Country Viddles

I love simple country home cooked meals. When I cook I rarely use unusual ingredients or lots of spices. When it comes to food I like it simple and comforting. For supper we had green beans cooked in cured ham until tender, cream style fried corn, cornbread, and new potatoes. For dessert we had a Blueberry Boy Bait Cake. The cake has a strange name but it sure was delicious. I wanted to share the cake recipe and the creamed corn recipe with you guys. However I am sure all you southerners already know how to make fried corn!

Blueberry Boy Bait Cake

Serves 12

If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them.

Cake

2 cups plus 1 t. all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

2 sticks butter, softened

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping

1/2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 t cinnamon

For cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 baking pan.

Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. With electric mixer beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 min. Add eggs, one at the time, beating until just incorporated. Reduce speed and beat in one third of the flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of the milk. Beat in half of the remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour. Toss blueberries in 1 t. flour and fold into batter with a spatula. Spread batter into prepared pan. For the topping: Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and then sprinkle over the batter. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, 45 to 50 min.

Southern Fried Corn

6 ears of sweet corn, shucked and silks removed

1/2 stick butter

sugar

lard

milk

The proper way to cut your corn off the cob for this dish is to cut the very ends of the kernels off into a deep bowl. Using the back of your knife scrape the rest of the corn from the cob. Be careful as you can easily get cut. I usually have more success with a serrated knife. After you have all your corn cut off add about 1 cup of water to it and stir it. Heat a nonstick skillet and add a heaping tablespoon of lard or bacon drippings to it. Add your corn and salt and pepper it. Add your butter and begin with 1 T of sugar. You can always add more if it's not sweet enough. Cook on medium for about 15 min stirring often. At the very end add a splash of milk or cream. Enjoy!

My Future Neighbors

I visited my future neighbors the other day and just had to take some photos of them. My sister just got her ducks this spring and they are going to be very noisy neighbors. Lol, not to mention they nibble at toes in flip flops. Hope you guys enjoy these pics.......we had a hot humid and rainy day here!

4th of July Weekend

We had lots of rain so the hubby and I went to the movies Friday night and watched Hancock. We got to see a few fireworks before the movie started. Saturday I got in the kitchen and tied on my apron to cook for our Sunday church service. My contribution to the meal was bread, rotisserie chicken, corn casserole and stuffing. I just had to take a pic of the yummy chicken. I just got a new gadget from QVC that cooks rotisserie chicken. It only took 40 min and was very moist. As for the bread; I admit I am a cheater............I used my bread machine. I LOVE fresh baked bread and the bread machine makes it sooooooooooo easy. I occasionally make it from scratch :) Look at Odee waiting patiently for a bite!

Today we had a lovely church service with dinner afterwards. I am truly blessed to have such a loving family! My mom, dad and three sisters all go to the same church. I am so thankful to have such a close knit family. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend.

Dog Dayz

Today is the beginning of Dog Days. Or so it's called in these parts. And it sure is hot out today. I am ready for summer to be over and fall to begin. I spent the day running errands and working on orders. I also took some time to snap some photos of my babies.

I'm Moving!

Well I have finally decided to take the plunge and move. After many years of debating my current situation and location I have decided to move. I will be moving back home; building a small cabin beside my mom, dad and sister. This is a very scary step but I feel it is something I must do. I am sooooooooooo very excited to build a house though. There are so many things I want to add but I will have to see what my budget allows me to do. Please keep me in your prayers. I can't wait to share with you guys the progress; which may be slow as my business is very time consuming. Here are my neighbors..............lol they will be right out near my front yard!

More Pumpkins

I kept myself busy sewing up more pumpkins today. I just love the real pumpkin stems but I only had a few and used twigs after I ran out. Seems I can never get enough pumpkins sewn up because they sell well every fall. These will all be available tonight on my retail and wholesale sites. To anyone interested in ordering wholesale please email me and I will be happy to send you my link after you provide a valid tax id. Blessings,

Jill

A New Pumpkin & Herbs

Today has been very mild and pleasant outside. Temps are expected to reach the 90's again this week so I got outside today to cut my herbs. I just hate cutting my herbs when they are so pretty. But it must be done in order to dry them. I found these old green shutters on my travels years ago and I have used them ever since to hang my herbs on to dry.

I also finished up a new pumpkin and I love how three dimensional it looks. I added a real dried pumpkin stem. I have several little ones outside drying as well; I can't wait until Fall! Hope you all have had a productive day!