‘Paula Deen’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel {Pigeon Forge, Tennessee}

May 14, 2014 · Narrative

I didn’t used to be afraid of heights.

Years ago, when my ex-husband and I were dating (and even boyfriends before him) and we visited amusement parks, I always went on the roller coasters.

As a good girlfriend would.

And then one day, I stopped.

I can tell you exactly when the fear of heights set in. We were on a ferris wheel and got stuck on the top.

Mechanical difficulties.

Twenty minutes.

And I said never again.

Nick, on the other hand, has exactly zero fear of heights.

Higher.

Faster.

Better.

And unfortunately for me, his sister is following fast in his footsteps.

So it sometimes means that I need to suck it up in the interest of not standing in the way of my kids having fun.

Which is exactly how I found myself some 200 feet in the air (roughly twenty stories high) during our recent Spring Break vacation.

Because every day that we stayed in Sevierville, we passed by The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel.

Multiple times daily.

And it was huge. And it looked like great fun.

Except for the, you know, fear of heights thing.

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Recipe: Caramel Apple Cheesecake {A Beautiful Mess}

November 30, 2012 · Narrative

My Google Reader overfloweth.

(*for those that don’t know, Google Reader is a place where you can read all your favorite blogs in one spot*)

I’ve heard stories of some people needing a clean slate, and they reset their Google Reader back to zero, wiping away all those unread blog posts from their favorite bloggers, so they can begin anew.

And I just can’t.

I mean, what if my newest favorite recipe is lurking around that unread corner?

Or the next end-all-and-be-all craft?

Or a great new photo idea?

So I plug away at it, bit by bit, and catch up on my favorite blogs as I can.

And resign myself to the fact that my Google Reader will always contain “1,000+ unread blog posts.”

To compensate, I do go through periods where I delete a ton of blogs.

Because I just have to. And keep only the best of the best.

When it comes to visual prettiness, A Beautiful Mess is one such blog. Powered by two sisters, Elsie and Emma, I’ve been reading their blog for quite awhile now. And although I have never made a recipe they’ve shared. Or a craft or home decor project. I keep reading.

Because they are inspiring. And their photography? Gorgeous.

I finally broke that no-recipe-made spell this past weekend. When I spied their take on Paula Deen’s Caramel Apple Cheesecake, I knew it would be the perfect thing for our second annual Apres Thanksgiving Bloggers Feast.

Because it screamed Fall (and I’m in denial about Winter. Is it even officially Winter yet?).

And it was super easy.

And it was decadent.

You know, all things you generally want from a dessert, right?

Truth be told, I’m not even that much of a cheesecake fan. I can take it or leave it, and generally leave it. But the crust and the topping on this one did me in.

At which point, after serving it at our dinner, I promptly brought it into the office the next day.

Because I didn’t want to be picking at it at home. Eating it because it was there.

Because it kind of really is that tempting.

It is the perfect dessert when you’re entertaining guests.

Or yourself.

Happy weekend!

*Will be back tomorrow with a special Saturday night post, and a craft to share (although not yesterday’s bumped craft). So.very.behind.

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Countdown to Thanksgiving

November 23, 2010 · Narrative

Some bloggers start writing about Thanksgiving recipes weeks before.

I am not one of those bloggers. Have you noticed?

I’m just not that organized. Not ahead of time. It comes from being a long-term sufferer of FlyByTheSeatOfMyPantsitis I believe. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Although I know exactly what our menu is, when it comes to giving you ideas ahead of time, well, you’ll just have to forgive my shortcomings.

But today is Monday, and I can give you a few suggestions in case you have a few gaps on your menu. And I can give you a centerpiece idea. A placecard idea or two. And even a craft idea. That’s good, right? I’m going to picture you nodding your head vehemently in agreement, so here we go.

Our Thanksgiving menu over the years has remained largely unchanged, and I love it that way. It has slowly evolved into a menu that features family favorites, old stand-bys and good old-fashioned comfort food. It’s a menu I truly look forward to every year. I make so many new recipes, that it’s nice to count on old favorites this time of year.

Appetizers:
Spinach Cheese Squares, Cheese Delights and Sausage Cheese Balls are all part of our starting line-up, along with a Brown Sugar Almond Brie. The Spinach Cheese Squares and Cheese Delights are recipes that my Mom made for us growing up, and they never fail to disappoint. I love that our kids (mine and my sister’s) are eating things that we ate as kids ourselves. The recipes are easy, and delicious and take just a few minutes of prep, exactly what you need on the big day.

Sides:
The appetizers and side dishes on the Thanksgiving table are always my favorite parts. We have Cranberry Conserve (if you like cranberries, you’ll love this one, and if you don’t, I can almost guarantee it will make you a convert), Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Broccoli Salad and, of course, stuffing. I’m a fan of an Emeril version, though I leave the oysters out when making it for my family.

