Twenty four years ago today we said I do, and we did and we still are!  

It never ceases to amaze me how each year I love you more.  You make me laugh until I cry and that alone cures so many of life's ailments.
You work harder than I can even fathom and care so much about your work and I love you for that.
The way you provide for us doesn't go unnoticed, although I don't think I show you enough gratitude.  

I love you more than I could ever say,
#1
​
​

When Daddy and I first started dating it was a bit of a shock to my system to eat dinner at his house.  Nana has always been a phenomenal cook, but for the longest time I was a fairly picky eater, I know such a shock.  Green beans aren't even an option for me and I didn't go near things like squash or butter beans, much less something called a purple hull pea!?

Thankfully they wore me down and I grew to love some of their southern staples. I have especially enjoyed adding Nana's Squash Casserole recipe to my collection.  In true Teresa fashion I have made some *very* slight modifications over the years.  I am including a photo of Nana's recipe that is printed in the St. Francis cookbook.  Nana worked at St. Francis as a pharmacist.

This is one of those dishes that isn't at all what you think it will be and is truly a crowd pleaser at the Holidays.  I am so glad I tried it all those years ago and I hope one day y'all will as well!

Squash Casserole

Ingredients

• 8 medium yellow squash sliced and then halved
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups of shredded sharp cheese - divided
• 1 1/2 cups of sour cream
• 1 stick of salted butter - divided
• 2 small boxes of stove top stuffing mix (chicken or herb flavor)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°
• In a heavy skillet, melt 1/2 stick of butter and allow to almost brown
• Add in onion and squash and saute on medium-high heat until onion and squash are tender and begin to caramelize
• In a large bowl mix the sauteed vegetables, cream of chicken soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, sour cream and contents of one box of stuffing mix, stir gently to combine
• Spray a large casserole dish and pour in squash mixture
• Melt remaining butter and mix with contents of second box of stuffing
• Top squash mixture with buttery stuffing mix 
• Sprinkle remaining cheese on top
• Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown

​
​Love,

I wish there was a way to make trumpets sound when this page is opened.  This dessert recipe is hands down the favorite of the Earnest household.  My step-dad's mom made this when I was a kid and I remember wanting to steal it and run away to have it all to myself.  Not because I had serious issues, but because she would serve us about a 3" square.  WOMP WOMP WOMP.  I swore one day when I had my own family I would serve ridiculously huge portions and I am proud to say I have lived up to that.  I won't lie, this one isn't the quickest recipe and it's a mess in the kitchen but I promise it's worth it!

Four Layer Delight
serves from 1-10 people depending on who's eating it

Ingredients

Layer 1

• 1 1/2 cups of white flour (any kind is fine)
• 1 stick of salted butter - softened
• 2 cups of chopped pecan pieces

Layer 2

• 2 - 8 oz blocks of cream cheese - room temperature
• 1 Large tub of cool whip - thawed
• 1 cup of powdered sugar

Layer 3

• 2 small boxes of instant or quick chocolate jello pudding mix (NOT the kind you have to cook!)
• 3 1/2 cups of cold milk

Layer 4

• 1 large tub of cool whip - thawed
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecan pieces

Directions

Layer 1

• Pre-heat oven to 350°
• Mix flour, butter and pecan pieces
• In a casserole dish press flour mixture into bottom of pan
• Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, watching closely.  It will be done when edges are golden brown.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, you can also place in fridge to speed cooling up.

Layer 2

• Beat cream cheeses, cool whip and powdered sugar on high until completely mixed and fluffy.
• Once cooled add many heaping spoonfuls of layer 2 onto crust.  (like dots) Be very careful not to spread layer two too roughly as it will destroy layer one.  You can avoid this by placing many "blobs" of the cream cheese layer onto the crust.

Layer 3

• In a clean bowl mix chocolate pudding and cold milk on high until thickened.  Start by adding a little milk at a time so you can be sure to not make this layer too runny but also not too thick.
• Using the same technique and care as with layer 2, add blobs of the chocolate pudding mixture onto the white cream cheese layer, gently spreading to cover.

Layer 4

• Spread cool whip
• Sprinkle with pecan pieces

Chill for several hours before serving and then bask in the glow of the love everyone has for you for making it.

​
With love and second helpings,

When I think of this recipe I think of the 80's. Of riding my bike over to Anna's and then getting into an argument likely over barbies and storming home, of playing ghosts in the graveyard and the CBS nightly news playing on TV. 

It's truly the flagship recipe from my childhood and the fragrance of it cooking in our kitchen on Lantern Lane comes right back to me when I make it for my own crew.  This has always been a favorite of Emma especially!

I have to laugh when I really break it down as a recipe because it's in no way gourmet or even remotely healthy but it's so good and so easy! At some point after I was grown and flown, Grammy gave me this recipe and for years I followed it to a "T".  As I became more confident in the kitchen I started to tweak it just a bit to suit our tastes.  However, what I have now is very similar to the original I am sure with the addition of water chestnuts.  You can't serve this without the 80's mainstay chow mein noodles, if you do a cabbage patch kid loses their adoption papers. 😂

Pepper Steak
Serves 4 and can be doubled as needed

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked white rice
• 2 Tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb. of good cut of steak for stir fry, ie flank steak, cut into 2-3" strips (The butcher will do this for you at no cost)
• 1 large white or yellow onion sliced and halved
• 1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 can of sliced water chestnuts drained
• 1 packet of brown gravy mix
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 4 roma or plum tomatoes seeded and sliced
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Crunchy chow mein noodles

Directions

• Heat oil in heavy skillet and add meat that has been seasoned with salt and pepper
• Saute meat on medium high heat until no longer pink
• Add onion and bell pepper to skillet and cook until soft
• Mix water, soy sauce and gravy mix in a small bowl
• Add to meat mixture and turn heat to low
• Stir as sauce thickens
• Add water chestnuts
• Turn off heat and add in tomatoes, gently stirring to coat,
• Serve over hot white rice and chow mein noodles

I hope cooking this will also bring back fond memories for you!

