Braised Short Ribs and Grits: Date Night at Home

I have a problem staying up late. When Webb and Dyer go to bed (8:30 on the weekends) I can last about 30-45 minutes before I am snoozing on the sofa while Rich enjoys a good superhero movie. The only way to keep me up is the promise of a good meal. 

I've been watching a video from Bon Appetit for two weeks now...time to make it a reality. The Basically tutorial was a great help! Braised Short Ribs with a Pretty Great Bacon-Pineapple Situation on Top. 

It's a 3-hour process, but I'm telling you it's worth it...especially if you can do it all in your pajamas! 

I started around 6:45 and we didn't eat until 9:45. I was able to feed the children, get them to bed all while making a masterpiece. 

Rich labeled this as one of the top 3 meals I've made for him so I had to record it. Can't wait to do this again. 

I actually followed the directions...not my norm, but when I try something new I feel I should do it as intended before I put my own twist on it. 

Braised Short Ribs

• 6-8 slices of bacon 
• 1 red onion, 3/4 chunked, 1/4 thin sliced
• 3" piece ginger, sliced with skin on
• 2-4 large bone-in beef short ribs
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup soy sauce 
• ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 cup water 
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 
• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks 
• Cilantro

Preheat oven to 300°F. 

Chop bacon into pieces and cook until crisp in a heavy pot that has a lid and can go in the oven. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside until the end (you should make more bacon than you need, I ate a good bit during the cooking process...I have no willpower). 

Salt and pepper the short ribs and sear meat in the bacon grease on all sides. Take meat out and add chunked red onions and ginger. Let sizzle for several minutes then stir in soy sauce, 1/2 cup rice vinegar, water, brown sugar and Sriacha. Place meat back in the pot, cover and put in the oven. 

Check the meat and stir the sauce every 30 minutes (takes about 2 to 2-1/2 hours). 

Meanwhile, chunk the pineapple and add sliced red onion toss with 1 Tbsp. of rice vinegar.

When meat is done (almost falling off the bone) tent until you are ready to plate. Take sauce and boil on the stovetop until reduced by half. Strain liquid and remove the fat. 

The Grits

• 1 cup Delta Blues Rice Grits
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 block of white cheddar cheese
• 4 Tbsp. butter

In a saucepan heat chicken broth and water over medium-high heat. Note: normally I would salt the water. This is the only time I have not salted when making grits. The soy sauce/vinegar mixture will provide all the salt you need. Add grits and stir until liquid starts to simmer. Turn heat off and put a lid on the grits. Every 5 minutes or so, lift the lid and stir in butter, cheese and half & half a little at a time. Turn heat on at the end one more time and put enough half & half that makes the grits the consistency you like. I chose creamy, less stiff for this dish. 

Plate It I used a bowl and poured a layer of grits for the base. Place short rib on top and drizzle sauce on the meat. Add bacon to the pineapple/onion mixture and top your dish. Serve with a big glass of red wine. 

Egg Muffins

Dyer admiring her hard work. YUM.

Franks' Kitchen is Back in Action.

The girls are home alone this weekend and we've been up EARLY cooking in the kitchen. I needed to find something Dyer could help with so egg muffins it is. Dyer (3) insisted on being part of every step: cracked the eggs (lots of egg shells to remove). layered the ingredients, seasoned (her favorite part) and ate most of the muffins.

Spray a mini muffin tin with Pam. Layer veggies you have in the icebox: spinach and mushroom, top with cheese. Crack 4 or 5 eggs into a bowl with salt, pepper, dry mustard and hot sauce. Whisk and pour in cups. Bake at 375°F. Easy.

Dyer was very pleased with the end result. Have learned she will eat anything if SHE makes it. I see lots of messy kitchens in my future.

