Aunt Vivians Pecan Pie

1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs
1t vanilla
1 3/4 cups pecans
1 pie shell unbaked

Melt butter over low heat. Mix sugar and syrup in the pan then blend in eggs and vanilla. pour into pie shell and add pecans in a pattern that you like. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350.

Rum Rum Cake

1 cup chopped or whole pecans

1 package yellow cake mix

1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix 

4 eggs 

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

1/2 cup dark rum 

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water 

1 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sometimes I keep the pecans whole and lay them in the bundt pan neatly for a pretty presentation. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan. Bake 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Towards the end of baking time make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum and pour glaze over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb the glaze and remove the cake from the pan onto a serving plate. Very rich desert but very good. Its great for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My Mothers Strawberry Pie

3 pints strawberries
1T butter
1 cup sugar
4T cornstartch
6oz cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup, small bowl of milk
1 pint whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 cap full vanilla
Ready made pie crust

Preheat oven to 450. Bring pie crust to room temp and roll into pie plate. Place holes all over the pie crust by using a fork. Bake the crust for 11-15 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool.

Rinse and remove green tops of strawberries then divide them in half. Combine half the strawberries with the butter, sugar and cornstarch cooking over medium heat. Stir until thickened. Just keep an eye on it and do not walk away for very long. Let it cool.

After the pie shell is cooled take a spoon, dip into a small bowl of milk and using the back of the spoon scoop out some cream cheese and spread a thin layer onto the pie crust making sure you fill the whole area, all the way up the sides. The milk helps to smooth the cream cheese. Be sure to be gentle enough that you do not break the crust.

The other half of the strawberries can be cut up if they are to big. Place them over the cream cheese. I cut them in half to lay them on the sides of the pie crust and cut them so the end of the berry is facing up but you can do whatever works for you. No one really notices how you lay the strawberries ;-)

Now pour the cooled strawberry mixture over the strawberries in the pie crust. Let it settle with your help if needed. Refrigerate till fully cooled and set. Maybe the next day?

When pie is set its time to make the whipped cream! Place the whipping cream in the mixing bowl. Mix the cream on high till you see it start to thicken.  Add the vanilla and sugar slowly to the cream. Don't just dump it in but don't waste time, taking your time, either. Its all about the timing. It's ready when thickened. Spread over the pie and your ready to serve.

This is the BEST PIE EVER!!!!

Shrimp Ranch Style!

1 bag of large shrimp
1 pkg of dry ranch dressing mix
1 sticle of butter
2 lemons, sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Place butter in jelly roll cookie sheet. Melt butter in oven. Place the sliced lemons over the melted butter. lay fresh shrimp over the lemons. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix over the shrimp. Put in oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve with angel hair pasta. Yum! You can also try this with Italian dressing mix.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar 

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour, I use white wheat

2/3 cup cocoa powder 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

 

 

These are awesome! When Im short on time I bake them as bars in a 13x9 baking dish for about 20 minutes making sure not to over cook them.

Gardiners Southern Dinner

This is not one recipe but a dinner that I make for my family. This dinner has been served in the Gardiner family for many generation and has real southern roots. Here it goes.

BBQ Porkchops - Cook the chops in the oven at 350 for as long as it takes ;-) Smother it with your favorite BBQ sauce.

Rice - I usually use Uncle Bens white rice. 4 cups of water, add salt and bring to a boil. Pour in 2 cups of rice. Boil till the water soaks into the rice.

Stewed Tomatoes- 1 can of stewed tomatoes heated up. To really give yourself a treat add some bacon grease!

Black-eyed peas - 1 can of already seasoned black-eyed peas, heat.

Cornbread - I buy the cheap stuff. Jiffy. Follow the directions on the box. Make this ahead of time.

Now for those of you who are new to this meal you should pour the tomatoes over the rice and if you like, heap a big spoonful of the black-eyed peas over that. Totally awesome!

My Girlfriends Quiche Recipe

store bought pie crust
1/4 cup chopped onion
6 oz chopped ham
1 sm can mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped steamed broccoli
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
9 whole eggs
3/4 cup milk
salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Roll out your store bought crust into a pie plate. Place the 9 eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl and blend with an immersion blender or use a regular blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake for over 45 minutes.