30 Sep 2014

Starting Family Food Traditions

by | posted in: food, mothering, parenting, Shepherding Children, Treasured Traditions, Truly Families | 1

Family Food Traditions

Family and food.  Those two words often go together for most people.  Whether you wake up and cook pancakes on Saturday mornings, have a weekly pizza night, or always make certain Christmas cookies around the holidays – there are some things food always brings to the table.  Maybe you always go to a certain restaurant for special meals, or maybe you have your grandmother’s recipe for gingerbread and her worn cloth apron that she would wear as she labored hard over her yeast rolls.  Smell in the memories.

Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of these.  We loved food – don’t get me wrong.  There are a few things: smoked mullet, Granny’s chicken and rice, and Dad’s creole black eyed peas every New Years.  Those are good traditions and I even introduced my mister to Papa’s smoked mullet a few years back.  However, I want more.

As a wife and a mother of two littles, I want to create traditions, with the OK of my mister, that will do two things:

1.  Provide a way to create memories for our family.

2.  Help us to see the goodness of God to our family.

Here are three that we have started, and I will explain these two above points as we go along.

Weekly Pizza Night : making it, Little Caesars, store bought – just a night for pizza (and leftovers of course). Who doesn’t like cold pizza for breakfast.  Hold the olives, please!

Weekly trips to Trader Joe’s and Ray’s Donuts.  I am so grateful that my husband makes time to keep the boys while I go grocery shopping.  I seldom go with them anymore because even if I’ve just fed them, they will eat the produce in the cart.  Not going to happen.  But, I like taking them to Trader Joe’s on Monday mornings.  We get TJ cinnamon cookies, try new products, and make all the clerks smile.  Building relationships.  Its important.  And happy boys.  Also, we’ve started going to Ray’s Donuts in Marietta (amazing donut holes) one day each week.  Nothing fancy, but good donuts.  We spent 1.80 this morning, hung out with some friends who joined us, and ate donuts.  It was so much fun wiping down my boys’ fingers with a wet wipe because they had glaze in between their little fingers and on the corners of the their lips.

Homemade Pad Thai for New Years.  I am definitely southern and like greens and black eyed peas – but I wanted to do something different.  So, last year the Mister and I said we would do this.  I want to teach my boys to love it – and to teach them to love the different cultures of the world.

Our family is just starting out, but so far I’m building relationships that can hopefully spread into opportunities to share the gospel and I can teach our boys to be thankful for pizza, donuts, and pad thai.  God is so good to us.  Whether its an additional 5$ for pizza on a Sunday night – where we can rest and enjoy one another and not dirty up a kitchen – or 1.80 for a mid-morning, mid-week fun time with mommy with sticky fingers.  These boys will have memories.

What food memories are you creating for your family?  We will install more just waiting to see what yumminess!

27 Sep 2014

Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen | 0

Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Fall equals apples to me.  And I had a reason to make a cake today: because I had a bag full of apples.  And I had a spice cake mix so all I had to do was run to my neighborhood Publix and get some cream cheese.  Because we all need some good creamy rich cream cheese frosting every now and then right?

Fall Baking

This is simple and moist and definitely a winner.  Enjoy tonight!

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Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Author: 
Recipe type: Cake
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Moist, perfect fall cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
  • 1 boxed spice cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups chopped, peeled gala apples
  • 1 8oz package of cream cheese
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 4½ T unsalted butter
Instructions
  1. Mix cake according to box instructions.
  2. Add in apples before baking.
  3. Spray pan and cook according to box instructions.
  4. Let cool.
  5. Mix cream cheese and butter.
  6. Add in vanilla
  7. Add powdered sugar until frosting is smooth.
  8. Frost cake.
  9. Eat.
  10. I cut circles out of the cake and just set a double layer and made naked cakes with just layers of cream cheese frosting. Sprinkled some cinnamon on top.
 

 

22 Sep 2014

This Week in the Charming South Kitchen

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Charming South Kitchen goes to Vogel

This week is vacation week mostly – for our little family (and my parents, otherwise known as Mimi and Pops).  We are heading about 90 minutes north of us and retreating to a place we went to while we were growing up (yes, my Mister went too though we didn’t know each other).  It will be great to go as a new family!

So, while I won’t be cooking in the Charming South Kitchen, we will still be cooking because the cabins have full kitchens.

