martha moments: tailgating treats!

i will preface by saying that MAN have i been slack with the blog. wow. sorry to any hardcore, faithful followers. i'm sure you're still wiping away your tears of longing for me to come back. :-)

now, onto more important things....FOOD!

as you know, i love me some college football! and one of the best parts of it all are the tailgating foods. i am a dip junkie. i love dips, sauces, snacks, finger foods. i can easily make a meal off of them.

having said that, here's a smorgasbord of some of our favorites. enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
(my must have, hands down.)

(2) 10 oz. cans chunk chicken, drained
(2) 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 cup ranch dressing
3/4 c. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Heat chicken over medium heat in saucepan with the hot sauce until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing.  Cook until all ingredients are well blended. Mix in half of the cheese and stir until melted.

Pour into casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 until bubbly OR transfer all dip to a slow cooker and top with remaining cheese and cook on low until ready to serve.

Best served with celery sticks, carrot sticks and my favorite...Chicken in a Biscuit crackers.


Crockpot Weenies
LOOOOVE these! My grandmama always makes em at Christmas time, but I also love them for tailgating.

2 packs all beef weiners, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large jar yellow mustard
1 large jar grape jelly

Mix equal parts of the jelly and mustard in crock pot and then add weenies. Cover well to coat and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with toothpicks.

S.O.B. Dip
Stands for South Of the Border, of course....

(2) 8 oz. packages cream cheese
2 cans Hormel chili with beans
2 cups shredded cheddar

Press cream cheese blocks into bottom of large casserole dish. Pour in the 2 cans of chili and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Can top with jalapeno peppers if you wish!  Serves best with scoop style tortilla chips.

Best Crab Dip
8 oz cream cheese
2 T. whole milk
1 T. horseradish
1/2 lb. crab meat
1/3 cup toasted almond slivers
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything in small casserole dish and top with almonds. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serves best with Ritz crackers.

Asian Slaw
16 oz. bag coleslaw mix
1 bunch of green onions, chopped thinly
small package sunflower seeds
small package slivered almonds
2 packages chicken flavored Ramen noodles (just the uncooked noodles...set packets of flavor aside)

1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 packages of the seasoning from ramen noodles from above

Mix top group of ingredients except for raw noodles in large bowl.  In another bowl, mix second group of ingredients well and pour over slaw mix. Cover and refrigerate over night. Before serving, add raw ramen noodles and mix well for great crunch!

Cornbread Salad
1 package ranch dressing mix
8 oz. sour cream
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 large chopped tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
6 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise
9' pan cornbread, (i use jiffy mix in the box)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar

Combine ranch mix, sour cream and mayo and set aside.

In your serving bowl, place half of the cornbread, crumbled up.  Top with half of beans.

In medium bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, peppers & onions and layer half of the mixture over the beans. Top with half o the cheese, bacon and corn, then the reserved salad dressing mix. Repeat layers, using remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least a couple of hours before serving. MMMMM!!!

Goodie Bars
these should be the 8th deadly sin.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 T. butter, melted (and yes, that is TABLEspoons...)

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
8 T. butter, melted (mmhmmm, another tablespoon. )
1 16 oz. box powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, 1 egg and 8 T. butter with mixer. Press into the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish.

In large bowl, beat remaining ingredients, adding the powdered sugar in a little a time.  Spread over cake crust in the casserole dish and bake 45 minutes at 350.  Be careful not to over cook em! They're supposed to be gooey in the middle.

Happy Tailgating and happy start to college football season!

Can I get a GO GAMECOCKS?!

martha moments: strawberry pretzel salad

i'm usually not one for jell-o (or anything congealed for that matter). the word "congealed" itself just grosses me out...but this dessert salad is one of my favorites!

strawberry pretzel salad

you'll need:
2 cups pretzels, crushed
3/4 cups melted butter
2 Tbsp. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 cups Cool Whip
 2-10 oz. packages frozen strawberries
2 cups boiling water
1 large package strawberry Jell-O

To make:

Mix pretzels, butter and the 2 Tbsp. sugar.  Press into bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Cook at 400 for 8-10 minutes.

