Brett feeding the baby goats!

 

I thought I'd share my most recent adventure. My husband planned a trip for us to spend the weekend in north Georgia doing what we love; relaxing, riding though the mountainous areas, and enjoy the local agri-tourism. We have felt really rushed lately and needed a little together time, out of town. We drove up on Friday evening, spent the night, and visited a local apple orchard. I don't normally eat apples, because of the high sugar content, and my doctor told me that they're not the best fruit option. However, I love apples so much - I mean I really love them. To me, apples just seem like the American fruit. Maybe it's apple pie that gives me the notion that apples are somehow patriotic. Anyway, we thought it'd be a nice time to go, seeing as how the leaves are changing colors. Although the temperature highs were in the mid- to upper eighties, with such picturesque views, it was hard not to feel that giddy feeling one gets as the temperature cools and that fresh fall air hits the lungs. 

 

Holding baby chicks! Be still my heart!

The apple orchard was small, and honestly, we were a little disappointed, but we were together, so it was definitely a great time to be had.  The most fun part was probably the baby goats and sheep. They were loose in a pin and you could walk right in and feed them! They were adorable.

I am sure most people would be a little shocked, but owning a cow is on my life's to-do list. I got to milk a cow. I was nervous, honestly. I kind of felt bad that the cow was pinned up and people were just walking by taking turns milking her. Poor thing, but she got breaks and was munching on some goodies.

 

 

 

We left with a small bag of apples, which I used to make apple cobbler. I used the same recipe I used for my plum cobbler (see link below), except I sprinkled lemon juice and cinnamon on the apples when I added the sugar to the them. It was our treat for Halloween after all the kiddos left with our candy.  I have never, in my life, dressed up for
Halloween, but since my neighbor dressed up and we all sat outside and gave candy to passersby, I joined the fun and dressed as Rosie the Riveter.  Ironically, however, I also was baking an apple cobbler, and drinking the American classic Coca-Cola. My husband and I sat outside, enjoyed the fresh air and gave candy to at least 75 people. We had 50 individual bags with candy and gospel tracts, but ran out. We felt privileged to at least have enough for 50 people! We were not expecting nearly as many as we had, and I was hoping we'd get to dig into the extra candy I set aside. Oh well! It's not like I needed to eat any more candy anyway.

As the holiday season is now upon us, it is super easy to get caught up in the busyness that seems to accompany this time of year. This is supposed to be a time to fill our hearts with warmth as we spend time with those we love. My Grandmother went to be with the ones she loves in Heaven, and although she's not going to be with us this holiday season, she's in a much better place. She trusted Christ as her Savior and now she's living it up in heaven. She taught me a lot of things, and I'll be sharing some recipes later, that, as a little girl, were me and Mawmaw's recipe - at least in my mind. Anyway, as the holidays grow near, don't forget the ones you love in all the preparation. This year, I am going to forget about having the “perfect” Christmas and focus on hugs, smiles, and irreplaceable time to spend with those who matter most.

So, sit down and have a meal, at a table if you don't already, and look into the eyes of those around you whether you have kids, it's just you and your spouse, or invite over a friend. Be thankful, put down the phones and devises. I think one reason I am passionate about food is because it's a great, and easy way to connect with people and to share experiences and create memories. In a year, or two, getting that “perfect” gift is not going to be as cherished as a warm memory. So sit down and create memories. Smile. Laugh. Love. Create moments to cherish.

Happy Eating,
Lauren



Plum Cobbler http://sweetnsouthern24.blogspot.com/2016/11/plum-cobbler.html

Plum Cobbler

  

    Plum Cobbler

     I know it's been a long time coming, but I have finally had time to sit down and write a new post. Someone was recently kind of enough to give me some fresh plums. I love plums, and I usually eat them, but I decided to cook 'em up this time. I came up with this recipe based on my grandmother's recipe she showed me when I was a kid. It was peach cobbler and had tons of sugar, so I made a few changes. It is hands-down the best peach cobbler out there (in my opinion) and even though I made a few changes, it still resulted in a delicious treat.

