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Pumpkin Delight

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Harvest time may be the perfect time for a dessert called Pumpkin Delight, but it’s good any time!   I have made this 4 layered dessert in a couple of different flavors but this one (pumpkin) really is good – really, really good! This dessert can be found online under various different. Until I get the Sweet Potato Delight recipe put together – please enjoy this 🙂 . It really is as good as it looks! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Delight

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Delight
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 9 x 11 pan
Ingredients
  • Crust
  • 3 c. finely crushed graham crackers
  • 1/2 c melted butter
  • 1/4 c granulated sugar
  • 1T pumpkin pie spice
  • Cream Cheese Layer
  • 2 – 8 oz package of cream cheese
  • 2 cups cool whip
  • 2 cup confectioners sugar
  • Pudding Layer
  • 2 packages (3.9oz) instant pumpkin pudding
  • 3 c. milk
Instructions
  1. Crust
  2. Combine all ingredients under crust and mix well until mixture resembles wet sand. Pat graham cracker mixture into a 9×11 pan baking pan or any pan of your choice similar sized. Put crust into a 350 oven and bake 10-12 minutes until you can smell the ingredients. Be careful not to over brown your crust. Remove from oven and cool. When completely cool, squirt or pour 1/4 c. chocolate syrup over the crust. Using an offset spatula, spread the syrup evenly over the crust.
Cream Cheese Layer
  1. Using a hand mixer, whip cream cheese and powdered sugar together until well blended and fluffy. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of crust and spread over crust evenly, sealing all edges so next layer doesn’t drip or drizzle to bottom of pan. Spoon and spread pudding evenly over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate the dessert 4 hours. Remove dessert after chilling and top with final layer of cool whip. Sprinkle cool whip with coco powder or chocolate shavings. Cut into squares and serve.
Serving size: 1 piece – 3″ x 3″

Creamed Chicken and Biscuits

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Creamed Chicken

This creamed chicken is prepared in similar fashion to the way I make chicken pot pie filling. Simple, no fuss goodness – a blast from the past. This recipe is a favorite of the kids that I cook for so that is saying a lot! My little great-niece Akeelah, who just turned two years old yesterday also loves this dish! Make this recipe for your family soon and you’ll be making memories! Yummy, yummy memories!

 

Creamed Chicken
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 quarts
Your gravy in this dish should be the thickness of gravy that you would use over mashed potatoes. Not too thick – not too thin, just right! You are in control of how thick or thin the gravy is. Add more of the roux to thicken or a little more broth to thin it out a bit. Enjoy!
Ingredients
  • 3 lb of raw boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 c flour
  • 1 c butter
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 qt chicken broth
  • 1 T chicken base
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
Instructions
  1. Cut the chicken into medium size diced pieces. Rinse and drain. Put into a 4 qt saucepan and add cold water to cover 2 inches above chicken. Turn flame to medium and all the chicken to cook slowly. Skim foam off chicken as it gathers on top of water, Allow chicken to slow boil about 30 minutes. Add chicken broth to pot and bring back to slow boil. Add roux slowly, whisking it into the broth so that no lumps form. Turn flame down to low/simmer. Add remaining seasonings. Taste food and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve over biscuits.
Serving size: 1 cup
Notes
I use onion powder and garlic powder because I like a smooth and creamy creamed chicken but you can use fresh minced onion and garlic also. If you cook and add fresh veggies (potatoes, celery, peas and carrots) to this dish and pour it into a pie shell, cover with dough and bake, you’ve just make a chicken pot pie!

Best Ever Mashed Potatoes

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These mashed potatoes are the best ever! What makes these mashed potatoes so good? Simple ingredients, simple preparation and fantastic results! You’re gonna love them!