Mix cream cheese and 1 cup sugar together. Fold in the Cool Whip.  Spread onto cooled crust.
Combine boiling water and Jell-O, then add strawberries.  Let cool before pouring over the top of the cream cheese. Refrigerate to congeal, then slice into squares and enjoy!

martha moments: shrimp and grits

nothing screams southern much louder than a big, heaping bowl of shrimp and grits. it's on my top 5 list of favorite foods and it's one of those dishes that has many different variations. i don't think i've tried very many that i don't like! 


for what it's worth, here's how i make mine.  we had this for dinner the other night and literally scraped the bowls clean. there was not even one grit left.  (can you even say "a grit", as in singular?) 

carolina shrimp and grits


you'll need:


1 lb. shrimp, shells removed and deveined
3 slices bacon
3 slices Virginia deli ham
5 tsp. fresh lemon juice (use the rest of the lemon in your sweet tea :-)  )
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
3/4 cup scallions, sliced thin


4 cups water
1 cup of grits or polenta
3 Tbsp. salted butter
1/2 cup shredded gouda
1/2 cup shredded havarti
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar


To make grits:

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside and stir in butter, gouda and havarti.

To prepare shrimp:

Clean shrimp well under running water and dry with paper towel.

In a large skillet, fry the bacon and brown the ham until all is browned.  Drain well, reserving grease. Set bacon and ham aside. Return grease to pan with the shrimp and cook until pink.  Add lemon juice, seasoning salt, parsley, scallions and garlic.  Chop up ham and bacon into small pieces and add to shrimp mixture.   Saute in pan for 3-4 minutes.

Pour grits into serving bowls and top with shrimp mixture. Top each bowl with a pinch of sharp cheddar.

Bon appetit!

martha moments: mama's crockpot lasagna

perfect.

crockpot.

easy.

so easy you don't even have to cook the noodles.

makes house smell yummy.

italian.

requires little to no cooking skill.

but yet tastes like you have tons of cooking skill.

perfect for entertaining.

delicious.

mama's crockpot lasagna

you'll need:

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (12 ounce) package lasagna noodles

12 ounces cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic until brown. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and oregano and stir until well mixed. cook until heated through.
2. In a large bowl mix together the cottage cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.it's easiest just to mix it with your bare hands.
3. Spoon a layer of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the slow cooker. add a double layer of the uncooked lasagna noodles. break to fit noodles into slow cooker. top noodles with a portion of the cheese mixture. repeat the layering of sauce, noodles, and cheese until all the ingredients are used.  meat sauce mixture should end up on top.
4. cover, and cook on LOW setting for 4 to 6 hours.
   
   bon appetit!
   
   
   
   

martha moments: aunt janice's shrimp

delicious. that's all i gotta say.
aunt janice is a wonderful cook and it makes me smile to think about her every time i make this.

try it. 

aunt janice's shrimp

*note: this makes a LOT of shrimp, so you may want to cut the recipe in half.

**another note:  is EXCELLENT served over linguine with crusty french bread to "sop" with.  :-)

Ingredients:

5 lbs unpeeled shrimp

1 ½ cup butter

8 oz. bottle Italian salad dressing

1/2 c. lemon juice

1/2 c. white wine (dry chardonnay is good)

¼ cup olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced (I put more)

1 tsp. hot sauce (or more if you want spicier)

1 T. Worcestershire

3 T. ground black pepper

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 350. Wash shrimp and drain well. Melt butter in 3 qt. casserole dish.

Add dressing, lemon juice, olive oil, wine, garlic, hot sauce, pepper, red pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce.

Stir.  Add shrimp.

Bake covered 35-45 minutes until shrimp are pink.  (You may need to open the oven and stir occasionally).

