My Episode with Paula Deen Premieres this Saturday on The Food Network. Click here for times and details. 

Please RSVP on my Facebook Event Page if you plan on watching (click here)

A few months back I drove down to Savannah, Georgia to spend the day filming with Paula Deen. We had a wonderful time and I found her kitchen to be one of the most comfortable rooms I’ve ever been in. The Episode we filmed airs this Saturday on the Food Network (click here to read times and please RSVP if you plan on watching).

What is Paula Deen like? Well she’s just like you’d think she is. She is gracious, kind, and absolutely beautiful inside and out. This is a warm hearted Southern Mama and Grandmama to the core. She is a generous person, heaping praise and thanks on all of those around her. She made me feel so welcome and we chatted about our grandmothers, life in the old days, and the joys of getting to be a Mama.

Blurry photo of us being silly

Now I want to tell you about her boys. They were both there, they were both as friendly as could be, and they were both so well mannered. I cooked with Bobby on the show and we had a great time. That boy could make a tree stump laugh! But the main thing that impressed me with her boys was that when each of them left, they went around to more than twenty members of the production crew and thanked each one of them by name and gave them each a hug. That speaks volumes to the kind of people they are and how they were raised. I always feel that my behavior is a reflection on my mother and so I do my best each day to be a credit to her. Bobby and Jamie definitely are.

I took my heirloom rolling pin to use in the recipe we prepared of my Mama Reed’s Nilla Wafer Cake and I also brought along some green stamps, tea glasses that used to be peanut butter jars (like my Mama Reed used) and an ad for the peanut butter that had come in them. We enjoyed chatting about them while we were filming.

The funny thing is, you know how Southerners really don’t hear our own accents? Paula said my Alabama accent made her sound like a yankee! ~giggles~ We all know that isn’t true but it was still funny to hear.

So yesterday on my Facebook page I asked if anyone had any specific questions about my filming with Paula and y’all came up with some good ones! Some are a bit more intense and some lighthearted. I’ll do my best to answer them below. I didn’t answer the ones that wanted me to ask Paula a question because I’m afraid I won’t be speaking with her before the show, and I left off some that ended up being duplicates (A lot of us want to know the same thing – but isn’t that always the way with family?).

April – How many sticks of Butter did ya’ll use during the show?

I think three but possibly four. As for my part in it, one.

Charles- Carol and I will be eating at her place in Tunica next week. Any free meals?

~Giggles~ It costs a great deal of money just to be Paula Deen – I can promise you that without a bit of reservation. I ate at her restaurant in Savannah and while I did ask her producer to get me a table there, I happily paid full price for my meal and would have never dreamed of letting her cover it.

Glenda – Will you be on her cooking show?

Yes. This Saturday. Here is the link on Food Network’s site.

I won’t be watching it when it airs though, I have an event at my kid’s school so I’ll let y’all see it first.

Ally- How did she get her courage to overcome Agoraphobia? Was it a strictly “mind over matter” thing? 

We actually talked about that during filming. I’m not sure if it will make it into the show. I haven’t seen the episode and really have no idea what it includes.

Her overcoming that is especially impressive knowing what all she has to go through in public nowadays. I think I’d be hiding in a hole…

Donna- How did it feel to be in the company of someone that has gone through what you are now going through? Did you say “I wanna be just like her?” Is she as wholesome as she seems on tv?

Donna, you hit the nail on the head. I felt like I was with someone who understands so much of what my life is like now, things that I can never speak about because folks wouldn’t understand. The funny thing is that once I was finally with someone who understood it, I didn’t even need to talk about all of the things I’ve encountered on my journey. It was just nice being with someone who has traveled the road.

As far as me wanting to be like her, I have nothing but respect and admiration for Paula, both for the road she’s traveled and for the character and grace she’s maintained through it all. But I’ve never aspired to be like any earthly person other than my mother. As far as being more like my Mama, I’ve still got a long way to go .

Paula Deen doesn’t put on any airs. She is exactly who she presents herself to be.

William – How was your cholesterol – before and after?!

I can’t speak to cholesterol but my heart was definitely in better shape afterwards.

Donna – I saw her on Dr. Oz and was so touched by her desire to quit smoking. I hope her journey is successful. Does she cook anything without butter? Hehe

She cooks a great deal without butter but the moment she stops using it on air there will be moment people shout with outrage that she’s a sell out.

You don’t get to a certain place in public life without learning that you can’t please them all and it’s best to just be true to who you are

Jim – Butter or margarine?

Paula is decidedly and determinedly butter only. She faces as much criticism for that as I do for my butter/margarine shifting. In the end I feel this should be to each their own. Your kitchen – your rules. I wasn’t assigned to judge

Debbie – Has Paula stopped smoking. I also saw her on Dr. Oz and saw the very vunerable side of her that you don’t often see of famous people on tv. I could see her hiding her fear (searching for the right word) with comedy. She had me laughing and then crying for her and her struggle. I can relate as I struggle with food but it just all taste so good! Tell her how much we all love her next time you see her. We love you too!

Debbie, thank you!! I love you right back, I truly do.

I can’t speak to whether or not Paula smokes. I can’t imagine she is able to be who she is, with the great demands placed on her time and having to live under a microscope, without having something she does just for herself though – no matter what that is. If I were ever in her shoes, I’d need a truck delivery of diet dr pepper each day just to get out of bed

Willie – Just tell her that we all love you AND her.

I will do that Willie – and Thank you!!!

Janet -Did you get to meet her sons and husband?

Yes Ma’am! I met both of her sons, cooked with Bobby and spent a good bit of time talking to him, but didn’t get to meet her sweet husband.

Amanda – She seems so nice on tv, I bet she is even nicer in person? my daughter always says look mom our friend is on tv!

She really is a sweet and dear woman.

John- I would love to know what color she uses on her hair…..Beautiful silver……...

Oh isn’t it? I wish I could tell you! I complimented her hair as well. She said “Well honey, I wish I could give it to you but you can only get this color by an ex husband and two grown kids.”

Latosha – Many years ago (1994 or 95) I worked at a place and Paula Deen was a client. We supplied to her. I was her customer service rep.. We had many conversations and she even offered me a job over the phone. I had no desire to move from South GA and didn’t know her. BOY!!! I should have took up the offer! We got along FABULOUS!

She’s such a sweetheart, isn’t she?

