SALTY DOG FUDGE

The "Random House Dictionary" describes the word 'fudge' as: "a candy made of sugar, butter, milk, chocolate and flavoring".........I beg to differ with them as in my time I have made many different kinds of fudge and they certainly did not all contain chocolate. Not there's anything wrong with chocolate, my goodness, I have been a self-professed chocoholic for most of my life. When it comes to fudge though, I tend to prefer peanut butter without chocolate in it.

So naturally when a friend slid a copy of this recipe across the kitchen counter to me I had to try it. She said, "There's a secret ingredient", in a slow whisper, which turned out to be an entire sleeve of Saltine crackers.

My brain and tongue both immediately went to flapping....salty&sweet....sweet&salty....oooh Yes!

2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 sleeve Saltine crackers, crushed
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring.

When it comes to the actual boil, only let it boil for 1 minute and then remove it from the heat. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until well blended. Pour into a butter greased glass 8X8 baking dish. Refrigerate until well chilled then cut in pieces. 

'I never met a fudge of any description that I did not love!"~Adele Forbes

SOUTHWEST LAYERED CORNBREAD SALAD

In my profession I am always searching for new recipes that 'flip-my-trigger'; here is just such a creation. Lovely layers of my Mama Joe's cornbread stars with more layers of lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes, onion and shredded cheddar cheese.

You can make a cake of your favorite cornbread to use in this recipe or here is a link for Mama Joe's Cornbread...http://inmamajoesshadow.blogspot.com/2009/12/mama-joes-cornbread.html.....

1 cake of your favorite cornbread (you won't need all of it)
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup 1000 Island dressing
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Crumble the cornbread, set aside. Mix the mayonnaise through the salt together. 

2 heads chopped Romaine lettuce
1 (14 oz.) can yellow corn, drained
1 (14 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 to 8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2/3 cup finely chopped onion, red or sweet
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a 4-qt. glass dish (a clear glass dish works best here so that you can see the pretty layers), place half of the lettuce, then top with half of the cornbread crumbs. Spread half of the mayonnaise mixture over the cornbread layer. Layer half each of the corn, beans, tomatoes, onions and cheese. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Serves 6 to 8

“Her corn-cake, in all its varieties of hoe-cake, dodgers, muffins and other species too numerous to mention, was a sublime mystery to all less practised compounders.”
Harriet Beecher Stowe, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' (1852)

MISSISSIPPI SIN

Every time I hear the word 'Mississippi', my mind drifts off to the fabulous appetizer that shares the same name, only with the word 'Sin' attached at the end.....oh yes.....that would be 'Mississippi Sin'. 

1 Mississippi~2 Mississippi~3 Mississippi...you'll need a round 1 lb. loaf of that good old sweet Hawaiian bread, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 8 oz. pkg. softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham, 1/3 cup chopped green chiles and 1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce.

Combine the shredded cheddar, cream cheese, sour cream, cooked ham, green chiles and Worcestershire sauce, stirring well. 

Cut a thin slice from the top of the loaf of bread; set aside. Using a gentle sawing motion, cut vertically to, but not through, bottom of loaf, 1/2-inch from edge. Lift out center of loaf; cut into 1-inch cubes and set aside.

Fill hollowed loaf with dip; cover with reserved top slice of bread loaf. Wrap with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve with reserved cubes of bread, crackers and or chips. Whatever you like. We're not picky around here. If it's in front of us, we'll eat it!


"Women keep a special corner of their hearts for sins they have never committed." ~Cornelia Otis

LOW-CARB PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SHAKE

In my illustrious time I have tried every diet on the planet, from the 'eat only bananas one day', 'nothing but meat the next', 'only tomatoes on the third day'; you have the picture now swirling around your brain.....scary isn't it? Then years back I went on a Low-Carb kick and lost 30 pounds. True confessions~it's the only way of eating that I can actually lose weight. I don't always stick with it but I always go back to it when my bathroom scale takes a leap forward. To each his own, 'they' say, this is my way. 

