MaMaw's Cooked Creamer Peas & Vacationing In The Deep South

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Two weeks ago, the family and I took a much needed trip/mini-vacation down south towards the Gulf of Mexico.  My in-laws live near the area of Pascagoula, Mississippi so we headed down there for a few days of rest and relaxation.  I am happy to report that we had so much fun down there!  We have been down that way visiting before, however, for some reason, this particular trip has been the most fun we all have ever had.  Husband-man and I were able to sneak in a "date night" during one of the evenings we were there.  We left the kids with the grandparents and went off to explore Bilouxi, MS and Keesler Air Force Base....followed by dinner at the Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino. 

But wait....that is not all we did! ;)  During a conversation with my in-laws one afternoon, I had mentioned to them that I would really love to visit the city of New Orleans.  Imagine my surprise when my mother-in-law suggested we all go and take an impromptu trip over there during our weekend stay.  I found out that they only lived 2 hours away from New Orleans and was delighted that they offered to take us. 

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that husband-man and I took them up on their offer, extended our trip one extra day, and spent a whole day in New Orleans ;) 

By the time we all arrived back here at home, we were all exhausted and tired....but happy none-the-less :)

One of the things y'all have to know about my mother-in-law, is that she can cook!!  That woman can c-o-o-k :)  I am growing to enjoy our visits together because I know that I will arrive back home with some tasty and wonderful recipes, given to me by her. 

This Cooked Creamer Pea recipe is 100% all hers.  She made this as a side dish the first night of our visit and the minute I tried them, I fell in love!  I told her that I wasn't leaving her house until she gave me the recipe.  And by golly, she did just that....AND...also drove me to the fresh farmer's market/store where she purchased the peas from, just so I can purchase a bag for myself and have a nice little stash of Creamer Peas to eat anytime I wanted to :)  I <3 her ;)

MaMaw's Cooked Creamer Peas

2 cups fresh creamer peas

2 to 2 and 1/2 cups of water

One slice of uncooked bacon

Half an onion, chopped

 1 tbsp. of olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 to 1 and 1/2 tsp. of Cavender's Greek Seasoning

1/2 to 1 tsp. of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

1 tsp. of onion powder

Mix all of the ingredients together in a pot.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the onions are tender and the peas are a little on the soft side. Stir occasionally while simmering. 

To give you all an idea of how much fun we had, here are some pictures of our little mini-vacation :)  Enjoy :)

Me, eating a beignet at the Cafe' Du Monde in New Orleans....

Beignets!!!  Yummmm! 

That was really good :)

My kids were really bored at the Cafe'.....

Until their beignet's came.......

....which they enjoyed...the proof is on my daughter's lips :)

The St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans....

A steamboat crossing the Mississippi River...

A romantic carriage ride in the middle of the French Quarter in New Orleans....gotta love it!

My daughter and my father-in-law...on the way to the Aquarium in New Orleans....

Should we ever get orders out of this state (it's HIGHLY unlikely but still can happen), I can leave with a happy heart because I finally had a chance to visit New Orleans.   Even if husband-man and I never go back there, I am content with the memories we have of that day :)

Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie

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This is another recipe from my local city's recipe swapping group.  I am super excited to post it today!  Summer is definitely in full swing over here and nothing screams summertime like a good ole' homemade lemon pie :)

Up until last weekend, I had never made one of these.  After this horrible disaster,

 Aunt Ruthie's Buttermilk Pie, I was skeptical about trying to make any type of pie-like baked good.  However, I had heard that lemon pie was very easy to put together and that it would be impossible to mess up.  Well, making the filling and the meringue proved to be simple, however, I had a little difficulty with making the crust.

Normally I would use a pre-made pie crust. However, if any of you know me, you know that I am always up for making anything homemade if I can.  Not that I am knocking pre-made pie crusts...because during the holidays, I do use them to cut down on time (shhhhhh...that's a secret between us). 

While glancing through my lovely collection of cookbooks (yes, this is a picture of my lovely cookbook collection)....

........I found this cookbook that my mother so graciously gave me as a gift 8 years ago.