Mom is bringing taco soup

I’m making this cake to celebrate both of the boys’ birthdays with Mimi and Pops.

We are grilling out burgers (repeat of yesterday)

Making this totally sweet breakfast bake

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancakes for brinner.

Hawaiian Bread Ham and Cheese sandwiches for dinner along with some greens.

Chicken salad on croissants

And then when we get back we will probably enjoy some corn waffles and leftovers and eating out with my mom to finish out the month.

I will be making some fall cupcakes for a church luncheon we are going to on Saturday.

Easy cabin food!  Can’t wait.

20 Sep 2014

Little Yellow School Bus Cake

by | posted in: creatives, food | 0

School Bus Cake

Weeks ago when I was starting to plan for Elijah’s second birthday party – I knew school buses had to be involved.  He knows how to say the word school and says it to everything from the city buses, school buses, SUVs, semis, etc.  We got him a school bus at Old Navy a few months ago and that’s all he talks about now.

I just wanted to do cupcakes because I figured a school bus cake would be too difficult.  And we didn’t want to spend the money on one.  And this is one of the reasons I love my Mister: he wanted to do it.

Elijah sees his cake for the first time

I baked two yellow cake mixes, cut them in the shape of a bus, put the crumb coating on using canned frosting, and made yellow buttercream for it, then he took it from there.  It was so fun to watch him tediously pour over the cake to make it right for his son.  That is one of the ways he loves his son.

My Mister is multi-talented, now I can add cake decorating to the list.  We are thinking of ideas for Sebastian’s first cake in a few weeks.

Thanks to my former co-worker (and friend and running buddy) for her expertise on cake decorating.  And truth be told – the cake was delicious and all but a piece of it was gone!

20 Sep 2014

Birthday Party Feast

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Elijah's name banner

Birthdays are for celebrating.  It is the day that God brought a person into the world: the personality, the eyes, the eyelashes, the fun, the spirit, the name – everything about the person – God wants us to love and hold.

One way I love to celebrate birthdays is by having food.  Celebrating over meals and friends and fun times is such a joy!

Some of my favorites from yesterday’s party:

The smell of the charcoal heating up to grill some delicious burgers.

Sebastian stuffing in little pieces of canteloupe and devouring a cookie with yellow frosting: therefore, having yellow frosting everywhere.

Sebastian's yellow cookie

Elijah staring at his cupcake and then stuffing it in his face.

Elijah's Funfetti cupcake

Friends sitting around enjoying relationships – over good ol’ American food.

Yellow everywhere!  It was a happy party with a happy color!

Elijah's yellow party

Here’s what we had:

Burgers (thanks to my brother for the “recipe” and my neighbor for making them and the Mister for grilling them).  Perfectly cooked!

Crescent Dogs (so yummy!)

Baked Beans – may never make another bean recipe again – and I loved serving it my Papa’s cast iron skillet

Fruit

Chips

Funfetti Cupcakes and Vanilla Buttercream (overcooked the cupcakes but the frosting still rocks)

Homemade Funfetti Transportation Cupcakes

A yellow school bus cake (more on that to come)

Sugar cookies with yellow royal icing (thank you to a friend mailing me the icing from Southern Season)

Sweet Tea, Coke, and Sprite.

What a great, delicious day.  Thanks to all who came, brought stuff, and ate, and laughed, and celebrated our little boy with us!  Here’s to many more birthday celebrations to come!

 

15 Sep 2014

Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen | 0

Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Mexican Food.  Easily my favorite comfort food.  Give me a big bowl of fresh guacamole and some tortilla chips and I’m a happy camper.  You can’t go wrong with anything Mexican.  I do like making it at home, but don’t usually – I guess I would rather go out and get it.

We had a date the other night – and I love cooking for our babysitters.  I decided to make homemade enchiladas and hoped the recipe turned out well since I didn’t even try it before we left the house. Half the pan was gone by the time we arrived home – great amount for a meal’s worth of leftovers for us the next day.

Rotisserie chickens are good and all from grocery stores, but I also like making my own roasted chicken.  Especially for recipes like that – because I usually can’t find a tex-mex flavor rotisserie chicken in the deli.  This one was so easy and I did it the night before while the mister and I were watching one of the our favorite summer shows.

