Video features “Happy Day After Christmas” by Matthew West from his Heart Of Christmas album.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family and friends (and some good food, too!). This video contains some photos of my Christmas dinner as well as video and photos of our family throughout the year. The song is so fitting, too. I hope you’ll enjoy the message and video as much as we do.

I’m looking forward to another year with my wonderful Southern Plate family! The next few months I’ll be finishing up my second book, which will be released in 2013. As I focus on that, I’ll still be posting on SouthernPlate.com and sending out emails, but for the most Southern Plate be sure you join us on Facebook, where I like to hang out in between writing and cooking

Have a wonderful day and a Merry Rest Of The YEAR!

Gratefully,

Christy

P.S. Click here to see another one of our past Christmas videos if you’d like

Please leave your Christmas Wishes for the Southern Plate family in the comments section on this post! Thank you!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday and I hope you all have an abundance of Christmas in your heart! I wanted to send you our Christmas card and share with you what I’ll be serving on Christmas day when my parents, my in laws, and some dear friends come to have lunch with us.

I’m smoking a pork loin as the entree – so that part is taken care of. The rest of my menu is a broad mix made up of everyone’s special requests! I’m also listing some additional ideas at the bottom in case you are looking for that one extra dish to add.

Please have a wonderful Christmas and remember, it’s not about what is under the tree, but the people around it  

Joy To The World! 

My Christmas Day Menu for 2011

Smoked Pork Loin – I’m making this in my electric Masterbuilt Smoker

Buttermilk Congealed Salad

Squash Casserole

Grandmama’s Sweet Potato Casserole

Mama’s Creamy Macaroni and Cheese  

Cornbread Dressing in the Slow Cooker 

Jordan Rolls 

Grandma Lucy’s Chocolate Pie (Recipe is in my cookbook)

Green Velvet Cake (Recipe is in my cookbook)

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole 

Roasted Asparagus – Place fresh asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 400 for twenty minutes.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans

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

Here are some more ideas!

Main Meal

If you’re looking for a copy of my cookbook, click here to get it at 43% off on Amazon.com

• Buttermilk Congealed Salad - also listed above (Cookbook p. 66)
• Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes
• Fried Apples (Cookbook p.106)

• Cornbread Dressing (easy and moist) (Cookbook variation p.128) - also listed above
• Lucy’s Sweet Potato Casserole (Cookbook p. 117) – also listed above
• Green Bean and Shoepeg Corn Casserole (Cookbook only p. 226)
• Jordan Rolls (Cookbook p.16) – also listed above
• Preston Rolls (Cookbook only p.230)
• Cranberry Relish
• Candied Baby Carrots
• Fried Cabbage
• Grandmama’s Tex Mex Dip (Cookbook only p.173) – no idea why we have this at Thanksgiving but we’d all boycott the holiday without it!
• English Pea Pimento Casserole
• Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad (Cookbook only p.42)
• Fried Okra (Cookbook p.224)
• Butter Stewed Potatoes
• Sweet and Sour Green Beans (Cookbook p.40) – also listed above
• Kid Friendly Relish Tray
• Corn Casserole (Cookbook p.23)
• Creamy Macaroni and Cheese (Cookbook p.200) – also listed above
• Deviled Eggs (Cookbook p.24)
• MeMe’s Mashed Potatoes (Cookbook p.35)
• Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole (Cookbook p.33) – also listed above
• Sour Cream Hash Brown Casserole (Cookbook only p. 32)
• Watergate Salad (Cookbook only p.218)
• Pecan Pie Muffins (Cookbook p.169)
• Streusal Pumpkin Spice Muffins (Cookbook p. 129)
• Frozen Cranberry Banana Salads (Cookbook p.188)

Pies

• Faux Pecan Pie
• Lucy’s Chocolate Pie (Cookbook only p. 146) – also listed above
• Aunt Sue’s Fried Chocolate Pies (Cookbook only p.146)
• German Chocolate Pie (Cookbook only p.246)
• Perfect Pecan Pie (Cookbook p.120)
• Honey Punkin Cream Cheese Pie
• Coconut Meringue Pie
• Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie
• Ashley Mac’s Caramel Pie
• Buttermilk Pie
• Sawdust Pie
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Lemon Meringue Pie (Cookbook p.192)

Cakes

• Good N Easy Apple Cake with Homemade Whipped Cream (Cookbook p.107)
• Chocolate Velvet Cake (Cookbook p.142)
• Green Velvet Cake (Cookbook only p.170) – also listed above
• Aunt Sue’s Pound Cake (Cookbook only p.8)
• Mama’s Custard Sauce – to go over pound cake (Cookbook only p.10)
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Daddy’s Coconut Cake (Cookbook p.154)
• Apple Dapple Cake (Cookbook p.118)
• Mandarin Orange Cake (Cookbook p.14)
• Butterfinger Cake (Cookbook p.22)
• Fruit Cocktail Cake (Cookbook p.39)
• Yellow Cake with Peanut Butter Icing (Cookbook p.258)
• Chocolate Pound Cake with Fudge Glaze (Cookbook p.100)
• Pumpkin Crumb Cake (Cookbook p.130)
  
• Granny’s Sheath Cake (Cookbook only p.31)
• Holiday Fruit Salad (Cookbook p.164)
• Homemade Caramel Corn (Cookbook p.91)

There has been only one Christmas – the rest are anniversaries.