Spring Break Pimento Cheese

Spring Break 1989. All my friends were going skiing or headed to the beach. Me? No plans. We were “broke”! (words said by my father, meaning, no way are we taking a family trip to the beach). My mother took it upon herself to find the money we (mother/daughter) needed to get out of town. Who needs the boys anyway! We turned over every couch cushion, looked in all coat pockets and floorboards of cars and pulled together $224 of change. That's ALL we needed for a little R&R! 

Mama enlisted two of her friends Ann Barry and Diana Cooper to split the bill at The Windmill in Destin, Fl (it compared to the Golden Roach in Greenwood where we use to hang out on dance nights and fill the tubs with beer and whoop juice…that’s another story and recipe!) Before leaving we bought groceries and made snacks, to save money of course. (We didn't use any of the $224 for this, I'm guessing that came out of Daddy's pocket...Mama was very crafty!) Car packed with bathing suits, decks of cards and food…I headed out on my very first, REAL girl's trip.

Oh the things I learned, heard and saw on that trip! I sat on the backseat and passed out appetizers of Ritz crackers with Ann’s homemade pimento cheese while the women took turns driving South. I played my role well: I was, for the most part, seen and not heard. I tended bar, served hors d’oeuvres and even chauffeured one or two times. Being in the 8^th grade, 14 going on 15, I was finally old enough to understand all the "girl talk”. I ate that Pimento Cheese for 5 days straight and listened to every story my mother and her friends told.

I’ve been making a version of Ann Barry’s Pimento Cheese for nearly 20 years now. And I think about that trip and chuckle remembering the first time I heard my mother use a real curse word! (Caveat from my Mother: "I did not say it, I am only repeating what someone else said! So that doesn’t count!") Only rules when making pimento cheese: share it with good friends, tell some good stories and pass on laughter to the next generation. Brock, Dyer and Sarah Bailey….you have lots to learn. Your Grandmothers and Mothers have lots to say…listen and find out how crazy we all are.

ORIGINAL VERSION:
2 lb sharp cheddar (Shred from a block)

1/2 bottle Durkee's
1 pint mayo
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp wooster
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 clove crushed garlic
1 7 oz jar pimentos

Drain pimentos well then mash with a fork or cut them up fine. Mix together: Durkees, mayo, mustard, lemon, wooster, red pepper and garlic. Add mixture to the grated cheese until the consistency of your choice. You can use a blender if you want,  I like seeing the shredded cheese so I just use a spoon for mixing. Also…some like it more Mayonaisse-y. I don't.

Variations: What I have done differently. Apparently, I can't even follow my own recipes!
I did not use a blender. I did not use that much mayo…at all. I used brown mustard instead of powder. I used garlic salt instead of garlic (and I've roasted it before too, the garlic sort of got overwhelming when it was raw). I used a jarred roasted pepper spread (Ajvar by Zer Gut…Imported by Indo-European of Glendale CA) with the pimentos. I added lots of black pepper. I added a few diced, jarred, pickled jalapenos.vThat's funny. I barely even use my old recipe!

Durkees is the key. If you use that, it will make any Pimento Cheese different than what people have normally had. It's the game changer and I'm sure that's part of what hooked me on Ann's version.

**Cheese ball for NON-Southerners. Do not use blender and stir ingredients. Use less of the mayonnaise mixture. Form into a ball. Roll in toasted pecans and parsley. I made this in New York for all my “Yankee” friends who had no idea what pimento cheese was.

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.

Baked Potato Meal

The baked potato morphed from a side item to the main meal after my brother left for college...and I think it's because my mother didn't really have to cook a full meal when Webster wasn't around (you know the son is always the favorite).

Anyway...my mother would set up a station on the counter (okay it was really the washer and dryer that we used as a counter) with the usual suspects: butter, sour cream, cheese, green onions and bacon. That's all you really need, but there were always other options...anything from the icebox and spice cabinet were fair game...olives, chili, hot sauce or A1...a favorite of mine!

