Char

Chitterlings Timesaver Tip

October 13, 2020 by Char

With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming fast, I wanted to share a time saver with you all that I think you’ll appreciate as much as I do! If you fix chitlins (chitterlings) for the holidays, I found a brand that will save you time and effort in a BIG way!

The Cleanest Chitlins Ever!

The brand name is “Aunt Bessie’s” and they say hand cleaned on the package. They are sold raw and cooked and you want the raw ones. They are sold in 5 pound bags, frozen.

These chitlins are a lot more expensive than the red bucket/other bags but so worth it! I cleaned a 5# bag of them today and I really just had to take the membrane off and wash them good! Aunt Bessie’s really does a very nice job cleaning them!

Work Smarter & Save Time!

Instead of taking 1 1/2 to 2 hours on a bucket (or longer), it took me about 35 – 40 minutes to clean 5#. That includes stopping a couple of times and 5-6 wash & rinses. I’m very happy with them! I had read very good reviews about these chitlins online and I’m glad I gave them a try! Of course, the bag says just rinse, cook, and eat but these are chitlins we’re talking about here!

You have to cut each one open and I tried it both ways, removing the membrane before I cut them and after I cut them, and I think it’s easier to take the membrane off before cutting them open. But either way, the whole process is easy, peasy and I couldn’t be happier!

Good Things Can Be Hard To Find!

Again, they’re hard to find! I had to drive 45 minutes away from where I live to get mine, and I paid $12.36 per bag. I know it’s pricey but they’re worth it! Not only because they’re so much easier to clean but also because you throw so much less away! From the first bag I threw away membrane only, they were that clean! I bought 6 bags so I’ll update you as I clean the rest but I wanted to share this asap! Aunt Bessie’s got it going on!

Update:

I finished cleaning the last of the 6 bags that I bought today and it was smooth sailing all the way! I did the last bag today in about 45 minutes! Some of you may think that’s a long time for a 5# bag of chitlins but it really isn’t at all! All I really threw away was the membrane and a little connective tissue, no other waste! Cleanest chitlins EVER!!! If you get a change to give these chitlins a try, PLEASE send me a message and tell me what you think!

Sweet Potato Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

March 29, 2020 by Char

Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Muffins

Sweet potato muffins filled with cream cheese, oh yea! Ok, you may have heard me say that before but I feel it’s really worth repeating! I grew up eating sweet potato pie and candied sweet potatoes on my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas! Now I’m an adult and I truly love sweet potato anything!

Because I love sweet potatoes, I come up with new recipes when I can. This is my favorite Sweet Potato muffin recipe! I hope you like it because I love it! Oh, and this recipe also makes sweet potato cookies that are so good! Just drop the batter by small scoops on a cookie sheet and bake 12 – 15 minutes. I love these cookies topped with a orange flavored glaze. Cool completely and ice with a glaze made from a little powerded sugar, orange juice & orange zest and viola!

Ingredients

1 1/2 c AP flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 c granulated sugar

1/4 c packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Steussel Topping

In a 1 or 2 quart mixing bowl, mix:

1/2 c AP flour

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar

1/4 c oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Mix all ingredients together and set aside until ready to use. Store any left over streussel in zip lock bag in freezer. Don’t forget to write on the outside of the bag what’s inside and date it!

Cream Cheese Filling

1 – 8oz block of cream cheese softened

1 large egg

1c confectioner’s sugar

Whip cream cheese until smooth and creamy.

Add sugar and lightly whipped egg to cream cheese and stir to completely combine.

Put into freezer until ready to use.

Directions

Mix dry ingredients and spices together. Stir well to combine and set aside.

Add softened butter and extra virgin coconut oil to mixer with granuated sugar and brown sugar. Mix until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Add vanilla and sweet potato puree and mix until combined.

Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in thirds until thoroughly mixed together.

Fill each muffin cup half way with batter. I use the extra large tins so one batch makes 6 large muffins. A regular standard size muffin pan makes 12.

Push an indentation into each muffin cup and fill with cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining batter to fill cup to about 1″ from top. Sprinkle each muffin with streussel.

Bake for 30 minutes. Test and remove when toothpick or skewer inserted into middle of muffin comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Meltaways

March 15, 2020 by Char

When I was a cook at a Pre-Kindergarten center in my hometown, all the staff, and teachers that worked in the building would bring in special treats from time to time. One of my favorites was the peanut butter melt-a-ways that one of the social workers, Jen, brought in. They were her mother-in-law’s recipe and oh are they good! They melt in your mouth, and they’re so delicious! Not to mention, these are probably the easiest homemade candy I ever made!

