A Southern Life

Join Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday favorites and Charlotte and Ginger at Blogger Spirit for Spiritual Sunday and enjoy your Sunday!

This post is from July 7, 2009:

I feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. Here a few random pictures that I have taken. Pictures can never do justice to God’s beauty. These pictures show what my daddy called, “God struttin’ His stuff!”

Sunrise at Norfork Lake

Don't know who this guy is, but, he looks like he is having fun!

My friends out for a sail on their boat.

Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.

That is how summer goes around here. Check out Outdoor Wednesday with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to see other outdoor shots.

Today’s Lagniappe: Baked French Toast with Blueberries
Something to enjoy when you get up to see the spectacular sunrises. Can be made the night before and then popped in the oven while your out taking it all in.

• 8 to 9 thick (1 to 1 1/2 inches) slices of Italian bread
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup dried blueberries
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• maple syrup

Preparation:
Arrange bread slices in a lightly greased or sprayed 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle dried blueberries over the slices.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, vanilla, and milk; whisk to blend well.. Pour the egg mixture evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 325°.

Uncover the baking dish. Sprinkle each slice of bread with a few teaspoons of brown sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Drizzle with the melted butter. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 55 minutes, or until browned and set. Use a sharp knife to cut around each slice of bread then lift out with a spatula. Serve with maple syrup and fresh blueberries.
Serves 6 to 8.

Who doesn’t love bacon? I know I do. It is a good thing. My husband is a bacon expert. He knows how to pick it out and he knows how to fry it. His bacon expertise may only be surpassed by his french fry expertise!

So, what to do with bacon? Here are a couple of ideas:

Bacon Chile Cheese Grits

• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup quick-cooking grits
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups Longhorn cheese, grated (about 6 ounces)
• 4-1/2-ounce can chopped green chiles
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bring the water to a boil, and add the salt and garlic. Slowly stir in the grits, and continue stirring for 4 or 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat.

Add the butter, 1 cup of the cheese and green chiles, stirring until butter is completely melted. Beat the eggs with the milk, add to the mixture and mix well. Add 4 slices of crumbled bacon.

Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish and bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and crumbled bacon. Makes 6 servings.

Or how about this:

Blue Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Figs

Cut a slit in the side of the dried figs
Fill the fig with a little of your favorite blue cheese
Wrap the fig with 1/3 slice of bacon

Broil the figs, turning as needed until the bacon is crisp.

Bacon is very versatile, isn’t it?

Join Gollum at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday and a lot of recipe swapping fun!

Today’s Lagniappe: Bacon Cheese Puff

Thaw out a sheet of frozen puff pastry. Lay slices of bacon on top of the pastry sheet. Spread shredded parmesan cheese (or cheese of your choice) on top of the bacon. Roll up the pastry, bacon and cheese. Slice the pastry inton 1 inch slices. Bake at 400 for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown.

My, it has been a busy and fast week. I was going through a drawer the other day and came across pictures from my lovely time attending tea at the White House a few years ago. I wish I had gotten more of the beautiful tables.

All of the tables were decorated with roses. Many colors of roses. They were absolutely stunning. Wouldn’t you love to have a florist dedicated to making the events at your home spectacular? They did a fabulous job.

The food was wonderful as well. My favorite was a small meringue that was filled with fresh strawberries in a strawberry jam. If my mama hadn’t taught me better, I would have just parked right there and finished off the tray of those yummy goodies!

Here is the invitation:

The East Entrance:

The main table. This table was set up in the State Dining Room:

There were also tables set up in the vestibule:

Every surface was adorned:

We were able to roam freely (somewhat) through the rooms. That meant we could spend as much time as we wanted in the china room on the ground floor! You know I was there taking notes!

We also had our picture taken by the official White House photographer. After the event, they sent us the picture. That’s me on the far left.

I hope you find some inspiration in these pictures. While most of us don’t have a full-time staff to help us entertain, it doesn’t mean we can’t do it beautifully ourselves. I am reminded of that as I visit all of the beautiful tablescapes that are created every week and posted on Susan’s beautiful blog, Between Naps on the Porch.

A late edit: I have one word of advice for anyone who is invited to the White House – wear comfortable shoes!

Today’s Lagniappe: Bess Truman’s Ozark Pudding
In keeping with the White House theme, this recipe from Bess Truman.

1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped peeled apples
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped cream (with a touch of rum, if desired) or vanilla ice cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch pie pan.

Beat the egg and the sugar together until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend well. Fold in the apples, nuts and vanilla. Pour into the prepared pie pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven; the pudding will fall, but it’s supposed to. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone. Here we are, almost to the middle of August! Susan, over at A Southern Daydreamer is once again hosting Outdoor Wednesday.

