Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm
Someone may crinkle their nose up at me for saying this, but boxed cake mix is a magical thing. I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall when they first rolled out on the shelves many years ago. They changed the game in some really big ways, cutting cook time dramatically for women putting together desserts for their families to enjoy. Aside from making a cake, there’s a million + 1 things you can make with a cake mix – like these Red Velvet Christmas Crinkle Cookies, for example!
…
This caramel apple bourbon popcorn is a great way to pop in a little extra flavor to your traditional caramel corn!
Have you ever made your own caramel popcorn? With fair season being in full swing, my mind has been gravitating toward all of those sticky sweet fair treats you can find when you walk down the food alley at your small town carnival each year. I grew up attending The National Peanut Festival in Dothan, AL every year as a child, and I can still remember the sights, smells and sounds of the fairway as we made our way through the festivities of the fair every year.
…
Hello, Autumn! Nice to finally see you! We hit our first “cold” front of the season, and feeling the temps drop down just a few degrees to make the mid-afternoon heat tolerable has certainly been well welcomed! We live in the middle of a field of planted pines, so not many of the trees that surround our house ever change colors. It’s pretty much green outside all year, so I always make sure I go the extra mile to make things really feel like fall around here. Yesterday afternoon that meant breaking out the apple cider and getting a little creative in the kitchen, and these Apple Cider Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts have been the perfect treat to help us welcome in the season!
…
I didn’t expect to fall in love today, but I fell hard and fast. My desk is overflowing with sticky notes and lists of recipe ideas that I jot down when inspiration strikes, and I’ve had classic molasses cookies on said list for quite some time. Over the summer I stocked up on pure blackstrap molasses after I read about its health benefits. I add a smidge to my coffee each morning, but I’ve been eager to do something extra with it besides stirring it into my morning brew. These Molasses Sugar Cookies are the result of that vision, and it was instant love after first bite!
…
Sometimes inspiration is sparked in the most unusual places. Earlier this morning I was cleaning up my iron skillet, and I looked out the window and noticed a perfectly intact spiderweb glistening in the sun. As much as I’m not a fan of those creepy crawlies, they have some truly extraordinary handiwork. It’s amazing how intricate a spider’s web is! God paints us beautiful pictures in the everyday ordinary, and I was glad that I got to take a moment and marvel at His beauty.
…
These 10 Delicious Depression Era Pie Recipes are classic examples of how something sweet can come out of a difficult situation. Many of these have stood the test of time, and with good reason!
I’ve always learned loving about history. I’m certainly no history buff, but I never turn my nose up at a chance to learn about the way things were before my time here on earth began. I remember anxiously awaiting the day that I got to move up to the 5th grade, when we were finally going to get to study American history after specifically studying Alabama history in the 4th grade. Studying the history of my home state left me craving more knowledge about my country, and learning how life in the south was shaped into the culture we know today has always been incredibly fascinating to me.
Even more, I love studying about the women who made a pivotal impact on our country through their unique culinary improvisations. So many of the dishes we know and love today were created in moments of desperation or during moments of lack in our country. Women during The Great Depression were left with rations to work with to prepare meals for their families during a time of war and economic downturn, and in their beautiful attempts to provide their families with something sweet to enjoy during an incredibly difficult time, they created these “depression era” pies that still make an appearance on the Thanksgiving dessert table many years later….
Have you felt that crisp morning air yet? Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking on my end, but I do believe I’ve felt a hint of fall in the air in the mornings on the way to school each day. Of course, it’s quickly swallowed up by that glamorous Alabama humidity that likes to linger around until mid-October, but I’ll take any glimpse of fall weather I can get!
…
Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler is that one dish that has all of the flavors of fall that you crave. Add a scoop of ice cream and you’re in for a real treat!
Yesterday the heat index reached 102 here in south Alabama. This isn’t anything abnormal here, as it really doesn’t get truly cold until January, but with all of these visions of pumpkins and all-things-fall floating around in my head, I can’t help but be a bit disappointed when I step outside and it isn’t sweater weather yet.
…
No matter where you are in the world, there’s always that one thing that immediately takes you right back home. One of the most beautiful things about the United States is that each and every state has something unique that sets it apart from the rest. I pride myself on having roots planted deep within the Alabama clay, and I love to celebrate my Southern heritage because it’s a building block in the foundation of who I am (and this very blog, too!)
…
Egg custard pie is a classic southern dish that may be lacking all the frills, but it’s certainly worthy of a spot on the fine china!
And the pie saga continues! Boy, when I get on a kick about something, I really do tend to go all out. No one in our household is complaining about the fact that I’ve been cranking out a pie nearly every day for the last week and a half, and while this is the last pie recipe you’ll see (for at least a week, let’s be real) it’s the pie I’ve been the most excited to share with you! Many of you know it, but for those of you who don’t – prepare to fall in love with this classic southern treat: Egg Custard Pie
…