~W.J. Cameron

Wishing you all the best blessings of Christmas!

Gratefully,

Christy

Hey Everyone! I’m thrilled to be able to bring you a guest post from one of the head Chefs at my University’s Culinary School today. I told Chef Lewis that we were always on the lookout for quick and easy dishes that could impress, especially at Christmastime and he came through with one that is just beautiful. I know you’re going to love this idea! Special thanks to the culinary department of the University of North Alabama (click here to visit their Facebook page) and  to all of my wonderful teachers who put up with me back in the day

Gratefully, Christy

Hi there, I’m Chef Lewis from the University of North Alabama’s Culinary Department in Florence, Al. I was asked to do a guest post to share some of our recipes for the holidays, and I was more than happy to do so. We’re very happy to have Christy as one of our departments alumni’s, and we’re happy that we can share some of our ideas with all of you.

Today I’m going to show you how to make a quick and easy party entree that your guests are sure to love.

You’ll need:: 3 cheese tri-colored tortellini, olive oil, pesto, spaghetti sauce, salt, skewers or picks.

Note: This tortellini is found in the refrigerator section (usually near the cheese) or in the freezer section of your grocery store.

Bring the water and salt to boil in a pot.

Add the packages of tortellini to the water, and cook about 2-3 minutes.

Drain the pasta with a colander.

Then place the pasta into a second bowl, and coat with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (this will keep the pasta from sticking together).

Spread the pasta onto a single layer in a pan, and allow to cool enough that you can handle it comfortably.

You can then use either bamboo skewers or small colorful picks to skewer the pasta.

For using the bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in a pan of water for about 20 minutes before you put the tortellini on them.

This makes keeps them from splintering when you put the pasta on them.

Place them on the picks in alternating colors, using 6 pieces total for the longer skewers, or 3 pieces on the shorter picks.

This is a shorter pick for a smaller platter.

This is a longer pick, where I used a bamboo skewer, for the larger platter. 

Arrange them on a serving dish to look like a Holiday wreath.

In the center of the wreath, place a small serving bowl filled with either marinara sauce, or pesto, whichever one you personally like better.

This photo shows long skewers arranged in a large wreath pattern with marinara sauce in the center.

And here are our shorter skewers arranged around some store bought pesto sauce.

Dip into sauce and enjoy this easy Holiday treat!

Merry Christmas from Southern Plate and the University of North Alabama Culinary Department!

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land,

or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

– Helen Keller

Submitted by Denise Flynn. Submit your quote by clicking here.

There are around 500 recipes so far on SouthernPlate.com so it can get a bit overwhelming at times.

Today I thought I’d pick out a few of my Christmas Candy and Gift Mix posts to make your holidays a bit easier. Feel free to browse through the entire index of recipes on Southern Plate my clicking here. 

Candies and Christmas Snacks 

Microwave Chex Mix

Holly Jollies - One of the most popular posts of all time on Southern Plate. Click to see why!

Double Layer Peppermint Bark

Brady’s Butterscotch Chow Mein Candy - Some folks call these haystacks. I just call them yummy

Homemade Caramels – You’ll be spoiled! 

Homemade Caramel Corn - This makes great gifts!

Quick, Easy, and Delicious Homemade Turtles  - Ever made turtles out of pretzels, rolos, and pecans? They sure are good!

 Want to give a gift from the kitchen but short on time? 

Below are some of the gift mix recipes on SouthernPlate.com and each comes with printable tags as well! 

Fruit Crisp Mix

Pecan Pie Muffin Mix

Chocolate Gravy Mix

S’more’s Kits - great to hand out to classmates or co-workers!

Snowman Soup - another classroom favorite! I actually got this recipe from my First Grade teacher  

 Sugar Free Cappuccino Mix 

FUN Crafts for your little ones (and you!)

Easy Reindeer Shirt – and fun Reindeer gift ideas for Grandparents!

Christmas Mice with Candy Cane Tales (Includes printable template)

Click here to see my favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes! 

 ”Appreciate what you have before it becomes what you had.”

Submitted by Mona Hickey. Contribute to our collection of inspiring and uplifting quotes by clicking here. 

If you’re on Facebook, please click the little “like” button above. Thank you!