Things have certainly changed in the yard. Here is what is going on.

So much basil and thyme. I think it is time to make pesto!

Here is the garden now. Remember when it used to look like this:

This is today’s harvest:

Lots of okra! Glad to see my little cherry tomatoes producing.

I have zinnias growing at both ends. Somebody tell Gollum that there are no bodies in the garden. If you haven’t read her book Crazy Ladies, just ignore that! This okra is ready to harvest:

This corn will be ready soon:

Of course, the crepe myrtle is in bloom. It is the one thing that blooms no matter how hot it gets!

Then there is the beautiful Rose of Sharon:

The ferns on the porch have really enjoyed the rain:

And, a few pretties to bring inside.

So many things to see when I stroll through the yard. It is worth fighting off the mosquitos!

For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Isaiah 61:11

Today’s Lagniappe: Maque Choux
A Cajun dish made with corn. This is a variation of an earlier version that I published. This one is made with fresh corn.

6 ears corn, husked and cleaned
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1/4 cup milk
salt to taste
cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
8 strips crisply cooked bacon, crumbled

Cut corn off the cobs by thinly slicing across the tops of the kernels; place in a medium bowl. Cut across the kernels again to release milk from the corn, add milk to bowl. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and green pepper, cook until onion is transparent, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Combine corn, tomatoes, and milk with the onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 20 minutes longer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Do not boil.

Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Lower heat, cover skillet, and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer. Stir in green onions and bacon. Remove from heat and serve.

It’s back to school time! This post if for all the college students, parents of college students, siblings of college students or anyone who just knows a college student (or someone just starting out on their own). You are going to be very busy, but, everyone needs to know something easy to cook. Something that you can make with friends and share. So, I don’t know that this is particularly Southern, but, here are some easy, cheap recipes that  every college student should know how to make.

• spaghetti (with or without meat sauce – depending on how much you have to spend)
• salad with a simple homemade vinaigrette.
• hot garlic bread
• chocolate  wafer cake (today’s lagniappe)

Okay, so here we go. First off, spaghetti.

Spaghetti with Sauce

Fill a large pot or dutch oven 1/2 to 3/4 full of water. Put a lid on the pot and put the pot on high heat (the lid will hold in the heat so the water will boil faster). When the water is boiling, add salt to the water.

Put spaghetti pasta in the water (some people like to break the past in half, personally, I NEVER do that, but, do whatever you prefer). Cook the pasta for around 10 minutes.

To test it, take a strand from the water with a fork or tongs and taste it. It should be firm in the middle but still chewy. You may have heard that you can test the doneness by throwing it at a wall and when it sticks, it’s done. Don’t believe it. The taste test is the gold standard!

While you are waiting for the water to boil, start the sauce. If you have ground beef, cook it in a little oil until brown first.

If you don’t have ground beef, start with a bottle of Prego spaghetti sauce. Okay, when you graduate from college and have more time, you will need to learn to make your own sauce, but, in the meantime, this is easy and tastes good. Add garlic powder, dried oregano, pepper and onion powder to taste. These dried herbs are easily available and inexpensive so you should just keep them around (you can put them on pizza too!).

If you had ground beef that you browned, stir it into the sauce at this time.

When the pasta is done, drain it and pour the sauce over it.

Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette

Believe me, making vinaigrette is much easier than spelling it. If you have a glass or stainless steele bowl and a whisk go ahead and use them. Since this is for college students, we’ll use the jar method. Use a quart jar for this recipe (even though it only makes a pint).

• 1½ cups salad oil
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1½ tsp  salt
• ½ tsp ground white pepper (or freshly ground black pepper)

Place the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a jar and shake it up. Add the salad oil, then shake again. There you have it. Could it get any easier than that?

Pour the vinaigrette over salad greens.

Hot Garlic Bread
You can’t have spaghetti without hot garlic bread. Again, we are keeping it simple. You don’t have a lot of time for cooking and eating when you should be studying, right?

Take a loaf of French or Italian bread and slice it in half lengthwise. Put a stick of softened butter in a small bowl. Add garlic powder to taste and, if you like, some dried parsley. Spread the butter on the bread and put the bread back together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes. See, for this one you don’t even have to mess up and pots or pans!

There you have it, the essential recipes for college students. It’s easy, it’s cheap and it’s tasty! Three for three! Can’t beat it.

What was your college specialty?

Today’s Lagniappe:  Chocolate Wafer Cake
This recipe is a favorite of my nephew, Bryan. It is way too easy.