...and that gives you, oh, close to an hour while they're cooking to find something to do with the rest of that bottle of wine you just opened.....  

martha moments: cake in a mug

okay, so this may beat the diet coke cupcakes, y'all.

and it only makes one a time, so you're not stuck being tempted with the remaining dozen plus cupcakes you have sitting on the kitchen counter. 

it's too easy.

you'll need:

1 microwavable coffee mug

1/3 cup cake mix, you choose the flavor

3 T. water

Combine cake mix and water in a mug (no need to spray with cooking spray).

Microwave for 1 minute. 

that's it. seriously!

I made the white cake mix one today for a snack and according to my calculations, it was 75 calories, and .75g fat.  

...and 100% worth all 60 seconds it took to make it!

notes:

• store the rest of the cake mix in a sealed container or ziploc bag.

• for a spongier, less dense cake, mix angel food cake mix and the regular cake mix in a ziploc bag and use 1/3 cup of that mixture instead of straight up cake mix. 

• have to have chocolate on top? drizzle with Hershey's chocolate syrup
  
  

martha moments: bikini-friendly, diet coke cupcakes

cupcakes are among my 5 top favorite foods. ask my husband. he'll ask what i want for dinner some nights and my reply?  cupcakes. when we go to nyc, one of the tippy top things on my list is to go here.  sugary bliss.

i love cupcakes for many reasons...first off, because they're small.  and i like small, cute things. secondly, because you can make so many different kinds and can decorate them so many ways. third, they're beyond comforting and bring back memories of birthdays and skating rink parties.  and lastly, because they taste like heaven in a crimped paper wrapper.

in an effort to be healthier, i made cupcakes today using a new method that cuts out the eggs and the oil.  they are really easy to make (2 ingredients!) and invoke much, much less guilt.  :-)

you'll need:

first, pick a box of cake mix. any cake mix. for today, i used yellow.

second, add 1 can of diet soda, whatever flavor you want.  i used diet ginger ale today.

a general rule of thumb is to mix dark sodas with dark cake mixes and light sodas with light cake mixes.

to make:

combine the mix and soda.

(i feel so weird saying "soda," as we 

southerners call anything carbonated "coke...") 

it will look all weird and foamy, but it'll settle down.

pour into cupcake paper lined muffin tin and bake according to the directions on the back

of the cake mix box.

yum!

other variations i'm going to try:

yellow cake>>>diet orange crush

chocolate cake>>>diet cherry coke or diet cherry vanilla dr. pepper

yellow cake>>>diet cream soda

devil's food cake>>>diet cherry coke

strawberry cake mix...diet cream soda

now of course, the icing is another story.  i just topped mine with a little whipped cream on top and it looks perfect!  now time to cuddle up on the couch and watch new moon again!

i hope all of you have had a great weekend!  i got some good finds at the thrift stores yesterday that i'll have to share with you later this week. :-)

martha moments: chocolate eclair pie

last week, it was another birthday for the hubs!  he and i have both been working so hard lately that we decided to go way low-key and have dinner with his family at the local pizza joint.  he's not a huge dessert person, but he always orders eclairs if they are ever a choice.

so, instead of the normal birthday cake, i made him a chocolate eclair pie. it's so, so good!  i just stuck candles in the top and voila! instant birthday and one happy birthday boy!

happy birthday to my sweet hubby, who just gets better and better with age.  not that he reads this blog or anything, but if he should happen to stalk in one day, i love you, babe!

chocolate eclair pie


You'll need:
1 box of graham crackers
3 cups cold milk
2 packs/boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix
8 oz. container of whipped cream, thawed
1 can/container of chocolate frosting

to make:

In a 13x9 casserole dish, take 1 of the 3 packs of graham crackers that come in the box and layer them in a single, flat layer.

Mix milk, pudding and whipped cream well. 

Put half of pudding mixture on top of the graham crackers. 

Top with the 2nd pack of graham crackers.

