautiful dishes and serving pieces hidden away. So, folks, use the pretty dishes. Life needs beauty. Life needs connection to who we are. Use Grandma’s dishes.
Just some thoughts and rememberings of simple things that shape adulthood.
A new grocery store had their grand opening last week and, well, you know I had to go see. At the suggestion of one of the store managers I purchased a half gallon of Blue Bell ice cream. It was on sale, you see. Otherwise, the carton of creamy goodness would have been left in the stores freezer section.
Anyway, fast forward to Saturday and the LSU football game. Dismal to say the least. Frankly, and this is just my opinion, but Brian Kelly is out of his league. The game was bad, really bad. To cope through the second half, I fixed my self a Blue Bell ice cream cone and stuffed an oatmeal, chocolate chip, raisin cookie down in the top of it.
The ice cream cone was good, but the game left a bitter taste in my mouth. I love the Tigers, but they are hard to watch this year.
Today, during the Saints game, after a grilled ham and cheese sandwich another ice cream cone was desired. Today, I decided on a homemade chocolate peanut butter bomb for the decoration.
Here’s what to do: heat in the microwave for 30 seconnds 3 tablespoons coconut oil, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons peanut butter powder, 3 tablespoons agave syrup, splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Stir everything till smooth. Line muffin tin cups with paper liners. Spoon mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with jimmies or chopped peanuts, if you choose. Chill in the frig till firm. Store in an air tight container in the frig.
The seasons are changing. Another little scarecrow hopped on the small yellow bike out in the field. A bouquet of goldenrod, sasanquas and cosmos were picked after that pitiful LSU game.
Blessings for your changing seasons from the Exile’s Kitchen.
It’s the last Sunday in August and you know what that means; pumpkin spice everything is around the corner. I refuse to call these pumpkin spice shortbread, but the taste is similar.
Here’s what you need and what to do:
Turn oven to 325° and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mix the following spices together in a small dish and set aside.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
In a stand mixer (or a big bowl and using a hand mixer), cream together softened butter and confectioner’s sugar.
1 1/4 cups softened butter
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Add the all-purpose flour in thirds, slowly, so as not to make a mess and incorporate it for a smooth texture. With the last 1/3 of the flour, add 2/3 of the spice mixture.
2 1/4 all-purpose flour
2/3 of the spice mixture, reserve the rest for the last step.
Make cookie balls, about the size of a ping pong ball and place on cookie sheet, leaving space so edges don’t touch. Taking a small glass, gently smush the cookie ball, making a pretty indention. Bake for 12/15 minutes, till cookies are lightly brown. Cool slightly. In the same dish of reserved spices add a couple of tablespoons confectioner’s sugar. Toss warm cookies in the spiced sugar and cool on wire racks. Makes about 30 cookies. Serve with your favorite beverage. I have a creamered up cup of coffee, but as muggy as it is, iced tea would be great. Please, no hot cocoa. This is the South and we won’t cool down for several more weeks. Pumpkin spice, my eye!
I was excited the other week, when I spied this volunteer vine growing in Herman’s flower patch. It looked like a pumpkin vine of some kind, but it’s made these little tiny melon fruits. A mouse melon, a cucamelon, a sour cucumber. I don’t know. Kind of disappointed it’s not a little pumpkin. It’s feeding the wildlife around here, because the fruit I saw last week are gone. The tortoises and the rabbits may be dining together.
Blessings from Herman’s flower patch and the Exile’s Kitchen.
The elephant cream pitcher in two different kitchen window sills and different flowers. Still charming. She’s a favorite to display a few blooms each summer. This morning only two Mardi Gras Zinnias and a fresh sprig on Sweet Basil. Along with her are miscellaneous green and gold La SoLana cream and sugar sets, that were left in the old kitchen of my old farmhouse.
The first picture was taken at my mother’s former house. The second at Flowers Proper. Difused light from the sunporch. I like it.
Easy breakfast to use up miscellaneous kitchen stuffs- a little rolled oats, 1/2 a boxed cake mix, bananas going bad, less than a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
Here’s what you need and do:
Preheat oven to 350° and spritz a square 9×9 pan with vegetable spray.
In bowl, mix the following ingredients.
1/2 cup yellow cake mix
1/2 cup rolled oats
nutmeg and ginger– a dash of each
1/2 cup chocolate chips
In another bowl mix together:
2 bananas going really ripe
1 serving cup Oikos Greek Pineapple yogurt
1 egg
a generous splash of vanilla
1/3 cup white sugar
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan and place in oven. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, the top is golden. Cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar, if you wish.
