Spring "Grass" Wreath Made From Yarn

Here we are at Monday once again.  Hope your weekend was all that you wanted it to be.  We spent our weekend helping our oldest daughter and family move to their new home.  We are tired.  Thankfully, Saturday the weather was gorgeous - perfect for moving.  Sunday, it was a bit cooler.  Today, we had a toad strangler with hail at our house.  Good thing they weren't moving today.  Yikes.

It's March 18,  countdown to the official first day of spring on Wednesday, March 20 better known as the spring equinox.  Am I looking forward to it?  You bet I am, especially if the weather will warm up. Trees and shrubs are blooming, the grass is getting that icky sprouty uneven look where it is going to have to be mowed and soon.  Flowers are also showing their beautiful colors.  It's such a respite from the cold gray of winter.  We just need the weather to warm up consistently.  One day it's warm, next day it's cool.  Guess that's March for you.  Yes, I am impatient.

I got so eager for spring that I decorated the house last week just to make it feel more spring like.  I didn't want everything to be Easter decorations so I had to change everything again at the end of March.  So I went with a lot of pink and green which fits the season perfectly don't you think?

The wreath above is hanging on our back door and is the easiest wreath you will ever make in your life, even if you have NEVER made a wreath before.  A child could make this wreath.  I saw it on Pinterest and it really caught my eye because it looks like new spring grass ready all ready for some bare feet.  The little flowers add just enough contrast to make it oh so adorable.  I found this wreath on a blog called Capture the Details.  There are many variations on Pinterest, some with Easter decorations, but I liked this nice, fresh spring variation.

Here is all you need to make this.

1 foam wreath form (I used a 12 inch one, use any size you like)
1 skein fun fur yarn.  (I used lime green bought at JoAnn's)
I used some vintage trim I had that looks like daisies.  Use whatever flowers you want.
double faced satin ribbon if you want a bow.

Start by wrapping the yarn around the wreath form close together.  Wrap all the way around the form and hot glue the end to the back.  There was just a little yarn left over from one skein on the 12 inch form.  I used a seam ripper to lift the yarn out from under where it was wrapped so it would stand up as much as possible.  Hot glue your flowers to the "grass" wherever you want them to be.  Use any color you would like, just make sure they are small so you don't overpower the "grass."  Tie a bow if you want one and hot glue it to the wreath.  Hang.

This project could not be any simpler if you tried.  It is SO festive and makes me long for green grass and bare feet (at least flip flops).  If you want to add Easter decorations to it, go ahead.  It's your wreath, decorate it any way you want.  My thought was this will go all the way until summer without holiday specific decorations.

Give this easy little project a try.  It will give you "spring fever" for sure.  They could be made in different sizes and hung all over your home if you wanted.  It's a great way to bring in a breath of spring.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.   Helen Keller

Easter Centerpiece - Paper Mache' Egg Tutorial

 You do realize that Easter is March 31st right?  Tomorrow we are halfway through the month, so if  you haven't started your spring/Easter projects yet, I am sounding the alarm.  It's time to get started!!!  This is the centerpiece I made or my dining table this week.  The book page paper mache' eggs are so much fun and may be one of my favorite projects ever.  You will want to try these for sure.  They are simple, beautifully decorative, and inexpensive.  Three great words don't you think?

It is vitally important to understand that I have glitter in my veins.  I am a true sparkly girl.  Glitter, sequins and rhinestones are my friends.  Now you understand a little more about me.  My centerpiece sparkles and that makes me happy.  If  you are not a big sparkle fan, don't put glitter on your eggs.  They are beautiful without it, just better with it in my estimation.

When I am walking through stores, there are things that catch my eye and I don't know what I will do with them at that exact moment, but they jump in my cart.  Did you ever have that happen?  Later, I discover the perfect place for them.  Always.  The little sparkly bunny came from Tar-jay (better known as Target) and it was available in pink and turquoise.  I liked turquoise so he came home with me.  He was $3.00.  How could I pass him up?  Obviously, I couldn't.