Lydia – Ask her to come to Huntsville and have a great big Paula/Christy cookoff and fun-filled day of fans just hanging out…..

I’ll do that! We’d have to cook together though, I don’t do “cookoffs” as I have a strict policy of never competing with my recipes. Competing is saying that you think your recipe or cooking is better than others and I’ve never felt that way. You’re every bit as good a cook as I am, if not better!

Angie - how long before you started breathing normally when you were taping? I would have been hyperventilating from sheer joy!

I was never the least bit nervous. I was nervous the first time I did tv at a little local station in Huntsville a few years back. Once I got that behind me people have just been people ever since and I always feel blessed whenever I get to spend time with folks on both sides of the camera.

Michelle – Are her boys as cute in person as they are on tv?

Nope. They’re cuter.

Malinda – is she as sweet as she seems and funny in person?

She is a gracious and kind person, with generous heart. As for being funny – She’s a HOOT!

Jean – What was one thing you learned from her and what was your favorite part of this whole experience?

I had one question I wanted to ask her. One thing that I felt only she could understand.

All of my life I’ve felt like I was the last puppy in the box. The one nobody picked. Folks just walked by and didn’t notice once the shiny, cuter puppies were gone. That has made the success of my website and book and, well, I guess me, hard to digest and wrap my head around at times.

I wanted to ask Paula “How do you handle being the last puppy in the box all of your life and then all of a sudden being chosen first?”

I didn’t ask her though. Once I was around her I understood. I think we’re both still the last puppy in our minds, and that is what makes us who we are. It was comforting seeing that.

Gwen – Do you think she will ever have a cooking show, “Healthy Cooking with Paula Deen”?

That’s an excellent question and one only Paula could answer, of course. Personally, I kinda feel like I know where it would go. Paula never asked to be the Paula Deen brand that she is today. The public put here there. They took a shining to who she was and what she represented, the fact that she cooked like so many of our grandmothers and then had the nerve to be proud of her cooking heritage to boot, and they put her where she is. Some people in that same public will happily crucify her for being the person they lifted her up for being. If she were to change now, they’d call her a sell out. But the great thing is Paula Deen has the rare character trait of being able to remain true to herself though it all.

Candace-  I have to wonder is she genuinely nice and sweet or put on? I do love Paula (not NEARLY as much as you, Christy..you’re the real thing…a Mama with young’uns and so forth) and have seen her somewhat get the “big head” over the years compared to what she used to be.

Candace you are so sweet. Thank you for such a wonderful compliment My younguns keep me hopping, that’s for sure!  This is a great question and I’m going to expand on it a little bit, beyond what you asked, to address other areas in which some folks might think she has an ego issue.

I didn’t find her to have a big head or ego at all. She’s just a plain old thing in person and doesn’t act as if she thinks she’s any more special than anyone else. She works harder than anyone I’ve ever seen.

As you get bigger, you have to form a natural insulation around yourself for the sake of your family and personal life and I can only imagine she has to have several layers. Sometimes you hear of folks running into her and saying “She didn’t even smile at me!” or the like, and it bothers me because I know on the other side of things, she may have been up half the night flying in, done tv, and radio that day, and then had a book signing where she was smiling and bright for three or four hours with hundreds of people in attendance.  Sometimes, not smiling isn’t the equivalent of a frown. It just means your face would like to take a breath.

Ann  - I’ve been meaning to ask but what were the cookies called that you took to the set then gave me the leftovers at the front desk of the Westin. They were absolutely fabulous.

I took two different kinds of cookies, Ann, and Paula and her boys tried them and liked them both! Dishpan Cookies and M&M Bar Cookies. I’m so glad you liked them and it was great getting to meet you!!!

So there you have it folks, the truth about Paula Deen. She is a hardworking, good hearted person who is also a devoted mother and doting grandmother…But I’m pretty sure that isn’t a startling revelation  

This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Congratulations to:

1. Lucia Hames
2. Amy Oliver
3. Kathleen Thomas
4. Lisa Milby
5. Traci Collins (Traci, having problems getting an email to you. Please post on my fb page if you can so I can reach you)
6. Summer (partial email is summer2975)
7. Amy Van Eps
8. Christy Schoolfield
9. Linda Rickets
10. Stephanie Munson

I’ve emailed each of the winners with instructions on how to claim their prize. Please note that due to the size of the Southern Plate Family we do have some duplicate names so check your inbox if you see your name to see if it’s you. Have a WONDERFUL day!

Gratefully,

Christy

Today I’m thrilled to be running a giveaway for TEN Hamilton Beach

4 Quart Ice Cream Makers!

This is a great classic ice cream maker that you can just toss in your ingredients, add your ice and salt, and go!

Here are some of the Specs:

• Makes 4 quarts of ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet
• Just add ingredients, ice, and rock salt — it does all the work and stops when ready — no stirring needed
• Over 20 recipes included: try the ones inside or create your own unique taste by mixing in candy, cookies, or fresh fruit
• Easy-lock lid

and here is my Dad getting the ice cream maker ready to go on the 4th of July.

This is the ice cream maker working away while the kids play in the sprinkler…

These are the happy kids eating Yoohoo Ice cream, which I’ll try to bring you the recipe for tomorrow or Thursday, soon as time permits!

In the meantime, check out my Easy and Eggless Peach Ice Cream recipe by clicking here!

You’ll have some happy kids with one of these!

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment below

and tell me your favorite ice cream flavor.

TEN WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN

Contest closes Friday, July 22 at midnight. Winners will be notified by email and announced on this post Saturday July 23rd and on My Facebook Page.

Winners will have 7 days to claim their prize.

“My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy the ice cream while it’s on your plate.”

~Thornton Wilder

Disclaimer: I have not been financially compensated for this post but Hamilton Beach is kind enough to provide the prizes to the winners. I don’t like to make milkshakes because my Daddy makes the best milkshakes in the world and I’d just as soon wait and have one of his. My entire family likes mint chocolate chip ice cream and guess what flavor of ice cream I absolutely cannot tolerate? Yup, mint chocolate chip. Isn’t life funny that way? My favorite flavors are cherry vanilla (with real cherries) and butter pecan. Spiders are creepy but not half as creepy as butterflies are to me and I wish I was in Disney World right now – but I want to be in the mythical Disney World that is 70 degrees with no crowds . All done disclaiming now!

Me and David Venable, on the set of QVC during my last appearance back in May

Dear Southern Plate Family,

I hope you’re all looking forward to a fun filled Fourth Of July Weekend!

