I’ll be honest. I’m not a fan of sausage in link form. It must be a texture thing because I love ground sausage. So, when I hear that red beans and rice is on the menu, I know it will be pick around the sausage night for me. However, I love the flavor that it leaves in the mix; so, leave the sausage in!

Red Beans and Rice

1 16-ounce can Blue Runner Creole Cream-style Red Beans

3 16-ounce cans Bush’s Light Red Kidney Beans

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

8 ounces chicken broth

1/2 pound sausage, sliced thin

1 cup ham, finely chopped

Add all ingredients to the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. Serve over white rice.

With fall quickly approaching (And let’s be honest, it’s September. It’s here.), I can’t wait to fill my home with the scent of fresh coffee, dreamy comfort foods, and pumpkin-spiced everything. Full disclosure, I upgraded to a full-time adult this week by ordering an actual coffee pot and getting rid of my one-cup Keurig. I actually set it to pop on 30 minutes before my alarm went off so my house smelled of freshly brewed coffee when I woke up. I felt like I was a grown up when I woke up this morning.

Here is a recipe that makes my senses happy when it’s roasting in the crock pot, PLUS it’s easy!

Mississippi Roast

4 pound chuck roast

1 envelope ranch dressing mix

1 envelope au jus mix

½ cup butter

4 – 5 sweet peppers, sliced

Seasoned salt and pepper to taste

Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place the roast in the bottom and sprinkle with black pepper and seasoned salt to taste. Sprinkle ranch mix over the top; then the au jus mix on top of that. Place the peppers on top of the mixes and top with the butter. Set the slow cooker to 8 hours and let it go!

With the kickoff of football season this weekend for the SEC world and a side of dove hunting this Labor Day weekend, here is an idea recipe to try on your friends and family. From Absolutely A la Carte, this recipe is rich, creamy, and perfect for a crowd!

Fireside Dip

2 pounds hot bulk sausage

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

3 15-ounce cans chili without beans

1 pound processed cheese spread loaf, cut into cubes

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into cubes

2 – 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained

Cook the first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well. Add chili powder and next 6 ingredients to mixture, stirring well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. Serve dip hot in a chafing dish with tortilla chips. (This recipes makes for 25 to 30; so you can adjust as needed for your crowd.)

Yesterday, I woke up with a scratchy throat, sinus pressure, and the chills. I figured since I hadn’t been sickly since last fall I was probably due for a round of the crud. I called my favorite “nurse,” Mom, and ordered up a pot of soup. And did she deliver! It had all of my favorites: wild rice, English peas, mushrooms, and cans of that delicious “cream of” concoction that goes so well in all things yummy.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4 – 5 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded

1 package Uncle Ben’s wild rice

1 bag frozen English peas

1 can sliced mushrooms

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Salt and pepper to taste

After boiling the chicken, reserve the broth. Shred the chicken and set aside. Prepare the wild rice as noted on the package. In the pot of broth, add in the peas and mushrooms and allow them to cook. Add both cans of soup, the chicken, and rice; and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste and turn off the heat. If the soup needs thickening, prepare a package of white gravy; and add to the soup as needed to thicken and add flavor.

This week, the City of Vidalia and Natchez, Inc celebrated and welcomed Vidalia Demin Mills with a fantastic reception and delicious treats from all over Concordia Parish. One such dish was the spinach and artichoke dip from the Duck’s Nest. Oh. My. I had dreams about it that night. It was creamy with a touch of spice. Slap. Your. Mama.

It made me think of another spinach and artichoke dip that I have dreams about occasionally from A la Carte in Cleveland, Mississippi. Thankfully, I am the proud owner of one of Charlotte Skelton’s last copies of her cookbook, Absolutely A la Carte (thanks, Aimee). Here is her version.

Nancy Kuehnle and Mom were at it again with the flower arranging skills.

Eat. It. Up.

A la Carte Spinach-Artichoke Dip

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1 ½ cups sour cream

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 – 2 tablespoons onion powder

Salt to taste

Ground white pepper to taste

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

Combine mozzarella and sour cream in a large bowl; stir in garlic and next 3 ingredients. Add spinach and artichoke hearts to mixture, stirring well. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep warm in a chafing dish.

