Breakfast for Dinner anyone :)

Another one of Tammy's messes ...

OH MY GOSH ... do I love breakfast for dinner and so do Chris and the kids ... win, win for all of us.  Tonight with the weather looking a little questionable and the prospect of the next few days being breezy, rainy and in the 60's, breakfast for dinner sounded so good.  Plus, since I have been a little tiny girl, I have loved breakfast ... its happy food ... comfort food ... energy food and I am a firm believer that we should all have breakfast to maintain great health.  And let's admit  the fact that I have been under a great deal of stress lately and its catching up with me, so I was in desperate need of comfort in a big way ... ta da ... I found my comfort. 

I whipped up a quick batch of silver dollar pancakes for the kids, a side of bacon and some very pretty over-easy eggs.  Here's the catch....I'm not much of a pancake lover ... never really been my thing, so I decided to whip up a really tasty "hash" out of things from the refrigerator.  It was so, so tasty and I thought I must share because y'all might like it.

It was one of those throw in this ... add that ... a little bit of this and finally throw on some cheese and a couple of eggs ... there it was ... yum!  Now remember ... it wasn't pretty, but sometimes the best tasting things come in an interesting little mess :)

And now I will share my tasty little creation with you. 

Tammy's Fried Green Tomato, Mushroom and Bacon Potato Hash with Eggs
(long title but whatever)

Serves 2

1 small green tomato diced into bite size pieces
4 strips of bacon fried and crumbled
1/4 cup of chopped mushrooms
2 cups of shredded potatoes (hash brown style)
1/4 cup of shredded cheese of your choice but I chose jalepeno jack (of course)
butter for frying ( a couple of pats)
4 eggs

Fry your bacon and crumble.  Set aside.  Drain the pan and add the diced green tomato.  Fry this for about 3 to 5 minutes until it is tender and getting browned.  Now add the potatoes and mushrooms to the pan and a pat of butter and let this fry for about 5 minutes until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned.  Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cheese of the mixture. 

Fry your 4 eggs in butter or cooking oil or spray over easy or to your liking.  In the meantime, divide the potato mixture into two portions and put on plates.  Top with two eggs each.  And then dig in!

Pimento Cheese ... Anyone ....

I know you are thinking ... has this chick lost her mind blogging about pimento cheese ... and I would probably agree.  A couple of weeks ago, I read a commentary in the Raleigh News and Observor from a guest writer originating from Wisconsin about the fact that southerners love biscuits.  First, I have to say that I found the article to be offensive ... even though I cannot lay claim to being born and raised in the south but I have lived here for 20 years of my life and being from Southern Ohio, I feel that I can say that I am more a part of the south than the midwest.  But after reading her article about how southerner staples include biscuits and grits and what not and that she doesn't appreciate any of these things, I thought that I would write about something that is near and dear to my heart and that really is quite yummy with many southern favorites.  Oh and also, let me say that grits and biscuits totally rock!  We practically live on them in our household. 



Oh my goodness gracious!  Lunch time!



Shall we get started .... okay ... imagine you are watching Forest Gump ... yes, that's right ... and you are in the scene where Bubba is telling Forest all the ways that you can prepare shrimp.  Okay, we are there and it is me telling you all the ways that you can use pimento cheese...there are sandwiches (with butter lettuce ... my fav), omelets, sandwiches with bacon and tomato, quiche, grilled sandwiches, cold dips and warm dips, muffins, and oh my gosh a hundred different ways to use pimento cheese to make alot of different things.  It's beautiful and the best comfort food ... toasted bread and your favorite topping and that beautiful pimento cheese.  I love it ... yum, yum, yum!

 And it's so much better when it is made homemade from scratch.  And it's terribly simple too!  I whip up a quick batch and put it in a storage container and we "work on it" all week.  So let me tell you some of the many ways that you can use it.  First, a simple and easy cold dip for veggies or pitas or a hot dip simply baked in a pretty dish which can be served with veggies, pitas or even chunks of bread.  Add bacon to it and its even tastier.  Next you can use it just as it's meant to be used ... as a sandwich ... with or without lettuce and tomato.  But imagine adding some strips of bacon and then you can also grill it between two pieces of buttered bread.  Holy Cow now that's the best thing in the world and you've probably realized now how much I love bacon.  And guess what, you can pop some in the middle of your muffin batter for something really special or even put a couple of spoonfuls in the middle of an omelet .... delish.  Make tiny triangular toast points spread with some pimento cheese and a sprinkle of watercress ... delicate and tasty.  But let me tell you what I love the most ... a nice buttery buttermilk biscuit filled with that beautiful, bright pimento cheese and a slice of bacon or two ... a cup of coffee with milk please and a side of buttery grits.  Now that is some good eatin!

So just like biscuits and grits, the many ways that you can serve this perfect little concoction is only limited by your imagination.  And they all three will bring a big grin to your face ....