I went shopping for you! I went out and bought some of my favorite things to share with my wonderful Southern Plate family. Below, you’ll find my list of things I treat myself with and hopefully get a few ideas if you are looking to mark a some folks off of your gift list. You’ll find that I’m a practical gal with (mostly) practical tastes. But here is the fun part – I’m giving everything I bought away and you could be one of the winners!

Here is how this is gonna work. Beginning tomorrow, I’ll give away 2-3 prizes per day to commenters chosen at random, through Saturday, until all of the prizes have been given away. All you have to do is leave one comment to be entered in all fourteen giveaways. This is gonna go pretty quick so be sure and check back often to see if you’ve won! Winners will be announced here (in red letters, under the prize they won) and on Facebook, and will also be contacted by email. Winners will have 2 days to respond to the email with their address. If I haven’t heard back in two days, another winner will be announced for that prize.

Ready to have some fun? Here are a few of my favorite things!

To enter all of these giveaways, simply leave a comment below!

Check back often to see if you’ve won! I’ll announce 2-3 winners each day beginning Tuesday (Dec13) and running through Saturday (Dec 17)!

Hamilton Beach Set N Forget 6 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

Call me practical, call me easy, call me inexpensive, but don’t call me late to dinner when you use this slow cooker. I’m giving away this model, which is the same one I use several times a week (especially when book deadlines are looming). I LOVE my slow cooker and I only use Hamilton Beach. They are my favorite brand because they are the only company making innovative small countertop appliances that the average consumer can actually afford. I’ve already purchased three slow cookers for Christmas gifts this year alone. So if you are a busy person or know a busy person who happens to like to eat every now and then, a slow cooker is a lifesaver. Models begin with basics and head on up to this model, which I consider the Cadillac, but with a value car price.

This is my favorite model for the 6 quart size, the rubber seal around the lid, and the clamps on the sides that allow you to transport even soups and stews without a single drop getting out. The program feature allows you to program a recipe to cook for a specified amount of time before automatically switching to warm. There are a hundred other reasons why this model is my favorite but you’re better off getting your own and seeing for yourself! If your slow cooker is over ten years old, I highly recommend getting a newer model for their improved features and better cooking ability. This one runs about $50-$60 and you can get great models as low as $20.

Special thanks to Hamilton Beach for providing the slow cooker I’ll be giving away to one lucky Southern Plate family member.

Me in my J. Crew Pearls on set in New York

J Crew Pearls

I went shopping with fellow Southern Living Editor at Large James Farmer in Charleston, SC for the perfect outfit to wear to my tv appearances and he insisted on a strand of glass pearls from J. Crew. That evening I received compliments on them from a heads of Time, Inc and Southern Living, among others.

They are just beautiful and have become my most worn wardrobe staple. I have worn them on more tv appearances than I can count. The quality is beautiful the price even better. BE sure you go into a J Crew store to pick out your pair if at all possible, their best prices and selection is definitely not found in their online store. When in New york this past week, Mama and I passed a J Crew store and went in to buy her a pair. At the time they were 25% off and we got her a beautiful strand for about $25. They range anywhere from $25-$90 depending on which ones you choose.

Did you know that most of Jaqueline Kennedy’s pearls were glass?

My mother and I picked up this set of pearls at the J Crew in New York, located in Rockefeller Center and I hope whoever gets them will love them as much as we do!

Congratulations to Robin Wood! Her comment was chosen at random to win these pearls

Southern Plate Cookbook

Of course, there is always my cookbook Featuring over 150 family recipes along with beautiful photography and the story behind each recipe – with some additional stories from my heart thrown in for good measure. If you enjoy SouthernPlate.com, you’ll definitely want the additional content, stories, and recipes found only in my book. The Christmas chapter is my best friend right now!

My next cookbook won’t be out until 2013 so pick this one up while ya can! Available at most major bookstores nationwide with a cover price of $27.99, but you can pick it up for only $15.19 (45% off) at the time of this post on Amazon.com by clicking here.

The copy I’m giving away will be signed.

Congratulations to Rebecca Holcombe, whose comment was chosen at random to win this prize!

$10 Starbucks Gift Card

I love treating myself to a latte from time to time but always feel a pang of guilt when I spend the money, which is why a Starbucks gift card is such a thoughtful gift because it allows someone to treat themselves without the guilt.

My favorites are Venti Skinny Caramel Latte and Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte I usually pay extra to have them add in an extra shot of expresso.

**I’ll be giving away two of these**

Congratulations to Jane P (email is Jane118) who was chosen at random to win one of these gift cards!

Silicone Utensils and Cheerful Dish Towels

I love pretty dish towels and these silicone utensils from Target are some of my absolute faves. Apparently, others agree because they were pretty picked over when I went shopping! I’m featuring silicone basting brush which is just divine. Finally, one that you can actually get truly clean! I love not having the traditional bristles, which seem to pick the worst times to let loose of the brush and are a bear to clean. I use this for brushing melted butter on hot biscuits, basting a ham, or brushing bbq sauce over my favorite pork chops.

