He is risen!... And the bread did too!

Easter is a very important time in the Christian faith! We are all reminded that God sent His son Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sins so we can spend eternity in Heaven. What a joy and a blessing that is!

When I was a kid, Easter Sunday afternoon was always spent at either Mammaw’s or Grandmother’s hunting eggs and eating a scrumptious meal. If we were at Mammaw’s, she would make a caramel cake; and if we were at Grandmother’s, she would make the best homemade rolls. The Easter staple at my house: fried green tomatoes!!

This was the second holiday we chose to spend all by ourselves as a married couple. Best Buy was actually closed on Sunday, but we had just made the trek home a couple weekends before and decided to lay low for the weekend. Of course I whipped up a fabulous meal to celebrate the occasion! We bought one of those boneless hams we love; and I cooked fresh peas, stuffed eggs, homemade bread, and my famous fried green tomatoes! They’re famous in our house at least!

I made my first trip of the year to the farmer’s market a week or two before Easter in search of my favorite vegetable. I’m not going to debate anyone who says tomatoes are a fruit. This is my blog. Today they are a vegetable. :) Lo and behold, they had one left! I snatched it up before the lady beside me could even lay eyes on it!

And what’s Easter in this day and age without the proper candy? We had Robin’s Eggs and Reese’s Pieces Eggs to boot!








Dessert was a week late getting fixed, but still worth every bite! Nutter Butter-Banana Pudding Trifle…MMMMM!!

3 cups milk
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 medium-size ripe bananas
1 (1-lb) package Nutter Butters
1 (8-oz) bowl whipped topping
Garnishes: Nutter Butters, dried banana chips, fresh mint sprigs

Whisk together first 4 ingredients in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.

Fill a large bowl with ice. Place saucepan in ice, and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly chilled.

Meanwhile, cut bananas into ¼-inch slices. (Don’t cut too early or they’ll start turning brown.) Break cookies into thirds.

Spoon half of pudding mixture into a 3-qt. bowl or pitcher. Top with bananas and cookies. Spoon remaining pudding mixture over bananas and cookies. Top with whipped topping. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Garnish, if desired.






Banana Pudding before...





... Banana Pudding after!!


Can you believe something I made actually turned out REALLY pretty??!!!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

Just a few short years ago, the only holiday I attempted special food for was Christmas. Mom and I usually make cookies and other confections together. One year, the kitchen counter was lined from one end to the other with snowman bowls and cookie jars full of sugary goodness! And there was that one Fourth of July when Jennifer and Leah came to the apartment to hang out by the pool, and I spent the better portion of a day making pulled pork bbq sandwiches. Other days, the thought might run through my mind how much fun it would be to “theme-cook”, but I’d always find something else to occupy my time.

Now, in my newfound excitement for food, I look for reasons to cook something special! Sometimes it pans out, sometimes it doesn’t. Thanksgiving was the bomb-diggity, and Valentine’s Day was seven shades of awesome! However, I never made Halloween treats or Bubba’s favorite banana pancakes for national pancake week in February. (How bout another trip to the PHOP, Justin?!) But, I was not about to let St. Paddy’s Day pass me by!

I searched my trusty websites for Irish-inspired dishes, and came across a chocolate cupcake recipe. Perfect! I can try my hand at cupcakes, which I’ve been dying to do, and I can display them on a prized wedding gift! And of course Kyle was very excited at my need for one can of Guinness (that left him three to watch slide down the glass in creamy, wavy satisfaction). I will say I never would have paired beer with chocolate, but these cupcakes were delicious! The icing was just divine!

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for dusting finished cupcakes
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch fine salt
1 bottle stout beer (recommended: Guinness)
1 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
¾ cup sour cream
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
¾ to 1 cup heavy cream
1 (1-lb) box confectioners’ sugar
Food coloring of your choice, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. In large mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. In medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet mixture. Lightly grease 24 muffin cups. Fill each cup about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 25 minutes or until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out.

For the icing:
In medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in heavy cream. On low speed, slowly mix in confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth. Stir in a couple drops food coloring. Repeat until you’re happy with the color. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Icing can be made several hours ahead and kept covered and chilled.

Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and dust with cocoa.

Wastin' Time

And here we are playing catch-up again! There just doesn’t seem to be enough time for those things we really WANT to do after we do all we NEED to do. But who am I kidding? Do I ever do all I NEED to do? My CPA exam grades and messy kitchen can attest to that!

One day I’ll get it all together! Ha! My husband sent me a text earlier asking how my day was going. My reply? “Pretty good I reckon. I approved a payment request this morning, read a few chapters in Deuteronomy, and found a really interesting blog written by a cattle rancher’s wife in Oklahoma. She was featured in Southern Living.” Exciting, I know... But just the way I like it!

Now if I could just read all the boring stuff I’m supposed to be reading (Regulation study book) and still have time for all the fun things I enjoy reading (Bible, Disney blogs, Southern Living, recipe sites and magazines, FB statuses, etc.), plus cooking, gardening, jogging, blogging, and curling up on the couch with the hubs… I’d call it a frabjous day!! Callooh! Callay! :)