4th of July Bash

Each year, we tend to host a big 4th of July bash, and this year was no exception. The house was filled with 49 friends and family members, which I loved. The more, the merrier! Not surprisingly, we never have a shortage of great food. I love these types of potlucks where all of us get to benefit from being around such good cooks. I also believe that since the publication of our first family cookbook, the bar has been raised. Now, there seems to be a renewed spirit to try new, amazing recipes while we still get to enjoy the tried-and-true traditional ones. Even my Aunt Marilyn sent out a plea to her Facebook family requesting a great recipe followed by, "I need to outdo my nieces!"

I love it! . . . at least until one of her friends suggested a fruit pizza, something that I make every year. Whoa! :D

For now, I'll just try to recall all that was served, but I hope to share some new recipes in future posts.

The appetizers included shrimp dip served with a variety of crackers, hot pepper peach dip served with pretzel crackers, sausage bites with pineapple and cherries, and meatballs. Mmmmm. Even Dad said, "I can make a meal just off of this stuff!" Notice some of the randomly-spaced missing cherries below. Jackie swears that Dad was the sneaky thief! :D

The main course included the requisite grilled hamburgers and hotdogs with a variety of toppings. Lots of people were talking about the burgers because they were HUGE! I'm embarrassed to admit that when I went to our local meat packing company, I got confused about a 6 oz patty vs. an 8 oz patty. For some crazy reason, I briefly thought a 6 oz patty was going to be like a quarter-pounder. That's why I went with the larger size, not thinking that what I ended up with was half-pound burgers! Oh my. Although there was a lot of talk and giggles making fun of a statistician who apparently doesn't know math, there were no complaints!

Now the sides: cole slaw, pepper slaw, baked beans, two different kinds of pasta salad, two different kinds of layered cornbread salad, corn on the cob, pineapple casserole, confetti salad, garden vegetable salad, watermelon feta salad, macaroni and cheese, blueberry congealed salad, and sawdust salad. Whew! Hopefully, I didn't leave a dish out of this list. They were all so wonderful!

Now for the best part:  the desserts! Blackberry cobbler; chocolate cookies with butterscotch chips; fruit pizza shaped into a flag (yes, mine, not Marilyn's); red, white, and blueberry trifle; patriotic cookies; mounds cake; no-bake strawberry icebox cake; stuffed strawberries; and a bouquet of lollipops for the kids. Thank God for us living in America, and thank God for Pinterest!  :)

Although there was plenty of good eatin', we did offer many other activities:  swimming, corn hole, horseshoes, basketball, ping pong, sidewalk chalk, etc.

Mostly, though, it was a day of relaxing, chillin', and just shootin' the bull, catching up with family and friends. Can't wait for next year!

A Minnie Birthday

"Things don't change; people do." I have always loved that quote from Thoreau. I usually agree with it, but I'm not sure anymore . . . at least today. Today is Keely's 23rd birthday. One thing that hasn't changed about her is that she has always loved Minnie Mouse. In fact, that was the theme of her very first birthday party which seemed like yesterday.

More than two decades later, she asks for a Minnie Mouse birthday cake again. How do I respond to that?

"As you wish," of course.

Although I admit the decorating wasn't perfect, I do know that Keely appreciated this labor of love.

Keely, I hope this is your best birthday ever!

Blackberry Cobbler

One of my favorite things to do this time of year has always been blackberry pickin'. Dad used to take me and Scott over to Scott County at the old homestead of his grandparents, and I can remember like it was yesterday how we would return with so many berries. Such awesome memories! Mom would always either make jam, cobbler, or both. I've certainly continued this tradition. Now, however, I head over to one of my best friend's house (Cindi Burtnett). She has them growing wild in the property adjacent to her own.

Cindi says that this is certainly the year for blackberries. Knowing that I'm still recovering from my emergency appendectomy, she called in the troops (Kim Suiter and Cindy Pickett) to pick blackberries for me last night since I'm unable to. What a labor of love! I was so tickled to get a huge bucket full today. Although I'm not quite ready to actually turn them into jam, I was able to clean and crush them to get 10 cups. This will eventually be turned into two batches of jam. After this, I was left with just a little more than 1 cup of berries. I knew just what to do:  make Mom's fruit cobbler. Mom first got this recipe from Dad's grandma, Lucretia (Lucy) Lawson. It was a no-brainer to include this in the family cookbook.

