Gumbo Love Cookbook Review

Lucy Buffett's newest cookbook, Gumbo Love, is a love letter to the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, containing mouthwatering recipes, heartwarming stories, personal adventures and stunning Gulf Coast photography. If you love our Gulf Coast, you need this cookbook!

Ooooo y'all... have I got a good one for you! If you live along the central Gulf Coast, or frequently vacation in Gulf Shores, AL or Destin, FL, you've probably visited LuLu's Restaurant. It's owned by southern businesswoman, author, restaurateur, and sister of the famous singer and songwriter, Jimmy, Lucy Buffett - aka Crazy Sista... for being a lifetime rule breaker of the best kind and her livin' out loud personality.

Cookin' it with Kix Cookbook Review

With this newly released cookbook, Cookin' it with Kix: The Art of Celebrating and the Fun of Outdoor Cooking, Kix Brooks is sharing a collection of favorite recipes, some inspired, but many tried and true, hand-me-down heritage recipes from his own family.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this cookbook as well as the promotional giveaway books free, as a member of the "Cookin it with Kix" blogger team. 

As the highest selling duo in country music history, with more than 23, #1 hits, 75 major industry awards, and over 30 million in record sales, if you know country music, you know Brooks & Dunn. I mean who doesn't go back home from wherever you currently are when listenin' to Red Dirt Road?

What you may not know is that in 2015, Kix Brooks had a successful Cooking Channel show called Steak Out with Kix Brooks - where he says he picked up the secrets to a rockin' steak from guest chefs. You also may not know that he is a founding partner and co-owner of Nashville's Arrington Vineyards. You may not know that he moved to Nashville from New Orleans, where he once played at Tipitina's and the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon. But you will learn these things and much more from his new book.

Southern Living: A Southern Gentleman’s Kitchen Cookbook Review

Just because I've now published my own cookbook doesn't mean I will stop bringing you new finds around the cookbook world, and here's one that is absolutely perfect for Father's Day!

Mississippi in a Box Review

Mississippi has the beautiful ability to make anyone feel at home, and the Mississippi box is perfect, whether it's something you'd enjoy for yourself, to share Mississippi hospitality with someone else or as a gift for a homesick Mississippian.

Mississippi in a Box

Post Update: The Mississippi in a Box subscription service seems to have gone the wayside sadly, but you can still find many of the products across the web! For that reason, I've left the featured items in the post up since there are multiple sources, such as The Mississippi Gift Company. I am not affiliated with them at all, but sharing their website as a great resource to find many of these products that were featured here in my original post.

The Mississippi Gift Company carries Mississippi made gifts, gift baskets, foods from Mississippi and even home decor! Everything is made in Mississippi, so check them out!

Original Post:

I stay busy enough with Deep South Dish that I very rarely have to reach out for products to review, but I saw a brief segment about Mississippi in a Box on our local WLOX station and had to go find out more. Y'all know I am always happy to introduce Mississippi products to you, so when I saw the segment I knew I had to!

Easy Greasy Product Review

A brand new, redesign of the old kitchen strainer, you'll find yourself reaching for the Easy Greasy time and again!

Back when I was originally scheduled to appear on QVC with my new cookbook, I heard from another gal who was going to present a product there close to the same time as me. We got to chatting and when she explained what her product was, I was intrigued, so she sent me one. Y'all know how much I love a good kitchen gadget, and Michelle is the inventor of this clever redesign of a commonly used kitchen item she calls Easy Greasy.

South Your Mouth Cookbook Review

Mandy Rivers' debut cookbook, South Your Mouth, Tried & True Southern Recipes

Update! Congratulations to Katherine Kelley who said:

Thank you for your great recipes! You've helped transform this former Yankee now loving life in Mississippi into a respectable Southern cook, and provided loads of laughter as well. My southern-born & bred & fed husband sure is happy!

Katherine, please contact me by Monday, July 14, 2014 at mary@deepsouthdish.com with your full name and mailing address so we can get your cookbook to you!

I started my own food blogging adventure in 2008. Even writing that seems so odd to me that I've actually been doing this that long already!

In the beginning there weren't that many of us blogging about food specifically, and most especially about Southern food. Facebook was new, Pinterest and Instagram didn't exist, but all that's certainly changed over the past six years, and I've met many different bloggers along the way through all of those mediums. Some became friends, others came and went, posting for a little while and then fading away, and others, well, you just seemed to connect to right away.

Books of Southern Poetry by Patricia Neely-Dorsey

Update! Congratulations to Patsy who said...

"I'm from Mississippi too. I live in Laurel. I would love the book of poems of Mississippi." ~Patsy H.

