Sweet Potato Casserole: it's not just a side to that Thanksgiving turkey!

Hey y'all! I know it has been a while since my last post, but school does a great job of keeping me busy. Lucky for me it is almost over! I hope some of you were able to test out the cornbread recipe, but if not I think I have another good one. Sweet potatoes are a delicious and healthy food, but with a little sugar and some love this dish is sure to be a delight. It's a simple and easy way to fill stomach's and make those taste buds swoon.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned. Serves 6 to 8.

I will be leaving for the beach on Monday for a week, so it will be a while until my next post. I can't wait to hear the responses from the recipes!

With southern love,
Rachel

It's time for corn bread!

Hey y'all! Being new to the whole blogging thing, it is so exciting to receive comments on my posts! What a way to brighten my day! It is so great to hear how many of you agree with my love of the south and sweet tea.

I have found a recipe for corn bread that sounds so delicious and figured I would share it with all of you! I have not tried it out yet, but courtesy of Paula Dean I don't think it could be any less than amazing. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

• 1 dried Chipotle chile
• 3/4 cup coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon doubleacting baking powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chilled shortening
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

Place chipotle chile in a small pot and add 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat until cool. When cool, remove stem and seeds from chipotle and chop finely.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chopped chipotle and set aside.

Grease a cast iron skillet (6 inches in diameter and at least 1inch deep), with 1 teaspoon of the shortening and heat skillet in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. Add the remaining shortening to the cornmeal mixture and blend until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the onion mixture and gradually stir in the buttermilk so that batter that barely holds its shape. Stir until just mixed.

Pour batter into the hot skillet and bake it in the middle of a 450 degrees oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Place a rack over the skillet, turn skillet over and invert bread onto rack.

With southern love,
Rachel

Here's a brief history about southern iced tea!

A century before Iced Tea was an international, or even national sensation, the Old South, was sipping on cold tea punches to help relieve the long humid summers. These punches used green tea instead of black tea, and were usually well laced with alcohol.

In the latter half of the nineteenth century iced tea beverages separated from alcoholic punches, and became a staple of the growing temperance movement. Lemon or Mint leaves were added for flavor.

Even before refrigerators made their way into kitchens, iced tea recipes were found in Southern cook books.

Starting in the 1880’s black tea from Assam, India, or Ceylon, present-day Sir Lanka, was becoming more and more the staple. While these black teas were robust and responded well to sugar, one major reason for the change from green to black, was because this is what the British dominated tea world at this time had to offer.

Even though the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair recorded selling over $2,000 of iced tea and lemonade, the year iced tea went international was on a hot summer day at the 1904 Chicago World’s Fair.

Today roughly 80% of the tea consumed in the United States is enjoyed iced. And nobody has a taste for this sweet liquor more than the Old South.

With Southern Love,
Rachel

This is just the beginning

Born and raised in Georgia and now currently living in Alabama, you could say I know the southern customs pretty well. We say "y'all" on average fifteen times daily and when places do not serve sweet tea, it might be considered a sin. Although they are two viable ones, those can not be the only reasons why people love the south. The people are charming and oh so welcoming, say "please" and "thank you," using their manners as they hold open a door for a stranger, and a handshake without a doubt becomes a hug. But most importantly it is that down home southern food that keeps the crowd coming back for more. There is nothing better than a meal of homemade fried chicken, mac and cheese, and fried okra with a warm buttered biscuit. Or barbecue and Brunswick stew with corn bread and banana pudding for desert. Mm mm I could go on for hours!

I feel this blog should be dedicated to all of those southern recipes we grew up loving and eating, and I feel there is not a better way to do that than to share some of our favorite recipes with one another. Of course don't be shy to comment on others or give suggestions. Or simply try the recipes out for yourself and let the food do all the talking. We all know we could use a break from our "diet" to enjoy some of the good stuff!

By the way, if you have a great recipe for homemade biscuits my best friend has been trying for months to perfect hers and has not quite gotten it. Plus we all need to know the recipe to a man's heart! :)

You will be hearing again from me soon and I cannot wait to hear from you!

With southern love,
Rachel