Tag Archives: Southern Living

Collard Greens in the Slowcooker

DSC_0007.JPGI have not always been a fan of greens.  Recently I have lived on the wild side tasting greens from several restaurants and I have found that I love them.   In fact I can’t get enough of them, but a little scared to try my hand at making them at home.  I was excited to see this no-fail recipe in the November issue of Southern Living.  I had to try it and it is a big winner!

Oh my gosh!   What flavor this dish has and its so easy to put together.  Who in their right mind would want to spend hours washing greens?   There’s no washing greens for hours because the recipe uses packaged prewashed greens. Its got a kick from the red pepper, sweetness from brown sugar and sour from apple cider vinegar.  I used a soup bone from Honey Baked Ham which adds even more flavor.  You will love it!!  Get out your slow cooker and go for it.  Winner!

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Filed under side dish, Slow Cooker, vegetables

Luscious Lemon Bars

luscious lemon bars

You need these lemon bars in your life.  Yes, you do!  Make them and share with all your family and friends.   They are the best ever!  Aren’t they just gorgeous on this platter?  I’ve been drooling over this recipe since I first saw it in Southern Living.  When Spring peeked out a little a couple of months ago I felt the need for something lemony and served these to my book club.  They flew off the platter!  But, who could resist when I put the platter on the table right in front of everyone.  You just want one more bite.

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Filed under Cookies, Cookies from scratch

Hearty Italian Soup

Hearty Italian SoupA couple of months ago Southern Living posted 10 or 12 soup recipes that we all should have in our freezer when we don’t have time to cook or  we just don’t feel like it.   Then like magic we can just pull it out and presto dinner is served.  I have started cooking them now that the temperature is cooler.  Ha!  It was 80 on Christmas , but  I am a soup lover no matter what season of the year and no matter what the temperature is outside. I have made this particular soup 4 times and it has not made it to my freezer yet!   We love it!  It is full of flavor and packed with some really good stuff.  I guess I’m going to be forced to go out and buy a larger pan so that I can double the recipe.  I think that will be the only way to have some of this good stuff land in my freezer.

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Mocha Balls

Yummy bite

It’s already November and I can’t believe it. Seems as if it was just yesterday that I quit my job of 42 years.  You want to know what I have been doing for the last six months?  Absolutely nothing.  Just basking in the morning, noon, and afternoon quiet.  I’m loving my unstructured time.  Now back to the real reason you are here.  It’s for this chocolate recipe I know.    You really need to make these!  Pronto.  They are very easy. I know you want to make them so get in the kitchen.

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Biscuit Beignets

Biscuit Beignets

In the mood for some Beignets, but you can’t swing the trip to New Orleans to Cafe du Monde  in the French Quarter? Here’s the next best thing. These are from one of my favorites from Southern Living made with Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits. They are a real treat and super easy. Give yourself 10 minutes and you can be sipping your coffee, eating your beignets and feeling as if are in the center of it all in NOLA.

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Filed under Dessert, Snack

Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette

Strawberry Salad

Here is a great summer salad that you will want to make with all the fabulous strawberries that we have now.  These flavors from strawberries, mandarin oranges, and avocados  just go together to make a fantastic combination that I would not ordinarily put together.  And the avocado in this salad  oh my! If you are looking hard to see the avocado you won’t.  I served this salad to my book club last month and in the hustle and bustle to make a photo without holding up serving the food I forgot to add the avocado.  But, don’t you leave it out thinking that it will be just as good without it.  It won’t be!  You’ll miss that buttery flavor.  Trust me.  I love this Cinnamon vinaigrette.  It is a lovely salad dressing and a snap to make.   I really cannot believe that today is July 1.  In 30 days school starts and I must get busy on my To Do list which is absolutely nothing!  Enjoy your summer.

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Filed under Salad, salad dressing

Blue Cheese Dressing

DSC_0403

After doing as little shopping one of my favorite places to have lunch is Prime at Lenox Square.  I just love their Cobb Salad with blue cheese dressing.  I am happy to say that I have found the recipe so now all of us can enjoy it at home.  It packs a lot of flavor and you’ll find you only need a small amount so guess what – a reduction in the amount of calories.  I can go for that!  I just put together a chopped salad  including chopped romaine, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and hearts of palm.  I placed all the vegetables in a container with a top and added about a heaping teaspoon of dressing.  I put the top on it and gave it a good shake.  Oh my Gosh!  So help yourself to the greatest salad dressing and it is just a shame that it is so easy to make.

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Filed under Salad, salad dressing

Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet (Ice Cream)

I made my first ice cream of the year this weekend to reduce the number of strawberries that were overflowing in my refrigerator and wouldn’t you know that the temperature would drop to the low 4o’s.  March was a record high 80’s.  What’s up with this ridiculous range of tempts?  But, no matter what the weather is outside the strawberries are coming in like crazy and there are just so many that I can eat before they go bad.  Southern Living came to my rescue with their winning recipe for ice cream, sherbet, or frozen yogurt.  Whatever you want to name it make sure that you put the word scrumptious in front of it.  It is the easiest ice cream you’ll ever make and what is even better is that it is low in calories.  You might want to hide any straws.  The mixture is so good you’ll want to drink it like a milkshake.  It is that good!

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Filed under Desserts

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

Do you love strawberry shortcake?  I have just the recipe for you, but less trouble and less calories.  This is a fabulous muffin recipe and I know because I have made my share of muffins with high school students.  Since  I just received my first strawberries of the season in my CSA box I was searching for a great recipe.  I did not have to go far.    The new issue of Southern Living coincidentally featured strawberry recipes ranging from strawberry pie to strawberry curd this month.  There many great looking  recipes using strawberries.  I didn’t have to make a choice because my friend Syble mentioned to me that she tried these strawberry lemonade muffins which were divine.  I was sold .  Her word is gold and I love it when I don’t have to make decisions.

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Filed under Muffins, Quick Breads

Double Chocolate Brownies with Caramel Frosting

These could be the best brownies that you have ever had.  They are chewy, chocolaty, nutty, and absolutely out of this world!  With the added caramel frosting it puts them way over the top.  I will confess that at first I did not have such good results with this recipe.  In fact, it was rather dismal.  I get crazy when a recipe does not go like I think it should.  You might say to the point of being obsessive.  Perfection sometimes is my downfall.  I don’t want to settle for mediocre.

In looking for something  a new and exciting recipe to share with my tennis team the photo of these brownies in my 2006 Southern Living Cookbook would not stop dancing in my head.  I made them, but not with the results that I had anticipated.  I did take the less than perfect brownies to my tennis match and one of our opponents walked over to GI Joe and me blubbering ,  ”  I just want to tell you that after eating these brownies, I would like to marry you.”   So then I was on a mission to make them perfectly!   By the way I could have been this guy’s mother.

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Filed under Bar Cookies