Mashed Potatoes

 

 

 

 

Best Ever Mashed Potatoes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 5 lb
Mashed potatoes are only as good as you make them. Start with good, fresh cooking potatoes like russet or Idaho. One of my secret ingredients is heavy whipping cream. The HWC really adds a lusciousness to the mashed potatoes. I also use half and half as my other liquid. I don’t use as much half and half as HWC. Another secret ingredient is onion powder! Not enough to make your potatoes taste oniony – just enough to ramp up the flavor. Add your S & P and then taste, taste, taste. Always taste you food before you give it to someone else to eat! That was a rule I learned in culinary school. It’s amazing how many people fix food and don’t taste it. Don’t be one of them!
Ingredients
  • 5 lb bag of russet or Idaho potatoes
  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 1 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 c. half and half
  • 1 T. salt
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 T onion powder
Instructions
  1. Peel, cube and rinse potatoes. Add potatoes to a 6 qt stock pot and add cold water to cover about 2 inches over the cubed potatoes. Cook until done. Potatoes will be tender and fall apart. Pour boiled potatoes into a colander. Drain. After potatoes are drained put into a large mixing bowl. Add softened butter and mix into potatoes. Whip potatoes using a hand mixer or potato masher. Add salt, pepper and onion power. Add HWC and half and half in 1/2 c. increments. Once you are close to having enough liquid, add additional liquid needed in smaller amounts so you don’t add too much liquid. Taste potatoes and adjust seasonings.
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Notes
This recipe is for full fat mashed potatoes. The kind you fix every once in a while, so it’s ok to splurge by using butter and HWC if you want to. Everything in moderation. To make a healthier version use fat free chicken broth in place of HWC and half and half. You can also just use less butter, cream and milk.

Sweet Potato Pie

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Potato Pie Memories

Sweet potato pie is the pie that holiday memories are made of! In my family on both sides, we didn’t eat pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving or Christmas, it was sweet potato pie all the way!

I was in Junior High before I actually ate a piece of pumpkin pie! Yep, school cafeteria and totally not impressed! Not a fan at all and I couldn’t understand why there was pumpkin pie everywhere but no sweet potato pie! Well, it didn’t take me long to find out that sweet potato pie was something my family and friends made. It was our pie! All I can say is “yea” for heritage, customs and traditions, both with food and in life!

DIY – Easy as Pie!

Today sweet potato pie has gone main stream. You can even buy sweet potato pie filling and sweet potato pies already made from some grocery stories and online stores like Amazon! I’m old school and I go the “DIY” route, but if you’re so inclined to buy your pie, be my guest and bon appetit! But if you want to make your pie I’m here for you! If you have a question or concern, just send me an email, I’ll hold your hand and walk you through it! It’s easy as pie!

Sweet Potato Pie
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Soul/Southern
Author: https://sweetmotherskitchen.com
Yummy sweet potato pie with a homemade crust! Unbelievably good!
Ingredients
  • 3-5 medium sized sweet potatoes, cooked (3 cups pureed)
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 stick melted butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Bake or boil sweet potatoes in skins, until tender.
  2. Cool and remove potatoes from skins and put into food processor bowl. You will need to process two separate batches.
  3. Whip potatoes adding up to 1/2 c water if needed.
  4. Add melted butter, sugar and seasonings. Mix to incorporate.
  5. Beat eggs and mix together with milk.
  6. Add to sweet potato filling and flour and stir to combine.
  7. Add filling to food processor in batches and process each batch till smooth. Pour into 1 large deep dish pie shell or 2 regular pie shells. If time is not on your side and you need a short cut, use store bought pie shells. If you have the time, make your own pie crust. The recipe that follows is quick and easy!
Pie Crust
  1. – 3c. AP flour – sifted
  2. – 1tsp salt
  3. – 2 sticks of cold butter or 1/2 c butter and 1/2 c lard or shortening
  4. – 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  5. – 1/2 c. ice water
  6. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add fat with a pastry cutter or two butter knives. Slowly add cold water just to form a ball. Mix just to combine and dough holds together. Sprinkle with a little flour if sticky to make dough easier to handle. Divide dough into two balls and refrigerate to chill and rest dough. Roll dough out to no more than 1/4″ thick. Place into 9″ pie pan/s and flute edges. Chill dough one last time. Pour sweet potato pie filling into chilled pie shell (deep dish or regular pie pan). Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, until center is set and toothpick comes out clean.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

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Ok – this is my sour cream pound cake recipe. I’m actually eating a piece of it right now. It’s so good  – not too sweet, moist and flavorful. Great flavor and tender crumb! My sister Becky said she dosen’t like biting into a grain of kosher salt every now and again but I love that the most – sweet and salty! If you want to just use regular table salt, go right ahead and of course it blends into the batter. I hope your family likes it as much as my family does!