With the counter full of fixin's my mother would announce it was time to dress our potatoes with caution in her voice meaning...You better hurry before your father gets his plate, you know it will take him an hour to fix his. I didn't listen to Mama, I got behind daddy and he made me watch as he explained every step in detail. People think we're crazy...you just put the stuff on the potato...what's the big deal? Well it is a big deal...you have to make sure that every single bite is delicious and has something good on it! Dressing a potato like this will change the way you eat a baked potatoes from here on out. I promise.

Daddy's Fully Loaded Baked Potato

1. Clean potato and rub with vegetable oil and salt (Kosher). 
2. Bake at 350ºF for at least an hour.
3. Cut your potato in half and let the steam rise. 
4. Take a knife and score the potato on the diagonal then cross it the other way. This is an important step...doing this will ensure that each bite has something good on it! Season with salt and pepper. 
5. Add a few pats of butter and keep cutting the potato with knife until melted. you actually don't need much...I should skip this step...but I don't!  
6. 2 or 3 dollops of sour cream to make it creamy. 
7. Shredded cheddar cheese is next, Daddy says, you put the cheese on top of the sour cream so that the cheese doesn't stick to the potato. 
8. Crumble bacon
9. Sprinkle green onions on top. 

And that is the way to make your side potato the full meal deal. If you can get to step 5...you can create your own masterpiece from there...it's all about the layering.

Thanks Pop, still enjoying it like this...25+ years later!

Chicken Thighs

Photo from @Witty in the City Blog

These chicken thighs that I completely robbed from Witty in the City on Pinterest really are ALL THAT. This will be in heavy rotation at the Playford home from here on out. I'm looking to cut cost any way I can and one is grocery shopping...chicken thighs are WAY cheaper than the breast...and honestly taste better. So I bought the thighs then searched for a dish. The same recipe kept popping up and the reviews were pretty convincing so I thought I would give it a shot....winner, winner, chicken dinner...in 35 minutes!

Dijon/Maple Chicken Thighs

1 pkg boneless chicken thighs (1-1/2 - 2 lbs)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
rosemary

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Put chicken in foil lined baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Mix syrup, mustard and vinegar in a bowl and pour over chicken coating generously. Bake for 30 minutes and baste 1/2 way through cooking. Turn on the broiler for 3-5 minutes to get the tops of the chicken brown. Serve with chopped rosemary and devour.

Thank you Pinterest...my new best friend.

The New Year was a Ball

Kandi Playford Sausage and Sauerkraut Stuffed Balls

Rich and I rang in the New Year with "The Kandi Playfords". Kandi and I...sister-in-laws through marriage...have married these Playford men and are now part of a big family that has so many different traditions. The Playfords are military, Air Force to be exact, so home is literally where the heart is.

The heart was in Memphis for the beginning of 2013 when Kandi and I were trying to come up with a menu that suited all traditions. I wanted black eyed peas, Kandi wanted pork and kraut. You know, I thought everyone ate black eyed peas on new years...shows you how clueless...and Southern I am.

I made Penny's Chicken Chili (substituted black eyed peas for a can of beans) and Kandi created something that was so delicious...Sausage and Sauerkraut Stuffed Balls/Rolls...out of this world. They are so good, that I can't wait to eat them every New Years and many more times in between.

Kandi's New Years Balls
1 lb ground sausage
1 lb ground hamburger
1-1/2 packages of Lipton Onion Mushroom Soup Mix
8-12 oz sauerkraut, drained
1 package frozen yeast rolls, unrisen
Red pepper flakes to taste

Get the yeast rolls out of the freezer and let them sit out to thaw and to rise (use directions on package).

Crumble sausage and hamburger meat in skillet and cook on medium-high until no longer pink, breaking up any large pieces of meat with a wooden spoon. Drain fat then stir in the spices (soup mix). Add sauerkraut and cook until soft.

