my gramma's recipes
  • Home
  • Southern Comfort Food
  • Bible Study Snacks
  • The Southern Way
  • Country Pecans
  • Sharp Shooter Soaps
  • Scrapbook
  • Free Resources

Southern Comfort Food
Cookbook

New Year's Day Irish Supper

12/23/2022

Comments

 
Picture

Why are these dishes our tradition?

Coned Beef Brisket
Other than being simply delicious, corned beef and cabbage is a traditional New Year's Day Supper because a piece of beef is represents the good fortune you should hope for in the coming year. Beef or pork is the meat of choice because, unlike chickens, these animals do not scratch in the dirt for their food.

Cabbage
Collards, mustard or turnip greens, cabbage, etc., symbolize the green of “dollar bills,” and will ensure you have a financially prosperous New Year.

Black Eyes Peas
This dish is just amazing, especially this recipe! Black eyed peas have always been associated with a
mystical and mythical power to bring good luck. Back in the time of the Civil War, people felt lucky to have black-eyed peas to eat and help them survive through the winter.

Corn Bread
It's yellow hue represents gold.

Bundt Cake
Like a ring, where every ending is also a beginning, the bundt cake represents the year finally coming full circle.


We hope you enjoy these recipes and we wish you a happy & prosperous New Year!
Comments

Nollaig Shona Daoibh ~ Happy Christmas to All

12/21/2022

Comments

 
Picture
As you all know, this is the best time of year!!! For religious and spiritual reasons, but also because we get to spend so much family time together!

I love to start Christmas festivities on Thanksgiving Day. While I am preparing the meal (most of which has been completed in the day or two prior), my daughters are decorating the Christmas tree and the entire house! The tree above is our 2022 Farmhouse Flocked tree (my daughter snow-sprayed everything not moving + her little sister and the dog!) The farmhouse is covered in pumpkins, gourds, pine, holly, pine cones, and lights!!! Simply beautiful ~

Of course, I've been Christmas shopping all year because I just love finding a great deal on a gist that my kids will love. Then, I start developing a menu. My kids want lots of the traditional meal, but I get a new item or two onto the table. Here is a helpful list for planning your holiday with family and friends.

In addition to the delicious food we will share, we also exchange traditional gifts on Christmas Eve while we enjoy our delicious Mexican recipes of  biscochos, champurrado, empanadas, and tamales. Click here for our Christmas Eve recipes! We play games, tell jokes, laugh, and simply love every moment. Then, we exchange gifts of books and pajamas ~ one of my favorite things to do is watch my kids open the books I have chosen for them each year. I do my best to find something they love and something that captures their new interests. I have a pretty good track record so far!

On Christmas Day, we wake up early and cannot wait to open gifts! Then, it's time for an:

Irish Breakfast: fried eggs, hash browns, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, Irish bangers (sausage links), biscuits and fig marmalade ~ of course, plenty of coffee (maybe a bit too much whiskey in last night's festivities)!

I love to make snacks for the family to enjoy while playing this year's games ~ trivia, bingo, and (what I am most looking forward to) Yellowstone Monopoly! During the day, we all participate in the cooking. As you know, my son will prepare the turkey (no, he still has not shared his secret brine recipe!) while my daughters and I prepare the goose and ham. 

Snacks: One of my favorites is the cream cheese topped with Tabasco jelly. We serve this with Wheat Thins! This year, I am making a Fig, Pecan, & Brie bites. I also ordered Kimberley Biscuits on Amazon because we live in west Texas. I just adore Smoked Salmon & Marie Rose Sauce ~ this year, I am serving this on sea salt & cracked pepper kettle chips. I also sprinkle a few capers, chopped green onion, and fresh rosemary. Delicious! And for a bit of cool & fresh (plus it blends well with the smoked salmon) I make a melon ball dish of cantaloupe and honey dew. Festive & Tasty!

Spirits: Jamie & Ginger is a traditional drink here (or maybe just in my house, either way...) I prefer Jameson Black Barrel and Canada Dry ginger ale in a highball glass of ice. For a more festive twist, I add a cinnamon stick and a splash of cranberry juice.