The basket was also in the cheap bins at Target for $3.00.  I bought a tall one and an oblong one.  They are metal and I used both of them immediately.  The oblong one was used for a floral arrangement, and the other is here in my centerpiece.  I was happy because I didn't want a wicker basket, but something you could see through.  Good old Target came through!

Now, for the paper mache' eggs.  Easy peasy.  I used the cheap plastic easter eggs for the base.  They are 18 for $1.00 at the Dollar Tree.  Every store has them this time of year.  I used a package of regular egg size and some smaller ones.   I used book pages from my Complete works of Shakespeare that I have been using for all kinds of projects.  This time, I used some of the engraving pages and they made fabulous eggs.

I know, they look kind of scary in the full page, but when you tear them into strips and apply them to the eggs they look downright awesome.

I added a little water color to some of them and some glitter to jazz them up just a bit.  I also used sheet music and regular book pages.  Look how awesome they look.

Oh, I really do love the way they look.  If you have never done paper mache', here is all you have to do.

Tear a bunch of pages into strips and then into smaller pieces.  Use Mod Podge or white glue and coat a plastic egg with it.  I just used my fingers.  Apply strips of paper to the egg and then smear some more glue over the top to make sure it sticks.  Because of the shape of the eggs, it is impossible to get all the creases out, but do run your fingers over the paper several times to get any air bubbles out.  Keep applying paper until the entire egg is covered (it can go in any direction) and none of the color of the egg is showing through. Run your hands over the eggs several times to get them as smooth as possible. I laid them on a plastic trash bag to dry.  Warning:  You will have glue all over your hands, but it will wash off easily or peel off when dry.

I had this beautiful glitter that I bought at Tuesday Morning for super cheap.  Glitter can be a little pricey, especially this super fine kind.  I paid $4.00 for all of this.  One vial of Martha glitter will cost more than that and you will use very little on a project like this.  These have shaker tops which I love.

After the eggs dried, I used some water color and applied it to some of the eggs so they weren't all white.  I made it very watery so it didn't cover up the print on the paper.  Then I applied a little more glue and sprinkled colored glitter on some of the eggs.  They are so pretty!

All of the eggs that don't have colored glitter have clear glitter applied.  They look SOOOOO beautiful.  I am sorry the picture does not capture how much they really sparkle.

To make my centerpiece, I used a little silver tray I already had from the Dollar Tree.  I wanted the centerpiece on something that is easy to move, since we put the leaf in the table often when we have company for dinner.  I used a package of green paper shred and covered the tray and the interior of the basket which I had placed on it's side.  I scattered eggs around and sat Mr. Bunny in the shred.  I added a tiffany blue bow from some wired ribbon that I already had and voila!  I had a centerpiece.

I made lots of eggs and will be showing you other ways to use them.  These could be made by children also if you are looking for a fun spring project.  Just make sure they are wearing old clothes or covered with something.  They will get glue everywhere.  If you filled the eggs with some kind of treat first and then paper mache'd them, they could be opened at an egg hunt or for Easter.  If you wanted colored eggs, you could used colored tissue paper and use the same process.  They would be gorgeous!

Here is the centerpiece from another angle.

Total measurements for the centerpiece is a little over 8 inches high by 15 inches long.  It is so colorful and sweet to look at.  I can't wait for the grandsons to see it!

The weather has been cool and yucky.   I decided to take matters into my own hands and create spring here in the little yellow cottage.  Our house is all decorated, wreaths are made and hung, and it is going to be 70 degrees this weekend!  Yahoo!!  It is time and we are ready for some warmth and sun.  Flowers and trees are starting to bloom and we started making plans for our annual egg hunt today.  Aren't you ready for some spring weather?  Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on it's way.  Let's get this party started!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Think spring rather than just Easter when decorating.  Most of my decorations will transition through spring.  This centerpiece will be easy to replace once Easter is over and I spent slightly over $10.00 on it and the eggs will be usable or years to come.  Think outside the box when looking at items to decorate with.  You don't have to spend a lot of money.  Just be creative.  donna

Cornbread From Scratch AND Cornbread Dressing - Two Recipes For The Price Of One

AND

Hello friends!  It's a good day, no - it's a great day, when  you get two for the price of one.  At least I think it is.  Sometimes I make one recipe knowing there will be a great use for it in another recipe.  Like here.  Delicious cornbread made from scratch and leftovers used to make a fabulous cornbread dressing!  Oh yes, two of my all time favorites.

