Baby Sweater and Hat...But No Frog Legs!

      I love the quietness of Sunday mornings. :-] I love it even more when I'm getting served one of my favorite breakfasts in bed! ^_^ And 'NO!'...I'm not talking about pancakes! LOL I'm still not back in a pancake mood yet. In fact, when I think of pancakes my mind goes something like this...fluffy...sweet...YUM!...bloated...sweaty...exhausted...itchy!!! O_O Bad!...Bad!...Bad pancakes!!! LOL
      So...no pancakes! ^_^ Instead, hubby served me a delicious feast of fried catfish, scrambled eggs, grits and cheese, and hot green tea with honey and lemon. ^_^ Hmmm...there was something missing...hmmm...I'll think of it in a minute. 
      
      I have to tell you my other news! :-) My neighbor...the one that has been searching for a pattern and yarn, so that I can hand make a baby outfit for her to give as a gift...found one! :-) It's the one I'm showing you here...
 

      It's the cutest little baby sweater and hat!! :-) ...
 

      She doesn't want the mint green though. She bought soft pink yarn...Very pretty. :-) I already started it!...I was gonna try to show you what I've done so far, but it's too dark outside to take pictures...It's raining. O_0 YUCK!!!
      Maybe that why hubby made me such a nice breakfast. He's trying to soothe the aching complaining beast!....Uhhhhh...that would be ME!! LOL And guess what?!...It worked!!! ^_^ I'm a full and happy camper now! No bloating!...No sweating!...No exhaustion!...No itching!! :-)
      The only thing that was missing was....? O_O ...
 

 (Vintage Dr. Suess Childrens Book by AlloftheAbove)

 (Gourmet 12 Pound Stone Ground Sampler, Grits, Corn Meal and Flour by CountryClassicFarms)

(3 Signs Fried Eggs Frog Legs Catfish Restaurant Tiki Bar...Outsider Folk Art by RJFOLKART)

      Oh Yeah!!!...the frog legs!!! LOL...I'm just kidding. I'm not missing frog legs! ^_^ In fact the only reason I mentioned it was because I saw the three signs (above) and realized that this was my breakfast this morning...all except the frog legs!! ^_^

      And just in case you're wondering...Yes. I have eaten frog legs...but it was a looooooong time ago in a land far, far away...Georgia, to be exact. LOL I had them fried...of course! And, as I remember, they tasted like chicken!! LOL

      Okay...enough silliness! I've got a meeting to get ready for, and a baby sweater and baby hat to work on. :-) Not to mention, I also have a grocery list to write down, some laundry to fold, some expired listings to renew in my Wuglyees Etsy shop, and a few other things...Where does the time go so fast anyway?!!

      Have a good rest of the weekend, Y'all!...I said Y'all because you have to say "Y'all" when your post is including catfish and frog legs!! LOL

Down Home

When I say the words "Down Home"
my deep emotions come alive.
My memories of riding in the car,
heading south on I-95.

I pass right on through New Haven,
and the Washington Bridge flies by;
The "New Jersey Turnpike's" traffic
makes me almost want to cry.

But its when North Carolina's
scenes of country life begin
that "Down Home" becomes a feeling
in which I'm comfortable again.

When I'm close to route I-20,
"South Of The Border" is what I see,
and soon I'm "Down Home", feeling Georgia's
southern hospitality.

There are things about the north
that make me happy that I live there,
but the dirt roads of the south
I seem to need like I need air.

People fishing for their supper,
cooking bass and fried catfish;
On Sunday, rocking on the porch
(What's in the north as good as this?!)

From "Down Home" there's 'salmon patties',
'Beanie Weenies', pone and grits,
country music, rock and soul-
everybody's greatest hits.

But I know that what I'm missing
is more than "Down Home" southern pine;
Its the feelings and emotions
of the Georgia in my mind.

Martha Stewart....THANK YOU!!!...every day!