Update: I baked a cake without the kosher salt and Becky said, “where’s the salt that you used in your last cake, it was so good”! Go figure!!!

Sour Cream Pound Cake
Author: Sweet Mother
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 pound cake
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 3/4 cups sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 1T vanilla
  • 1T lemon extract
Instructions
  1. Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon extract to milk and add to butter mixture. Add sour cream and mix to combine. Sift dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three equal additions, beating just to blend, until all ingredients are combined. Mix for an additional 1-2 minutes. Place into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan and place into COLD oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Serving size: 1 slice

Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

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Cornbread sausage stuffing is another dish that I make that people seem to go nuts for! I think a lot of credit goes to the cornbread that goes in this stuffing – and – of course the sausage! It’s savory and spicy with a hint of sweetness. Try this recipe with your Thanksgiving or Christmas bird and let me know what you think!

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Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Prep time: Cook time:
Total time: Serves: Cook time and yield depends on turkey size/weight.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Bob Evans farm sausage – cooked & cooled
  • 1 bags of Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Stuffing crumbs
  • 1 box of stove top stuffing – chicken or turkey
  • 1 pan of corn bread
  • 3 quarts of turkey stock or broth (1 qt for stuffing, 2 qts for gravy)
  • 2 Tbsp poultry seasoning (to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp ground sage
  • 1 c of diced celery
  • 1/2 – 1 c of diced onion
  • 1/2 – 1 c of diced sweet peppers (green, red and orange)
  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
  1. Melt butter in a skillet on stove top. Add oil to butter to keep it from burning. Add vegetables to melted butter and saute till translucent. In a large bowl add stuffing crumbs, crumbled corn bread, stove top and seasonings. Mix in cooled, cooked sausage and sautéed vegetables. Add broth to reach desired consistency. Stuffing should not be too wet (dripping) but it should be moist enough to hold together in a ball when pressed together.
  2. Remove the giblets and put them to the side for making gravy.  Rinse and clean your turkey* inside and outside. Remove any debris inside turkey and feathers from tail, wings, etc.  Dry the bird inside and outside with paper towels. Season the inside of the bird with Adobo seasoning or salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Stuff the bird loosely inside the main cavity working from the leg area and under the breast skin working from the neck area. Brush the outside of the bird with melted butter and season with the same seasoning you used for the inside.
  3. Follow directions on the bird for baking. Normal baking time is 15 minutes per pound but if you stuff your turkey, your cooking time will increase. I recommend that you use an instant read thermometer and make sure your bird reaches an internal temperature of 165. Meat should feel firm to the touch and legs should move freely in their sockets when bird is done.  If you are covering your bird while baking it, remove cover, foil, etc. so that the bird can brown during the last 30-45 minutes of baking. Skin should be golden brown.
Turkey Gravy
  • Giblets
  • 1 quarts cold water
  • 2 quarts turkey stock or broth
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp gravy master
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Rinse the giblets and put them in a 2 quart sauce pan. Cook giblets in 1 qt of water about 45 minutes. Add 2 qt of turkey or chicken broth and continue to boil until giblets start to fall apart and some of the liquid has evaporated.

After giblets are completely done, remove them from broth and add a slurry (thickener of flour and water) to the broth. Gravy will thicken immediately. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of gravy master. Add onion powder, salt and pepper. Chop giblets into small pieces and return to gravy.  Simmer about 15-20 minutes.