This recipe is very similar to the "Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa" recipe that some Southerners are quite familiar with. It was even featured in the play, Steel Magnolias. In the movie version of Steel Magnolias, Clairee (played by Olympia Dukakis) asks Truvy (played by Dolly Parton) for her recipe. Admittedly, it is a little different from Mom’s version. Put on your best Dolly Parton voice:

“Oh hell, Clairee, you don’t need a recipe. It’s just a cuppa flour, a cuppa sugar, and a cuppa fruit cocktail with the syrup, stir and bake in a hot oven ‘til golden brown and bubbly. I serve it with ice cream to cut the sweetness.”

The best thing about this recipe is that you can make as much or as little as you want. In my case, I only had about a cup of berries, so I used a very small casserole dish . . . about 4" x 4". I first sprayed the dish with Pam before putting in the berries.

Mom's version uses a cuppa self-rising flour, a cuppa sugar, and a cuppa milk. Instead of using a "cuppa" each of these, I only used half a cup of each since I'm making such a small amount. Mix together and pour over the berries.

The original recipe says to bake for 60 minutes. For this small size, though, I only needed 50 minutes.

Gosh, I love this stuff! And I agree with Truvy, it is "best served with ice cream to cut the sweetness."  :)

Thanks so much Cindi, Kim, and Cindy! You guys continue to make my road to recovery just that much sweeter!  :)

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

• any kind of fruit (Of course, I used blackberries.)
• 1 cup of sugar 
• 1 cup of self-rising flour 
• 1 cup of milk
• approximately 1/2 stick butter (optional)

Directions:
Pour any kind of fruit in a greased 8x8 casserole dish. Mix together sugar, flour, and milk. Pour over the fruit. Top with pats of butter (optional). Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until done. 

Reese Trifle

This Memorial Day weekend was just awesome. The weather felt like it was July which made lounging in the pool, not by the pool, a perfect way to spend the day. First on the agenda was to decorate the house. I love this time of year when I display the patriotic bunting on the front windows. While it's a simple change, it just feels good. I've said more than once that "my blood runneth orange . . . and red, white, and blue!"

Steve especially loved Memorial Day as one of his best friends, Barry Price, and his family unexpectedly came down to spend the day with us. His brother Larry and Debbie did, too. Buffy and Todd as well as Keely were home for the holiday weekend. The Burtnetts came over as well. In no time, we had a house full . . . our favorite way to spend a holiday.

On the menu, not surprisingly, were the requisite grilled hamburgers and hotdogs served with a variety of toppings. Side dishes included chips and salsa, macaroni salad, cucumber salad, and more grilled jalapeno poppers since we enjoyed them so much the day before! For dessert, we had watermelon, a cookie cake, and the most popular item on the menu:  Keely's Reese trifle.

Since it was rare that we didn't have anyone over with peanut allergies, this was a perfect choice. Unfortunately, I didn't take a close-up photo of it, but you'll see it above in the top right hand corner. This was the only thing on the table where we didn't have even one spoonful of leftovers!

This recipe is already in our family cookbook. However, Keely did make a slight modification. She used sugar-free pudding and sugar-free Cool Whip. I'm thinking that's along the same lines of having a Snicker's candy bar with a Diet Coke. Yes. Guilty. But, I guess every little bit helps!  :)

Reese Trifle

Ingredients:

• 1 box fudgy brownies
• 2 boxes chocolate pudding, prepared according to directions
• 2 tubs Cool Whip, thawed
• 6-8 Reese cup candy bars (or 12-16 individual cups) broken into small pieces

Directions:
Bake brownies according to directions on box. Place half in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with half of the pudding followed by half of the Cool Whip. Sprinkle with half of the Reese cups.

Repeat layers: brownies, pudding, Cool Whip, and the rest of the Reese cups.

Tip: The regular size Reese cups break up better than the fun size version.

Happy Engagement

Last week, Buffy and Todd left for a cruise to the Bahamas. The night before they boarded the ship, Todd popped the question, and Buffy said, "Yes!" Needless to say, she is thrilled. So, after stopping here on their way back home, we had a small celebratory dinner for them last night.

Our family and the Burtnetts feasted on grilled chicken tenderloins, milk potatoes, fresh corn, grilled asparagus, and grilled jalapeno poppers. The poppers are already in our family cookbook and the recipe was contributed by my nephew-in-law (is that even a real word?) Chris Strong. This was the first time I made them. They are sooooo good! I'm already planning on them being my go-to appetizer for football season, made with orange peppers of course.

For dessert, I made "engagement cupcakes." This was another opportunity for me to try something I found on Pinterest:  heart-shaped cupcakes. I thought it was such a clever idea to place a marble in each muffin tin before baking:

 

So far, so good. But, when I took them out of the oven . . .