I am going to show you how to make cornbread like my Kentucky grandma did and how to make cornbread dressing like a true southerner.   Oh boy, oh boy, are they both fantastic!  We enjoyed cornbread with fried catfish two nights ago and tonight we had the world famous roast beef and dressing.  What?  Did I say roast beef and dressing?  I sure did!  Most of us think of dressing with turkey or chicken.  You mean you can have it with roast beef?  You can and absolutely should!  

This combination comes from my first job.  I started working at Mead Johnson and Company in Evansville, Indiana, the week after I graduated high school in 1966.  I worked in the Medical Research Department.  There was an employee cafeteria that served wonderful food for super reasonable prices.  I mean real home cooked food.  On Thursday, once a month they served roast beef and dressing.  The cafeteria was always absolutely packed on that day and you knew you had to wait in line for a while, but is was so worth the wait.  I don't know about you, but my mom always made dressing with poultry, we never had it with beef.  This is where I learned that not only could you have it with beef, it was one of the best things ever!

Let me walk you through how to make cornbread in a cast iron skillet - a true southern treat.  Don't get me wrong, I like Jiffy cornbread and I use it a lot, but it doesn't even compare with REAL cornbread.  Kentucky cornbread.  Southern cornbread.  The most important part is a cast iron skillet, corn muffin, or corn stick baking pan.  Yes, they come in cast iron.  It's vitally important for that fabulously crispy, crunchy crust on the outside.  No other baking pan will make your cornbread turn out this way.  Seriously.

I have a 10 inch cast iron skillet that I use to bake my biscuits and cornbread in.  Once you do it this way, you will understand why.  Example - do you like Cracker Barrel cornbread?  It's because they bake it in cast iron.  It is soooooo yummy.  Now, here is a BIG secret to good cornbread.  The oil that you use in the batter should be heated in the cast iron skillet, swirled around the skillet then poured into the batter.  This keeps the bread from sticking to the pan and makes for a better cornbread.  Why?  I don't really know, but it does and it is the way grandma and mom always did it.  So, I do it too.  

Here is what you need for the cornbread

1 1/2 cups self rising cornmeal mix  (that means it already has the baking powder and salt in it, so you don't have to add it)  If you can't find self rising cornmeal mix, look on line to find out how to make it.

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk (add 1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice to whole milk if you don't have buttermilk on hand and let sit for 5 minutes)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all purpose flour

*1/4 cup sugar  (we NEVER add sugar to our cornbread, feel free if you like it sweet)

Heat your oven to 450 degrees F.  

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and stir in the buttermilk, corn meal mix, flour (and sugar) until smooth.  Heat the oil in the pan (I do this in the oven for about a minute), swirl it around the pan and add it to the batter.  REMEMBER, HANDLE WILL BE HOT ON CAST IRON - USE A HOT PAD!!!!!

Mix the batter until smooth.  It should be pourable, not too thick.  If it seems too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk.  Pour into prepared pan. 

Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.  

See, the batter is thick but pourable, like a brownie batter.   After you remove the baked cornbread from the oven, let the pan sit for a few minutes, get a plate and flip the pan over so the cornbread  can be cut and the beautiful crusty bottom becomes the top.  This is how it looks.

Oh my goodness, it is so good.  Eat it hot with a big slab of butter melted on it, or you could do it like my grandma always did for a night snack.  Crumble cold cornbread up in a glass of milk or buttermilk and eat it with a spoon.  Several of our family members had relatives who did the same.  Did anyone in your family do this?  Have I done it?  No.  Thanks.  It might be delicious, but I can't stand anything floating in my milk other than cereal.  Feel free to try it if you want.  Let me know what you think.

Dan and I enjoyed this wonderful cornbread with our fried catfish the other night.  Another reason for making the cornbread from scratch was so I could make dressing to go with our roast beef tonight.  Two birds with one cornbread.  Love it!  