• One box of Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies
• One container of Cool Whip (if you are out of college, and have time, feel free to make real whipped cream).

Spread cool whip on a wafer, place another wafer on top, continue this until you have a small stack. Place the stack on its side and continue. Once you have all of the wafers together, frost the entire outside with the rest of the cool whip. Use the leftover broken cookies (which you will have, believe me) to crumble on the top of the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to chill. Cut the cake on the diagonal. By the way, a picture of this cake and the instructions are also on the cookie box.

You won’t believe how yummy and easy this is. And, by the way, it looks pretty too!

It’s a three-for Tuesday! Join these great blogs for more recipes and great ideas.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday

My metamophosis today isn’t something you see. However, there is definitely something different! I moved servers this weekend. It is something I have planned on doing and I finally took the plunge.

The new server is faster and better. So, I’m very happy about that. There are more things coming soon to A Southern Life that I am currently working on. I hope you stick around and see what happens.

Things that you don’t see are often very good things! Let’s see, there is the air that we breathe and good thoughts for those we love.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and that the wonderful week starts today!

Go check out Blue Monday at Smiling Sally’s and Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch for a great way to start your week!

Today’s Lagniappe: Squash Parmesan
Squash is another thing that we have in abundance this time of year. Here is a quick and easy recipe.

6 small Crookneck or Zucchini Squash, sliced 1-inch thick
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Arrange squash slices on bottom of large ceramic baking dish.

3. Drizzle olive oil over squash. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

4. Bake 30 minutes until golden brown.

Join Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday favorites and Charlotte and Ginger at Blogger Spirit for Spiritual Sunday and enjoy your Sunday!

This post is from July 19th of this year. I was reflecting on the past ice storm and the difference of that scene with the lush beauty of the summer and the joys of faith:

Our weather this weekend has been unseasonably nice. We usually are dealing with sweltering heat at this time of year, but, it has been raining off and on and, then, this weekend was sunny and warm (not HOT!).

I have been thinking back, at how things have changed this year. In late January, this was the scene:

Now, it looks like this:

The tree that died is in the background of this picture with the Spode Blue Fitzhugh table.

The ice storm was difficult. Seven days without power. Loss of a so many trees. It was cold. We slept on the floor in front of the fireplace. Now it is green and lush and beautiful.

Life is like that a lot of times. Sometimes it just seem cold and bleak and other times it is warm and lush. I guess that is where faith comes in. When it is cold and things aren’t going well, you have to remember that the sun will shine again and life will be well again at some point. Hope all of you are feeling the sunshine. If not, remember, the sun will shine again in your life! As Scarlett said, “After all, tomorrow is another day!”

Visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday and Smiling Sally for Blue Mondays. You will find wonderful and talented women with fantastic posts!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week starting with a fantastic Monday!

Today’s Lagniappe: Honey Bun Coffee Cake
This is a great recipe for breakfast with friends!

Honey Bun Coffee Cake

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
4 large eggs
2/3 c. oil
8 oz. sour cream
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. sugar

Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour half the batter into a greased 9×13 baking pan.

Mix:

1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar

Sprinkle over batter. Pour the other half of the batter over this and swirl with a knife.

Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes.

While baking, mix together:

2 c. powdered sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
4 T. milk (not skim)

Mix and drizzle all over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven – sprinkle with chopped pecans, almonds, etc., if you wish. Let cool in the pan.

Okay, you asked for it, you’ve got it. Okra salad. My grandmother used to make okra salad. She would gather vegetables from her garden and then make this delicious treat.

Here are some of the goodies from my garden. Okra, heirloom tomatoes (both red and yellow) and a cucumber. What is not pictured is the red onion that I will use in this recipe (didn’t come from my garden).

Okra needs to be harvested while it is still tender (4″ – 6″). When it gets big, it is too tough. Cut the okra into 1/4 inch slices and then bread them in a mixture of cornmeal and flour (about 4 to 1). Fry the breaded okra in hot oil until golden. I like mine kind of crispy.

While the okra is frying, cut the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions into chunks. Grandmother would also add bell peppers and any other goodies she had available from the garden.

Today, I made some croutons from day old French bread by cutting them in cubes, then tossing them with olive oil and a little salt, pepper and garlic powder, then baking them at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes. Cornbread croutons would also be great with this (see today’s lagniappe).

Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, onions (and any other veggies you are adding) in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the fried okra and croutons. Dress with a classic vinaigrette or zesty Italian dressing. This can be dressed with your favorite dressing if you prefer.

Here it is. Delicious Okra Salad!