After the dough has risen, take a ball of dough and pat it out into a flat circle. Add a generous tablespoon of filling to the middle of the dough and gather the edges up around the filling, pinching to seal and fully enclose the dough. Turn the stuffed ball of dough over and gently roll it under your palm to smooth it out. Transfer the stuffed dough to an oiled baking sheet (or pan lined with oiled parchment paper). Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover the tray with a towel and leave the stuffed dough to rest for another 15 to 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Bake rolls for about 20 minutes, or until medium golden brown. Remove from the oven, brush the tops of the rolls with butter and transfer to a rack. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to cool 5 minutes...if you can wait that long.

I want to try this with everything. Ham and Cheese. Cheeseburger rolls. Olive and cheese. The possibilities are endless. And there's nothing better than a yeast roll to hold all this goodness. Thank you Kandi for introducing me to another...more interesting...Playford tradition. Cheers to 2013!

Brother's Fire & Ice Pickles

Brother's Fire & Ice Pickles

Thanksgiving Eve Pickle Making with Family...
My brother and family are making 7 gallons of Fire & Ice Pickles for our friends in Tunica and Memphis. Thought I would repost this from 6 years ago. 

Webster Made 100 Jars of Fire & Ice Pickles for My Wedding...if I didn't tell you then, I'm telling you now... THANK YOU BROTHER! Lots of work for your little sis. All out of town guests were able to have a little taste of the Delta with some homemade goodies. These were a favorite by many and the D'Agostino's still ask for them.
I've decided to make the pickles for the holidays...just like my brother.
...Here's the recipe Katie... 

Brother's Fire & Ice Pickles 
(Recipe for 1 Gallon Jar)

1 gallon kosher whole dill pickles
4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons hot sauce (Louisianne)
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red cayenne pepper

Take all pickles out of the jar. Add sugar and spice to the juice left in the jar, put the top on and shake, shake, shake until sugar dissolves. Remove the butts of the pickles and discard then cut pickles into chunks. (I cut horizontally twice to get 4 spears, then chunk.) Cram pickles back in fire and ice juice. There will be at least one whole pickle that won't fit in the jar, so go ahead and eat that one. Tighten the lid, turn it upside down and leave out on the counter for a day then put in the icebox and let sit for 7 days. After a week have a taste...add more hot sauce if needed. Transfer pickles to smaller sized jars and fill with juice. Create a gift card and give them as gifts. Your friends will wonder when the next time you'll make them.

NOTE: I couldn't find the 1 gallon jars of pickles so I got (4) 2.5 quart jars...still big...I just adjusted the sugar and spice amounts. This made (5) 32oz (1 quart) jars and (12) 8oz jars. Not bad for a first run.

Laundry Detergent

 Laundry Detergent Ingredients

I made my own laundry detergent…aka…I want a Subaru and I'm obsessed with Pinterest.
On an effort to cutback on some of the grocery bills in order to purchase the dream car…the Outback…I was looking for the more "doable" ways to cut costs. Scouring Pinterest and with the nudge of my husband's brother's wife…detergent sounded like a good place to start. I mean…spend $25 for a year supply and if it doesn't work just throw it out, right? So far, this stuff is great. I am not a homemaker and I'm not a hippie but this just makes good sense.

The Recipe
4 lb box of Borax
4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
3 lb 7 oz box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
3 bars of Ivory Soap
3 lb container of Oxi Clean
1 container Purex Crystals

Grate Ivory soap on the smallest grate size. Dump everything into a big container (I used the orange Home Depot 5lb bucket, and it was about 1/2 full when done). I used the Purex bottle to fill with homemade detergent that is now in the cabinet over the washing machine. Use the caps middle line as your measuring device. 2 Tablespoons per load. SIMPLE.

Original recipe that I pinned came from this website (much better photos and descriptions here): http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/

Kandi's Liquid Detergent
What really got me started thinking about detergent was from Kandi (my husband's brother's wife...my sister-in-law). She started making her own because she found her children's skin was sensitive to the "store-bought" detergent and with 4 boys (3 children, 1 husband) she does a LOT of laundry!

