Mama's Southern Bread Puddin

Lord my Mama was a great cook as was her Mama before her, my Nanny … well come to think of it there isn’t a bad cook in the family, at least on the McKellar side … I don’t know much at all about the Kincaid side except my Daddy was a great cook but he learned mostly from watching food shows on television.  All of us have a reputation for being great cooks … from family reunions, to church dinners, to cooking for friends and family … we always get rave reviews.

Bread Puddin (pudding to those of you with no Southern blood running through your veins lol) … now that’s one of those recipes everyone has a recipe for.  There’s some version of it in most every country: Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, England … I could go on and on.  Most every version calls for the basics: Milk, Bread, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla … the amounts all vary and the density of the final cooked pudding also differs.  Some leave their bread sliced and some crumble it up … Some add raisins or other fruit … and Some even have a sauce over them, as the Irish version does (Whiskey Sauce), but in my opinion, and everyone else who has had my Mama’s version, its not needed.

I don’t keep Whole Milk in my house unless, of course, I’m making something like my homemade Mac n Cheese which just cannot be made so delicious without using Whole Milk/Half n Half … sooooooooo for this recipe, which I usually make when I’ve got some leftover bread of some sort that needs to be used, I use my Silk Very Vanilla but you can still use Whole Milk as it calls for … the Silk though works just as well!  As for the bread I use … I’ve used everything from regular sandwich bread to leftover hamburger buns to leftover artisan bread … the only difference is, depending on the type bread, you add more or less Milk (or Silk in my case).

About the missing measurement for the Milk … that’s because as I’ve just said the amount you use depends on the type of bread and how dried out it may be (day old, three days old, whatever).  The mixture must be very wet and really soupy before it goes into the oven … here's pictures showing the mixture before I popped it into the oven.

Finally, as for the optional nuts, I love using Pecans in mine but I sometimes leave them out because my hubby is not a fan of nuts in his food … something to do with the texture lol  Oh and the Coconut, its kinda optional too but then again ... it wouldn't be my Mama's Bread Puddin without it cause she loooooooved Coconut.

Oh and one more final hint … the key to ‘mixing it up’ is mixing it with your hands … Mama and my Nanny always said that adds a little Southern sweetness!!!

So here it is … my Mama’s Southern Bread Puddin

Mama’s Southern Bread Puddin

Loaf of Bread

1-2 cups Sugar

Whole Milk

2 sticks Butter (melted)

6 Eggs

14 oz Coconut

1 Tbsp Vanilla

Chopped Nuts (optional)

Tear bread up, mix eggs, sugar and remaining ingredients.  Add enough milk to make it soupy.  Pour into 13x9 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees til done.  

          

Chicken Taco Soup

 This recipe is from my niece and is in the family cookbook I published a couple years ago.  As with all the soup recipes I post, this one is great for freezing.  Since it’s just me and my hubby at home we freeze a lot of stuff in individual portions in freezer bags cause most recipes just CANNOT be cut in half and we really don’t want to eat on a whole pot of soup for an entire week.  Freezing makes for an easy night’s supper when you don’t feel like cooking.  Just take it straight from the freezer, break it on the counter top, remove from bag and place in a saucepan on low on the stove top (I’m not a big fan of microwaves but microwaving would work just fine except that you would need to ‘defrost’ it in the microwave prior to heating it up) … just as good the second time around!  

Chicken Taco Soup

1 can Chicken Broth

1 can Black Beans, undrained

1 can Whole Kernel Corn, undrained

2 cans Tomatoes with Chilies

1 can Tomato Sauce

1 pkt Ranch Dressing Mix

1 pkt Taco Seasoning

3 Chicken Breasts, chopped

1 Onion, chopped

Topping

Olive Oil

Flour tortillas

Cheese

Sour cream

Sauté Chicken with Onion.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Make sure you do not drain the Black Beans and Corn!!!  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.  You may want to add an additional can of Chicken Broth if it is not soupy enough.  

To prepare topping: Using a pizza cutter, cut Flour Tortillas in half, then cut into strips.  In a separate pan, fry tortilla strips until brown on both sides.  Serve soup with fried tortilla strips, cheese and sour cream on top.

Note: I use Rotel Tomatoes with Chilies but tonight I was out of them so I used Rotel Tomatoes with Cilantro and Lime …. Yummmmm worked out just fine!!!  You may want to only use a part of the Taco Seasoning packet until you’ve tasted … I use the whole packet but it does make it pretty spicy.

