Hopefully the start of a great week

Written on September 27, 2010 by Kimberly in Food, General, Kids, Local Fare, On the Fence, Recipes, Writing
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I woke up to Fall. The rain came this weekend and it was wonderful. Rolling thunderstorms with lots of humidity and then as the sun came up this morning the cool, fall like Alabama weather we only see a touch of was here. I am not sure if it will last but I will be enjoying it while I can.

The weekend was a good one. We spent Saturday morning at 5 Rivers with our friend Shannon for the Heart Walk and then we went and spent the day visiting my aunt in Spanish Fort. Sunday we did things around the house like laundry, but mostly I sat on the couch watching movies and hand sewing something to sell on Etsy. (to be set up soon) I saw a delightful Indie film title Tortilla Soup. This is a feel good movie with a great cast. I love movies that have cooking inner twined into the story line and it has a surprising ending which I almost suspected but wasn’t sure.

Our weekend ended with a fantastic dinner. We made The Pioneer Woman’s recipe Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich and served it with plain potato chips. The sandwiches were absolutely delicious. We made half with onions and half without because the kids do not tend to eat the onions. Our children devoured these sandwiches. We also added sliced provolone cheese to our sandwiches which gave them an even better taste. This recipe is not for people dieting however because you use lots and lots of BUTTER!

One of the things that I got to do this weekend that I have not got to do in a really long time was SLEEP. We actually went to bed early Friday and Saturday nights and slept. Last night I went to bed late but I slept hard and woke up feeling great. I feel energized to take on the week.

Twenty years ago I wrote out a list of things I was going to do before I was 40. I have talked about it before. So far I have met every personal goal on my list but one. The one being to have a book published by the age of 40. Most people who know me are aware that this is the last goal on my list and have asked when I am going to write my great novel. Well, I have a story outline but that is it. I can’t seem to pull it all together to actually sit down and write it. I’m a busy girl with all these kids I had. Who knew that having five children before 35 would do that to a person?! I am not giving up on this goal but I have decided to do something a little different goal setting.

My friend Kellee who writes at The Not So Small Things wrote this great list of things she wanted to do before she was thirty. I really like the approach and attitude she had towards making her list and also sticking to it. I’ve decided to follow in her footsteps and make my own list, Before 37. I hope she doesn’t mind me stealing her idea – if she does she needs to say so right now in the comments! I am not sure if i will put it up on my blog or not like she has but I might. I have to get the list written first! O and look a there, she already has her Before 31 list up. I better get started.

I am still looking for Positive Cesarean Section Birth Stories to publish on my blog the month of October. If you would like to guest post and tell your story – please email me at dscvrlife at bellsouth dot net and be sure to put in the title that you are interested. I would really like a dad to write from his perspective too so this is not just limited to women. I have had several people ask me “why October?” I really do not have an answer, I just decided to do this after reading so many other blogs that talked so negatively about cesarean sections that I wanted to give women the opportunity to share their positive cesarean section stories in a supportive environment.

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Southern Fried Green Tomatoes

Written on June 7, 2010 by Kimberly in Food, General, Recipes
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I know you have probably heard of Fried Green Tomatoes starring Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy but have you ever eaten fried green tomatoes? They are delicious! There is nothing better on a hot, humid afternoon after swimming or fishing or hell, doing nothing, than some fried southern goodness. Some people like to eat their fried green tomatoes just as they are when they come out of the grease, while others like banana pepper sauce dashed on theirs or dipping in remoulade sauce. I like mine without the fixings. Below is the recipe we use to make the best fried green tomaters you ever did eat. O, and this recipe is great for frying up eggplant too!

For this recipe you will need 6 large green tomatoes. These here are “Big Boy” tomatoes.

Slice off the ends and then slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick. (Discard the ends, we don’t eat those)

After the green tomatoes are sliced its time to dip them in some fixins. You are going to need 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk, 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of cornmeal, 1/2 cup of bread crumbs (some folks smash up crackers), 2 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and you are going to need about a 1-quart of vegetable oil for frying.

Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium size bowl. Pour your flour out onto a dinner plate. On another plate mix up your cornmeal, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.

First you are going to dip your tomatoes in the flour.

After your green tomatoes are firmly coated in flour you then will dip the tomatoes into the milk and egg mixture and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure they are completely coated. (sorry there are no pictures of this part, it gets kinda messy) Set them aside until their rolling bath of grease is ready.

