Premade side salad with a marinated dressing will improve as it steeps. Delightfully the steeped salad will last longer than normal in the refrigerator. This feature is important if you are planning multiple meals over several days for house guests.

Grill Man and I enjoy sharing our home and time with loved ones. Sharing a casual meal at home is the optimum way to spend quality time. Whether sitting at the dining table, eating an outdoor meal on the porch or watching the fire on the deck, sharing meals is special. A simple libation added into the mix makes it all better.

Why you need Company’s Coming- Premade Steeped Side Salad in your life

With house guests in my future, I decided to peruse one of my cookbooks for inspiration. My Bonus Aunt Theria gave me a lovely community cookbook titled “The Three Arts Club- Opp Alabama”. This copy is the historical edition 1928-2000, “A collection of Recipes Past and Present.” I did not know much about the club other than their mission. ” The Three Arts Club was to awaken and stimulate interest in literature, music and art.”

Oddly while scanning the cookbook, I did not make it past the premade side salads in the beginning. I found a Marinated Vegetables recipe submitted by Mrs. Robert Virginia Dowling Sr. that I knew I wanted to play around with. When I see a recipe I read it in an effort to improve the flavor, nutrition, update cooking method, create and infusion or balance the flavors to my desired taste.

Over time, I have developed my flavor profile through cooking trial and errors. (Yes errors, in case you have not heard, I am the “Queen of burnt bread”). In our household we adore full flavor and enjoy food with a bit of heat. We are not fans of bland food. Food does not have to be fussy or expensive to be good but it must be prepared with love. If your short on time or love having a few tricks up your sleeve will help.

Every host needs a trick up her sleeve

A premade side salad is a perfect trick recipe that everyone needs in their repertoire. Mrs. Dowling’s Marinated Vegetables recipe stated that the dish could be ” kept for several weeks and better each time you serve.” Challenge accepted! While pulling out the ingredients I was able to determine how I wanted to change the recipe.

My Bonus Mom gave me a beautiful wooden bowl the other day and I had been eager to use it. Quickly, I started making Company’s Coming-Premade Steeped Side Salad because soon my guests would arrive. A premade side salad would be great to add to the menu and then use as a side served alongside a sandwich from leftover turkey or ham.

Company’s Coming-Premade Steeped Side Salad offers a perfect amount of crunch to go along with the green beans, corn and early sweet peas. The anchovy adds a hidden layer of flavor to the dressing that your mouth will enjoy. Honestly, I do not add cayenne to every dish but add it. Spice will wake up a tired palate and make it sing with the candied jalapenos.

‘Cause everyone needs a little sugar in their life. Alexa, shout out to Maroon 5 for their single Sugar. Check out their video for this song and their drop in surprise for random weddings in LA.

Visit the dessert category for My Bonus Mom’s Pecan Pie which is perfect if you have fresh pecans.

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With family visiting Fairhope, breakfast time on Sunday morning moves slow if you’re enjoying coffee at a leisurely pace. Unless you want to run out in search of fast food, breakfast is needed. One Fairhope Foodies Prosciutto Chipotle Cheddar Quiche recipe is an easy fix.

Cooking a quiche for breakfast is always easy to serve a crowd. Substitute ingredients as needed depending on what you may have on hand. In my house I typically have prosciutto, coppa or salami. Grill Man and I both love any of these to be served on a charcuterie plate served along side a glass of wine. Any type of ham will substitute well in this quiche.

Troyer Cheese and where to buy

My One Fairhope Foodies Prosciutto Chipotle Cheddar Quiche recipe is delicious with chipotle cheddar cheese. Troyer is the brand of cheese that I chose to use in this recipe. Troyer is a family owned company and sells its products to family owned grocery stores or direct from its site. I love the smoky flavor with a bit of heat. As much as I adore this cheese, it too may substituted with another option.

Try one of Mimi’s Secrets

Regardless of which cheese you use, be sure to use one of my baking secrets AKA Mimi Magic. When using cheese in baked goods we typically think of grating cheese. If you add grated cheese to a quiche the small amount of cheese blends in once the quiche is cooked. Instead of grating, use the cutting method in my recipe directions. This will provide a bite of quiche with hot melted cheese instead of a disappearing act.

A combination of pie crust, eggs, cheese, prosciutto and seasonings make this a delicious hot breakfast to serve your loved ones. If you only need one, make two at the same time. Once the second one cools package and wrap well for the freezer.

