Tag Archives: Homemaking

Black-eyed Peas on New Years Day

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Looking for a recipe for prosperity and happiness in the New Year?

Psalm 1 is a place to start.

The Hebrew word ashrei, or blessedness comes from living out your life in accordance with God‘s will.

How do you know God’s will?

Everyday wake and immediately meditate on God’s word.  Praise Him!  Begin your day in adoration of  God the Creator of all.

Pray about it, pray the verse for anyone your Father has placed on your mind.

This morning I prayed for you and my family and friends.

Here’s how it sounded…. Happy are the friends who follow my blog, my family, my friends they who do not follow the advice of the wicked or take the paths of sinners.

Prosperity and happiness depends on your willingness to live in obedience to scripture.

But the humble will inherit the land and enjoy abundant prosperity.  Psalm 37:11 HSB

Humble in the Greek is translated poor in spirit — to be impoverished of self and concerned for the things of God.

What is God concerned about?

The world will tell you prosperity comes from a  cooked pot of black-eyed peas on New Years Day.  Our tradition in families differ, but cooking up a pot of these lovely legumes are a non-negotiable in southern families, ours is no different.  I’ve misplaced my cookbook so this is my twist on the tradition.

1 pound of black-eyed peas

Soak and cook a couple of days earlier tossing off the dirt (your old self) and discard any particles(regrets) in the water.

1 large can of chopped tomatoes

1 small onion finely chopped and sautéed in extra virgin olive oil.

1 large garlic clove finely chopped and sautéed in extra virgin olive oil.

Pepper to taste

Add a few small pieces of the leftover Smithfield Ham (Salt cured) before placing bowls on the table for your New Years Day Dinner.

Serve the simple dish with Udi’s gluten-free dinner rolls, and a salad.

Pull out all the stops with linens, candles, crystal and setting.

A humble dish and a table set for a King.

May you be favored and prosper in the New Year! May the Lord bless you in 2014 exceedingly and abundantly beyond your wildest imaginations!

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith.  Ephesians 3:14-16 HCSB

Thank you very much for taking the time to follow my blog in 2013. You have been a great blessing to me and I look forward to praying for you and  writing more in 2014!

Trish

 

Chik fil a without the drive thru

18 Friday Nov 2011

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Chik fil a is one of our favorite places in town, and I enjoy studying and writing there before work.  My favorite breakfast item is the chicken biscuit.  Your mouth will water as you enter the restaurant and take your first bite.  It is  delicious and not duplicated.  This is my attempt.

Morning came early today at the Southard household. My small claim to fame with my family are my hot breakfasts. Our daughter’s tennis tournament meant leaving the house at 6:45 this morning.

This fast, easy, and protein and carbohydrate packing breakfast recipe calls for a package of Sr. Schubert’ s rolls from the frozen food dept. and two frozen chicken breasts.
Heat frying pan with one tablespoon of oil. Grapeseed is best for flash-fry, but Wesson or evoo will work.fof

Microwave breasts for five minutes or less I cover mine with Saran wrap. Slice while hot and toss into hot pan and brown slightly. Rolls cook five minutes at 350 degrees. Slice roll in half, place a small pat of butter, salt and pepper chicken and serve as a sandwich.

Leftovers are perfect to wrap in foil and take to work for lunch.

Company’s coming

13 Sunday Nov 2011

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Do you get stressed before company comes and not know where to turn?  The following are a few easy things I do to remove steps from my day before company arrives that allow me more time to be present for friends and family upon arrival.
Day 1: Tacos.  The dish I made for the first night is a variation on traditional tacos.

And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in god my Savior, because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His slave…. Luke 1:46-48

Preparing ahead of time.  In life and with company meals, preparation ahead of time  allows  me to magnify Him to others, saving me time in the kitchen for time with family and friends.  I am prepared to be present.

Cook up a pot of black beans and a separate pot of rice 1-2 days before. The rice and beans both have standard recipes on the side of the bags. I follow those directions  and add a little e.v.o.o. and butter to both as they simmer.  Store cooked beans and rice in the refrigerator.
The day before cook up about 3 lbs. of carne picada or other meat of your choice sliced extra thin, seasoning to taste.  I boil mine in a cup of water and drain off before adding one small can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilis, and a nice dose of garlic powder, salt and pepper.