Ingredients

2 c white chocolate melts

1/2 c light cocoa melts or milk chocolate melts

1 c smooth peanut butter

2 Tbsp konut* (a chocolate softener) or EVCO*

Directions

Add the melts to a microwavable container. Melt using 15 – 30 second settings, be careful not to burn. Add konut and peanut butter to the melted chocolate and stir to combine completely.

While still warm and pourable, pour into small candy/petit-a-four/mini cupcake paper cups. Refrigerate until hardened. Enjoy!

Keep refrigerated.

*Note: I use 2 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil in place of konut. When I find konut I’ll make a batch of these melt-a-ways and post the difference between using konut and coconut oil.

Basic Muffin Recipe

February 28, 2020 by Char

This is a basic muffin recipe that I have adapted to my own liking. I then decided that it was so good, I should use it as my basic recipe and just change the flavors, so I did!

This muffin recipe is easy and delicious! To change the flavor (say from applesauce to sweet potato), I just changed the flavor. Instead of using a cup of applesauce, I use a cup of sweet potato puree!

I’ve used this muffin mix to make banana nut muffins, cranberry-orange muffins, applesauce muffins and sweet potato muffins and it worked like a gem with them all!

In addition to working for different muffin recipes, the best thing about this recipe is that it’s a one-bowl, easy peasy, get-er-done dish!

Ingredients

1 ½ c AP flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

½ tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

½ c packed light brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

½ c melted butter

3T melted EVCO

1 c unsweetened sweet potato puree, applesauce, etc

½ c chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

Topping

½ c quick oats

½ c AP flour

¼ c light brown sugar

¼ c granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

oil (until sugar/flour mixture looks like wet sand)

Best Snickerdoodles Ever

February 27, 2020 by Char

Let me introduce you to my little friends! Yum and then some!

Cookies Anyone?

This recipe was adapted from a couple of different snickerdoodle recipes, with some special ingredients of my own. If you love a good cinnamon, sugar cookie, try my snickerdoodle recipe and please send me a comment and let me know what you think!

Snickerdoodles are my most requested cookie out of all the different cookies that I make! I’ve even had to ship them off to relatives out of town a couple of times, they’re that good! I love sweets and desserts of all kinds but I must admit that I have a particular weakness for a good cinnamon, sugar cookie!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of extra virgin coconut oil (hardened)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Rolling Sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Cream sugar, butter, and EVCO together until combined smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Lastly, add vanilla and mix to thoroughly combine.

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl or container, and add in thirds to butter/sugar mixture. Mix well and put into a bowl with a cover. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 3+ hours or overnight.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, toss into cinnamon sugar to cover completely. Bake on a large cookie sheet, 12 cookies to a sheet. Do not press down dough balls, they will flatten on their own while baking.

Bake @ 350F for 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes then move from cookie sheet to a rack or container to continue the cooling process. When completely cooled, store cookies in a cookie jar or container with a lid. If your family loves cookies, they won’t last long!

Delicious Red Beans and Rice

February 25, 2020 by Char

Take a trip to flavor town and make a pot of red beans for dinner tonight!!!

This Year My New Year’s Bean Dish Was Red Beans and Rice!

This year for my New Years’ bean dish, I cooked red beans and rice! I usually go with pinto beans because I love them, or the traditional black-eyed peas. Because I had a two-pound bag of red beans in my pantry, I decided, why not! I mean, beans are beans and I already had a bag of red beans that my sister had given me. I checked out a couple of recipes and found that other than adding a few veggies (celery, onion and green pepper) and using andouille sausage, everything else is the same. Pick through the beans, soak overnight, rinse, and cook. Just like you do all dry beans.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

I was so surprised when I tasted these beans! They were absolutely delicious! First of all, I sauteed the celery, onion and green pepper and added chicken base to the water. I cooked the beans about 3 – 3 1/2 hours until they were perfectly cooked and tender. I sliced and sauteed the andouille and added it to the cooking beans at about the half-way point. In other words, I didn’t start the cooking process with the meat in the pot the way I do when I’m using smoked turkey or hocks. I waited until the beans had cooked about 2 hours before I added the andouille.