Try this yummy okra salad, then head on over to Gollum’s for some other great recipes for Foodie Friday.

Today’s Lagnipappe: Cornbread Croutons
Yummy with the okra salad.

Cut leftover cornbread (if there is such a thing) into cubes. Toss with butter and bake at 400 degrees for around 10 minutes until crunchy and toasty.

Today’s edition of Tablescape Thursday (hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch) starts with a poem:

SOUTHERN LIFE
If you want a glimpse of Southern life,
Come close and walk with me
I’ll tell you all the simple things
That you are sure to see
You’ll see mockingbirds and bumblebees
Magnolia blossoms and dogwood trees
Caterpillars on the step
Wooden porches cleanly swept
Watermelons on the vine
Strong majestic Georgia pines
Rocking chairs and front yard swings
Junebugs flying on a string;
Turnip greens and hot cornbread,
Coleslaw and barbecue;
Fried okra, fried corn, fried green tomatoes
Fried pies and pickles, too.
There’s ice cold tea that’s syrupy sweet,
And cool,green grass beneath your feet;
Catfish nipping in the lake,
And fresh young boys on the make.
You’ll see all these things
And much, much more,
In a way of life that I adore.
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey

This is just one of the many great poems by Patricial Neely-Dorsy in her beautiful book Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia – A Life in Poems.  On her website, Patricia explains:

My book Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia is a true celebration of the  south and things southern. Using childhood memories, personal thoughts and dreams, I attempt to give a positive glimpse into the southern way of life. There are so many negative connotations   associated with Mississippi and the south in general. I want to show a flip side of the coin.There is much to love about this much maligned and misunderstood part of our country. I would really love for you to get to KNOW Mississippi (and the south) in a different light and I want to introduce you. I invite you to Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and the written word.

I was planning on reading her book over the weekend last week. Instead, I started looking through it on Friday night and the next thing I knew, I had read the entire book of poems! There are many things that I could relate to in her book of poems. And, many I could not, like the poems about hogs on the farm (I was raised in the city), but, I have heard similar stories from friends who were raised on farms. Her poem Right to Vote is moving and beautiful. Through all of her poems, you get to know Patricia, and by the end, you feel like you have a new friend.

Patricia’s book is available here:

In honor of Patricia’s beautiful book, today’s tablescape is called Moonlight and Magnolias.

First thing I had to do was go visit my neighbors, Mike and Sandy to see if I could cut some leaves and blooms from their magnolia tree. They very graciously agreed.

Next thing I needed was moonlight. Oh, it just happens to be a full moon tonight. If only the clouds will stay away!

Magnolia leaves under clear plates with gold edging.

Magnolia leaves under clear plates with gold edging.

A magnolia leaf is tucked in the gold napkin rings.

Here is a closer look at those leathery magnolia leaves under glass.

As usual, my birds got in on the picture.

We got the gold stemmed crystal in New Orleans on our honeymoon.

I think the magnolia in the crystal bowl in the center is stunning.

This one that is not quite open is laying along side.

While I was taking the pics, this dove came and visited.

As the sun went down, the candles were lit.

A romantic, sultry, Southern summer evening.

The sun is sinking over the horizon.

The candles flicker gently.

And, we wait for the moon to rise.

Today’s Lagniappe: Magnolia Milk Punch
Perfect for a Sunday brunch.

Ingredient
1/4 cup Bourbon Whiskey
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Vanilla Ice Cream
4 parts Nutmeg

Directions
Combine ice cream, bourbon and vanilla in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into two glasses and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

My older sister, Tammy,  lives in Colorado. Her husband, Rich, along with his partner own RHA Landscape in Boulder. They do beautiful work and specialize in design/build projects. Today, for Outdoor Wednesday with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer, I thought I would share a few pics of his projects:

Wouldn't you love to sit here with a cup of coffee and a good book?

The posts and the steps leading to fountain are welcoming.

Maybe I just like places that look like a good place to relax.

I think these steps are stunning!

And, these steps are charming.

This is so calming. It needs a frog!

Rich and his partner Mike are so talented, don’t you think? And, of course, Rich is a very smart man. He married my sister, Tammy, didn’t he?

Today’s Lagniappe: Tammy’s Butterfinger Ice Cream
I’ve posted a Butterfinger Ice Cream recipe before but Tammy’s is different. She says, she never uses milk for her homemade ice cream because it forms too many ice crystals. She always uses cream and half-and-half.

1 pint half-and-half
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar (she uses Spenda and says it tastes splendid!)
1/4 tsp real vanilla extract (use the good stuff)
5 to 6 regular sized Butterfinger candy bars, crunched up

Bring the half-and-half and cream almost to a boil (when bubbles start form around the edges of the pan, you’re there). add sugar, vanilla and candy bars. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer directions.