Nail Polish Hint

A trick I learned on Pinterest to dry and set your nail polish fast ... AND it really really works!  I used two coats of polish  (my favorite brand is OPI) followed by a top coat (as usual) and then dipped my fingers into Ice Water for about 20 seconds ... I did it twice per hand just to be sure and sure enough ... it was dry!  Plus that little tad of polish that gets stuck around the edges of your nails on your skin ... gone!    AND get this ... it lasted for over 2 weeks!!!  I'm not kidding.  Normally without doing this my polish will last close to 2 weeks before it starts chipping.  BUT after doing this it lasted over 2 weeks and without chipping ... the manicure only started looking bad because of nail growth!!!  Seriously!

Edit: I should have emphasized that I use 2 thin coats of polish letting them set for a minute in between and then apply the top coat BUT the ICE WATER trick does work ... fabulously!!!

Corn Casserole

Here's a great recipe I found on Pinterest.  It's a Paula Deen recipe so you know its good and Southern.  I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a hit ... no leftovers!  I should have made doubles!  LOL

Corn Casserole

1 can Whole Kernel Corn, drained

1 can Cream-Style Corn

1 pkg Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 cup Sour Cream

½ cup Butter, melted

1-1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a 9 X 9 baking pan.

Mix together Corn, Jiffy Mix, Sour Cream and Butter in a large bowl.  Stir in the Cheese.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 55 minutes or until golden brown and set. 

Source: Paula Deen

Baby Memories Shadowbox

I made this several years ago ... it's all about ME!  I had all these things that my Mama had saved and decided to make a memory shadowbox with it all.  The dress, slip (yes, even babies wore slips back in the day) and booties I wore home from the hospital, a couple photos taken that day, my wrist and ankle bracelets, card from my hospital bassinet, commemorative 'Birth Record' from the USAF base hospital where I was born, my baby hair brush with the hair from the first 'big' haircut (yep, my Mama saved it, ponytail holder and all)!  I have yet to create one for each of my three kids but I will.  Great way to put all those little memories in one place instead of hidden away in a baby book!!!

Wine Cork Wreath

I made this about 10+ years ago ... dang that's hard to believe ... anyway ... at the time I also made one for my sister and a few for friends, at cost and they supplied the corks!  Lord, I could probably make quite a few more right now with all the corks I  have.  It's one of those things I saw at a crafts festival and I thought "I can make that" and I did and its super easy!  Start with a wreath form, then   hot glue sphagnum moss to it ... lots of hot glue.  Next, randomly hot glue wine corks onto the moss ... lastly, add artificial grapes.  I get lots of compliments on this wreath which hangs in my Tuscan themed kitchen.  

Nanny's Pecan Pie

The cookbook in this photo is the family cookbook I designed,
edited and had published.  I'm very proud of that cookbook!

This is my Nanny’s recipe … best Pecan Pie I’ve ever eaten though I do use a different type of syrup than she did and I prefer my Pecans chopped whereas she kept hers in halves.  Nanny used Blackburn-Made Syrup (made by a company in Texas) and I prefer a cane sugar based syrup (Roddenberry’s Cane Patch Syrup which only has 3 ingredients and is 35% cane syrup … though there are other brands I’ve used in the past which are very similar).  To me, mine is just a wee bit better than my Nanny’s … she, of course, thought hers was better but she was proud that I used her recipe and didn’t use Karo Syrup like a lot of folks do.  She always said that “Karo syrup has no business in a Pecan Pie” LOL  Now, I’ve made this Pecan Pie for years and years and even used to make it for my husbands English grandmother, who always requested it saying it was the best she had ever had!!!  I once made it in Canada for her on one of our frequent trips years ago … great memories!  My son, Anthony, always requests it and says that no one’s Pecan Pie is as good as his Moms! 

This recipe makes one regular size pie.  I like a deep dish Pecan Pie cause you get more of the oooy gooey insides so I make one and a half recipe which is perfect for a deep dish pie crust.  If you want to make it a deep dish pie, you’ll have to do the math LOL

Nanny’s Pecan Pie

1 cup Syrup

¾ cup Sugar

3 Tblsps Butter

3 lrg Eggs or 4 small, slightly beaten

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Pecans (I prefer mine chopped)

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a saucepan, cook the Syrup and Sugar on medium heat until the Sugar is dissolved.  You do not want it to come to a boil.  NOTE: if it is boiling and you add the eggs, they will cook like your making egg drop soup and you DO NOT want that!  Pour in Eggs and whisk until blended, add Vanilla and Butter.  Once Butter is melted, remove from heat and stir in the Pecans.  Pour into an uncooked ready made pie crust.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top has browned.