If you like stove top stuffing, you are going to love this recipe!  It is super wonderful and so flavorful.  It's really easy to make if you already have the cornbread made and you want it to be a day or two old.  The dressing just works better with older bread, it doesn't get as soggy.

Here is how to make cornbread stuffing our family's way.

4-5 cups crumbled cornbread

3 slices bread, lightly toasted and crumbled

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced celery

1/2 stick butter

1 tsp salt

fresh cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp ground sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

2 large eggs, beaten

3 cups beef stock (from a box or can), or a little more if needed.

Dice onions and celery.  Melt butter in a skillet and add onions and celery.  Cook until onions start to get clear - do not brown!  You want them to be crunchy in the dressing.

Crumble cornbread and bread in a large bowl.  Add 1 tsp salt and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. 

Remove onions and celery from the stove and add to bread crumbs.  Add salt, pepper, and spices.  Mix thoroughly!!!!  Add beef stock, mix thoroughly.  Taste before adding eggs.  Add anything you think needed now.  (I like lots of sage, you may only want to use 2 tsps ground sage if you are not a fan.)  Beat eggs with a fork in a bowl, add to bread mixture.  Mix thoroughly!  If the dressing seems dry, add a bit more beef stock.  You want it very moist before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.  Put all the dressing mixture in the pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve.

Look at all the bright green celery and onions everywhere.  Yummmmmmmmo!  I like the vegetables to have a bit of crunch to them instead of being soggy.  That's why it is important not to overcook them in the skillet.  This reheats beautifully in the microwave in case you don't eat it all .  

Oh such succulent roast beef laying over that savory dressing.  I have to tell you, it was a wonderful meal!  Wish you could have joined us.  The really exciting part is, we have left overs for tomorrow.  I LOVE when that happens.  Give these recipes a try.  You are going to be cooking like a southerner in no time!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

I remember as a kid being cold a lot, and hungry sometimes. We'd go to bed with just cornbread and milk, and I remember wearing shoes with holes in the bottom. I remember having twine for shoestrings.

~ Buck Owens

Childhood Memories - Fried Catfish, Potato Salad, and Corn Bread

Happy post "spring forward" to you all.  Does anybody else feel like a truck hit you because of lack of sleep?  We are feeling the time change here at the little yellow cottage big time and I don't really know why.  Dan and I have both been a bit draggy.  The cloudy, rainy day probably didn't help.  But, it's SO nice to have more daylight later in the day.  The rain clouds cleared up late in the afternoon and it was still light at 6:30.  Yahoo!  I am so looking forward to warm spring and summer evenings when it stays light until 8 or 8:30 and the grandsons can play in the yard while we sit outside enjoying it all.  Bring it on!

I spent most of the weekend working on spring craft projects.  What did you do? I have got a lot of new things to show you once I get them all finished.  Spent most of today with my hands covered in glue working on a fun project.  That's your hint for today.  Check back later in the week to see if there is anything you want to try.  After having fun crafting all day, it was time for dinner.

Dinner tonight was a flashback from my childhood, one of my all time favorites.  Everyone has some favorites from childhood and this just happens to be one of mine.  Fried catfish, potato salad and corn bread baked in a cast iron skillet.  Yum.  Yum.  Dan and I both grew up eating fish and loving it.  Dan's dad loved to fish and my uncle loved to fish.  Several times a year, my aunt would call and invite us over for a big old fish fry.  Talk about excited!  That meant all of the above would be on the menu, or maybe hush puppies in place of cornbread and ALWAYS a lemon meringue pie which is probably my most favorite pie to this day.  Just makes me think of warm summer evenings and family eating outside under the huge weeping willow tree.  Such a good memory.

I happened upon some lovely catfish fillets at Kroger and snagged them right up.  I knew that I would be cooking them the "old fashioned way" as I call it.  Simple.  Salt and pepper, rolled in corn meal and fried.  Couldn't be easier if you tried.  I am not a fan of tempura type breading on fish like they do in most restaurants.  I like crispy, crunchy cornmeal browned to perfection where you can taste the fish and not just the breading.  Here is how you make this fabulous catfish.  If you are using fiddlers, or nuggets, follow the same procedure.  You can use this same method on most any fish that  you fry.