. . . I thought this is a joke! These look nothing like hearts! For once, Pinterest let me down! Disappointment quickly turned into giggles. Laughing is about all I could do at this point, especially when I saw this on half of them:

I'm sure that wasn't supposed to happen! I kept telling myself, "It's the thought that counts." So, I proceeded. I'm still not sure how this happened, but in the end, they really did look like heart-shaped cupcakes.

After swearing I will never try this again, I now know that I will. I'll just make certain next time that I don't fill the muffin cups too full.

More importantly, the happy couple seemed to enjoy their special dinner and cupcakes.

It looks like the wedding will likely be May, 2013. So for the next year, let the wedding plans begin!

Bacon Asparagus Strata

I had such a nice Mother's Day yesterday! I planned on taking Mom to brunch, but I obviously waited too late to do anything about it because all of the restaurants I called were either sold out or didn't take reservations. It was a blessing in disguise. We ended up taking brunch to Mom, and I'm hoping now that this will be a new tradition for Mother's Day.

The menu was small, but completely sufficient. I made cinnamon rolls, but this time I topped them with caramel icing and pecans. I also had fruit salad, using strawberries, pineapples, and blueberries. Then, Keely and I made two different breakfast casseroles. The first one was my Aunt Marilyn's Easy Breakfast Casserole, which is already in the family cookbook. Made with sausage, eggs, and cheese, it was delicious. The second one was a new recipe that I saw on Pinterest and wanted to try:  Bacon Asparagus Strata. It was hard for me to choose which one I liked the best. I was glad I didn't have to choose!

One of the best things about the menu was that everything was put together the night before. So, all we had to do was drive into Knoxville and place the casseroles in Mom's oven. Everything was ready by the time she and Dad got home from church. How nice that I got to enjoy a relaxing morning with those I love and avoid the hustle and bustle of going out!

Bacon Asparagus Strata

Ingredients:

• 8 strips bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and chopped
• 1 (9 oz) package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well-drained
• 3/4 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped
• 12 slices dry white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
• 3 cups shredded Swiss cheese (12 oz)
• 8 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine bacon, asparagus, and red peppers. Place half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the bacon mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining bread cubes, bacon mixture, and cheese.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper. Carefully pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture in dish. Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on layers to moisten all of the bread. Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes or until puffed, golden, and set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: I cut the recipe in half and used an 8x8 casserole dish instead. The only other thing I plan to change the next time I make this is add more bacon. I'll use the whole package instead. I mean, why not? :)

Chocolate Pie

Last night, our friends Steve and Cindi Burtnett came over for dinner. We had grilled steaks, milk potatoes, salad, and sliced tomatoes. Since Steve's birthday was last Thursday, I knew I wanted to make him a special birthday dessert. Given that he is a major chocolate lover, it was a perfect excuse opportunity for me to finally make my cousin McKinley's chocolate pie.

This recipe is already in our family cookbook, and the story behind it is actually one of my favorites. McKinley has taken over chocolate pie duty for Sunday dinners . . . a tradition passed down from her great grandmother, Bonnie Fulmer (Mema).

"Mema had a neighbor, Bessie Scoggins, who also made a reputable chocolate pie. However, Mema never liked Bessie’s pie because it had water in it instead of milk, and it also used less sugar. Mema loved sweets! When Pepa died, Bessie sent her chocolate pie to Mema as a token of her condolences. Even under those circumstances, Mema would be quick to defend her recipe, claiming to have the best chocolate pie if anyone else stated otherwise!"

Every time I think of this story, I smile as I picture Mema defending her pie. Such a classic Southern vision. :) When I began gathering the ingredients for the pie, I noticed that the needed items matched exactly with a recipe that I already had, except this version did not call for a stick of butter. Oh dear. My initial reaction was that an important ingredient had been inadvertently left off. I decided to trust the recipe and proceed as directed. I'm so glad I did. This turned out to be one of the best pies I've made. Even the meringue turned out better than I've ever experienced. It was a huge hit not only with the birthday boy, but with all of us! Knowing that it didn't have a whole stick of butter in it made the pie guilt free as well. Well, sort of. This is one pie that I will be making over and over again. Thanks, McKinley, for sharing this tradition with the rest of our family!

Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 pie shell

      Meringue:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
Mix cocoa, sugar, salt, flour and milk together. Add beaten egg yolks. Cook over low heat on top of stove, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. When thickened, remove from stove top and add vanilla. Stir well. Pour into a baked pie shell. (Note: I actually thickened the chocolate by using the microwave instead. I cooked it for 12 minutes, stirring after each 4 minute increment.)

Meringue: Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar, beating until stiff and glossy. Spread over pie filling and bake until meringue is browned.