A Southern Life

Do you have recipe sites that you routinely visit? I do! Some of my favorites are

And then, of course there are the great blog parties with recipes, like today’s party at Gollum’s

With Designs by Gollum

What are your favorite recipe sites?

Today’s Lagniappe: Melon, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Skewers
This lovely recipe is from All Recipes. If you can’t find prosciutto, use thin sliced ham. That is one of things I love about recipes, you can change them to suit what you have and what you like and many times they are  a “jumping off” point to a great new recipe. Check out this recipe on the All Recipe site for nutrition information.

* 20  (1-inch) cantaloupe or honeydew cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)
* 20  thin slices prosciutto (about 1/2 lb.)
* 20  fresh small mozzarella cheese balls (about 1 [8-oz.] tub)
* 20  (4-inch) wooden skewers
* Freshly cracked pepper

Preparation

1. Thread 1 melon cube, 1 prosciutto slice, and 1 mozzarella ball onto each of 20 (4-inch) wooden skewers. Sprinkle with cracked pepper.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Il Villaggio Mozzarella Fior di Latte Ciliegine cheese for mozzarella cheese balls.

One of my favorite parts of spring is seeing the wild onions appear. Oh, I know they are considered weeds among many, but to me, they are just a wonderful sign of spring!

A bunch (3 or more) of onions

If you have them in your yard, you know it. When you mow over them, they give off the most wonderful smell!

We have a wonderful little plot in the back of the back yard that has many of the wonderful little alliums! I remember the wonderful onion smell from childhood. It was truly a sign of spring and I knew that summer was not far off!

Today’s Lagniappe: Wild Onions and Eggs
A wonderful springtime brunch or breakfast treat!

4-5 bunches wild onions (about 4-5 onions each)
1/4 c. water
6 eggs
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. milk
Cajun or Creole spices

1. Chop 16-18 thin onions. Put in the frying pan and add water. Boil the onions; do not let them cook dry. After 5 minutes, drain the onions.

2. Melt the butter in the pan. Scramble the eggs and milk in the butter and onions. Add spices.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More

I LOVE spring! The trees

The flowers

The blue skies, the asparagus, the snap peas, the strawberries . . .  okay, I digress! I love the colors but I also love the flavors. What a wonderful world!

Today’s Lagniappe: Spring Green Risotto
Something pretty and green for Spring from Ina Garten for

With Designs by Gollum

* 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
* 1 cup chopped fennel
* 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
* 2/3 cup dry white wine
* 4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade
* 1 pound thin asparagus
* 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas
* 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

Directions

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

As the weather warms up, I am really looking forward to those summer veggies. I love restaurants that offer a good veggie plate. Usually, three vegetables and a side of cornbread. My picks always include fried okra. I can be pretty flexible on the other sides but I insist on having okra!

Some other favorites are green beans and new potatoes cooked with a hamhock . . .

fried corn . . .

turnip greens . . .

Hmmm, I can make all of these at home as well! Add some sliced tomato and I am a happy, happy person 🙂

What would you put on your veggie plate?

Today’s Lagniappe:  Fried Corn
It is too early for fresh corn on the cob, but you can substitute around 3 cups frozen corn for this recipe to get a fix until the summer corn comes in.

• 6 ears corn
• 2 tablespoons fresh bacon drippings or butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Slice the corn from the cob. Scrape the cob downward to get any remaining corn left near the cob. Heat a heavy skillet and add the bacon fat or butter. When hot, add corn and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Serve hot.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file’ gumbo
‘Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou

It’s that time of year! Time for all things crawfish, crayfish, mudbug and crawdaddy! They are a lot of work for a little bit of taste, but all of the festivals and lore surrounding them are a lot of FUN!

One of the most notable crawfish festivals takes place in Breaux Bridge, Louisanna around the 1st of May. At the festival you can listen to great music, enjoy the beautiful town of Breaux Bridge and, of course, “suck the heads and pinch the tails” of all of those delectable crawfish.

Don’t miss this fun crustacean from the wonderful Gulf Coast!

With Designs by Gollum

Today’s Lagniappe:  Tony Chachere’s Crawfish Palmetto
From the fabulous Tony Chachere’s website a delicious crawfish recipe.

4 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 pound Tasso
4 tablespoon Chopped Bell Pepper
4 tablespoon Yellow Bell Pepper
4 tablespoon Red Bell Pepper (Chopped)
1 tablespoon Chopped Onions
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
4 tablespoon Mushrooms
1/2 cup Butter
4 Whole Catfish Fillets
1 cup AllPurpose Flour
3 teaspoon Tony Chacheres Original Creole Seasoning
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 pound Crawfish tails

1: In a saucepan, heat oil; add tasso, peppers, onions, and Italian seasoning.

2: Saute’ until render.