On the day of their visit, buy fresh ingredients:fof

Bag of limes

2 bags of cilantro

4-5 tomatoes

1 head of garlic

1 onion

fresh tortillas….watch for carts rolling into the bread aisle

1 head of lettuce

1 c of apple butter

Plate cilantro into a bowl tearing off leaves gently.  Slice limes in half and place on a small cutting board leaving a few whole for guests.

Make your pico-de gallo.  Finely chop tomatoes, garlic and onion, add salt, pepper and jalapeno pepper to taste…squeeze four to five limes and toss thoroughly.  Add some chopped cilantro.  Chill several hours covered before dinner.

Toss 1 c of apple butter  into carne picada and serve on a heated platter (hearth or oven works well)

Slice lettuce very thin and place on the table, along with your chilled pico- de gallo, tortillas, beans, rice and carne picada. Your feast is ready and your guests will enjoy your company as you join them at the table instead of speaking to them from your kitchen.

I would have missed the neighborhood girls and their four cans of empty shaving cream (pictured above) if I had stayed in the kitchen all evening.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

05 Monday Sep 2011

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Happy Labor Day Everyone!

This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and doing your own work.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 TLB

(I keep this tucked in my pocket at work and it has been very helpful over the years.)

The base of this recipe comes from the “Joy of Cooking”. I received it from my Aunt Bernice as a wedding shower gift 25 years ago. I love the inscription inside….

A well prepared meal, graciously served will be helpful to Todd’s Air Force career.

This note will make a few of you gasp, but my Aunt was correct in coaching me. She was a great cook, I can still taste and see her crepes stacked 12 high with chocolate in between each one.  She was a Nurse anesthetist in the  Navy and married in her 50’s to our beloved Uncle Fred.  If you do not own the “Joy of Cooking” click on the GFCF Lady link on this website and order one from Amazon.

Turn to page 701 and use Brownies Cockaigne as your guide.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and get started early in the morning.  We have had over 70 days over 100 degrees and today is our first day we have been able to open the windows here in Texas.  (I have made dinner very early each morning and setting in the fridge given the extreme heat later in the day.)

In a double boiler melt 1 stick of unsalted butter, 4 tbsp. of evoo, 12 tbsp. of Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa and whisk till smooth.  Set aside to cool.

Beat 4 eggs and 1/4 ts. salt till light and frothy.

Add 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 and 1/2 cups of brown sugar and blend gently with a spatula.

Add 1 cup of flour, folding in carefully and taking the time not to over mix.

Bake in a 9 * 13 for 22-25 minutes.

The taste is not sweet and is a delightfully dark.

Serve in very small square servings with petite glasses of milk on a serving tray for your guests or family.

Sopa de Pollo con Calabaza

31 Monday Jan 2011

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Don’t be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with you.   1 Chronicles 28:20 TLB

makedomondays

We saved our Cinderella Pumpkin from fall and decided to break it open and see if it was still fit for consumption. Our pumpkin was so heavy I could not pick it up so my beloved did the hard work, lifting, not to mention cutting and cooking.

Nobody else can do the work that God marked out for you.   Paul Lawrence Dunbar

We had been storing it in the garage. Todd stepped in at this point cutting one-quarter of the pumpkin up into cubes and simmering it on the stove top for about ninety minutes.  From the sofa reading I watched as he drained off cooked pumpkin and set aside leaving the lovely orange broth in the pan.  He added 2 tablespoons of butter to a small metal dish …floated it on top the broth for a couple of minutes, and dangerously pulled it with his bare hands added 2 tablespoons of flour to the butter and made a roux.

Next he added the breast of one chicken from a rotisserie chicken(hand shredded) from the market.  (I try to keep one on hand at all times as my back up plan) sprinkled a bit of curry, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, added the roux and garnished with green onions.

The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.     Arnold Palmer

Marilyn and Kenene’s Seafood Casserole

10 Saturday Jul 2010

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Tonight we will enjoy the famous seafood casserole Marilyn and Kenene created at Kenene’s house in Sanibel.  I just opened my wordpress.com to type up this recipe and it gives me the chills to tell you the phone rang and it was Kenene.  There are no coincidences when you live for Christ and His will so I found it a great honor and privilege the Lord allowed me to visit with her as I wrote.  Our beautiful daughter will be the chef today.