I remember there were holidays that we went to Granny's (my dad's mom's place) and others we went to Maw-Maw's (my mom's mom). Granny was usually in the kitchen cooking something; biscuits, dressing, pecan pie, or a peach cobbler. Even as a kid, I wanted to know how to cook. I always found my way into the kitchen to ask Granny if I could help get lunch ready. She'd give me a bowl, the ingredients and with great assistance, I usually got to make the cornbread, biscuits or the cobbler. I remember the very first time I made cobbler at my grandmother's. After dinner, my grandfather would get a small portion of desert, eat it, and follow that with a handful of peanuts before retiring to the living room where all the men gathered to talk and watch sports. He ate some of the peach cobbler granny and I made together and said it was good; Granny, of course, gave me all the credit. He then told me that it was the best cobbler he'd ever had. It was, but it wasn't anything I had done, since it was my grandmother's recipe.

I wanted share this recipe, because it's so easy, cheap and most people have these simple ingredients laying around. Also, it doesn't require butter, and except for special occasions, I don't keep in the house. It was easy to convert it to a plum recipe. I literally just substituted the fruit, and it cooked up the same.

Plum Cobbler

1 qt. Sliced Plums (pits removed)

1 ½ c. Sugar

3 Tbs Vegetable Oil

½ c. hot water

1 c. Self-rising Flour

½ c. Milk

Arrange plums in a baking dish and sprinkle with ½ cup of sugar. In a separate bowl mix flour ½ cup sugar, oil and milk in a bowl. Pour over plums. Sprinkle with ½ cup of sugar. Pour hot water slowly over all. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until light brown.

Note: I cooked this in my cast iron skillet and it turned out lovely.

Spicy Feta Spread

Spicy Feta Spread                        

I used to work downtown in a near-by city, and even though I was well-meaning and planned to pack a lunch, I usually woke up too late and decided to forgo a packed meal as I ran out the door. I always enjoyed walking downtown on break, but that rarely happened, seeing as I was always too busy for a break. One afternoon, I decided to take a lunch break, something I rarely did, so I walked a couple of blocks to a cafe. It was outrageously expensive, so I ordered a cheap appetizer of feta cheese spread with veggies and warm pita bread. I wasn't too sure about it – it seemed a little odd. I don't really like feta that much - because it is so strong - at least not in large amounts. Although I had reservations, I took a taste and it was love at first bite! The veggies alongside made it a fresh, summer treat. My husband, an avid cheese lover, loves feta and I was so excited to share this find with him. He loved it too!

Not wanting to spend money on it every time I wanted a healthy alternative to dunking fresh veggies in ranch dressing, I attempted to make this dip at home. It is so simple and delicious! This cheesy delight really reminds me of a Greek dish. A lot of Greek foods I have seen seem to utilize feta cheese. Anyway, I am just discovering Greek recipes, and this dip pairs well with most of the Greek salads I've made (a spoiler alert of recipes to come).

There is a difference in the brands of feta. I have tried pricey brands and cheaper store brands, and there is a difference. However, the cheaper brands are good enough. I use one 8 ounce block of reduced or low-fat feta cheese, one small Jalapeño pepper, light olive oil-based mayonnaise and pepper. This is so easy, you'd be surprised. All I do is put the cheese in the food processor until it's crumbled. Next, I chop up a small Jalapeño, add less or more depending on how you handle the heat. I add pepper and light mayonnaise, and continue to blend until smooth, and wallah - 'tis done!

Spicy Feta Spread

8 ounce reduced-fat Feta Cheese

1 small Jalapeño pepper

3 Tbsp. light Olive Oil-based mayonnaise

½ Tsp Black Pepper

Place Feta Cheese in food processor and crumble. Add pepper, mayonnaise, and Jalapeño, and mix until smooth.

Side note: this spread works really great in Pita bread with cucumbers and tomatoes, for a fresh and light summer treat!

Luscious Lemon Curd

 Luscious Lemon Curd

It's Saturday, and a beautiful one at that! The sun is shining, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. Sounds lovely, right? Unfortunately, it is hot here in the South-too hot out for me. Ever wish you could bottle up a little piece of that sunshine and enjoy it inside where it's cool? Or, you wish you could save it for a cloudy day? Well, you can! Years ago, I was introduced to something so yummy, so bright and delicious. It tasted like sunshine, summertime, and smiles all wrapped up in a little jar. That something was lemon curd. Before tasting this bright delight, I thought to myself “lemon curd. . .curd . . .gross.” It sounds gross, but it's anything but distasteful. If you've tried it, and you like it, I have a simple recipe that you're sure to love.