Saturday morning, an assortment of square vases were filled with lots of round flowers and the arrangements sent to different areas of the house.
The bicycles had been hidden in the barn shadows for decades. An idea to use them in the garden grew in my mind, but the fear of snakes, rodents and buzzards left them there. Well, as a surprise a few weeks back, my sons braved the afore mentioned and wheeled them into the sunlight. Cans of bright spray paint and festoonery from the big craft store and the old bikes are all summered up.
The bikes are rolling between flower swaths that are planted with wildflowers. Hopefully what was planted will be blooming later this summer.
Early this morning I dead headed spent blooms and picked those in between bud and throwaway stages, to make this bodacious boots bouquet. Herman got a body makeover and is waiting on his friends for a bike ride. Stay tuned.
I worked the flower patch and vegetable garden Saturday morning. Looking down the rows of potatoes, the red dots on the leaves at first looked like ladybugs. A second look brought panic. Potato beetle larvae were devouring the leaves of my red potatoes and white. A quick jaunt back to the house for a can of Sevin dust, a generous sprinkle, and I’m happy to say they are gone this afternoon.
Using my horseshoe hoe, I weeded the rows of vegetables and cut flowers. Hopefully by the first week of June I’ll have bouquets ready for market. Three years ago I gave up the traditional dirt free furrows between garden rows and got smart. I widened the distance from row to row and grow lovely grass paths. They make it nice for walking, whether dry or wet.
Green beans and squash are blooming, corn needs rain. But as the forecast calls for little to no precipitation this coming week, I’ll be packing water to the garden.
A cup of juice, not used for jelly, was turned into a tasty barbecue sauce for leg quarters. My youngest son manned the grill today and Mother’s Day dinner was fabulous.
Here’s the recipe:
In a small pot, melt a 1/2 stick of butter over medium heat. Add in a scant 1/3 cup of honey and 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. To this mixture, stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add a few dashes of worchestershire. Mix with a whisk till smooth. Turn the heat down to simmer and add in 1 cup of mayhaw juice. Now keep it on a low simmer for about an hour, stirring every few minutes so it doesn’t burn. It will thicken and turn a rich reddish brown. Cool and put in a jar till ready to use.
Dessert was chocolate cake with mint chocolate icing. And yes, we used the good dishes. Use the Pretty Dishes
One more Peep or rather a whole table full. Yes, I thumbed around social media, by putting two words together to see what would pop up. Those two words: Peeps and charcuterie. Beautiful, color-filled treat trays and things called grazing tables appeared on my tablet screen. Yes, after posting my video on a social media site and calling my gathering of baked goods and candies a charcuterie board, I was informed that I had not made what I thought I had. Charcuterie started out being all about meats, particularly pork. Maybe I should have thrown some of the Easter ham next to the Sixlets. One person told me it was just a dessert display. Okay, whatever. So, Pinterest and I stand corrected. But what to call it? I didn’t like the term grazing table. A dessert pick? Someone said I should call it a char-Cute-rie Board. I liked that and accept the compliment.
Anyway, here’s how the whatever it is turned out. And my Easter company enjoyed it.
A collection of my recent coffees and Peeps. I love Peep Season. Have you tried it yet? You should.
Here’s what to do:
Brew your favorite cup of coffee flavor. Stir in any sweetener and cream you choose. And then, drop in your favorite Peeps. Some of the above cups are also my version of an Affogato. Yeah, coffee, ice cream and Peeps; the trifecta of beverage delight.
Blessings to you. Also, enjoy a stroll through the azaleas.
After picking two gallons of blueberries the conventional way, staining figures purple, sweat covering our brows and running between shoulder blades, a brilliant thought entered our collective heads.
“Don’t they have machines in commercial blueberry fields to shake the berries off?” my middle son asked.
“Yes, I believe they do,” I answered. “How ’bout you go in the house and get a sheet and we’ll spread it under the bushes and shake them by hand.”
Eureka! Plump purple berries bounced to the tarps; it worked like a charm. Of course, there were sticks to clear from the gathering of berries, but still a good method for berry picking.
For our Independence Day celebration, my no-churn ice cream recipe got a new flavor. I mixed about a cup of fresh blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water and cooked that down into a syrup. Cooled a little bit, the blueberry syrup was swirled into the whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk. Here’s my recipe No-churn Ice Cream
Fourth of July Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.
theexileskitchen 