These fillets were huge.  Here is one in a 9 x 13 baking dish just to give you an idea of the size.

I knew turning them would be difficult while cooking, so I cut them all in half to make it easier.

First, salt and pepper both sides of the fish.  Place about 2 cups of yellow corn meal (to which you have added about another 2 teaspoons of salt and thoroughly mixed into the cornmeal) in a dish deep enough for breading your fish.  Lay one side of the fish in the cornmeal and kind of press it with your hands so it is well coated with cornmeal and then turn and do the same to the other side.  If there are any "bald" spots, sprinkle more cornmeal over those places and press with your hands.  Coat all your fish pieces in the cornmeal.

Traditionally, this fish is cooked in a cast iron skillet, but I have a glass top stove.  Cast iron gets very hot and can crack a glass stove, so I use my trusty electric skillet set at 350 degrees.  Feel free to use a skillet on your stove.  Add about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil and let it heat until it ripples.  That is when you are ready to fry baby fry.  Letting your oil heat first keeps the cornmeal from sticking to the pan instead of the fish.

Do not turn the fish until you see that the cornmeal is starting to brown around the bottom edges of the fish.  Use a spatula, and not a fork, to turn the fish so it doesn't fall apart.  Cook the other side until golden brown.  Gently lift the fish up just a bit with the spatula to make sure the fish is good and brown before removing from the pan.  Depending on how thick your fish is, it should only cook a few minutes (3-5) on each side.

When removing the fish from the pan, hold it over the skillet for a few seconds to let any excess oil drain from the spatula.  You want it to be beautifully golden brown.

Yum.  Yum.  Yum.  Can you see the edges of the fish where it is all crispy and crunchy.  That is my favorite part.  Delicious.

Even though this fish is filleted and should not have any bones in it, you may want to check each bite  before eating it.  Fish is good, bones are bad.  Just a little warning, especially if you have small ones eating with you.

Oh, this was such a delicious meal.  I know everyone doesn't like fish, but it is so good for you and a wonderful alternative to meat.  Dan and I both grew up eating blue gill (called bream in the south), crappie, cat fish, striped bass and we even caught some Northern Pike one year at Kentucky Dam that was awesome.

If you love cornbread (and I don't mean Jiffy Mix, which I do use), I will share the recipe with you later for a big old cast iron skillet full of old time goodness.  Put a big old slab of butter on it while it's hot and, oh baby, you have got a treat.  The cast iron skillet gives it an amazing crust and it is nothing but crumbly, warm corn goodness on the inside.  Yes sir!  That's what I'm talkin' about.  It also makes fabulous cornbread dressing.

Memories.  This satisfyingly delicious meal gave me a little trip down memory lane this evening.  Sometimes, those are good trips to take.  Family recipes and ways of preparing food are worth passing on and learning to prepare.  It keeps our family memories alive.  Tell the stories to your family of what your favorite foods mean to you.  It's history.  Family history.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“In my South, the most treasured things passed down from generation to generation are the family recipes.”   Robert St. John

Savory Cheese, Olive, and Buttermilk Herb Bread

Bread - the staff of life.  My research shows that some form of bread is found in every society on earth.  Who doesn't love a good, delicious bread?  I'm not talking about white bread from the grocery store.  Not at all.  Actually, I don't like sliced white bread from a package, I don't care if it's the greatest thing ever.  Thanks, but no thanks.  Not a fan.

Baking bread can be quite involved, so many of us stick to banana bread, pumpkin bread, and zucchini bread because it doesn't involve yeast and waiting for the dough to rise and punching it down and waiting some more.  That's what bakeries are for, right?  But, have you ever thought about savory breads that don't require yeast and all the many steps listed above?

Pinterest addict that I am, I scour the recipes looking for things that sound amazing and delicious.  I found this recipe for cheese, olive and buttermilk herb bread that is from a blog site called sugarandeverythingnice.blogspot.com.  She adapted this recipe from "Mix and Bake" by Belinda Jeffrey.  I haven't seen the original recipe, so I don't know what changes the writer made to the original, but it is good and really easy.  Really good.  Really easy.