​Love,

Since I was a kid I have always been a sucker for a kitchen gadget!  Just like watching the Jetson's, it always felt like the future had arrived when we would get the next great thing. Over the years I have owned many myself but none will rival those of my childhood!

It's interesting to also reflect on the gadgets I've owned as an adult.  Some of those were a complete waste of money and some I can't go without, like my instant pot.  I honestly don't know how I cooked before it.  Originally a gift for Grammy that she hasn't used in 3 years, it's now my go-to for almost every meal.  Am I still a little afraid it might explode? Of course I am, but I trudge on because it saves so much time and locks in so much flavor.  {I really should be in cooking commercials!}

Another that I use frequently is my air fryer.  I've owned a couple over the years and the current model which is more like a mini oven, is my favorite.  It's funny to think we built our dream home with higher end appliances and yet I still mostly use my air fryer and instant pot!

A mainstay that I don't use as much since getting the instant pot, is the crock pot.  I feel like you're not a true southern cook if you don't own a crockpot or three.  Ours is Alabama themed.  I always have a little laugh when I use either the IP or CP because Mac absolutely hated them both growing up.  He wasn't much of a fan of blended meals where everything cooked together, so he felt like he was being punished if I cooked with one.  He's grown out of that thankfully!
​
​Roll Tide,

Whenever my Daddy would visit us or when we would visit him in Tennessee, he would make us his fresh squeezed lemonade. It was truly his specialty and he would squeeze bags and bags of lemons. Not with a juicer either, by hand! As soon as one pitcher ran out he would just make more.

His lemonade is the sweetest, best thing you could ever taste. Foolishly, I never asked him write the recipe down for me so I squeezed up a version that is spot on. I knew I had an exact match when the sugar in one gallon reached 4 cups. YES: FOUR CUPS.

​
​My Daddy's Lemonade

Ingredients

• 1 large bag of lemons
• 4 cups of sugar
• Water
• Ice

Directions

• Bring a saucepan of water and 4 cups of sugar to a simmer to make a simple syrup. (just enough water to cover the sugar will be fine).
• Squeeze about a dozen lemons.
• Allow sugar mixture to cool and put in a gallon size pitcher along with lemon juice and a few of the squeezed lemons and add lots of ice and then fill to the top with water. ​

I chose Granny's Oatmeal as my first recipe to share on the blog because it's one that isn't only delicious, it's very sentimental.  My Granny Little (My Dad's mom) used to make this for me each time I would visit her.  At risk of sounding cheesy, one bite of it wraps me in warmth and love! I loved making this for y'all when you were little on a cold rainy evening.  Breakfast for dinner was always a hit!

This recipe is about as far from healthy as it gets but it's so good and definitely one to make when you need a little comfort food.

Granny's Oatmeal Recipe
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of oatmeal (quick or whole oats work just fine)
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tablespoons of salted butter
• 1-2 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of light or dark brown sugar
• Optional:
• 1/2 cup of milk
• Raisins

Directions

• Bring water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan. 
• Add in oats and turn heat down stirring frequently.  The oatmeal will thicken quickly. 
• After about 3-4 minutes stir in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. 
• Transfer to bowls and add milk and raisins if desired.

I would be remiss to share this recipe and not share the story that I ALWAYS tell when I cook this.  
Once I was staying with my Granny and she made me oatmeal and topped with milk as usual.  She wasn't eating any herself so she didn't realize she had poured sour milk on top until later in the day when she went to get a glass of milk.  She immediately realized it was rotten and remembered I had it for breakfast. She felt so bad and went on and on about it and how she couldn't believe I didn't say anything.  It was pretty awful but I didn't want to hurt her feelings or embarrass her at all.  That was me as a kid in a nutshell, I wanted everyone to be happy even if it meant drinking sour milk.  I definitely grew out of that and will never forget her telling me I should always speak up!

I hope you enjoy making Granny's Oatmeal!
​Love, 

Some of my earliest memories of a child involve playing "house".

Like most kids I loved to play kitchen and grocery store and Grammy would save empty cartons for us to play with.  Our bed became a conveyor belt like at Delchamp's (our local grocery store in Mobile) and we would even make the "bong" noise each time we "scanned" something.  I had a Holly Hobbie easy bake oven and thought it was just about the greatest thing ever.  I also had a snoopy snow cone machine.  Any sort of cooking or kitchen related toy or gadget was a huge hit for me.  Don't get me started on my Barbie McDonald's set!

So you can see that from a very young age I loved cooking! The first time I really cooked I was probably 9 or 10 years old.  I made a grilled cheese sandwich and thought it was the most delicious thing I had ever eaten.  I even added a sliced pickle on top for garnish. From there I was pretty much hooked!

​I would make up recipes whenever I could get away with it and one I really liked to made I called "bread balls".  So original.  😂.  All it was was little balls I rolled up after pinching off part of a slice of white bread (no crusts of course!) and then I would stir them in melted butter and jelly and microwave them.  I don't think they were very good at all but I loved making them.  

My permanent spot in the kitchen when Grammy would cook was right on the counter.  She once had to throw me across the room when grease caught on fire!

I loved to visit my Papa and cook with him.  He was Italian, larger than life and confined to an electric wheelchair so I was his sous chef.  I would climb and gather all of the things he couldn't reach and we would cook together.

Cooking for me has always been so much more than preparing food.  It really is ritualistic in a way.  This is likely why I am such a messy cook. Thank goodness for Grammy who follows behind me cleaning up my messes.
​
Love,