Winter is definitely not my favorite time of year. It is generally too cold and dreary for my liking. Sometimes, to take the edge off the chilly days, I like to cook my favorite Brunswick stew. There are a lot of different versions of Brunswick stew and I don't know exactly what category this one falls into, but I hope you'll like it as much as I do. Ingredients 3-4 pounds of cooked pork At least 14 ounces of BBQ sauce (but maybe more depending on your preference) 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 1 14-ounce can lima beans, drained 1 14-ounce…

I like chips and salsa as much as the next person, but sometimes it is nice to have something different. This cucumber dip is cool, creamy and incredibly tasty. I like it with Wheat Thins, but Triscuits are good too. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Note: This recipe is based on one from the 1989 Great American Brand Names Cookbook.  Ingredients: 3 medium cucumbers 1 1/2 packages of cream cheese (I use Philadelphia low fat) 1/2 cup sour cream (I use reduced fat Breakstone's) 1 tbsp. dried dill weed 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice 1 envelope of Lipton vegetable soup mix Directions: Peel …

Don't let the name fool you. Tomato pie is not a dessert -- it is a dish tomato-lovers will enjoy for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. In fact, if you have enough tomatoes, you may as well make two pies at a time because they'll go fast.  Ingredients: 9-inch pie shell 1 small onion, sliced and sautéed 4 large tomatoes, sliced and placed on paper towels to absorb excess moisture Salt Italian seasoning 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer half of the tomatoes in the pie crust. Top with sautéed onions, then …

Onion rings are one of my favorite side dishes when I eat out at a burger joint. The problem is that they are loaded with fat and calories. I've tried baked onion ring recipes before with less than stellar results. This recipe, however, turned out great. It is a little labor intensive, but worth it if you like onion rings but would prefer a healthier version. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think. You can also check out some of my other favorite recipes on my Pinterest page. Ingredients: Two Vidalia or yellow onions Two eggs Flour (start with about 1/4 cup) Seasoned bread …

If you are tired of boring bacon bits and crouton salad, check out this recipe that combines crisp iceberg lettuce, cheese, cornbread, vegetables and a tasty cilantro dressing for a flavorful and refreshing change. Mexican layered salad requires a little bit of cooking and a little bit of chopping, but is very simple to make. It is one of those recipes that tastes even better on the second day, but you won't be able to wait that long to eat it. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think. You can also check out some of my other favorite recipes on my Pinterest page. Ingredients: 1 …

Potato salad is often a bland and boring side dish, but that does not have to be the case. Creole potato salad has a spicy Cajun flavor that makes this side dish a great addition to any cookout or picnic. This potato salad can be served cold or hot (I like both). You can also add some Creole seasoning if you want to spice it up even further. Give this potato salad recipe a try and let me know what you think. You can also check out some of my other favorite recipes on my Pinterest page. Ingredients: 3 pounds of red potatoes, boiled until tender and cubed (I leave the skins on) 1/2 cup …

Ever since my husband and I married almost 23 years ago, my mother-in-law has given us an annual subscription to Southern Living. So, for the past 23 years, I have been tearing pages of recipes out of Southern Living and sticking them in a folder. Some I try and then discard, others -- like spicy Szechuan chicken -- I make over and over and over. The recipe below is a slightly modified version of one that ran in Southern Living 15 years or so ago. Regrettably, my photo is not nearly as lovely as the one on the magazine page, but you get the idea. When we get Chinese takeout, nine times out of…

I have two major cooking goals: 1.) Learn to make the perfect frosting for decorating cakes and cupcakes 2.) Learn to make perfect icing roses. So far, I have accomplished neither. That has not stopped me from trying to make pretty cakes and cupcakes though. As with most of my recent baking attempts, this week's project was inspired by a photo on Pinterest. Honestly, it turned out to be far easier than I thought it would be. I have a peacock cupcake on my to-try list that looks as if it will be far more difficult, but that is a project for another week. Now, in the way of disclosure, I don't …

If loving this is wrong, I don't want to be right. I have a sweet tooth -- maybe two or three of them. The other day, I got a craving and ended up trying a dessert recipe I found on Pinterest. (Note to self: Quit looking at recipes on Pinterest.) Anyway, this 7-layer cookie recipe is extremely easy to make and incredibly delicious. I wouldn't really call it a cookie recipe, it is more of a candy -- a sweet, gooey, chocolately, heavenly candy. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (one stack) 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup semi-sweet…

I kid you not. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is yet another recipe I discovered while spending hours in a hopeless effort to sort all the beautiful photos on the Internet onto my Pinterest boards. The first time I made this, I thought it was going to be a complete and total bust. About halfway through the recipe, it had all the makings of a disaster -- the tamale base looked like mush, the chicken looked too spicy (a fortunately happy accident that resulted from misreading the directions) -- but it all came together in the end. I did make a few minor tweaks to the …

