It's the most wonderful time.....

Once again here we are... Hustling, bustling,  shopping for the perfect gifts for those we hold so dear... Yes my shopping is done and the lights are on the tree.... White Christmas is on tv (yes the Bing Crosby one)  and my thoughts wander back to holidays with my mom and dad..... I get very nostalgic this time of year, and I try very hard to continue the special customs that my mom had.  It's the best way to share a tiny bit of my mom with my grandchildren who never got to meet her.   What are your traditions?  Whatever they are, I hope your holidays are filled with love and happiness....     

With love, 

Charla

In The Kitchen With Judy

It's a special Saturday morning on Redstone Farm!   My 2 grandsons spent the night with us and were excited to help in the kitchen this morning!  We decided that French Toast and ham slices would be our breakfast! 

    Our "French Toast" recipe is very simple...2 eggs, salt, pepper and milk all mixed together as Brylan calls it.. And Zac says dump bread in it.    The crowning moment was pouring original Griffins syrup all over our toast! Well as you can see, it was a great breakfast on this cool, damp October morning.... And remember.....GO POKES! And Boomer Sooner!

It's nearly Fall!! In the Kitchen with Judy

It's nearly fall!! Watching Laurie make my "Boo" door decoration and talking about my fall photo shoot coming up, it got me in the mood to bake.  Laurie found a recipe that looked yummy, so with it being a lazy Saturday afternoon, I decided to try my hand at some pumpkin cupcakes.  I will say that this recipe makes a heavy cupcake.  But... It is yummy!  If you are a pumpkin pie fan, you will like this!  For the topping, instead of traditional cool whip, I made cream cheese icing.... It was a good choice!   

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     Thanks for liking my In the Kitchen with Judy episodes!!!!

In the Kitchen with Judy

     This is the day The Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24.  This is one of my very favorite verses in the Bible.. So how did I rejoice and be glad? First I attended worship services this morning and then I celebrated by cooking!  It's what my mom did every Sunday my entire life.  She was such a wonderful example of what a Godly person should be.  

     So what was on the menu today?  Stuffed Tortillas, that's what!  And they were yummy.  I started off with very very lean hamburger ( 96% meat 4% fat),

Added onions and red peppers ( I cheated and used the frozen ones)

Salt to taste and 1 tablespoon of garlic pepper..1 can of Rotel tomatoes.... .. Added a half package of hash browns, put the lid on the pan and let it simmer....

Heated flour tortillas in the microwave..... Shredded cheese on the tortilla, added meat mixture, rolled them up and eat!

     They were sooooooooo good! And made enough to have leftovers tonight!!

In the Kitchen with Judy (& Hinley)

I've had a visitor in the kitchen with me today ... Someone wanted brownies, but I discovered that I did not have any brownie mix.  Rick said to just make them from scratch, so I did.... It was easy,  easy,  easy! I don't think I will ever buy brownie mix again....  And just so you know..... Hinley was a great help! Now we are ready to watch some COWBOY FOOTBALL!  GO POKES!!

In the Kitchen With Judy.... Birthday Request

It's time to celebrate Laurie's birthday! She will be 25 tomorrow! Where has the time gone? She is all grown up, married and has her own daughter.... But just like Holly and Amy, she too wil always be my little girl.... 

 In our family we celebrate everything (nearly).... So mama's recipes come out! Today it is her "from scratch" Devil's Food cake... I did do a slight variation to the icing by adding pecans.... I'll let you know what the Teel/Gilleland experts think!  Happy Birthday Laurie Dayle!

#5 In the Kitchen with Judy

One of the things I have always admired, was the hidden talent of canners.  First it is their bountiful gardens that I admire.  What can not be eaten fresh, must be preserved for later on.  So how is that done??? Well for a girl who grew up in a grocery store ( my parents and Aunt & Uncle were owners of Teel Grocery ), gardening was in the produce aisle.  

     My canning skills are nil.  But I have have friends whose green thumbs produce wonderful gardens and they are terrific canners!  Every year Jeff and Emily Upright inspire me.. So, I have decided to become a gardener.... Of sorts..   I have 6 tomato plants, generously donated to me by my friend, Michelle Miller..  Little did she know, they would go through many trials to be able to produce 3 tomatoes... You read right... 6 plants, 3 tomatoes! 

      So off on my "canning" adventure... First... I discovered a refrigerator pickle recipe on Pinterest ... Isn't that where you discover everything?   Second, I put out the word that I needed cucumbers. And John Long came to my rescue! So now I have these cucumbers laying on the counter.. I've got to do something and not let them go to waste.  I gathered up everything I needed.. And I had everything, everything but rings for the jars.  I knew I had some... Somewhere ..from  the pickles Jeff and Emily had made me last year...  And of course they were right where they should be.... In the toy box!  My granddaughters like to wear them as bracelets!

     Now after cucumbers are washed, sliced and packed in jars, it's time to pour the pickling juice over the 7 quart jars.   Lids and rings are on and jars are now in the fridge!  A small prayer that they turn out!   Stay tuned!  I'll let you know whether it was a success or it's back to the drawing board aka the grocery aisle......