It was hidden amoungst all the cookbook mayheim in my cabinet :)

I found a recipe for "Classic Pie Crust" and decided to use it as the crust for this pie. Making the crust was the easy part.  However, I am still learning how to "flute" the edges of the crust, so to speak.  This has not been a simple task for me to learn.  

Two months ago, while on a spur of the moment trip to Wally World,

I purchased this cute little pie plate.... 

It's part of Ms. Paula Deen's collection of cook/bake ware :)

The ridges on the plate helped me to shape the ridges on the crust...thus resulting in this lovely hunk of pie goodness....

Mmmmmm...sooooo good and sooooo summery.  Everyone in this family enjoyed it and now you can too :)

Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk 

  1/2 cup lemon juice 

 3 egg yolks

1 (8-inch) prebaked pie shell or crumb crust, baked for 10 minutes and cooled

        For The Meringue:

  3 egg whites

 1/4 teaspoon cream or tartar

  1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In medium bowl, combine milk,and lemon juice; blend in egg yolks. Pour into cooled crust. In a bowl,beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar until stiff. Spread over filling; seal to edge of crust. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

I'm linking this post over to The Happy Housewife for 25 dollar Amazon.com giveaway!  Check out her blog when you have time.  It's very inspirational ;)

Schwartzies & Six Reasons Why You Should Make Brunch

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Making brunch on the weekends has quickly become part of my family's routine.  We all enjoy sitting around the table, eating our favorite brunch dish, and talking about what the day has in store for us.  I'm so brunch happy these days that I actually have thought about reasons why all of you should consider making brunch for your family and friends every now and then :) 

So without further adeu...I give you.......

Six Reasons Why You Should Consider Making Brunch

1. There is no better way to celebrate a momentous occasion such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, the new arrival of a baby, or someone’s birthday then by throwing them a nice, informal brunch.

2. They always say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so by eating brunch, you will be surpassing this statement, resting assure that you will meet your nutrient quota for the day (providing that the food you eat is on the ‘healthy’ side).

3. Making brunch can actually save on time in the mornings.

We’ve all been there. The alarm goes off at 6 or 7 AM, the kids wake up and before you know it, you’re rushing into the kitchen to make everyone something for breakfast. By making brunch (if you have the time to spare), your morning routines wouldn’t be so rushed. There are a variety of recipes you can make the night before and then pop in the oven to bake or cook an hour before eating.

4. It’s the perfect excuse to have friends over on a normal basis. I belong to a playgroup and the times we usually meet are around 10:00 or 11:00 AM. To late for breakfast, but to early for lunch. Depending on who hosts the meeting, we eat brunch.

5. If you aren’t a breakfast person, then making brunch would be a suitable solution for you. My husband is a prime example of this statement. When he wakes up in the morning, he doesn’t rush straight to the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal. If he eats anything at all in the mornings, it will usually be 2 hours after he wakes up. My four year old daughter is the same way.

6. Making a homemade brunch not only tastes better, but can save you money in terms of going out to eat. Not that I’m knocking all those famous breakfast restaurants out there. Afterall, I am majorly guilty of eating at a few of them every now and then. However, the last time the family and I went out to eat for brunch, the bill was close to 40 bucks, not including the tip. I’d much rather save the 40 bucks and cook my own brunch meals at home with items I already have in my pantry.

And because I love all of you, I will also share one of the lastest brunch recipes that I have.  This recipe, once again, comes from the ladies over at Mennonite Girls Can Cook.  I just love these girls to death.  I think I must have tried 2 or 3 recipes from their site so far and I am loving every single one of them :)

Everyone in my house enjoyed this dish and when I say everyone, I even mean my picky 4 year old.  You can even add your favorite breakfast meat to it if you want....ham, bacon, sausage, hamburger, whatever suits your fancy.  

  Schwartzies

Ingredients:

1 (2 lb) frozen hash browns

2 cans cream of mushroom

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp. fine onion flakes

1/2 tsp salt,

pepper

2 cups grated cheese

sprinkle Parmesan cheese

paprika

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then spread into 9 X 13 Pyrex dish.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika.

Bake 1 hour at 375F

Do you make brunch for your family on a regular basis?  If so, what are your favorite dishes to make?  I'd love to hear about them :)