Top with remaining pudding mixture, then finish with the last pack of grahams.

Spread the chocolate frosting over the top.

Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

martha moments: bbq apple chicken in the crockpot

a must try! and so easy!

bbq apple chicken in the crockpot

you'll need:

3-4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1-2 apples--cored, peeled and grated (any variety will do, i tried it with granny smith)
juice of 1 lemon
6-8 slices of bacon
salt and pepper to taste

Wrap 2 pieces of bacon around each chicken breast and place in bottom of crockpot.

Mix grated apples, lemon juice and bbq sauce in a small bowl and pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

martha moments: french onion soup in the crockpot

i love a crockpot. that's no news to you. there's just something fabulous about putting things into a wonderful pot, plugging it in, going to work and coming home knowing that dinner is READY. it's close to magical.

if you want this one for dinner, make sure to make it in the morning, as the total cook time is 8 hours.

this one's a keeper if you love french onion soup. (i do, i do!)

you'll need:

1 large sweet onion (Vidalias work great), thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes
2 cans (14.5 oz each) of beef broth
2 Tablespoons sherry or additional beef broth if you don't want to use sherry
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 slices of French bread, toasted
4 slices of Provolone cheese

1. Spray the crockpot with cooking spray lightly, then place the sliced onions and butter in the pot. Cover and cook just the onion and butter on low for 6 hours or until the onion is tender.

2. Stir in broth, sherry and pepper. Cover and cook an additional 2 hours.

3. Ladle soup into serving bowls (oven safe, see below) and top with slice of toasted french bread and cheese.

4. I like to then pop the bowl into the oven under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese gets all bubbly.

somebody has a birthday today.....

so here's what's for dinner:

some slices of these


plus a bit of this

spread on to these {resolution-friendly} thingies

and grilled in this


with one of these on top

...it's a dinner fit for a king!

happy 75th birthday to Elvis!

martha moments: Marmalade's white bean soup

while on vacation in puerto rico this year, we were fortunate enough to eat at marmalade restaurant in old san juan. let me tell you, if you are heading to puerto rico anytime in your future, you must add this to your list. i think it's the most money we have EVER spent on dinner ( or any meal, for that matter... ) but it was out of this world. it's right on up there with bobby flay's mesa grill, a place that i have often referred to as "last meal-worthy."

one stand out at marmalade was the white bean soup, which is one of their signature items ("signature" meaning if-you-leave-this-place-without-having-this-soup-you-are-a-freaking-Idiocrates.)

the waiter was kind enough to share the recipe with us, and so i'm passing it along to you. it looks complicated, but i promise, it's not. and it's worth every. single. step.

Marmalade's White Bean Soup

Note: This recipe yields about 8 quarts of soup (if you can't visualize 8 quarts, I'll make it simple....it's a LOT.) You need a big stockpot to make this soup (or 2 large ones.) Having said that, it does freeze well, so you can either half the recipe or make it all and freeze some, like I do.

---

You'll need:

2 lb. bag of dried navy beans, soaked in water for 24 hours
12-14 slices of smoked bacon
2 stalk of celery, chopped
1 large white or yellow onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
2 stems fresh thyme
1 gallon chicken stock
1/4 lb. butter
1 cup heavy cream

Salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup thinly sliced chives
4 tbsp. black truffle oil
1/4 cup bacon "dust"

Cook the bacon in a microwave on ridged bacon plate. Reserve the drippings/fat.

Chop the bacon finely using a knife or food processor (or you can grate it). Set aside.

Gently cook the celery and onion under medium heat in the bacon fat for 6-10 minutes, stirring constantly making sure not to brown.

When onions are translucent, add soaked beans (drained from water), thyme, garlic, butter, cream and chicken stock. Bring this mixture to a boil, and reduce to a very gentle simmer for 1 1/2 hours while covering the pot with a lid, stirring occasionally.

When the beans begin to split open and are tender, remove from heat for 1 hour to slightly cool.

