Tag: SOUTHERN

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENU PLANS & RECIPES week 30 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.209

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

Good morning friends!! I am trying to get around and visit more, but I honestly have almost no spare time with everything going on. I certainly expect things to change after this sale is over!

Things are coming together for the estate sale FINALLY! Friends & Family day is a soft open on Thursday and then we are going to streamline the sale with just Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week and Friday and Saturday next week. We will be listing a few things on Craig’s list and Facebook Marketplace trying to sell EVERYTHING with nothing left over.

I have kept up with my Eagle’s duties and now with the BBQ ThrowDown (I’m still waiting to hear the scholarship totals) behind us, I can actually breathe a little better. We do have the Blackberry Festival coming up, but that will be a piece of cake by comparison and is literally the weekend before we go away so it will be a fun intro to our trip. My only duties for the festival are helping a girlfriend with one of the breakfast items she’ll be serving at her bar and grill. I’ll talk more on that next week as we are still perfecting the recipe, but I promise you it will be awesome!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

This week will be pretty boring weather wise and that’s just okay by me! Highs this week will be between 82° and 89° with lows between 56° and 59° making it almost perfect weather with cool evenings and mornings with just a few hours of actual heat in the afternoons.

ON MY MIND

Honestly? I have too much on my mind, but I’m choosing to trust that things will work out just the way they are supposed to! I’m trying VERY hard NOT to overthink anything or worry too much.

I do know that we have an anniversary coming up and we are NOT going to postpone the few days we had planned at the coast no matter what comes up. We have already postponed EVERYTHING the past several months during my step dad’s illness and we need a break so we can breathe better!!!!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I was quite productive yesterday and did 4 loads of laundry as well as cleaned window tracks and blinds as well as vacuumed so I will be working in the garage today trying to finish pricing and organizing things for the estate sale.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I literally only need a few things and will work them into my Eagle’s and OFFYCE shopping on Tuesday.
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS No real projects other than the estate sale, but will be going to the coast in 3 weeks. 😊
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING this is a category I NEED to get serious about soon. I’m running out of menu plans 😂
WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • We did watch a Gerard Butler movie that was pretty good. It’s a few years old, but I’d never heard of it, PLANE. We also watched STAR TREK INSURRECTION and that was pretty good too.

READING TIME

I’m trying to finish THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley, but keep falling asleep 2 paragraphs in 🙂

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀
7/28 MONDAY
7/29 TUESDAY
7/30 WEDNESDAY
7/31 THURSDAY
8/1 FRIDAY
8/2 SATURDAY
8/3 SUNDAY
DINNER
BURRITO BAKE 
BRISKET in a  BISCUIT with JALAPENO BLACKBERRY JAM 
 TUSCAN HERB CHICKEN
 FRENCH ONION CHICKEN BAKE
 CHICKEN CHILAQUILES
 CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
 PEPPERONCINI CHICKEN & RICE
DESSERT
 
MAGIC BLONDIES
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

My tomatoes are going crazy!!!! And they are sooooooo sweet this year. This was last night’s haul and the haul from the day before was just as good. The little Sugar Rush grape tomatoes are the ones we snack on while watching TV at night.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • FRENCH ONION CHICKEN BAKE
  • MORTON’S CHICKEN CHRISTOPHER

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

*TAMY’S SOUTHERN APPLE WALNUT CARROT CAKE ~ BLOG 365.142

TAMY’S SOUTHERN APPLE WALNUT CARROT CAKE

CAKE

1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup Malibu rum
2 cups plus more for pans all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons QUALITY ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 LARGE eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups grated apples – half grated and half chopped (I used Pink Lady apples)
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/4 cup WONDRA flour
1 cup small chopped walnuts

  • Pour rum over raisins in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes and then drain well for several minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round pans or a 9×13 cake pan.
  • Line bottom of the pans with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  • Add eggs and vegetable oil, blending JUST until combined.
  • Dredge drained raisins in Wondra flour, shaking off excess.
  • Fold in apples, carrots, raisins and walnuts, if using.
  • Pour into pans.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from pans to a cooling rack.
  • Allow to cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces salted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
FINELY chopped walnuts for garnish, optional

  • In a large bowl cream together the cream cheese and butter.
  • Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, beating until fluffy.
  • Fold in nuts if using.
  • Spread frosting on top of each cake layer.
  • Stack the cakes on a serving plate and serve.

NOTE: I tried making this gluten free. I also tried using Bob’s red mill egg substitute in making this recipe. Both are FAILS!

MISSISSIPPI MUD POTATOES ~ BLOG 366.184

This dish full of golden potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese and crisp bacon is baked to a perfect blending making it a decadent and hearty side dish full of creamy texture, rich flavors and a bit of crunch that you’ll find in every good southern cooks recipe box. I’d wager it is prepared by at least one cook for every church supper and/or holiday meal. These are the PERFECT comfort food! The key to these delectable potatoes is baking them LOW & SLOW so the flavors meld together!

Research on how the recipe originally acquired its name shows very little on the original version – its exact origins are unclear and as muddy as the name, but appears to have been named for the earthy flavors and the “muddy” mixture of ingredients. It does embody the spirit of Southern cooking with its generous use of local staples like potatoes and bacon, making them that staple in Southern kitchens and beyond.

MISSISSIPPI MUD POTATOES
6 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup DUKES mayonnaise
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
3 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
1/2 cup FINELY chopped green onions

  • Preheat your oven to 325°.
  • Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Mix together the diced potatoes, cheese, bacon, garlic and onion.
  • In a larger bowl whisk the FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper into the mayonnaise.
  • Fold the potato mixture into the mayonnaise mixture until everything is evenly coated.
  • Spread into prepared baking dish.
  • Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown.
  • Serve hot!

SOUTHWEST BLACK EYED PEAS ~ BLOG 366.89

SOUTHWEST BLACK EYED PEAS
1 pound black eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
1 LARGE Vidalia onion, chopped
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 ounces pork belly, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can chopped green chiles, drained
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 tablespoon FRESH minced thyme
4 cups homemade chicken stock
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 ham hocks

  • Place peas in a large dutch oven. Add water and cover by 2 inches.
  • Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, cover and let stand 1-2 hours.
  • Drain and rinse peas. Set aside.
  • In the dutch oven heat oil over medium heat.
  • Add onion, sauteing until tender.
  • Add pork, garlic, green chiles, thyme, pepper flakes, FRESH ground salt and pepper, cooking 1 minute more.
  • Add the broth, peas and ham hocks.
  • Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered 35-40 minutes or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth as necessary.
  • Remove ham hocks, cool and remove meat from bone.
  • Finely chop meat and return to the pan.
  • Discard bones.