My in-laws just arrived from the great state of Georgia and we’ve already enjoyed supper together and are now sitting down to a family movie night.

I wanted to take a few minutes to let you know that I’ll be flying out tomorrow evening to be on QVC Sunday during the “In The Kitchen With David” Segment, which airs from noon to 3:00 PM Eastern time. I won’t know what exact time I’ll be on during that 12:00-3:00 PM block until just before the show begins at noon but I’ll keep you posted on my Facebook Page. We sure are gonna have some good food!

If you’d like to tune in and don’t have QVC on your cable network, you can watch QVC live on their website by clicking here (look in the left sidebar where it says “watch live tv”).

I’ll be flying back home to good old Huntsville, Alabama shortly after the show ends and will arrive here just before midnight on Sunday, in time to enjoy July 4th with my family on Monday!

This is my second time appearing on QVC and I sure am looking forward to it! David Venable was such a hoot last time and he is every bit as friendly as you’d imagine him to be, and then some! He is on vacation right though, but I’m really looking forward to getting to hang out with Jane Treacy when she hosts in his place on Sunday.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thank you for being such a great part of the Southern Plate Family!

Gratefully,

Christy

Welcome to another edition of the Southern Plate Digest! I had so many great submissions and I’ve been working on getting them all linked to the recipes most of the day today. I ended up only doing about half of them because my kids really want me to get off the computer .

I want to thank everyone on the Front Porch Forum and Facebook who contributed and I hope you’ll enjoy the comments and discover some new recipes below! Simply click on the recipe name to go directly to that post. While many of the recipes can also be found in my cookbook, some are exclusive to the cookbook and can’t be found online. These are typed in red.

Did you know that SouthernPlate.com has well over 400 of my recipes right now? Each with photos of every step. Anytime you see me post a link on Facebook or The Front Porch and can’t find it later, simply visit Southern Plate and use the search box in the top right corner or browse the index.

I’d love to get to chat with you sometime! I’ll be hosting a live chat on Thursday June 23rd from 7:00-8:00 PM Central time over on the Southern Plate Front Porch. If you’d like to participate, head on over and join! Membership to Southern Plate’s Front Porch is entirely free but each account is personally reviewed (to make sure you’re a real person) before approved so register today so I or one of our great Admins can approve ya! There are OVER 17,000 posts on the Front Porch already. We share recipes, stories about kids and grandkids, talk gardening, offer and answer prayer requests, and more! To register, just click here and look in the top right corner for the registration link.

Gratefully,

Christy

P.S. If you find that one of the links below isn’t going to the right post, please leave me a comment and let me know which one so I can fix it. I’d love to hear from you in the comments section in addition to that though! I really enjoy getting to read each comment left by you. Y’all know all about me and I want to know about you, too! Thank you for being such a wonderful part of the Southern Plate Family.

Now let’s see what Southern Plate Recipes you’ve been cooking up! HERE WE GO!

Kim Johnson – The very yummy Strawberry Pecan Bread and my Dad’s favorite Rise and Shine Biscuits.

Ruth Dennison – My friend made me the Mandarin Orange Frozen Pie, it was sooooo good.

Veronica Farrar – Absolutely love the chicken and dumplings.

Joanna From the Front Porch – In the last couple of weeks I have made the following: The Strawberry cake and the Butterfinger Cake for a few birthdays at work recently. They were such a huge hit! I have been asked by all grade levels to make all birthday cakes from her on out  Fire and Ice Salad for a teacher luncheon….everyone loved this too! Deep Dish Pizza and my step daughter says this is the best pizza ever!

SundayCook from the Front Porch -I made Kathy’s country casserole this week. It is so good and filling! The only thing I added was a drained can of Rotel for a little spice.

Terrigodawgs from the Front Porch – Squash casserole and Daddy’s coconut cake

Hope from the Front Porch – I made the No Bake Cafeteria Peanut Butter Bars. They were my favorite in school! I remember watching the cafeteria menu to see when we were getting them next. ~giggle~ They were so easy to make and they taste even better the second day!

beebee751 from the Front Porch – I made the Butterfinger Cake to take to a pot luck at church this Wednesday night. It was a big hit! I had to give the recipe to several people and told them about Southern Plate. I stopped last week and bought a flat of fresh home grown strawberries and I have made the Fresh Strawberry Pie and the Simply Easy Pound Cake to help use them up. With fresh home made whipped cream they both were delicious! My family loves the Chicken and Dumplings and I make them at least twice a month. Another favorite at our house is House Autry Pork Chops.

Jen from the Front Porch – Here are some of your recipes that I have used recently: Dishpan cookies, chicken and dumplings, vegetable salad with the shoepeg corn, slowcooker chicken/wildrice, fire & ice salad, broc/cauliflower salad with purple onion, vanilla wafer cake, mandarin orange cake (a makeahead for Easter, since we are working). Thanks for all the great recipes, Christy! 

Deb from the Front Porch- I made the laundry detergent today with the Fels bar soap and it smells so yummy! my bedding from the pad up is being washed. Can’t wait to go to bed, i love clean sheets enough to do them ~2x/week…this may make it more often! 

Sonya from the Front Porch - I make the kraut and weenies when I’m too busy to cook anything complicated! I like to mix half plain cabbage and half kraut so it’s less sour. The lemon chess pie is one of my husband’s favorites! He loves lemon and that one is easier than a lemon meringue pie! I made Daddy’s Coconut Cake for Easter- half as cupcakes to take to the extended family gathering and half as a 9″ single layer cake. I just happened to have all the ingredients!

Christy from the Front Porch – I have been reading your cookbook in bits and pieces and find myself laughing, crying, and feeling a little homesick. I can’t wait until my sister gets her copy – I think she’ll enjoy it as much as i do. The story you wrote about listening to the old folks was wonderful. I suspect the rest of the women in the family will be getting a copy for Christmas or sooner – they’re all there in your back yard. Have a wonderful weekend.

Kim Stone - I made your yummy hamburger steaks recently for my husband who LOVED them along with the fried cabbage! I also made your strawberry-pecan bread a few weeks ago for decoration at my church & everyone raved about it. Being a newlywed I need all the meal-inspiration I can get & SouthernPlate.com never fails to deliver!

