Seasoned to Taste - Available April 2nd!

This wonderful new cookbook from the Junior League of Chattanooga is a testament to history which has occurred in and around the surrounding areas.

A scrumptious balance of modern day recipes, along with homespun goodies from the past, and even features the "best of the best" recipes from their first cookbook DINNER ON THE DINER which is now out of print.

Lots of great local-lore stories, such as...Did you know that Moon Pies were created in Chattanooga during the coal-mining days? Read how that now famous snack came about, plus experience the wonderful seasonal settings, as this book is composed by season with menus for special events scattered throughout.

I can't wait to start cooking out of this one!

Bunco Jumble.....Is it candy or salty snack?

Dave’s stories on the Junior League of Tampa CULINARY COLLECTION and how those books all came about are truly amazing. It is inspiring what the leagues do within their communities.

I can’t wait to see their new book, CAPTURE THE COASTS.

In the meantime, let me share with you one of my all time favorite recipes from this collection. It comes from THE LIFE OF THE PARTY, which is so fabulous - 80% of the recipes can be done ahead of time, so you are the Life of the Party!

Bunco Jumble is one of those special treats that you can get totally creative with. It makes great gifts in clear cellophane bags (colors in the mix can match the occasion or season) and it’s the best snack item to serve at any youth event, as I’ve found from personal experience with my own church youth group!



Enjoy….

1 box mini Ritz peanut butter sandwich crackers
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 (12-oz) bag mini pretzel sticks or twists
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cut light corn syrup
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (10-oz) package mini or regular “M&M’s” chocolate candies
Combine the sandwich crackers, peanuts and pretzels in a large roasting pan. Heat the sugar, butter and corn syrup in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda. Pour over the cracker mixture, stirring to coat well. Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes. Remove to waxed paper and the chocolate candies and let cool completely. Break up the mixture into small pieces as necessary.
Yield: handfuls of fun!

You can also use mini cookies, graham cracker bears, popcorn, candy corn, jelly beans, Reese’s pieces, pecans….the combinations are only limited by your own imagination!

Peace….Anne

My Mama Made That

What a wonderful new cookbook from the Junior League of Hampton Roads, Virginia! I've cooked quite a few items out of this one, and I'm sharing the Grandma's Famous Pound Cake with you here today. I tried the recipe upon the recommendation from Sam Bishop at the Junior League, but more importantly it was on a day that I had that thought we all have at some point in time, "What can I make from ingredients I already have on hand?"

When I first made the Grandma's Famous Pound Cake, my teenage daughter was amazed to find out what "REAL" pound cake was supposed to taste like.

It's super easy and freezes very well. More than likely, you too have all the ingredients in your kitchen pantry right now. Let me know if you found everything- it would be fun to hear back on this.

Another feature that caught my attention in this book (besides the fabulous cover!) is that each chapter opener features a vintage style apron fluttering in the wind pinned to a clothes line, which immediately conjured up great childhood memories for me. I don't know how many of you had a clothes line in the backyard as a child, but growing up in the 1960's we couldn't afford a dryer. So, my sister and I used to play in between the hanging sheets, and my mom would holler out the back door, "stop that - you girls are going to pull it all down"! I enjoy hanging out clothes in my own backyard these days when the weather is nice enough, even though I do have a dryer. There's nothing like fresh air dried clothes - too bad this smell can't be truly duplicated in a fabric softener scent. Plus, it helps save on the wear and tear on our clothes, the dryer unit and the environment as well!

I've also made the Sweet Bacon Pork Tenderloin, which is quick easy and all done in the oven using your cast iron skillet. I take the recipe one step further and put the skillet on top of the stove, after the meat is cooked, to boil the remaining drippings down to create a wonderful reduction sauce. We use the sauce over the tenderloin cuts and it's great as a main dish, or use for sandwiches.

Another Blast From The Past you'll find in this cookbook is a host of Mama-isms, which are sayings that have been handed down through the years from moms to their kids. Sayings like, "Don't make me stop this car" would strike fear in my sister and I in the backseat. I just adore all the Mama-isms scattered throughout the book and can literally hear my mom's voice at times. Funny that I now find myself using some of the same Mama-isms when speaking to my own two girls!

This cookbook comes highly recommended and to help celebrate all the moms out there, I have an exclusive offer for my "Twitter/Blog" friends. From now until after Mothers Day, you can purchase this title via our website store for a 50% discount. Simply use PromoCode: Twitter50mom when checking out.

Feel free to share the savings with your friends as well!

Enjoy the pound cake recipe below and let me know if YOU TOO had all the ingredients in your pantry.

Have a Delicious Day!

Anne ;-)

GRANDMA'S FAMOUS POUND CAKE

3 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
5 eggs
1 cup mik
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 tablespoon lemon extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the sugar, shortening and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and flavorings. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake for 1-1/4 hours. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Serves 16

Sidenote: I like to serve this with dollop of Sherried Cool Whip - here's what you do:

Take 1 cup Cool Whip and add 2-1/2 tablespoons of Cream Sherry. Stir together well and let set for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. I learned this from Miss Millie Coleman, author of The South's Legendary Frances Virginia Tearoom Cookbook. She told me that it doesn't matter about the quality of the sherry, so if you don't keep it on hand then just buy the cheapest you can find.