If you don't like olives, I don't know what to tell you other than the fact that they are not the most prominent flavor of this bread.  The most prominent flavors would be cheese and herbs.  If I make it again (and I will) I would actually add more olives because I love them.  You can leave them out if you want, that is up to you.  I will also add more cheese next time.  Cheesy bread is delicious bread.  Yum.

Here is what you need to make this awesome bread:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 dry mustard powder (I used 2 tsps of dijon instead because I love it)
1/4 cup (60 gms) grated cheddar cheese - I would use 1/2 cup next time
1/4 cup (60 gms) grated parmesan cheese - again, I would use 1/2 cup
1/2 cup green olives, sliced (I would use 1 cup)
8 pieces sun dried tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mixture of spring onion (scallions) and Italian parsley
2 tsp thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or use 1 1/4 cup less 1 Tbsp milk + 1 TBSP white vinegar or lemon juice.  Set aside for 10 minutes before using)
Egg wash made from 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water
Extra thyme sprigs and sea salt for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter a large loaf pan and dust with flour.  Set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, pepper and mustard powder (if using) into a large bowl.  Whisk to incorporate the dry ingredients.  Add both cheeses, olives, sun dried tomatoes, spring onions, parsley and thyme and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the oil and buttermilk and dijon mustard (if using) until well combined.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients.  Stir together to form a thick, sticky batter.  Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly.

Brush the top of the batter with the egg wash and then sprinkle some thyme leaves and sea salt on the loaf.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.  If the top starts to burn, place a piece of foil over top of the loaf and continue baking.  Leave in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

This loaf is best served on the same day.  Wrap left overs in foil and store in fridge.  Can be gently reheated if serving again.

We enjoyed this delicious savory bread with the cheese, sausage, and grits casserole I posted on Monday.  We did spread some garlic herbed goat cheese on it and it was fantastic!  This bread is sort of dense, almost cake like in texture.  I would have liked more cheese and olives, but that is just me.  If you don't like strong flavors, stick to the recipe.

If you get tired of sweet breads and would like something savory, this recipe fits the bill.  It would be awesome to serve for brunch or for an afternoon treat.  Children would certainly enjoy it!  The grandsons gobbled it up.  You could spread their favorite cheese on it while it's still warm.  Delicious!

Baking bread doesn't have to be hard or have a million steps to be delicious.  Give this recipe a try.  It's a keeper.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

If you have extraordinary bread and extraordinary butter, it's hard to beat bread and butter.  
Jaques Pepin

Midwestern Stromboli Pizza King Style - EverydayDonna's Recipe

Do you get tired of cooking sometimes?  All the time?  Never?  Some of the above?  None of the above?  I love to cook, but sometimes on Friday evening I like to take a break and make something easy.  We have had a guest staying with us for the last two weeks.  By Friday evening, I was shot.  I had been cooking up a storm and I needed a break, but of course we had to eat.  So, I decided to make one of our favorites - strombolis.

Do you like strombolis?  Ever had a stromboli?  Don't confuse them with a calzone.  They are not the same.  We LOVE these sandwiches, but we like the midwestern style stromboli.  We are from Evansville, Indiana, and there is a pizza shop that has been in operation as long as we have been married which is 43 years.  Yeah, I know, forever.  The shop is called Pizza King and my research showed that there are Pizza King's all over Indiana, but I could not find if they were franchised or owned by the same company or just had the same name.  Looked like the original Pizza King started in northern Indiana somewhere.  Interesting.  Anyway, besides awesome pizza they have fabulous sandwiches - hot ham and cheese, strombolis, and Texas barbecue.  They are always wrapped in aluminum foil and baked.  You can get the stroms and Texas barbecues anywhere from mild to "blow the top of your head off" hot.  But, they are SOOOOOOOO good.  I miss them here in good old Nashville.  So, what did I do but create my own.  Sure, why not?

Here is a little history on the stromboli.  They are an American sandwich (which we all think is Italian, but isn't) usually made in a pizza type dough with Italian meats and cheese, layered and rolled, baked and then sliced.  Midwestern style strombolis are not like that.  They are made in a crusty roll like a baguette, or on a deli style roll which is what I used.  Mine has sausage, pepperoni, onions, marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, delicious.

