Mason Jar BBQ Sundae Supper

When I read this article in Southern Living I knew then and there that I had to recreate it for our next Sunday Supper…

“From his Ole Miss days, Foods Editor Scott Jones fondly remembers the BBQ Sundae served at the Rebel Barn BBQ in Oxford. An entrée, not dessert, the sundae layers pork, slaw, and baked beans, all covered in thick, sweet red sauce.”

…and boy am I glad I did.  It would be darling and practical for feeding a crowd as well.  (It’s not often that I can put “darling” and “practical” in the same sentence...just ask Honey.)
Here’s how to pull it off – this will serve 12 in the small size mason jars:
- 2 cans baked beans
- 1 recipe of my easy slaw
- 1 recipe of my hands down never had better crock pot BBQ
- jar of bread and butter pickles
- Layer beans, slaw, bbq and then top with a pickle garnish.
- Swoon from Southern goodness

My Easy Slaw

1 bag shredded coleslaw mix

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

2 T mayonnaise

1 T honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp celery seed

1. Whisk together everything for sauce.
2. Mix into shredded coleslaw and chill until ready to serve.

My Hands Down Never Had Better Crock Pot BBQ

• 4 lb. eye of round roast if you’re feeling spendy; 4 lb. piece of pork if you’re not
• 1 tsp salt
• large can tomato sauce
• 12 oz. bottle chili sauce
• 1 chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• buns (if you’re not serving in a jar, of course)

1. Place roast in crock pot.  Sprinkle with salt and add water to cover.  Cook on 6 hours. 
2. In the last hour, stir together tomato sauce and next 10 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Shred meat and mix with sauce.

Both recipes from Southern Living back in the day.  I apologize for not having dates/issues but I’ve had these cut out in my recipe book for ages.

Happy eatin’ y’all!
xoxo

Excited for the features on Huffington Post, Tip Junkie and Artsy Girl!

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Sunday Supper {Gladys Knight Style}

*prepare to swoon*

This edition of Sunday Supper is an homage to Gladys Knight’s Chicken & Waffles – Atlanta’s Southern soul food institution.  Our Southern Living version featured buttermilk waffles topped with fried chicken tenders drizzled with a peach horseradish syrup.  And it was absolutely positively divine.  I mean…the whole family gobbled it up like they didn’t know where they were gonna find their next meal.  

Chicken & Waffles with Peach Horseradish Syrup
Waffles

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
  
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
  
• 2 large eggs

2 lbs fried chicken tenders (I bought the yummy ones from the Publix bakery.)
Peach Horseradish Syrup

• 1 cup maple syrup
  
• 1/4 cup peach preserves
  
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Thinly sliced green onions to garnish
1. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk and next 2 ingredients in a small bowl; stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until combined.
2. Cook batter in a preheated, oiled mini-style waffle iron 3 1/2 to 4 minutes or until golden (about 1/2 Tbsp. batter per waffle).
3. Stir together maple syrup, peach preserves, horseradish, pepper, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until warm.
4. Top waffles with chicken, and drizzle with Peach-Horseradish Maple Syrup.
 
Note: Keep waffles warm in a 200° oven up to 30 minutes before assembling.  I halved the recipe and it served my hungry family of four.
 
Go get you some…Gladys Knight style.
xoxo

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Sunday Supper

I super puffy heart love some California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza.  Yummmmmy!  So, for Sunday Supper this week we went totally casual and dined on our own at home take of the pizza parlor favorite.

BBQ Chicken Pizza
pizza dough (I use whole wheat dough from Publix bakery.)
8-oz. of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 of a small red onion, diced finely
shredded chicken (I picked up a rotisserie from the Publix deli.)
fresh cilantro
bbq sauce

- spread your dough out per the package instructions
- top with cheese, chicken and onion
- drizzle with bbq sauce
- bake according to package directions (mine was 400 for about 20 minutes)
- top with cilantro
- enjoy

And the best part of all? Our no muss, no fuss supper left us with loads of time for bike riding!!  The baby got John’s old bike with the training wheels re-attached and John is the proud new owner of a larger, “cooler” Razor Kobra bike (that Honey went to the ends of Atlanta find…I kid you not.)




xoxo

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Gather 'Round

When we were at Learning Express a while back, the PCP set his sights on the Gather 'Round Dinner Game and it was too intriguing to pass up.  I mean, what kind of mother would I be if I said no to adding more FUN to our family meals?