This silicone spatula is big enough to be able to accomplish any job. I could always use an additional spatula! I also love the Silicone Spoontula they feature in this same line (It is called Michael Graves) and I have two pairs of silicone tongs from the same line as well. These utensils are available at Target, which is also where I got the dish towels from. The towels run around $5.00 for a set and the utensils range (approximately) from $7.00 – $12.99 each.

Congratulations to Susan Wade, whose comment was chosen at random to win this!

Hand Knotted Cultured Pearl Bracelet with Sterling Silver Clasp

Donny from Donny’s Diamond Gallery has been graciously serving as a drop off point for Santa’s For Seniors and he called this weekend to tell me how much bodywash they’d collected and how much they’d enjoyed getting to meet some of the Southern Plate Family who had dropped by.

I was working on this post at the time and when I mentioned it to Donny he quickly chimed in to offer this beautiful 6.5 mm cultured pearl bracelet with Sterling Silver clasp. What a treat these will be! Around these parts, that Donny’s Diamond Gallery bag is the equivalent of a Tiffany’s bag. Here is a photo of my Katy Rose happily posing with her bag and golden box when Donny sent her a birthday surprise in October!

Be sure you check out Donny’s on Facebook and tell them Christy sent ya!

Congratulations to Georgette Sorini, whose comment was chosen at random to win this prize!

Christmas in Connecticut

I love both the Barbara Stanwyck version of this movie and the modern version but I gotta tell ya, this telling with Diane Cannon and Kris Kristofferson is romance-novel Swoon worthy romantic!

There are other “MUST SEE” Christmas movies for me but this one is just lighthearted and fun. If you get a chance though, be sure you watch Meet Me In St Louis. It just isn’t Christmas for me without that movie!

Congratulations to Joyce Hale, who won this prize!

One Year Subscription to All You!

CONGRATULATIONS TO CHRISTINA SINGLETON!

HER NAME WAS CHOSEN AT RANDOM TO WIN THIS PRIZE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I don’t know a single person who loves saving money and doesn’t love All You Magazine! They regularly feature some of the best coupons around (and plenty of them!) within each issue along with great and affordable ideas for food, decorating, budgeting, and more. I love getting magazine subscriptions as gifts because it means I get a little present each month in my mailbox! Right now Amazon has a year of All You for just $19.95 but one of you will be getting a year from me and All You as a little Merry Christmas! Click here to visit All You’s practical and affordable gift guide on Amazon.com!

Matthew West – The Heart Of Christmas

WOW, what an album this is! His voice is sublime and his treatment of these Christmas classics along with some new ones thrown in is both refreshing and traditional. You have got to hear his take on Oh Come all ye Faithful but make sure you have tissues handy for “One Last Christmas” – which is a true story. Ricky and I have really enjoyed listening to this cd in the car.

Congratulations to Kathi Spence, who won this great cd!

Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook – Featuring Marian Cooper Cairnes!

This is a beautiful cookbook and imagine my surprise to find a quote from me inside! Marian Cooper Cairns did all of the food styling for the photography on my book so it is a special thrill or me to see her smiling face and many of her recipes featured on these pages.

Congratulations to Frances S. Hughes, whose comment was chosen at random to win this prize!

*Special thanks to Southern Living for providing the book for this giveaway.

Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop

A mop on a Christmas Gift List? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! You see, all of that food I serve up? It has to be cooked somewhere. It also has to be eaten somewhere ,and that means that eventually there will definitely be a mess. Seeing as how cleaning is not my favorite task, I’ll take any shortcut I can to make it quicker and easier. Rubbermaid’s new Reveal Mop uses microfiber pads that are washable and reusable and comes with bottles that you fill up with your favorite household cleaner. You can use it on tile, hardwood, etc. It’s great in the kitchen and bathroom!

*Special thanks to Rubbermaid for providing this prize!

Congratulations to Clara OHannes, whose comment was chosen at random to win this great prize!

Veggie Tales Little Drummer Boy

I love anything and everything Veggie Tales so I always pick up a few copies of their latest DVD to give as last minute gifts to kids that show up around present time. Yes, I always have extra kids show up, doesn’t everyone? This year’s Little Drummer Boy DVD is the perfect gift for kids of all ages. My husband and I enjoy watching Veggie Tales every bit as much as the kids do!

Congratulations to Suzanne (whose partial email is stuck520) who was chosen at random to this this great prize!

Rubbermaid Glass Food Storage Set with Easy Find Lids

I LOVE This new glass Rubbermaid. I’ve already bought two sets of it for myself! You can bake in it, serve in it, and then store leftovers in the fridge. I also love how it stacks together and all of the lids click into place . Because who doesn’t need more storage space in their kitchen?

Congratulations to Melissa Plunkett, whose comment was chosen at random to win this prize!

