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Chitterlings Timesaver Tip

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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

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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.


Extra large muffin pans

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.

Pickled Beets & Eggs

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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.

Cranberry Orange Cookies

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Photo & recipe courtesy of fakeginger.com

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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

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Using an electric mixer, mix butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in orange sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly.
  6. Bake 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.
  7. N-Joy! 🙂
  8. 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

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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 Muffins

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
  1. 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!
  2. Note: This bread can also be baked as muffins and dusted with confectioner’s sugar – yum!

 

Brownies You’ll Be Famous For!

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I love brownies and I always have! I’m pretty sure it’s because of this lifelong love affair that I’ve had with chocolate. I have eaten many a tasty brownie but I had to find my own recipe. I searched high and low and found one that I labled, “the bomb brownies” after I made and tasted them. I then promptly lost the recipe! I searched high and low for it, in the house, online, in my recipes stashes but to no avail. So what to do?! Try to find the recipe again of course and of course I couldn’t find it! At least I couldn’t find the recipe I thought I’d used so, time to come up with my own. This is it folks, you’re welcome, for real, for real!

Brownies You’ll Be Famous For
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Sweet Mother
This is the result of my search for the perfect brownie! I’m satisfied with this recipe but I can’t promise not to change it. I’m constantly developing recipes to find a better end result. Don’t get me wrong, this brownie recipe is all that! Wait till you try them. I’d love to know what you think!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 C + 2 Tbs oil
  • 1/2 C AP flour
  • 1/2 C cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • 1 C granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 C brewed black coffee
  • 1/2 C each of semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips and chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Add everything (except chips & nuts) to a bowl and stir to combine. Add chips & nuts and pour into a parchment lined pan. Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and ice or eat plain. Enjoy!

Note: Parchment lined pan is in bold for a reason! Don’t forget to line your pan with parchment paper or your brownies will become brownie spoonbread! Still good but a little harder to get out of the pan! 🙂

Pigs Feet, Lasagna and Neck Bones – Oh My!

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I was watching the February 22, 2018 episode of Top Chef, where the four remaining competitors get a surprise visitor from home! For a couple of the chef contestants it’s their moms, for one it’s his grandmother and for the fourth it’s his dad. 

The best part is that the visiting family member had each cooked a “dish from home” and everyone gets to sit down and break bread together. Little do the contestants know that their next cooking challenge is to recreate an elevated version of their family dish! One mom cooked gumbo, the grandmother made rigatoni with meat balls, another mom made beef stroganoff. My favorite dish hands down was cooked by the only dad that came. He cooked pigs feet, neck bones in gravy (red sauce) with lasagna! Oh, by the way, forgot to tell you, the dad and son are Italian! Talk about soul food recipes from around the world!

The son, Joe,  said lasagna and pigs feet gravy will always remind him of his mom! For holidays and special occasions, it was always on the table. Joe said it would be hard (emotionally) to recreate the dish because his mom had passed away, seven years earlier from cancer. He hesitated to cook the dish because he didn’t want to fail and dishonor the memory of his mother. It was a very emotional show! 

The more I expose myself to other cultures and what they eat, the more I understand that every culture has their own version of soul food! It may be called a different name – peasant food, country food, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. No matter what it’s called, it’s still the food that cultures were and still are built upon!  The food  our childhood food memories are made of! It’s food that when you eat it, you can taste the love and care that went into it’s preparation! 

As many times as I’ve eaten pigs feet and neck bones, I have never had them cooked in red gravy and served with a side of lasagna! I guess like they say, we are more alike than we are different! We all have food that we love to cook and share with family, friends and loved ones, making memories that we cherish and pass on! 

I feel that this Top Chef episode resonates with the real idea behind my recipe blog, Sweet Mother’s Kitchen. I have always intended it to be a place to share our heritage, culture, stories, photos and recipes! My blog’s tagline is… Cook. Share. Remember. , which now should be self explanatory. What may not be quite as obvious is my Logo, but it is also a part of the same idea. My logo is a Sankofa, a mythical bird from West African folklore. The origin of the lore hails from the Akan tribe of Ghana, West Africa. 

The meaning of the word Sankofa is 

  • SAN (return) 

  • KO (go)

  • FA (look, seek and take)

and the literal translation of the word and symbol is, “it is not wrong to return and go get the good thing in danger of being left behind”*.

