Good Morning Darlings!
Oh, you know how we are here in the south. We have to make sure everyone is fed. And fed well.
One night not so long ago, we had our dear friend, Johnny P. over for supper. I made meatloaf. To feed about 20. You never know how hungry men will be. Or who might stop by.
Good Morning Darlings!
We are finally recovered from Thanksgiving (I think). It was a wonderful time with fabulous friends and I bet you want to hear all about it. Lets do it!
Just between you and me, I had no intention of hosting Thanksgiving Dinner, but when bestie Diane said she was coming home, I knew that called for something special. We bought the turkey, planned a few dishes, invited a few friends, bought a case of bubbly. Then our incredible friends from Black Tie Barbecue told me they were holding a smoked turkey with my name on it, I decided to go ahead and roast the turkey we had at home and freeze the meat for the Christmas party nibble ingredients.
Do you remember the photo of those smoking turkeys? Unbelievable.
Good Morning, Darlings!
While in New Orleans, Eric and I had the chance to visit the fantastic Farmer’s Market in town. It’s small, but the vendors are of the highest quality. We ate crispy, delicate pastries, popsicles made with the freshest fruit, bought brightly colored peppers, ripe Creole tomatoes, picked up luscious goat cheese and even bought a goat roast. Now, I have never cooked goat, but this seemed as good a time as any to try it.
Love The Market's Message
Spice Up Your Life!
Good Morning, Darlings!
This weekend, Eric and I had the grand opportunity to just laze about on Sunday. Lazing about has become a rare commodity these days and we relish the times when they arise.
Lazing about almost always includes movies, and this Sunday was no exception. I had been wanting to see “It’s Complicated” and so my darling husband conceded to watching with me.
There is one scene where Meryl Streep walks to the dining room table with a huge bowl of green beans and potatoes covered in pesto. Eric had to have it. I had to make it.
And so, last night I did.
Meryl In The Garden
Good Morning, Darlings!
I don’t know about you, but we waited until yesterday to do our taxes and now I have all these papers on my dining room table to sign and mail out. The sheer volume of paperwork is enough to send one into a tizzy, so I thought last night would be a perfect time for some lovely comfort food. Roast Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Green Beans.
It was most comforting.
My time is limited today (bloggers bake sale to bake for, dogs to take to the vet for check ups, figure out who to send these tax forms to….) so I thought I would leave you with some photos of yummy goodness.
If the taxes are making you batty, stick a roaster in the oven at 375F, after rubbing the skin with olive oil and herbs, roast for 2 hours and voila! Instant (almost) comfort. Mash up some taters and snip some green beans and you are good to go.
xoxo, Patti
Pre-Oven. I also stuffed the cavity with an onion and taragon and thyme bunches.
Peeling Potatoes is a Nice Stress Reliever
Snip Off the Ends of the Green Beans Before Giving Them a Quick Blanch
Convince One Sweet Husband to Carve the Bird
Relax and Enjoy!
Good Morning, Darlings!
You might remember that I’ve been trying to use up the food in the house in an attempt to be frugal. When I spotted some chicken thighs in the freezer, I knew we needed to have fried chicken night. Ok, so it was necessary to pick up a few things at the grocery store, but I think that’s all right. I invited Diane, Jonathan and Tracy over and set about prepping the meal the night before.
I took the thawed chicken and placed it in a gallon size Ziploc bag and then poured enough buttermilk in to cover the chicken and put it in the fridge over night. The next day, I drained the chicken, took some flour and put it on a dinner plate, seasoned it with salt and pepper and got out another plate, in which I put four beaten eggs. Into the pot went about three inches of vegetable oil and set the burner to medium. The chicken first got dunked in the eggs, let excess drain off and dredge in the flour. Then it goes into the hot oil for about 8 minutes. Repeat until all pieces are ready. Place the fried chicken onto a baking sheet and put into a 200F oven so it can stay warm while you are frying the remainder of the chicken.
Steam your green beans. Warm up the amazing mac and cheese Tracy brought. Warm up the dinner rolls. Pour copious amounts of wine. Enjoy!
Perfect Fried Chicken
Fried Chicken Makes Everyone Happy!
For dessert? Oh my goodness, I tried a recipe from Framed (such a cute website!) It was a peach crumble cake and it was fabulous! Find the recipe here. It was pretty sweet, so I might cut that next time with some fresh whipped cream. But I bet everyone will love it. What’s that you say? You’re horrified because it is made with cake mix? Oh, darlings – you can’t make everything from scratch – well, I guess you could, but it might cut into time with your guests, and to me, that is much more important.
Yum Yum Peach Crumble Cake!
It’s a fresh new week – enjoy!
xoxo, Patti
