It Is Well With My Soul

I just discovered Paula Deen's new (to me) site today.  My husband and I are learning to make smoothies and, in honor of Mrs. Deen, I am posting her recipes.  Doesn't she look fabulous!  We're so glad to have you back with us, Paula!

Jack's Favorite Smoothie from Paula Deen

Jack’s Favorite Smoothie

 

 Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Servings: Makes 2 smoothies
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1/4 cup low fat greek yogurt
1 cup apple juice
1 banana, cut into chunks
1 cup frozen mixed berries
½ cup frozen pineapple

Directions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 1 minutes until smooth.

Peachy Ginger Smoothie Recipe from Paula Deen

Peachy Ginger Smoothie

 

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Servings: Makes 2 smoothies
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 cup cold water
1 cup frozen peach slices
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ inch piece ginger
Juice of 1 lime

Directions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 full minute. Add a little water if you need to loosen it up.

Paula Deen's Smoothie

Good Morning Green Smoothie

 
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Servings: Makes 2 smoothies
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups coconut water
1 banana, cut into chunks
½ cup frozen mango
½ cup frozen pineapple
3/4 cups baby spinach
3/4 cups kale, stems removed, roughly chopped

Directions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 full minute. Add a little water if you need to loosen it up.

Fried Egg and Avocado Sandwich

  Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Servings: 2 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients 

4 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 slices wheat bread, toasted
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced green onion
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large eggs
4 slices tomato
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Directions

In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels. Drain grease from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon.
Spread butter over each side of bread. Place 4 slices of bread, butter side down, on skillet over medium heat. Flip bread and toast the other side. Remove to serving plates.
In a small bowl, add cream cheese, parsley and green onions together. Add salt and pepper. Spread onto 1 side of each toast slice.
In same small skillet, fry the eggs in reserved bacon grease over medium-low heat. Crack the yolks and flip. Place each egg on top of 2 pieces of toast. Cover each egg with 2 slices of bacon, 2 slices of tomato, and 2 slices of avocado. Top with another piece of toast and serve immediately.

Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Serves:
40 to 45 sandwiches

Ingredients
For the spread (makes 2 1/3 cups):

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
10 1/2 ounces Montrachet or other mild goat cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
5 to 6 tablespoons milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sandwiches:

2 loaves 7-grain bread, thinly sliced
1 hothouse cucumber, not peeled

Directions

For the spread, place the cream cheese, goat cheese, garlic, thyme, parsley, 5 tablespoons milk, salt, and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well mixed. Add an additional tablespoon of milk if the spread is very thick.

To make the sandwiches, spread each slice of bread with the goat cheese spread. Slice the cucumber in thin rounds and arrange on half the bread slices. Top with the remaining bread. Press slightly, trim off the crusts, and cut the sandwiches into halves, thirds, or triangles.

Ina's Tzatziti

Tzatziti

Ingredients

2 (7-ounce) containers Greek yogurt, such as Fage Total
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

1/2 pound feta, sliced
Good olive oil
Fresh thyme leaves
1/2 pound large kalamata olives with pits
Toasted Pita Triangles, recipe follows

Directions

Place the yogurt in a medium bowl. Grate the cucumber on a box grater on the largest grating side and squeeze it with your hands to remove most (but not all) of the liquid. Add the grated cucumber to the yogurt. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and combine. Taste for seasonings.

To serve, artfully arrange salad plates with slices of feta, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Add the olives, pita triangles, and the tzatziki and serve cold or at room temperature.
Toasted Pita Triangles:

1 loaf pita bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the pita bread into 8 triangles and place them on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the oven and toast the bread for 10 minutes.

Fried Green Tomatoes

I found this recipe at My Carolina Kitchen.  I couldn't bear the thoughts of losing it, so I'm posting it here.  Fried green tomatoes are absolutely scrumptious!

 

 Fried Green Tomatoes with Smoked Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

Fried green tomatoes became an overnight sensation in 1991 after the movie by the same name. Green tomatoes are actually unripe tomatoes, not a particular variety of a tomato. Traditionally, before the first frost, all the tomatoes were picked, even the green ones, to prevent them from freezing on the vine. Now unripe tomatoes are picked green to make fried green tomatoes.

