Ice Cream Sundaes

After being cooped in the house Tuesday I went to the store and bought things for Ice Cream Sundaes. I planned to invite Kristi and her family over after quiz practice. Unfortunately on my way home Redonia called to inform me she was going to Kristi's to spend the night. She was perming Kristi's hair. My Sundae Night was aborted. However, yesterday, they came over for sundaes.

Ingredients for a fun evening:
one or more ice cream varieties (I prefer Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla)
Chocolate Syrup
Carmel Syrup
Strawberry Syrup
Pecans in Syrup (My favorite)
1 can Heavy Whipped Cream
Candies
Nuts
Fruits
Cookies
Brownies

You can choose as many of the ingredients as you like. Sometimes I do Brownie Sundaes for dessert. I simply use Little Debbie Brownies (of course I unwrap and place on serving dish before guests arrive), vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and canned Heavy Whipped Cream.

I have served very few guests who don't enjoy a good ole sundae.

Roasted Corn on the Cob

Fresh corn on the cob
Seasonings
Butter

Preheat grill.

Remove outer husk from corn. Turn back inner husks; remove silks. Replace inner husks. Place on grill. Turn often. Roast 12 to 15 minutes. Husks will brown but corn will be delicious. Serve corn on cob with butter.

Provide toppings for guests to garnish as their taste desires. Salt, black pepper, sugar, Tony Chacheres', chili pepper, cayenne pepper, steak blend seasoning or popular seasonings. My daughter-in-law enjoys mayo on hers. I'm not that brave!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

The following recipe sounds so yummy! It was sent to me by my friend, Susy Roen. These mini pineapple upside down cakes would be great served at a brunch or gathering.

20 oz can Pineapple chunks
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup butter, softened
1 egg


Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray muffin tin (12 count)

Drain 1 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks, reserving 1/2 cup juice for the batter. Place chunks on double layer of paper towels to drain completely.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and melted butter. Divide this mixture evenly between the muffin pan cups. Arrange the pineapple chunks on top of the mixture (3 or 4 chunks per cup works well).

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. With an electric mixer, mix in softened butter and reserved pineapple juice, beating for 2 minutes to make a smooth batter. Beat in egg.

Spoon the batter over the pineapple and sugar mixture filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake in oven approximately 20 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. The cupcakes will be a golden brown color. Wait for 5 minutes or so to cool and invert onto a sheet of foil. They should come out easily

NOTE: I would probably add a maraschino cherry, drained to the center of the muffin tin when adding the pineapple. I think it would make the cupcakes pretty! Also, I like to dust these type mini-cakes with confectioners sugar when serving. Of course the image I found appears to use coconut and ice cream, not a bad choice either!

I can't wait to try these! If you try them post a comment to let me know how they turn out. I bet they will be scrumptious!

Need a New Way to Peel a Potato?

I got the following video from my friend Ronda Hurst. I thought it was funny. I'm not sure I'll try it but if some of you do, let me know what you think. Then, maybe I'll give it a try.

Happy potato peeling!!!!

Paula Deen’s Cheese Biscuits

1 cup buttermilk
¼ stick butter, melted
¾ cup grated sharp Cheddar
1/3 cup shortening
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together using a fork; cut in shortening until it resembles cornmeal. Add cheese. Stir in buttermilk all at 1 time just until blended. Do not over stir. Drop by tablespoonfuls or use an ice cream scoop, onto a well greased baking sheet. Brush dough with melted butter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Yield 16 – 20 biscuits

Stuffed Strawberries

The picture above is one taken by Karen Prince. Following is her scrumptious recipe. Then following her receipe is another I found. Karen's are BEAUTIFUL!!!

Cream - 1-80z cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 cups Cool Whip
Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy, fold in Cool Whip.

1st - Wash the strawberries, leaving the green leaves attached, place them upside down to dry.

2nd - Cut the strawberries, from the small tip almost all the way to the green stuff.

3rd - Stuff with the cream, Karen uses this tool from Pampered Chef.

4th - Melt a little chocolate bark in a ziplock bag, barely snip one corner (the smaller the hole the better) and just start squeezing the chocolate all over. Sometimes she sprinkles with powdered sugar.

5th - ENJOY!

Cream Cheese and Pecan Stuffed Berries

20 whole large strawberries, hulled
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each strawberry so the berries stand upright. Place berries, cut side down, on a serving platter. Carefully cut the berries into 4 wedges, cutting almost to, but not through, the bottoms with a criss-cross cut. Fan wedges just slightly, taking care not to break them. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until combined but still stiff. Using a teaspoon or pastry bag with decorative tip, fill the strawberries with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the stuffed strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Southern Dinner Menu

Good Lord willing and the creek doesn't rise following will be my dinner menu for tomorrow night. It just sounds simply SOUTHERNLY delish! (granted to be totally southern I'd fry the chicken)

Grilled or Baked Chicken

Red Potatoes N Onions

Fresh Cream Style Corn

Purple Hull Peas

Sweet Cornbread

Ice Cold Watermelon

For the chicken remove the skin from chicken breasts. Then season heavily with Italian Seasoning. I'll either grill or bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour.

For the Red Potatoes select the smallest (new) red potatoes you can find. Scrub the peelings and then slice rather large. Melt one stick of margarine in a skillet and saute thinly sliced white onion rings. Add the potato slices. Add salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste. Cook until tender over medium low heat.

My recipe for FRESH cream style corn follows in a previous post. Scroll down and enjoy!

Of course I prefer fresh from the garden Purple Hull Peas. When that isn't possible I purchase frozen NEVER canned Purple Hulls. Cover with water, add 3 - 4 slices of raw bacon. Season with lots of salt and black pepper to taste. These peas require lots of salt for some reason. Cook over medium heat until tender (about 1 hour).

I cheat on my cornbread. I purchase 2 Cornkit packages. I prepare according to package direction EXCEPT add 1/3 cup of sugar. While oven is preheating to package temperature melt 1 stick of margarine in an iron skillet. Once melted pour cornbread mixture over melted margarine in skillet. Do not mix the melted & cornbread mixture. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. The cornbread will be crusty and pull away from the edges of skillet. Immediately invert onto dinner plate or platter. Serve with butter....Yummy!!!

During the summer we keep watermelon in the refrigerator. It's just a great refreshing snack for a TEXAS hot Summer day. It's a great Summer dessert, too!