Meal Planning with Connie

A couple of you sweet blogging friends presented me with awards while I was with my dad, during his illness. I am sorry that I missed playing along at the time. I truly appreciated your thinking of me! My friend, Emily, just presented me with this award! Emily is a sweet sister-in-Christ and blogging buddy. I look forward to meeting her in person one day, if not on this side of Heaven, then on the other! Emily is a fellow foodie and has tons of great recipes on her site, Marvelous Recipes ! One of the nicest things about Emily is that she is such an encourager of other foodie bloggers! A real cheerleader!! Be sure to check out Emily's blog! I know you'll enjoy it!! The rules for accepting this award are: 1. Post the award. 2. Thank and mention the person who gave you the award. 3. Pass the award on to seven bloggers whom you think embody the spirit of the Kreativ Blogger Award. (Don't tell, but I chose eight!) 4. Name seven things about yourself that others don’...

We have several things on tap for this week, so my meal planning is a bit sketchy. Aunt Jean blessed us with a freshly baked turkey breast, so I'll be using part of it this week and freezing the rest for later. Also, I have been trying to clear out some things in the fridge and pantry. This week, I'm going to see what all I can make without buying very much at the grocery. We'll see... We rarely cook whole chickens, as we all prefer breast meat. But, we had purchased a chicken, because we needed a wing for a science experiment. So, Larry rubbed the chicken, minus the wings, with olive oil, a bit of seasoned and kosher salts, and freshly ground pepper. He popped in on the grill, and it turned out very nicely. Moist and yummy! For sides, I made green beans, Buttermilk-Garlic Bacon Mashed Potatoes, and some Bisquick muffins with a bit of cheese added to them. Good old comfort food! Buttermilk -Garlic Bacon Mashed Potatoes Buttermilk-Garlic Bacon Mashed Potatoes You could...

We had a wonderful time of fellowship, prayer and discussion in Sunday school this morning. One of the topics reminded me of two quotes, which often come to my mind: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." ~ Henry James The Bible sums it up this way: Treat others as you want them to treat you. Matthew 7:12 Would that I would keep these thoughts in the forefront of my mind at all times! I can possibly help others have a nicer day, and I always feel better myself when I show kindness to others. Sausage and Cheese Biscuit Cups Sausage and Cheese Biscuit Cups What to make for Sunday school this morning? Since I procrastinated about going to the grocery store all week-end, I was limited on my choices. I was out of baking mix...

  Dough Burgers Dough burgers are popular in our neck of the woods. Phillips Grocery in Oxford has received national acclaim for their top-secret-recipe dough burger. I ate two while I was staying at the hospital with my dad recently! It is the nearest restaurant!  When Larry and I were newlyweds and living in New Albany, we loved going to Latham’s for their yummy version of this delicious sandwich. Several other area cities also offer well-known versions of this unique burger. Tupelo’s Johnny’s Drive-In has the "Johnnieburger," and Corinth even has a festival named in honor of their dough burger, affectionately known as “The Slugburger.” Here in our own dear Pontotoc, we love the "Wonderburger" at Butcher Block! Dough burgers supposedly originated during the Great Depression. Adding flour was a great way to stretch hamburger meat. While possibly born out of necessity, it has remained a part of the Southern diet due to its delectable taste. I’ve eaten my share ...

Smashed Potatoes Smashed Potatoes These potatoes are very similar to the ones served at J. Alexander’s restaurants, which are absolutely delicious! J. Alexander's Smashed Potatoes are probably my favorite restaurant potatoes! Play around with the ingredients until you find the combination your family likes best! I usually go light on the butter and milk, allowing the potato flavor to come through and the texture to be a bit on the dry side, for mashed potatoes. This makes them taste more like J. Alexander’s potatoes - to me. Russet Potatoes, 1 large potato per person Cube unpeeled potatoes into 1 - 1 ½ inch pieces. Boil potatoes until tender: drain. Smash with a hand-held potato “smasher,” leaving nice ¼ -inch pieces in the potatoes. Gently add a combination of these ingredients to taste: salt white pepper freshly chopped or dried parsley grated Parmesan cheese butter half and half and/or milk

Our Favorite Meatloaf Our Favorite Meatloaf I think all Southern cooks have their favorite meatloaf recipe, usually their mom's or grandmother's. This is our favorite. It is just one I've tweaked over the past 20-plus years. It fairly fills a 9x13-inch baking dish. I sometimes cook half of the mixture in an 8x8-inch baking dish and freeze the other half. I really like cooking the individual meatloaves. I usually cook four of the mini loaves and freeze the four. One of my favorite meals is this meatloaf served with Smashed Potatoes , green beans and homemade biscuits. 2 pounds ground beef 1  teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with onions and pepper, undrained 1 cup quick-cooking oats Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Mix all meatloaf ingredients well. Shape into a loaf and place in prepared baking dish. Topping: 1 cup ketchup 4 tablespoons br...

 Peanut Buttery Brownies Peanut Buttery Brownies 1 box family-size (9x13) brownies, prepared according to package directions. Peanut Butter Icing (recipe below) desired amount of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped Peanut Butter Icing: 1 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 - 4 tablespoons milk Combine peanut butter and butter in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth. Spread frosting evenly over brownies in pan. Sprinkle peanut butter cups over frosting, gently pressing the candy into the icing. Cut into squares.