The Recipe
Grate 1 bar of Ivory soap or Fels Naptha soup
Melt in water in medium saucepan.
Once dissolved, add to 5 gallon bucket.
Add 1 cup borax
Add 1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Mix and fill 5 gallon bucket rest of the way with hot water. Put in laundry jugs when hot.
Add 5 – 10 drops essential oil per laundry jug (optional).

Penny's Chicken Chili

This is one you have to try. It's just good...and perfect for the fall weather we are having. My sister-in-law Penny served this one weekend and I couldn't stop thinking about how good it was so I had to steal her recipe! Thanks Penny...even Rich eats it!

Penny's Chicken Chili

Penny's Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can kidney beans
1 can white northern beans
1 can black eyed peas
8 oz Velveeta
Spices to taste: cumin, red pepper flakes, chipotle chile pepper, salt and pepper

I use a big skillet/pot to make this, so choose a good one dish pot to start. Cook chicken breasts in oil until cooked through. I like to get the chicken really brown to add extra flavor. Remove chicken and add onions and garlic to saute. Scrape the brown bits from the skillet. Just before the garlic starts to burn, add a cup of water and boil to make sure the onions cook through. (THE RICH NOTE: Since Rich doesn't eat onions...ever...until now...I make sure that onions are completely cooked and I use my emulsifier to liquify them). Dump three cans of beans in now onion broth, chunk chicken, add spices and simmer on low. Once you think it's done and ready to serve, stir in velveeta until completely melted. It's ready and delicious.

I've used all kinds of beans, so pick what you like. Any combo will work. I've used Hot Chili beans, Ranch Style Beans, Kidney, Northern, Black and Black eyed peas. It's the velveeta and chipotle seasoning that make this amazing to me.

No Guts, No Glory!

I'm making guts! My friend Sara calls the stuffing in a stuffed bell pepper GUTS and now I'm hooked on the name. Is it a Southern thing? Stuffed Bell Peppers?

I seriously haven't had a stuffed bell pepper since my brother was regularly sitting at the dining room table. I'm guessing 1984ish. Anyway...I can't reach my mother to get "the family recipe", so I am winging it and not really trying to get that version now...mainly because Mama would kill me if I called it GUTS, so I might as well make something different or I will hear about it for sure! And until I get the Lott recipe there is no point in me trying to recreate it...because that recipe is the best. You know how you taste something once and love it, then any other doesn't taste as good even if it really is better. That's how this is. Mama makes the best Stuffed Bell Peppers hands down and no one will convince me otherwise. 

Another phone call to Mama but still no answer...it is cocktail hour, probably on the porch with the paper by now. I'm on my own. Scary! Now, mouth watering I think of what Mama's pepper holds. I'm guessing the basics are hamburger meat, onion, bell pepper and rice with a tomato base of either paste or sauce. Hmm, gotta make it different so I'm not too disappointed it's not the real deal.

My attempt at something called Guts:
Sauté onions (very obvious rich is not touching this) and bell pepper in olive oil. I had half of a squash and zucchini so I threw that in there too. The plan was hamburger meat except I had left over ground sausage from weekend brunch. Now it's definitely different. The guts are all in the pan sautéing but all looks a little dry. Um...no tomato paste or sauce (which is rare). I do have cherry tomatoes, but they don't have enough juice..hmm. AHA! ZingZang! Decided...cherry tomatoes and ZingZang equals a damn fine tomato paste/sauce, right?

I cook my cored bell peppers in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350º to get them started. When sauteing is done, I stuff it and top with cheese and cross my fingers. Hello! It's actually good! A total gamble paid off. It is nothing like the original but it's quite tasty. Am sorta glad I didn't have Mama's recipe holding me down. Proves I can do a few things on my own.

NO GUTS, NO GLORY.

I'm still going to get Mama's recipe and then maybe I'll remember to take a photo!

