~ Home Baked Goodness ~

Holidays it seems are a wonderful time of year to spend in the kitchen, baking and cooking. Some of my fondest memories are watching my mom's mom bake all kinds of wonderful goodies, during the holidays, and just about anytime you'd visit her actually. I never saw her use any recipes, she just whipped things up from scratch, the portions were HUGE and man did she ever have a way of tantalizing the taste buds!


I can remember my mom telling me of stories from when she was a child. Sundays you would find my grandmother in the kitchen literally all day long. That was the day that family and friends would tend to visit, and grandma never let anyone go away hungry from her house! Grandad had a large garden too, so the veggies were always fresh, and I find that home grown veggies are the absolute best! Grandma would whip up a meal... visit... get things all cleaned up in the kitchen... and the next round of visitors would arrive. She would start all over again, with the next batch of goodies! She would always pile your plate up HIGH with the portions too! I sure do miss her cooking and those now treasured moments shared with her.


When I was about 13 years old, I spent a week with my other grandmother, my dad's mom, in the North Georgia mountains. This is when I began to venture out on my own with baking and cooking. Grandma also had a large garden, full of yummy things to eat, and down by the creek, there were these blackberries, just begging to be picked! I can remember the very first thing I ever baked on my own that year, was a Blackberry Cobbler! I've always loved cobblers, a southern dish of course, and we all truly enjoyed that first adventure of mine. Down to the creek I went, with a large bowl, picking all the berries I could find, and went back up to the kitchen, and whipped it up for our dessert that night! What a wonderful treat that was! And, yet another fond memory I will always treasure, as my aunt, uncle and grandma that I spent that evening with, are now all passed on sadly.


Since then, baking and cooking have always been something I have enjoyed doing, and I now try to come up with my own recipes quite often. I never really make anything the same twice! Always trying different spices and ingredients on tried and true favorite dishes.


This past week, I created two new recipes that I wanted to share, as they were far too enjoyable to keep to myself. So, for those of you that enjoy cobblers and soups, you'll have to give these two recipes a try, and let me know what you think. I don't think you will be disappointed! Both recipes are guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds....




Pecan Crumble Cherry Cobbler
by: LaWanda Wilson


1 - Can Cherry Pie Filling
1/3 C. Margarine, melted
1 C. Quick Cook Oats
1/2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/3 C. Pecans, chopped
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
Vanilla Ice Cream, optional for topping, once baked, per serving



Spray 8x8 or similar baking dish with cooking spray. Empty contents of Cherry Pie Filling into the baking dish, spread evenly. Add remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl, then crumble over the top of the Cherry Pie Filling. (If the crumble is a bit too dry, you can add a bit more margarine or vanilla before crumbling over top of the cherries, or just spray the top of the crumble after added to the Cherries, with a wee bit of cooking spray to moisten, only if needed.)
Bake at 350' for about 20-30 minutes. Check after 20 minutes and then add 5 minutes as needed from there, as oven heat and cooking times will vary. Once the crumble is lightly browned, remove cobbler from the oven. Allow to cool for about 10-20 minutes. Top with your favorite vanilla ice cream if so desired! ENJOY!


HEARTY POTATO SOUP
By: LaWanda Wilson

Serves/Makes: 6 Ready In: 30-60 minutes

6-9 Medium Potatoes (I used 9)
1 tsp salt
Leftover Honey Ham (or other Ham, Bacon can be substituted also)
1 Small Onion, chopped (I used Onion Bits)
1 Quart Milk
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Other Spices I Used: Season All, Garlic Salt, Garlic Powder, Minced/Fresh Garlic



Peel and dice potatoes; cover with water, add salt, and cook until tender. Cut ham or bacon into small pieces, mix with onion and minced garlic, and saute until ham is heated thru, or until bacon is crisp and onion is clear. Remove onion and ham/bacon from drippings, and add to cooked drained potatoes. Stir in milk and season with salt and pepper, and your choice of other seasonings to taste. Heat just to boiling point but do not boil. Serve warm. YUM!!!

~ Holiday Travel... UGHHHHH ~

Ohhhhh... at the wondrous joys of "holiday travel"... ughhhhh!!!

What am I missing? Do I have everything that I need? Let's see.... flight info, wallet, CD's for the LONG drive there and back, cash for a drink and maybe something to eat, car seat, blanket, pillow, Game Boy Advance and games to entertain my child on the long drive back home, pepper spray, jacket, hmmm... WHAT am I missing... I'm sure it's something, as it just never fails, I always tend to leave SOMETHING behind that I'll need....

Ok, so it's a 3-hour drive South on I-5 to the Sacramento Airport... should be a breeze, right?! Well, I anticipated it would be anyway! As soon as I entered the freeway from the house, I noticed a higher volume of traffic than normal, actually quite heavy really.

It's a very curvy drive, with quite a bit of up and down-grades from the Dunsmuir region to Redding, about 50 miles, as the road winds through the canyon and mountains. Once you get to Redding, the highway straightens out considerably and it's a straight shot down to Sacramento! This stretch of highway between Redding and Dunsmuir is rural so you don't have to contend with a log of city traffic normally.