There are many recipes for fried green tomatoes, including those that use Japanese panko bread crumbs for breading, others deep fry the tomatoes, or use bacon drippings.

Our breading is on the simple side and we serve our fried green tomatoes for breakfast with bacon and eggs. We shallow fry the tomatoes in a minimum of fat rather than deep frying them. During the summer fried green tomatoes are also nice served with a sauce for dipping as part of a luncheon dish with a green salad and corn on the cob.

These fried green tomatoes have character. We think it is important to taste the tomato, not the breading. The cornmeal/flour breading produces a golden, crisp tomato with a simple, not heavily breaded exterior, and a savory, juicy tomato interior.

There are some tips to making good fried green tomatoes. First, salt the tomatoes right before you bread them. Salting foods in advance brings out the moisture and make them soggy when cooked. Second, a pinch of sugar in the breading takes away any bitterness from the under-ripe tomato. Third, just as anything that you brown, you want to make sure not to crowd the pan or the food will end up soggy. And finally, serve them as soon as you take them up. Fried green tomatoes must be hot. As they come to room temperature, the breading turns soggy.  You can see that most of the tips revolve around the word "soggy."  That makes sense because no one wants to eat a soggy tomato.

I’ve included what is referred to in our kitchen as “Meakin’s famous chipotles in adobo aioli sauce.” This is a very versatile sauce and can be used for many dishes, including a dip for fried green tomatoes. We use the sauce in fish tacos, dip boiled shrimp in it and serve them as an appetizer, or use it in place of mayonnaise where you want a kick of extra spice or smoky flavor. We puree the entire can of chipotles in the adobo sauce in a small food processor and store them in a jar in the refrigerator. They seem to last forever.

Fried Green Tomatoes 
From My Carolina Kitchen

My version of fried green tomatoes is a simple one and doesn’t require much of a recipe. I start by making a dredging mixture of three parts yellow cornmeal to one part all-purpose flour, a pinch of sugar, and a few shakes of cayenne pepper on a sheet of wax paper and stir to incorporate all of the ingredients.

I slice the tomatoes right before I dredge them and salt them at the last minute. Coat both sides of the tomatoes in the cornmeal/flour mixture, then sauté them in a non-stick skillet that’s been preheated with a little bit of canola or other neutral tasting oil in it. You don’t want to crowd the skillet, so you may have to cook the tomatoes in batches. Shallow fry the tomatoes, turning half way through so both sides brown evenly. When done, remove the tomatoes, salt them once again, and serve immediately.

If you are making more than one batch, plate the cooked tomatoes on a heat-proof plate or platter large enough to hold the tomatoes without stacking them and keep warm in a 150 degree F oven. If you stack the tomatoes they will get soggy.

Meakin’s Famous Smoked Chipotles in Adobo Sauce "Aioli"
From Meakin – My Carolina Kitchen

¼ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise, or homemade mayonnaise (no Miracle Whip)
½ cup sour cream, we use low-fat
1 teaspoon or more pureed chipotles in adobo sauce
Pinch of kosher salt
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon honey

Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl and taste for seasonings. Too much honey will make it sweet & ruin it. The purpose of the honey is to temper the fire from the chipotles in adobo sauce. You should not be able to taste the honey. The finished sauce should have a nice, smoky flavor. The sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for several days.

Our Corn Harvest 2013

This is our corn harvest for 2013.  It was picked today 9.9.13.  It's a little less than 6" long.  It was a bit longer, but there was a worm in the end.  ;o)

 Simplicity Roses

 Simplicity Roses

 Blooming Weeds.  Too pretty to cut down!

 Mocha

 Latte wrapped around my leg.  No posing for her!

 Mocha again.

It was cool enough to sit on the front porch this morning while drinking our coffee.

It will be hot again today, so we must enjoy the cool moments while we can.

Poppett is a truly pampered pooch.  She has been with us for over 14 years and is only now beginning to show her age.  She has degenerative disk disease which we are treating successfully with prednisone and one of her eyes ruptured and had to be removed.  She still acts like a puppy.

 

OREO COOKIE DESSERT

This delicious recipe is great for any covered dish meal and no one will ever know how easy it was to make!