I can personally attest to the yummy-ness of this one!

Last week, you may recall the chicken kabobs that I showed you on Friday. We had those in Vicksburg with my husbands high school classmate Susan and her husband Richard. They were so good. I decided to try the same sort of thing with pork.

First I marinated cut up a tenderloin into chunks.

I then marinated the pork chunks in a mixture of pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic and onion for about 8 hours.

At that point, they were ready to assemble. While I assembled the kabobs, my husband started lighting the charcoal and mixed a little apple wood with it.

I threaded the pork onto bamboo skewers that had been soaked for 30 minutes with pineapple and onion. You could use bell pepper or other veggies with this as well.

Here they are ready to go on the grill.

The grilled for around 5 minutes each side. While they grilled, I made some rice to serve with them. Here they are hot off the grill.

Served with a salad, this made a really easy and delicious meal. Now, I’m going to try to plant the crown of the pineapple and see what happens!

Today’s Lagniappe: Perfect Rice
The trick to perfect rice seems to be in cleaning it first.

To each cup of rice, add 1 1/2 cups of water. First clean the rice in cold water by placing the rice in cold water, swishing it around and then draining it.

Place the 1 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cups of water in a pan. Add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for around 30 minutes or until water is absorbed.

It’s a four-for Tuesday! Join these great blogs for more recipes and great ideas.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday

2nd Time Around with A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

You know, you’ve got to watch okra. If it gets too big, it is too tough to eat. I had a couple of pods get away from me and they got a little too big.

So, what to do with these over-sized pods? One thing to do, is to save them for seeds. All ready for next years crop! Another thing to do is make Christmas ornaments.

This picture is not of ornaments that I have actually made, but, are an inspiration of what I might do with some of the giant pods. I think they are an interesting way to use them. I’ve also seen them made into lizards. Anyway, it’s a thought.

While I was gathering the okra, I noticed that my morning glories were really blooming.

Who doesn’t love to be greeted in the morning with this spectacular color of blue and the pretty yellow to white centers? Spectacular!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Monday and a fabulous week. Go check out Blue Monday at Smiling Sally’s and Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch for a great way to start your week!

Tip and tail the Okra pods (cut off the ends)
Cut the pods into approximately 1/4 inch rounds.
Peel and dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces
Peel the onions and chop finely. Place the sliced Okra into a glass or stainless steel bowl and sprinkle the salt liberally over the pods.

Cover the pods with the iced water, making sure that all the slices are under water.
Place the bowl containing the Okra and water in a refrigerator and leave for 2 or more hours.

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and drain off the salt water.
Place the Okra in a bowl and add the potatoes and chopped onion
Season the cornmeal with the salt and pepper

Place the sliced Okra potato and onion mixture together with the seasoned cornmeal in a large plastic bag and shake until the vegetables are well coated with the cornmeal.

Heat some oil (1/2 inch deep) in a frying pan until it begins to shimmer. Place the vegetables in the pan and fry until the potatoes are done and the mixture has browned nicely.

Remove the Okra and potato mixture from the oil, using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot as a side dish

Another Sunday Favorite hosted by Chari at Happy to Design!

This is a favorite because it reminds me to always trust God! For that reason, it is also and entry for Spiritual Sundays!

Sometimes we live in an anxious world. We live in a world with sickness, war, unemployment, bills, well, you get the picture. Sometimes it is just good to stop and see the beautiful world around us and be reminded of God’s blessings. Here are some of the photos that I’ve taken that remind me that I am blessed.

This guy was eating the leaves of a tree. His horns are growing beautifully.

Taking a snack to go.

A spider weaving a web.

Fog over the lake.

Isn't he handsome?

Children playing.

A nice place to perch.

The evening sky after a rainshower. I thought it looked like it was on fire.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understand, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Today’s Lagniappe: Cha Cha Chicken Salad

From an old Southern Living cookbook. I’m not a big fan of curry so I would leave that out, but, that’s just me 🙂

Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple
2/3 cup orange-flavored sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup chopped roasted, salted almonds
Garnishes: fresh herbs, blackberries, raspberries, sliced peaches
Preparation
1. Whisk together cream cheese and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in chicken, pineapple, and cranberries just until blended.

2. If desired, spoon mixture into a plastic wrap-lined 8-inch round cake pan; cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Invert chicken salad onto a cake stand, and remove plastic wrap. Gently press chopped almonds onto sides of chicken salad. Garnish, if desired.