3: Add mushrooms and saute’ for 2 minutes.

4: Remove from heat and set aside.

5: Dredge fish in flour seasoned with Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning.

6: In a skillet, fry fish in butter until golden brown on both sides, turning once.

7: When done, add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.

8: Coat fish well and remove to warm platter.

9: Cover and keep warm.

10: In the same skillet, add cream.

11: Heat and stir well.

12: Add crawfish and vegetable mixture.

13: Cook for 3 minutes

14: Adjust seasoning.

15: Pour over catfish.

Around here, we are trying to eat healthy and be healthy! One thing we are doing is walking 3 miles a day. There are a lot of steep hills around here that make this a bit challenging but, we are up to it. I love that my wonderful husband is joining me in this venture 🙂

One of the wonderful things about being out and walking right now is the emergence of SPRING! The colors literally change from day to day. We noticed so many more Dogwoods today than we did a couple of days ago. I’ll post some of those tomorrow.

We are also trying to eat healthier. This is not so bad, because, I love to cook and I look at this as a challenge. One of the healthiest foods, apparently is salmon. My own experience with salmon, growing up, was salmon patties. I love salmon patties! I’ll get Mama’s recipe and post it as well.

We love to grill around our house, and I found some wonderful grilling tips for salmon from greatsalmonrecipes.com:

# Make sure that the cut of fish is suitable, some nice salmon steaks or cutlets, thick salmon fillets or a whole salmon is ideal.

# If you’re using a whole salmon, make 2 or 3 slashes in each side of the fish to speed up the cooking process and place the fish further away from the source of heat to prevent it buring too much before it’s properly cooked.

# Never salt the salmon before you cook it, all this does is draw out the very juices that you want to keep in but by all means use pepper, herbs, rubs and marinades to vary the flavour.

# Take your fish out of the fridge beforehand so that it has a chance to reach room temperature.

# Turn your grill

on at least 5 – 10 minutes before you intend to cook the salmon, if you’ve decided to have a barbecue (in the UK this is always a risky option on account of the famously fickle weather) it will need to be lit at least ½ hour before you intend to cook to allow the flames to die down and the charcoal to become grey.

# Oil your fish – not the grill! – This is extremely important, if you oil the grill your fish will stick.

# Try not to move the salmon around too much once it’s been put on the grill or Barbecue, leave it until there are bar marks on it and then give it a quarter turn, that way you’ll end up with a professional looking lattice mark. Once one side is done, flip it over and repeat on the other side.

So, here’s to your health! Enjoy!!!!

Today’s Lagniappe: Asian Grilled Salmon
From the fabulous Ina Garten – a great recipe for the grill!

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)

Ingredients
For the marinade:
nocoupons

* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 3 tablespoons good soy sauce
* 6 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don’t worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday

The National Association of Junior Auxiliaries cookbook give away is still going on! Just leave a comment (one comment a day) between now and 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 31st on the give away post!

The ad for the cookbook features a menu for a Mother’s Day Luncheon.

The menu is:

Chicken, Mushroom & Artichoke Bake
Baked Green Beans
Twice-Baked Cottage Style Potatoes
Buttery Herb Cheese Muffins
Cherry berry on a Cloud

Sounds absolutely delicious and all of the recipes are in the cookbook. Check out the give away post for details on how you can purchase the cookbook as well as how you could possibly win one. Also, in the post is the recipe for the Butter Herb Cheese Muffins!

The lovely Miss Christy Case Keirn is traveling to Greenville, Mississippi to pick up the give away cookbook. I don’t have the cookbook yet to share anymore of the great recipes, but after a little searching, I did find a recipe for Chicken, Mushroom & Artichoke Bake. This may not be the same recipe that is in the cookbook, but I thought it sounded just yummy, so it will be my contribution to:

With Designs by Gollum

Today’s Lagniappe: Chicken, Mushroom & Artichoke Bake

* 3 to 4 pounds chicken pieces
* salt and pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or equivalent base, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
* 3 tablespoons dry white wine or sherry
* 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
* 1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch blended with 1 tablespoon cold water
* 1 can (15 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained

Wash chicken and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and paprika. In a large skillet, brown chicken in about half of the butter. Transfer to slow cooker. Pour broth and wine into skillet. Stir to loosen brown bits. Pour over chicken then season with tarragon. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Just before serving, saute mushrooms in remaining butter until tender and browned. Turn slow cooker to high. When sauce is hot and simmering, stir in cornstarch and water mixture. Cook until thickened. Add sauteed mushrooms and artichoke hearts; heat through and serve.
Serves 4.

Spring is here. What is in season?