Kicked-up Pimento Cheese

6 ounces cream cheese softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup of mayo (I love Dukes light)
6 tbls of pimentos (basically one jar)
3 jalepenos chopped finely
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
dash of cayenne (optional)

Place the cream cheese in a mixer bowl and mix on low speed for a minute to make it very creamy.  Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix for a minute on low to medium speed until it is thoroughly mixed together.  Eat it up!

A day at the Eno....




My sweethearts ... Chris,
Andrew, Shannon and Sam



Holiday weekend ... house full of kids and some free time equals a day out at the Westpoint on the Eno ... a true oasis in Durham.  We just love the Eno River and the surrounding park.  It's sort of dear to our hearts ... one of the first places that we took the kids together as a group to get to know each other and we've gone back several times since.   But the true draw is the natural beauty... the fact that you can spend hours just enjoying nature around you ... its a treasure in this area and one that many people don't know about.

So Sunday, we got out of bed and decided it was going to be the perfect day to take a picnic and spend a few hours paddling up and down the river, swimming in the swimming hole and hiking the trails.  After deciding on a menu, I set about preparing a wonderful picnic basket and we rounded up three of the five kids to join us on our adventure.  Avocado chicken salad wraps, tortellini salad and summer pickles were on the menu ... paired with big pitchers of sweet tea and lemonade .... we had the foundation for a great day. 



Well hello there!



We packed up ... a bag with beach towels, sunscreen, a medical kit (a must have on an outing like this), hand sanitizer, a change of clothes, and our delicious lunch ... and headed Northwest to our destination.  Chris had been reading an interesting book that I've had in my collection for a few years called "Weird Carolinas" by Roger Manley and found a  surprise for the kids.  A quick stop just outside the Museum of Life and Science (another Durham treasure) ... a small diversion to our trip.... and a small walk up one of the walking trails and ta da!  What fun it was to see the kids expressions when along the bike/walking trail there stood a brontosarus.  It stood there in all its majesty .... a testiment to a different time ... having weathered hurricanes and storms ... it was beautiful.  I was impressed at how amazing it still looked at the age of 44 ... yes, it was built in 1967 as part of a nature trail system that included several other statues just like it but unfortunately the others were not quite so fortunate.  Thanks to a conservation effort, this bronto still delights pedestrians and cyclists today.  You have to go see it sometime.

Back into the car and back on course we finally pulled into the entrance to the Westpoint on the Eno.  Just in time too ... we were all starved.  This park is fantastic and very "user friendly".  You can park in a number of places that will give you access to the gristmill (still working), the farm house, the river and dam, or to a multitude of picnic tables scattered near the water or near the woods.  We opted though to spread out a quilt that my Grandma Calaway made when she was a young housewife and have our picnic the old fashioned way ... the kids really love it.  In a great place too ... a beautiful spot under a big shade tree next to one of the streams that flows into the river .... absolute perfection.  As was the food!

Tree along the Eno River

I had made a promise to Sam, my son, earlier that morning that we would rent canoes and paddle up and down the river.  The great thing is that its very affordable ... just $12.00 per hour for a canoe.  They have everything you need including the life jackets ... its perfect!  After packing our lunch back into the car, we rented a couple of canoes and set out on an adventure.  Let the fun begin!  The water is really calm and reasonably shallow here ... there are a few spots that are deeper ... so its easy to see all the little creatures swimming along beside you or under your canoe.  We were having a great time just exploring, counting the turtles and trying to spot any wildlife along the shady tree lined banks.  Its funny how the kids really enjoy this, especially given that there are no cell phones or video games involved ... just good old fashioned fun like we had when we were kids.  We spent an hour just paddling around and exploring little coves and then decided to return them and take a hike to the swimming hole and the rope swing ... woohoo!

Andrew gives the thumbs up!

The kids won't even complain of the hike back along the river trail to a spot that is like something out of the past ... like you see in old movies.  The river has an area where it has naturally pooled up and formed a swimming hole that's pretty large and deep enough that you can jump into the water from a rope swing attached to a very large tree.  We had these in the Shade River when I was growing up in southern Ohio and I remember how much fun we had as kids playing in the water.  Our kids ... no matter how big they are ... get so excited to have the opportunity to swing on that rope out over the water and make a big splash when they let go.  They could do it for hours ... and over the next two hours they did just that ... went from jumping from the rope swing to playing on the rocks in the water, a little further up stream and back to the rope swing.  Little explorers and even bigger explorers have a blast climbing on the rocks and playing in the little water holes.  You can find so many interesting things here.  Its just fun to make an adventure out of it and get dirty!  Chris and I were exploring while the kids were playing and found some of the tiniest, cutest little dark green frogs.  They were just popping all over the place.  Chris is an amazing photographer and was able to grab some beautiful  shots of all kinds of interesting things but mostly of natures beauty. 



After being at the park for over four hours, we decided to make the trek back to the car to leave.  Not really wanting to go ... its really hard to say goodbye to this place where time seems to stand still ... but realizing that darkness would be coming soon we decided to leave.  We made our trip back to Cary .... exhausted from our day of fun and exploration ... eager to get showers and curl up for a movie together.  And absolutely satisfied with the wonderful day that we had shared together ... as a family.