You can serve this with red or green enchilada sauce and whatever side dish you want – we chose black beans (which I doctored up with lime juice and some avocado)

Print
Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Author: 
Recipe type: Casserole
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Mexican comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken
  • taco seasoning
  • 6 whole wheat tortillas (medium size)
  • 1½ cans red enchilada sauce)
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1 onion
  • ½ cup canned corn, drained
  • ½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small can chopped green chilis, drained
  • 3 cups mexican blend shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450.
  2. Rinse and pat dry a whole chicken. Remove inner parts of chicken if any. Put in a pan and drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle (ok, a lot) of taco seasoning on top.
  3. Cook for about an hour or until done. (depends on the size of your chicken)
  4. Let rest and cool then shred the chicken.
  5. In a pan on stove, heat more oil.
  6. Cook onion for about 3 minutes, then add corn, chilis, and beans to heat through - about 3 more minutes.
  7. In a 2 quart casserole, start layering with enchilada sauce, then tortillas (I tore mine to fit the pan I used),
  8. Then refried beans, chicken, onion mixture, cheese.
  9. Repeat layer one more time for a total of two layers.
  10. Top with tortillas, sauce, and cheese.
  11. Bake for about 35 minutes on 350 until all the cheese is melted.
  12. Enjoy!
 

15 Sep 2014

This Week in the Charming South Kitchen

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Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

We have a HUGE week ahead of us in the Charming South kitchen household.  Can’t wait to share it with y’all.  The biggest event is my older mister turns 2 on Friday!  TWO!  Can’t believe it.  So much has happened in two years.  Two years ago we were living in Durham and now we live in ATL with Little Rock in between us and another baby.  Wow – God has a purpose in all of this!

Here we go:

Leftovers of chili and cheeseburger mac

Beef Tips over Egg Noodles

Taco Soup from our Freezer Meal Party

Juicing (because I have been feeling so bloated the past few weeks and need to feel comfortable in the skirt I want to wear to Elijah’s party (hopefully)

Burgers, Crescent Dogs, cupcakes, a school bus cake, and side dishes for the big party on Friday.

Jiffy Corn Waffles

Tuna Noodle Salad (a box – my mister loves it)

When I have one big thing that I need to cook for : I like to try to find shortcuts for the rest of the week.  Leftovers, freezer meals, and some easy semi-homemade foods are a great fit.  That way I don’t burn myself out in the kitchen (believe me it happens) before the big event!

9 Sep 2014

Freezer Meals Party Part 1

by | posted in: food | 1

Spicy Beefy Chili

Sharing food and getting to know new friends – what’s not to like?

I read a post from Molly about having a freezer meal party – and then a new friend posted on our Facebook group about having one.  I jumped in.  While the prep was heavy on the front end – we had dinner for that night and I have 4 (now 3) meals in our freezer for those busy nights or hard mothering days when I don’t feel like cooking.

A note on cooking for the freezer: I’d rather not do it all the time.  Its ok.  Some mothers rely on it heavily – I’m more spur of the moment in our cooking, at least weekly, and love to make things fresh and right then.  I usually can get quite a bit done during nap time or we just eat later after the boys go to bed.  But, for those who love do it – thanks for finding ways to provide your family healthy foods.  Keep it up!

This recipe for chili is from a wife, momma, and athlete.  My husband has loved it – and loves the spice in it.  I’m sure you can cut back on the jalapenos if you like your chili with less heat.  Thanks Delaine!

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Spicy Beef Chili
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Beef
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8-10
 
A hearty and spicy chili
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 onions
  • 4 ribs celery
  • 4 T canola oil
  • 2 cans tomato paste
  • 1 28 oz can pinto beans, drained
  • 3.5 T jalapenos, chopped
  • 3.25 T chili powder
  • 3.25 T cumin
  • 2 tsp basil
  • 1.5 t oregano
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 T salt
  • 1 can corn, drained
Instructions
  1. Cook the ground beef. Set aside to drain on some paper towels.
  2. Cook down the onion and celery in some canola oil.
  3. Combine all the rest (except corn) and add 3-5 tomato paste cans of water.
  4. Simmer on low for an hour.
  5. Test the seasonings and see what you need to add (if anything).
  6. Add corn right before serving.
  7. Top with cheese, sour cream, bacon, avocado - anything. Serve with fritos, spaghetti, or cornbread.
 

9 Sep 2014

Apple Scone Cake ala mode with Red Hot Drizzle

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen | 0

Apple Scone Cake

One of the true joys about living near the mountains is picking apples.  We actually picked apples in Canada on our honeymoon.  So fun to do something you enjoy with the man you enjoy most in the world.

