Popeye's Stew

My grandfather, Popeye, named by me, a couple of times a year 

in the winter months would set up in his workshop a cooking station.

He would bring in a big cast iron pit where he would build a fire

and hang his huge black pot over it in which he would cook stew.

He would let this stew simmer all morning while he and his

invited crew of menfolk would sit in the garage and play 

dominoes and drink Shiner beer just long enough

for the stew meat to be tender enough to melt in your mouth.

As young children we would bop into the garage to snuggle up 

next to Popeye and or my Dad to watch the game and then scurry

off back into Granny's house to run in the kitchen so we would not miss

what was happening in there either. It was a constant back and forth.

Inside the "women", done with aprons, cooked potatoes, maybe some green beans, 

some sort of salad, homemade pickles, white bread and possibly some 

cornbread but not always. Of course there were way too many 

desserts to count. Each dessert brought in proudly by the owner 

already sliced for sharing and covered with Saran Wrap so no one 

would steal a pinch before after supper. It was truly delightful and 

some of my fondest memories of my childhood. 

Here is my version of Popeye's Stew. It is not exact as he never wrote it down

but we think we have duplicated it pretty close to perfection.

I make mine in a big pot on the stove, in MY KITCHEN!

Popeye's Stew

5 pounds of Stew Meat

2 Tablespoons of Chili Powder (Less if you prefer it milder, more if you like it HOT)

1 large yellow onion chopped

2 Tablespoons of minced fresh garlic

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tablespoon of Bacon Drippings or Lard (Yikes!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Water - enough to nicely cover meat and add when it evaporates

Cook meat and 1/2 onions in Bacon Drippings over medium heat until half done and still pink inside. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Cover, venting slightly, and simmer on low for 3-4 hours. Stir every 30 minutes and check liquid level. You don't want liquid to evaporate and burn the stew. The liquid level is important as you always want to have enough covering the meat. Once you have reached your desired tenderness serve it up with your favorite bread and enjoy!

Jesus I Trust In You

Jesus 

I

Trust 

In

You

The Bible tells us we need to leave all of our

fears, concerns, difficulties, sorrows and hardships

at the feet of Jesus our Savior.

We are taught to trust that Jesus will protect us,

love us and grant us everything we need

to allow us to successfully navigate this life here on earth.

And yet to do this, really do this, hand it over to Him,

walk away and move forward knowing He has this, He has us,

is a very challenging thing for most of us to do.

I personally want to try to fix "it". 

I want to do everything I can to make things okay.

But sometimes no matter what you do it may

never be okay. And that is when we are forced to

relinquish control to The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Jesus I trust in you.

This is what I should recite from the moment I awake 

and then again just before I close my eyes at night.

Why is it so hard to trust, truly trust that God will 

provide for us all that we need so that we may do all that is necessary 

to live our life in such a way as to glorify Him, bring others to Him 

and upon our death, return to Him for eternity.

Please know that living on this earth is hard hard work. 

It is sometimes difficult to trust, and leave it all at the 

feet of Jesus. It is even more difficult when our world is out 

of control as it is right now. When we are in pain, suffering 

or confused by the acts of those surrounding us it is even

more challenging to trust. It is in these times, these frightening

times, where we MUST trust in Jesus. It is in these times we are 

experiencing right now where we must pray for God's mercy

on our world. Pray for our leaders and pray that people will 

turn back to God. That all men and women will love themselves 

and each other. Our prayers need to be direct and frequent.

We must pray with urgency and determination.

And above all we must trust that the Holy Spirit will 

dwell inside us, that Jesus will never abandon us and 

God our Father will protect us and call us home when

our life mission here is complete.

God bless each of you in a very special way today so 

that you may feel God's loving presence in your life.

I apologize for the ads in the middle of my post.

I am trying desperately to figure out the code to remove them. 

Mama Holli's Southern Pimento Cheese

In Texas we can get fancy and serve this up on special crackers at 

Baby and Wedding Showers,  or we just slap it on some bread while we

sit in the shade watching our kids yell "Mama, look at me!" for the 100th time

in the swimming pool, all while pretending that it really isn't

Hotter than H-E double hockey sticks!

Wherever you are when you consume this southern staple

you will be sure to enjoy it and your hot summer days will just melt away!