If you get the chance, please make this park a must see for you and your family.  You won't regret it and will fall in love with it just like we have.

Pickles in a dash ... quick and simple



The beginning of my masterpiece

 Have a few extra cucumbers lying around in the refrigerator ... well here's a great idea and what a great picnic side.  Nothing says summer or fall like a big batch of Summer Pickles.  The beauty of this recipe is that you can use cucumbers, zuchinni, or squash ... all are really good but my favorite will always be the pickled cucumbers.  Sweet and tangy at the same time, these little beauties have that subtle flavor of turmeric.  I fall in love every time I take a bite.  I decided to whip up a quick batch after my beautiful daughter, Shannon, expressed to me with great excitement that she would love for me to use the six cucumbers in the refrigerator to make some.  She loves them ... gets excited everytime summer rolls around because she knows its pickle time. 

This is the easiest process and it takes only a couple of hours before they are ready to gobble up ... not too many at once, of course ... you must savor them.  Plus they will get tastier during the week that they may be in your refrigerator ... if they last that long.  Try it ... they are delicious ... take a picnic and share them ...


Cucumbers added .... yummy!


Bread and Butter Summer Pickles

4 cups of sugar
4 cups of vinegar
1/2 cup salt
1 1/3 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 1/3 teaspoons celery seeds
1 1/3 teaspoons turmeric
1 large onion
6 to 8 cucumbers ... depending on the size

Combine the sugar, salt, mustard and celery seeds, and turmeric in a 1 gallon container.  Stir in the vinegar and mix well allowing the sugar to begin dissolving well.  Add thinly sliced onion and cucumber slices into the vinegar and sugar mixture and stir around to coat.  Place container in the refrigerator.  Pickles are good in the refrigerator for one week.  They can be eaten after a couple of hours.

Stressed out ... let's do some canning...



Okra stuffed jars with yummy garlic and herbs

 I bet you are wondering what I did... or maybe not, but I have to tell you anyway.  When I am feeling stressed ... in need of that comfort that makes you feel better...I tend to cook or clean or turn to family.  But with my family so far away, sometimes I do things that bring me comfort or remind me of the people who brought me the most comfort when I needed it.  So today, I got up and decided to make some bread and butter pickles and can some pickled okra.  Yes, that's right, I canned hot pickled okra.  What was my inspiration you ask...well that would be the large bag of okra that I purchased from Nancy, the lovely owner of Red Bud Farms from the Western Wake Farmer's Market.  That paired with the pound of jalepenos that I bought from Wild Onion Farms gave me the idea.  And then I have to remember the pickles that my beautiful daughter, Shannon, asked me to whip up if I had a minute.  Funny that! 

Ta da!  Lovely!

So this morning I got out of bed, feeling a bit down and thought ... hot pickled okra ... because the idea of canning reminded me how happy I was when I spent time with my Grandma Burke as a little girl and then as a teenager and then as an adult.  I loved helping her cook, can, quilt and garden.  And it was during those times that I shared alot of my thoughts and feelings with her and she would offer me a bit of wisdom that at the time I have to admit I wasn't sure I understood.  But today, upon reflection, I understand full well what she was saying.

I looked up a great recipe for which I seemed to have all the ingredients and I got busy.  I remembered from a week before, while unpacking from our recent move, I had come across a dozen or so canning jars and lids.  With jars lined up on the counter, I started measuring and placing all the wonderful smelling ingredients into the individual jars .... tarragon (mmmm), garlic, mustard seed, peppercorns .... so many wonderful aromas mixing together into such a fresh smelling bouquet.  It's so exciting at this point just thinking about the end result.

After rinsing and trimming the okra, I squeezed it all into the jars, all the while I'm smiling thinking of how I would love to have my grandma there offering up some of her great wisdom.  I can smell the  water, vinegar and salt I had placed on the stove.  It's boiling away, waiting to be poured into the jars all lined up in a row.  And while all this is happening, I'm reflecting back on the past few days and feeling so much better about things because even though she wasn't here with me physically, she was here ... with me ... watching over my "mess" ... my creative moment and I hope smiling at the beautiful work of "edible art" I had just created.  Stepping back to look at those beautiful jars, I found my happy thoughts again and this day that started off not looking so good became so much brighter.


Hot Pickled Okra
2 pounds young, small to medium okra pods
4 small dried chiles or 4 fresh chiles of your choice , split in 1/2
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
12 sprigs fresh tarragon
4 cloves, whole
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 cups rice wine vinegar
2 cups bottled water
4 sterilized pint-sized canning jars

Wash the okra and trim the stem to 1/2-inch. Place 1 chile, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 sprigs of tarragon, 1 clove garlic and 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns in the bottom of each of 4 sterilized jars. Divide the okra evenly among jars, standing them up vertically, alternating stems up and down.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the salt, vinegar and water to a boil. Once boiling, pour this mixture over the okra in the jars, leaving space between the top of the liquid and the lid. Seal the lids. Set in a cool dry place for around 2 weeks.