Corny Dogs

For the last 50 years, I have served Chili and Pigs In a Blanket for Halloween supper. This year, I saw a recipe for Corny Dogs on http://thepioneerwoman.com I adapted the recipe for our family, and added them to the menu. They are delicious...my guys thought they were as good as Fletcher's at the Texas State Fair. Give them a try!
Ingredients:
3 c Krustez Pancake Mix
1 c yellow corn meal
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 c water
Hot Dogs
Chopsticks
Cooking Oil

Instructions
In a large bowl, combine pancake mix and cornmeal. Stir to mix well. Add egg and water slowly while beating with a whisk, to avoid lumps. Insert sticks into hot dogs so that they're 2/3 of the way through. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Drop in a bit of batter to see if it's ready: the batter should immediately start to sizzle but should not immediately brown/burn. Dip the hot dogs into the batter and allow excess to drip off for a couple of seconds. Carefully drop into the oil (stick and all) and use tongs or a spoon to make sure it doesn't hit the bottom of the pan and stick. Flip several times to ensure even browning, and remove from the oil when the outside is deep golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes; drain.

Snack Ideas

It's football season, and that means having snacks on hand for the game watchers.  I make these two dips for my guys, and they really love them!

Ingredients:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Turnips
Bell pepper
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes

Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip:
16 Oz. small curd cottage cheese
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix...NOT dip mix.
1/4 C mayo

Rotel Dip:
Velveeta
1 can RoTel

Instructions:
Cut veggies in bite sized pieces and arrange on a tray.  Put Ranch Dressing mix, cottage cheese, and mayo in a bowl, and stir until well blended.  Make RoTel Dip by melting Velveeta and RoTel together.  Serve with veggies.  Now, both dips are good, but the raw broccoli and cauliflower taste great dipped in the warm RoTel dip!  Give it a try!

Chicken Divan

                                                                               

Ingredients:

3 C cubed cooked chicken, I use white meat only

1 large pkg broccoli florets, microwaved for 3 minutes

2 TBS butter

Salt and pepper

1 can condensed mushroom soup

½ cup cream

½ cup white wine

1/4 cup of the broth from the chicken

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cups Kraft sharp grated cheese

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Grated Parmesan cheese

Paprika

Instructions:

Put lightly cooked broccoli in bottom of baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Dot with butter.  Heat soup, broth and cream in pot, when hot, add wine, cheese and lemon juice; add mayo after cheese melts, pour sauce over broccoli and chicken.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle with Paprika, if desired. Bake at 350* until sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes. 

Our family calls this Chicken and Trees, and it always disappears quickly.  I hope you like it!

Liebster Blog Award

I was given the Liebster Blog Award by Kitty at Kitty's Kozy Kitchen. I am very honored to receive this special award. Thank you so much, Kitty for thinking of me. I love following your blog, enjoy your delicious recipes, and our special friendship. In German, "Liebster" means "dear",it is from the verb "Lieber" which means "to love". We share a wonderful friendship and a love for food as well. The purpose of the Liebster Blog Award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers. The goal of the award is to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers. The rules of the award are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have fun!

kittyskozykitchen.blogspot.com

My Grandmother's Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole cut-up chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Crisco solid shortening

Instructions:
Soak chicken in salt water for 1-2 hours; remove and pat dry. Put enough shortening in black skillet to reach about half way up the sides. Heat shortening to 350*. Salt and pepper chicken, then dredge in flour. Add to hot pan and cook about 10-12 minutes on each side, until done through, and golden brown. Drain on brown paper or paper towels.
My grandmother made the best fried chicken in the universe. It is a very simple recipe, I follow it, and my fried chicken is good. Even though I make it just like she did, it never tastes the same. Then one day it dawned on me: my grandmother got the chicken from her own yard, dressed it, soaked it in salt water...and fried it in LARD!