If you need more broth for your gravy add another container of turkey stock or turkey broth to your gravy.

Serving size: 2 – 3 slices meat, 1/2 cup stuffing. 1/4 cup gravy
*Note: I brine my turkey about 24 hours before I bake it. Brining makes for a moist, delicously seasoned turkey. To brine the turkey, follow directions above to clean the bird. Fill a container big enough to hold the turkey about half way with cold water. For a 20 lb turkey add 1/2 c each of salt and sugar. Add 1 tbsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and 2 tbsp liquid smoke. Mix ingredients into water in container until dissolved. Add turkey, breast side down. Add water if necessary to make sure turkey is submerged in water. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove from brine, rinse and dry turkey with paper towels about 1 hour before baking. Season turkey inside and out, stuff  and bake according to directions for weight of your turkey.

Cream of Tomato Soup

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My sister Sandy loved cream of tomato soup, it was her favorite! I was always partial to broth based soups, chicken noodle, beef vegetable etc. Well, I made a cream of tomato soup using a tip from a friend of mine and it reminded me of why my sister loved cream of tomato so much. It was thick and rich with real cream and butter and with a sweetness that only comes from ripe, delicious tomatoes!

Cream of Tomato Soup

 

 

 

 

Cream of Tomato Soup
Ingredients
  • 1 46oz can of V-8 juice
  • 1c heavy whipping cream or evaporated milk
  • 1c half and half
  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Instructions
  1. Pour V-8 juice into a 3 quart stock pot and put on medium flame. Add salt and pepper. Heat just to a boil and turn down to simmer. Add butter, cream and half and half and stir till heated through. Turn off heat and serve immediately with Texas toast croutons or crackers.

Perfect Cornbread

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This cornbread is the best I have ever eaten and I’ve eaten a lot of corn bread! I also serve it to people who have eaten a lot of cornbread and they love it. The cornbread has a great texture and crumb with a sweetness that combines with the honey butter glaze to make it irresistible! Soul Good! Thank me later! 🙂

Perfect Cornbread

 

 

 

 

Perfect Cornbread
Ingredients
  • Cornbread
  • 1. 1 1/4 c AP flour
  • 2. 3/4 c yellow corn meal
  • 3. 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4. 1c milk
  • 5. 1 egg
  • 6. 1/4 c oil
  • 7. 2t baking powder
  • 8. 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • Honey-Butter Glaze
  • Melt 1/2 stick of butter on stove top or microwave
  • Add 1/4 c honey to melted butter and mix thoroughly
  • Brush on top of hot corn bread as soon as it’s removed from the oven
  • Be sure glaze is brushed along sides of bread also – use it all!
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased cast iron skillet or baking pan
  2. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and sides pull away from pan
  3. Brush liberally with honey butter glaze while cornbread is still hot

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

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This creamy ham and potato soup is amazing! It’s so rich and creamy and filled with chunks of tender potato and sweet delicious Sugardale ham (my fav). This soup takes you back home to your Mother’s kitchen on a cold winter evening, when a bowl of this soup and a hot buttered biscuit was everything you wanted and all that you needed!

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

 

 

 

 

 

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3 qts
Ingredients
  • 5 lb bag peeled and cubed/medium sized pieces
  • 1 stock celery minced
  • 2 (46 oz) cans of chicken broth
  • 3 lb of cubed ham
  • 3T onion powder
  • 1T turkey base
  • 1T chicken base
  • 1T ham base
  • 1T bacon base
  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1/2 c flour
Instructions
  1. Add chicken broth to a 6 quart stock pot.
  2. Combine potatoes, ham, celery and seasoning and cook on medium to low heat
  3. When potato pieces are tender, turn pot to low simmer
  4. Combine the butter and flour in a skillet over a medium low flame
  5. Stir constantly, making sure not to burn the roux
  6. Roux should reach the consistency of peanut butter – add more butter or flour if needed
  7. Cook roux over medium low flame, you want to keep your roux a light tan or blond
  8. Add HWC and 1/2 and 1/2 to the roux
  9. Work the mixture until it is smooth of all lumps
  10. Stir mixture into the ham and potato soup to thicken it
  11. Add broth to thin soup or more roux to thicken to desired consistency
  12. Taste and adjust flavoring as needed
Serving size: 8 oz
Notes
For the ham, I used and recommend Sugardale ham. I used left over pieces of Sugardale’s whole, boneless ham. Amazing!