One Fairhope Foodies Prosciutto Chipotle Cheddar Quiche recipe will serve you well on another day and always good to serve for lunch or dinner. An easy recipe that provides a hot dish will always provide love and happiness for all involved. Alexa, Shout out to Marc Broussard for his song Love and Happiness.  

“Loving will make you do right”

Marc Broussard

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Reasons to cook  Seasoned Ahi Tuna Steaks Sear Then Flip Recipe

Tuna steaks cooked offer many choices for your meal planning whether you’re serving alongside vegetables or adding to a salad.  Any leftover tuna will deliver the best damn tuna salad sandwich you have ever had in your mouth. It is worth it to drive to your local bakery and select bread that is worthy of Ahi tuna.  Sadly this will spoil you with flavor and may give you a dose of hesitation when buying canned tuna.

Like the champagne of beers, Ahi tuna tastes great and is less filling. Seasoned Ahi Tuna Steaks Sear Then Flip recipe is a low-calorie meal that does not taste like dieting. Ahi tuna is rich in protein, minerals and omega 3. Due to tuna’s mercury count it may pose a health risk to young children or pregnant women. Thankfully, this does not apply to me.

I love cooking this recipe in my favorite iron skillet. Simple seasoning, olive oil and Ahi Tuna steaks is all that you need for a wonderful entrée. In the Summer, we long for easy meals that won’t keep you in the kitchen or using the oven. Seasoned Ahi Tuna Steaks Sear Then Flip Recipe will meet your requirements for an easy meal without using the oven.

Side Dish Suggestions

Beach Ready? New Fresh Potato Salad Recipe

Southern Zipper Peas Recipe

A Vegetable Medley of Fresh Flavor

Less time in the kitchen means more time outside or just paddling. Shout out to Alexa for Fishin’ In The Dark by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band or try Kid Rock’s All Summer Long.

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This hot and hearty meal  is easy to cook one day and serve another. Recipe may be cut into serving slices  and popped in microwave for 40-60 seconds as needed. Bacon lovers will enjoy Busy Mom’s Beckon The Bacon Frittata recipe. Grill Man feels cheated if meat is missing from the meal.

If you have a couple of picky eaters, cut the onions and peppers very small. Or be really sneaky and purée them  in your blender. The nutrition and flavor will be there but not as visible .

In this dish cutting the cheese  in lieu of grating will allow the cheese to stand out and be noticed. Grated cheese has a tendency to hide in a baked dish. Who doesn’t love a cheesy bite? I didn’t specify the cheese in this dish. Use your favorite cheese whether its cheddar cheese, havarti, monterrey jack or cheddar with scallions.

How to create a frittata?

Use this basic recipe and design your own frittata dish.  Throw in your leftovers and make a few changes. Swap out peppers and onions for another veggie. Replace the bacon with leftover sausage or boudin. Be adventurous! Busy Mom’s Beckon The Bacon Frittata recipe is waiting to join your busy week.

Company’s coming? Quiches and frittatas freeze well. Make ahead and use as needed when you have a house full of company. Your guests will be none the wiser unless you let them in on your secret.

Here are a couple of oldies but goodies.

Salmon Sockeye It To Me Quiche

Spicy Sausage Cheese Egg Pies

Manchego Frittata Mimi Style

Quiche- Albacore Tuna Spiced Up? Wow!

Alexa shout out to Superwoman by  Alicia Keys. Even when I’m a mess….

Even when I’m a mess
I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes
I’m a Superwoman!

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Save a Ham Bone, Feed a Cowboy Soup Recipe leaves no doubt that it delivers a hearty bowl that will satisfy your hunger. I love cooking soups from items on hand. It is a great way to feed your creativity, use leftovers, maximize time for your passions. Serving soup in the evening is an easy meal to reheat after a long day at work or play.

Spring and Summer call out for easy meals to serve late afternoon after work.  Meals that will allow you to put in 9 holes at the golf range or paddle board in the lake or bay while watching for the sun to set gently down. If your busy you should  want to squeeze every ounce out of those daylight saving hours that magically appear. Use it or lose it.

How to use your leftover Ham Bone and Ham scraps

To save time and money is important to everyone. Save a Ham Bone, Feed a Cowboy Soup Recipe makes great use of the left over ham bone. Remember, waste not want not.  Check out this category for other ways to re-purpose leftovers.

Always, make the ham stock and use right away or freeze for later use. Depending on how busy my schedule is will typically determine when I use. Using the freezer gives you options for how and when to process. Save any extra stock to use for other recipes.