As my father-in-law would say, this recipe will "shrink your jeans." The main ingredients are biscuits, butter and sugar -- health food, it isn't. That said, if you have a little room to spare in your britches, you will certainly enjoy lemon monkey bread. The recipe only has four ingredients, it is quick to make and it is almost irresistibly tasty. I found a version of this on Pinterest, but couldn't find the dinner rolls specified in the recipe. Being from the South, biscuits seemed like a perfectly suitable alternative, so I went with that. I'm going to call that decision a win. Try it and …

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a plate of regular barbecue ribs, but, if you want to try something a little different, Polynesian-style ribs may be just the thing. These ribs cook in a crock pot. If you like preparing your ribs another way, go right ahead and just toss them in the Polynesian sauce. I don't normally cook ribs in the crock pot, but this worked out pretty well. I think this sauce would also be good on a pork roast (those I do cook in the crock pot). So, fire up the Tiki torches, mix up a Mai Tai and enjoy a mini luau this weekend with Polynesian-style ribs. Ingredients: …

Working on your Easter dinner and need some quick and easy side dishes? Try these suggestions: How to Make Deviled Eggs An Easter dinner would not be complete without deviled eggs. Try this Creole-style recipe for something a little different. How to Make Rainbow Colored Deviled Eggs If you want to dress your deviled eggs up even more, make them rainbow colored. Green Bean Casserole Recipe: Traditional or Oriental-Style Here's two recipes for a green bean casserole. Pick one or make them both if you are feeding a crowd. Pistachio Salad Is a Simple, Sweet Treat Need a quick dessert? You'd be …

Easter will be here in just a few days and many of you may be looking for something special to serve for an Easter lunch or dinner. I have just the thing. This is yet another cool idea I found on Pinterest. I used my own deviled egg recipe and simply colored the eggs in Easter pastels. Here's what you need: One dozen hard-boiled eggs, peeled Food coloring Vinegar Water Directions: Slice the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise, remove the yolks. Place yolks in bowl to make filling. Wash the sliced eggs to remove any yolk residue. Place one tablespoon of vinegar and one half cup of water in a …

A long time ago -- about the time French fried onions were invented -- someone decided to try to make green beans taste better by mixing them with a bunch of ingredients in order to hide the natural flavor of the beans. Eventually, that cook stumbled upon the right combination of additives to camouflage the green beans and trick people into eating them -- a green bean casserole. Somewhere along the way, this green bean casserole became a "traditional" side dish. I'm not sure how it happened. Maybe parents figured they could at least get their children to eat green beans once a year if they …

I grew up on the traditional mayonnaise, mustard and sweet pickle relish deviled eggs. Don't get me wrong, I still like those but, every once in a while, I like to try something a little different. My current favorite is Creole-flavored deviled eggs. These eggs have a little more flavor than standard deviled eggs without being too spicy. Try them and let me know what you think. (Click here to learn how to make rainbow colored deviled eggs.) Ingredients: One dozen eggs 2 tbsp. mayonnaise 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 tbsp. Wickles relish 1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning   Directions: Boil eggs. If you are …

I wish I could come up with a better name for this dessert. Pistachio salad just sounds so ... gross. I've also seen similar recipes referred to as Watergate salad, but I don't see where that name is much better. Call it whatever you like, but I think you'll find this dessert delicious and incredibly easy to make. Ingredients: 1 small box of instant pistachio pudding 1 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple (do not drain) 1 cup of miniature marshmallows 2 cups of Cool Whip (can use low fat or fat free) Directions: Mix everything together in a bowl and enjoy. Seriously. It's that easy.

I was surfing Pinterest when I spotted a recipe for a "Jalapeno Popper Sandwich." I am a big fan of Arby's jalapeno poppers and decided I would give this a try. As with practically every recipe I see, I made some modifications. I also tried cooking this three separate ways to see which way was best. My biggest modification was the addition of a dipping sauce -- or jelly in this case. I frankly do not know how that was overlooked by whoever originally thought to make a cheese and jalapeno sandwich. Ingredients: Bread (I used sourdough) Cream cheese (I used Publix whipped cream cheese, but you …

This corned beef and cabbage recipe requires only a few ingredients and very little preparation time. Simply toss the ingredients in the crockpot and wait for the delicious aroma of corned beef and cabbage to fill your home. Ingredients: Corned beef brisket (I used Murphy's and David with included seasoning packet) 1/2 small onion, sliced 8 - ounces of baby carrots 1 dozen very small potatoes (I used baby golds) 1 head of cabbage, cut into wedges Directions: Place brisket in a 6-quart crockpot and sprinkle with seasoning packet. Top with sliced onion, carrots and potatoes. Cover meat and …

It tastes better than it sounds. Really it does. The first time I saw this recipe, I was pretty firmly convinced there was no way in the world I would actually taste, much less enjoy, it. I was wrong. My mother-in-law, Betty Reed, makes this dish and thanks to her I have a cookbook, "Food in the Fast Lane," containing the recipe.   Broccoli-cheese-raisin salad may sound like an odd dish, but it really is delicious. It goes particularly well with ham and turkey. Try it. You'll like it. Ingredients: 1 bunch broccoli, course chopped (or you can buy a bag of broccoli crowns and chop those) 1 cup …