Meal Planning with Connie

I received the following ditty from my sweet friend, Susanne.  We all got a kick out of it. I thought some of you might enjoy it, too! Sad News Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the  California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers.  He was considered a very smart cookie, but wasted much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old m...

Favorite Recipes Fridays "The failure or incomplete success of a recipe oftentimes depends upon some little detail that has been misunderstood or overlooked in the preparation." 'A Book for A Cook', The Pillsbury Co. (1905) Deweese’s Green Bean Casserole This was the first green bean casserole I learned to make. It came to me in a large binder of recipes that Larry’s mom and Aunt Jean complied for Larry and me as a wedding gift. This binder has become a treasure to me. When I first received it, I knew very few of the people who had shared all these great recipes with my sweet mother-in-law through the years. After having lived in Pontotoc for more than 20 years, I am blessed now to not only know most of these fine folks, but I have the pleasure of being able to call them my friends - including the sweet lady who shared this green bean casserole recipe! Many thanks to Donna out at Trent’s for inspiring me to share a few more of my old recipes. I know most folks alr...

Collard Greens with Bacon and Mini Corn Muffin Collard Greens with Bacon  I love greens and cook them in several different ways. This recipe is one of our favorites. It is easy and delicious! You can use any large pot, but a cast iron pot does give greens a special Southern flavor! 6 strips bacon, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Several dashes hot sauce ¼ cup apple-cider vinegar 2 pound bag triple-washed, trimmed collard greens 1 (14-ounce ) can chicken broth Cook bacon in a cast iron Dutch oven (or other large pan) until it just begins to brown a bit around the edges. Don’t over cook. Add the onions and sauté until tender and are just starting to brown. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce, cooking until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken broth and bring to a ...

Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings. Psalm 17:8 Applesauce Breakfast Cake   This little cake was well received in Sunday School this morning. It was a snap to put together and had a nice, moist texture. I will add the photo when I find my cord. Unfortunately, it is still missing! Topping: 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter ½  teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup chopped pecans Cake: 2 cups self-rising flour 1 cup sugar ½  teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup chopped pecans 2 eggs 1/2 cup cooking oil 1 cup applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla Optional Glaze: 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon melted butter 3 tablespoons milk or apple juice Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Make topping by mixing together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Stir in nuts and set aside. For cake, whisk together flour and sugar.  Stir in nuts, tossing to coat well. Add well-beaten eggs, ap...

My sweet friend, Susan, recently prepared and delivered a delicious meal to our family! The food was so yummy and was a real blessing to us during a very difficult time! The Ground Beef Noodle Casserole was a big hit with everyone at our house! It traveled and refrigerated really well. All I had to do at suppertime was pop the casserole into the oven and heat it up! Susan brought it in a disposable pan, leaving me with no need to return a dish! How thoughtful! Along with the entrée, Susan provided a crisp bagged salad, Pepperidge Farm Five Cheese Bread (our favorite Texas Toast!) and her yummy Rice Krispies Candy , that she also thoughtfully remembered us loving! Everything was delicious and provided a much needed and appreciated break from the kitchen! More importantly, Susan's kind deed provided us with a sweet memory of her love for our family! "Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."  ~ Unknown Ground Beef Noodle Casserole Susan was ki...

HAPPY FALL, Y’ALL!! Can you believe we’re already well into October?! The past few months have been very busy, crazy ones for our family. We have dealt with some very stressful and difficult situations, but we’ve also had some fun and wonderful events and opportunities, as well. All have eaten away at the hours, days, weeks, months – and almost another year! Thank you for all your prayers and concerns for my dad. He is recovering well from his surgery and will not have to have treatments! God is good!! I have missed sharing recipes and visiting with my blogging friends. Time remains very tight with us, as I am sure it does for everyone. I do hope to try to catch up on you guys and to get back to swapping a few recipes with you, too! Many blessings to you all and many thanks for your kindness and concern ~ Connie This quote was in our Sunday School book this morning. It really spoke to me.  I thought I'd share it with you guys: "The solution to sin is not to impose a...

Hello to all! I hope you’re all enjoying these last few days of summer break! Thanks to all those who shared recipe ideas for the peanut butter and graham cracker cake recipe I am trying to locate. They all sound delicious! None are the recipe I am looking for, but I look forward to trying these versions! I appreciate your taking the time to share them with me! If any of you come across another version, I'd still love to have the one my mom used to make. I wish I could remember more about it. More info might be helpful in locating the recipe!  My dad goes to the surgeon on Wednesday. Your continued prayers are greatly appreciated. A few months back, I shared a recipe of my friend Wayne’s for Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Cream Sandwiches . They were new to our family and  have become a favorite around here! I learned that these sandwiches are known as Fluffernutter Sandwiches in some areas. How fun! My family really enjoys these grilled! Following the post, I recei...