If you want gravy to go with the chicken, here's a recipe
Ingredients:
4 TBS pan drippings
3 TBS flour
3 C milk, approximately
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Stir flour into drippings until well blended and scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbly and medium brown. Gradually add milk, stirring with whisk. Cook until thickened and creamy, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Making gravy takes practice. Rarely does anyone get it right the first time. If it is lumpy, keep whisking; if too thick, add some water. Above all...don't panic!

Georgia Blogger

I moved away from Georgia almost 30 years ago...but Georgia is always on my mind, and in my heart! I am proud to be a tenth generation Georgian. I miss her gentle people, tall pines,and red clay..I even miss kudzu!

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:
1 can Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Mix
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3oz. box instant vanilla pudding
1 C sifted powdered sugar

Instructions:
Mix first three ingredients, then gradually add sifted powdered sugar (to prevent lumps). Note that the Libby's Pumpkin Pie MIX is used, not regular pumpkin. This product has spices mixed in. Serve dip with gingersnaps. Yum! A great fall or Thanksgiving treat!
Adults and kids love this dip. I seve it with gingersnaps from World market. They come in a large red tin. They are thin, crispy, and perfect for this dip!

Baby Ruth Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
½ C butter
¾ C sugar
1 large Baby Ruth candy bar, chopped

Instructions:
Mix first three ingredients with flour, or you can use self-rising flour. Cream butter and sugar together; add egg and vanilla. Blend dry ingredients into butter sugar mixture, then add candy. Put by teaspoonful on cookie sheet. Bake at 350* until lightly browned.
Another family favorite from my special mother-in-law. When we went to visit, my boys were always happy to find these in her cookie jar...so was I!

Mom's Potato Candy

Ingredients:
1 medium potato, boiled whole with skin
1 box powdered sugar
Peanut butter, smooth or chunky

Instructions:
Boil medium potato, peel while warm, and mash. Add powdered sugar, mixing until “dough” is stiff. Mixture will be wet at first, so just keep adding sugar until it is stiff enough to roll out on waxed paper coated with powdered sugar. Spread with peanut butter, and roll up like jelly roll by hand. Slice and lay flat on platter. Let sit for a few minutes, and then put in tin with waxed paper between layers. This is an old Southern candy recipe. My wonderful mother-in-law made this candy every Christmas, and it was a family favorite. When we "kids" moved away and had families of our own, she always included it in our Christmas boxes. Great memories of a great lady!

Tasty Canned Green Beans...really...trust me.

Ingredients
2 cans Allen's cut Italian green beans (Kentucky Wonder-flat)
3-4 slices bacon
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Drain and rinse green beans. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and fry in a large skillet. Cook until bacon starts to turn brown. Put diced onion in pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon and onions brown. Add drained green beans, and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 30-45 minutes.
These beans will have a very good flavor. Most people won't know they are canned...really.

Old Fashioned Tea Cakes

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
1 C. sugar (minus 2 TBS)
¼ C whole milk
Self-rising flour

Instructions:
Cream together butter and sugar; add egg, milk and vanilla, mix. Add self-rising flour to make dough like biscuits. Knead and make rolls of dough.; wrap and let stand in refrigerator about a hour. When cold, slice, and place on cookie sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
My grandmother used to make these tea cakes for afternoon treats. This is a very old recipe. I did not have my grandmothers recipe, but my cousin shared this one that our family has used for generations. The exact flour measurement is not given, because these ladies made the tea cake by "feel".

Easy Peach Cobbler with Canned Peaches

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 C self-rising flour
1 C whole milk
1 C sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
1 large can sliced peaches including juice

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325*. Melt butter in 9x13 baking pan in the oven. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and milk. Pour batter evenly over melted butter, do not stir. Pour fruit and juice evenly over batter, do not stir. Bake about 30-45 minutes until brown on top. Serve with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream on top, if you are lucky enough to have it in your area! A tasty dessert, especially when fresh peaches are no longer in season..