Meal Planning with Connie

Shrimp and Grits, Easy Mandarin Orange Salad and Hush Puppies Many thanks again to my friend, Roan, at Joyful Always for this delicious recipe. It’s definitely a keeper! This would make a great “date-night-at-home” meal! We bought some shrimp while we were in Destin and froze them when we got home. I thawed some of these to use for tonight’s supper. They were very tasty! I love Shrimp and Grits! My favorite restaurant version (to date is the one served at Boure in Oxford. Leigh and Brendan were in Destin for a conference a couple of the days we were there. They treated us to supper one night at Graffiti’s , located in the Baytown area. Larry and I both ordered the Shrimp and Grits dish, which was delicious! The restaurant’s artwork was neat, too! The Easy Mandarin Orange Salad was inspired by a salad I ate at Harbor Docks , while we were on vacation. The crisp lettuce, crunchy almonds, sweet oranges and tangy Italian salad dressing all contrast each other nicely...

Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits There are two types of us “fortunate-enough-to-be-born-and-raised-Southerners” - those of us who were blessed to grow up eating chocolate gravy and biscuits, and those poor soul who weren’t so lucky! I was an adult before I knew there were people who grew up down here without knowing the pleasure of this delicacy. It was my mother-in-law who broke the news to me. I said something one day about eating chocolate gravy and biscuits. Almost sheepishly, she confessed to only recently having learned of this breakfast treat, when Leigh Ann came home baffled, from having had breakfast at her friend Penny’s house, and wanting to know why she’d never had been served chocolate gravy and biscuits before! Now, unfortunately, my husband’s family is by far not the only ones to come late to this dish. I’ve made an unofficial study of it since the day I learned chocolate gravy isn’t universally served to every child born south of the Mason-Dixon Line. I have decided th...

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5-6 Before you plan your meals and go grocery shopping, don't forget to tidy your fridge and take note of foods which are going out of date. If you use coupons, don’t forget to sort through your coupon binder and remove any that are expiring this week. Planning your meals around food that needs to be eaten and coupons that are expiring will help keep your grocery budget in check! NOTE: I try to create my meal plan on Thursdays. This allows me all weekend to shop and prepare. Monday - Penne Pasta with Spinach and Bacon and Garlic Bread 1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 8 slices bacon, chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces Parmesan chees...