1 cup vanilla almond Silk milk
1/2 cup canned real pumpkin~not pumpkin pie filling
2 oz. cream cheese~no need to soften
2 Tbsp. Splenda~or other desirable no sugar sweetener
1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1 cup crushed ice

  Whirling, whirling, whirling....keep those blenders whirling..

I'll take the shake over the cake....only 6.5 grams of carbs...and I get 2 servings out of 1 shake so that leaves me with 3.25 grams of carbs per shake. Enjoy, it is highly luscious! 

"I never met a low~carb shake that I didn't like."~Adele Forbes

CHICKEN ENCHILADA PASTA

I have a confession to make...I AM ADDICTED TO PINTEREST! There, I finally admitted it. I feel so much better now. Alas, there is a bright spot to this latest addiction of mine and that is all of the wonderful recipes I have ran across while REPINING my little heart out. Here is a prime example of one of those recipes. 

Breasts from a rotisserie chicken~shredded
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves~minced
1 sweet onion~diced
1 red bell pepper~diced
1 (4oz.) can diced green chiles
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
20 oz. green salsa verde
1 (6oz.) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Colby/Jack cheese
1 up sour cream
whole wheat penne pasta~cooked and drained

Heat olive oil, cook onions, add garlic and red pepper, cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Add chicken, chiles, seasonings, salsa verde enchilada sauce. Allow to simmer 8 to 10 minutes, then add cheese, stir until melted. Toss in sour cream~DO NOT ALLOW IT TO BOIL~whatever you do! Cook it over low heat. Stir until well mixed. Add pasta to pot. Garnish if desired with additional toppings of avocado, black olives, green onions, sour cream and tomatoes.
Serves 6 to 8

"I never met a Chicken Enchilada of any description that I didn't love."~Adele Forbes 

PINEAPPLE YOGURT DIP

Here is a wonderful dip that you can take to the bedroom with you tonight and feed to your lover. It is low in carbs, calories and sugar-free....ENJOY!

8 oz. cream cheese-fat free if that's what you need-softened
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt-again, fat-free if so desired
8 oz. crushed pineapple-drained
1/2 cup Splenda
 Process all until smooth. Cover; chill. Serve with assorted fresh fruit.


Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. _Anon

BUTTERFINGER PIE

I'll just come right out and tell you that this is one of the best dessert pies EVER and the list of ingredients is only 4 items long. So go ahead and make 2 or 3 or 4 or more....stick them in the freezer and then you'll have extras to share with your family and friends...they'll be so very glad that you did! Everyone that I have served them to wants more..more..more..

That is my 9 year old grandson Kris with his head sticking up out of the sand in the beach pictures. He is a hoot and a half and a very good big brother to his little 2 year old sister, Karlie. He likes to help out in the kitchen and loves oysters and mussels like nobody's business. Every time we journey to the coast he begs for us to bring him some oysters back and we always try to accommodate him when the oyster season is 'in'. Oysters are his favorite food and for some reason that just happens to crack me up. He hasn't partaken of the pie yet, but I know that when he does he will be one happy camper.

6 (2 1/2 oz.) Butterfinger candy bars~crushed
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
12 oz. thawed Cool Whip
1 graham cracker crust

I cut the Butterfinger bars in half, then cut them in small pieces in the opposite direction and saved about 1/3 of them to top the pie with. Then I mixed the cream cheese and Cool Whip together and added the remaining chopped Butterfinger pieces and placed it all in the crust, then sprinkled the reserved pieces over the top of the pie. Then I began to swoom....then I covered it with the plastic top to the pie crust and placed it in the refrigerator to chill out. The next evening we were invited to our neighbors for a fresh caught fish fry and the pie was the hit of the evening. Or maybe it was the fresh fried Brim...either way, everyone was a winner baby...

And that is me and Kris waving to you from the mermaid picture...happy ocean breezes to you..today and everyday that you are lucky enough to be there....