This Stuff Is Good Part 2

Around this time of year you're supposed to eat some black eyed peas in order to have luck and prosperity in the next year. So after letting a pound of black eyed peas soak overnight Tuesday, yesterday I put them in the slow cooker with an onion and a ham hock. Six hours later the peas were still not done, the ham hock looked absolutely disgusting and my husband was becoming very cranky. I ended up throwing everything out and fixing egg sandwiches for dinner. I hate it when new recipes don't work out.

Here's a few recipes from fellow bloggers that I've tried with great success.

Mama Loves Food!: Curry Mustard Sauce. When I came across April's recipe it was perfect timing. My husband had been spending most of his days at a local Thai place and I needed an easy and delicious curry sauce recipe to lure him back home. It worked! This is so good served over chicken and diced potatoes.

Evolving Mommy: Individual Mini-Meatloaf. I had never made meatloaf before. I had always thought it took forever in the oven. With Catherine's recipe it only takes about 30 minutes. And ketchup is never optional for me--it's a must when it comes to meatloaf, yum!

My Pretty Purse: Pretzel Peanut Bark. Angie's my sister and when she came up for Christmas last week she brought some of her homemade pretzel peanut bark. I gave a few pieces to our mom and then I took the whole tin back home with me. I love the saltiness of the pretzels with the chocolate. Thank you Angie--and thank you Paula Deen for the original recipe!

Here's Part 1 of more good stuff.

Wordless Wednesday: Christmess

Merry Christmas III

Merry Christmas!!

Luke 2:1-14

Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the nation. Everyone was required to return to his ancestral home for this registration. And because Joseph was a member of the royal line, he had to go to Bethlehem, King David's ancient home--journeying there from the Galilean village of Nazareth. He took with him Mary, his fiancee, who was pregnant by this time. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born; and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Saviour--a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger--has been born tonight in Bethlehem!"

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God: "Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth!"

Paging Dr. Morgan

My husband has to work on Christmas but he's had the past couple of days off. He's enjoyed spending time with the boys while they're on Christmas break. And although I'm grateful to have a full house during the holidays I've learned something about myself: 5, 7 and 33 year old males in the house at one time is more testosterone than I can handle. But with a little help from Dr. Morgan (or is it Captain Pepper?) I'm able to hang on to my sanity.

I not only want to thank Dr. Morgan this Christmas Eve, I also want to thank a couple of great bloggers for giving me awards!

Thank you to AmericanTribal for this lovely award! Be sure to check out her blog--especially on Saturdays;) Talk about eye candy for cupcake fanatics!

Thank you Dawna from A Kiss and a Peck for this award! Dawna has a contest going on right now and you could be the proud owner of some Lady Anti-Monkey Butt Powder! You know, if you have a problem with that sort of thing.

Thank you ladies and Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

To: It, From: Me

Merry Christmas, my beloved 2002 Ford Windstar minivan. Enjoy your brand new intake manifold gasket (upper AND lower), your new fuel filter and your tri-monthly oil change. You know I love you but $448.16?! You're getting way too greedy in your old age. Knock it off. Please.

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies

Last week I posted about finding the holy grail of sugar cookies and today I'm posting the holy grail of chocolate cookies. And while the former came from my husband's grammy (who was not a grammy at all, as she was called mamaw) this chocolate cookie recipe comes from the grammy of Anne Feldman, a grand prize winner of Martha Stewart's Cookie of the Week contest.

I just love how these cookies are so chewy and soft. They're definitely a good thing (sorry, I couldn't resist).

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies (from Martha Stewart.com)

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar, plus more for dipping
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1.Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, 2 cups sugar, and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients, and combine with mixer on low speed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.

3.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip top of each ball into sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

This is the original recipe but I did make a few changes. First, I like salted butter. A lot. So I used that instead of unsalted. Secondly, when you've got a hankerin' for cookies, chilling dough is torture so I skipped that step and the cookies still turned out great. Thirdly, Silpat? Nope. Fourthly (sorry Grammy), I used a cookie scoop and didn't bother rolling them in sugar.

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Disappointments