It's a Vol Thing

It's football time in Tennessee! Are you ready? For many, this means planning over-the-top tailgating parties. . . a true Southern ritual. It's not too soon to begin thinking about menu items. This season, I plan on serving many of the same items that I served at Keely's graduation party in May of 2011. We had a good time trying to think of orange and white foods as well as other food items that could just be re-named Vol style such as:

Rocky road brownies became "Rocky Top Road Brownies." Just take your favorite brownie recipe and top it with marshmallows, pecans, and chocolate chips. They taste better in a T-shaped pan, too!

Don't just serve sweet tea. Serve "Sweet as Soda Pop Tea!"

How about some "Wild as a Mink Rice Salad?"

At our family get-togethers, we almost always have deviled eggs. Not this time. They're "InVOLved Deviled Eggs." All you need is a little orange food coloring!

Consider serving a "Go Big Orange and Spinach Salad":

How many different orange and white candies can you think of? We had plain orange M&Ms, white coconut M&Ms, orange slices, orange circus peanuts, and white yogurt raisins.

Can you stand some more? Consider serving:

• "Tennessee-Style Veggies and Dip" - Only serve orange and white veggies such as carrots, orange peppers, peeled cucumbers, and cauliflower.
• "Big Orange and White Cookies" - These are actually butter pecan cookies that have butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips.
• "Go Big Orange Velvet Cake" - It's tradition. I have to make this at least once a season.
• "Go Big Orange Fluff" - An orange jello salad mixed with Cool Whip.
• "Tennessee-Style Baked Yams" - Sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows and coconut.
• "Smokeys" - An all-time favorite appetizer. You know, the little mini-sausages?
• "The Big T Pasta Salad" - I saw the T-shaped pasta at Cracker Barrel just the other day.

So, you get the idea. Can you think of more?

Thanks to Pinterest, I also plan to try new things this season such as these Rice Krispie treats. I can't believe I didn't think of that!

Ah, yes. Our much-loved orange and white checkerboard pattern.

What's your favorite tailgating food?

Here's to a great season!

Easy Corn on the Cob

One of my favorite meals has always been simply a plate of home grown vegetables. This is so ironic since I can't grow a thing. Truly. I've tried so many times. I can't even grow tomatoes!

I have even tried gardening on a small scale by starting an herb garden. No luck here either. For two years in a row, my basil grew to about 1/2 inch, then died. The cilantro didn't even make it that far. So, I'm content to keep my nice Longaberger planters with plant markers on my back deck nonetheless.

At this point, I have resolved to support my local farmers. I'm fortunate that we have a great farmers' market here in Cleveland. Since the summer is winding down and presumably fresh veggies are too, I decided to make a trip today. Homegrown tomatoes, green beans, Yukon potatoes, and corn on the cob. Mmmmm.

This also gave me the opportunity to try something new. Keely was actually the first one to tell me about placing the whole corn on the cob in the microwave. (No way!) Yes, she assured me, as she was told by one of her customers whose husband is a farmer. Weeks later, I watched a video of a person preparing it in this manner. Usually things that are too good to be true are, well, too good to be true. I would see for myself. So I began. I placed the two ears in the microwave without even shucking them first.

Cook on high for 4 minutes per ear. So, I cooked them for a total of 8 minutes.

Next, cut the tip off of the bottom.

Then, here is the crazy part. On the video I watched, the man took the top of the corn and just shook it so that the insides cleanly fell out without any silk at all!

Mine wasn't so easy. It did start to come out as shown above, but then got stuck. I ended up shucking the corn after all, but the stalks came off so easily, and the corn tasted great. I'm certain that I'll never boil ears of corn again! Who knew?

Peanut Butter Bars

When Dad returned from his high school reunion this summer, his eyes lit up when he was telling me about these peanut butter bars he had. He is at the age where they plan these events every year as opposed to every decade, and he always looks forward to each one. (He graduated from Norma High School in 1954 in Scott County, Tennessee.)

Their reunions are typically pot lucks where attendees bring their favorite dishes. Bernie Mason had her hands full with these peanut butter bars, so Dad offered to help her carry them inside. After trying one, he loved them so much that he said,

"Do you see that lady over there (pointing to Mom across the room)? Will you give her this recipe before you leave today?"

"Well yes, but it's not my recipe. This recipe belonged to your Aunt Gladys."

Dad was so surprised. He never knew that his Aunt Gladys (Lawson Murley) worked in the cafeteria at Norma High School. Apparently, she frequently made these peanut butter bars for the students. Unfortunately, she passed away at a very young age in the 70's, so it is pretty remarkable that she is still getting credit for this recipe more than three decades later. I love that! I love even more how this has caused a chain of events, further connecting me to past generations.

I was reminded that Gladys was one of my grandma's (Laura Lawson Harness) younger sisters. They're the two who are poking their heads behind their father on the back row (circa 1961). You'll notice ten children in this picture, and all weren't present!

 
In memory of Gladys and in celebration of the fact that most schools are now in session, you should try some of this old fashioned goodness.

Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup self-rising flour

Directions:
Cream together butter and peanut butter. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix well. Fold in flour. Pour into a greased 8x8 casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Note: The first time I made these bars, I substituted Splenda for the sugar. While the taste was essentially the same, the texture was not. They ended up being very crumbly and not chewy at all.