Dinner: Roast Goose with Pecan Stuffing & Apricot Chutney, Fried Turkey & Cranberry Sauce (I buy the canned Ocean Spray whole berry then add the juice of 1 orange and a cinnamon stick, bring to a boil, then put in a nice serving dish), Plum & Star Anise Ham, Goose Fat Roasted Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Irish Buttered Carrots, & Soda Bread ~ don't forget the Christmas Crackers!

Dessert: Irish Christmas Cake with Brandy Butter, Kimberley Biscuits, Mince Pies,
Irish Sherry Trifle & Irish Coffee

We hope you enjoy these recipes as much and we do, and from our family to yours ~ Merry Christmas~
Comments

Merry Christmas Eve

12/20/2022

Comments

 
Picture
I just love Christmas Eve! For 27 years, I have gifted my children an ornament with their names and the year, a new set of pajamas, a book based on their current interests, and chocolates from around the world.

This year, my two older children are not receiving the traditional ornaments from mom (they used to be from gramma, but I took over the tradition as she got older), because they are now in relationships with who they will spend the rest of their lives. Bittersweet... Those ornaments will be chosen by the couples. This year's ornaments will be placed on the tree on Christmas Eve.

We make homemade biscochos, empanadas, ponche de frutas, champurrado, and tamales. Every Christmas Eve, the older kids (now accompanied with their betrothed) go on a hunt for the best tamales. When they return, we have an incredible afternoon and evening of games, gifts, and great food!
Comments

Pecan Snowball Cookies

12/18/2022

Comments

 
These might be the easiest favorite cookie to bake! They are great with Irish coffee & Santa loves them (hint, hint!).

This is also a great beginners recipe for your kiddoes! It's almost impossible to mess up... but it can happen so they need supervisions. We hope you enjoy this Farm to Table recipe!
Picture
Print Recipe Card
Comments

Sugar Cookies

12/18/2022

Comments

 
One of our favorite traditions is baking cookies during Christmas week. We deliver them to our neighbors (out here on the ranch, our neighbors are miles away so we bake a few days then deliver for a few days). Of course, we bake fresh cookies on Christmas Eve just for Santa!

These are easy & delicious! Enjoy ~
Picture
Print Recipe Card
If you prefer to roll out your dough and use cookie cutters, this recipe works well with just a few minor adjustments.

After mixing the dough until smooth, turn dough out on work surface. Cut dough in half and shape each portion into a compact disk. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Unwrap 1 dough disk and roll on lightly-floured work surface to 1/4-inch thickness (lightly coat rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking). Cut into chosen shapes and place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Then, place the cookie sheet with the shaped cookies into the refrigerator for 8-10 minutes, then bake (follow the card to finish).
Comments

An Irish Thanksgiving Feast

11/22/2022

Comments

 
Picture
I wait an entire year to have my son's amazing turkey (maybe this year he will share his secret brine recipe with us!) and to cook some of my favorite vintage and Irish recipes!

I love Thanksgiving ~ the meal is always amazing, but it's the time we get to spend with family that is priceless! The games, the conversations, the memories are all what we are so very grateful for ~ this and every year.

Here are some helpful tips ~ 1) begin purchasing your ingredients in October. If you wait too long, you might have to adjust your menu. 2) Make your desserts on Monday & Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. 3) Make your sides on Tuesday & Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. 4) Make your turkey (or meats) on Thursday morning. 5) Spend all of your time with the kids... all too soon, they will be off with their own families.

Spreading out the work will allow more time in the kitchen with kids, and more time with family on Thursday. Plus, more time to rest rather than exhausting yourself on Thursday. *I am guilty of being the "momzilla" trying to make everything perfect. Fingers crossed that I will be more relaxed this year.

