A simple, tender and light, old-fashioned hot milk cake, but the real star here is the broiled, caramel and coconut topping.

Lazy Daisy Cake

Some of you will fondly remember this cake from your mother or grandmother's kitchen from long, long ago. Others of you likely have never heard of it.

Back in the day, dessert was as much a part of the supper plate as were meat and three, and this cake often made an appearance. Called Lazy Daisy Cake, and sometimes Busy Day Cake, because it is just simply so easy to throw together, it is really just a very basic, old fashioned, boiled milk pan cake.

The cake itself is wonderfully tender and light, but what sets it apart, is this lovely, crunchy, broiled caramel and coconut topping.

Thin rings of apples are dipped into a sweetly seasoned cinnamon and nutmeg batter and then fried. Best served hot!

Apple Fritter Rings

Yay, it's apple season! Well, it's at least the beginning of apple season and you'd know it too if you follow any food blogs because apple recipes have been in abundance around the net. I love apples in cake, cobbler, in pie, baked, even simply sliced up and dipped in peanut butter - a treat I can certainly get easily carried away with.

Fritters are a fun way to enjoy apples for a change too, and while there are a couple of ways to make them, I especially love them fried in rings like this. I also love them in a drop style, deep fried fritter, similar to my corn fritters - those I'll do next.

Where I've Been

Happy Autumn y'all!

After a full week in Florida at Disney with my son, daughter in law and our two beautiful grand-babies, we arrived home last night. Exhausted. Sunburned. Blistered. Broke. Did I mention exhausted? But... we had a blast with those babies!

I brought my laptop with me with the full intent of working a bit, but either ran out of time or energy or mostly both to be honest by day's end. After hearing from a few readers, I figured I better at least 'splain my absence!

It was my first vacation in 4 years, so I hope you'll forgive me and stay tuned - I'll be back soon with some new recipes.



Photo Credit

Crockpot Coca-Cola Peach Barbecue Pork Chops

Bone-in pork chops, slow cooked in a Coca-cola and peach infused barbecue sauce.

Barbecue Pork Chops

While the idea of a peachy or Coca-cola barbecue sauce is certainly not unique to me, this mixture is one that came to me one day when trying to think of something to do with pork chops and utilize the slow cooker, since so many of y'all are fans of the crockpot. I opened the fridge, saw a can of Coca-Cola Classic and this peach butter and voila, sounded good to me!

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal cookies, filled with chocolate chips, and a glass of milk, is a delicious way to usher in cooler temperatures.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

If my husband had to pick a favorite cookie, I'm pretty sure it'd probably be good ole chocolate chip. I love those too, but hands down my all-time favorite cookie would have to be oatmeal.

In Remembrance

Tangy Crab Bread Appetizer

 

Crabmeat mixed with a tangy blend of sour cream and mayo, layered on French bread with cream cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. Cut into slices and serve hot for a great appetizer!

Tangy Crab Bread

There once was a local seafood restaurant called Catch of the Day, where us gals used to gather on occasion after a long day at the office.

Okay. It may have been more often than occasionally that we gathered to gossip, moan and complain about work and co-workers, over a nice tall glass of Long Island iced tea and listen to a little music.

It was quite a popular after-work place there for a few years.

A classic, old fashioned macaroni salad, made with elbow macaroni, sweet onion, celery, chopped pickles, and pimento - simple, the kind that grandma used to make.

Classic Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad

Before there were pasta salads filled with all sorts of yummy goodies, there was the humble macaroni salad. Usually a very simple concoction containing elbow macaroni, a little celery, most always pickles and pimentos here in the south, and sometimes onion, it's dressed usually with a very classic mayonnaise dressing.

Crisco Olive Oils - Free Recipes and Free Mobile App!

Through the Tastemaker's program from Foodbuzz, I recently had the opportunity to try Crisco's line of olive oils, available in three varieties — 100% Extra Virgin, Pure, and Light Tasting. Most of us know the benefits of including a good extra virgin olive oil in our diets to occasionally replace some of the other fats we love. Olive oil is a healthy fat, a cholesterol-free food and is high in antioxidants. But frankly sometimes the flavor is a bit too heavy for some dishes, or we need an oil that can hold up to heat.

If you've been around here long, you already know that I use a good bit of olive oil, and with Crisco's lighter versions, it's easy to transition in the places where extra virgin oils just won't fit. With the lighter versions, you can also try replacing butter with olive oil in favorite dishes like mashed potatoes, or drizzled on baked potatoes.

Keep olive oil in a small cruet right on the dinner table to encourage family members to use it for drizzling on salads, in soups, stews, for dipping bread, and even drizzling over pastas. And you can use it for one of my favorite tips, as a kitchen helper for easy clean up of sticky things like honey, mustard, and syrups.

Old Fashioned Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Pecans

Old fashioned broccoli salad, made with red onion, celery, carrots, raisins, nuts and bacon, and a mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar dressing. Serve as is, over spoon over leaves of romaine lettuce.

Old Fashioned Broccoli Salad

This poor ole broccoli salad has been languishing around for me to showcase it on the blog forever. Very patience little green veggie. Truth is, while The Cajun won't even give it a fair run, broccoli is one of my favorite veggies. I love to eat it most just simply steamed to be honest, though I've been known to fry it on occasion too. What can I say?