Lime Blueberry Tiramisu

Welcome back. If you are new, this is the Tempt My Tummy Tuesday blog carnival. My twin sister, Lisa, and I co-host the fun. Please post a recipe, kitchen tip, fun food idea, or anything foodie related. From time to time, the carnival will be on my sister's blog. Make sure you visit her blog, as well to post your link.

Well, it is NO secret that I think Paula Deen hung the moon and stars. I just love her down home cooking. It is so much like me. This past week I caught an episode on the Food Network that was fabulous with some really great recipes. I'm going to focus on one though, it is Lime Blueberry Tiramisu. Oh my heavens, it looked so good. I can not wait to make this. I have the ingredients on my next grocery list. I thought you nice ladies would enjoy trying it too.

Lime Blueberry Tiramisu

Ingredients

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 3 (3-ounce) packages unfilled ladyfingers
• 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 (21-ounce) can blueberry pie filling
• Fresh mint leaves, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer at medium speed until thickened. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Gently stir in cheese until combined; set aside.

Split ladyfingers in half. Line a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with ladyfingers, cut side up. Brush ladyfingers with limeade concentrate. Spoon half of cheese mixture over ladyfingers. Top with half of blueberry pie filling. Repeat procedure for the next layer with remaining ladyfingers, limeade, cheese mixture, and pie filling. Cover and chill 8 hours. Cut into squares to serve. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.

You can go directly to FoodTV.com to see much more from Paula and find the original recipe.

picture from FoodTV.com

A Barbie Story and a Giveaway

Did you know it was almost Barbies birthday? Go check out all the fun and a GIVEAWAY over at Christine's blog.



This should be fun reading everyone's Barbie stories! You'll find my story of our Barbie RV here in the comments.

Have fun and Good Luck!

Passing on the Traditions

Welcome back. If you are new, this is the Tempt My Tummy Tuesday blog carnival. My twin sister, Lisa, and I co-host the fun. Please post a recipe, kitchen tip, fun food idea, or anything foodie related. From time to time, the carnival will be on my sister's blog. Make sure you visit her blog, as well to post your link.

This is a TMTT post from the beginning. I figure we have so many new participants, it was worth posting again!

I hope that my daughter will love to cook, like I do. Good east Texas southern cooking is what I know from my Mom. It is a tradition that has been passed down in our family. I can remember wanting to be in the kitchen helping her and wanting to learn. I guess it worked because today, I think I'm a pretty good cook. Mom gets excited when I tell her I've tried something new or an old family recipe. She smiles and my heart knows that she is sure the legacy is being passed on. Her mother was a great cook, but did not really want her in the kitchen growing up. BUT my father's mother was a fabulous country cook and she loved to show my mom how to do it. There is great story that my father tells about my mother's first attempt at making gravy. Apparently they had to cut it with a knife. We all laugh now because no one makes gravy like her, it is awesome.

Now, my daughter loves to be in the kitchen with me, she is the "egg breaker" and number one "stirrer" as she says. It is a wonderful time for us to prepare meals together and I feel like I am giving her a gift that she will pass along as well.

So in honor of my mom's great cooking, I will include an old family favorite that I made for the first time this week, for my family. It is a recipe I had not thought about in years, but Mom recently made it and we were there to enjoy it and I thought... WOW that is awesome... just like I remember it. I need to add this to our meal list. So, here it is, to share with your family.
Just to warn you... I cook by feel and by sight... so not all my measurements will be exact... but get over it. That is the secret to great country cooking.

Swiss Steak or Pepper Steak (it depends who you ask)

1 1/2 lbs round steak (tenderized)- cut in pieces (around the size of your palm)
1- 14oz can of stewed, diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper -cut in thin slices
1 medium onion- cut in slices
2 tbs minced garlic
enough flour to lightly coat the meat
salt/ pepper/ garlic powder to season flour

Combine salt/pepper/garlic powder and flour in a dish and dip the meat in the mixture just to coat. Not real heavy. Then pan fry the meat in a heavy skillet ( I used my iron dutch oven) in canola oil. You don't need a lot of oil. Brown the meat on both sides. Remove meat. Drain the oil, but keep all the cruchy pieces that fell off the meat in the pan. Next, put the meat back in, add the tomatoes, peppers and onions and the garlic. Also, take the tomato can and fill it with water and add it in. Now, stir the bottom of the pan and get all the good stuff that stuck to the bottom loose and let it come to a boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer for a while. I did for 30 -40 minutes. You want the meat really tender.

Serve with good ole' mashed potatoes.

Now... doesn't that sound like good comfort food?

Well it is!

Now QUICK go to Lisa's blog and see what other great cooking ideas are posted with Mr. Linky.

Happy Valentine's Day

Chocolate Covered Love...

It's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday! My sister, Lisa, and I co-host this blog carnival. We share recipes, kitchen and cooking tips, restaurant reviews, and anything food related that you want to share. You know the rule of a blog carnival, please mention the blog or TMTT in your post and link back to us. Don't forget to use Mr. Linky, he lives at Lisa's blog.

Today, it is all about the LOVE. I'm thinking Valentine's Day people! You should know that nothing says love to me like Chocolate. I see that Lisa has paid tribute well to my first love, Mr. Chocolate. Thanks sis, I appreciate your ode to my first love.

So I thought I would tell you what reminds me most of Valentine's Day, and True Love... it is none other than Chocolate Covered Strawberries!

Ohhhh doesn't that look so good? Growing up, my sweet mama would bring home this delightful treat from our local sweet shop, Lammes Candies. During the year, usually at Valentine's Day and Mother's Day they have the most incredible Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Such a treat!

So I have started making them for my little family as a special treat. My daughter LOVES them. At our grocery store, in the produce section they usually have chocolate. There are easy ways to do this, I'm going to share a recipe that is easy and fool proof. So grab a container of Strawberry's and get dippin'!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Put the semisweet a heatproof medium bowl. Fill 1 medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowl of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)
Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

15 Bean Soup

It's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday! My sister, Lisa, and I co-host this blog carnival. We share recipes, kitchen and cooking tips, restaurant reviews, and anything food related that you want to share. You know the rule of a blog carnival, please mention the blog or TMTT in your post and link back to us. Don't forget to use Mr. Linky, he lives at Lisa's blog.


Last week I was in the mood for some beans and rice. I had a bag of Hambeens Cajun 15 Bean Soup. Now, as you well know by now, I don't always follow the recipes like they appear anywhere. I'm a fan of making things my own way and with the ingredients I have on hand.

So, You are more than welcome to check out the recipe on the back of the bag HERE. This is my version of their recipe. I served it over rice.

In my crock pot, I put the beans and about 3 quarts of water. I then added 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Turn crock pot to high and covered it. After two hours I added 1 onion medium chopped in large pieces and a clove of garlic chopped. After 2 more hours I added 1 link of smoked sausage cut up. I then let it continue to cook one more hour. In the last 30 minutes I put in HALF of the Cajun seasoning that came with the beans. I wanted the kid to eat it and I did not want it to be too spicy.

When it was all said and done... it was good! I served it over rice.