I placed this pie on a plate I inherited from my Mama ... sadly I have no idea what the story behind the plate is since in 1952 she would have been 16 ... maybe it was a birthday gift, I don't know.  I do know that she made her own birthday cake on her 16th birthday so I feel sure it has something to do with that.  But since my Mama is gone ... I will never know.  Makes me sad but I'm glad that I have it!

Southern Style Green Beans

Southern Style Green Beans

I don’t really have a 'recipe' for my Green Beans but I know every time I make them they are goobled all up and I end up saying I should have made twice as much.  This year my brother in law requested them for Thanksgiving AND again they were goobled up in the first go round … no second servings left!!!  I just barely had time to get a picture snapped as you can see the pan is bout empty!  I should have made twice as much lol

Here’s what I do ~ I take Bacon and brown it a little bit in a pan (I think I used about 4 strips for this pan of Green Beans), not like you’re going to eat it but just enough to get the fat rendered from it.  Then I add the fresh Green Beans and, if necessary, a tad of water … just enough to cover bottom of the pan.  Add a about a tablespoon of Ham Seasoning, a little Sea Salt and a pinch or two of Sugar (that’s a trick I learned from my Nanny and my Mama … I do this with all fresh veggies).  My real secret though is something another family member taught me … add a teaspoon or two (I don’t really measure) of Apple Cider Vinegar.  Cook on low heat for a couple hours, stirring occasionally to make sure there is still water in the pan.  Sometimes I serve them still a bit crunchy (some like it this way) but most times I cook them down like real Southerners do (see my picture).

Delicious!

Winter Sangria

This is one of the BEST sangria recipes I’ve ever tried and definitely has a ‘winter’ sorta feel to it being it’s made with red wine and red juices.  It was a hit at Thanksgiving Dinner!  I found the recipe on Pinterest and since I changed it, I am not naming the source … the original recipe called for 1 bottle of Red Zinfandel but it tasted like drinking a fruit punch instead of an alcohol based Sangria so I added a second bottle … the original recipe also called for pomegranate seeds and since they are chewy and probably were only in the recipe for looks, I omitted them.  This is delicious and I CANNOT wait to make it again!!! 

This recipe makes a lot so be prepared to either serve it from a Punch Bowl or several Pitchers.  I used an empty Patron bottle and another empty bottle, for transporting.  Though its very pretty in a Patron bottle, its difficult to remove the fruit so I would recommend using a pitcher.

Winter Sangria

2 (750 mil) bottles Red Zinfandel

4 cups Cranberry Juice

2 cups POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

1 cup Orange Juice

¾ cup Simple Syrup

1 Apple, unpeeled, cored, sliced thin

1 Orange, cut in half and sliced thin

1 Lemon, cut in half and sliced thin

½ cup Fresh Cranberries

San Pellegrino Sparkling Water

Combine all ingredients in a large container.  I used an extra large mixing bowl or you could use a punch bowl (for making and serving).  Chill 4 hours or overnight.  To serve, pour into glasses, extracting some of the fruit into the glass, and top off with a splash or two of Pellegrino. 

Simple Syrup

Simple Syrup is used to sweeten Tea, Lemonade, Sangria, etc.  The reason for using Simple Syrup vs. regular Sugar is that the sugar has been broken down and dissolved into water vs. trying to stir sugar into a cold beverage … the sugar doesn't dissolve.  It’s easy to make and keeps for a couple months in the fridge.  Don't forget to mark your jar/container so you know when you put it in the fridge.

Boiled Simple Syrup

Combine 2 parts sugar with 1 part water (I use 4 cups Sugar to 2 cups Water which fills a quart size mason jar) in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling until the sugar dissolves and mixture is clear.  Set aside to cool before using.  Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Daddy's Peanut Butter Fudge

My sister and I, along with our daughters make this every Christmas when baking our Christmas Goodies, just as my Daddy did when we were growing up.  It’s the best and creamiest Peanut Butter Fudge I’ve ever had … though some I’ve had from candy stores was pretty darn close.  I remember when I was a kid Daddy would sit it outside on the snow topped picnic table, covered, of course, to harden.  Snow?  Yes, we lived in Kansas at the time … you’d be waiting a long time to get a snow covered picnic table in SOWEGA lol  This Fudge is easy easy easy to make but patience is needed to get it to the right stage before adding the peanut butter.  Brings back so many good memories.  