Veronica Farrar – I know the lemon poppy seed bread was not yours, but it’s a hit here at home

Kristan Stanton – Well I’m always cooking the pb fudge iced brownies (its a no fail crowd pleaser-its also REAL impressive to be so easy!) I also made the mandarin orange pies and those were the easiest pies EVER! My 5 year old just might be able to make them Your orange cake with the mango necter so moist so good a refreshing summer dessert! I served the pie and the cake at the same function to give people options and they all had to have “a little sliver of both” which turned into seconds!

Kimberly Bird - Butterfinger Cake is a favorite around here now, I mean, it’s an addiction.

Veronica Farrar - The no bake cafeteria peanut butter bars are to die for!! I’ve renamed them the Reese Cup Bars!!

Sandy Combs - We’ve been eating lots of Texas Caviar this week. So cool and yummy. A great summer side dish.

Betsy Brown - Your coffee concentrate! It’s easy, delicious, and it’s saving me a TON of money! I make it strong and pour it over ice with milk. Delicious!

Marina Kutsch - The chicken stew was just what my sick teenager needed to feel better. When our guest from out of town got here late tonight I served them the rest of stew with grilled cheese sandwiches. They loved it.

Diana Casabar - That iced coffee was to die for!

Jeanine Wilson -Love the Crunchy Beef Casserole, hamburger steaks & the cubed steaks w/gravy were so good! OH that pimento cheese was awesome… great appetizer w/wheat thins!! I especially love the stories in the cookbook, very sweet…the CZ one.. Awwwww!!

Wendy Slopsema - I know I’ve used a bunch, but the ones that I have bookmarked are MeMe’s mashed potatoes, Thanksgiving Menu Bonanza, and your Holiday Fruit Salad! They were delicious! Whenever I want a recipe for anything, I first search your site before trying anyone else!

Bettielou Welch - laundry soap made it last night all ready washed 3 loads love it

Alisha Courtney - Fresh strawberry cake with cream cheese icing. Everyone loves it and asks for the recipe. One friend even said it was better than her Grandmother’s!

Jill Sanders - My family LOVED The Apple Doozie! Will definitely be a staple on my menu from now on and so easy!

Shelby Henderson My daughter and I made your corn casserole last night, and we are having your Chicken Planks tonight! My children love them with milk gravy. Thank you Christy & Southern Plate!

Susan Helton I keep a bowl of Texas Caviar in my frig at all times so good I eat it for a quick lunch.

Virginia Edmunds Hamburger steaks, tater tots casserole, pulled pork.

Joyce Kaiser Chocolate Sundae Cake…big hit with my family…thanks Christy!

Mary Harris My favorite all time recipe is the chicken chicken. It was delicious! of course, almost everything else I tried was wonderful as well. I have bought your cookbook and given it as a gift many times over!!!

Cara Burrows I’m making the strawberry bread today!

Judy  Blaise I made the fiesta chicken on Tuesday night and my DIL and Son really liked it. (My two grandkids even liked it!)

Julie Church My husband asked for chicken ‘n dumplings…”soon!” I love the ease of that recipe and he loves the down home taste!

Tiffany Huffer lots of strawberry shortcake. my 3 rd old loves the left overs for breakfast and i love making the homemade shortcakes and fresh whippng cream – YUMMY

Allison Saylor The baked mac and cheese, chicken and rice in the slow cooker, banana bread, banana pudding, and old timey butter roll dessert!

Beverly Baker I made the Cheesy Chicken and Corn recipe but my husband isn’t crazy about corn so I left out the can of corn and added a can of black beans instead. It was awesome!

JoAnn Walsh I haven’t done a lot of cooking lately, but I will share a comment from my husband about the chicken stew I made….”This is good, keep it in the rotation” which is what he says when he really likes something and he wants to make sure I make it again. He’s actually said that about quite a few things I’ve made from your cookbook. Thank you for the “no fail” recipes Christy.

McKenzie Crisp Made the Apple Snack cake and it was a HUGE hit!

Amanda Fierce Slow cooker BBQ! My family and co-workers can’t get enough. I love how easy it is with spectacular results every time!

Betty Solomon Nothing could be better as a summer dessert than your Fresh Strawberry Cake. I even put a few of the strawberries in the cream cheese frosting, completely ignoring your advice about how messy it can be! Yummy.

Anita Cannaday I live in Wisconson and waiting on our tomatos to grow for “Fried Green Tomatoes” … brings me back to my “Southern” roots ♥

Linda Watters I’ve made your thin boneless fried pork chops, like the ones that you make on a biscuit (minus the biscuit) several times and we really enjoy them. I had never bought them before I saw this recipe because I thought they would be dry and hard. Boy, was I wrong! They are tender and tasty and a quick meal. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Christy.

Darby DeFonzo Strawberry Pecan Bread is amazing….but lately I’ve been making those House – Autry pork chops. And last night I used the same recipe but substituted chicken breasts. Sooooo yummy! My girls had theirs on biscuits. Delish and SO EASY!

Tamara Harris My fav: fruit cocktail cake! I love the recipe on your website! It’s just like the one mom used to make. A great cake to make for those summer picnics and all year around!

Michelle Ryan Love, love, love the Vidalia Honey Vinaigrette Dressing over romaine lettuce, dried cranberries, pecans and chopped green apple. That is my go-to lunch and when I pack it for work, it’s easy not to be tempted to eat out every day. Yum!

Amanda Naff I have made chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, squash casserole and the fried chocolate pies. Not all at the same time though.

Debi Can I just list your cookbook as what I have been cooking? : ) Chicken Planks, Autry Pork Chops, Nilla Wafer Cake, Jordan Rolls, Squash Casserole, Tomato Melts, Fried Corn, Fried Okra, Home Brew, Home Brew, Home Brew and much more…. We Love It All!

Eve Ruth, the Manderin orange pie recipe .I made it earlier this week and it’s fantastic. Perfectly cool and refreshing and just right for summertime! I also made the strawberry pecan bread lately and it’s also very tasty!

Angela Woodie TONS AND TONS of the iced coffee…… my hubby and i are sooooo addicted…… Home Brew is AMAZING!!!!

Teryl  Shields OMW the berry cobbler is to die for! Since reading your cookbook (cover to cover in 2 days!) that one recipe is the one my family asks for at least once a week! Love, love, love the Southern Plate cookbook!

Teryl  Shields Also, had a cooking presentation to do for a culinary class I took in Fall 2010. Made the broccoli salad and won 1st place in the salad division! Thank you Christy!