I hope you enjoy these recipes ~
Picture
Raw Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Irish Oatmeal Cake w Pecan Frosting
Irish Oatmeal Cake in the Oven
Cooking Pecan Praline Candy
Pecan Tart Filling
Whiskey Pecan Tart (raw)
Whiskey Pecan Tart (baked)
Lime Jello Salad
Crushed Cornflakes & Melted Butter
Pouring Irish Cheese Mixture over cooked noodles
Folding the Cooked Green Beans into the Casserole Mixture
Pouring the Green Bean Casserole into the Baking Dish
Comments

Champurrado

11/21/2022

Comments

 
Champurrado is one of the many delicious Mexican hot chocolate beverages. This is my favorite! Lots of markets sell a pre-made mix, but nothing is a good as homemade (and, your Mexican/Irish mother won't accept pre-made garbage in her house!)

Plus, it's super easy! Enjoy ~
Picture
Print Recipe Card
Comments

Albondigas

11/21/2022

Comments

 
This is not the traditional recipe... because I like this one WAAAAAAY better (mainly because, 1) I don't like rice; and 2) I prefer a more tomato-y soup base. This caldo is my son's favorite ~ he is anxious for Fall and Winter all year for me to finally make it!

This year (2022), I made it for our Yellowstone premier party ~ better than ever!!!

Try it and let us know what you think.
Picture
Print Recipe Card
Comments

Mac & Irish Cheese

11/14/2022

Comments

 
Picture


This is my daughter's favorite dish / dinner. We make it without ham and with sliced or chopped ham. Of course, every way is delicious! Enjoy!

Picture
Comments

Chicken & Dumplings

11/8/2022

Comments

 
Chicken and Dumplings has always been one of my favorite dinners, and I am not a fan of hardly any kind of soup. This recipe is also one of the recipes that my gramma never typed or gave me. My kids ate several variations of chicken and dumplings until I finally figured out how to make my gramma's chicken & dumplings ~ enjoy!
Picture
Picture
Print Recipe Card
Comments

Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

8/16/2022

Comments

 
Picture


I absolutely love this salad and I do not like broccoli (or hardly any green vegetables)! The secret here is the tang of Duke's mayo and apple cider vinegar. Add lots of red grapes, pecans, and crispy bacon ~ and you've got an adorable salad that is great at the cook-out, Bible study, even a Sunday dinner!

It's quick, easy, and super yummy! Enjoy!

Recipe Card
Picture
Comments

Texas Cowboy Cookies

8/11/2022

Comments

 
These are my signature cookie! (yes, I just said that in a Steel Magnolia's / Julia Robert's voice)! LOL! But, as soon as you taste these cookies for Texas Heaven, you will understand!

Irish Butter + Chocolate Chips + Old Fashioned Oats + Texas PECANS!!! Oh My!!!

Quick ~ Easy ~ Scrumptious! Enjoy!
Picture
Print Recipe Card
Comments

Easy Cherry Cobbler

7/14/2022

Comments

 
One of the desserts my daughter loves to make is cherry cobbler! And, who doesn't love cobbler ~ especially with vanilla bean ice cream!!!

This recipe is great for beginner chefs, busy week nights, and anyone who knows that a great dessert doesn't require hours and hours in the kitchen.

Enjoy!
Picture
Picture
Print Recipe Card
Comments

Chicken Bog

7/7/2022

Comments

 
I think every recipe that we post is a family favorite... and this one is always on our monthly menu ~ because, yes, I plan everything! It drives my oldest daughter crazy but makes life easier while saving money ~ with the bonus of annoying my daughter.

Here is our version of super easy and crazy delicious Chicken Bog. I have always thought it a strange name for such a great dish. We heard a variety of stories about how this fantastic chicken dish came to be named "bog" ~ everything from being soggy rice and chicken to chicken bogged in rice. Whichever is the real story, this dish never disappoints! The secret is to cook the garlic, onions, and rice in chicken broth, then add the vegetables to the simmer. It's just heavenly!

*A more traditional version includes Parmesan cheese rind (boiled in the broth then removed when the rice is soft and crumbles when the dish is done) and for carrots only rather than mixed vegetables. Remember, if you use fresh carrots you will need to cook them a bit longer than frozen carrots. 