After 1 hour, remove the beans and other solid ingredients (celery, onions, garlic) from the pot, reserving the liquid. Place the solid mixture into a blender or food processor (blender is best) and slowly add the liquid back into the solid mixture while pureeing to velvet texture.

You may not have to use all of the reserved liquid. Just add enough to make the soup the consistency you like.

Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Garnish with chives, truffle oil*, & the reserved bacon "dust."

Yields about 8 quarts of soup, or 32- 8 oz servings.

*Black truffle oil can be found at the Fresh Market or on several online gourmet cooking sites. (and yes, it's worth it!)

Recipe courtesy of Marmalade Restaurant and Wine Bar, Old San Juan, P.R.

martha moments: oreo truffles

have you had oreo truffles yet? these are oh-my-gosh good! perfect for house parties or tailgating and super easy. everyone will love 'em!

You'll need:

1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.

DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

photo courtesy of cinnybear

i heart pumpkins

one of my favorite things about fall...pumpkins. last year I was all about my polka dotted pumpkins...this year, i think it's going to be all about painted silhouettes. i started with this cool crow. i found the idea for the picture online and just free-handed it.


then i added an old CZ stud for his eye and some small ones as accents around the words. NOTE: i PROMISE they're CZ's people...please don't come find my house and steal my punkin' cause you think you're getting real diamonds! you'll be sadly disappointed!

here's a closer up:


i'm going to try to do about 3 more, but have to go get more pumpkins first.

while we're on pumpkins, i made a batch of my favorite fall pumpkin muffins this morning. SO easy.

Easiest Pumpkin Muffins Ever... EVER.

1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 box spice cake mix

Mix all ingredients (all TWO!) well . Pour into greased muffin tin and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Dust with granulated or powdered sugar if you like.

martha moments: happy berry crisp

we are fortunate enough to live right down the road from the happy berry, a berry farm that is just the coolest little place. it's fun to decide that you want to bake a blackberry cobbler or a blueberry pie and just be able to walk down there and pick whatever you need. i am trying to buy more local food, not only to support the local farmers here, but because of the sheer fulfillment of knowing how fresh and good it really is.

jeff and i went down to the farm wednesday and picked almost 5 lbs of plump, juicy, sweet blueberries. we would pick a handful and gobble them up just as soon as we picked em! needless to say, we had to contribute to the "sin bucket." it says if you eat so many off the bush that you feel guilty about it, you might feel led to contribute to the sin bucket. so we did. :-)

i made a blueberry crisp that was out of this world....so i thought i'd post the recipe for everyone. this recipe epitomizes summer! and if you live anywhere near the SC upstate, make sure to swing by the happy berry. i promise you'll be glad you did!

Happy Berry Crisp

Ingredients

• 6 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and lightly dried
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch salt

Topping Mixture:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 stick room temperature unsalted butter, cubed
• Whipped cream or ice cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Toss blueberries, cornstarch, sugar and a pinch of salt together in a bowl.

Combine flour, oats, brown and white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans in a bowl. Add butter and pinch into chunks. Mix until it looks crumbly.

Add the blueberries into a 2-quart baking dish. Top evenly with the crumb mixture. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream.

martha moments: hangin' tough (how to plant a hanging tomato garden)

since i didn't have time to plant a garden this year, i am going to try my hand at something one of my clients did last year that was really, really cool. you may have seen these on TV and they do sell a commercial "planter" but these instructions work just the same, and cost less.

it's a hanging tomato planter! it's GENIUS--you have no worries of staking the plant so that it grow up like it should, there are NO WEEDS and fewer critters and bugs to mess it up, and there is no risk of overwatering it either. in other words, pretty easy (so i hope!)

i got a couple of "homer buckets" at the home depot tonight that i'm going to spray paint (they're orrrrrrrange) and am going to start mine either tomorrow or friday. i'll be sure to post pics of the progress.

i just thought i would share with you all the easy steps on how to do this.