Now, you do not want to try to double this recipe because we tried that one year and it DID NOT work out.  If you want to make several batches, you’ll have to make individual recipes.  This recipe always seems to be just the right amount for mine and my sister’s family … after it has hardened, cut into 1x1 inch squares … perfect size.  Yummmm

Daddy’s Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup Evaporated Milk

2 cups Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp Butter

1-1/2 cups Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter

                                

Mix together Milk and Sugar in heavy 4-quart pot over medium to medium low heat.  Cook until soft ball forms when a tad is dropped into a glass of cold water.  This is important because if you don’t take it to this step the end result will be a grainy fudge because the sugar has not totally dissolved.  Remove from heat, add Butter.  Stir in Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter and Vanilla.  Pour into a Pyrex 8x8x2 inch dish that has been greased with butter.  Cool in fridge to harden. 

Chicken Pot Pie

A great use for that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving OR leftover chicken ... just add the herbs to the soup and broth mixture.

Chicken Pot Pie

4 boneless Chicken Breasts

1 tsp Savory

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Rubbed Sage

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 lrg can Veg-All

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1-1/2 cups Chicken Broth

Topping

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

1 cup Buttermilk

1/3 cup Butter, melted

In a greased casserole dish with about ½ inch of water in the bottom; sprinkle savory, thyme, rubbed sage and salt and pepper over chicken breasts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until done.  Cut up chicken breasts into bite size pieces and put back in the casserole dish.  Drain the Veg-All and pour over the chicken.  Mix together the soup and broth and pour over chicken.  For the topping: mix all three ingredients together and gently pour or spoon over chicken.  Bake at 350 degrees til crust is brown (about 1 to 1-1/2 hours).  Hint: If you do not have Cream of Chicken soup on hand you can substitute Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom ... it will be just as delicious.   

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Another one of Scott’s delicious side dishes!  He heard about this dish on an Italian cooking show on the Food Network … yummy way to prepare Brussel Sprouts!

Braised Brussel Sprouts

1 lb Fresh Brussel Sprouts, quartered

4 strips Bacon

4 Green Onions, chopped

Brown Bacon and remove from pan.  Chop and set aside.  Add Brussel Sprouts and Onions to Bacon drippings and cook until Brussel Sprouts are wilted.  Add back Bacon and cook for another couple minutes.  Serve warm.

German Potato Salad

Scott found the original of this recipe in a West Lawn, Pennsylvania (local) Dutch Cookbook.  He changed it up a bit … leaving out a couple of ingredients he felt weren't needed and our family and friends love his version.  Oftentimes, it is requested at family gatherings.

German Potato Salad

3 lbs Potatoes

1 lb Bacon, diced

1 level Tblsp Prepared Mustard

1 Tblsp Flour

½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 med Onion, diced

2 Tbsps Sugar

2 tsps Sea Salt

¼ tsp Fresh Ground Pepper

½ cup Water

Place washed whole Potatoes in a pot and cover with water.  Boil for about 25 minutes or until tender.  Peel and dice into bite size pieces.  Place in serving bowl and set aside.  Brown Bacon, remove from drippings and set aside.  Saute Onion in Bacon drippings until soft but not brown.  Stir in Flour until smooth.  Add Vinegar, Water, Salt, Pepper and Sugar.  Stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens slightly.  Remove from heat and stir in Mustard.  Pour mixture over Potatoes and add diced Bacon.  Serve warm.

Fresh Apple Pound Cake

This was originally my Nanny’s recipe passed down to my Mama.  It’s probably not written like your used to but this is the way my family wrote down recipes … a lot of it assumes you know what you’re doing … believe me, there was a time I’d have to ask questions about this hand written recipe too.

 So here it is as I would have written it down for all of you:

Fresh Apple Pound Cake

1-1/2 cups Cooking Oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

2 cups of Sugar

3 Eggs

3 cups Sifted Flour

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Vanilla Flavoring

3 lrg Apples (Peeled, Cored and Cubed)

1 cup Pecans, chopped

Glaze:

1 stick Butter

½ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed

2 Tblsps Milk

Preheat oven to 325°.  Combine and beat Oil, Sugar and Eggs on medium speed for 3 minutes.  Add Flour, Salt, Soda and Vanilla and beat until blended.  Fold in Apples and Pecans. 

Pour into a greased and floured Tube Pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

After cake has cooled, heat the Butter, Light Brown Sugar and Milk and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  Pour over completely cooled cake.  The glaze will be thin but will soak into the cake.

Fresh Apple Pound Cake before placing in oven

Look what happened as I went to place my cake in the oven ...
I was wearing a long necklace (not a good thing when cookin)
and off popped the 'keys' and into the back of the oven they flew
LOL ... I had to use plastic coated tongs to remove them!

Fresh Apple Pound Cake before adding Glaze.

I made this cake for the first time over the weekend and it was just as delicious as I remembered it.  Perfect for this time of year ... being apple season and fall and all … hope ya'll enjoy it too!