Remember, a stock rendered from a ham bone and scraps could be used in variety of recipes for soups or cooking any variety of beans. Homemade stocks breathe soul into your cooking in a way that store-bought stocks do not. Of course it is more steps and time but it makes your food have more hidden layers of flavor. Ham and potato flavors marry together well in any dish.

Of course, adding two types of potatoes white and sweet give a creamy base for the soup. Homemade stock and  dried porcini mushrooms elevate this soup to another level.  Porcini mushrooms offer health benefits that are worth looking into further. Grill Man loved the flavors in this simple soup. I think it is worthy of your next dinner party. Please let me know what you think.

Finally, shout out to Alexa for Ronnie Wood and Bo Diddley, I’m A Man recorded Live At The Ritz  New York City in 1988. This recording will get your cowboy boots moving in one direction or another.

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Of course, living near the Gulf Coast  with easy access to fresh seafood will spoil you for more than one reason. Being able to buy fresh shrimp, crawfish and  fresh catch fish is a luxury I adore. If  your landlocked and not as fortunate, most seafood markets will ship fresh or frozen seafood overnight. Trust me it is totally worth it.

Surprisingly, I have never cooked shrimp and grits. Yet I thought that it would be easy based on my love and familiarity  with the ingredients. What could go wrong with shrimp, butter, seasonings, shrimp stock, garlic and grits? Plus my grits were specially sourced from my Rural Alabama Trip To Inspire.

How to cook Spicy Gulf Shrimp Gravy, Andouille Sausage and Grits

As a rule, growing up Southern you  learn about grits early.  Since I am always trying to cut carbs I rarely cook grits. It is important for me to save carbohydrate allowance for my obsession, potato chips, Doritos, chili cheese fritos, ZAPS etc.   Thankfully, the grits package  will provide instructions. You will only need to read and follow directions.

All in all gravy requires more skill but you will manage it well. Spicy Gulf Shrimp Gravy, Andouille Sausage and Grits Recipe is easy to cook. At the same time, the hardest part of this recipe is peeling shrimp and making  stock. Great idea to recruit your man for peeling shrimp while you chop vegetables. Bribe him with a glass of wine or two if  you must. Trust me it is totally worth it.

Finally, shout out to Skate Mountain Records for Jimmy Lumpkin and The Revival  My Name is Love. I have only recently discovered this band but I love the soulful sound. Visit web site for tour dates and tunes. Trust me it is totally worth it.

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Of course, my Momma’n’em used a pressure cooker and I have a very healthy respect for this device. To the point of being in awe of anyone brave enough to use one. On more than one occasion during my childhood, I saw the effects of a pressure cooker that had “gone rogue”.

Rogue Pressure Cooker

Momma like to cook Creole Red Beans in her pressure cooker which had a giggly top otherwise known as pressure regulator. On more than one occasion Momma’s pressure cooker spewed Creole Red Beans on our ceiling. Clearly Momma had a hot-pot which failed to work correctly whether it was the pot or operator error.

Thankfully no one was ever injured from the rogue pressure cooker but it was probably only a matter of time. As a teenager viewing the red beans being cleaned off the ceiling and everywhere else was a sight. Momma’s rogue pressure cooker managed to leave a lasting impression on me. To the point that I have always been hesitant about using one.

Just the thought that I might wind up having to clean the ceiling pretty much does it for me. In  my house, it’s hard enough to keep the walls and floors clean, let alone washing the ceiling down. I have to admit the speed of a new electric pressure cooker minus the giggly top sounded positive. Yet, still not brave enough to buy.

Southern Girls Instant Pot Intro- Venison Cutlets

Until one day our friend Focus delivered a big, shiny new Instant Pot to us.  Great gift for a busy foodie even if she is a big ‘ole scaredy-cat.  Instant Pot whips up all sorts of yummy goodness. From venison cutlets to roasts, main dishes, stew, soup, rice, yogurt, dessert all cooked very fast. Quickly a roast is delivered to the point of submission and mouth-watering tender.

Speed alone is a reason to use. Warning: Read the manual before you start using your pressure cooker. Then read it again. Do not skip reading the manual because improper use may lead to worse things than red beans on the ceiling. Scaredy-cat reads the manual every time I use my magic machine.

Even then, I am a bit nervous as I follow all the steps.  Each new cooking phase adds a little more adventure to your evening meal. Instant Pot does not have a giggly top but it does click away while cooking. FYI probably not a good idea to have a glass of wine while using this device.