A Trip to Flavor Town

Ok, I know that motto belongs to Guy Fieri but we all take trips to flavor town. I personally try to take a trip whenever I can! If you fix red beans and rice, you’ll be packing your utensils for a trip to flavor town too! As I said earlier, they are absolutely delicious! Because I was raised in southwestern Pennsylvania, red beans weren’t available locally in the grocery stores. To get red beans even now, I have to order them online or I might find them at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. If you live in the South, especially in Louisiana, where red beans and rice is as celebrated a dish as gumbo, they can be found everywhere!

I paired the red beans with white rice! Oh course we served this dish with piping hot, buttermilk, biscuits! Yummy for your tummy, for real!

Options

Red beans and rice can be served with an additional meat option like pork, fish or chicken. Don’t forget the hot buttered biscuits with sweet potato butter! Add a tossed salad and enjoy!

Pickled Beets & Eggs

February 25, 2020 by Char

I have to admit that I wasn’t raised on pickled beets & eggs! The most I’ve done has been to try pickled pig’s feet once or twice as a “bar snack” and they were ok! They would never replace the hot from the pot, doused in vinegar & hot sauce, soul food version that I’m used to!

My introduction to pickled beets & eggs happened at a work luncheon where they were on the salad bar and BOOM… THE BOMB!!! If you love the sweet & vinegary taste of sweet pickles, you’ll love turning plain boiled eggs into a treat that is borderline gourmet, and delicious!

Something Special for the Holidays

Last Christmas while trying to think of something different and special for the holidays, I remembered the pickled beets and eggs! They are not only good to eat but they are pretty! Pretty pink to dark red eggs that fit in nicely with Christmas and other holiday themes!

A quick search online revealed a few recipes that I thought could deliver on the experience that caused my taste buds to be very happy.

Good Food That’s Good For You!

Because the red color comes from beet juice, there no red dye in pickled beets & eggs! Also, beets are one of the superfoods and vinegar/pickled foods are super good for your digestion! This recipe is a combination of a couple of different ones. There are also a few added ingredients that I used to come up with SMK Pickled Beets & Eggs. I truly think they are delicious! So far, they’re a hit with both kids and adults in my family. Check them out and tell me what you think! The hardest part is waiting a week for them to pickle! Enjoy!

Boil 1 dozen eggs, cool and peel. A good way to get your eggs to peel easily is to put them in a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil. As soon as they start to boil, remove the pot from heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Pour off the hot water, and fill with cold, ice water. Let sit till totally cool. Peel.

Pickling Liquid

Reserve the liquid from 2 cans of sliced beets

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup hot water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Add beet liquid, sugar, hot water, and a/c vinegar to a container and stir to help dissolve sugar and ground spices. Layer beets, then peeled whole eggs in a container in 5 layers, beginning and ending with beets. Pour pickling liquid over beets and eggs to cover. Place in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, the longer the better. Serve and enjoy!

Optional:

During the layering process, add one or two layers of sliced raw, sweet, onion to this dish for more depth of flavor! Serve a few slices of onion with a few slices of beets and one or two boiled eggs per serving.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

October 20, 2019 by Char

I love sweet potatoes and this sweet potato cheesecake is a testament to why I love them so much! It’s smooth and creamy with the luscious taste of sweet potatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. The crust is simply mind-blowing because it’s so simple to make yet it simply makes this cheesecake! This one is destined to be a new favorite!

Ingredients:

Pecan Shortbread Cookie Crust:

2 cups pecan shortbread cookie crumbs (3/4 to 1 whole package of cookies)
6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) melted, unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. sugar – 1 granulated & 1 light brown
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sweet Potato Cheesecake Filling:

3 – 8 oz. packages room temperature cream cheese
1 1/2 C sugar
16 oz. sweet potato puree
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Pecan Shortbread Cookie Crust:

Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
1. Pulse cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. In other words, you are looking for crumbs the size of graham cracker crumbs.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt, and 6 Tbsp. melted butter. Transfer into a 9-inch springform pan. Use your hands to press crumbs into the bottom of your springform pan. Bake at 350˚F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake Filling:

Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
1. In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the 3 packages of softened cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar on med speed until light and fluffy and without lumps (5 min), scraping down the bowl as needed to make sure you don’t have chunks of cream cheese. In other words, you want a smooth, creamy consistency.