Why are they called strombolis?  Good question.  Here is what Wikipedia has to say.

Stromboli is a type of turnover filled with various cheeses, typically mozzarella, Italian meats such as salami, capicola and bresaola or vegetables. The dough traditionally used is Italian bread dough.

A stromboli is made with a square shaped pizza dough that can be topped with any pizza toppings and is then rolled into a log and baked. Many American pizza shops serve a stromboli using pizza dough that is folded in half with fillings, similar to a calzone.

There are some theories regarding the origin of the stromboli in the United States. Romano's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria claims to have originated it in 1950 in Essington, Tinicum Township, just outside of Philadelphia, by Nazzareno Romano. According to Romano, a friend suggested he name it after the then recently released movie, Stromboli.^[1] Another claim is that the stromboli was invented in 1954 by Mike Aquino at Mike's Burger Royale in Spokane, Washington. Aquino is also supposed to have named the sandwich after the movie.

So, we don't really know exactly where this sandwich originated, we just know we are happy that it originated somewhere even though ours isn't made this way.  Ha!  Now, about making these delicious sandwiches.  They are really super easy and I guess you could use your favorite ingredients, but here is how I made mine which is very close to the Pizza King stromboli.  Here is what you need.

1 pound milk bulk sausage
1 pound hot Italian sausage (casing removed if using links)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's tomato basil)
about 30 pepperonis chopped (stack and chop, makes it easier)
1 8 ounce block mozzarella cheese, grated
3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
6 deli type rolls
olive oil
6 sheets of aluminum foil, about 12-14 inches long

1 baking sheet

Brown the sausages and onions in a saute' pan.  Drain any fat from the pan.  Add the garlic and chopped pepperoni when the sausage is browned.   Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes.  Stir until thoroughly mixed and heated through.

Brush the top and bottom of a deli roll with some good olive oil.  Put the sliced deli roll in the middle of a piece of foil, fill with sausage mixture.  Put several heaping hands full of cheese on the sausage.  Bring the edges of the foil together and roll down to the sandwich and roll the ends up.

When all the rolls have been filled and wrapped, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree  oven for about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.  Unwrap and enjoy.

There was enough meat left for another 6 strombolis.  It could easily be frozen and used another time.  I used it in a bolognese sauce later in the week.  Yum.

This sandwich is "just right" spicy as Dan said.  Not too hot, not too mild.  Goldilocks would approve. Look at all that yumminess.  If you like really spicy food, use all hot sausage and add all the red pepper flakes you want.  If you like bell peppers, add some to the sausage mix while cooking.  You can add what you like, it's your choice but this is the traditional  "Evansville" way.

When the strombolis are unwrapped, the rolls will be crusty and crunchy on the outside and the filling is spicy and cheesy good.  So easy, so good.  If you have never had one, now is the time to try making these.

 The West Side Nut Club sponsors THE Fall Festival in Evansville every year during the first full week of October.  (Google it, it's so interesting)  There are hundreds of food booths which all raise money for non profits.  Thousands of people attend every year.  One of the most popular booths year after year consistently is the Tau Kappa Epsilon Stromboli booth from the University of Southern Indiana.  Everyone is willing to stand in line for some time just to snag a few of their delicious strombolis which are made this way.  Many people go day after day during the week to eat these stroms because they just can't get enough.  Now, you don't have to wait until the first week of October, or even have to go out to Pizza King to enjoy one of these fabulous sandwiches.  Wait, what am I thinking?  You may not have anywhere that makes this type stromboli.  If you don't live in Indiana, if you don't have a Pizza King, you can now make your own extraordinary midwestern style stromboli.  Now you will know what you have been missing all these years.  Enjoy!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Every region of the country has their own food specialties that you grow accustomed to and love.  This is one of ours.  What is something you love from your area?  donna

Sausage and Cheese Grits Casserole - Delish!

