Yesterday, I made fried green tomatoes. Even though they are my absolute favorites, it was not for me.  I had a friend visiting from Chicago and she had never tried them. She said she could not leave Mississippi without giving them a go. And give them a go she did. She loved them!

Fried green tomatoes are truly a southern delicacy. I can't get enough of them and whenever I see green tomatoes in the store I always load up on them. I do not like red tomatoes raw but the tartness of the green ones get me everytime.

I can't remember the first time I had these but I know I was an adult. It was one of those things that I never thought I could make but when I found out how easy it was I could not stop. The only problem is finding green tomatoes! If you happen to find some at your local grocery, stop and pick up a few. You have to try these.

My mom prepares her fried green tomatoes differently from me. She likes to use flour while I prefer the crunch you get with using cornmeal. Like I do with most fried foods I double batter my tomatoes for an extra crunch as they tend to get soggy fast if you do not.

You will need:
2 green tomatoes
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
3 tbsp of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of Creole Seasoning ( or salt and pepper mix)
1 cup of water or buttermilk

2 cups of vegetable oil for frying


In a bowl, mix your dry ingredients. Pour your water or buttermilk into a separate bowl.

Heat oil in skillet or pot on meduim high heat.




Slice your green tomatoes into your desired thickness but remember that the thicker they are the more likely they are to not be as tender on the inside without burning the coating.



Coat your slice in the cornmeal mix on both sides, pressing down so that the mix sticks to the tomato from the moisture inside of it. Quickly dip the slice into the water or buttermilk and back into the cornmeal mix, patting and pressing down for a nice coating.



Once all are coated, place into frying oil.  Remove when golden brown.




Here in the South, we usually coat these bad boys in hot sauce and eat them that way. I like to add a bit of hot sauce and ranch dressing for dipping and it is so good!

You can also serve them with a nice remoulade and they are perfect on turkey sandwiches!

After the cake has cooled, I trimmed off the top excess to make it even. I then spread a generous amount of jam to the layer. Place in the freezer until it is hardened. This is important because it will need to be frozen to ice it later. Otherwise,it will become a slippery mess!

On the other cake layer, spread your softened ice cream. Wrap tightly in clear wrap and place in the freezer until frozen.

                                               

Once both layers are frozen, place them together like the photo above. You can use a knife to trim off any icecream that is sticking out from the cake. Place back into the freezer.

Once it is again frozen solid, take out and begin frosting. You will need to move fast and do not worry if it is not perfectly frosted. You just need enough frosting on the sides so that the pocky sticks. After frosting, immediately begin placing the pocky sticks around it. This would be fun for the kids to help with but be careful, pocky is very delicate and they will break easily.

I tied ribbon around my cake because I thought it looked super pretty and it helps keep the pocky in place. Place back in the freezer.  I topped my cake off with chocolate covered strawberries and plain strawberries. You will need to leave in the freezer until it has hardened and take out when you are ready to serve.  It is sooooo good!

My favorite turkey sandwich comes loaded with bacon, lettuce, tomato and of course, shredded fresh aged Parmesan and Asiago cheese. I love the Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Turkey Breast Lunch Meat.  Add a bit of mayo and toast the bread and I am in heaven.

Yes, please.

Summer is in full swing and that means travel for most families. Some are skipping on the planes and opting for road travel instead. With kids on the road, and a schedule to keep, taking snacks on the road with you is essential.



I love this idea of a snack case. I found this child size case in the hardware section of Wal Mart. You should be able to find some similar in most stores. They are used to house nails, fishing gear and pieces but are perfect for snacks!



You can even personalize the front using colorful or metallic sharpies with your child's name or a cute design.



I love it because you can place in it enough snacks for the duration of the drive. So it limits the time you need to stop and shop for food or snacks.



My kids loved this and it was just an easy way to show my kids they are worth the extra effort of debagging these badboys.

When it comes to entertaining, I love simplicity. I often go complex in a sense with food, but sometimes less is certainly more. Being here in the South, our range of cultural diversity is not high. We are limited in certain cuisines and international flavors. Although I have never traveled abroad, there is something about the timeless classical elegance in some European foods.

Right now, I am on a rustic European kick and cannot get enough of beautiful trays of simple, fresh vegetables, cured meats, fruit and cheeses. How about these serving ideas for your next get together with friends?

Just in time for the 4th of July, this simple southern classic is a sure win at your bbq!


I must admit...I am not a fan of potato salad. In fact, I have never tasted it until today. It is one of those things that makes me question if I am really Southern. I mean, who in their right Southern mind does NOT like potato salad? You only see it at every single potluck, party, office shindig, family reunion and gathering here! At any event, someone is sure to have a casserole dish full of this potato-ey tradition.

But here I am, posting a Southern Potato Salad recipe for a dear and awesome reader who requested it. I can't take the honors of making this because I sought the help of my number one cooking idol...my mom. I will say this, I tried it today and I liked it! Why oh why did I wait so long!?

This has been blowing up on pinterest, so I thought I would reshare! It is the perfect homemade summer treat.

My youngest son, Anderson just had a birthday. He turned 11 and being the Sonic slush-aholic-that he is, he wanted slushes at his birthday dinner. Mind you, he never deviates from the 'green apple' slush, I finally got him to try another flavor and I made it at home. These are super easy and perfect to make while we battle this heat here in the South.

You will need:
Nerds Candy
Airheads Extreme Sours
Hawaiian Punch To Go
Ice
Water

I used the Hawaiian Punch To Go because each of my children wanted a different flavor. Being that you can get like six packets for a dollar and each packet is enough for one drink, I thought it was perfect.

Mix your drink mix and water and pour over ice in your blender. Add in a few Nerds candy if you like (they will lose their color in the slush, so they will be white pellets of sugar). Blend until ice is that nice slushy consistency. Pour in your glass, top with Nerds and garnish with a sour Airheads candy ribbon. I placed mine of a toothpick to make the ribbon garnish.

My kids loved them. Simple, quick and made right at home.

* I have seen adult versions of these with much more candy on top and of course, alcohol. Would make a nice frozen cocktail.