you'll need:
large bucket
a coffee filter or piece of old, thin fabric
drill
potting soil
tomato plant(s)
herbs (optional)

1. turn bucket upside down and drill large hole (2"-4") in center.
2. turn bucket back upright and tape a coffee filter or thin piece of old fabric on top of hole. (this
helps keep the soil from falling out of the bottom.)
3. with knife or scissors, cut an "x" in the coffee filter.
4. thread the tomato plant into the hole (thru the X you just made) so that the plant is hanging
out the bottom, root ball is inside at bottom of bucket.
5. fill with soil.
6. you can also plant your herbs on top once all soil is in (i'm going to plant oregano, cilantro and
basil.)
7. hang on large, sturdy hook in a sunny spot and let her grow! make sure to water every day.

once i get mine going, i'll post pics with these steps for you "visual" peeps out there.

side note: i hear you can also drill more holes and plant peppers alongside the tomatoes as well!

martha moments: chicken 'n dumplins!

and not just chicken 'n dumplins, chicken 'n dumplins in the crockpot.

crockpot=easy.

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions:

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

martha moments: breakfast bake

rise and shine!

breakfast bake

6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 pkg. crescent rolls
8 oz. deli ham, cut into pieces
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1 cup mozzarella, shredded

optional: 1/4 to 1/2 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 350. Unroll crescent roll dough and press into bottom of 13x9 casserole dish, eliminating the creases. Sprinkle ham on dough.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, adding salt and pepper to your liking. Add salsa if you want.

Pour into casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake for 25 minutes at 350.

courtesy of Kraft

martha moments: white chicken chili

This is best when paired with a great football game. :-)

ENJOY.

White Chicken Chili


You'll need:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
1 onion, chopped finely
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. vegetable or canola oil
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (15.5 oz size) of great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper (more if you want)
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 (8 oz.) cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

In a saucepan, sautee the chicken, onion and garlic powder in your oil until the chicken is cooked. Add beans, broth and chilies. Stir well, then add in all seasonings. Bring to a slow boil.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about half an hour. Remove from heat and stir in the cup of sour cream and heavy cream. It's ready to serve immediately! Serve with crushed tortillas or fritos.

**If you want, you can transfer everything (minus the sour cream and heavy cream) into a crockpot on low until you're ready to serve. When you get ready to serve it, just add in the creams.

martha moments: fried apple pies

now and then i have these moments that i like to call "martha moments." you see as much as i despise martha stewart, i have these instances when i go completely domestic. a real life betty crocker in the flesh.

so i decided that once a week i'll post about my martha moments. today's comes as a result of visiting my MeMa in the nursing home the other night (that visit is a whole other post in itself...let's just say that she's a mess!). anyway, in sitting and talking to her, she told me that Tim Sheriff had come by to see her. Tim is our old preacher and is also the one who married us. she said that Tim was talking about me and said that i made the best fried pies he's ever had.

funny.

i've never made a fried pie before.

and i doubt that Tim Sheriff said that. see MeMa has these moments where she is completely "there" and then these brief instances when she has no idea what she's talking about. i think this was one of those times.

anyway, she asked me the next time i came if i would bring some of my good fried pies. well, seeing as how i can't let my 85 year old MeMa down, i've educated myself this morning on how to make some fried pies like my Grandmama Betty makes 'em.

let me just tell you that my Grandmama Betty knows cooking. better than anyone. she can bring HER fried pies to the apple festival and once word gets out that she has some, people are trying to offer her money for them. i know this because it happened a couple of weeks ago....

anyway, i found this great video on youtube of this little lady showing you how to make fried apple pies the southern way. (note: this is NOT my grandmama betty, but it did give me the idea that i should go video her showing me things like this...)

you're gonna love listening to how she talks!

so rather than posting a recipe today for my 1st martha moment, i'm gonna leave it to Miss Edith Bradley: ("get ye a lil flire and ye board...")