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you plan your meals and go grocery shopping, don't forget to tidy your fridge and take note of foods which are going out of date.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...

I love most of Coke's television commercials. I know I'm showing my age, but the first one I can remember is the one with all the seventies “flower children” holding hands and wanting to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. If I recall correctly, they also wanted to buy us all a Coke. I never learned to sing harmony very well, but I certainly consumed my share of that deliciously sweet, brown liquid. Every Friday, if our budget allowed, Momma bought one those big paper cartons of Cokes - the kind that held six quart-sized bottles of Coca-Cola. It was rationed to last all week. Momma and I were big Pittsburgh Steelers fans back in those days, too. It was during their heyday, when Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann dominated! Now, that was some football! Being a Steelers fan, my favorite Coke commercial had to be the one where Mean Joe Green tossed his football jersey to the little kid, as he (Mean Joe) headed to the locker room. Commercials were so much better back ...

Larry and I had a real treat Monday night! We got to attend the Link Centre fundraiser featuring Chef Robert St. John , and artist, Wyatt Waters . Floral designer, Tracy Proctor , was also on hand to teach attendees how to make easy, yet beautiful, centerpieces. The program was entertaining and the food was delicious. Wyatt painted a beautiful, and very fitting, watercolor for his Tupelo audience. The painting’s composition included a small Elvis statue, a jar of Jif and a bunch of bananas - a tribute to Elvis’s love of a good ole fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Wyatt titled his piece, “Fit for a King.” At the end of the evening, the piece was auctioned, with all proceeds going to the Link Center. Robert infused entertaining stories throughout his cooking demonstration. The meal was absolutely wonderful! It began with a bowl of warm and cheesy Baked Potato Soup. The dinner plate held our entrée, Chicken Jambalaya, along with two sides, Broiled Asparagus with Dill...

BLT Pizza from this week's meal plan Larry and I are really crazy about BLT Pizza. It makes a great "girls" lunch. It's a bread, meat, vegetables and salad all rolled into one! Tuesday - BLT Pizza 1 refrigerated pizza dough ½ cup mayonnaise 4 sliced plum tomatoes 8 slices precooked bacon, cooked according to pkg. directions and crumbled 2 cups of shredded Italian cheese blend 1 - 2 cups torn lettuce Ranch dressing, to taste Spread dough with mayo; layer with tomatoes and bacon. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle cheese over pizza. Return to oven for about 5 - 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted Top with torn lettuce and drizzle with ranch dressing. Cut into wedges. Ways I saved money: I used a coupon on the pizza dough. I bought the bacon in a bulk package. I used store-brand cheese. Ways I saved calories: We mostly use light mayo, but I think the "real" stuff is better in this ...

We celebrated M.C.'s birthday this weekend. She asked me to make Eight Cheese Pepperoni Pizza, Hot Crab and Cheese Dip and Strawberry Cake. These are three of her all time favorite recipes!! Eight Cheese Pepperoni Pizza Eight Cheese Pepperoni Pizza 1 refrigerated pizza crust 1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened crumbled feta cheese - I use about half of a 4 oz. container. pepperonis 2 cups shredded Italian 5 Cheese Blend 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking pan with cooking spray. Roll dough onto prepared pan. Spread dough with cream cheese. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Add desired amount of pepperonis. Cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with shredded cheeses. Return to oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.