Ronda Hurst's Meat Sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Dash red pepper flakes (more if you want it spicy)
Salt
Pepper
Accent
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or a 1/2 tsp. dried)
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 sm. can tomato paste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Cook about 5 min, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened. Add the ground beef, season with salt, pepper and accent. Cook until brown and done. Add tomatoes with liquid. (Don't forget to chop the tomatoes). Add tomato paste and basil. Stir all ingredients well. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 min. If the sauce is a little dry add some tomato sauce or even water.

Note: If the sauce is too acidic for your taste, add 1 tsp. sugar.

Serve over pasta of your choice. Ronda serves over Grilled Chicken Breasts with a side salad and asparagus or other vegetable.

Fresh Creamed Style Corn

12 ears of corn
1/3 cup of sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 sticks of Margarine
3/4 cup water

Shuck the corn removing all silk. Wash corn. Carefully scrape all corn from the cobs. Then scrape the 'milk' from the cobs. Melt margarine in large dutch skillet. Add creamed corn and remaining ingredients, mixing well. Cook over medium heat stirring often for 1 - 1.5 hours or until tender.

This quantity made enough for 4 adults plus I froze two more servings for four adults.

NOTE: Can season with bacon drippings, that's what Mamaw Ingram would have done!!!

Monday Night Menu

This may not all "go together" perfectly but it's what I'm craving. Hence, it's what I'm grilling/cooking for dinner. Mom's out of town but Popsie is going to join Kent, Redonia, and me.

Grilled New York Strip Steak
Grilled Pecan Smoked Sausage
Baked Potatoes
Fresh Green Beans
Fresh Cream Style Corn (yes, I'll scrape the cobs!!)
Yeast Rolls with butter
Sweet Tea

I'm sure some sort of dessert will make it's way to the table, too.

Easy Spoon Cornbread

2 slightly beaten eggs
1 (8 1/2 oz.) corn muffin mix
1 (8 oz.) cream corn
1 (8 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheese

Combine eggs, muffin mix, cream and whole kernel corn, sour cream, sugar and
butter. Spread in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Sprinkle
cheese on top. Bake 10-15 minutes more.

Heavenly Angel Food Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides of pan. (Do not grease pan or foil.) Sift together first 3 ingredients.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in sugar mixture, 1/3 cup at a time, folding just until blended after each addition. Fold in vanilla and lemon juice. Spoon batter into prepared pan. (Pan will be very full. The batter will reach almost to the top of the pan.)

Bake at 375° on an oven rack one-third up from bottom of oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Invert cake onto a lightly greased wire rack; let cool, with pan over cake, 1 hour or until completely cool. Remove pan; peel foil off cake. Transfer cake to a serving platter. Spread Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting evenly over top of cake. Garnish, if desired.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add lemon juice, beating just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in lemon zest.

Garnish can be a small icing flower, pink rose petals, a strawberry slice with a mint leaf, a lemon curl with a mint leaf or your own creative idea.

Saucy Baked Pork Chops

6 pork chops
1 onion - sliced in thin rings
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons catsup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large frying pan brown chops on both sides in small amount of oil. Drain and place chops in a baking dish. Place sliced onions on top of each. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour over chops and cover. Simmer for one hour or until done.

This recipe makes a yummy gravy! Make sure to serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Roffie Ensey's Chicken Enchilada Recipe

In honor of Cinco de Mayo I post the following recipe. Calah, our daughter-in-law, is 1/4 Mexican. We are going to have Tres Leches Cake after Choir practice tonight, too! Any reason to have cake and celebrate is great for this Southern girl.....

Do enjoy this receipe. Sis. Ensey prepared it for a Minister's Wives Dinner I attended last month. It was delicious! It sounds so easy and I can hardly wait to prepare it for my sweet family.

1 small onion chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
15 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked and chopped
1 sm. can diced green chilies
1 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, grated
1/2 pint of whipping cream or more


Sauté onion in butter. Add green chilies and cream cheese. Simmer until cheese melts and mix well. Add chopped chicken and mix lightly.

Place 1/4 cup of mixture in flour tortilla and roll up. Place in greased baking dish. When dish is full, sprinkle grated cheese on top and then pour cream over cheese.

Bake @ 350˚ for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.