Deviled Eggs

Note: In the south, there is no such thing as a picnic, a church potluck or a holiday without deviled eggs. It's just not done, ya'll. Being a southern girl means they must be served whether anybody eats them or not!

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

12 hard cooked eggs, cut in half

6 Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. mustard

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. bacon chopped fine

3/8 tsp. paprika

Directions:

Remove yolk from egg whites using teaspoon. Press yolks through sieve with back of spoon or mash with fork in medium bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and bacon; mix well.

Spoon mixture into egg whites. Arrange on serving platter and sprinkle with paprika.

Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

How to: Boil An Egg

Note: Don't laugh. Someone I love very much says they can't boil an egg - ever. Here you go -- you know who you are.

How To Boil An Egg

Place the number of eggs you want in a sauce pan.

Fill saucepan with about 1 inch of cold water over tops of eggs.

Put saucepan on the stove and bring to rolling boil.

Turn down the heat to low heat.

Continue to cook.

If you want softboiled eggs cook for 2-3 minutes. If you want hard boiled eggs cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

Pour eggs into a colander and run cold water over them.

To peel your eggs, place inside a napkin and crack against a hard surface. Roll it around applying enough pressure to cause the shell to "crackle". Once the entire egg is crackled find a loose spot and peel away!

Taco Pie

Note: I always seem to have mashed potatoes left over when I make them and this is the recipe I found to make good use of them. The potatoes make the shell for this pie.

Taco Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 package taco seasoning
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/4 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine potatoes, milk, butter and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix in bowl. Press over bottom and sides of 10 inch pie plate to form a shell. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain well. Add remaining taco seasoning, beans, taco sauce and water; mix well. Spoon into potato shell. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

Shrimp, Peppers and Cheese Grits

Note: I received this recipe from my friend Shane. I love anything with grits, but then again, I am a Mississippi girl! We are G.R.I.T.S..... Girls Raised In The South!! Oh, shoot. I should have named my blog that!

Shrimp, Peppers and Cheese Grits

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped Canadian bacon
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1 cup green bell pepper strips
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and devained
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 2/3 cup milk
1 (16 oz.) can chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes. Stir in green onions and keep warm. Combine milk and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir in grits. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese. Serve shrimp mixture over grits.

***NOTE: I used yellow and orange bell peppers instead. Also, it would be good without the shrimp but adding more Canadian bacon. The Rotel tomatoes makes it a little spicy but not bad but it would be good with just diced tomatoes too. :)

For more Tempt Your Tummy recipes.. head over to Blessed With Grace's blog!

Hot Garlic Artichoke Dip

Note: I found this great appetizer at Live. Love. Eat. blog. Sounds so easy and wonderful?

Hot Garlic Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:
1 14oz can QUARTERED artichoke hearts, drained and cut up
1 can ORIGINAL Rotel (diced tomatoes and chiles), drained
1/2 cup mayo or light mayo
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. To minimize cleanup, drain artichoke hearts in one side of the colander and the Rotel in the other side. Let sit. In the round casserole dish you will be baking this in, combine mayo, parm cheese, garlic and worcestershire. In the colander, roughly chop up the artichoke hearts. Add artichokes and rotel to casserole dish and mix up. Bake for 30-35 minutes until nice and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with Scoops!!!

I Choose...

The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decision to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the days demands so it is now that I must make a choice. So I choose...

I choose love…
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy…
Today I will invite God to be the God of my circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical… the tool of a lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less as a opportunity to see God.

I choose peace…
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I will invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for the moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fists at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness…
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. I will be kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness…
I will go without a dollar before I accept a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness…
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife/husband will not question my love. And my children will never fear that I will not come home.

I choose gentleness…
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I choose self control…
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rules the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my God. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control…
I commit my day to these things.

If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek grace.

Seven Week Bran Muffins

Seven Week Bran Muffins

Pour 2 cups boiling water over
2 cups 100% Bran Flakes
4 cups All Bran

Mix Together until creamy:
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
Then stir in 1 quart buttermilk. Add this to the Bran flake mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix:
5 cups flour
5 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
Stir this into the Bran Flakes mixture.

Spoon desire amounts into muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

The batter can keep in a sealed container for up to 6 weeks or you can bake them all at once and freeze them. Just pop them in the microwave as needed.