Beans, Greens, and Cornbread!

(photo from designworklife.com)

Southern food is basic, simple ingredients mixed together with a whole lotta love! Beans, greens, and cornbread are staples...and don't forget the biscuits, butter, and bacon!

Today concludes our "3 Days In The South" series. Let's go out with a bacon...I mean, bang...and talk Southern cooking! I usually feature only one recipe but there's so many Southern Belles in this family, I had to include them all! So many recipes, so little time!

Here are a few family favorites, I hope they bless your heart...and tummy!

(My sweet Mom...as if you couldn't tell!)

Mom's Broccoli Salad (I can eat the whole bowl, by myself!)

4-5 cups raw broccoli, chopped

1 cup raisins
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
10 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup sunflower seeds
8 tablespoons sugar
1 cup miracle whip
2 tablespoons white vinegar

In mixing bowl, combine sugar, miracle whip, and vinegar. In separate bowl, add chopped broccoli, chopped onions, raisins, crumbled bacon, and seeds. Mix together. Pour in dressing and stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

(My Fabulous Aunt T...I always look pale next to her beautifully bronzed skin!)

Aunt Terri's Chicken & Dumplings  (Tip: Wear stretchy pants)

4 chicken Breasts
1 can generic biscuits
Milk
Sprinkle of flour

Fill pot with water. Boil chicken, I like to use the boneless chicken strips - it's much easier and saves time. While your chicken is boiling, roll out your biscuits and cut into thin, long strips. You will need a little flour to sprinkle on them to keep them from sticking to your cutting board and rolling pin. Save your broth (water in the pot) and bring it to a boil with about 2 cups of milk. Enough to thicken your broth. Once you have that to a boil, start dropping your dumplings in one at a time. That keeps them from sticking together during the boiling process. Continue to stir as you add the dumplings.  Once all your dumplings are in your broth and milk, turn them down and let them cook for a couple of minutes on med-low, always stirring! Add your chicken and cook for about 30 minutes on med-low heat.  Add more milk if needed. Some people like to add chicken broth if you want more of a chicken taste. Add salt and pepper and garlic salt as needed. Serve with cornbread (because we serve everything with cornbread)! YUMMY!!!!!

(My gorgeous Aunt Tam & Granny...aren't they lovely?)

Aunt Tam's Gumbo (This recipe is a family request at every gathering!)

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/3 Cup Flour (another 1/3 Cup as reserve)

1 Can of Rotel Tomatoes

1 large Onion, Chopped

1 Bell Pepper, Chopped (I don't like these, so I don't use it but you feel free!)

3 Stalks of Celery, Chopped

3-6 cloves of Garlic, minced (according to taste)

2 Cans Chicken Broth

1/4 tsp Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 tsp Salt

1 whole chicken boned (I use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)

1 lb Smoked Sausage (cut and microwave for 1 minute and drain excess grease)

2-3 Cups of Okra (I use a small bag of frozen okra)

Directions

1,  Be smart and do all of your chopping first. Do the "Rachel Ray" and have your onion, pepper, celery and garlic in a bowl, ready to go. 

2.  Open your can of Rotel and have it ready, also.

3.  Grab a large pot, a wooden spoon, your flour and oil.

4.  Over medium heat, combine flour into oil and stir constantly. The combination will begin to change colors as you stir.  Generally, the desired color is that of peanut butter to dark chocolate. (the taste is smokier the darker it is) Texture is important, too. You can add a little more oil or flour to achieve the right texture.  It is difficult to describe in writing, but here goes.  Test the consistency by pulling the wooden spoon through the mixture.  It is too thin if the mixture quickly runs together when you run your spoon through.  It is too thick if the mixture stays separated like a paste.  It should slowly close behind your spoon. 

5.  Once the right color and texture have been achieved it is important to cool the mixture quickly.  I cool my roux quickly by adding all of my chopped veggies at once, stirring them for a moment to flavor the mixture (roux), then adding the can of Rotel. 

6.   Add the chicken broth, boned chicken, drained sausage and seasonings.

7.  Cook okra in a small pan until no longer slimy then add to gumbo.

8.  Simmer until the flavors are blended.  Remove bay leaf.

9.  Serve over cooked rice.

10.  Enjoy!!!

(Fancy Granny...she's always the Belle of the Ball!)