Spinach

Strawberries

Green onions - sometimes called scallions - but never by me 🙂

Lots of other wonderful and delicious things are also in season like rhubarb, sugar snap peas and asparagus. Don’t you just love this time of year when the world is waking up from a winter’s nap and starting to take on beautiful color? Spring is one of my favorite times of year. I love feeling the sunshine and how the days start to get longer and longer. It is invigorating and wonderful!

Okay, so let’s put some of those in-season things together for:

Today’s Lagniappe:  Fresh Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Like springtime in your mouth!

12 oz. torn fresh spinach, about 10 c.
3 c. halved or sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 c. sliced green onions
1/3 c. salad oil or olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 c. broken and toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

In large bowl place spinach, strawberries and green onions. Cover for up to 2 hours.

Shake together oil, lemon juice, chill. Shake before pouring over salad. Top with nuts, sprinkle with seeds. Makes 8-10 servings.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday

St. Patrick’s Day, what a fun holiday. I remember as a child, being sure to wear green so I wouldn’t be pinched. It really wasn’t too much of a hardship because green is one of my favorite colors.

I’ll have to say, although I love the holiday and the spirit of the holiday, I’m not that big a fan of some of the food that is traditionally offered such as corned beef and cabbage.

What I do love is some of the traditional symbols like the three leafed clover.

Each leaf is supposed to represent something: the first leaf for hope, the second for faith and the third for love. Then of course there is the four leaf clover.

The fourth leaf is supposed to represent luck!

Who doesn’t love a day that can be celebrated and enjoyed. Okay, now, there actually are some Irish recipes that I really like. Check out today’s lagniappe!

Today’s Lagniappe:  Irish Bread
Not many bread recipes that I don’t like! This one is a tasty addition to your St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

* 3  cups  all-purpose flour
* 2  tablespoons  baking powder
* 1/2  teaspoon  salt
* 1/2  cup  sugar
* 1/4  cup  shortening
* 1/4  cup  butter or margarine
* 1  cup  raisins
* 1 1/4  cups  milk
* 2  large eggs
* 1  tablespoon  white vinegar

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Cut shortening and butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until mixture is crumbly. Stir in raisins.

Whisk together milk, eggs, and vinegar; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Pour batter into a greased 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet.

Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minute

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday

Had a great time with my friend, Christy Case Keirn, who came for lunch today. Tablescape  and more details to come later. I had planned on making lemonade cookies with lemonade frosting, but I got really busy and didn’t get around to it. My backup plan was to make lemon sugar cookies, but they had to be chilled for an hour.

Oh, did I mention that I remembered that I wanted to make these cookies at 10 a.m. and I was expecting Christy at noon? Oh, and I needed the oven from 11:00 to noon for the entree? So, that left me with one hour to get the cookies done.

Well, never fear. I had the perfect recipe, which I have posted before, however I have made a few changes. The cookie of the day was Lemon Thyme Cookies!

Lemon Thyme Cookies

Check out today’s lagniappe for this recipe and today’s addition to:

With Designs by Gollum

Today’s Lagniappe: Lemon Thyme Cookies
I still had thyme in the garden. I didn’t have the scalloped edge cutter so I just used a pizza cutter. Maybe not as pretty, but it got the job done and they were just as delicious. I also used 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a little extra zest for a little extra lemon flavor, cause I was just in that kind of mood. 🙂

* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme
* 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* Coarse sugar or granulated sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Beat the butter in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar until combined. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in thyme, lemon peel,  and lemon juice. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Knead until smooth; form mixture into a ball.

2. Divide dough into three equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6×4 1/2-inch rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 1 1/2-inch squares with a scalloped-edge pastry wheel. Sprinkle cutouts with coarse sugar. Place cutouts on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are just lightly brown. Transfer to wire racks and let cool. Makes 36 cookies.

4. To store: Place cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen, before serving.

I’m craving shrimp today. Not just any shrimp I want Wild American Shrimp – for me, that means from the Gulf of Mexico. Such a wonderful flavor. I don’t want to be bamboozled!

I like shrimp most ways but today, I am wanting it barbecued, Pascal’s Manale style.

You may need three or more pieces of French bread to soak up all this goodness.

1 pound (21-25 count) shrimp, heads removed
5 teaspoons Manale Spice (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
French bread for serving
Wash shrimp and pat dry. Put shrimp in a large skillet over high heat and add Manale Spice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, stirring constantly. Pour olive oil over shrimp, then add white wine. Stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly.
Continue cooking over high heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add butter, and cook an additional 2 minutes until butter is thoroughly melted and blended in. Be careful not to overcook shrimp or they will become tough. Serve with French bread for dipping in sauce.

Manale Spice:
4 tablespoons black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in a dry, airtight container.

That, my friends, is some gooood stuff! Add a salad and that crusty French bread and it is heavenly!