1 (18 ounce) package Oreo cookies, divided, crushed (save 3/4 cup)
1/2-1 cup butter or 1/2-1 cup margarine, melted (unsalted butter is better)
16 ounces Cool Whip, divided
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 (3 1/2 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk (3.4 ounce)
1 (14 ounce) can eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Pour crushed cookies in 9x13 glass dish or small punch bowl.

Melt butter, pour over cookies. 

Mix 1/2 of the cool whip, cream cheese and powdered sugar, spread on top. 

Mix pudding with milk and sweetened condensed milk; beat until thick, spread on top.
Spread on other 8 oz Cool Whip. 

Sprinkle with leftover cookies. Refrigerate over night.

Best known as a companion to peanut butter in sandwiches, marshmallow spread is also excellent atop ice cream, floating in hot cocoa, or as a dip for fruits and crackers. Creating this fluffy whip at home is easy, and you'll be amazed at the fresh vanilla taste.

Homemade Marshmallow Spread

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup corn syrup or honey

 3 egg whites at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cream or tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1) In a medium-sized saucepan combine the water, sugar and corn syrup (or honey). Stir gently to combine. Insert a candy thermometer set for 240°F and heat over medium-high flame. Do not stir the sugar water as it cooks or it will form crystals.

2) When the sugar syrup begins to form large bubbles, and the thermometer reads about 225°F to 230°F, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat the whites to soft peaks. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.

3) By the time the whites are whipped, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove from the heat and with the mixer running, carefully pour the syrup in a thin, steady stream into the whites.

4) The whites will deflate slightly at first, but as the sugar syrup becomes incorporated, they will thicken, turn white and begin to fluff up.

5) Continue to whip the fluffy spread for 7 to 8 minutes, or until very thick and glossy. Add in the vanilla and whip for another minute.

6) Pour the spread into an airtight container. Store for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. The spread can be rewhipped by hand if it becomes "flat". 

yield: about 3 cups

This recipe is courtesy of King Arthur Flour.

 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR TEETH 'SNOW WHITE'

-Put a tiny bit of toothpaste into a
small cup,
mix in one teaspoon baking soda
plus one
teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide, and
half a
teaspoon water.
Thoroughly mix then brush your
teeth for two minutes. Remember to
do it once a week until you have
reached the results you want. Once
your teeth are good and white, limit
yourself to using the
whitening treatment once every
month or two.

MULLED  CIDER

4 cups apple cider
4 cups cranberry juice
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup Calvados

Bring all ingredients, except Calvados, to a boil over medium-low heat.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Strain juice into a crockpot.  Add Calvados.  Serve in cups with extra orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

Peanut Butter Cup S'Mores Recipe

Total Time:
1 hr 25 min
Prep
25 min
Inactive
25 min
Cook
35 min

Yield:
8 s'mores

Level:
Easy

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened, plus more for baking dish
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup marshmallow creme
8 chocolate covered peanut butter cups

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Spoon it into the baking dish and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool completely, then cut into 16 squares.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Spread the marshmallow creme evenly over 8 brownies, and top with the chocolate covered peanut butter cups. Top with the remaining brownies. Wrap each brownie sandwich in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Grill for 4 minutes, turning once. Unwrap and serve immediately.

Paula Deen's Mexican Crab Dip Recipe

Warm Mexican Crab Dip

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:
30 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
20 min

Level:
Intermediate

Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper, plus slices for garnish, optional
1/2 cup light colored beer
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8-ounce) block pasteurized prepared cheese product
1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked for shells
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup minced green onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Tortilla chips, for serving, recipe follows

Directions

In a 4-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, and garlic and cook stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Stir in the beer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the cream, cream cheese, and processed cheese, whisking until melted and smooth.

Stir in crabmeat, lime juice, green onion, cilantro, and chili powder and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, cayenne, and cumin. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with sliced jalapeno pepper, if desired. Serve hot with tortilla chips.
Tortilla Chips:

Oil
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Salt

In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 375 degrees F.

Cut the tortillas into triangles. Fry them, in batches, until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove the tortillas from the oil to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt, to taste, and serve.
Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.

Randall Johnson's Birthday Party - 2013