I don't know about where you live, but where I live it is stupid hot. Not "so hot it makes you stupid" ( although it will do that), it's more like temperatures are so incredibly high that it's ridiculous. Or, as they say, stupid. I mean 112 degrees?! Really! Did I accidentally wake up in Death Valley? Thank goodness I have an extra well just for the garden, because my poor ...
Dessert
Fruit Smoothies
Amazingly enough, I have managed to stick to my goal of getting healthy for a whole month now. Not that I haven't cheated. I have. More than I would probably like to admit. That whole 30th birthday week was pretty much a fattening food and quite a bit of wine free-for-all. But two weeks of guilt and lots of exercise and I am finally back on track. That being said I am ...
The Difference a Year can Bring
Here we are at the end of another year and I have been thinking over the last few days about how far we have come since this time last year. 2011 started with some really tough decisions for us. We made one huge leap of faith at the beginning of the year when we decided to cut our losses and move back to Tennessee. It wasn't a decision we took lightly, but one that we felt like ...
Buttermilk Pie
I have never looked forward to the dead of winter as much as I do now. The calm and still of January is like a siren song to me. It's speaking of cold days spent warming by the fire, cozying up in big warm cable knit sweaters and eating big bowls of soup. I am ready for January even if that month holds my 30th birthday. But this is not January. This is August. And it's busy. ...
Easter Schmeester
Easter has really snuck up on me this year. I don't know why, it's dang near May so I have had plenty of time to prepare for it. Nevertheless, I have found myself fairly unprepared for the arrival of the Easter Sunday. I would like to blame this on the fact that every Easter since we have had children has been spent by myself with the kids while my poor husband had to go ...
From Scratch Chocolate Meringue Pie
Speaking of enjoyable, this Chocolate Meringue Pie is one of my favorite ways to blow a diet. It's so rich and creamy and the ingredients to make one is almost always in my house. It's pretty darn inexpensive, too. Sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla and a pie crust and you've got yourself an impressive dessert that everyone will love. If you can get your hands on ...
Quick Chocolate Donuts with a Fresh Strawberry Glaze
I love donuts. I consider the donut to be the 8th wonder of the world. Yeast donuts or cake donuts will make any morning infinitely better. Either simply glazed or stuffed with jam, donuts are a wonderful morning treat. There are two problems with donuts. 1 - The light, fluffy yeast type ( a la Krispy Kreme) take a while to make. You can't just wake up in the morning and throw ...
Aunt Linda’s Blackbottom Cupcakes
Aunt Linda's Blackbottom Cupcakes are a chocolate confection that dreams are made of. A chocolate outside with a cream cheese middle, Aunt Linda's Blackbottom Cupcakes are the prefect treat for holidays and everyday! So, back in the day. Waayyyy back in the day, my great grandmother, Mama Driver, held all of the family holiday gatherings at her house. It was this tiny little ...
Handmade Southern Fried Peach Pies
So, there is a little piece of news I would like to share with all of you. It's big. It's life changing. No, I am NOT pregnant. We are moving. And I don't mean across town. We are moving back to Tennessee. Back to the country. Back to a town without a Kroger. Back to the land of free babysitting. We are pretty excited. This is going to be a whole new chapter for us. A ...
Southern Fudge Pie
As my kids have reminded me time and time again, Christmas is nearly here. It's so close they can smell it. The presents, the lights, the Chocolate! Nothing is more looked forward to in our house than chocolate. We all crave it on pretty much a daily basis. Which means that we don't always have a whole lot of chocolate laying around. We have usually eaten it all. Not ...
Easy Southern Peach Cobbler
I have to say that all in all, this summer has been pretty good. We traveled a little, we visited family, we laughed, we loved, and we ate a lot. But now as summer starts to wind down ( even though the temperatures are still way up), I can tell you with all sincerity... I can't wait until school starts. Oh sure, all you lucky parents with kindergarteners or older have ...
Watermelon Strawberry Granita AND a Cocktail
As Summer reaches it's highest peak, Mother Nature offers man a slight reprieve in the form of watermelon. Is there anything better than cold watermelon on a hot summer day? Watermelon is really hitting it's stride right now. They are everywhere and it's hard for me to resist. I bought this fantastic Sugar Baby Watermelon at the farmer's market the other day. It's the best ...
Strawberry Muffins…no, Cupcakes…no, Muffins…okay, Bread
I'm not very girl-y. I never have been. As a child I refused to wear anything even remotely pink and a dress was the equivalent to being put in the stockade, but I have always loved strawberries. My great-grandmother used to have a strawberry patch behind her house ( wait...have I told you this before?) and it was our job to pick them all so she could make jam. I'm not sure how ...
Peaches, Peaches, Peaches!
Peaches are a summertime favorite in the South. Nothing beats that sweet fruit with the fuzzy skin. Every roadside stand seems to be brimming over these days with a plentiful supply. Luckily, peaches are just as versatile as they are delicious. Peaches can be poached in white wine, grilled over hot coals, diced into chutneys, or made into ice cream. But the best way to serve ...
A little piece of Americana – Blackberry Cobbler
Our nation's Independence Day is coming up this weekend and Americans around the country will be headed to backyard barbeque's, pool parties, and fireworks displays. It's a time for all of us to remember the past and the present and to look forward to the future of our nation. It's a time for us to swell with pride at the great things this country has to offer. Because even ...