Stewed apples, seasoned with brown sugar and apple pie spices, wrapped in flour tortillas and baked in a buttery sugar syrup.

Apple Enchiladas

Okay, okay.... even though the weather down here isn't completely cooperating with the Fall season, I broke down and did something sweet with apples finally - well, besides just slicing and eating them, that is. Apples are one of my favorite snacking fruits, so I've certainly been doing my share of that!

Sure wish the prices would come down some more, but that might be wishful thinking in this economy, I guess.

A quick skillet version of red beans and rice, made with canned kidney beans, the Trinity of vegetables and cooked with instant rice.

Skillet Red Beans and Rice

On Mondays in this part of the Deep South, red beans and rice are a traditional meal, so yes, this is yet another way to consume those favorite Monday red beans!

Now, I'll be the first to say that these are not traditional.

The best red beans and rice are gonna come from a soaked dried bean that is slow stewed for a couple of hours on top of the stove. Hands down, that is my preferred method, even above the shortcut red beans and the slow cooker red beans, both of which are actually delicious too. But, even working from home now, I get stretched for time too.

 

Slow Cooker Coke Pulled Pork, often called Three Ingredient Pulled Pork, because it's typically made with a pork roast, barbecue sauce and most often, either Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper or root beer. Pictured here with homemade fries and my Apple Coleslaw.

Slow Cooker Coke Pulled Pork

I know, I know... as I write this it's supposed to be Fall, well... according to the calendar at least, that is.

Although we got another nice blast of slightly cooler air again this week here in the Deep South, blink and we're right back into mid to upper-80 degree temps during the days and, well... it's still hurricane season for us anyway. It's pretty much still summer here, far as we're concerned.

The nice parts of summer though, that we love so much here - beautiful blue, sunny skies and warm temperatures - but with that highly coveted lower humidity. Finally come out of the house without melting, nice to be outdoors weather!

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.

A crowd-pleasing combination of chicken in a cream cheese, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce base. Seasoned with dry Ranch dressing, a little extra onion and garlic powder, shredded cheese and finished with green onion and crumbled bacon. Perfect for tailgating - yum!

Hot Cheesy BBQ Ranch Chicken Dip

Thank goodness for football foods, because I'm stuck in the middle of the seasonal blues with cooking right now.

Anyday Everyday Creamy Mashed Potatoes

A less decadent, homemade mashed potato recipe, intended for basic, everyday use, any day. Pictured here with my Mississippi Roast and gravy.

Everyday Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Roasted, baked, twice-baked, butter steamed, in casseroles - no matter how you make them, we sure do love our potatoes in The South and most especially... we really love them mashed and creamy.

Crabmeat and Cheese Po'boy and The Old Biloxi Vancleave Special

 

A Crabmeat and Cheese Po'boy, known locally as a Vancleave Special, is made with seasoned, thin crab patties, served on po'boy bread with mayonnaise, cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes and pickles. Add a cup of gumbo and a cold Barq's root beer in the bottle.

Crabmeat and Cheese Po'boy

It rained long yesterday, ahead of a cold front that will be bringing some welcomed lower humidity and temperatures for a day or three again. I love a good rainy day though, especially now that I work from home and don't have to make that 60-mile, round trip commute on a dangerous interstate highway.

Honestly, with a legal career that was already stressful enough, the stress started well before I got there with that drive most days. It was a fine paying job, and I really enjoyed my work until Hurricane Katrina took it away, but honestly, there are so many things that I really don't miss about it anymore.

Tomato pie, using simple fresh ingredients - juicy tomatoes and fresh herbs, layered in a flaky pie crust, with sweet onion and cheese. Dress the top with the traditional mayonnaise and cheese mixture, and you've got a classic southern tomato pie.

Classic Southern Tomato Pie

Yes! It really is still summer, I swear. If you don't believe me, c'mon down to the Deep South, and I'll show you what heat and humidity are like in September along the Gulf Coast. We were at the Biloxi Seafood Festival this Saturday with the grandkids, and it was as hot as it has been all summer, though we did have a nice cold front pass through Sunday.

Temps have been down in the mid-80s with low humidity for a few days and it has been just gorgeous. Only those of us who live our lives in the South understand that is considered "nice and cool."

Southern Living Classic Southern Desserts

Southern Living Classic Southern Desserts: All-time Favorite Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Pudding, Cobblers, Ice Cream & More

As hot as it was this summer, and as much as people had sworn off their stoves, much less their ovens, I noticed across the interwebs that there was one outstanding exception. Desserts.

Share a supper recipe on Facebook in the midst of the summer heat, even one that required only a quick pass in the oven and people moaned about the thought of turning on an oven, but share a delectable dessert that had to bake an hour and it's Facebook Shares Go Wild!

Southerners overwhelmingly love their desserts, no matter the temperature outside, and we're clearly willing to turn on our ovens on a hot summer day to satisfy that sweet tooth. Was this you? Well, Southern Living has just the cookbook for you!

 

A classic favorite for years, this fruit salad is made with fresh apples, lite fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, and dressed with the fruit juices blended with instant vanilla or lemon pudding.

Fruit Cocktail Salad

Hey y'all... it's been awhile! Did ya miss me?? Well, in case you were wondering... you see, as I write this, there was this pesky little hurricane named Isaac that interrupted our lives all of last week. After he barely by-passed the west coast of Florida, he was headed right to the Mississippi Gulf Coast - my backyard!

There were days of prep, checking supplies, filling gas cans for the generator that would keep our freezer and fridge going, bolting down the hurricane shutters, stuffing the garage and storage sheds with all those nice things like chairs, tables and grills that you want to make sure are still around afterward, and all the fun stuff that goes with preparing for a hurricane.