Lauren Bobo I made the strawberry pecan bread, and it was AMAZING & easy to make!

Carrie Ivy The mandarin orange pie, fried cabbage, brownies w/ pb fudge icing, fried cabbage, cinnamon rolls, fried corn and did I mention fried cabbage?! There is no such thing as too much fried cabbage, love that stuff

Kelly Tagge ‎’Deep Dish Pizza‘ is so easy and dang good too! ‘Strawberry Cobbler’ recipe but I made it with what I had on hand which was blackberries. Ummm goooood!! All your recipes are made the easy way and you can always taste the love in each and every one of them. ;~)

Carolyn Fulton Rise and Shine and biscuits are great! So easy to make and yummy!

Jacquelyn Primrose The Mandarin Orange pie was a hit in our house. It was so easy to make and a bonus because it makes 2 pies at one time. Everyone loved it!

Shirley Reeves The Sweet and Sour green bean’s ….we just can’t get enough of them . They are so easy and yummy .

Gail Caler Ur Crock Pot Lasagna.. it was the bomb !!! my family and i loved it.. it was awesome.. I will never make Lasagna again in the oven.. I wrote the recipe down in my Southern Plate Cookbook, i will make it alot more times in the future.. Thank you for shareing that recipe.. it was great

Mumaw Beth You can win my heart over any day with peanut butter. The no bake cafeteria peanut butter bars are an 11 in my book.

Wendy K Duncan I would like the rerun of freezing tomato’s Please…..and canning salsa if any…..Thank you so much!

Cindy Reed Just got your book yesterday and marking off recipes to try. Today, tomato melts…have some fresh basil to use up..,mmmm

Lydia Cook Strawberry Pecan Bread-my husband’s favorite. We will be spending the next few days at the baseball fields with our boys, so I’m making it in muffin tins so that we can take some with us easily.

Angie Carter Just this week made your Taco Soup and Skillet Chili Bake from your “10 Favorite Quick and Easy Suppers”. Both were a hit…so easy and oh, so good!! Didn’t have to heat up my kitchen by using the oven either since they both were “stovetop” meals! Thanks!! =)

Connie Dockler Uhmm, Squash Casserole with Tillamook Smoked Cheddar Cheese is so, so good.

Rachel  Ashworth I fixed the mandarin orange pie. Absolutely delicious.

Judy Johnson The sweet and sour green beans….they were really good and so easy to fix. Didn’t have frozen beans so I used my home canned Blue Lake…..Yummy

Linda Meyers I made the zucchini bread recently which was delicious!!

Debbie Strum I guess you could smell that I FINALLY made your Butterfinger Cake! But you didn’t have to get organize a parade to celebrate the fact! I DO understand what all the fuss is about that cake, though! It IS deLISH! You looked pretty good in that majorette outfit, BTW! ~snickers~

Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong,

sorrows keep you human, failures keep you humble.

Success keeps you growing, but only family keeps you going.

Submitted by Susan Crane. Submit your quote by clicking here.

Congratulations to the following (names and part of their email addresses included): Mitchi (mvn), Patricia (choirlady), Angel (dadul), JoAnn (oceanmist). They were chosen at random to win the Southern Living Cookbook giveaway! Thanks to everyone for joining in and watching the preview of my new Quick Fix Suppers Series!

Christy Jordan and Lindsay Bierman, editor of Southern Living. Photography by Robbie Caponetto

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be hosting Southern Living’s new Quick Fix Supper series – a whole cooking series designed to help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family and friends.

Each week on SouthernLiving.com I’ll be bringing you a new cooking video featuring a quick and easy supper idea and some very cool time saving tips to help put some pep back in your kitchen step!

These recipes are simple, delicious, and very budget friendly. I know you’ll love them.

Below is a special sneak peek video. Stay tuned for more details!

This is yet another wonderful gift that has come to me thanks to my Southern Plate Family, so I hope you’ll tune in!

To help kick off our series, Let’s have a giveaway!

FIVE people will win a copy of

Southern Living’s Cookbook- Quick Fixes With mixes!

To enter, just leave a comment below!

I’d love to hear what your favorite go to ingredients are for quick fix suppers!

Enter today because contest ends at midnight on Saturday!

Winners will be notified and announced Monday on this post and on facebook.

Contest is now closed, thanks for entering!

Congratulations to the following (names and part of their email addresses included): Mitchi (mvn), Patricia (choirlady), Angel (dadul), JoAnn (oceanmist). They were chosen at random to win the Southern Living Cookbook giveaway! Thanks to everyone for joining in and watching the preview of my new Quick Fix Suppers Series!

I’ve been busy this week and it’s all thanks to you! Taste of the South asked what food blogger you’d most like to see in their magazine and because of your response, they contacted me to write a feature in the August/September issue. I was so thrilled to join them on a photo shoot this past Tuesday in Birmingham. We had a great time hanging out and nibbling some of my recipes that will be featured in that issue.

The crew from left to right: Will Dickey (photographer), Malinda Nichols (photo stylist), Brooke Bell (editor), Me, Virginia Hornbuckle (Test Kitchen), and Jyl Nipper (friend I couldn’t live without).

This is the stylist arranging the dish towel just so beneath my hand.

You’d be amazed at the attention to detail that goes into these magazine photos but the finished result is just gorgeous. I can’t wait for you to see it!

This is me posing – with a pesky lock of hair in my eyes.

And this little angel is Alex.

We used his little hand in some of the photos for the kid friendly recipes as he reached in to grab a bite!

As soon as I left that shoot I headed over to Southern Living to begin a few days of filming as I host a new series they are rolling out. I posted lots of behind the scenes photos on the Front Porch so head on over there if you’d like to see. Stay tuned for a great sneak peak next week and be sure and pick up the June issue of Southern Living for more information!

Thank you for all that you have given me and for being one of the many reasons my heart smiles each day.

Gratefully,

Christy

HAVE A WONDERFUL EASTER!

Be sure and click here for Easter menu ideas

Good looks catch the eye but a good personality catches the heart.

Submitted by Stephanie. Submit your quote or read some more by clicking here.

Exciting news! Southern Plate has grown by leaps and bounds and with that, the need for a community has really grown.

Welcome to The Southern Plate Front Porch Forum,  A place where we can all gather, chat with each other, ask questions, share recipes, and more!