Dessert: Buttermilk Pie ~ because of it's lemony twang, buttermilk pie is  great way to finish this meal.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Picture
Print Recipe
Picture
Comments

Gramma's Fried Chicken

2/5/2022

Comments

 
Who doesn't love Gramma's Fried Chicken! It's everyone's favorite!

This recipe soaks chicken thighs in buttermilk for at least 2 hours... which makes all the difference! There are several variations, for example, I use only thighs and add marjoram and cayenne while my gramma prefers a whole fryer and loves hush puppy breading.  Each way is delicious! Share your favorite with us ~

*The images show Skillet Apple Pie for dessert, because that's how it should be!
Print Recipe Card
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Comments

Skillet Apple Pie

2/5/2022

Comments

 
Apple Pie may be the most American dessert... but what's more Southern than baking an apple pie in a cast iron skillet!

This recipe is easy & delicious ~ enjoy!

*The images reflect Gramma's Fried Chicken with cream gravy, mashed potatoes, firecracker green beans, sauteed peas and carrots, buttermilk biscuits, and ~ of course ~ Skillet Apple Pie.
Print Recipe Card
Picture
Picture
Comments

Buttermilk Pie

2/1/2022

Comments

 

February Pie of the Month


This is a Southern Classic, and definitely one of my personal favorites! If you have never tried Buttermilk Pie, you are missing out! This southern delicacy is simply heaven in your mouth!

Try it and tell us how much you loved it!
Picture
Print Recipe Card
Picture
Comments

Sloppy Joe Casserole

1/30/2022

Comments

 
What's better than football and sliders on any given Sunday!?|

  1. Take 2 lbs of lean ground beef, cook well and drain any grease/fat. Add the directed amount of Sloppy Joe canned mix, bring to a slow boil
  2. Heat oven to 400 F.
  3. Slice your 24-pack of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (or your favorite slider bread of choice).
  4. Place the bottom of the roll on the bottom of your large casserole dish.
  5. Add the Sloppy Joe mixture.
  6. Place the top of the rolls over the meat.
  7. Bake at 400 F, for 10 minutes (or less, depending on your preference).

We serve this with sliced dill pickles, pineapple coleslaw, purple onions, and potato chips!

Definitely a family favorite!!!
Comments

Cashew Chicken

1/29/2022

Comments

 
Picture
This is our version of Rhee Drummond's (The Pioneer Woman) Cashew Chicken. She loves it so we thought we would give it a try. Needless to say, we loved it!

If you try it, drop us a line ~
Print Recipe Card
Picture
Comments

Pecan Harvest

1/27/2022

Comments

 
Picture

In honor of pecan harvest season, here are our favorite pecan candy recipes!
  • Frosted Pecans
  • Pecan Pralines
  • Pecan Tarts
  • Whiskey Pecan Tart
Click here to visit The Pecan Shop
Comments

Texas Chocolate Cake

1/27/2022

Comments

 
Who doesn't love chocolate cake!? I made this cake for my son's 1st birthday, almost 27 years ago! We make this cake several times a year ~ definitely a family favorite!

We make this one with the icing and add pecan pieces, without the icing but sprinkling powdered sugar, or plain ~ which is perfect with coffee for breakfast (or any time of day!).

If you make this one, tell us how much you loved it! And, share your favorite cake recipes with us!

Print Recipe Card
Picture
Picture
Comments

Shrimp & Grits

1/22/2022

Comments

 


I absolutely LOVE Shrimp & Grits! It is one of my all-time favorite dinners. Now that Amazon offers a subscription to Palmetto Farms Stone Ground Grits, I can make them for diner and breakfast! ***Yes, I am a butter and sugar grits for breakfast kinda gal!!! #YUMMY
Picture
Print Recipe Card
Picture
Comments

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

1/13/2022

Comments

 
Picture
If your family is anything like mine, you are making chicken thighs at least once a week. And why not! They are delicious!!!