2. In a separate bowl, using a whisk, stir together 16 oz. sweet potato puree, 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well. Add this mixture to the cream cheese & sugar and continue mixing on low, scraping down the bowl as needed.

3. Transfer filling into pre-baked crust and bake in a water bath* on the middle rack at 350˚F for 1 hour. Turn off heat and let cheesecake sit in the oven another 45 min. After that, remove from the oven and let cool to room temp. One cheesecake is completely cooled, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Chill 4 hours or longer.

*For the water bath, wrap your springform pan in aluminum foil and place it in a pan with approx. 1 – 2” water. Be sure your springform pan is well wrapped and aluminum foil is watertight! A water bath is important as it keeps the air in the oven moist to stop cheesecake cracking. An alternate method that I use is to sit a pan of hot water on the rack directly under my cheesecake pan. With this method, I don’t have to worry about water seeping into my cheesecake.

How To Make Sweet Potato Puree

Boil sweet potatoes in their skins about 45 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork.

When potatoes are done, pour the water off and set aside to cool.

Cool sweet potatoes 15 – 20 minutes until you can handle potatoes comfortably with your bare hands. In other words, they will still be warm but not hot enough to burn you!

Remove skins from potatoes and put potatoes into a food processor – breaking up as necessary so they fit into the bowl. Above all, do not overfill the food processor, even if you have to process 2 or 3 batches

Add ¼ to ½ cup of water to bowl to enable processing if needed. Process until mixture is smooth and creamy but still thick. Be careful not to add too much water. Your puree should not be runny.

Remove the puree from the food processor to a mixing bowl and continue making your pie filling from step 2 above.

Optional Toppings: Whipped cream and/or caramel sauce.

For a quick caramel sauce, put 1 cup of granulated sugar in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir sugar as it melts and caramelizes, being careful not to let it burn. When sugar is completely melted, add 6 tablespoons of butter. Once butter melts, remove from heat. Wait 2-3 seconds and add 1/2 cup of HWC. Be careful when adding butter and cream to hot sugar because the sauce will foam up. Swirl & whisk sauce until smooth. Pour sauce into a glass mason jar and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Cranberry Orange Cookies

December 18, 2018 by Char

Photo & recipe courtesy of fakeginger.com

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Ingredients For the cookies:

3/4 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dried cranberries finely chopped
1 tablespoon orange zest

For the rolling sugar:

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Using an electric mixer, mix butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Chill dough while you make orange sugar.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the 2 together until everything is combined and mixture is fragrant.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in orange sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly.
Bake 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.
N-Joy! 🙂
I thought these delicous cookies would be a great add for Christmas. To me, the ingredients and the cookies just say, “Merry Christmas”. I actually found this recipe on a recipe blog called “Fake Ginger”. I haven’t touched it. One of my pet peeves is people who change recipes before they even try them as written! Ok, wait, let me change that! One of my pet peeves is people who are proud to tell you and the rest of the world that they changed the recipe before they even tried it as written! The truth is, you’re not helping. If you changed the recipe that you’re reviewing then it’s not the recipe you’re reviewing… it’s your modifed recipe that you’re reviewing!!! Stick to the script, stay in your lane, whatever you want to call it! If you change the recipe, you can’t honestly review the original recipe because you didn’t make it! Nuff said! 🙂

Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Bread

December 8, 2018 by Char

I am an advocate and member of the sweet potato council. I believe in all things sweet potato. I take all recipes using “sweet potato like” ingredients and substitute sweet potatoes to come up with an entirely different dish! This recipe is an example of what I’m talking about because it was originally made with … well you know!

Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Bread

Author: Sweet Mother

I believe anything that can be done with a pumpkin can be done much better using sweet potato! I’m on a quest to prove that the sweet potato is one of the most “unsung” vegetables ever. For all of my recipes yams and sweet potatoes are interchangeable, use whichever one you prefer!

Ingredients

3 C granulated sugar
1 (15oz) can of sweet potatoes – pureed
1 C oil
2/3 C water
4 eggs
3 1/2 C AP flour
1T ground cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C mini chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 3, 9×5″ loaf pans or 1# coffee cans. In a large bowl combine sugar, sweet potatoes, oil, water and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans or pans 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for 1 hour or until skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in baking containers. Slice and serve for breakfast with cinnamon flavored cream cheese and hot coffee. Enjoy!
Note: This bread can also be baked as muffins and dusted with confectioner’s sugar – yum!