Taco Ring

Here's a recipe from my friend, Valerie Loosen Coleman, and it's delicious, as are all the recipes I post.  Anyway, I've made it quite a few times and once even made it while my Mama was visiting.  She loved it so much that the last time I visited her she had requested I make it while I was there but somehow we got busy (she loved to stay on the go) and I never had a chance.  I've thought of that often since losing her and so it had been a while since I made this so I finally made it again just recently.  Wish you were here Mama!

Now, as you can tell from my pictures, I added black beans to mine.    Being lazy ... instead of cooking them on the side.  Not so sure that was a good idea ... Oh it tasted just fine but the beans seemed to take up all the moisture in the meat so I wouldn't advise it.  This recipe is GREAT just the way it is.  Thanks Valerie!

  

Taco Ring

2 (8 oz) pkgs Crescent Rolls

1-1/2 lbs Lean Ground Beef

2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 pkg Taco Seasoning

2 Tblsps Water

1 Egg White, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brown Ground Beef and drain.  Stir in Taco Seasoning, all but a small amount of the Cheese, and the Water.

Scoop meat mixture evenly over Crescent Roll ring.  (See photos)  Brush top of Taco Ring with Egg Whites and sprinkle with remaining Cheese.  Bake 25-30 minutes.

Serve with Shredded Lettuce, Chopped Onion, Chopped Tomatoes and Sour Cream.

Lay out Crescent Rolls in star pattern.

Scoop meat mixture onto the rolls

Pull points of rolls over meat mixture
and tuck under ~ be creative!

Brush dough with Egg Whites

Sprinkle remaining Cheese on top

Enjoy!

Creole

I learned all or most of what I know about Cajun or Creole cookin’ from my years of watching Justin Wilson, a Cajun chef, on cable TV back in the 80’s and early 90’s.  I can still hear him saying “I guarantee” in his Cajun accent as plain as if he was right in front of me.  Funny he always wore red suspenders and so did my Daddy … I’m pretty sure my Daddy starting wearing them after he started watching the show  … LOL … my Daddy loooooooved and admired the man and because of him … Daddy wasn’t afraid to try many a recipe!!!  Though my Daddy was an awesome cook … WHEN he got the recipe just right … however, we tasted many an experiment that wasn’t quite so good LOL … but hey … sometimes that’s how you come up with new creations!

Creole is pretty easy to make … course I say that about many types of cookin’ … the hardest part to cookin’ … to me, as to probably most who are reading this, is the prep work!!!  Most Cajun cookin’ starts with ‘trinity’ or ‘holy trinity’ which is equal amounts of Onion, Celery and Bell Peppers plus having some Tony Chachere’s on hand makes it easy!  My sister in law, who is from Louisiana told me about this seasoning and its perfect for most Cajun cookin’.

This is a quick and easy dish and oh so yummy … you control the heat from the spices! 

Creole

1 Onion, chopped

1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped

2-3 Stalks Celery, sliced

2 Tblsps Olive Oil

2 cans Diced Tomatoes

1 lb Cooked Shrimp or Chicken

Tony Chachere’s Seasoning (to taste)

Cooked White Rice

Heat Olive Oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add Onions, Peppers and Celery, sprinkle lightly with Sea Salt to bring out the sweetness in the veggies, and sauté for about 10 minutes.  Add Tomatoes and sprinkle with Tony Chachere’s … a little goes a long way cause it’s pretty potent (HOT) … I used about 2 Tablespoons or so and that was PLENTY!  Remember you can add more after it cooks a little or at the table.  Let simmer about 10-15 minutes.  Add Cooked Shrimp or Chicken (I used Langostinos cause that’s what I had on hand) and cook another 10 minutes or so.  Serve over White Rice (we only use Basmati Rice). 

I DO NOT advise using canned shrimp or chicken!!!

Thyme New Potatoes

I call them ‘new potatoes’ cause that’s what my Mama and my Nanny always called them.   Why?  Because sometimes potatoes (red or white) are dug up when they are still very young … hence the word ‘new’.  I tend to favor the small red potatoes.  Here’s one of my favorite whys to serve them.

Steam (don’t boil) the Potatoes until you can stick a fork in them.  While they are steaming, cut some fresh Thyme and de-stem the leaves.  It won’t harm you if you don’t get all of the stems off … the stems are just tougher than the leaves. It’s all edible!  Place the Thyme leaves in a small condiment bowl, add Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper and 3-4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Let sit while New Potatoes finish steaming.  After Potatoes are done, cut them into bite-size pieces (unless they are already that small) then pour in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil mixture and toss gently with a wooden spoon so as not to tear up the Potatoes.  Serve immediately!  

So easy and so flavorful!