Chitterlings

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Chitterlings
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 7 lbs
When cleaning chitterlings, don’t believe the hype! It’s a time consuming job that takes patience, diligence and good eyes. The pay off is worth it but like anything worthwhile, getting there is not easy! If the recipe tells you to clean your chitterling by dunking them up and down in water, or rinsing them off until the water runs clear, you better run clear… of that recipe! (lol) Check out how to really clean chitterlings at the bottom of our chitterling recipe.
Ingredients
  • Chitterling – 10 to 20 pounds, cleaned (see below)
  • Onion – 2 large, diced
  • Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
  • Habaneros – 2 whole with stem removed
  • Salt – 2 tablespoon
Instructions
  1. Put cleaned chitterlings into a 6 quart stock pot with 5 quarts of cold water.
  2. Add onion, habaneros, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce flame to simmer.
  3. For the first hour of cooking, skim the chitterlings pot, discarding the foam that you skim off.
  4. While cooking, add water if needed, broth should cook down to just cover chitterlings. Do not allow to cook dry.
  5. Cook until meat is tender and some pieces fall apart when you pick up a piece with a fork (usually about 4 to 5 hours depending on amount being prepared).
  6. When chitterlings are done, remove from pot and cut up into 2-3 inch pieces. Return to pot and taste for seasoning.
  7. Add seasoning as needed.
  8. Serve with vinegar and hot sauce
Cleaning Chitterlings
  1. Chitterlings will normally be purchased at the grocery store frozen. You need to let them thaw out totally before cleaning them. Once thawed, you will take the chitterlings piece by piece, one by one and go over them inch by inch. You are looking for and removing all traces of dirt, straw, hair and anything that isn’t the actual chitterling itself. You want to remove the membrane that lines the chitterling and this removes the majority of the dirt but you must double check to make sure you get it all. You must also be sure to check both sides of the length of the chitterling for dirt and debris, removing any found. The important thing is to remove anything that has any trace of dirt or debris in or on it. This will be the fat and membrane. I have found that a 10 pound bucket of chitterlings takes a couple of hours to clean depending on how dirty they are. After your chitterlings are thoroughly cleaned, douse them up and down in clean water. I put a little bleach in my first go round of dousing water, about ¼ c to 3 gallons of water. I douse them about 5 minutes then empty the water and repeat twice without the bleach, to remove all traces of bleach.
  2. Put the chitterlings into a 5 or 6 quart stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let boil about 3 minutes. Pour off the water and refill the pot with clean water. Bring to a boil again, boil about 3 minutes, pour off water and refill with clean water. Bring to a boil, then turn flame down to medium low. Skim any foam residue that floats to the top off of chitterlings, and continue skimming until all traces of foam residue are gone.
  3. When you are finished cleaning them, your 10 pounds of chitterlings suddenly looks more like 5 pounds but who cares! All that’s important is what is left is clean and ready to cook, eat and enjoy!!!
Serving size: 1 cup

Chitterlings (Chitlins) are a delicacy and cleaning and cooking them is becoming a lost art. Due to prep time in cleaning them, I rarely fix them and if I do it’s for holidays, a special occasion or a special request from a very special person!  When I do fix them, I’m always glad that I did (when they’re done and on my plate!)  🙂 If  you want to fix chitterlings, please check out information on the recipe for how to clean chitterlings and how to cook chitterlings. The most important thing is to make sure that your chitterlings are cleaned and cooked properly! Enjoy!!!

Chitlins

Chitlins with greens, potato salad and corn bread. Nuff said!!!