Granny's Rotel Chicken Casserole (My Papa's favorite)

4 chicken breasts, skinned and chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can rotel tomatoes, diced

1 small block velveeta cheese, cubed

1 bag corn tortilla chips, crushed

1 can chicken broth

Combine soups and rotel in mixing bowl. Add chicken and cubed cheese, mix together. Crush chips in 9x13 casserole dish. Pour enough broth over chips, just to coat. Add chicken mixture to chips in dish, stir to combine. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

(My Grandpa..."Papa"...and Super Hunk playing Cornhole, a competitive Southern pastime!

You can tell which one was more serious!)

If you missed the first two days of "3 Days In The South", here are the links. "Quit being ugly"...and other things Southerners say! & Seersucker & Sweet Tea.

Seersucker & Sweet Tea

Much like the majority of the population, my family is scattered across the U.S. While my Father's kinfolk reside primarily in Colorado, my Mother's are spread out to every corner of the South. I have roots in Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and all the way up to Virginia.


Or should I say..."Lou-siana, Flaw-rida, Nawth Caroliiina, Sowth Caroliiina, and Vuhginia". What kind of Southerner would I be if I didn't pronounce them correctly?


Yesterday, I shared a few of my family's "Southern-isms". Today, let's take a walk down All Things Southern Avenue.

(photo from flickr.com)

Porches, wicker, and painted ceilings are foundations of Southern culture. I've spent many hours rocking on a porch, snappin' beans, and swatting mosquitos (oh, the mosquitos...they're more like small birds). Those are my most cherished memories...minus the mosquitos, you can literally look them in the giant eye! 

Side note, wicker without the proper cushion is hazardous to your bottom side!

(photo from flickr.com)

Painted ceilings are Southern lovely but it gives me a crick just thinking about it!

Sweet tea, sweet tea, oh how I love thee! My grandma used to always have a pitcher of sweet tea ready for any occasion or a regular ol' day. The secret is to always melt the sugar on the stove first...syrup dissolves faster than sugar. I bet you, and your Dentist, are so glad I shared that tidbit! Some people even add freshly chopped mint leaves...I secretly think it's their way of crossing iced tea with a mint julep. :-)

(photo from lynnieslibations.com)

Mason jars are Super Hunk's favorite, he will rarely drink from any other glass. He's not Southern but has embraced this Southern icon. I bet the lady, busy canning in her kitchen with a thirsty husband and no clean dishes, would be surprised to see us now!


Emily Post, the quintessential "Lady of Etiquette" (with a seemingly uncomfortable corset). I received her book as a child from my Southern Belle Aunt who lives her life according to all things proper (don't let that fool you, she's also a load of fun)!

(photo from ettiquettedaily.com)

I've referenced it numerous times over the years. Everything from table place settings to proper invitation verbiage, it's a one stop etiquette shop. Much to my delight, it's still in print! Order yours from Amazon here. I promise, it will make you a better human being!

(photo from beccarama.com)

There's just something about a little boy in seersucker, don't you agree? Seersucker means Summer in the South. The thin, puckered cotton fabric makes the sweltering heat much more bearable.  And you don't have to iron it...well, most people...we iron EVERYTHING in our family (sheets, cloth napkins, pillows). Irons flee at the sight of us!



(photo from diamondringr.com)

In the Bible Belt, churches aren't just Sunday gathering places, they're architectural landmarks. Rarely can you drive through the countryside without spotting one of these charmers. Oh, to imagine the hundreds of years of worship in those pews. It makes my heart sing...can I get a Hallelujah?!

(photo from heavenlysight.org)

The South is synonymous with HEAT...I'm talking sweltering, melt the make-up right off your face, heat! Humidity that makes your hair cuticles scream for mercy! Big hair is not intentional in the South, it's our hair waving the white flag! The trade off for melted faces and uncontrollable locks is a canvas of garden colors. Everything (most everything) grows in the South. This is the reason my Memaw chose to live out her days there, she was a sucker for Crepe Myrtles...Bagoniers...Wysteriers (she put a "ers" on the end of everything)! It's color that will make your eyes hurt...and not fair for the rest of us, living in Dust Bowl conditions! Let's move!

(photo from roomzaar.com)

Finally, at the end of our All Things Southern Avenue is the hospitality house. If you ask any visitor what they love most about the South, they will say "the nice people". The mantra of the South is "Come on in, make yourself at home".

It's the sentiment I proudly live by. You're always welcome at my table, Southern or not!

(photo from southardbelle.com)

Thanks for taking a walk with me. See ya'll later, I'm off to watch Steel Magnolias. Am I the only one that feels the need to hug Weezer?