Equen Plantation's Strawberry Birthday Cake

Dyer Stephens Playford is TWO!
Amazing how big my little girl is getting. Rich and I have said that she is extremely mature as she has been terrible for quite some time.
We kept it simple this year...just the four of us, but I did splurge and made the cake myself. Traditions mean something to me and this one I thought would be a good one to keep up. A special cake for a very special girl.

I've been devouring Mamie's version of this cake for as long as I can remember. All birthdays at Equen Plantation started with this cake. I'm so glad I finally got the nerve up to bake it myself. Brought back a lot of memories. I hope my family will enjoy and look forward to the next event that merits this dessert.

Feliz Compleaños mi preciosa Dyer!

Equen Plantation Birthday Cake

Cake: Mix all ingredients. Add eggs one at a time.

1 box Duncan Hines Strawberry Cake Mix

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1 package strawberry Jello

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup oil

4 eggs, room temperature

Icing: mix and cover cake, garnish with strawberries

1 Stick Butter

1/2 cup strawberries

1 package powdered sugar (maybe less, check for consistency

I never got the instructions on baking, so I started with what the cake box said then added a few minutes because it wasn't quite done.

Tarragon Chicken Trieste

Another generation...
My niece (Rich's sister's daughter), Holly Marie Woodburn, soon to be Bair, is getting married. I have been invited to a shower where I was picked to bring a gift for the kitchen. I couldn't think of anything more appropriate than a recipe from her roots. This chicken dish is Holly's mother's favorite home-cooked meal. Passed from Holly's great-grandmother to grandmother over 40 years ago. I had the pleasure of watching and learning how to prepare this dish while with the whole family last year. Too good not to share and it's all about family with me. -2013

Update 2016: This should have been posted quite a while ago. Holly is now married and has a beautiful boy Noah Michael Bair that I get to meet in July. That makes 5 generations to enjoy this chicken favorite. Amazing.

Tarragon Chicken Trieste
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup butter
6 large chicken breasts
2 teaspoons Beau Monde Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 cup dry white dinner wine
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Slice mushrooms; saute in 2T butter until golden. Remove mushrooms and reserve. Add remaining butter to pan; brown chicken well. Sprinkle with Beau Monde during browning. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with tarragon and pour wine over chicken. Cover and simmer 45 minutes until tender. Spoon sour cream into pan juices. Sprinkle with green onions just before serving. August 1971 - Mother

Greens for the New Year

Photo by taste tester–Celene

A lesson for my children...Pay attention to your parents–especially your mother!

I watched my mother in the kitchen for years and never learned how to cook greens. How is this possible? I remember as a child being "grossed out" that the kitchen smelled rotten. I never touched a green until I was much older. Oh how I wish I had listened to my mother. Greens and Pot Liquor were on her top ten list of favorite things to eat. I hate I didn't share this goodness with Mama, but I'm sure she was okay with me not loving it because it only meant more for her. If my children turn their noses up I think I'll be fine with it for the same reason.

After a phone call with Daddy and instructions on what to do...I am starting the year off right. Back to the blog and some good ole Southern goodness to ring in 2016.

Greens
It's best if you grow your own of course. Daddy always starts his after the tomatoes are done. Apparently greens, mustards and turnips put something good in the soil for the next year's crop. I had to get mine from the store...not as good, but it'll do.

1 bunch mustard greensa
1 bunch turnip greens
2 bunches collard greens
2 ribs off a rack of baby backs (because it's what we're having for dinner. Otherwise salt meat, ham bone or bacon grease, some sort of fat flavoring)
3 slices of bacon, cubed (for the fat flavoring)
3 chicken boullion cubes
teaspoon of sugar
salt, measurement depends on fat flavoring, if you have salt meat, you won't need this)

Wash and Tear the Greens: Fill the sink with water and wash the greens thoroughly, especially if you pick these from your own garden. Pick all the leafy greens off the hard stem and tear into pieces. Save the stems/stalks.

Keep the Flavor: In a big pot add meat/bacon/salt pork, chicken boullion, salt, sugar and green stems and cover with water. Boil for about 20-30 minutes. This takes all that good flavor out of the stems.

Cook: Remove all the stems. Now you have the start of an amazing pot liquor. Pile all the torn greens in the pot, cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

The smell in the kitchen has a different feeling than it did when I was younger. It's no longer rotten, but I know why I went there as a child. It is a familiar and comforting aroma that reminds me of my mother being happy in the kitchen anticipating a well deserved comfort food for herself.

I wish I had paid attention all those years ago...asked more questions about what it was about greens that made her love them so. But I am thinking of Mama now as I slurp pot liquor from my bowl. Ah, it is calming and very comforting to know that I am enjoying something that my Mama did for many years.