Also throwing a cold long neck in the picnic basket will help!

Pimento Cheese

4 ounces of cream cheese softened

1- 8oz bag of shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1- 8oz bag of shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

1- 4oz jar of pimentos drained and chopped

1 jalapeno finely chopped

1/4 Cup of Mayo

Black Pepper to taste

1/4 Cup of Pecan Pieces (optional)

1/4 Cup of chopped Cilantro (optional)

In a medium size bowl mix together cream cheese and mayo.

Add cheese, pimento and jalapeño and mix together until combined.

At this point you may add pecans and or cilantro if you wish.

Sprinkle with black pepper and give it a final toss around the bowl. 

Refrigerate covered for at least an hour before serving.

Serve it up on some yummy bread as a sandwich or as a dip with crackers or FRITOS!

Yes I said Fritos! 😆

More Cheese Please?

Go Here for the Marinated Cheese Appetizer!

Marinated Shrimp Appetizer

Marinated Shrimp Appetizer!

My sister, Mama Joy makes a

mean shrimp appetizer!
This is her special recipe!

It is served cold with crackers, bread, chips

or some just use a big fat spoon to
make sure all the yummy
marinade makes it to their mouth!

Ingredients

2 pounds of medium shrimp

(boiled using a shrimp boil mix

peeled and cooled)
We use Old Bay Shrimp Boil

1/2 cup olive oil

2 T red wine vinegar

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 tsp Worcesterhire Sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp tabasco sauce

3 green onions minced

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 sweet red bell pepper diced

1/2 green bell pepper diced

1 celery stalk diced

In a bowl whisk oil and vinegar together.

Add remaining ingredients and stir.

Place shrimp in your serving bowl.

Cover shrimp with marinade and
chill covered for about 2 hours before serving.

Bring to room temperature and serve

assorted crackers and breads.

Thanks Mama Joy!

More Recipes HERE!

Drunken Rum Cake

This is my son, Jake's all-time favorite cake!

Hands Down!

He just loves this cake and usually gets

to dig into one pretty much whenever 

he comes home for a visit.

It really is easy and the longer you can 

keep your peeps from cutting into it 

the more moist it will be.  No, you can't get

drunk from this cake but you will double in weight 

if you make a habit of baking this puppy!

Ingredients

• For the Cake
• 1 1/4  cup pecans or walnuts (chopped and toasted)
• 1 (18 1/2-ounce) yellow cake mix
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup cold organic whole milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup  dark rum (I use Bacardi)
• For the Glaze
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dark rum (I use Bacardi)

To make the cake, preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan.

Sprinkle nuts on the bottom of a pan. Combine all cake ingredients 

into a mixing bowl.

Beat on high for 2 minutes with electric mixer. 

Pour into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour. Insert a toothpick to make sure it is ready.

Cool in pan. Invert onto serving plate. Prick top with a fork many times. The more holes the more spaces the rum sauce can hide!

Melt butter in a saucepan.

Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in rum. 

Spoon glaze over top of  cake. Use a spoon to put 

extra dripping back on the cake. Repeat this until almost all of the 

rum sauce is on the cake.

Let it set up for a few hours or dig right in, no one will tell!

Coleslaw with Cilantro, Peach, Jalapeño and White Wine Vinaigrette

I love this coleslaw!
It is perfect for summer meals and will compliment
pretty much just about anything!
Serve it up with grilled seafood, fajitas,
burgers or dump it  all over your fried shrimp tacos!
Yes I said dump!
YUM!

Citrus Summer Coleslaw

1 head of fresh organic cabbage finely sliced

or in the bag already prepped

1/2 cup of cilantro diced

1 medium jalapeno finely diced

2 medium peaches diced

1 carrot thinly shaved

2 green onions chopped

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Dressing

1/2 C white wine vinegar

1/2 C olive oil

3 Tbls fresh squeezed juice from an orange

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp white sugar

In a small bowl whisk all dressing ingredients until blended. Pour over the slaw, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. If adding the walnuts do so just before serving. 

Calling All Angels

Do you believe in angels?

I do

I truly do

I believe that we are surrounded by angels 

as we navigate this life here on earth.

I believe we each have guardian angels.

Multiple angels who stand guard for us daily.

I also believe we can command our angels

to go to those who need them in critical moments.