The Soup

Fat Flush Soup to Go

Man my house sure smells good! 

It's that time of year...AGAIN! Summer is coming to an end and the office has posted The Biggest Loser signs. Thank goodness for The Soup recipe! It's what makes the competition tolerable. A Fat Flush Soup recipe was printed in October 2011 of  Women's World and we ALL copied it and we ALL made it and we ALL lost weight...the first week at least!.

Everyone has a different twist to theirs. Celene adds 5-6 jalapenos, Sara omits the cilantro, I add rutabaga, etc... Good news is, it is a great tasting soup that truly fills you up. Diet or no diet. This is the soup you'll fix year round. So I say customize it and see if we can't shed some pounds...the first week at least. Bring on the scales!

 

 

Fat Flush Soup from Women's World By Anne Louise

2 tsp. Olive Oil
1 1/4 lbs. Lean Ground Beef, Turkey, or Shredded Chicken
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
8 oz. Mushrooms, chopped
1 (14oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
1 (32oz.) bottle reduced sodium tomato or vegetable Cocktail Juice
1 (14oz) can Beans rinsed and drained.
1 Tbs.Ground Cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne, or to taste
1/4 cup each fresh Cilantro and Parsley, chopped

In a stockpot, heat Olive Oil over Medium-high setting. Saute meat/ poultry until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Saute Onions, Garlic, Peppers, and Mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients, except Cilantro and Parsley. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in Cilantro and Parsley. Cover and simmer 10 minutes longer. Store soup in refrigerator up to 5 days. Freezes well. Makes 12 cups.

1 serving = 3 cups
Calories 315 Fat 9g cholesterol 65.8mg Protein 31g Carbs.30g Sodium1185mg. Fiber 8g.

BLT Day At Work

Look at Tony (the big guy in the center). Tony is a 1-1/2 lb Marianna's Peace tomato grown by my father, Webb Franklin. Co-cuber, Celene decided to name him and celebrate his beauty...she generously brought all the fixins to work to make BLT's...now a Wednesday lunch conference room tradition.

We sliced him up, slathered sour dough bread with homemade mayo, layered iceberg, bacon and Tony. Pure heaven if you ask me!

Celene's Skinny Chicken Q

Three Ingredient Heaven

Chicken, onions and barbecue sauce...THAT'S IT!

 

Chicken before it hits the oven.

It was a normal day in cube land...where the topics are either food or tools...and in that priority. My cubemate Celene and I work at a tool company but dream of our next meal and wonder why we don't have jobs involving food! Celene has given me so many recipes...all delicious, but this one...WOW!
I was looking for something easy to make when I get home from work so that I can play with Webb (and not be preoccupied with dinner). As usual, Celene blurts out an amazing recipe... "Uh, how about barbecue chicken?" It's chicken, onions and barbecue sauce. That's it!

So here's to Celene! Thanks for the quick tip, it's in heavy rotation at the Playford home. Had it last night and it was wonderful...so good I forgot to take photos of the after.

 

 

 

Celene Clark, My Cubemate.

Celene's Skinny Chicken Q

Chicken Breasts
1 onion, sliced
Barbecue sauce, your favorite

Place chicken breasts in a covered dish, layer onions on top, pour barbecue sauce, cover. Bake at 325º until bubbly...usually 1 1/2 hours, can leave in for 2. Remove from oven, take two forks and shred away. It is so incredibly moist, tender and just damn good! Celene serves it on a bun with slaw, I just pile it on my plate and grab a fork...either way, it's a winner. Mmmm.

Vodka Slush

This cocktail is dedicated to Lauren Elizabeth Love (Lessie's sweet baby girl)...had it not been for her upcoming arrival, I never would have tasted her Aunt Caroline's Vodka Slush.

Caroline's Vodka Slush
6 oz frozen orange juice
12 oz frozen lemonade
12 oz frozen limeade
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups vodka

Mix all together and freeze. Unfortunately this takes all night, but worth it. Scoop slush into a martini glass and add ginger ale and a strawberry. It's wonderful any time of day (perfect for baby showers). Can't wait to serve pool side this summer.