Hooray, it's Monday!  Yes,  you read that right.  Hooray, it's Monday!  I know not many people feel that way and you may think I have totally lost it, but the SUN shined all day today.  The sun.  It's still up there.  Thankfully.  I was beginning to wonder.  And, the temp got up into the low 60's.  Did you hear me?  The low 60's.  And, I didn't have to wear a coat.  NO COAT.  NO SNOW.  NO CLOUDS.  NO GRAY.  Sun, glorious sun with hope that spring cannot be far behind.  Yahoooooooo!   And my BFF was here for a doctor's follow up appointment from her surgery in November and we got to have lunch together, and talk, and drink coffee.  Just like old times.  Sigh.  It has been a truly good Monday.

Enough about me, how about you?  How was your weekend?  Your Monday?  Hope it was fabulous.  Simply fabulous.  Hope you expressed gratitude.  Monday's are always Gratitude Monday's.   My friend Don called me early this morning to share his gratitude list and it included me for being his friend.  Now, how can you have a bad Monday when that happens?  You absolutely cannot have a bad day.  Ever.  When someone says they are thankful you are in their life, well it just rocks.  Thanks Don, love you too!  We met in my costume shop when he came in one day and have been fast friends ever since.  Don't you love when that happens?  I sure do.

Now, about that picture above.  Let's talk about it.  It is a recipe I made a couple of Sundays ago for dinner.  Yes, dinner.  It can also be a breakfast casserole, but don't you like breakfast for dinner sometimes?  We do.  Also, it is gluten free and I made it for company.  Our son in love has Celiac and their family was coming for dinner, so I gave it a try.  It's a keeper.  I found the recipe on plainchicken.com which is one of my favorite sites to peruse every few weeks for new recipes.  She always has simple, but delicious recipes and I haven't made one yet that we didn't love.

So let's talk about grits.  Do you like them?  Don't know?  Haven't made them or eaten them?  They are a mostly southern dish and we LOVE them.  They are somewhat like polenta (if you like polenta, and we do), extremely delicious, and easy to make if you use the quick grits.  Here is some information from Wikipedia on grits.

Grits refers to a ground-corn food of Native American origin, that is common in the Southern United States and mainly eaten at breakfast. Modern grits are commonly made of alkali-treated corn known as hominy.

Grits are similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world such as polenta or the thinner farina. "Instant grits" have been processed to speed cooking.

The word "grits" derives from the Old English word "grytt," meaning coarse meal.^[1] This word originally referred to wheat and other porridges now known as groats in parts of the U.K.  Wikipedia

This casserole is extremely tasty.  Even our oldest grandson, who may be one of the pickiest eaters on earth ate it.  Okay, that rates as a minor miracle.  I mean, it's got tons of cheese and sausage, some herbs, eggs, and grits.  What's not to like?  Here is what you need to make this casserole.

2 pounds sausage (regular, hot, or some of both)
4 cups water
1 1/4 cups quick cooking grits, uncooked
4 cups (1 pound) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used two 8 ounce blocks and grated it myself - cheaper and tastes better than pre-grated)
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
paprika

Brown sausage in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles.  Drain well if needed and set aside.

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, stir in grits.  Return to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the grits don't stick.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese and next 3 ingredients, stirring until cheese melts.  Stir in sausage and eggs.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until golden and heated through.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

To make ahead:

Prepare grits mixture as directed above, but DO NOT bake.  Cover and chill overnight.  Remove from refrigerator; let stand while covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake as directed.

This recipe is gluten free as long as your sausage has no gluten in it.  Check the label!    I would have liked all hot sausage, but we have little ones eating and I didn't want it to be too spicy for them so I used 1 pound of mild and 1 pound of hot sausage.  It's your choice what kind of sausage you use.

Other than that, this is an awesome casserole to serve for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.  We enjoyed it with zucchini/potato cakes, fresh fruit, salad and some fabulous buttermilk, cheddar, olive bread that I baked.  I will share that recipe with you later.  Yum.

Next time you want something easy but different, give this recipe a try.  It's truly cheesy goodness.  Enjoy the rest of your Monday, you've still got time.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Stone-ground grits are wonderful, but because they take so long to cook, I usually go with quick cooking grits, which I also love. But I never make the instant kind, some things a Southerner just won't do!  Paula Deen