Several days ago I commanded my guardian angels

to go be with my sweet Dad who is battling this

horrific COVID virus miles away from me

and all alone. He is alone just like so many

others who are battling this virus without

the support of loved ones by their side.

So I sent my angels.

You can do the same.

Just tell them where to go and just like that

they GO.

The angels can be with my Dad while I cannot.

He will feel their peaceful presence.

He will know he is not alone.

My angels will join his and together

they will create an army around him.

An army of love and light.

God's love

God's light

Angel of God 
My guardian dear 
To Whom His love 
Commits me here 
Ever this day 
Be at my side 
To light and guard 
To rule and guide. Amen

God bless those who are suffering from this
virus and may you feel God's perfect love
for you now and in the difficult days ahead.

Beautiful Angel Card

Compliments of The Graphics Fairy

Beautiful Bountiful Beets

I have to admit I have a love/hate relationship with beets.

I want to really love them but I kinda just like them.

I hate them when I peel them after a nice bake in the oven 

and the dark purple shades of color end up on 

my fingers and everywhere else in the kitchen.

But once all the work is done, and I do mean work, 

then I really love them!

If you are smart you will pick out the golden colored beets or 

the slightly pink beautiful beets and plop those babies in your 

buggy instead of the dark purple ones.

I really do not taste the difference and my 

hands and towels are cleaner for it.

Wash them under cold water, pat dry and wrap each individually

in foil and place them on a metal pan and send them

to the oven for about an hour at 375 degrees.

Check for doneness with a fork and let them cool before

handling. Once they are cool then carefully 

peel off the skin and discard.

The fun part is slicing them and discovering 

the beautiful spirals of color inside.

What you do with them next is really your preference.

You can throw them into a salad, add them to a charcuterie board,

eat them right then or toss them in a beet salad pictured below.

However you decide to serve them up you will

surely not be disappointed.

Beet Salad

3 Beets baked, peeled and diced

2 chopped green onions

1/2 cup of mayo

1 Tbs of white wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss and cool covered in the refrigerator for one hour before serving.

Prayer of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus,

I believe that You

are present in the Most Holy

Sacrament.

I love You above all things,

and I desire to receive You

into my soul.

Since I cannot at this

moment receive You

sacramentally, come at least

spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You

were already there and unite

myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be 

separated from You.

Amen

Big Momma's Roast

Big Momma's Roast is AMAZING!

It is cooked all day in this crazy good sauce she throws on top

of it and it just soaks it all up!

The sauce is not a barbecue sauce but more of a rich brown sugar 

mixed with tomato sauce creation!

I literally crave it in the winter time.

It has to be served with mashed potatoes and it has to have 

veggies cooked with it.

Big Momma is the BEST!

She has some super talented grandchildren 

from all over the country. She travels around to watch their sporting

events, witness their talented works and support each of them through

their high school and college careers.

Thank you Big Momma for allowing me to share this yummy recipe!

What I Know About Heaven

What I know about heaven. 

I know my soul began there and that I will return there once 

my work is completed here on earth.

I know my loved ones who have already left this earth will be waiting for me.

I know it is beyond beautiful and fulfills every dream we could imagine as

God's prescence, love and light floods far and wide.

I know there is only love in heaven.

There are no negative thoughts, no pain and no suffering.

Everything is renewed and everything is good.

I know I will learn when I go home to heaven.

I will learn by viewing my life on earth.

I will learn by seeing how my actions effected others both negatively and positively.

I know I will continue to do my soul work in heaven.

I will continue to love and pray for those still on earth and I will begin preparing for my loved ones to arrive. I know I will dance with the angels, bask in the light and delight 

in the wonder of the prescence of Jesus. 

It will be amazingly beautiful and spectacular beyond my imagination. 

But until I return, I will do my best to live my life to honor God.

I will continue to be perpetually grateful for all of the coutless blessings 

God has given to me.

This is what I know about heaven.

Fresher Than Fresh Organic Salsa

Pick up some fresh organic tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeños and onion from the market.

Cook your tomatoes in a small pot with just enough water to cover them.

Bring to a low boil and cook for about 10 minutes just until the skins start to separate.

Let it cool and then remove the skin. Set aside.

Crush your diced onions and peppers.

Add cilantro and crush into onions and peppers.

