Southern Cornbread

Good ol' beans and cornbread was a staple at family suppers. As a matter of fact I'm not sure that there was ever a time that Gramma didn't have cornbread muffins at every meal, along with what we called brown beans. Though later I found out those were just pinto beans. She cooked on a wood-burning stove, until the day she could no longer live at home on her own. I am sure to this day she misses that stove and being able to cook up her favorite meals.

We Yankee's tend to like our cornbread sweet, but in the South it tends to be, well,,,,,not sweet. It is hearty and of sustenance, and the way Gramma made it, it had it's fair share of bacon grease baked in. It was so savory, I might add that they were hot right out of the oven, every meal! I couldn't wait to slather butter all over it. So in loving memory to the recipes that came off of that wood-burner and to Gramma, here's to you.
Thank you for the memories I now treasure.

Southern Cornbread

2 eggs

2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups white cornmeal 

1 tsp salt

Heat oven to 450. Grease muffin pan with a spoonful of bacon drippings. You can drop cold drippings in and then place pan in oven while mixing batter. Beat eggs and then add buttermilk. Mix dry ingredients and then add add mixture, mix until moist and smooth. Pour into heated muffin pan. Carefully pour batter into heated muffin pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until set. Slather in butter and enjoy!

 You can always make a big pot of beans (with a ham-hock of course), and when they are done make your cornbread, then serve with your beans. I cook mine in the pressure cooker to save time. The flavor is exceptional. Cook longer and make refried beans for homemade burrito's. Hmmm, another blog post idea!

Sheila

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

 

    Have you ever wondered why your hard boiled eggs stick to the shell? Fall apart when you peel them? Have that funky, even creepy green-gray tinted ring around the yolk? I have been asked this question by more than a couple of friends lately; so I thought with the holidays approaching and deviled eggs close to being served, I wanted everyone to serve the most lovely eggs imaginable.

     Seems crazy doesn't it? How hard can boiling an egg be? Apparently it is one of the most asked questions by cooks of all experience levels, (Google it sometime). There are countless opinions on how to achieve the perfect egg, so I will share with you what works for me.

     Place eggs in a saucepan that will accommodate each egg at the bottom of the pan. Do not layer eggs on top of each other. Cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. As soon as your eggs come to a boil immediately remove them from the heat. Leave in pan with hot water and cover. Let stand 12 minutes. (Set a timer if you have to). Run eggs under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the eggs and begin peeling or save for later. That's it!

Helpful Egg tidbits you might not know:

A fresh egg will lie on the bottom of a pan when submerged in water.

An egg that is a week or so old will lie on the bottom but will bob slightly.

Eggs that are 3 weeks or so old will balance on its small end with the big end bobbing towards the top.

Eggs that are completely rotten will completely float. Those are the ones you toss out or feed to the pigs. They can eat them! (My next blog post).

Fresh eggs are harder to peel, but since most do not walk out to the chicken coop, no worries there.

Those are the ones you toss out or feed to the pigs. They can eat them! (My next blog post).

I hope this helps and your next egg boil is a success!

Sheila

Refrigerator Pickles

      This was my first attempt at making pickles and honestly I could not believe how easy it was. I didn't want to go through the canning process this time so I decided to try my hand at refrigerator pickles. They stay crispy with this method and taste really good! I have to say I may never buy store bought again.

Pickling cucumbers season is quickly coming to an end, but you should still be able to find them at farmers markets This is a super easy recipe and a great way to feel a sense of accomplishment. Give 'em a try.

A few things I found out through my research that may help you on your way to success:

Soft or slippery pickles are spoiled due to inaccurate measurements or improper storage.

Shriveling comes from using too much vinegar, salt.

Darkening is caused by the minerals in hard water or by using ground spices instead of whole.

Do not cook pickles in copper or iron pot, this causes change in color.

You will need:

Fresh pickling cucumbers 2-3 pounds, sliced to your preference

8 cups water

2 cups vinegar

1 cup pickling salt (can be found on the baking isle or canning isle)

6 Tbsp pickling spices

2 heads of fresh dill or 1 Tbsp dried dill seeds

Boil water with vinegar, pickling salt and spices and dill to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Let liquid cool , place cucumbers in a container large enough to hold spears and liquid, pour liquid over the top and cover pickles completely. Refrigerate for 3 days before eating. The brine will infuse the cucumbers while in the refrigerator and taste wonderful. Place pickles in glass mason jars with brine if desired. Stores in refrigerator for 3 months.

Sheila

I Absolutely Love Fall

 
     Fall has to be, hands down, my favorite time of the year. I love roaming pumpkin patches looking for the perfect "Cinderella" pumpkin. I will be saving the seeds in an attempt to plant my own pumpkin patch next year, stay tuned for that..........could be interesting.

      I also love the colors that begin to show in the leaves and the crispness in the air. Better yet, I love the smells that will soon be wafting from my small kitchen as I begin to bake and share some of those recipes with you, stay tuned........

Until then enjoy!