In my research I discovered class action lawsuits on certain brands of  pressure cookers and a new field called Pressure Cooker Injury Lawyers.  I imagine someone saying “Y’all watch this!” just before they did something really stupid.

Read the manual. Pay attention and save wine to drink with dinner for Southern Girls Instant Pot Intro- Venison Cutlets. A friend gave us venison and it turned out delicious in my brand new shiny but intimidating Instant Pot. If there is a deficit of venison in your freezer beef cutlets could be swapped out.  Alexa Shout out to Hank Williams Jr, A Country Boy Can Survive.

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Save it for making southern dressing. And by dressing I don’t mean salad dressing. If your unsure what I am talking about, please reach out to me.  You may use your cornbread crumbs and I am happy to share a fabulous recipe for Southern Dressing

Cornbread crumbs will freeze well, if you don’t want to make right away. By the time you  marry together cornbread crumbs with chicken, broth, onions, celery, poultry seasoning and other ingredients this southern sin will be a distant memory. If only they were all so easy.

How to remove one Southern Sin from your list

By now you have figured out life comes with its challenges. Making decent cornbread moist and filled with flavor should not be one of yours.  Jacked Up Cornbread has everything needed to offer a delicious cornbread.  In addition this recipe blends a bit of heat using mild jalapeno, jalapeño jack cheese and chipotle chile powder. Mixing the three items provides a blend that hits your taste buds in more than one happy way.

With the cold weather kicked in to overdrive, using Jiffy corn muffin mix recipe for Jacked-Up Cornbread is an easy add to your meal. Tasty cornbread is a perfect accompaniment to any meal. Prepare recipe ahead of time and pop in oven as needed or cornbread will reheat well. Making a 9 x 13 dish will yield  cornbread for several meals for a small family.

Cornbread or bread is satisfying and makes any meal better. Remember this is a quick side dish for when you need to bring something for a barbecue or party. I would serve this with a multitude of meals. Cut cornbread into smaller pieces to increase serving portions.

Not always good for the waistline but if your going to eat it, make sure its worth the calories. Soup is comfort food for me and cornbread works well with a bowl of soup. Jacked Up Cornbread recipe sits proudly on any plate although it is similar to a spoonbread or pudding. The added ingredients make sure that your bread is moist, oozing with cheese, onions and flavor.

Alexa Shout out to another Louisiana favorite,  Cupid featuring  Big Pokey “Cornbread and Greens“.  “If you can’t cook cornbread and  you can’t cook greens, I’m sorry you ain’t the one for me.” Please watch the you tube video for this song. I had to laugh at the band rocking it through the grocery store with greens in hand. Watch entire video. Bit of wisdom from Cupid:

It ain’t  always about your stuff.

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Sunday lunch was a great time to cook Flavorful Italian Green Beans and test it on my family. Whether your entertaining friends, organizing visits from family or dinner parties  you will need a stockpile of recipes for this time of year. I needed an easy meal to prepare, full of vegetables and low in calories. A meal that didn’t taste like diet food and or come in a box and would please the toughest critic.

Grill Man is the perfect critic. Thankfully, he loves me madly but absolutely does not mind critiquing. At times, I must make a facial expression that surely shows my displeasure with his comments. Grill Man’s typical reply is “You want me to be honest, don’t you?”  even before I have time to say anything. Hhhmmmmmmmm?

My judging panel consisted of Grill Man, his Mom  (my bonus Mom ) and son (my IT genius).   This trio of taste testers represent a good cross-section of palates. Sunday lunch offered an opportunity for me to share quality time with family and test a few recipes. A busy girl must learn to multitask if she is going to survive.

What’s on the menu?

Sunday Menu consisted of Easy Low Calorie Baked Salmon, Italian Green Beans, fresh okra from the garden and Lima Beans. Grill Man had been on the road a lot and needed a home cooked meal. This menu offers a low-calorie meal that is full of flavor and nutrients.

Over the course of our lunch our conversations centered around the meal and family updates. My baby sister and her family had recently visited our home. Her Super-baby is always a topic of our conversations, discussing his latest achievements and viewing recent photos. As his Auntie Mimi, I confess he is adorable and totally grabs your heart upon introduction.

I whipped out my phone to show the latest images of Super-baby. On viewing the latest photo, bonus Mom said “He’s a ditty-wa-sport!” What? I had to ask her to repeat because I wasn’t familiar with this vernacular. Through our lunch conversations, I learned Ditty-wa-sport is like calling someone a “Sport-T-Model”.