Apple Picking in Canada

Picking apples is great exercise and you get healthy food out of it – just don’t get most of your exercise from doing squats to pick up the ones from the ground.  Worm eaten apples aren’t worth it.

I also remember crab apples.  My grandparent’s dirt road used to be lined with apple trees and we would run up and down the roads, getting dirty and eating sour apples.  Ah, the joys of childhood.

I can’t wait to take my boys apple picking – to see their joy when they can hold what they pick in their little bitty hands and hold it up as if to say This is my apple!  They love wandering around with anything in their hands, so apples will be just the treat for them!

Eating Apples

 

This recipe is topped with some delicious additions to make it even better.  First, I most give a shout out to the Mister.  He said he would like this cake better with a caramel sauce.  I’ll work on that babe.  Talenti Gelato is amazing and their containers make great desk accessories – and its made right here in Marietta where we live. Their Tahitian Vanilla Bean is rich and deep.  (Side note to any Talenti people reading this: can my boys and I come do a tour and taste testing?)  Then I tried my hand at melting down red hots in apple juice – and it worked as a chewy magic shell.  It basically made the dish pretty.

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Apple Scone Cake ala mode with Red Hot Drizzle
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Cake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 stick unsalted chilled butter (cut into pieces)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup (minus 2 tbsp) milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • cinnamon to taste
Instructions
  1. Mix the dry with the butter and run it in your food processor till you get coarse crumbs.
  2. Add in the liquid and combine.
  3. Put half of the mixture on the bottom and side of a deep dish pie pan (that's been sprayed). Dough will be sticky.
  4. Thinly slice two apples and arrange on top of the dough.
  5. Then drop the rest of the dough on top like drop biscuits. Top with cinnamon and sugar.
  6. Bake for about 45 minutes on 350.
  7. Top with ice cream and red hot drizzle.
 

8 Sep 2014

Roasted Mexican Street Corn & Chicken Frittata

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen | 0

Corn and Chicken Frittata

I wish every week we could go on a honeymoon.  My husband and I love to travel and I can’t wait to show our boys the world (as much as our budget will allow).  Early on in our courtship, my husband and I knew we had a mutual love of food and roads.  So, naturally when we got married, he was a master at planning our “secret” honeymoon.  I could never have planned a better trip.

Corn on the Cob

After a brief stay at our favorite place in Durham we ventured up to Washington DC for a few days as the first leg on a two week road trip.  He had bought us tickets to the Taste of DC – a huge foodie tasting tour in front of the Capital Building.  Even though I was sick, I still enjoyed it – in spirit at least.

Oh and a brief, unpaid plug.  My husband loves Duke’s.  Yes, the mayonnaise.  I’d tried it once before and I stuck to my regular brand, but now have tried it again – and it really has made me fall in love with mayonnaise again.

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Roasted Mexican Street Corn & Chicken Frittata
Author: 
Recipe type: Frittata
Cuisine: Eggs
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Corn chicken and eggs with a kick
Ingredients
  • 2 ears of corn
  • 2 T mayonnaise (I use Duke's)
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • chili powder to taste
  • 2 c shredded chicken
  • ½ cup sauteed onion
  • 7 eggs
  • 1½ cup half and half
  • 1½ cup mont jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450. On two pieces of foil, squirt equal amounts of mayonnaise, lay the shucked corn on top, roll around, and sprinkle cayenne and chili powder.
  2. Close up the foil.
  3. Bake for about 25 minutes.
  4. Remove and cool.
  5. Cut the corn off the cob.
  6. Lower temperature to 350.
  7. Spray a deep dish 9 inch pie plate with Pam.
  8. Mix the eggs, half and half, and cheese (and more seasonings if you want).
  9. Mix the corn, chicken, onion
  10. Combine the two and pour into pan.
  11. Bake for about an hour or until set.
  12. Let cool and enjoy!
One of the favorite things I tasted was Mexican Street Corn: mayo, cheese, cayenne, corn – what’s not to love?  So, I wanted to recreate the corn and turn it in to a frittata.  It turned out great!  Here you go.  If you like corn casserole and quiche – you will love this.  Its like a cross between a spicy corn casserole and a quiche.  And if you have little ones eating it, just lay off the cayenne.