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Most friends know that us Guidos have a thing for our spaghetti and meatball recipe. We make it by the gallons at Christmas time to share with family, enjoy on Christmas Day, and store away to last the entire year. Last year, we made well over 400 meatballs in two shifts. The process for a batch of 200 takes a full 2 days, so we devouted quite the time to this recipe last year. But it’s that good. We can’t get enough of it. When mom asks what we want for supper, I could always go for spaghetti. And when we have it, if a stray meatball is actually left over, it’s not hard to find space for it. No meatball left un-eaten! That’s our motto.

This past year, we did start storing a few extra bags of meatballs that weren’t cooked in the sauce. They were reserved during the cooking process so we could have them in brown gravy over rice. Now that’s a perfect way to have this recipe. If you’re not a fan of marinara, stop reading this and never contact me again. Just kidding (maybe). Really, if you don’t care for marinara, try this recipe with a brown gravy. They are delicious that way!

Of course, the ingredient amounts are vague. We’re Italian. This recipe is from the old country. Think Sophia Petrillo. Do you think she would tell you how much salt, pepper, and garlic powder to use? I didn’t think so.

Guido-family Meatballs

4 pounds hamburger meat

2 packages hamburger buns, processed to bread crumbs

6 eggs

Salt and pepper

Onion tops

Parsley

Garlic powder

In the food processor, finely chop the meat. Mix all ingredients by hand in a large mixing bowl. Shape mixture into golf-ball-size meatballs and bake at 350 degrees until done. Use a meat thermometer to check the core temperature. It should be around 165 degrees. Let cool. These can then be stored in the refrigerator or freezer to later be added to a marinara or brown gravy.

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I’ve been binging again. I mean, it’s all for research for blog posts. Right? Either way, I’m finding some really good stuff on and off TV.

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Waco (Paramount Network App)

I think I’ve mentioned that I’m a fan of cult anything. Not that I want to be in a cult, start a cult, or have been in a cult; but you have to admit that it’s really interesting how people can be brainwashed to leave their families, give up all of their money, and live on compounds (especially those without running water). My co-workers suggested I try Paramount Network’s 6-part miniseries about the tragedy in Waco, Texas.

First of all, it was amazing. I was hooked from the first few minutes. It never dragged and the whole time I was wondering how they would fit this into 6 episodes. I mean, you have to watch it for several reasons, but the main one is that this has a Culkin brother in it. Like Kevin McCalister’s younger brother. Those are some strong genes by the way.

Second, ever since finishing the series over a rainy weekend, I have had Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” playing over and over in my head. I think you will see it for yourself. Those religious folks may have had some strange ideals, practices, and were stock piling guns like end times were headed their way; but all of that tear gas started that blaze.

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Divorce (HBOGo App)

Luckily, there are two seasons of this SJP show for you to binge. The episodes are short. The love triangles are entertaining. I think Robert wasn’t supposed to live in New York. I think that Frances is fantastic and giving me all of the suburban Carrie Bradshaw feels that I need in my life right now. And Molly Shannon! She’s fantastic and like a grown-up version of Mary Katherine Gallagher.

This show may not be for everyone, but I love it. Just give a couple of episodes a try and you’ll be watching for Mr. Big and hoping for an encounter with Aidan.

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Here and Now (HBOGo App)

This is a weird one. It looks at mental illness, race issues, and some pretty deep family problems. It’s new and only a few episodes in, but I think that it’s worth the wait to see what happens next. I’m kind of in love with the dad character, which is played by Tim Robbins. He calls it like it is and takes no bull shit. I’m also happy to see Grey’s Anatomy’s Dr. Stephanie Edwards again. She is so different here, and I love it.

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The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Now here is a show to binge. I waited to start this one until right before the release of season 2. I finished season 1 in about three days. I thought from the previews and images online that it was set in the past. Hell no! It’s a post-apocalyptic type of society that takes place after the second “American Civil War.” It’s like a blend of The Scarlet Letter and The Hunger Games.

Here is a cult for you. These religious freaks are a special kind of messed up. Their crazy practices and beliefs made me root for the army of handmaids trying to take back the country one “no” at a time. You have to watch this one. Season 2 comes out on April 25. I’ll be glued to the TV again.

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Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix)

I love this show. It’s like The Walking Dead and Dexter had a comedic and sarcastic baby. The way the husband handles his newly un-dead wife is exactly what I want in a man. Understanding. Calming. Always ready to discard of a body. (Just kidding. Sort of.) The first season went by in a day for me. They are 30-minute episodes that are quick witted and leave you hanging to see who she kills (and eats) next.

Season 2 comes out on THIS FRIDAY, March 23; and I’m sure I’ll have it finished before Saturday is over.

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This is the dip recipe to end all dip recipes. It’s yummy. It has veggies. It has cheese, mayo, and sour cream. It has ranch seasoning. It’s served warm. It’s perfect for any gathering at any time of the year. We had it originally at a baby shower and quickly decided to find a recipe and try it as soon as possible. Thanks, Pinterest.