The Sankofa is depicted as a large bird with it’s body facing and/or flying forward, with it’s head turned backward. It holds an egg in it’s mouth that it is lovingly placing on it’s back in preparation of the trip into the future! The egg represents the good thing it went back and got that it’s taking with it – heritage, values and memories!

I used the Sankofa bird meaning for my logo for my soul food recipe web site. My Sankofa is flying forward into the future and taking all of it’s culture, recipes and memories in the form of a heart with it. Oh, and my Sankofa has a chef’s hat on! 🙂

We must never forget where we’ve come from and we should in fact celebrate it. Food that caused our forefathers to thrive and survive shouldn’t embarrass us or cause us to feel ashamed! You should be proud that not only did that food feed generations of people, nourishing and keeping them alive, it also gave them comfort when they needed it the most! 

Like the Sankofa we must learn from our past but we must also not be afraid to take the good part of it with us into our future! Like the adage says, you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming from! It seems that the same people who encourage you to shun your past and your heritage are the same ones you’ll find serving it back up to you like they invented it! (Things that make you go, hummm???)

To be memorable, food must be more than fuel. To be memorable, food must connect you to something – a person, a place, a thought, an event! Soul food, southern food, country food, comfort food, Italian food, Polish food, Jamaican food, African food, Cuban food, Irish food, German food, French food – whatever the culinary heritage, it has to have soul!  

The old school recipes that Grandma used to make. The special dish that only your family knows how to make that is proudly served at every special event! Granddad’s special soup, Aunt Bea’s homemade rolls, food that’s as much a part of who you are as where you were born and raised! Don’t lose your food culture, go back and get it, treasure it and keep it with you!  Remember it, recreate it and share it with people you love! It’s what makes you who you are! 

 

* https://berea.edu/cgwc/the-power-of-sankofa/

Cooking With Cast Iron

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The links below are affiliate links which means if you click on any of them and buy an item, I’ll make a small commission for referring you but you won’t pay one penny more! Thanks in advance, I appreciate your support!

One of the first dishes that I learned to make was cornbread in a cast iron skillet. I’m thinking cornbread because I loved it and the cast iron skillet was because that’s the only thing we used to make cornbread in! We made tons of other food in mom’s cast iron skillets which were the only kind of skillets that we had.

When Teflon came along, I remember us all choosing to use Teflon over cast iron but I don’t know why, other than it was “the new kid on the block”! I started learning how to cook when I was young. I don’t know how old I was when I started learning to cook but I wasn’t a teenager yet and I’ve been cooking ever since!

My Mom is the best cook I’ve ever known which is saying a lot because I have eaten at some epic restaurants and I went to culinary school and got to eat the food of a lot of great chef instructors. When it comes to everyday home cooking, my Mom has no equal in my mind! I’m sure you feel the same way about your Mom, Aunt, Grandmother, Dad or somebody, right? I learned a lot from my Mom and my Dad and both of them taught me how to cook dishes using cast iron. There’s something about cast iron that makes the flavor more intense. It fries food golden brown and beautiful! It bakes up cornbread, biscuits and whatever you want to bake in it picture perfect!

My Mom passed away in 2007 and for the life of me, I don’t know what happened to all of her cast iron skillets, dutch ovens, lids – etc. I hadn’t lived at home for years but I did notice that they were all gone when I moved back home a few years ago. The sad part is that pots, pans, skillets and things like that, can and should be handed down in a family.

Cooking in your Mom’s pots & pans brings back the best memories of her cooking for you and the rest of the family using those same pots & pans. Since I couldn’t have that experience, I decided to start my own collection of cast iron cookware. Of course, I have to have a small skillet 5 to 6 inches, a medium sized one 8 to 10 inches and a big chicken fryer 15 inches or more! I also want at least one  3 to 5 quart Dutch oven.

One day I was in Walmart when I saw a set of 3 pieces of cast iron cookware by Ozark Trail! I didn’t know who Ozark Trail was, in fact, the only brand name I knew about for cast iron was Lodge. The Ozark Trail collection was 2 skillets, one 5″ and one 8″ and a two-sided griddle for $19.99. Even though I didn’t know the company name, the display was in the camping section on an end cap, so I decided to take a change and give it a go! I couldn’t believe the great price! 