*Special thanks to Rubbermaid for providing this prize.

To enter all of these giveaways, simply leave a comment below!

It isn’t the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.

~Quoted in The Angels’ Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman

Contest Rules: Winners will be chosen daily beginning Tuesday, December 13th through Saturday December 17th. Winners will be announced within this post (beneath the prize they won), on Facebook, and by personal email sent to them. Winners will have two days to respond in order to claim prize or another winner will be chosen.
Disclaimer: All gifts are provided by myself unless otherwise specified. I was not financially compensated in any way for this post, it cost me money instead, and I was thrilled to be able to do it. I hope any FTC folks who happen to read this understand the full meaning of being blessed and have half as many wonderful people in their lives as I do. Put some holly in your jolly and have a Merry Christmas!

Stay tuned for my Favorite Holiday Gifts Guide and lots of giveaways coming up in a few days! 

We’ve never been fruitcake fans, but we do love our fruitcake cookies! Dried fruit layered with cinnamon, brown sugar, and just enough flour and butter to hold it all together until it reaches your mouth! Mama has made fruitcake cookies each year for as long as I can remember. She goes shopping for the candied fruit each year *after* Christmas, when it is on sale, and stores it in her freezer until the holidays roll around again and we all get to craving the brown sugar/fruity goodness of these yummy cookies.

Mama’s recipe is traditional and wonderful, but this year I worked up a simpler version with less fuss. I sent a platter of them to my mother’s house for her approval and she called this morning to get the recipe. She said she’s gonna make my version instead of hers this year to give herself a little break because “They taste every bit as good and sure are a lot easier!”.

So here is my easier version. No dropping dough or cookie sheets. Just pat it all into one pan, cook and let it cool and rest overnight, then cut into little bites and enjoy. Because we all have Christmases when we really want the fruitcake cookies, but a little break would be nice, too!

You’ll need: Baking Mix, Margarine, Chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, raisins, dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, one egg, and Candied Fruit Mix or chopped candied dried fruits of your choice.

Notes about ingredients and substitutions: 

Baking Mix – Some folks aren’t familiar with “Baking Mix”. Bisquick is a brand of baking mix and that usually strikes that note of recognition with them Bisquick is not my favorite baking mix. I prefer House Autry (which can’t be found where I live) or Pioneer Brand. I do get Bisquick if I have to make a really large quantity because it comes in larger boxes, or if I can’t find the other two that I prefer. You can also make your own homemade baking mix by using one of the gazillion recipes found on the internet

Nuts - I’m using chopped walnuts because they are so much cheaper than pecans. Feel free to use whatever nuts you have on hand.

Dried and Candied Fruit – My mother doesn’t like the fruit cake blend of candied fruit as much as I do so she uses only candied cherries in her fruit cake cookies. I love the added citrus fruits in the candied fruit mix Please tailor this to your own preferences and taste.

Brown Sugar - I’m also using dark brown sugar because I just really like dark brown sugar. You can use light if you prefer.

Margarine - You can substitute butter for margarine in this recipe but I prefer margarine in this one. These cookies have a longer shelf life and ship very well thanks to the margarine. Note: If shipping, be sure and let them sit for at least a day before cutting and package in a single layer so they have less chance of being smooshed.

Vanilla - I’m using real vanilla because someone gave it to me. For those of you purists, enjoy this picture but don’t get too comfy. You’ll see me using bargain imitation vanilla again soon enough I’ll cheerlead your personal choice all the way but we’re running on a two way street here

Melt your butter in a large mixing bowl.

Add in baking mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, egg, and vanilla.

Stir that up until well combined.

Now add in all of your nuts and dried fruit. 

And stir that up really well.

This will take some elbow grease (just a little bit) to get it all incorporated because your batter will be absolutely

filled with chunky goodness but that’s what is going to make it taste so stinking good!

Now spray an 8×8 pan really well with cooking spray.

Yes, this only makes one 8×8 pan, lol. We’re going to cut them in little squares though so it will end up with a lot.

Dump in all of your dough. 

Pat it out a bit with your hands to fill the pan.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Allow to cool completely.

Let rest overnight before cutting.

“Its a good day to have a good day!”

Thanks to LAuren for submitting this quote. Click here to read more (there are over 1400 so far!) and add your own!

No matter how much I love cooking, there is always a special thrill when I make something that I know has one of my kids or auntlings are going to get excited about. That’s why I love these cloud cookies so much . They got their name from my nephew, Austin, about eight years ago. I’ve always been a fan of meringue cookies and I whipped up a batch when Austin was over at my house and decided to stir some chocolate chips into them before baking. Austin waited patiently while they cooked and then took one bite and declared them just like clouds – with the added bonus of chocolate chips!

So if you want to be the cool aunt/mama/grandmama/daddy/uncle who knows how to bake chocolate chips into clouds…I got ya covered today!