The weather is lovely, I didn't need a jacket today or even long sleeves for that matter. The sun was shining, there was no wind blowing me all over the road... so what seemed to be the dilemma to this travel day you ask??? Why... all the people on the road, driving like they had no place to be, and like they weren't all that familiar with how travelling on the highway actually works! Geeessssshhhhhh.... I sometimes wonder where they learn to drive, how they got their licenses, and I sooooooooooooooo wish I were still in law enforcement to give some a ticket!

The highway volume was much heavier than normal, but I felt I could still utilize my cruise control, right?! Sadly, I was mistaken! Every single time it looked as though folks were going to drive accordingly, they would inevitably slow WAY down for NO apparent reason, and then I'd have to either tap my brakes or turn off the cruise time and time again.... it became quite the chore! I just didn't get WHY we'd be driving along at around 75 to 80 mph, only to quickly drop down to speeds of 45 to 50 mph, because we were next to a tractor trailer, so of course we need to SLOW down... good grief!!! I just didn't get it! Every time the flow of traffic came upon some big trucks, they would get all jammed up and slow down, like they were afraid to drive beside them or something! It was killing me! There was hardly any construction zones to deal with, and thankfully, no traffic accidents either. Just a few CHP's handing out speeding tickets here and there was all.

All the way to Sacrament and back, the traffic was like that. What a chore and such work that was truly unnecessary! Oh, and let's NOT forget about the ones that seem to LOVE to drive in the fast lane and drive around 55 mph... I mean, the speed limit for the most part all the way is 70 mph... what gives there?! So, you would end up being trapped! Can't get around the slower traffic and big rigs on the right, due to the slow pokes in the left lane/passing lane/fast lane, bogging up the whole system and blocking you in so that you could not get around or through! More than frustrating to say the least, and something I just don't have the patience for!

Sighhhhh... I'm glad that holiday travel isn't all that often, as I believe it would drive me insane to drive in such stuff all the time! Thankfully, I wasn't flying this year... another nightmare in and of itself. Surprisingly, once I arrived at the airport to pick up my son, it was EMPTY! I drove right up to passenger pick up, without having to fight for a spot, it was a breeze! Wish the rest of the trip had been like that!

Just one more holiday to endure more travel pains yet... Christmas!!! The roads could end up being more treacherous, should the snow begin to fall... Boy, won't that be a nightmare to deal with on the highway if it does! I sooooooooooooooo HOPE that doesn't happen.... If you have to travel this holiday season, do be careful... it's a parking lot of cars on the interstate, and don't plan on getting anywhere in a hurry, allow yourself plenty of time!

~ Time To Be Thankful ~

It's hard to believe, but it's actually that time of the year again, as yet another year is about to slip quietly away from us... Thanksgiving. A time in our lives to be "thankful" for sooooooooooo many things....

Things like... our friends and family members. The loved ones in our lives that perhaps we tend to inadvertently take for granted all too often. When was the last time you gave your special someone a kiss, or a hug, just because? When was the last time you told them what they mean to you, or how much you love them? Do your friends know how dear they are to you and that without them, your life would not be nearly as tolerable?

Take a long hard look into that mirror, and ask yourself... If I didn't wake up tomorrow, would those I hold most dear in my life and in my heart... KNOW it??? If not, perhaps this is a great time to let them know...

We all get busy with our day-to-day lives, and before we know it, a lot of time can slip through our fingertips. It takes really merely seconds, to write a SHORT email, just to say howdy, I thought of you today, and wanted you to know it! Or, a few more seconds to create and send a thoughtful, from the heart e-card perhaps. And, maybe make yourself STOP all the rushing around, and doing this and that, and actually MAKE the time to pick up the phone and CALL that friend or family member you've not talked too in awhile, and visit with them, even if for just a few minutes. You would be amazed at how much better you will feel in doing so, and it will touch them equally as much, trust me!

And, aside from those most important in our lives, what about all the other things that we just don't realize we have to be thankful for? Things like: a job, a home, our health, a warm place to sleep, a kitchen filled with food to eat, a bathroom where we can clean up, clothes to keep us warm in the winter months ahead, a car to get us to all the places we need to be, the freedom to practice our religious beliefs, and the freedom to just be FREE! All of these somewhat "simple" things that we just tend to take for granted.

Some of us, may have just a pet (or two) that keeps us company, especially those of us who perhaps have no one else living near us, so our pets truly become our companions. And, a part of our families for those of us who do have loved ones either living with or near to us.

During this Thanksgiving holiday season, and a time when things can be quite hustle and bustle... and especially so, during such troubling times in the economy for everyone we know now... remember to STOP, or at least slow down a little bit, and truly reflect on all the people and things in our lives to be thankful for! Don't wait until it's too late....

For those of you reading this who happen to be friends of mine or family members... I want you to know that I'm most thankful for YOU this holiday season... and every other day throughout the year as well... my life is blessed because you are in it! Hugs and special thanks to YOU!!!