Today’s Lagniappe: Italian Salad with Herbs
A yummy salad to go along with the shrimp. This salad recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis

* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
* 1 teaspoon honey
* 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1 head romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
* 4 Belgian endives, thinly sliced crosswise
* 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
* 1 cup (lightly packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
* 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves, torn into bite-size pieces

Blend the lemon juice, lemon peel, honey, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.

Toss the lettuce, endive, olives, parsley, and basil in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad with more salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday

So glad to see March arrive. That really means that Spring is just around the corner. My husband’s birthday is March 21st so it is always near the first day of Spring. Just another reason to celebrate! This seems to have been a tough winter for so many. Around here, we are just really ready to celebrate some warm temps!

Today, I want to celebrate Pimiento Cheese. Also known as the pate` of the South. The pimiento cheese I grew up on was from Priddy’s. It was just delicious with some mayonnaise and white bread. YUM! I’ve heard that this delicacy is not that well known outside the region. Basically, it is cheese, mayonnaise and pimientos mixed up. But, of course, there are many variations on the theme.

With Designs by Gollum

How about today’s lagniappe from an old issue of Southern Living?

Today’s Lagniappe:  Feta Apple Spread
This is really going far afield but it is still yummy!
2 (4-ounce) packages crumbled feta cheese
1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives or pitted ripe olives
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained
Preparation
Stir together all ingredients. Chill, if desired.

Prep: 7 min

NOTE: For convenient sandwiches, serve spread in quartered pita rounds.

My little sweetie, Bailey had surgery this morning to remove a large tumor from the end of his tail.

Bailey

He is doing well, still having some pain and is a little uncomfortable but did great and will be fine. What would I do without my sweet little dog and my pretty little cat.

Calli

They were both rescues. Bailey from a shelter (his 2nd at the age of 2 – he is 8 now) and Calli from living under the house.

They both add so much to our lives. So blessed to have them!

Need something easy today!

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Today’s Lagniappe:  Slow Cooker Short Ribs
Something to cook in the slow cooker is great for a day when you need something easy!

¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
4-5 beef, boneless short ribs
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Combine flour salt & pepper and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge short ribs in flour mixture, coating all sides. Place butter and olive oil in a large skillet and place pan on medium-low heat until butter melts. Lightly shake excess flour off each rib and place ribs in pan. Brown ribs on all sides. Place ribs in bottom of a slow cooker. Without cleaning the skillet, sauté onions and garlic cloves. Drain the liquid from the tomatoes into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until liquid is reduced. Add tomatoes and sugar to the skillet and stir. Pour the tomato mixture over ribs. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Just finished recording the first session of co-hosting The Margaret Banks show with my friend, Margaret. It is billed as a show for women and those who love them. I really like this idea, because, even though her show is targeted to women, it would be enjoyed by men as well. If you are in North Central Arkansas,you can hear the show on Saturday morning at 8:30 on Mountain Talk 97. If you are not in the area and would like to hear the show, you can get it with audio on demand on the Mountain Talk 97 website.

We had such a good time visiting about social media and how the internet has changed our lives. Margaret has scheduled me for her 2nd show as well. We will be talking about turning your passion into profits. The perfect show for all my blogging friends and all of you who have a passion that you would like to turn into a business! If you have a chance to tune in, we would love to hear your feedback.

Okay, now,on to:

With Designs by Gollum

and:

Today’s Lagniappe:  Sesame Snow Peas for 2
I love this recipe. Snow peas are one of the first veggies to come up in the Spring and this is a great way to enjoy them!

• 1 1/2 cups snow peas, about 6 ounces, strings removed
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Toss the snow peas with soy sauce and sesame oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover tightly. Microwave at full power until crisp-tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.

Collard, turnip, mustard – the holy trinity of greens and all three are wonderful. Southerners love their greens! Not only are they delicious, they are nutritious too (okay, now, don’t go reminding me about the ham hock, streak 0 lean, bacon grease, etc. that are added for flavor – we all know – they don’t count). Greens are loaded with vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

Greens grow well in the  South and are a popular food in the local cuisine of the region. The turnip green, became an important staple in the Southern African-American diet during the time of slavery. It is said that the slave owners would keep the turnip for themselves and give the greens to the slaves. Little did they know what they were missing!

Served with cornbread (to soak up the “pot-likker”), greens are definitely worth adding to your repertoire!  Greens are available year round but are best between January and April (like, right now!).  When you cook enough greens to feed a family, it is called a “mess” of greens. The size of the “mess” depends on the family.

Today’s Lagniappe: Southern Greens
Use whatever green is available.

1 1/2 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds ham hocks
4 pounds greens, rinsed and trimmed
1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon grease
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste

Place the water and the ham hock in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to very low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

Add the greens and the hot hot sauce the pot. Simmer covered for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the vegetable oil or bacon grease and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

Serve with cornbread.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday