Chili Corn

At the moment we are in the Land of CORN! The farms around our house grow 3 different crops throughout the year. Wheat, Soybeans and Corn. At the moment the corn is drying on the stalks and about ready to be harvested.  Sweet corn has already been harvested and honestly I have never tasted corn as sweet as the stuff grown here in Hyde county. We don't really need a new way to eat it because right off the cob is the best. My son Isaiah eats it raw right off the cob and before we moved here he HATED corn. That should tell you how delicious it really is! Here is a recipe I love to make with corn if you don't like it on the cob, or you need a yummy side dish to take to a potluck. It is delicious!

~Chili Corn~
-Get your grill going.
-Shuck you corn, I did 6 corn on the cobs and the butter was JUST enough so if you do more you will need to use more butter.
-Melt about half  a stick of butter and add in 1TBSP chilli powder
 -Brush on the chilli butter on to Cob and sprinkle with Kosher salt and place on the grill.
-Roast each side of the corn. When done take off the grill. Cut off the Cob into a bowl
Add:
 -half an onion diced
 -one diced red bell pepper
 -juice of one lime
-fresh cilantro
-Cayenne pepper (Optional but I would add a little to give a little more spice)

Mix well and enjoy. It really is delicious!

Chick-fil-a Carrot Salad

I ABSOLUTELY HATE CARROTS! I will avoid them like the plague! I don't like them cooked or fresh! (Besides carrot cake which breaks the rules because it is cake)But besides in Cake I HATE CARROTS!  Growing up I actually believed I was allergic to carrots and often wondered why God would make such a discussing vegetable! But let me tell you a short story. My friend Shell made this salad one time and brought it to dinner one night. I cringed when she put it down on my counter.... carrots! I HATE carrots! But not wanting to be rude I took a microscopic bit of this carrot salad she brought. Taking a bite and thinking I would need to swallow it with a giant gulp of water, I was not prepare for the deliciousness of this salad! I got up and actually got seconds..... And thirds..... And actually I wanted to lick the bowl! This is NOT normal carrot salad. It must be magic because if you can make me want seconds of anything with that disgusting orange vegetable, it must be magic! Did I mention I hate carrots? Anyways, this recipe is amazing! I even did something I have never done before, I asked my husband to bring me a bag of carrots.... Yes I did! And then I made this salad. And then my boys and I ate the bowl of it! It tastes NOTHING like carrots! And if my dad was right about carrots being good for my eyes, then I have no problem eating my share of carrots in this salad. My eyes will be great! So contrary to my former belief that carrots would make my mouth shrivel up and die, I will admit that this and only this salad is the ONLY way  I will eat carrots!  Try it, you won't believe the yumminess of it. It might even change your whole life!!

Chick-fil-a Carrot Raisin Salad 
4 cups shredded carrots(make sure it is small shreds)
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins
Mix all together. ENJOY!

Sweet Potato Souffle

 Our first Christmas in Zambia was spent out at Kalwa farm. This farm was home to our friends the Waddils and Garrisons, and that Christmas they had us and the Hubbards. Out of all my Christmas' growing up, that one was the one that I remember the MOST! It was one of my favorite times! I don't remember what presents we got but I remember the amount of time we spent giving to others and enjoying each others company. It is one of those Christmas' that should be put into a Christmas Hallmark Movie! It was so simple but so rewarding. We celebrated Jesus' Birth in an "old-time" Christmas. I don't know how to explain what "Old-time" means but in Zambia it was the BEST Christmas EVER!! It was where many of my own traditions were started.

Here are some things I remember about that wonderful Christmas.

The kids, about 10 of us, put on a Magnificent Christmas play. I was Mary, mainly because I did not have any lines to memorize and I was small enough to ride on Howard's back. Howard was the oldest Waddil son and my faithful donkey who I feel off of quite a bit. It was done outside one evening on the veranda, that I thought was HUGE. Later on I found out that it was not as big as my little five year old mind thought it was. But it was a fantasy place to my imagination! It was a fantastic play, we should have all been on Broadway for sure!

I remember spending a few hours around a piano singing Christmas Carols with everybody. That is something I looked forward to every year at our own house in years to follow. I loved it when mom would play piano and we would all sing! There is just something about gathering together and singing that just puts you in the Christmas spirit!

I remember we got to go swimming on Christmas!!! Something that we NEVER did in the USA! But that is one blessing to living in a country that Christmas time is the HOT season. We went to this "river" with "GIANT" rapids that the Big boys could go down on the inner-tubes. I played in the calm area of the river. Which looking back, the river was more of a creek and the rapid was a BIG rock in the middle of the creek making the water look ferocious! In my mind it was and Adventure! I was the luckiest girl on earth to go swimming on Christmas!