Reflecting on ditty-wa-sport made me think of my Granny Theda. My granny had the most unusual sayings of anyone that I have ever met, ever. For the longest time, I thought she created Waste Not Want Not. Mainly, because she said it all the time, gave it to my Mom who then forced  the concept on yours truly. It’s a blessing and a damn curse.

Does your family have unusual expressions?

The unusual sayings were all that I could think about. I sent my list of  “Granny-sayings” in a text to a few of my cousins and sisters for any to be added that were missing. After the continuous texts stopped rolling in, and the laughter had settled,  I realized my Granny enjoyed dark humor. I guess that is where I get it from.  Granny certainly gave me her love of cooking and entertaining , too.

My fondest memories are being at her house underfoot and sharing meals with her very large and loud family. Cooking and sharing meals allows for bonding and conversations that you may only experience while eating together. Don’t pass up an opportunity to learn about your family, some items only slip out at the dinner table. As a suggestion, wine may encourage the ‘slippin’-out, although not necessary.

Share Flavorful Italian Green Beans with your family. Please let me know how you like it. Also, if you have a family saying that makes you ponder and giggle, please leave a comment and share.   I will share mine soon. Happy Cooking Y’all

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Watching the meal planning exercise and execution with your adult child is educational. It is  amusing to hear her make comments to me about the need to cook healthy. What?  Me the Mom who has received more than my share of eye rolls, snarky comments and blank stares when I have made simple comments like:

-limit drinking soda’s or totally avoid
-stay away from junk food
-drink plenty of water
-limit fried foods

What is best way to add new healthy habits?

Learning to merge healthy habits into  your diet and cooking is a process. My belief is that adding in healthy habits are sustainable if you adjust over time. A total change overnight is harder to keep going after the “new” wears off. Cooking healthy is vitally important to our overall health. Healthy food assists our bodies to work properly and in boosting our immune system.

My girl has introduced her own healthy suggestions into our home. We are never too old to learn, even from our children. I requested muffins, meat-loaves and new chef recipe to be used on my site and a healthy mix of vegetables for our meal.  Quickly, my new chef stated that the menu would consist of ground turkey for the Muffins, Meatloaves and New Chef recipe.

Off she went to the grocery to buy items needed for dinner. Time for me to put my feet up, I could get use to this. Is it time for wine?  I moved to the couch and my computer while I waited for my new chef to whip up a recipe.

My girl and I chatted about pans, ingredients and typical meatloaf recipes in general. The healthy addition to her meatloaf recipe was ground turkey. Prior to this, Muffins, Meatloaves and New Chef recipe, ground turkey was MIA from my kitchen. In our house, we love whole turkeys baked in the oven, grilled on the egg and in the slow cooker.

But, ground? This tiny piece of information would be on the “need to know status” for Grill Man.  Certainly the meat-loaves cooked in a muffin pan would be delicious. This had been on my list to try for some time. My favorite part of a traditional meatloaf is the crispy end or edges where all the flavor concentrates. The black-ish part that appears  too burnt to eat but is oh so delicious. The multiple muffin tins would allow for more crispy edges to share less crispy to negotiate over.

To use Ground Turkey or not in Muffin Meatloaves ?

My girl had experience cooking with ground turkey therefore I was not worried about the taste. Since Grill Man was traveling, she would have time to complete the dish before he discovered the ground turkey secret. How would he like the meatloaf? Would he notice the  turkey before we shared the secret with him? Over time would he want to eat the meatloaf again after he found out it was turkey? Inquiring minds want to know.

Muffins Meatloaves and New Chef recipe is a hit. Grill Man and I loved the flavor of the meatloaf. Muffin tins provide more crispy bits of heavenly flavor to fight over. The turkey secret remained intact until I decided to share with Grill Man.

As with most “food dislikes” once the person learns of additional add of “item to avoid” they may or may not want to eat the item again. Over time, a person with “food dislikes” may change their opinion and learn to love an item once avoided. Then again, some times not. Food like and dislikes is a very personal choice.

Muffins Meatloaves and New Chef recipe is yummy with turkey.  In lieu of turkey swap out your favorite ground meat. The spices may need to be adjusted accordingly. For a completely different type of meatloaf which includes meat, meat and more meat visit Meatloaf Trifecta Beef, Spicy Sausage and Bacon

Alexa Shout out to Peter Frampton  for Wind of Change. I tried to search for the newest album Acoustic Classics but Alexa isn’t that hip yet. Grill Man has this album and loves it.

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