Patsy left me her email so she's already been contacted. Thanks so much everybody for participating!

Except for the distinct connection between poetry, romance and food, this post today isn't directly related to food, but with Valentine's Day approaching us, I wanted to share these books of poetry by one of our Mississippi treasures, Patricia Neely-Dorsey. You may recognize Patricia by her widely popular poem entitled "Southern Life" that has often been shared around the net.

Kentucky Legend Off the Bone Ham Review

Kentucky Legend, Original Off the Bone Double Smoked Ham.

I recently had the opportunity to try out a Kentucky Legend Off the Bone smoked ham, and gracious y'all, it sure is a fantastic ham - wow!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays Cookbook Review

Update! Congratulations to Mary Louise who said...

Love this site! Thanks for giving your readers an opportunity to win Ree's cookbook.

Mary Louise please contact me by email at mary@deepsouthdish.com as soon as possible and provide your full name and mailing address so I can get Ree's new book out to you. I know that you will love it!

By now, surely everybody has heard of Ree Drummond, self-proclaimed accidental country girl, award-winning blogger at www.thepioneerwoman.com, Food Network personality, and bestselling author of cookbooks, children's books and even her memoir, a romance novel of her courtship with Marlboro Man. I have all of Ree's cookbooks, but hands down, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays, available today on Amazon and store shelves everywhere, is my favorite one yet.

"There's food, glorious food in this cookbook,
and you won't run out of yummy things to make."

All You Frightfully Fun Halloween Handbook Review

UPDATE! Congratulations to Tammy Ward who said...

"I love dressing up and taking my grandsons trick or treating."

Tammy, shoot me an email as soon as possible with your mailing address at mary@deepsouthdish.com and I'll get this handbook out to you right away. Congratulations!!

Wow y'all, can you believe October is winding down already? Course, it takes awhile for those temperatures to start dropping down here in my part of the Deep South, but we're even seeing some chill down here this week finally, and the end of October means Halloween fun!

Come to the Table and Share the Bounty Cookbook Review

When I sat down to page through these two books Share the Bounty: Finding God's Grace through the Spirit of Hospitality and Come to the Table: Food, Fellowship, and a Celebration of God's Bounty, something happened to me that has never happened before with a cookbook.

Fix it & Freeze it - Heat it & Eat it Cookbook Review

Fix it & Freeze it - Heat it & Eat it Cookbook from Southern Living, a quick-cook guide to more than 200 make-ahead dishes, with freezing and reheating instructions.

Fix it & Freeze it - Heat it & Eat it Cookbook

Southern Living has been coming out with a great range of category driven cookbooks in the past few years and I've had the privilege of being able to both review and share some of them with Deep South Dish readers. If you're a cook who enjoys the reward of having prepared, made-ahead meals in the freezer or making meals that serve double duty, I think you will really enjoy Southern Living's Fix it & Freeze it, Heat it & Eat it Cookbook.

Southern Living Home Cooking Basics

Southern Living Home Cooking Basics: A complete illustrated guide to Southern cooking - good food made simple.

 

So much about blogging about our southern recipes is about memories associated with the great cooks who came before us, but let's face it. Not everybody had the privilege of standing on a step stool in their grandmother's kitchen. Some of us may even have had mothers who were full time career women with little time for home cooking, or who may not have even liked to cook. Enter Southern Living's brand new book, Home Cooking Basics: A complete illustrated guide to Southern cooking - good food made simple.

Giveaway Winners!! Simply Suppers Cookbook by Jennifer Chandler

And, the winners of the cookbooks are:

NEW ALTERNATE WINNER: Carolyn P. who said... I would love to have this cookbook, I am a newlywed (March 26th..yay me) and am excited about trying new recipes for my husband. You have great recipes here, this Virginian loves to try new things, the same thing over and over gets boring fast!!! Thanks....the new Carolyn Phillips!!

NEW ALTERNATE WINNER: Sue who said... It would be great if I could win this cookbook! I have a shortcut to your web page on my desktop because I go on it more than once a day! I love trying new recipes, especially simple ones that I can then pass on to my kids who are on their own. Every recipe I've tried from your site has been great, so I'm sure this book is full of more of the same. I'll be drooling in anticipation until the winners are announced!