I hope you’ll join us today. We already have over 800 posts just by our “soft launch” and with this post I expect our Front Porch to burst wide open with welcoming each one of you!

Registration is easy (and free). Simply sign in at the top right corner to either create an account or sign in with your facebook account. You’ll need have to click a link in your email to validate your account and you’re ready to go.

Note: I’m on standby today and manually validating accounts as they come in so chances are you won’t have to wait for the email if you register soon.

Click Here To Join the Family on the Southern Plate Front Porch!

Here are some of the great topics you can jump into!

• Share Recipes
• Ask about recipes you’ve been looking for
• Share milestones, celebrate with each other
• Ask for support through a difficult time
• Share gardening tips
• Talk about kids, grandkids, even cats!
• Ask for help with a recipe or kitchen question
• Couponing tips, great grocery store sales
• List your blog
• Marketplace forum where you can link to your rep websites if you sell tupperware, pampered chef, etc!

This is your community and I’m excited to be able to expand the Southern Plate family in this way by giving everyone an easier to way to communicate with each other.

Click Here To Join the Family on the Southern Plate Front Porch!

In order to post you must register (top right hand corner) either by creating a new account or signing in with your facebook in order to post.

Mother's Kindness Basket: 16.25" x 11" x 4.5" Generously sized to hold a 9x13 casserole dish

• Limited Edition Mother’s Kindness Basket
• First in Family Series, only available in April
• Sized to hold 9×13 cake pan or baking dish
• Includes Liner, Protector, and engraved Brass Plate.
• All Made In the USA
• Guaranteed delivery by Mother’s Day if ordered by April 15th

Baking dish not included, for demonstration purposes only

What a wonderful way to honor the kindness of a mother by giving her this basket, generously sized at 16.25″ x 11″ x 4.5″ to be able to hold a 9×13 cake pan or casserole but can also be used as a great way to transport cookies, sewing supplies, classroom needs, you name it!

The Mother’s Kindness basket comes fully decked out with all of the accessories :

• Fabric liner
• Plastic protector
• Custom engraved brass plate.
• As in the past, each basket will be signed with gratitude on the bottom by the basket maker and myself.
• Mother’s Kindness Basket is genously sized at  16.25″ x 11″ x 4.5″
• Each basket comes with a numbered certificate and lifetime warranty. You’ll love the quality!

These baskets are all of the highest quality and handmade in Ohio of hardwood maple. The liners are sewn by ladies contracted out to work in their homes.

This is a limited edition basket and will only be available during the month of April 2011.

Once the orders placed in April are filled, the basket will be permanently retired just as the other two Southern Plate baskets were.

Click here to purchase.

Mother's Kindness Basket: 16.25" x 11" x 4.5" Generously sized to hold a 9x13 casserole dish

This is the third Southern Plate basket offered, but the FIRST in the Family Series.

There will be three others in the family series offered with baskets honoring the character traits we admire most in those we love.

The upcoming baskets in the Family Series are:

• Father’s Honor (Available May 2012)
• Grandmother’s Patience (Available April 2013)
• Grandfather’s Wisdom (Available May 2014)

Each basket will be a different design and baskets will vary in size but all will match to create a beautiful set.

There has been great demand for previously released baskets, which greatly increases their collectibility as Southern plate grows. However, there will be no re-releases of past baskets in order to protect the value for those who own the originals. Here is your chance to get in on the first of our new four part series.

Only orders received by April 15th are guaranteed to be delivered by Mother’s Day.

• Orders received after April 15th, please allow four to five weeks for delivery.
• Each basket and liner are handmade and your patience will be rewarded with made in the USA quality.

This basket will not be heavily advertised so please let your friends know if you think they’d like to order a basket.

Due to production cost and time, no “extra” baskets will be made other than those ordered.

Don’t miss the first basket in the series –

A GREAT Mother’s Day Gift!

As in past baskets, I have tried to keep the price as low as possible. However, I have had to add in the expense of having boxes made for these larger baskets to fit into for shipping purposes. This is the largest basket I’ve offered and the price for Southern Plate Family Members is still below suggested retail.  Any profit made will go to do something fun around Christmas. The past two years I’ve been able to adopt a local nursing home and give a gift to each resident on Christmas Eve!

To purchase your 2011 Mother’s Kindness basket (the first in the Family Series),

please click here to visit our online store.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Past Baskets (retired and unavailable)

To Owners of Previous Baskets: This year’s basket is done in the same color weave as past baskets so it will be a perfect addition to your Southern Plate Basket collection.

2010 Gratitude Basket

2009 Bountiful Basket

To purchase your 2011 Mother’s Kindness basket (the first in the Family Series),

please click here to visit our online store.

Southern Plate now has a Forum- Click here to visit us on the Front Porch!

(Must register to comment and start conversations)

We just restocked the Southern Plate Online Store with more Southern Plate Canister Decal Sets. The last ones sold out in about twelve hours so I’m not sure how long these will stay in stock. Click here to head on over there now!

Today I’m happy to share another digest with you courtesy of our wonderful Southern Plate Facebook Family. I asked what they’d been cooking lately and here is what they said, complete with links to recipes. Please note, if a recipe is in red that means it is exclusive to the cookbook (not found online). If I forgot to link to a recipe you can find it by using the search box at the top right hand corner of Southern Plate. I linked as many as I could but after a few hours my eyes about started to cross .

Thank you so much for being such a wonderful part of the Southern Plate Family and have a great weekend!

Gratefully,

Christy

Jen Hauler – I just made a batch of your candied apples from your cook book.

Michael Hendrix –  Beef Tips and Gravy with Buttered Noodles

Candace Barr – I made your strawberry cake last week, and your baked mac n cheese as a side this week.

Kristi Chittam – I recently made your pumpkin spice muffins with strudel. Absolutely delicious!

Erika McLemore – I made Jen’s Pizza Casserole for my 16 year old brother-in-law last night. It was a hit!

Becky Walding - Macaroni and Cheese, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Hash Brown Casserole…..I so love this cookbook!!!

Heather Lewis - Dishpan cookies - my kids can’t stop eating them!

Kelly Frank - Broccoli salad

Eve Shaffer – I made the pizza casserole for my brother’s family last night and it was a HUGE hit. Everyone loved it and there were plenty of leftovers for everyone, too!

