Creamy southern pralines are a simple candy confection, made from boiled sugar and nuts, and are a holiday tradition.

Southern Pralines

The Cajun came home the other day with a handful of pralines that his Mama has sent him home with when he stopped by for a visit with her on his way to a meeting.

Now I don't honestly know how many he started off with between his Mama's and his meeting, but trouble is, see, me.

I got into them that evening by mindlessly munching on them while I was busy putting a recipe into the blog. Well, before I knew it, those few that did make their way to the house, well... they were gone!

Fried Chicken Seasoning Blend - my take on the 11 herbs and spices KFC copycat.

Fried Chicken Seasoning Blend

This seasoning blend is my take on the KFC copycat seasonings that can go with any good Southern Fried Chicken. You have to have a commercial pressure fryer to get the texture of KFC's original recipe though and since most of us don't own one of those, we'll have to settle for open fryer chicken, which is more crisp than the original recipe. Still good though!

Add a salt brine for a few hours or use a brief dip in a buttermilk marinade to make it Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken, if ya like. Simply add buttermilk to a large bowl and sprinkle it with hot sauce - enough to just give it color, or as much as you want! Add the chicken (brined or not) to the buttermilk, let marinade in the fridge a few more hours to overnight. When you're ready to fry, remove the chicken, shake off the excess buttermilk, and dredge it in a mixture of seasoned flour and fry.

Chocolate cake mix with marshmallows, sweetened coconut, sliced almonds, butter, chocolate chips make Almond Joy Cake, a fabulous and well loved candy bar cake.

Almond Joy Cake

Almond Joy Cake is one of the most popular of the doctored up cake mix cakes and it's no wonder really. Chocolate cake, topped with a layer of gooey marshmallow and coconut cream, that is topped with a creamy layer of chocolate and almonds, and more crunchy almonds on top - it's really rich and decadent I promise ya.

A little Trinity, a few key seasonings and you'll have a homemade sloppy joe that'll beat any canned version hands down.

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Whenever I serve these, The Cajun says "this is my most favorite food of all."

Pralines & Cream Oatmeal

Here's another one for The Oatmeal Chronicles - or How to Make Your Oatmeal More Interesting. I started off trying to create one thing and then thought about this instead. Oh my gosh was this a delicious treat!! Don't prepare the topping until right before you need it though, because if you do boil it too long it will eventually harden like candy once it starts cooling. You want it warm and pliable as a topping. This topping is also a great accent for just about anything sweet - try it drizzled over Greek yogurt, cake, ice cream or cheesecake!

Pralines & Cream Oatmeal
Posted at http://deepsouthdish.com

Praline Topping

4 tablespoons of Land O'Lakes unsalted butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
1/4 cup of chopped pecans
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Melt the butter in the microwave using at least a 2 cup measure. Stir in the brown sugar, cream and corn syrup and return to the microwave, heating on high for about 1 minute, stirring halfway through. Stir in the pecans, return to the microwave for about 1 more minute or until bubbly. Set aside to cool.

Oatmeal

3/4 cup of Quaker old fashioned oatmeal
pinch of salt
1-1/2 cups of water
Heavy cream to drizzle
Drizzle of honey
Tiny pinch of chopped pecan for garnish

Combine the oatmeal, salt and water in a large microwave safe bowl, between 2 and 4 quarts to allow for expansion. Stir together well and microwave on high for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your microwave, or until oatmeal is creamy.

Spoon oatmeal into serving dish and drizzle it with cream around the outside edges and a bit on top. Spoon praline topping in the center and drizzle a bit of honey on top. Garnish with a pinch of chopped pecan.

One of the most popular recipes on the site, this no-stir chicken and dumpling casserole, made with self rising flour, cream soup, and chicken broth, is reminiscent of the flavor of the real deal, but in an easy casserole form.

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

While the name may be the same, this version is of course, a casserole, and not technically exactly like good ole old fashioned chicken and dumplings. To me, however, it provides a consistency and flavor similar to the more labor-intensive homemade version, but in a super-easy form, especially if you are using leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

If you are cooking fresh chicken, especially if you are using boneless, skinless chicken you want to just slightly under cook it when you poach it, since it will essentially continue cooking in the oven.

Fresh shrimp, cooked in a spicy Creole tomato sauce and served over a bed of hot steaming rice. Served here with my cucumber and onion salad, sweet tea and hot French bread.

Shrimp Creole

Folks down here make shrimp creole in all sorts of ways - some are very thin and soupy, others are thick and much more dry - but without a doubt all include The Trinity. I think that mine falls right in the middle, a little on the thick side but not dry.

True to many of our seafood dishes along the Gulf Coast, this one has a goodly little kick to it, not so much to burn your mouth or take over the flavor of the dish, though you might just clear out your sinuses a bit, so adjust those spicy seasonings down if you want to tone down the heat.

Grits Cakes

Leftover garlic cheese grits, poured into a loaf pan and refrigerated overnight, then sliced into wedges, dipped in seasoned flour and deep fried.

Deep Fried Grit Cakes

Remember those yummy garlic cheese grits we made last weekend? Well, we're about to turn these into some awesome grit cakes! Talk about good. Give 'em a try ... they are fantastic!

First preheat your deep fryer to 355 degrees, or heat oil in a large skillet. In a medium bowl, mix up some flour with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.

Chicken Wings with a Hoisin Honey Chili Sauce Marinade

Sticky Sweet and Spicy Asian Style Oven Baked Wings

This wing marinade made with honey, hoisin and chili sauce and a touch of citrus, produces a sticky sweet chicken wing with just a tad bit of spicy heat and I guarantee you'll be lickin' your fingers on this one!

Give it a try and tell me how much you love 'em y'all.

I highly recommend using a Non-Stick Aluminum Foil when preparing wings in the oven.

Crockpot Barbecue Beef for Sandwiches

Beef for sandwiches with a delicious homemade barbecue sauce made so easy with a slow cooker. Pop it all in before you leave and come home to an easy supper.

Barbecue Beef

This is an absolutely delicious barbecue beef that is perfect for sandwiches, and so simple. Toss it all into the crockpot in the morning and it's ready for you when you get home. Fresh and homemade from ingredients you control and the flavor shows it. Stick with the fattier cuts of meat, or if you use leaner cuts, use them in combination with a mixture of the fattier cuts for the best flavor.

Here's how to make it.