Old Enough to Be Young

My, my. My face is turning red as yours should be, Miss Faye. Just know that I'm too young to be this old.

I recall when I was a child that my sister was only one year older than me. Apparently time passed by more quickly for her than for me because she has a child who is old enough to make her a grandma. Me? I'm much too young for any of that nonsense. I even told her so recently, too.

Speaking of age, one time my youngins asked me what it was like living with the dinosaurs. I told them they shouldn't call their father names! Hmmmmmppppphhhhhhh.

Okra Bread is so simple to make, although I'm not sure if I should share the recipe with you, after asking me a question that no polite southern gal would ask anyone Lawd, next you'll be trying to figure a way to get me to say it by asking who was the first president I voted for. Just know, it was a one term winner. Ok-- here it goes... Take another sip of Julep Juice and sit down so you don't miss it. I'm, oh, about...

Okra Bread

1 c. chopped fresh okra

1 c. chopped onions

2 eggs
1 c. chopped fresh tomatoes (or one can of tomatoes, drained)
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix above ingredients until it sticks together with muffin mix. Pour into greased pan. Dot with butter and bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until brown.

Talk to you later. I've got to stop and have some more Julep Juice.

Miss Etta

Mint Julep Iced Tea

I came across this recipe and I just had to share it. It sounds so much better than Long Island Tea. I seems delightfully wicked to add bourbon to our good old southern ice tea.

Mint Julep Iced Tea

8 mint leaves
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 cup bourbon
3 cups cold sweetened tea
Cubed or crushed ice

Combine first 3 ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher, pressing with spoon to crush mint. Stir in bourbon and tea. Add ice. Makes 2 quarts.

Oh my, that is MY kind of ice tea! A few glasses of that and who'll need rose colored glasses to view the world?

Go Natural, You'll Never Go Back

Afternoon Miss Faye,

I spent the morning trying to get the last of the fixins that I need to cook a Christmas dinner. After searching high and low for fresh cranberries, I finally located them at the baby Kroger in Peachtree City. The sweet lady who always checks me out was looking all festive in her Santa hat, complete with her usual big smile. As she was ringing up the groceries, she remarked she had never even had fresh cranberries. She was a canned jellied cranberry sauce kinda girl.

I almost fainted right then and there. The canned stuff?? Bah, humbug!

A strange feeling came over me. Now, Miss Faye, don't you go to thinking I was getting a red face again. No. I felt charitable. I knew I had to save her from the sauce.

Quickly, before the feeling passed, I blurted out my recipe for fresh cranberry relish. It's so wonderful that I think I'll even give you a gift by sharing my secret with you.

Take one bag of cranberries. Add one big naval orange. Do not, and I repeat, do not peel it. Just cut the orange up into several sections. Be sure you have washed the orange well. Place cranberries and orange into a food processor. Turn on processor and make sure the cranberries and orange are all chopped up together. Add sugar. Some like it sweeter than others. I add about a cup of sugar to the cranberry-orange mixture. Refrigerate and let it sit overnight. Done!!

Once you go natural, you'll never go back to canned!!!

Enjoy!

Miss Etta

Rice Krispies are THE Best!

I did not know that easy to make dessert was called White Trash! What a hoot. You know I bet that it surely isn't called that in the North.

I know, I know, I seem to be fixating on what some of our favorites are called in other parts of the world. But it just can't be helped, when my mind travels down a path it finds a rut and there I am over and over again.

My favorite of all favorite desserts along those lines is rice crispy treats. Marshmallows and rice crispies with a bit of butter all mixed together. We used to make that all the time when I was a child. Now of course you can buy them packaged at the store but it just isn't the same as our homemade variety.

It was rare that we had any to share after we all got together to mix up a batch. Stir and test, stir and sample.

I was looking around and found a recipe that is just perfect for Christmas. Here it is:

Rice Krispie Christmas Trees
Servings: 12

Ingredients
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 package (10 oz. about 40) regular marshmallows
- or -
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Ready-To-Eat Cereal Kellogg's® Rice Krispies®
- or -
6 cups Ready-To-Eat Cereal Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies™
Prepared green frosting
Red cinnamon candies

Directions
1. Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly in 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool slightly. Using 4-inch tree cookie cutter, cut into tree shapes. Decorate as desired with frosting and red cinnamon candies. Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
In a microwave safe bowl, heat margarine and marshmallows at HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above.

Microwave cooking times may vary.

We used the kind of marshmallows that came in a jar sometime, too. Up north they call it "Fluff". I know because a dear friend of mine moved down here from the north and went looking for it but couldn't find it anywhere. I tried to tell her that we had something just as good if not better, but she was rather pig headed and would not listen. Now I see they are finally carrying her Fluff on the grocery store shelves. I haven't tried it. I will stick to my Duke's mayonaise and the jarred marshmallow I grew up with thank you.

Have a wonderfully crispy day,
Miss Faye