Cheers Lauren!

Bloomin' Onion Bread

Bloomin' Onion Bread. Even Webb Likes it!

One of the best new appetizers I've served recently.
My cubemate Celene told me about this and it was just too good not to try. Very easy. Very tasty...and you won't have ANY left over.

Served as an appetizer...guests can tear off a piece here and there OR would be perfect for a family spaghetti night...use mozzerella cheese, basil, oregano and garlic salt instead of onion and poppy. This dish could go just about anywhere depending on your cheese and spice.

Bloomin' Onion Bread
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread
12-16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup finely diced green onion
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bread lengthwise and width-wise without cutting through the bottom crust. This can be a little tricky going the second way but the bread is very forgiving.

Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Insert cheese slices between cuts. Combine butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Drizzle over bread. Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Unwrap the bread and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Wasabi Cream Cheese Bar

Wasabi Cream Cheese with Ginger Snaps

Finally, A Different Appetizer. 
My niece Burch and sister-n-law Penny were sitting at the kitchen counter munching on something that was vibrant green...closer look...cream cheese with wasabi and soy sauce. YUM. How simple? It's just an upgrade of the old faithful cream cheese and pick-a-peppa.  Thanks for the excellent hors d'oeuvre idea.

Wasabi Cream Cheese Bar

1 block cream cheese
4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Wasabi paste...as much as you can handle
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 green onions
Ginger snaps

Take a block of cream cheese and cut in half horizontally (much easier than you would think). Spread wasabi paste on one side of cream cheese and put the block back together. It's going to look great when you cut into it. Soak the layered cream cheese bar in soy sauce for a few hours...I poked a few holes in mine with a toothpick. Cover the cream cheese in toasted sesame seeds. Top with green onions and serve with ginger snaps. I promise the ginger snaps make it.

Enjoy!

Thoughts on Thanksgiving by Webster Franklin

Me with Webster on Ft. Morgan Ferry

Even though we are into the Christmas Season...I need to go back to Thanksgiving. My brother sent me something that should be shared. Our family tradition for Turkey day/week.

Guest blogger for Sweet Salty and Southern...My Brother, Webster Franklin

It’s Thanksgiving week, Ft.Morgan. 

We arrived here some 15 years ago, a way to escape the traditions of the past….turkey, dressing, wine, Clarksdale, MS where our family all converged each year to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Today, it’s a much different celebration….Today, we have 3 of the 4 sisters in the kitchen, on the beach, barking orders to Lansdale (the only true chef and food blogger among us). Lansdale has assumed the responsibility of chief cook and feeder of the family. Although the youngest, with a child of 18 months, still, she slaves over the hot stove tonight….cooking! The meal is Mexican. Her husband Rich has dutifully grilled the meat while she has prepared the Margaritas, the chicken and the beans for what is sure to be a non-traditional Thanksgiving week meal.

You see, our family began traveling to Ft. Morgan upon the death of our Grandfather, Father or Father-n-law, depending on your standing within the family. Thanksgiving was always the traditional affair in Clarksdale…..Turkey, Dressing, Wine and a good oyster casserole…Tonight however is the evolution of this traditional affair. As a family who enjoys traditions, it is comforting that a new tradition has been formed in a generation or one that is less than 15 years old. Our children, Hardy, Burch, Webb will surely see this holiday in a much different light than my sister and I. They will see it as one of fun, where everyone gathers, plays games, shares stories, receives gifts and learns of where and whom they come from. Thanksgiving to them will be full of memories and songs made up over food and drink that I hope they can one day pass along to their own family.

My wish and hope is….that in the next 15 years that we are doing the same in the tradition of our family. One that is always changing, enjoying each other and always remembering from which we come!

 Webster, thank you for this. It means more than you know. Love, Sister.