Now, Charlotte says to serve these with home-fried tortilla chips, which (let me tell you) make this dip exceptional. So, in case you want to go the extra mile (which is completely worth it), here is that recipe.

Home-Fried Tortilla Chips

24 corn tortillas

2 quarts sunflower or safflower oil

Salt to taste

Stack tortillas into piles or 6; with a sharp knife, cut each stack into 6 to 8 equal wedges onto paper towels. When the temperature registers between 375 to 400 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer, add a handful of tortilla wedges into an electric deep fryer. Fry for 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Do not crowd the fryer, and fry the chips only until they’re crisp but not too dark. Transfer chips with a slotted spoon to paper towels, and season with salt. Continue frying other wedges.

It’s finally Friday, and it’s cocktail time. When we traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, last September for my cousin Kari’s bachelorette bash, we spent an afternoon atop The Vendue at its amazing rooftop bar. We all quickly fell victim to the deliciousness of Peach Moscow Mules (and even took them “to go”). Ever since, we have attempted to recreate that yummy concoction and gotten pretty close to the real thing.

Cocktails at The Venue

Peach Mules “To Go”

Cheers!

Peach Moscow Mule

1 shot peach-flavored vodka

Can ginger beer

Fresh lime juice

Ice

Fill a copper mule mug with ice. Pour in the vodka and top with ginger beer. Squeeze the juice of half a lime and enjoy!

We are up to our elbows in tomatoes. Dad picked 50 ripe ones on Wednesday and added them to the already heaping countertops of about 75-100 already ripened tomatoes. However, what we aren’t seeing loads of this year is a bumper crop of cucumbers. Usually, mom can’t make batches of pickles fast enough. This year they are few and far between.

And we are Bread & Butter Pickle people. We eat them on burgers, sandwiches, and on a fork. We chop them up for potato salad, chicken salad, and deviled eggs. Mom keeps jars and jars of relish she’s processed from the pickles in our pantry for use throughout the year.

So, in hopes that pickling cucumbers will magically appear on our door step, here is our recipe for this delicacy.

Bread & Butter Pickles

4 quarts medium cucumbers, sliced

6 medium white onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup salt

5 cups sugar

3 cups cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed

2 teaspoons mustard seed

Do not peel cucumbers; slice thin. Add onions, garlic cloves, and salt. Cover with cracked ice; mix thoroughly. Let stand for 3 hours. Drain well. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers. Heat just to a boil. Seal in hot, sterilized jars. Yield: 8 pints.

It’s my favorite part of summer. Finally, we have enough fresh vegetables to live off of them for the foreseeable future. So, here is a family favorite that we’ve enjoyed for summers as long as I can remember.

Pre-baked Eggplant Casserole

Yum.

I know, it’s not the prettiest; but wow is it good. We talked about it last night; maybe try it over egg noodles. That would be delish.

Eggplant Casserole

3 – 4 eggplants, peeled, cubed, and boiled

1 pound lean hamburger meat

1/2 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped and seeded

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 teaspoon Cavender’s Greek seasoning

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

After boiling the eggplant, drain them and make sure all the excess water is removed. Brown the hamburger meat with the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Mix with the eggplant, soup, and greek seasoning. Pour into greased casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.

Y’all. My mom can make a birthday cake. While the actual cake may be a box version of whatever yellow cake she likes, that icing is what makes it sing. It’s creamy, sweet, and perfectly chocolate.

This week, we celebrated my sweet cousin Kari’s entrance into her thirties. But, with two days in Baton Rouge this week, baking wasn’t in the cards for me. Thankfully, Mom came to the rescue and whipped up her signature cake.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2/3 cup Crisco (butter or regular)

1-pound box powdered sugar

2 – 3 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 cup water (for mixing)

For a lighter chocolate, use 2 tablespoons of cocoa. For a darker chocolate, use 3 or 4. Beat all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth.  More water can be added if needed.