In a medium bowl add your cooked tomatoes and using a fork and knife chop them up to your desired texture. I like mine pretty diced up but others may like their salsa chunky. 

Add your mixture of onions, peppers and cilantro to the tomatoes.

Season with seal salt and pepper if desired.

DONE!

Serve it up with some amazing chips and ENJOY!

Chicken Flautas

Who doesn't like a big plate of chicken flautas to munch on

during a football game and or a Saturday night movie date!

These flautas are so easy and really do satisfy the munchies!

Chicken Flautas

Instructions

3 fresh jalapeños

1 bunch of cilantro chopped

1 2c bag of shredded cheddar cheese

1 2c bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken

12 flour or corn tortillas

1 small onion chopped and sauted in 1/2 stick of butter, adding cumin to taste.

Canola Oil in Spray Can

Heat your oven to 375. Spray a large metal baking pan.

Take one tortilla at a time, spray both sides and then add chicken, onions, cilantro and cheese.

Slowly roll the tortilla up and place seam side down on the baking pan. Continue until all 12 tortillas are rolled. Give the flautas an extra spray of oil to generously coat the tortilla so the crisp up nicely.

Place in the oven and keep an eye on them until the start to slightly brown and crisp up. Check after 15 minutes and then continue cooking in 5 minute increments until the cheese is melted and the flautas are crisp.  Plate them up and sprinkle more cilantro on the top. Serve with your favorite salsa, sour cream and guacamole for dipping!

You will also want to make this Salsa

And this Queso

Wedding Cake

Cherry Cake or Almond Wedding Cake

1 cup sifted flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/3 cups of tap water

1 cup sour cream (whole milk)

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1 1/4 tsp Almond extract (organic)

1 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract (organic)

4 medium egg whites

Dash of Cinnamon

1 box of white cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)

(1 cup of fresh cherries, pitted and cut in quarters - for Cherry Cake)
No cherries for Almond Wedding Cake
If making a larger cake with multiple layers I double or triple recipe.

Directions

Grease and flour pans to be used.

Preheat oven to 325.

Gently stir the cake mix, flour, salt and sugar in a medium size bowl.

Add to the bowl water, oil, sour cream, extracts, cinnamon, cherries and egg whites. Beat on low for about 3 minutes.

Pour into greased pans and bake until tops are brown about 25 minutes.

Test with a toothpick to see if it is done before bringing out of the oven.

Cool on wire racks.

Ice with your favorite icing recipe and decorate as you wish!

My daughter loves to make a simple butter cream frosting and really loads it up. This is amazing and we love to store it in the refrigerator and bring out about 15 minutes before serving! 

Icing
Pure unsalted butter softened/ room temp  2 sticks
4 Cups of confectioners sugar
1 Tablespoon of half and half
1/2 tsp almond extract

Combine sugar, butter and extract in a bowl and mix using a paddle attachment on low speed to combine ingredients. Bring to High and beat about 2 minutes until it is fluffy. Add the half and half if needed. 
Store this in the refrigerator until ready to use and then bring back to room temp to frost cooled cake or piping for making flowers. 
Double if needed!

Beet Salad

This is your new and sassy alternative to potato salad!

It is so simple, easy to prepare and pretty darn healthy!

It is at it's peak when it's had a few hours 

to chill in the frig before serving it up to the crowd.

I love it with a great brisket or a nice grilled chicken breast.

Beet Salad

 3 Uncooked Organic Beets (I prefer the golden color)

3/4 C of Mayo

1/2 C Chopped Green Onion

1 Tbls of White Wine Vinegar

Sea Salt to taste

Cracked Pepper to taste

Wash and wrap the beets in foil and bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Unwrap from foil and
slice the beets into rounds as if you were slicing a tomato. The skin will pull right off the rounds. Cut into bite size chunks and add to a medium size bowl. Add the onion to the bowl. In a small bowl whisk mayo and vinegar until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold the mayo mixture into the bowl of beets. Refrigerate covered for a few hours and then stir again before serving. Enjoy!

Sometimes I Just NEED To Be Silly

I just can't help myself.

I mean really I can't.

I am silly, really silly.

I have passed this on to my children.

It can really annoy my husband and yet, 

I still can't help myself.

Sometimes I just NEED to be silly.