The round cards are filled with questions and tasks that range from counting backwards to taking a bite of your veggies.  We pass the game around and take turns pushing the button.  The game lights up and selects an activity.  Even the baby plays...in his own unique way.

We don't bring it out at every meal, but when we do it's a sure fire way to get our littles fired up about supper time!

xoxo

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Sunday Supper {New Years Style}

Along with folks all over the South, we rang in 2012 with the traditional, albeit meager, meal of peas for luck and greens for wealth.  We've been cookin up this meal and enjoying it with Sister and her Mister since the first year we were married.

I repurposed the table decor from New Years Eve for the occasion.  I thought about cookin' up those collards but just couldn't bring myself to deconstruct the centerpiece quite yet.

Along with our hoppin john and bourbon bacon greens (my new fave recipe, though I substitute turnips), Honey grilled up his delish bourbon and brown sugar glazed pork tenderloin and we noshed on honey cornbread muffins, the Pirate's House pecan pie (recipe here) and the sweetest tea you've ever wrapped your lips around.

Now, I've got to go get me a piece of that pie for breakfast before the boys wake up and beat me to it.  Yes, they are all still asleep.  Glory be...
xoxo

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Sunday Supper {On the Go}

My blog-ff calliespondence recently brought home baby sister and, like so many did for me after growing our family, I headed right over, using a hot meal as a fantastic excuse to get my hands on gorgeous little Rinne.  (ahhhh...I just adore that name!)

My new baby meals on wheels rules are as follows: 1) all packaging must be disposable...who has time time to wash dishes when there is a new bebe to snuggle?; 2) the portion should get the family through at least two meals and thus reheat fantastically; and 3) an indulgent and extremely "bad" dessert is a must.

And my new baby go-to meal is a delish enchilada recipe given to me by bestie S's doll of a mother in law, the famous (around these parts) Pat W (of whom I just realized I'm having withdrawals)!

Beef Enchiladas Florentine

1 lb ground sirloin

2 cups salsa

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed very dry!)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, cubed

6 flour tortillas

1 cup salsa

½ tsp cumin

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce, ripe olive slices, sour cream, avocado slices, salsa

In a ten inch nonstick skillet, cook ground sirloin until browned. Drain well and return to skillet. Add 2 cups salsa, spinach, 2 tsp cumin, and garlic powder. Cook and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add cream cheese, stirring just until melted. Remove from heat. Spoon filling down the center of each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Combine one cup salsa with ½ tsp cumin. Spoon over enchiladas. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes to melt. Top with lettuce, olives, sour cream, and avocado. Serve with extra salsa.  Serves 6.

I always double the recipe to kill two birds with one stone, as they say.  No way am I making this and not getting in on the action :-)  And I always serve it with a side of Mexican rice and seasoned black beans.  The dessert of choice for my blog-ff was cupcakes, stacked and served in plastic cups. I figured big brother would be as pleased as punch to come home from school and find those.

It was a delightful morning, catching up with a lovely friend that I don't see often enough in real life.  She is so lovely, in fact, that she didn't bat an eye at the antics of my crazy, only half potty trained side kick.  A so-Southern lady through and through.

How is it almost Monday already?!?!

xoxo

PS. Somehow this post got lost in blog-land...hence the Halloween cupcakes and the fact that Rinne is probably practically walking by now.

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Spooky Sunday Supper

Teeming with bats and spiders and goblin goo, last week's Sunday Supper was the spookiest ever!

The littles helped set the table with black and white Spode transferware and Pottery Barn dessert plates.

The monstrous menu included spider bread, bat pasta with goblin goo and creepy crawly hot chocolate...

The PCP and I used one tube of Pillsbury garlic breadsticks to make the spider bread.  We cut three of the dough strips in half for the six legs and loosely wound up the rest of the sticks to make the body, pinching off two pieces for eyes.  (If I didn't have a helper that wanted to do things his way, I'd probably have rolled the five sticks for the body into more of a ball.)  Bake per the package instructions and decorate with a food safe marker.

Farfalle pasta with pesto sauce made the "bat pasta with goblin goo".

And dessert was hot chocolate and a marshmallow spider.  The PCP created these by sticking three large marshmallows on a toothpick and then going to town with the food safe marker.

Have a great weekend y'all!
xoxo

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