In a large skillet, pour your vegetable oil in so that there is at least 1/2 inch deep oil in the pan (this may be all of your quart or you may have to add some) and heat over medium heat. (we suggest laying some newspaper out around the bottom of your stove so grease don’t get on your floor when it starts bubbling) Once it gets to popping, gently place tomatoes into your frying pan in batches of four or five, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes! They should not be touching each other. (do as I say, not as I do)

When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels before serving. They should look similar to this.

Now dig in! And don’t forget to share with your friends. (the mixture above is also good for frying up eggplant)

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Girl Talk Thursday: Dinners for $10 or Under

Written on March 11, 2010 by BeautifulWreck in Recipes
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For this weeks Girl Talk Thursday we were to write a post on dinners that cost $10 or under. You might be surprised at how far $10 will stretch. I wrote this post with the assumption you would have basic ingredients on hand, like oil, butter, spices, etc.

Items you will need for your $10 meal.

One roasting hen weighing approximately 4lbs. Most roasting hens cost 99cents per pound and less when on sale. $3.96
1 clove of garlic $.25
1 lg. lemon $ . 50 – .75
One small yellow or white onion $.79
2-3 cans of cut green beans $2.25
2lbs of new potatoes (small red ones) $1.98

Roasting a chicken is simple. It will take little effort on your part. The biggest thing you have to worry about is under or over cooking it. You will not want a bloody chicken and you will not want a dry chicken. No one wants a chicken that tastes like dried up wood. Here is a link to a simple recipe for roasting your chicken. You can improvise. Especially on the spices and the lemon. You may even have a poultry rub in your pantry.

Herbed New Potatoes A simple recipe that you can also improvise on.

For the green beans, this is so incredibly easy. Slice your onion thinly and saute’ in 2 tblsp of butter on medium to high heat in a large pan. When the onion begins to brown toss in your green beans, season lightly with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until tender.

Simple, easy, and cheap. Pretty healthy too!

This is just one of many meals you can make for under $10. Check out the other Girl Talk Thursday gals for more meal ideas.



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It’s A Recipe Party! Delicious Vegetable Stuffed Pizza

Written on October 22, 2009 by BeautifulWreck in Recipes
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This is one of our favorite recipes. I wanted to share it today for Rhoda’s Recipe Party. Please go check out all the other great recipes listed at Southern Hospitality Blog.

Vegetable Stuffed Pizza (6 servings)

3 tblsp olive oil
1 large red onion sliced thin
1 10oz pkg of frozen spinach
3 tblsp of tomato paste
2 tblsp of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp of dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1lb loaf of frozen bread (or make your own dough) note: follow directions to thaw bread dough on bag
1 8oz of Mozzarella Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In large nonstick skillet heat oil over med. heat. Add onions, saute until brown. Add spinach, cook until heated. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, paste and spices. (I will add some paste and more spices to taste)
Divide your bread loaf in half, roll the pastries out and place one cooking stone or large pizza pan. The other one is going to be the top. Sprinkle half the cheese all over the pastry than spread your spinach mixture on top. You are going to leave about 1.5 inches around the edge of your dough. Then sprinkle the rest of your cheese on top. (we always do more than the 8oz of cheese or we add other cheeses like romano) Put your second rolled layer of dough on. Press it firmly around the edges and then roll upwards. (Jeff made a nice braided look on the one pictured) Brush the top of layer of dough with olive oil and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

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A Quick Family Favorite: Vegetarian Taco Soup

Written on July 28, 2009 by BeautifulWreck in Recipes
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Vegetarian Taco Soup

This is a favorite in our house.
It is quick and easy to make, even my eleven year old can make it!
Also, you can do this with ground beef but it’s actually cheaper not too.

Ingredients:

2 large cans of Bush’s Chili Beans or 4 regular cans
1 can of Ro-tel (we use mild)
1 can of Diced tomatoes
1 can of corn (if Mr. K eats with us, we omit corn)
1 package of taco seasoning
1 package of ranch dressing
1 package of Morningstar Farms Griller/Crumbles

You can also add a can of black beans to make it a little more southwest!

We do not brown our griller meat like many people do, but for extra flavor you could brown it in a pan with a little bit of olive oil and onion. I am usually pressed for time!

In a large pot mix all ingredients together and stir well.
Bring to a boil and continue to stir, after it begins to boil turn it down and let it simmer about fifteen minutes. It is really that simple to make, healthy, and inexpensive. This recipe makes about 8 servings. I can tell you that you can add an extra can of beans and diced tomatoes to stretch it out without having to add any additional griller meat or seasoning packets.

Serve your soup with your favorite tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream and for some additional spice there is always hot sauce!

*none of the brands mentioned sponsored this post… we just eat them and like the quality and taste of the products
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