Here is my recipe for Lemon Rosemary Chicken. I serve it with rosemary potatoes and fresh green beans.
Print Recipe Card
Picture
Comments

Apricot Chicken & Jasmine Rice

1/9/2022

Comments

 

If you're like, then you love chicken thighs and slow cooker meals! This is one of our family favorites!
Print Recipe Card
Picture
Picture
Comments

A New Year Celebration

12/28/2021

Comments

 
Picture
The best way to celebrate welcoming the New Year is with fun family traditions. Here is how we celebrate ~
  • Make sure the house is spic-n-span by New Year's Eve.  We used Spic & Span cleaner when I was little. My gramma loved it, as well as Calgon bubble bath, and Geritol! Yes, she is one of a kind!
  • We get delicious Chinese food from a local restaurant on New Year's Eve. The Chinese believe in lucky dishes that bring good luck for the new year, which is good enough for us! Plus, our local restaurant makes super delicious dishes! Here are China Highlights. We also make a fun dessert; this year, it's banana pudding, a family favorite. We also prepare lots of activities and games to keep the evening fun. Then, we toast the New Year with Martinelli's sparkling apple juice and some Jameson and Ginger Ale for the adults (ok, for me)!
Here are some fun family activities and games that you can print for free.
Or, you can make your own on craft paper.

~ A Look Back
~ New Year's Eve Bingo
~ New Year's Eve Word Puzzle
~ New Year's Eve Charades
~ New Year's Eve Pictionary
~ New Year's Eve Mad Libs
~ New Year's Eve Word Find
~ New Year's Eve Goals (instead of resolutions)

Picture
On New Year's Day, we prepare a traditional Texas meal... which, of course, is deeply rooted in our Irish ways. Here is this year's menu:
  • Snacks: Gramma's Deviled Eggs & Smoked Salmon with Marie Rose Sauce
  • Corned Beef Brisket with Apricot Chutney, Texas Fried Cabbage ~ corned beef and cabbage made with carrots, potatoes, and onions for luck and abundance in the new year.
  • Beef or pork is the meat of choice because these animals do not scratch in the dirt for their food, unlike chickens. Cabbage is light green, like paper money.
  • Black Eyed Peas with Texas Caviar ~ black-eyed peas symbolize coins or wealth because they swell as they cook, symbolizing a swelling pocketbook.
  • GOAT Macaroni & Cheese and Texas Sweet Skillet Cornbread ~ both are the color of gold, wishing for wealth in the new year.
  • Doctored Lemon Bundt Cake ~ a cake in the shape of a ring symbolizes coming to a full circle, a reminder that every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

New Year Irish Traditions ~
  • It's expected that your home will be spotless clean by New Year's Eve because a cleanly home is a prosperous home.
  • Irish Christmas Soda Bread is made and then used to "knock" on the walls and doors to chase away bad luck and invite the good spirits in before the start of the new year.
  • Just before midnight, open the front door to let the new year in and the back door to let the old year out. Opening the front door at midnight also allows you to greet your neighbors and wish them a Happy New Year!
  • Set an extra place at the table for your family no longer with us.
  • Your lucky and delicious dishes may make you want to stuff yourself silly; it's essential to be mindful of greed. Food left on your plate symbolizes a full icebox and a stocked pantry in the New Year.

Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise Duit

Comments
<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    2022 Cakes & Pies Of The Month
    A New Year Celebration
    An Irish Christmas
    Beef
    Beverage
    Bible Study Snacks
    Bread
    Cajun
    Cakes
    Casserole
    Cheese
    Chicken
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Christmas 2022
    Cookies
    Desserts
    Grits
    Ground Beef
    Ham
    Irish
    Meatballs
    Mexican
    Monday Meatloaf
    One Pot
    Pasta
    Pasta Salad
    Pecan
    Pie
    Rice
    Salad
    Shrimp
    Sides
    Sliders
    Slow Cooker
    Snacks
    Soup
    Thanksgiving
    Thanksgiving Blessings

Picture
Picture
  • Home
  • Southern Comfort Food
  • Bible Study Snacks
  • The Southern Way
  • Country Pecans
  • Sharp Shooter Soaps
  • Scrapbook
  • Free Resources