           Now, you might not know what this is (in the header photo), but there's a recipe for it down below...YUM!!!
       Okay, as I told you yesterday, I love, love love the new 'everyday FOOD' magazine by Martha Stewart! I got my new issue a couple of days ago and I can hardly put it down!! There are so many wonderful recipes in it! 
      And yes!...Please don't be mad Martha...O_0...I have to share! :-) Below are 3 of my favorites from this issue!...They're not the only ones I'm putting on my 'To-Fix-Myself' list either! I'd be here all day...with gnarled and aching typing fingers!..trying to share all of the ones.....just in THIS book....that I like! (And please forgive my non-lit photos. It was REALLY early in the morning. The sun...and my good picture-clicking finger...hadn't come up yet! ^_^) Okay, First up...
Mario Batali's Stuffed Acorn Squash

-- 3 medium acorn squash, quartered lengthwise and seeded
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-- 1 1/2 cups chopped scallions (2 bunches; whites and about 2 inches of greens)
-- 4 garlic cloves; thinly sliced
-- 2 large bunches Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, leaves cut into 1/4-inch ribbons (about 16 
      cups)
-- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
-- 1 cup coarse, dried breadcrumbs, such as panko
-- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim bottom of each squash piece so it rests flat. Season squash with salt and pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side down. Drizzle with 1/4 cup oil and bake until tender, 45 minutes.

STEP 2: Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high until smoking. Add scallions and garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chard and stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium until vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until mixture is nearly dry, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until deep red and fragrant, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

STEP 3: Heat broiler. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Fill squash with chard mixture and top with breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently so it adheres. Broil squash until breadcrumbs are browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
       {And just in case you want to know...per piece: 186 cal; 11 g fat (2 g sat fat); 4 g protein; 20 g carb; 3 g fiber...I think it's pretty cool that they tell you this with each recipe in the book!} 

             I love this recipe because I LOVE acorn squash! I can eat them baked out of the oven with a little butter or sauteed with some onions, or any number of simple ways. Now I have another wonderful way to make them...and it has my beloved CHEESE!!! :-)
         The next recipe is the one from the header photo. It's made just for one person...
Chicken With Parmesan Grits And Tomatoes (for one)

-- 1 large boneless, skin-on chicken thigh (5 ounces) 
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
-- 1/2 cupgrape tomatoes
-- 1/4 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
-- 1/4 cup instant grits  
-- 1/2 ounce Parmesan, finely grated (2 tablespoons) 
-- roughly chopped fresh parsley, for serving

STEP 1: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet, skin side down, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes (reduce heat if chicken browns too quickly). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

STEP 2: In skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium and add tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Cook until tomatoes are softened and onion is tender, 5 minutes.

{Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring 1 cup water to boil. Stir in grits and pinch of salt; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed, about 7 minutes.}

STEP 3: Stir in Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon oil; season with salt and pepper. To serve, top grits with chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with parsley.

{per serv: 564 cal; 30 g fat (8 g sat fat); 33 g protein; 38 g carb; 2 g fiber} 
        I love this one because.....Well, because it has grits! :-) What's not to love?! I eat grits all the time. I love them with....of course...cheese. But I also like my grits with some gravy and onions, lima beans and butter, sauteed with hamburger and potatoes, etc...Why I never thought about chicken is a mystery to me! ^_^ But I won't ever NOT think about it with chicken again!!
         And lastly...

Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and 5 sprigs thyme; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife and bacon is crisp, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. (Serves 4...says them!! LOL)

{per serv: 230 cal; 3 g fat (1 g sat fat); 6 g protein; 46 g carb; 7 g fiber}
      Another recipe where I don't know why I didn't think of it! I love sweet potatoes and yams more than I love cheese...I know, SHOCKING!! LOL...and I can't believe I never thought of putting bacon in them before! So quick....so easy to do.....so delicious!!! YUM!!! I can't wait to do this recipe! It may be a weekly one!
      I'm not getting paid to say this, but it's well worth your knowing, that if you want to get this book yourself, or some other good recipes, you can go to Martha Stewart's everyday FOOD website yourself..HERE!...And I'm done for today!...Really done! ^_^ Happy Cooking Everybody!!


Cooking

Flipping, Frying,
Flambeing, Filleting,
Burning, Browning,
Paring, Pureeing.

Boiling, Baking,
Mixing, Making,
Simmering, Scaling,
Sifting, Shaking.

Cooking, Crackling,
Cutting, Coring,
Sprinkling, Spattering,
Patting, Pouring,

Broiling, Battering,
Steeping, Steaming,
Timing, Tossing,
Cubing, Creaming,

Slicing, Scrambling,
Turning, Toasting,
Melting, Measuring,
Rinsing, Roasting.

Dipping, Dicing,
Skimming, Sauteing,
Poaching, Peeling,
Mincing, Microwaving.

Gathering, Grilling
Basting, Barbecuing,
Hacking, Heating,
Scoring, Skewering.

Standing, Stirring,
Rough, Tough,
Kitchen, Ditching,
Had Enough!