Beth Bell – Last night was “Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice” (SOO Yummy!!.. I hid the leftovers in the fridge for my lunch today LOL) and of course one of my favorite’s Your Mama’s Amazingly easy coconut pie… matter o’ fact.. I’m gonna go have a slice now!

Meredith Grisham – I made the coconut meringe pie for my hubby’s bday. It was my first and didn’t set up, of course. We ate it with a spoon! ;o)

Jennifer  Klein – On the menu tonight is the hamburger beef stew. Hubby requested and luckily I already had some in the freezer!

Jennifer Briggs – Crockpot Fiesta Chicken! My husband is a VERY picky eater and he loved it. I loved the flavor, easy prep and having leftovers for lunch the next day.

Marcie Foster  - Corn casserole, sweet and sour green beans, & hash brown casserole.

Leah Callum –  Basil corn and strawberry cobbler.

Tammy Davis – I made Our Best Pancakes and my husband and I loved them! They are sooooo much better than the boxed pancake mixes.

Debbie Strum – Your Mama’s Strawberry Cobbler, her Mac and Cheese and will be making Jordan Rolls for the week end later today! Love cookin’ and bakin’ with Southern Plate!

Terry Carswell Sr - BANANA BREAD OOOOO SOOOO GOOOD

Michelle Halcomb – I just did a cookie blessing day with your Lemon Blossoms!

Ditto Belle – In the last week we’ve had Jordan Rolls, Fire & Ice Salad, Chicken Planks & Strawberry Pie.

Shirl Stepp  - homemade banana pudding w/splenda(laura lynn brand) WONDERFUL

Pam Rice  - aunt sue’s pound cake, chocolate pound cake, strawberry cobbler, chocolate gravy, buttermilk biscuits, fried cabbage, house autry pork chops, peanut butter fudge iced brownies, 10 min rolls, fruit coctail cake, is that enough? lol lol

Jeanette H. Whitfield - Slow cooked pulled pork ♥

Jamie Wingo - Crockpot chicken and dressing, will be making it for the second time this Sunday! Yum, yum!

Leanne Brummer - Chicken planks, cinnabuns, baked mac and cheese, pecan pie muffins

Sarah McHenry – homemade cinnamon rolls was a BIG hit. Pizza Sticks was huge with my husband and his buddies. Tender roast and veggies. BBQ beef sandwiches and shredded beef tacos. And you saved me with your meatloaf recipe. I couldn’t make it to save my life. It’s one of my husband’s favorite meals. Your meatloaf turned out delicious. Even my 20 month old loved it!

Debbie Strum -Y’all are makin’ me hungry! LOL And it looks like some of you are cookin’ you way through Southern Plate! LOVE IT!!!

Karen Burton – Jen’s pizza casserole was great last night and for today’s lunch. I used half ground beef and half sausage. Very tasty. I put everything together yesterday morning, put it in the fridge, and tossed it in the oven when we got home from baseball practice!!

Hillary Golson - fresh strawberry cake, bama steak sandwiches and I have the ingredients for stuffed pizza sticks but haven’t made those yet this week. I have made them before and they were a hit in my house

Angelia Corbett – I made Chicken planks this week…my kids love them more than Cick-fil-a..and that is saying alotfor my kids~!

Brenda Croft I made strawberry cobbler It was so yummy!!!!

Stephanie  Lankford – I made chocolate chip pie on “pi day” for the students in the classes I’m substituting in. They went nuts about it!

Angela Miley - Dirty rice, chicken stew, ground beef stew and pineapple upside down cake!

Mary  Lambert – I made Lemon Blossoms and just loved them. So I volunteered to make some in the shape of teapots for our Ladies’ Day at church. Our theme is “My Cup Runneth Over” and we are using teacups and teapots for decorating.

Nedra Rowe - fruit salad (love it!), homemade biscuits ,chicken and rice, going to make dishpan cookies tomorrow for my niece and her rowing team from LSU

Phyllis Bowden - The Best Ever pancake recipe. The country casserole. Both were so very good. Will make more pancakes Sat and Sunday mornings. I have printed off several things I will be making soon. I have asked for the cookbook for Mother’s Day. My mouth waters reading and looking at the delicious things you cook.

LeeAnn Byrne –  I just iced a pan of cinnamon rolls!

Vicki  Tarter – Your slow cooker chicken and rice is so delicious I gave the recipe (and website) to my daughter and several friends! I have also made 3 vanilla wafer cakes! My 75 yr.old daddy was SO excited that I made a second one, I had to make him finish his supper first, just like a kid! Lol

Lauren Lee – let’s see… my most recent recipe was “daddy’s rise and shine biscuits” which i make on a regular basis. but it was “lemon blossoms” before that. and “chocolate cobbler” before that… oh dear… lol!!! this is out of control!!!! hahaha!!!! *big grin*

Cooking With Kick – A few weeks ago I made chocolate gravy and biscuits (it’s posted on my blog). Tonight I’m actually making Homemade Dirty Rice from one of your recipes and will be posting about it this weekend!

Carroll Baxley - Chicken Stew & Fire & Ice Salad………both are favorites.

Sabrina Russell - sweet and sour green beans…..yummy!

Page Schultz – Made your corn casserole for the first time and loved it. So did my husband. Made hamburger stew last week as well.

Kim Johnson - Daddy’s Rise and Shine biscuits, which my own Dad has told me are so good that he does not want me to make another type of biscuits again.

Robbyn Griffin – This week he had deep dish pizza and cheesy chicken and rice

Jessica Pinegar – just made your pork roast this week

Ann Catherine Hibbett – Made Chicken Planks on Wednesday…and JUST pulled a Pineapple Upside Down Cake out of the oven! And yes I already tasted it…Delicious!

Tammi Davis - Lemon bars! YUM!

Lianne Robinson – I made your vidalia onion and honey vinaigrette. (Did I spell it right? LOL!) It was a hit!!!

Karen Warren – Made the peanut butter fudge icing last week and must have cooked it to long or to hot. Got hard and crumbly, but I believe if first you dont succeed, try it the next day. Boiled for 2 minutes on medium high and it was good and rich. Gonna try and make the bread sandwich with hamberger and cream of mushroon. Love me some of that stuff. Thanks for the ideas you give and the upbeat attritude you show.

Claudia Morrow – I made the crock pot apple butter for my ladies fellowship as a take home gift. I bought 1/2 pint jars and let them “can” their own. It was a hit with them and their hubbies I heard. O also made your mom’s strawberry cobbler. Yummy!!