You’ll need: Chocolate Chips, two eggs, sugar, Cream of Tartar, a bit of salt, and some sprinkles if you’d like to add a little sparkle to your clouds...I mean cookies.

Crack your eggs and separate the whites from the yolk. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and your salt.

There are all sorts of gadgets that do this but I just use my hands. Usually, I crack the egg and just gently tilt it until the white pours off, saving the yolk in the shell. You can also pour the entire egg into your hand and spread your fingers slightly to allow just the white to slide through while the yolk remains.

Or you can get one of those gadgeterators that lets you pour the egg into it and the white comes out of little spout on the bottom.

Whichever way you go, make sure you don’t get any of the yolk (the dark orange part) in this because our meringue won’t fluff up if we have yolk in it.

Beat your egg whites until soft peaks form.

Okay so what this means is that you need to beat them on high with an electric mixer for a few minutes. They will start out getting frothy and then begin to get foamy, and eventually turn white like this. As you keep on beating, they will start to hold their shape a bit, meaning you’ll see ripples remain in them where the beater has been.

Stop your mixer and pull your beaters up. Where your beaters came out of the egg whites a point will come up.  If that droops back down again (kinda like the top of a dairy queen ice cream cone), you have soft peaks.

Add in your sugar and beat it some more, unit the sugar is well incorporated.

It will get thick and glossy like divinity.

Oh my, I need to do a post on how to make divinity, don’t I? Oooh Mama has a great recipe for it…

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Stir in your chocolate chips.

Place spoonfuls onto the greased baking sheet.

I do about a well rounded teaspoon…or whatever size I’m in the mood for

A lot of my cooking is centered around my mood. Good thing I try to pick good moods out of the bucket each morning!

Allow your clouds to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container, or just hand them to the kids in your life and watch them disappear!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

I’m teaming up with Nestle to help promote their Bake and Share Holiday Treat Contest! Click here to visit their Facebook page and get details on how you can enter your recipe for a chance to win $5000! We have some AMAZING cooks in the Southern Plate Family and I’d love to see one of you win this!

Some people are so poor that all they have is money.

~Unknown

Thank to to Ticha for submitting this one! Add your quote to our ever growing collection or go get inspired by some others by clicking here.

And don’t worry about whether or not your quote has been submitted already. The good ones bear repeating!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED! This Giveaway is now closed.

Thanks to your active participation, I’ll be able to offer more great giveaways like this on SouthernPlate.com! 

Congrationations to Ann M whose partial email is annjm45.

Her comment was chosen at random to win this set using Random.org. She has been notified via email. 

Thank you all so much for entering!!!! I sure do wish I had 6000 sets to give away!

A few weeks back when I was doing some presentations for Taste of Charleston, I met the great Michael Saboe, the Dean of the Culinary Institute of Charleston. I had a ball getting to tour his school and work with several of the students (those folks are amazing!). Taste of Charleston hosts the Iron Chef competition each year at the event and the winner received a special laser engraved Calphalon skillet. Well, Michael made the mistake of pulling out the prototype and showing me at a tv station he and I were both at and, to put it mildly, I had a cow fit over it. It was gorgeous. Micheal, being the incredibly sweet and generous man that he is, gave me that skillet. One of only two! Okay, so he probably did it just to keep me from going into spasms with the way I was oohing and ahhing over it but still…HE GAVE ME THAT SKILLET!

I was so excited as I headed to the airport that I began talking about it on my Facebook page. “So, I’m walking through the Charleston Airport holding a skillet…” That bought on a bevy of comments asking how I’d gotten through security with it. Charleston TSA were quite reasonable. I simply told them all about the skillet, how I got it, how I got my start, what I was doing in Charleston, how I’d come to work with Southern Living, etc. by the time I was done they knew all about my Mama, kids, even the cat’s names and boy after all that talking they just waved me right on through just to get rid of me! ~giggle~.

I was so proud of my skillet that I couldn’t bear to put it in my suitcase or bag so I just kept walking around the airport holding it. I got a few strange looks and I got to tell the story a few more times. One of the cashier’s even asked if he could hold it and gazed at it with the same admiration that I had as he said in an awestruck voice “Wow, Calphalon…”. Eventually it came out on Facebook that this skillet was the first piece of Calphalon I’d ever owned, which led a Southern Plate family member to go to Calphalon’s Facebook page and alert them to the odd lady walking around an airport holding a skillet.

Long story short (Yes folks, this is the short version!) I now own an entire glorious set of Calphalon pots and pans and one lucky person who leaves a comment will be the proud new owner of another set identical to mine!

Christmas is coming and if you’re anything like me, unless you just got married, you could probably use a good set of pots and pans. Well folks, this isn’t just any set, this is one of those sets with the quality that means you’ll be using them to cook now and for your grandchildren later on. If you already have grandchildren, they just might be cooking in these for their grandchildren, too!

