Feeling like Spring..In January

     It has been raining here since September. Our yard is soaked.  The rivers and bayous are at their peaks.  We are all so sick of the rain and mushy ground beneath our feet.  Today, well, today was just beautiful.  It was like a perfect spring day...only it's January.  I would normally be at church on Sunday morning, but my son was not feeling well this morning, so we stayed at home while the others went on without us.  I took advantage of my time to cook and it just snowballed into a full-blown lunch affair.  It must be the weather.   
   It started out with my daughter asking if we could eat lunch at home today. I pulled out my friend's recipe for lasagna and whipped up a pan of that.  I added in an Italian salad and some French bread and Voila...lunch at home.  The spring-like weather gave me the urge to pull out the stops and turn an ordinary Sunday lunch into something more special.  So, I did.  Here is a peek at our Pre-Spring Celebration.

Even one of our rabbits got dressed up for the occasion.


It was a good day.  Hooray for sunshine!

Hello Dollies

     I have no idea why these delicious little bars are called Hello Dollies. I only know that they are some-kinda-good.  When I was growing up, my best friend's mom had a housekeeper named Estella.  She would sometimes make these on Friday afternoons while she was at their house cleaning for the weekend.  I always loved going home with her and smelling the delicious buttery, sugary, chocolaty goodness wafting through the house.  We couldn't get to the kitchen fast enough to gobble a couple of these down.  They are easy to make and everyone loves them.

For the crust:
1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
6 T. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. sweetened, flaked coconut
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the graham cracker crust by mixing together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Stir it together until it looks crumbly, then press it into a greased, 9x9 metal pan.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until it gets slightly brown.  You will smell it when it is ready, trust me.

                                           Now you can begin layering the other ingredients...

First, the chocolate chips

Next, the coconut

Now, add the pecan pieces

As if this wasn't yummy enough already, pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top. As it bakes, the condensed milk will caramelize and act as a binder to hold all of the other ingredients together. I used the fat free version, just to make myself feel better about it, but you can also use the regular version.  Whatever makes you happy.

Now, pop it into the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until it is a soft, caramel brown color. 

Oh, My Goodness.  Can you smell that?  It is incredible.   If you can, resist the urge to get a spoon and dig right in.  Let it cool on a wire rack completely before cutting into squares, otherwise, they will not hold together when you remove them from the pan.

                                                        Yum!  It's time to eat.  Here's to you, Estella.

Sweetness of the South

    Last week I was in one of the accounts I frequent with my job, where they had the most beautiful looking shelled pecans I have ever seen.  They were sitting right there on the counter in neat little packages, just begging me to take them home. So, I did what any Southern girl worth her salt would do.  I bought all they had left.  They came from some pecan trees just down the road and an elderly woman was selling them to earn a little income. I was happy to oblige. They taste so fresh and sweet and fleshy-good that I can hardly contain myself when they are near. It would almost be a waste to include them in a recipe.  They are pecan perfection on their own.
      As I drove back home, I saw a lady on the side of the road selling Louisiana satsumas.  They are like a combination of oranges and tangerines, if you have never tasted them.  They are so sweet and juicy, like little orange presents.  I loved bringing them home to my family to enjoy with me.  The kids are not really into the pecans, but the satsumas are quickly disappearing.  Just two of the many delicious natural wonders of the South.