 

I have tried several recipes for lemon curd that I have seen on Pinterest. This recipe is basically a little bit of them all. I took things I like from each to bring you this yummy treat today.

Lemon. These little guys are super versatile. I love buying foods that are multi-purpose. Most recipes I tried did not include extracts, but I love almond extract so I threw it in and some included honey- that was a last minute addition (sorry, honey, you didn't make it to the photo shoot.)

Also, you may note that I used kosher salt, but regular table salt will work great. 

Getting started, I juiced my lemons for ¼ c. of lemon juice. I didn't strain the juice for pulp because I'll do that later. After juicing the lemons, I set it aside to cream my butter and sugar.

It's a good idea to let the butter set out for awhile and reach room temperature. That way, it's easier to cream. After the butter and sugar are creamed-or mixed until kinda smooth- mix in the remaining ingredients plus honey.

  

Pour that mess into a small sauce pan, turn the burner to low and let it cook. Be sure to keep close by and stir it frequently! While you watch and stir, and watch and stir, cook it for about ten minutes or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

It's done!

 If you have some clumps, don't worry! I had a few little clumpies, so I put it through a mesh strain, and tada, you'd never know. Once it's finished cooking, pour it into a sealable container and let it sit open on the counter until it is cooled completely. Once it's cooled, pop it in the fridge or serve it on pretty much anything you like!

This sweet treat is great on toast, ice cream, and it's really good in crepes! I usually sneak a few spoonfuls by itself.  Enjoy this sweet summer treat that's as bright and cheery as sunshine itself!

Happy Eating!

Luscious Lemon Curd

¼ cup Lemon Juice

2 Large Eggs

2 cups Sugar

4 Tbsp. unsalted Butter

1Tbsp. Honey

1/8 tsp. Almond extract

½ tsp. Salt

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Add lemon juice and eggs. Mix well. Add Honey and almond extract. Pour into a small sauce pan and place over medium low heat, stirring frequently until thickened and coating the back of a spoon (about 10 min). Strain if there are any clumps. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Place in sealed container and store in the refrigerator.

Welcome!

Me and my sweet hubby!

After getting married a few years ago, my husband and I really packed on some pounds. We ate out a lot and being raised a southern girl, I cooked the typical southern cuisine. You know, deep fried cream cheese with a side of butter. Don't forget syrupy-sweet iced tea.  After checking up with our primary care and finding that we had high cholesterol and high blood pressure, we decided to make a few (okay many) dietary changes. It was really difficult at first finding healthy food to eat and meals to plan, and those items and dishes got really old, really fast. I started to think to myself, “why does healthy food have to taste so bad?” I looked for alternatives to butter, salt, other fats and carbs. Oh my! Carbs. I. Love. Them. All. Pasta! Rice! Potatoes! Bread! I better stop there or I am gonna be tempted to falter. 

As my research continued, I found healthy low to no carbs substitutes and ways to substitute empty calories (food that has calories with little to no actual nutritional value) for food that I can get more bang for my buck (protein and nutrients for calories). My husband's cholesterol has gone down, my blood pressure is great, and we've both lost weight! I am not promoting any diet, and I am not saying that my way of eating works for everyone. What I am saying, is that there is a great alternative for unhealthy food. I want to share with others what I've learned, recipes that I've created, and and tips for using healthy, low-carb substitutes.


Just a taste of things to come!

Being the true southern girl that I am, I'll be sharing a few cheats too! My husband and I have an all-out, no-shame cheat day once a month. So I'll be sharing some sweet treats as well as savory-cheater cheater pumpkin eater-dishes along the way. Remember, all things in moderation!   Besides, we all need a little sweetness from time-to-time.

I'll also be sharing some Pinterest experiments. From success to failures, I'll share my attempts at some of those ever-so-tempting pins, both healthy and not-so healthy.

Eating good doesn't have to be bad.

Happy Eating,
Lauren