To enter, just leave a comment below. If you don’t win this set, I strongly suggest putting it at the very top of your Christmas wish list ….in red….underlined…and circled

Calphalon 13 Piece Tri-Ply Pots and Pans Set

To enter, simply leave a comment below.

Contest closes at 5:00 PM Central Friday, November 18th.

Winner will be chosen at random and contacted by email as well as announced on Facebook and this post.

For more information about this set, please click here. 

Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post but I was given a set of these pots and pans because Calphalon is so stinking wonderful! My dear husband asked if I really *needed* more pots and pans, and in the interest of full disclosure I think I should tell you all that I just might be reaching sainthood because I didn’t kill him or hit him with a calphalon pot for asking such a ridiculous question. Do I need a set of Calphalon pots and pans? Does Santa *need* a sleigh? All done disclaiming now. Be sure and tell your friends about this giveaway and thank you for being part of the Southern Plate family! If you aren’t part of the family on Facebook you’re missing half the fun! 

Help us spread the word! Click the “Like” Button above if you’re on FB. Thanks!

 Get your tickets now by clicking here

Everyone who purchases their tickets by October 1st will be entered to win one of ten VIP passes to the Southern Plate lunch on November 10th. 

 Join us at the

Marriot Conference Center

Muscle Shoals, Alabama

November 10th, 2011

For

 Christy Jordan’s

Holiday Cooking Show

and Market Place

Sponsored by Home Depot and Marriott Shoals Conference Center and Spa 

Proceeds benefit The University Of North Alabama Human Environmental Sciences Department

Market Place opens at 4:00 and seating for Cooking show begins at 6:30

I’ll be showing some of my favorite holiday recipes and you’ll be sampling each thing I make!

Door Prizes GALORE including a complete spa day package from Terra Bacia Salon and many more!

(We had so many door prices to draw for last year that the show ran over!)

Get your tickets now by clicking here

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

Contest now closed, winners announced

below as well as information on how to be

entered for fifteen more passes to

the Southern Plate Luncheon.

VIP Ticket Packages include:

• Two full show passes
• Two invitations the Southern Plate lunch on November 10th, catered by the UNA Culinary Department.

Winners chosen at random. Giveaway closes at midnight on Friday, September 23rd. Winners will be announced on Saturday evening. 

 WINNER NAMES: 

Congratulations to:

Laurie Madson

Jennie Gardner 

Karen Sievers 

Jessie Gaskin 

Cindy Marlar 

Everyone who purchases their tickets by October 1st will be entered to win one of ten VIP passes to the Southern Plate lunch on November 10th. 

VENDORS interested in being a part of this great event, please contact cookingshow@una.edu for more information. Last year’s sponsors were Southern Living, Home Depot, Nestle Toll House, Milo’s, House Autry, Big Green Egg, and many more. Vendor response was so great that we’re allowing more room in this year’s marketplace theme. Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of this great show, in a new expanded venue to accommodate bigger crowds!

There are many wonderful causes the whole year through, but so many come closer to home around Christmas time. With an abundance of charities that do amazing work and provide much needed services to those who need them, there is never a shortage of ways and areas in which we can make a difference.

Each of us has certain things laid upon our hearts and I feel strongly that they are laid upon our hearts for a reason. If we follow our hearts and give where we are led to give, we can make a huge difference. Due to my upbringing, my abundance of wonderful grandparents, and my experience in Nursing Homes, I feel led to think of our elderly around Christmas time and have noticed a deficit in this area.

Senior Citizens are one of our greatest treasures! This is why I started adopting a nursing home a few years back and I’m hoping to branch out this year and adopt more than one nursing home, with a lofty goal of eventually being able to adopt every one in my area, making sure each resident has a wrapped gift on Christmas.

Here is how I do it followed by how you can help me:

How I adopt Nursing Homes

1. I contact a nursing home, ask to speak to the activities director, and let them know what I’d like to do.

2. Find out how many residents are in the home to make sure I have a gift for each and every one.

3. Buy Suave Body Wash – Start buying early because the stores need time to restock. Sometimes I have to go to several Wal Marts to get enough. Note: It generally costs me around $3.00 per person but that includes the body wash, wrapping, and cards if I include them. 

4. Wrap each body wash individually in Christmas paper.

5. Deliver the body wash to the nursing home in time for Christmas(My favorite time is Christmas Eve) and leave it with the activities director (see notes as to why I leave it rather than pass it out)

Notes and further explanation:

Contacting the Nursing Home

It is very important to choose a nursing home ahead of time and contact the Activities Director. Let them know what you plan on doing and make sure it is welcome there (I’ve always had wonderful reception to the idea). Then, find out what the maximum capacity of their home is and how many patients they currently have. You want to make sure you have enough body wash to provide one to every single resident and if they are ten or so under capacity, go ahead and buy for the full capacity as they may have more residents by the time you deliver the gifts.  If the nursing home has a great many residents and you are afraid you may not be able to afford to buy for each one, see if you have friends who would like to help.