 My favorite memory of that Christmas was spending the day with Uncle Tom and Aunt Lucille Waddill and their family as they gave out blankets, food and other treats to the families of the workers on their farm. That is a tradition that our family carried on every year after that. One that I looked forward to so much. It was so much fun to wrap oil, sugar, salt,  and other goodies in a box and give them to our workers. Giving gifts was not a thing that people did in the Zambian culture. But the people loved getting their boxes. For some that was their first Christmas present ever.  I loved watching their excitement over such simple presents. My mom would bake sweet breads and cookies for our neighbors.Taking your neighbor sweets was not something done in Zambia but we did it every year. I looked forward to our Christmas boxes and cookie delivery  every year!

From that first Christmas also came a recipe that has passed down from Aunt Lucille and one I have to make EVERY YEAR!! It is the most delicious, mouth watering, dish ever! It is her Sweet Potato Souffle. I don't really know what a souffle is or is suppose to be but this one is AMAZING!! This has become a holiday tradition in my family! Try it it might become a tradition in yours! So in Memory of Aunt Lucille who lost her battle with breast cancer a few years ago and for Uncle Tom, I make this! Thank you for your MANY MANY years of service to the Lord in Zambia. Thank you for making our first Christmas in Zambia EPIC! Thank you for teaching me Christmas was about more then just getting stuff but was about giving too! I love you both!

Sweet Potato Souffle
3 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all together and put in greased baking dish.

Mix together:(this makes enough for 2 souffles)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 stick melted butter
1 cup coconut
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Sprinkle over souffle and bake 45-50 at 350 degrees. This freezes great so you can make it ahead.

Lari's Queso

This recipe is a family tradition every year at Christmas. When we are in Texas for Christmas we always have tamales and Mexican food at my Aunt Lari's house. This is the stuff I look forward to eating. She always makes it and it is always in the crockpot and hot and delicious! I could eat this all by its self as the main meal! So delicious!  I love this stuff and can't wait to get some at Christmas.  It is great for Large parties. You can half the recipe for smaller parties because this does make a lot!

Lari's Queso (this is a BIG recipe, if you want to half it you could)
 2lbs Velvetta
1 pound sausage (browned)
1 pound hamburger(browned and I think she puts taco seasoning in it)
8 oz cream cheese
1 can cream of Chicken soup
1 cream of mushroom soup
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can green chillies
Brown meat, and put all ingredients in a crock pot. Turn on and let it melt all together. Stir occasionally.  You can melt it over the stove and then put it into the crock pot to keep it hot. Get the chips ready! DELISH!!!

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Tamy's Cranberry Jello Salad.

 This is one of my favorite dishes to have for Christmas! This Jello salad is super easy but delicious! We were introduced to this from our friend Tamy in Florida! I love Jello and making it into a delicious dish means I am all in! I love cranberry sauce too but put in Jello makes it very tasty! it adds great flavor to a turkey dinner for Christmas.

Tamy's Cranberry Jello Salad.
1 cup boiling water
1 cherry flavored Jello
Stir together till jello is dissolved
Add:
1 Can Whole berry cranberry sauce
1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix well and chill till jelled. DELICIOUS!!

Meema's Jello Salad

 Today I am busy cooking for our Thanksgiving feast with our neighbors and on the menu is Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, rolls, pie, Cheese Flan and Jello Salad and that is only coming out of my kitchen. Karin is cooking up some wonderful things too! I am looking forward to my Jello salad. I have just enough cool whip to make it this year. This is usually a dish that I have to wait to visit Texas to get. My Meema does make it best! And when I come to her house she ALWAYS has it waiting in the fridge! It is MY FAVORITE JELLO! I can never seem to make it quite the same but I think Meema puts in more LOVE into it. My cousins and I usually fight over it, but I always win! =) hahahaha. Meema has even sent it in a To-Go box for me if I have to travel. Seriously it is delicious! I am counting down the days till I can have some, which is 13 by the way! Can't wait to have a Christmas with my family this year! But I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving tomorrow! What a wonderful time of year to gather together with good food, great friends and be thankful for what we have. After the flood we had this spring, I realize there are many many things that I have not thought of to be thankful for this year.

Meema's Jello Salad
1 (15oz) can crushed Pineapple with juice
1  (6oz) box lime jello
2 cups buttermilk (use milk with a little vinegar)
1 cup coconut
1 cup Chopped Pecans
1( 8 oz) Cool-whip( or dream-whip)
Place the pineapple and juice in a pan on stove. Stir and Heat to boil. Remove from stove and add jello. Stir till jello is dissolved. Cool and add buttermilk, coconut and pecans. Cool completely and add cool-whip. Chill for 4 hours. Get a big spoon and enjoy!
( I know Meema sometimes puts in marshmallows but I think it takes away from the yummyness of this dish. SO I Omit them.)