Even though the box said the cookware was pre-seasoned, I decided to pre-season them again anyway. I found some instructions online and followed them somewhat. I say somewhat because the instructions said to wash with soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly. Next, you add a little oil to the pan and wipe it (inside & outside) with canola oil, remove the oil with a towel and then put it in the oven on 400 – 500 for 1 hour. Then it says to repeat the oil, wipe, oven bakes part SIX times – yes six times. Yes, it would take a whole day to season your cast iron that way. I decided since mine was already pre-seasoned I’d do it twice, see how it looked and decide if I should do any more “rounds”.

If you have cast iron I’m sure you’re using it but if you’re not, please do! If you don’t have any please get some, you’ll love what it does for your dishes!

Stay tuned for an update in this post about how my cast iron seasoning (seasoned twice) went. I’ll let you know tomorrow. Of course, that means I’ll be forced to go buy some chops or something similar to fry and I guess I’ll have to bake something too. Maybe a pan of cornbread too! Yippee!

UPDATE!!! I took my new pre-seasoned cast iron cookware and following instructions I found on a blog, I reseasoned them again – twice. I seasoned and fried pork chops and I baked cornbread in the bigger 8″ skillet. It performed flawlessly! No sticking, no burning, no problems! My pork chops were golden brown and juicy and the cornbread was simply delicious!

I included some pictures so you could see the results for yourself! The way I was standing when I took the pics caused a shadow on the cornbread making it look like it didn’t cook properly. Sorry about that folks! It cooked perfectly and looked and tasted delicious. I just need to take some food photo classes! 🙂

I’m happy with Ozark Trails and I recommend them highly. Anytime you can find cast iron that’s reasonably priced and that cooks like a charm, I’m in! I’m in love with Ozark Trails and like I told my sister, I will be buying more of it very soon! I was looking online and they have a 5-quart Dutch oven for under $20 at Walmart! That’s the best price I’ve seen on a 5 quart cast iron Dutch oven – EVER! I’m definitely getting one. I don’t want one with feet which is perfect for cooking outside/campfire cooking. For home cooking, a flat bottom will be perfect!

Every Great Meal Starts With An Organized Kitchen!

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The links in this post are affiliate links and if you click on them and make a purchase, I will be paid a small percentage for referring you but it won’t cost you one penny more! Thanks!

Organization is important in many areas of our lives and some say in every area of our lives! One place that I’m most familiar with that screams for organization is the heart of the home, the kitchen! A disorganized kitchen can literally lead to disaster! Not finding a utensil, container, tool or gadget that you need when you need it can lead to lost recipes, burned dishes and disappoinment!

Sweet Mother’s Kitchen will scour the internet to find the best kitchen tools, gadgets and storage solutions that we can find to help you get and stay organized in your special space! Check our pinterest board and of Sweet Mother’s Kitchen for the latest and greatest kitchen organization finds from the world to you!

https://www.westelm.com/products/mrk-utility-kitchen-oil-vinegar-set-d2539/?pkey=cmixing-measuring-utensils&irgwc=1&cm_cat=ShopStyle%20Inc.&cm_ven=AfShopPromo&bnrid=3917500&cm_ite=Std

https://www.westelm.com/products/mrk-utility-kitchen-oil-vinegar-set-d2539/?pkey=cmixing-measuring-utensils&irgwc=1&cm_cat=ShopStyle%20Inc.&cm_ven=AfShopPromo&bnrid=3917500&cm_ite=Std

Too Cute To Cook Aprons!

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The links in this post are affiliate links and if you click on them and make a purchase, I will be paid a small percentage for referring you. Thanks!

 

 

 

You know you’ll be too cute to cook when you’re wearing one of these adorable aprons in the kitchen during the holidays, or any other day! How fabu will you be on Christmas day in your red, white and black Christmas colors apron! Looking like Mrs Claus wishes she could!!!  Ruffles, bows and polka dots, oh my! These are some of the cutest aprons I’ve seen at a price this low! So, so adorable, I want one in every color and at $6.29 each – why not!??? You better slay! — and I ain’t talkin bout the one Santa rides around delivering toys in!

 

 

Aspire Kitchen Apron For Women Retro Polka Dots Cooking Aprons Cafe Working Aprons