Category Archives: Good Food

Is anything more Southern than good food?

Being Creative, Everything Else, Good Food

My favorite King Cake Recipe-with a Twist

January 3, 2014 Salinda 1 Comment

While the rest of the world is cleaning up Christmas and already breaking New Year’s Resolutions, we in the South are counting down to our next big party—Mardi Gras! Parades, beads, masks, parties, king cakes, and, for this seamstress, sewing with purple and green and gold!

While the season doesn’t actually start until January 6th, I wanted to share my favorite recipe with you a few days earlier. I’ll be baking our first king cake for Monday.

Last year, I decided to fill my king cakes with something a little different than just cinnamon and sugar. I mixed a stick of cream cheese with a cup of Nutella and spread this heavenly goodness over my dough before I rolled up the cake. Oh. My.Goodness. Another fun option is a stick of cream cheese and some strawberry syrup. Oh yes, it is as good as it sounds.

How ever you choose to fill your king cake, don’t forget the baby! Have fun baking and laissez bon temp rouler!

Everything Else, Good Food

Where, oh where, is the purple sugar???

February 8, 2013 Salinda Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again—the time when I scrounge every cabinet and cubby looking for my purple, green, and gold sprinkles! It never fails, no matter how certain I am that I purchased extra last year, I can never find 1 color! This year it’s purple.

Oh well! I made do this year. Thank goodness for food coloring!

I made this year’s king cake with my favorite Southern Living recipe and one BIG change. I used a nutella filling. (Inspiration straight from a classmate on Facebook!) The filling tastes delicious, so I can’t wait to cut into the cake when the kids get home from school.

Everything Else, Good Food

Cornbread Controversy

June 20, 2012 Salinda 4 Comments

Sweet? Yellow? White? With flour? Without? Buttermilk?

How do you take your cornbread?

I’ll admit. I cheated for years. You know, that little box of Jiffy. It makes yummy, sweet cornbread. And then, I got this book.

I decided to try the cornbread recipe on page 122, because you know those gurus at Southern Living are geniuses. They must know the best way to make cornbread from scratch. But wait, it has no sugar in it? What???

So, a little more research: Did you know that cornbread recipes vary regionally? That’s right. According to what I read, sugar is a Northern thing, as is flour. And apparently, the only “real” way to make cornbread is in a cast iron skillet. Whew! Thank goodness I have one of those!

Everything Else, Good Food

I wonder if Mom is missing her cookbook yet???

January 16, 2012 Salinda 1 Comment

I snitched my Momma’s new cookbook. Shhh…don’t tell her.

The kids and hubby and I are loving the Homesick Texan Cookbook! So far, I’ve cooked with tomatillos and poblano peppers, fried corn tortillas, refried beans, made chaulpas, and botched tortilla soup. The tortilla soup had a wonderful smokey flavor—but somehow I added WAAAAAY too much chili pepper!

Up next: rendering my own lard (can you say cracklins’), carnitas, and homemade tortillas.

By the way, the book is so much fun to read, even if you never pick up a pepper! I love the back stories Lisa Fain includes with her recipes. She also does a wonderful job explaining just how different food is in Texas, depending on where you are! The recipes we’ve tried have been delicious, so much so that the 6-year-old recommended that his MoMo just buy another copy!

***I should probably mention that I have no affiliation with Lisa Fain or the Homesick Texan. I literally just swiped my mom’s book and I liked it so much I wanted to tell you about it.***

Everything Else, Good Food

Southern Traditions: Black-eyed Peas on New Years

December 31, 2011 pcc Leave a comment

What’s the plan for your house this New Year’s Day? Are you serving black-eyed peas, greens, and pork?

I think we’ll be doing a little of this:

Since I’ll be in the city with some of the greatest food in the world, I know I’ll be able to find my New Year’s bowl of black-eyed peas, some greens, and some type of pork!

While these foods are stables in the South year ‘round, they hold a little extra significance on New Year’s Day. Some say that black-eyed peas are eaten for luck, others for good fortune as the peas could symbolize coins. The greens are a bringer of money (not wealth, just enough to do). And pork, well who doesn’t want pork anytime of year!

I’ve got a few heads of cabbage out in the garden and some black-eyed peas in the freezer (but originally from the farmer’s market). I may have to make my own batch of New Year’s Day Goodness when I get home Sunday night. If you’re looking for a fun way to prepare your black-eyed peas and cabbage, try this recipe from The Homesick Texan or this recipe from Southern Living?

As you prepare for the New Year, don’t forget our Mardi Gras season is almost here! I’m can’t wait to make a King Cake! Wonder how that’ll fit with my healthy eating goals for the New Year!