Tracey Joy who said...I love cookbooks Mary. You have shared with us to so many wonderful cookbooks. I'd love for this to be apart of my collection. It amazing at times I run out of idea as to what to make, so this will really help, lol = )

Congratulations! Please contact me as soon as possible (by 5:00 p.m. CST, Thursday 5/12) with your full name and mailing address so that I can get your cookbooks to you. Thanks for participating everybody!
-----
I recently had the opportunity to review the cookbook Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler. Jennifer is from Memphis, but has a long 15 year history in the food business, after having left an international finance career to move to Paris and attend the Le Cordon Bleu academy, graduating at the top of her class. After a stint in Washington in a restaurant group and with a top caterer, she eventually landed back in Memphis, where, for several years, she owned Cheffie's, a prepared foods market and bakery. Today Jennifer is a mom of two girls, a freelance magazine writer and the author of two cookbooks.

Bartule - the Self Contained Bar Accessory

Meet the Bartule

Sexy ain't it?

Y'all know I like my occasional weekend cocktails, and recently, I had the opportunity to try out a product called Bartule, a self-contained bar accessory that, with its compact, interlocking fit-together design, makes it super easy to bring the party just about anywhere.

Available in six gorgeous colors, the unit is made of 100% recyclable materials, is dishwasher safe, and made primarily from a nearly indestructible high density polycarbonate. The included bottle opener/corkscrew is made of solid stainless steel, and you also get an ice bucket, a jigger, a citrus juicer with pulp removing handle and spout, and, the ice bucket lid that seals it all together, also functions as a wine or champagne coaster and a salt rimmer.

Sam's Club for the Holidays!

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! CONGRATS TO THE WINNER!

We spent Thanksgiving this year with my mama's side of the family up in "the country" and as we were waiting for the arrival of the turkey {always the task of my cousin Donna, and always tender and delicious}, my other cousin's wife, who was hosting this gathering, pulled out yet more desserts from her refrigerator.

As soon as I saw the box I start to salivate.  Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes from Sam's Club. Swoon.

Red Velvet cheesecake. It was delicious.

And pumpkin cheesecake. So pretty. Didn't have a stitch of room in my belly to try this one, but it was beautiful and I heard, also delicious.

Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer Review

Fried turkey. Inside. In my own kitchen. If I had not done it with my own two hands, I would never have believed it.

Ever had a fried turkey? Well, let me tell you, y'all know how we are with our frying Down South, and believe me, we are fully endeared to our fried turkeys around the holidays. Once you try it, I think you'll be hooked. It gives you a nice, juicy and tender turkey in flat out no time hardly at all.

Frankly, you hear so many stories about turkey fryer disasters, that I was always scared to even try to fry a turkey at home. I settled for putting an order in with one of the many people in my area who fry up massive batches of turkeys to sell to other people over the holidays.

Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuit Topped Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I recently had the opportunity to try Pillsbury® Grands!® Frozen Mini Biscuits, the new, tiny freezer-to-oven biscuits from your grocer's freezer case.  Now I love my own homemade biscuits, and I'll be honest. I had never tried these.  Lawdy mercy, they are good!  Fantastic piping hot and straight out of the oven, I loved these. I mean look y'all, seriously.

They are the cutest, tiny little biscuits, about a Southern Belle three-biter, and fluffy on the inside but with that loveable crunch on the outside that we southern cooks are already endeared to, only with a smaller surface area.  Translate:  ♫More crunch y'all!♫

Pappy's Jalapeño Pepper Spread Review

The giveaway is closed. The winner of the Pappy's Pepper Spread and T-Shirt is Nan, whose email addy starts with nono at gmail.  I've sent an email to you Nan. Respond to that email within 48 hours and let me know your mailing info. 
Thanks everybody for participating!

I recently had the opportunity to try a new-to-me product that originated right here in my home state in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It's called Pappy's Jalapeño Pepper Spread and it's a great versatile spread to use as a mayonnaise substitute in just about anything, or as a dip straight out of the jar for corn chips, potato chips, tortilla chips, and even for raw vegetables.  If you love the addition of jalapenos to your recipes like I do, you are gonna absolutely love this product!

The story behind Pappy's Jalapeño Pepper Spread is classic. A hot mayo recipe that was born out of a grandpa's kitchen and a well loved family favorite, it was soon passed down to the grandchildren, who then shared it with friends who also loved it and encouraged that it be produced for the masses.  Soon the company behind Pappy's Jalapeño Pepper Spread, Mile Post 16 LLC, was born. You'll even love the story of how the company name came to be.

Review: Grilled Chicken Florentine for Two from Macaroni Grill

Iced tea and iced coffee have been a "hot" ticket beverage item around this house the past few weeks with this extended heat wave.  I am very grateful for my central air conditioning right now and c'mon fall is about all I can say about that!

Well... to celebrate the end of Deep South Dish's 1st birthday week, I thought that I would host another giveaway courtesy of MyBlogspark and Macaroni Grill, that will help to get you out of the kitchen quick!