2  lb Sea Scallops (frozen is fine), cut in half

2  lb. Shrimp (frozen is fine) cooked, shelled and deveined)

2 Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp Soup   (if you are inland substitute Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom)

1/2 c mayo

1/4 c milk

1 c chopped onion

1  – 8 ounce can of water chestnuts, sliced

2  cups cooked rice, mix with sauce

1/4 tsp. red pepper

1/4 tsp.  cayenne or Old Bay*

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1  1/2 cups chopped celery

3 Tbsp. chopped parsley or cilantro

1  package of slivered almonds sautéed slightly in butter to toasty golden brown

Paprika

Mix soup, mayo, onion, milk, together. Stir in chestnuts, nutmeg, seasonings, scallops, shrimp, celery, parsley and rice. Spoon into buttered dish. Top with almonds and sprinkle with paprika and cook at 450 degrees until bubbly for 30-40 minutes.

Serve with roasted asparagus and garlic, Caesar Salad and French Bread.  Makes 12 servings.

Egg Salad

19 Monday Apr 2010

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A little different twist on the traditional egg salad.

4 boiled eggs crumbled

3-4 tbsp. of hummus

salt and pepper to taste

I have a hummus recipe on a earlier blog, but a nice store-bought brand is Pita Pal made in Houston, Texas (www.pitapal.com). My personal fave is the Spicy Jalapeno.

Skipping the mayo adds a bit of interest and lightens up the snack in more ways than one.

Making do on a monday,

Trish

The Pumpkin who dressed up as a Sweet Potato ~ Margie’s Pumpkin Squares

23 Friday Oct 2009

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Here is the recipe for the delicious Autumn dessert that Margie Orr made for the church potluck.  I posted  a note on my wall asking who had made the tasty flavorful dish and no one fessed up.  I ran into Margie at the Women’s Retreat last weekend and she said very humbly it was hers and she gave me permission to share on my blog.  Margie is a lovely lady, beloved Sunday School teacher, mother of 4 grown children, and  volunteers as the Hope Treasurer.  All the flavors of fall, and  a colorful comfort-food that fooled me into tasting sweet potato when it was actually pumpkin.  Sweet!

fof

 

 
Pumpkin Pie Squares
 
1 c. flour
1/2 c. quick oatmeal
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) Imperial margarine (the only one I use)
 
Combine in a mixing bowl.  I use a pastry hook to mix well.  Pat on bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
 
While the crust is baking combine
 
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
 
Mix well and then pour over crust when done.  Continue baking for 20 more minutes.
 
Combine 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/2 c. ( about 2 1/4 oz) finely chopped pecans.  Sprinkle over pie filling then continue baking for 15 to 20 more minutes or until filling is set.  Cool in pan on rack.  Cut into 2 inch squares.  Top with a swirl of Cool Whip topping.  Makes about 2 dozen.
 
Enjoy.
 
Margie Orr

The Case of the Missing “Southern Lady”

07 Monday Sep 2009

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Struggling to find a dessert appropriate for the Park Place

Literary Society (neighborhood Book Club), the above magazine title captured my attention from inside my neighbor’s bin. 

 Wednesday is recycling day in our neighborhood, a magazine “Southern Lady” peaked out at me as I was walking Daisy.

  I was Eve and this was my apple.  If I chose to pick this up, am I recycling, repurposing or stealing?

Do not steal.  Deuteronomy 5 v. 19 HSB

A wee bit gauche,  the question was placed on my Facebook wall in hopes friends would prevent an errant deed on my part, and waited.  Letting on I had it in my possession,  I simply asked “would it be stealing if I was sitting here reading it now?”

Here are the responses I recieved:

Noelle- I would say no.  BUT (lol) if you walk away with it, maybe.Book club

Sharilyn- No way. You are actually recycling it.

Sandy- Nope!  You know what they say about one person’s trash…006

Tim- No.  because once they throw it out it’s no longer their property.

Noelle- Is any compensation paid to the homeowner for his recyclable items? ( in Seattle you get a small sum back)

Tim- Good point, put it back when you are done.

Margaret- I know you will do what is best dear sis, you have an honest and clean heart.

The winning recipe came from my own, BHG  Better Homes and Gardens (New Cook Book) page 81, Blueberry Buckle.

Hoping to hear your thoughts,

Trish