Why I buy Suave Body Wash

There are so many different things nursing home residents can’t have for various reasons. So I called up a few nursing homes a couple of years back and spoke with the directors and found that body wash was a universal need and every resident needed it. Not only that, at the time the directors told me it was also something they always needed. I chose Suave because it is generally affordable, easy to find, and having all of the bottles be a uniform size really helps when you’re wrapping two or three hundred of them. I usually wait until my Mother in Law comes to visit for Christmas and then she and I wrap them together. One person can cut rectangles of wrapping paper while the other puts them around the bottle and tapes it closed. Doing this with a group of people is a great idea!

Note: Bottles of body wash are bad about opening up on ya, especially when you buy a hundred or so at a time. As you put them in your buggy, I recommend pushing down hard on each and every cap and if you are going to be transporting them more than once, you might want to place a single piece of tape over it to help the cap stay closed. 

If anyone from Suave reads this, please feel free to send me a few cases (or a truck load) of body wash and I’ll be happy to wrap it up and adopt more nursing homes!

Is wrapping every one of them necessary?

For me, this is one of the absolute most important steps. Remember the wonder of receiving a gift wrapped in pretty Christmas paper and wondering what it is? I want every resident of the nursing homes I adopt to have at least one wrapped Christmas gift. 

Dropping off Gifts versus Handing Them Out

This is another important step. When I was a teenager I used to volunteer in a nursing home. I’d go visit, talk with the residents, and just spend time with them. When Christmas rolled around I would have loved to have been able to give a gift to each one of them but at the time there just wasn’t any way I could afford to.

As I went to delver my gifts the first Christmas I adopted a nursing home, I had planned on handing them out myself. Upon walking in and seeing the sweet nurses and staff with their patients it just didn’t feel right for me, a stranger, to have the joy of giving a gift to these people that the staff cares for and loves every other day of the year. That is when I decided to double the gift, and let someone else have the joy of giving it. In doing this we are also taking away the “glory” of being thanked because we don’t do it for that purpose. We do it out of love for the people who need to be loved. Period. As far as I know, the nursing home I’ve adopted the past few Christmases still has no idea who is responsible for the gifts. They see me each year as I come in and hand off the gifts but I’ve never given my name.

Why this cause? 

I believe we all have certain things laid on our hearts and this is something that has been laid on mine. You may feel led to support another cause or section of our little world and that is wonderful. If we each follow the cause that has been laid upon us, imagine the difference we could make!

*** I’d LOVE Your Help! *** 

What Groups Can Participate? 

ANYONE can participate. Even one bottle helps!

This project is also great for:

• School Groups
• College Clubs
• Sewing Groups
• Quilting and Sewing Guilds of all kinds
• Scrapbooking Groups
• Mom’s Groups
• Prayer or Church Groups
• Any other group, no matter how big or small

To participate if you are in the North Alabama area, simply gather your bottles of body wash together and drop them off at one of the drop off points below. Be sure you contact the locations ahead of time to make sure you’re coming during their business hours.

Where can I drop off my bottles to help? 

• Christy Jordan’s Holiday Cooking Show in Muscle Shoals, Alabama – If you are attending my Holiday Cooking Show in Muscle Shoals on November 10th, please visit the Southern Plate table to drop off your bottles of body wash - and make sure you come up on stage after the show so I can personally thank you and hug your neck! 

• Dan Terra Salon  and Day Spa in Athens, Alabama and Madison, Alabama- Dan Tera is offering each of their salon locations as a drop off point. Please visit their webpage for directions. 

• Terra Bacio SalonSpa in Huntsville, Alabama is also serving as a drop off point. They are owned but the great folks who own Dan Tera and we so appreciate their support! Click here to visit their Facebook Page. 

• The Huntsville GrapeVine in Madison, Alabama has offered their office as a drop off point. They are located at 126 Castle Dr, Madison in the offices of the TN Valley Barter Exchange. Click here to visit their Facebook page and get directions. 

• Donny’s Diamond Gallery in Huntsville Alabama (At the corner of Bob Wallace and the Parkway) has graciously offered to serve as a drop off point. Please click here to visit his Facebook page and get directions.

• Suzanne’s Bakery and Eatery in Athens, Alabama has also graciously offered to serve as a drop off point. Please click here to visit Suzanne’s Facebook page and get directions. 

• New Market BBQ in New Market, Alabama is offering their location as a drop off point as well. While you’re there, try one of the many Southern Plate desserts they feature! Please click here to visit New Market BBQ on Facebook and get directions. 

If you own a business and would like to be added to our drop off list, please let me know by emailing santa@southernplate.com 

One of the best ways to have yourself a Merry Little Christmas is to make someone else’s a little brighter!