Melise Etheridge – Make so many things, it’s hard to remember the recent ones……crockpot roast and veggies, yellow cake with peanut butter icing, chicken planks, milk dunking cookies, fire and ice salad, perfect iced tea , hamburger stew. Everything from the cookbook and website are delicious. Really enjoy the posts, too! Thanks, Christy.

Robin  Wood – Aunt Sue’s pound cake, chocolate pound cake with icing, apple cake, sweet n sour green beans are a favorite and make them often, fruit salad, chicken casserole, I’m on a mission to try it all!

Kristin Rowell – Top to bottom ham and cheese bread, deep dish pizza and I’m making crunchy beef casserole right now.

Tina Pietila – I just made Pizza Rolls. This is a family fav. Will be making Slower Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice this weekend. Of course, we made Banana Pudding yesterday. My 4 year old daughter loves to put the cookies in the bowl.

Melissa Haydon – we had chicken planks….my 4 yr old sees crackers and asked me are we having chicken without skipping a beat, my family loves them!!

Keely Brand – Your spagetti which I made with your recipe for garlic bread, with pizza rolls(your recipe) AND cinnamon rolls for dinner(the loaves come 3 to a pack so I made good use out of all 3) haha

Katie  Blair - Dishpan cookies! I am making them this weekend for my students at school. They have little notes attached to them that say “You are a smart cookie”.

Susan Turner - Apple dapple cake! I made one this morning for my wonderful work family. Today was my last day at NASA and I wanted to do something special for all the special folks in my office.

Nichole  Heuer – i made your chicken and dumplins last night goooooooood!

Laurie Stone – waaaaaay to freakin many! I have gained 20 pounds since I met your blog and your BOOK! lol

Joyce  Kaiser – Making german chocolate pie and vanilla wafer cake this weekend and anything else in your book u can think of….cuz…i have your cookbook now! Hehehehe (dancing and giggling)

Nancy  Ellis - buttermilk biscuits and pork roast in the crock pot!!!

Amy  Grochowski - Crockpot chicken four times this month. . . Strawberry cobbler hooked me on your blog. . . Cinnamon buns were a huge hit when my mother in law came down for a visit and a Mandarin orange cake is in the fridge and gonna be just perfect by tomorrow’s big family get together. . . Mmm, THANK YOU!!!!

LaDonna Ohlen – I am making your Mama’s Strawberry Cobbler. I made your Hashbrown recipe from your cookbook for dinner tonight. It is a family favorite.

Donna Holland – I made your dishpan cookies yesterday. This morning I make your egg, ham & cheese breakfast sandwich. Both were a hit. Thanks.

Heather  Stauffer – I am new to The Southern Plate. I just tried my first recipe. I made the brownies with peanut butter fudge icing. The brownies were for a friend, so I didn’t cut into them, but I did sample the frosting that was left in the pot. Yum-o!! I will be making these for my own family soon. I have also really enjoyed reading your blogs and reading some of your other recipes. Thanks for sharing!

Melody Vilt - Red Beans over Rice - was so delish – good comfort food.

Connie Dockler - Fire and Ice, haven’t heard back from Sephora yet, he he..

Lisa Everhart – Last Saturday night was a Southern Plate night..Picnic Chicken, Sweet and Sour Green Beans and Macaroni and Cheese. It was sooooo good and the Mac and Cheese was the best I have ever had! It was the first mac and cheese recipe in the cookbook. I have never found a Mac and Cheese recipe that was really good, but this one was THE BEST! I couldn’t believe how easy it was…Thinking about making it again tomorrow. Love all your recipes and your cookbook!

Lisa Everhart – Also, my family loves the Peach Crisp with vanilla ice cream of course!

Joyce Kaiser  - Christy, when I saw your topic for this I really had to think about what to put earlier…I have tried so many of your recipes and yet there are so many more to go, I just don’t know where to start. I think I am going to have to pull the “Julie/Julia” gig on your cookbook! My family loves your recipes and now my daughter starts getting excited when I say I am making a SP recipe. I thank God for giving us you…you are such a blessing.

Lisa  Weddle – Made the pizza sticks- but made it for a meal for my teenagers and their friends. It was a huge hit! I made 3 rolls of the dough and there wasn’t much left over.

Kristyne Komlosi  -Your lemon meringue pie

Rhea Palmer  - The strawberry cobbler (yummy!!), the homemade biscuits (double yummy and they came out!!), and the lemon meringue pie (made it twice in a month and it was triple yummy!!)

Bonnie McCawley – My family loves your Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole. We’re getting creative with different flavor combinations and will be trying a “chicken cordon bleu” spin next time, with some added ham and swiss cheese instead of cheddar.

Angie Stewart Forester – made the 3rd batch (in 2 wks) of Jordan Rolls yesterday & we just them for breakfast…make great little fried egg sandwiches!!!

Hillary Golson – I made the 2 minute English Muffin for my hubby today and melt in your mouth doughnuts.

Marianne  Inman – hmmmm we have the Hoe Cake several times a week, have made the English muffins for my Mom several times also, (major hit with her!!) Dishpan cookies (had to send to the son), so many of your dishes, would be easier to say which ones I haven’t, LOL. That would be the Fire and Ice, LOL Thanks for all that you do!!! ♥

Susan – King Cake is in the oven..Oh I KNOW I missed ‘mawdee graw’ but what the heck. Crockpot Chicken has been cooking since 8 am or so, we love it!!! Hoecake…that’s a staple now, my husband just devours it…and your sweet/sour green beans, I forget the name you use for them–the ones w/ bacon and onion and sugar and vinegar!! We have ‘dinner with Christy ‘ all the time now! Thanks so much for sharing yourself, your recipes and your family with us!

Shawna Stryker  - Christy – You’re a weekly guest at my dinner table! We love the dirty rice (we stuff the left-overs in bell peppers), your baked ham, the pizza casserole, the crunchy beef casserole … well, let’s just say we eat your food every week. THANK YOU for being a part of our lives!

Rhea  Palmer – I have to add another one! I made the Good N Easy Cake earlier today and it was sooooo good!!

Susan Yarbrough – oohh I forgot one too…last weekend I made the baked sandwiches w/ frozen bread dough. Husband was shoveling that down as fast as he could! Next time I’ll play w/ the filling a little bit; I did add onion as you suggested but plan to use taco seasoning and cheese!! yumm!