Here’s my recipe to add to the other’s—–it’s Barbecued Chicken, and we’ve been making it in our family for over fifty years! (I just realized this fact today and had to go take a nap. Where does the time go??) I remember my grandmother making it in her coal stove way back when I was a girl. It was before you could buy bottled barbecue sauce apparently.

We cut up two chickens (keep the neck and back to make chicken broth later), flour the pieces, and brown them on both sides in a mixture of butter and canola oil. (about 1/4 c. oil and 1/2 stick of butter….not too high heat or you’ll burn the butter.) Then put the browned pieces in a baking dish (9×13). Slice two onions and put over the chicken.

Then make this sauce:

2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1-2 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
1 t. paprika
3/4 c. catsup
1/2 t. black pepper
1/8-1/2 t. red pepper (depending on how hot you want it to be…I’d start out at 1/8 t.)
3/4 c. water

Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake for one hour covered at 350 degrees in the sauce, turning chicken once in the sauce to coat it all good. Remove lid and let bake fifteen minutes more. My grandmother found this recipe in the Farm Journal years and years ago. It’s still good…..to us, that is. I hope you like it.

And…..I LOVE bananas foster! I tried to make it one time—–didn’t have a recipe, was just gonna “wing it”…….put some butter in a skillet and sauted the bananas in some butter, sprinkled some brown sugar over all with a handful of pecans, a couple tablespoons of cream, and a tad of vanilla……cooked it a while…..and put it over some ice cream. My friend and neighbor came down and we were all set to try it. But when we took a bite, the brown sugar had sort of turned into Super Glue and stuck our teeth together—–we couldn’t open our mouths! I’m not even kidding! Then we started giggling and it was a mess! So……I need me some REAL bananas foster in New Orleans!

This invitation is for all our friends on here….come on down for a great time, we know how to party and eat!

And Phyllis, you know I’m just pushing your buttons, Girl! I’d absolutely LOVE to visit your beautiful haunting state of Louisiana……and have dinner with you anywhere! I couldn’t taste your beloved crawfish because of my shellfish allergy, but I’m dying to try a real authentic New Orleans beignet! And eat at Two Sisters (I believe that’s the name). And listen to some real live jazz!!!

I’m pretty sure this has a measurable effect on preserving our marriage.

Not that it’s conditional, but it sure does help!

And, I just bought The Silver Palate Cookbook on Amazon.com ($4.00) and the Silver Palate Basics Cookbook ($.50). Can’t wait ’til they get here. I NEED some new things to cook.

No thanks.

Linda, I am going to post a picture on facebook to you of the appetizer we had last night that was over the top good. I took the pic just for you. Just in case someone else is interested it was alligator wings ( I know alligators do not have wings, but neither do buffalo’s) They we so, so good…

I also found out that there are unsafe crawfish that you shouldn’t eat. And the way to tell is: if the tail is straight, that means they were dead before they were plunged into the boiling water and you shouldn’t eat them. You will get very sick. But if their tail is curved, it means the crawfish cringed at the boiling water inferno and contracted his tail in pain and horror. Now, I don’t think I’ll eat EITHER! But you go ahead.

And…. I love you, Sweetpea! Bless your heart for thinking of me!

LindaB, the fly on the wall is singing, everyone in the Taff household has to take part. If you can not find dried figs, let me know and I will send you some, don’t think I should mail you the wine, USPS is not user friendly about liquids.

But I have something else to ask you, Tori! I got the new R.T. CD in the mail today and was reading the credits……and BTW, WHY do they print them so small? Anyway, I see that you wrote a few of the songs on that CD. (YAY! TORI!!) And I’m just so curious——how does the conversation go around your house when it’s time to come out with (or as you music biz people say, when it time to drop)———- a new CD? IF that’s not too personal a question?

Russ: Gee, Honey, it’s about time I made a new album. Can you write me a few songs right after you take the girls shopping and to the dentist, walk the dogs, water the flowers, trim the shrubs, make dinner, and paint the brick fireplace? Oh, and write on your blog and do your Homecoming Radio gig, of course?” I wish I was a fly on the wall about that time!

Crock-Pot Split Pea Soup (Crock Pot)
Description
Surprise everyone with how great split pea soup can taste. This Crock-Pot soup recipe is a cinch to make and serves a crowd. Give it a try.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
• 1 pound split peas
• 1 ham bone (with some meat left on) or 2 ham hocks
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 quart water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in Crock-Pot.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Remove ham bone, cut meat off, dice, and return meat to soup.

Also freezes well….

Belinda– Not only am I gonna make your chicken recipe, I am totally passing it on to Madi! I sent her to college with one of my crockpots, and she has been asking me for recipes.

Keep ‘em coming, folks!

Tori, this is esp. for you. You can substitute shrimp, but for me it has to be crawfish.

Crawfish Alexander

Keep the recipes coming…..

Courtesy Chef Louie Finnan

¼ stick unsalted butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
¾ c. heavy cream or whipping cream
¼ t. granulated garlic
¼ t. Cajun seasoning
1 T. salted chicken stock
¼ c. mushrooms
¼ c. green onions, coarsely chopped
1 oz. brandy
¼ c. crawfish tails, cooked
½ lb. angel hair pasta, cooked

Melt butter in a heavy sauce pan. Stir in flour and blend thoroughly. Gradually whisk in cream and continue to stir over medium heat until sauce is smooth and thick. Add all other ingredients, except pasta, and continue to whisk approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over cooked pasta. Makes approximately 1 cup of sauce and serves 2.

I do not use brandy, just found it hid the taste of the seafood..just personal preference.

I do have one problem though……..the one cup of white wine. (Did I mention I grew up in a Baptist home?) I do have one bottle of red wine—-a Christmas gift from hubby’s boss three years ago. Will that do? Or what about white grape juice? Or I could go to a restaurant and order a glass of white wine and a to-go cup! I’ll work on that. And one more question—-are the olives the regular pickled kind, or the authentic greek-type olives? I’ll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the recipe!

And Belinda, your recipes look DELICIOUS too! I know pretentious gourmet cooks poo-poo the idea of using canned soups in recipes, but I still love it! It’s convenient and fast—–and tastes good! Especially anything with cream of mushroom soup! Yum!

Cheesy Crockpot Chicken (7.5 PTS)
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Cans 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
…1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Put chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Add rest of ingredients on top. Cook 8 hours on low. Serve over rice or noodles. (Points include rice)
Per Serving: 328 Calories; 8g Fat; 55g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 146mg
Cholesterol; 631mg Sodium.

Fruit Dump Dessert
2 cups frozen fruit (peaches, berries etc)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
9 ounces white or yellow cake mix
5 tablespoons melted butter
Spray inside of crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Place fruit in crockpot. add in cornstarch and vanilla. Sprinkle on brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour dry cake mix over all. Drizzle melted butter evenly over cake mix. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. I have used cinnamon swirl muffin mix here also. Enjoy!!