Black-eyed Pea Dip

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)

2 16-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 envelope buttermilk ranch mix

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Chop the onion and sauté it in butter until translucent. Mix the sour cream, mayo, and ranch mix in a large bowl. Then, add everything else to the bowl and mix in your sautéed onions. Pour into a baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes. Serve with tortilla or pita chips while warm.

 

 

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Pond at Afton Villa
Azaleas at Afton Villa
Canopied Drive at Afton Villa

Yesterday on my trip to Baton Rouge, there wasn’t much of a view during the drive down. It will still darkish from springing forward an hour in the wee hours Sunday morning; and to be honest, I was a little caught up in the final episode of season 1 of Serial. But on the drive back to town, the sights of spring were everywhere. I went towards campus before leaving Baton Rouge to pick up a little lunch, and the azaleas blooming were so perfect. As I made my way around St. Francisville, it was amazing to see just how far ahead an hour south of Natchez can actually be. Most of the bushes are completely open already and some have actually started to tinker out. What I did notice is how each patch of azaleas is treated different. Some yards have precisely manicured hedges of the same color bush all throughout the yard. Others let them grow wild almost around the bases of huge Live Oaks. My favorite are the houses that treat an azalea hedge as a 6-foot fence of sorts around the property so you only get a glimpse when passing by. I actually pulled into Afton Villa Gardens to take a few pictures of the driveway. It looked like something straight from an episode of The Joy of Painting with a bunch of happy little trees, bushes, and sky.

When I bought my house, I added a row of azaleas to the front of my house; and last year when I chopped down my 100-foot pines, I added a few at the foot of my driveway. I plan to add more this year and really make a mound of blooms in the future. Even though it’s a tad cooler this week, it helps liven up the senses when so much color is surrounding you.

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I love a strawberry; and by that, I mean that I just like strawberries. I usually don’t care for strawberry cake. I have a hate for strawberry ice cream. I don’t even really care for strawberry flavored candy. Just give me the actual berry.

That all changed this week when my mom made this strawberry cake she found on Southern Living’s Facebook page. It’s light but decadent. It’s sweet, but you can taste the fresh lemon juice throughout it. It’s perfect in every way possible. It needs to be on your Easter menu (or your weekend menu) now.

Strawberries and Cream Sheet Cake

For cake:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Shortening

 

For frosting:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar, divided

2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1 drop pink food coloring gel (optional)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating 4 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in strawberries.

Grease (with shortening) and flour a 13-inch by 9-inch pan; line with parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over long sides. Lightly grease paper with cooking spray. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Lift cake from pan, using parchment paper sides as handles. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove parchment paper. Cool completely (about 1 hour).

For frosting, beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth; add strawberries and food coloring (if desired); beat until blended. Beat cream and juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and slowly add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold half of cream mixture into cheese mixture; fold in remaining cream mixture. Use immediately.

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I can remember that the months of March and April always gave me hives in high school and college. Everything in Natchez seems to sandwich into those two months and leaves very little time to breath; however, we are used to this lifestyle. So, we take it gladly each year that tourists still come to town and want to know more about our little hamlet.

Little Maypolers at Monmouth around March 1990
Royals at Pageant March 2007
Buglers during “The Hunt” March 2017

Luckily, this year will be condensed into about a two full weeks of balls to attend, pageants to watch, and hunts to perform in for this Guido family. While Aimee and I may not be in the Tableaux anymore, my two kids sure are. This year, we are also extremely excited to welcome our “little sister”, Julia Rachel Kuehnle into the royal family since she will be serving as Natchez Garden Club’s queen this year. My how time is flying!

Tri Delta visits Natchez March 2007
Guido girls on Court March 2009
Welcome to the club, JR! March 2009

So, between cocktails parties before Tableaux, seating guests into the boxes each night, and wrangling the Beagles before their showtime, I’m going to be one tired puppy come April.

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I feel like we have tried every way imaginable to cook fish. Lucky me when I was proofing the March edition of Country Roads that I found a new recipe that seemed simple and all of the ingredients were a quick trick to Red Stick Spice away.

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This recipe for Cast-iron Catfish worked perfectly with the fresh Alaskan Halibut we had in the freezer from our great-white North friends. The recipe called for some interesting ingredients that I’m excited to try in other recipes, too. The blood orange avocado oil will soon be used when roasting Brussels sprouts. The Chackbay seasoning blend will go great in the flour mix for other fried fish dishes to come.

Be sure to season each side.
Sizzle the skin side first to make a crispy delish bite.
Serve over wild rice or grits.

Follow the link above in “Cast-iron Catfish” to see this easy recipe and head over to Red Stick Spice’s site to order some yummy treats!

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I think everyone knows I’m a fan of HGTV. I’ve always been a follower of Trading Spaces and While You Were Out; but now with Fixer Upper, Hometown, and Property Brothers, I’m pretty much glued to that particular channel.

Luckily, I have quite the fixer upper of my own and have slowly been going room by room and inch by inch changing, re-changing, and changing again the look of my house. Some rooms were easy: paint, floors, lighting. However, some rooms needed (and still need) some elbow grease and a budget. Two springs ago, we tackled my “master” bath. Since there isn’t a master suite in my house on Auburn, I dedicated one of the two identical bathrooms (the one with actually 6 more inches of width) as my own. After shiplapping a wall, subway tiling the shower, and bricking the floors, I had a bathroom that Joanna Gaines would gladly call her own.

 

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After

Don’t worry, I’ll admit that I was a bit of a design diva throughout the process. This was a DIY project that my entire family helped with in some form or fashion throughout the 2-month timeline. Dad was the “Chip Gaines” of it all with his crowbar and nail gun within arms reach at all times. I did throw him for a loop with the niche I just had to have in my shower. I’d seen them on all of the renovation shows and really thought it would be ideal in my shower. No harm, no foul. Right? No. Major harm. Major foul. We were able to tile the entire shower within a couple of days, but that damned niche caused weeks of turmoil. There was thinking. There was Pinteresting. There were times we were all thrown from the premises so that Dad could think it through on his own. I have to say it turned out perfectly, and every time I grab my shampoo I think “Hmm, that’s a might fine niche.” 

 

Mid Demo Day 1
End of Demo Day 1
Amount of Demo
End of Demo Day 2
Adding Insulation to Outer Wall
Adding Shiplap Wall
Roughing in Backer Board and Sheet Rock
Roughing in Sheet Rock
Tile Experts applying the first (of many) subway tiles.
The Niche Before
The Niche After
Ceramic Brick Floors
A toilet and shower door to go!
Finished shower

With bathroom two on the horizon by the end of March, I’m excited to get to tiling again and see what this version of shiplap, subway, and brick looks like. I have given up the niche in the guest bath. Sorry, future guests, baskets will have to do.

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I tell you what. I love breakfast food. Any kind and any excuse, I’m going to go for it on a menu versus an actual lunch or dinner option. I’m known to order brunch when everyone else is ordering burgers. I’ll ask for a side of pancakes instead of bacon or sausage. I love my waffle iron and think that you can never have enough syrup on top.

Here is a hash brown casserole that is a go to for brunch menus we put together and special dinners that need a really gooey starch.

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Delmonico Potatoes

2 pounds Ore-Ida frozen Hash Browns (1 bag)
1 can cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 ounces)
1/2 stick butter, cut into small cubes
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
1/3 cup scallions, chopped
1 container sour cream (16 ounces)

In a large bowl, mix defrosted potatoes, sour cream, soup, scallions, and cheddar cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer ingredients into a casserole dish, and place small cubes of butter over the mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour and a half or until golden brown.

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Sprigs of Spring

I think we have all been a little skittish to say that Spring is finally here; but after several days of warmth, humidity, and a little pollen on top, I think it’s safe to say it’s here. Now, I know that we are due an Easter cold snap thanks to our thunder in early February, but that I can handle. It’s more ice, snow, and need for layers upon layers that I’m ready to get rid of. It’s time for a little sun on my cheeks and saying goodbye to sweater weather!

Japanese Magnolia

My rides to and from Baton Rouge have been tricking me lately to think that Spring has been here for weeks on end. The campus at LSU has been covered with Japanese Magnolia blossoms for weeks, and mine in the backyard on Auburn are just starting to burst open. It’s always been a late bloomer, but I’ve been waiting to see if the cold snap got it or not.

Unfortunately, my inevitable Spring sinus infection has hit this week, too. I spent most of Sunday doped up on Benadryl and Tylenol trying to make the pressure behind my eyes go away. I guess I’ll just have to live with it for a little while longer; I mean, the real pollen hasn’t even started to collect yet. I haven’t seen any streaks of missing yellow in my carport, so there’s still that to look forward to.

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Since I was a little dazed on my drive yesterday morning and I have a couple more days of travel this week, I decided to put the e-books to rest for a little while and try a new podcast. I’ve been told several times since I’ve started listening to different ones on the drive to give “Dirty John” a try. Well, after 4 episodes on my drive Monday, I’m hooked. I did do a little digging, too. I had to put a face to the name behind all of this craziness and was surprised how normal he looked. I guess that goes to show you that you just never know and to never judge a book by its cover.

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Wedding photo from December 2014

I mean, how much more normal can you get? She must have not been a fan of the Google search yet or didn’t use Facebook to the best of its abilities before tying the knot after a few months of knowing him from Match.com. Oh, well, I’m sure by the end of the week, I’ll be finished with this season and looking for more dirt. In the mean time, keep those suggestions coming! I’m new to all of this, remember?