Dessert:
This year, we’re going with cute cupcakes for the kids, pumpkin pie from Costco (the best bargain for $5.99 and delish) and a Caramel Walnut Cheesecake (from one of the kids’ recent fundraisers), so dessert is uber-simple. An old favorite, if you need a suggestion, is Paula Deen’s Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle, one of her few recipes that don’t contain a stick of butter or cup of mayo. It looks so pretty in a clear glass trifle dish and is perfect for both kids and adults alike. I just may make it over the weekend to get our trifle fix on, since it’s not hitting the holiday table.

Oh right. The turkey. The Overnight Turkey was one of The Ex’s specialties and I do miss waking up Thanksgiving morning to the smell of roast turkey. If I had the energy, I would do it myself, since it’s something we had for some 12 years running, but I don’t, and as much as I loved it, I think it’s a tradition best left in the past.

Centerpieces:
I started this gratitude tree last year, and we’re bringing it back this year, with each family member adding a leaf to the tree, sharing what they are grateful for.

Placecards:
An easy way to bring a little bit of formality to Thanksgiving. Just a little. I”m using the ones I made last year, but there is also this alternate version that I did for a recent Disney article.

Crafts:
When Nick was much younger (just looked up the date when I grabbed the picture, he was 4), one Thankgiving my Mom pulled out the play-doh and together they made little play-doh turkeys. Too cute, and a low-stress way to keep the littles entertained while you’re putting the finishing touches on your feast.

Etiquette … before I forget, allow a slightly related vent. With this being the holiday season and all, party invitations are likely to start coming your way. When people are kind enough to invite you over for a get-together, be it large or small, please RSVP. RSVP means respond. It’s ok if it’s a no. Be honest if it’s a maybe. And yay if it’s a yes. But respond. Would you believe I had a get-together this weekend with over 100 people that didn’t even bother to respond maybe, yes or no?

Project 365
November 22, 2010, Photos #228, 229, 230, 231 and 232

Starbucks has unleashed a new flavor in their Frappuccino line-up – Caramel Brulee. I think it just may have replaced my stand-by of Mocha Frappuccino, and my Spring favorite of Honey Frappuccino. I meant to take a picture when there was, you know, a drink still left, but I had a sip to taste it, and before I knew it, it was gone.

This little monster (and yes, today her and her big brother were little monsters) is a super shopper. Before you know it, there are new hats on her head (complete with gloves still attached), a too-small jacket on her little body and a $1 basket filled with little goodies that she has picked up along the way. Not to mention everything she has tossed into the cart when I wasn’t looking.

Our house rule is a steadfast “one holiday at a time,” but I couldn’t help but peek to see if Target had any new food ornaments for our special kitchen tree. And they do.

Turnip Green Soup

June 15, 2010 · Narrative

As I was making this recipe the other day, I was silently cursing Jamie Deen, one of Paula Deen’s sons. His smiling face was beaming down at me from the magazine clipping next to his recipe for Turnip Green Soup, and his directions for the soup were lacking just a bit. In fact, they were currently causing me to burn the bottom of my stockpot. Things like that don’t make me happy. As an aside, and completely related to nothing but the Deen Brothers, I always used to forget which Deen brother was Jamie and which one was Bobby, but then I figured it out. B = Bobby is the Bachelor. If this is something that keeps you up at night too, feel free to use my little handy trick.

Back to the soup. I was sure it was ruined, and that was making me mad, because chorizo, one of the ingredients in the recipe, isn’t exactly cheap, and coupled with the carrots, onions, and turnip greens, it would be a complete waste to have to throw the whole thing away. And I hate waste. Luckily I plodded along, following the recipe through to the end, and even though the bottom of my pot showed a recipe beyond repair, the proof was in the taste.

Hearty. Tummy-warming. Feel good stuff from the inside out. Now I can hear some of you shaking your head, thinking “soup is for winter!” Yeah, I never was one of those types. I mean, the inside of the house is nice and cool from the AC, why not soup? And this one isn’t a stick-to-your-ribs thick one. Although it has lots of good-for-you stuff inside, the soup itself is chicken broth based, so it won’t weigh you down too much.

It whips up in nothing flat and has been keeping me pretty satiated for lunches for a few days now. With our farmer’s markets finally in full swing, my greens and carrots came from there, and this was the perfect use for them. So whether or not you can tell the Deen boys apart, or just want something yummy and (reasonably) healthy that you can ladle up for a quick lunch or light dinner, you might want to give this one a whirl.

Tomorrow? Our Summer Bucket List. See ya then!

Project 365
June 15, 2010, Photo #111

This will be one of the recipes you’ll hear very little about when I do my round-up at the end of the month. A Beer-Battered Fish recipe from Cooking Light. It was fine, certainly edible, but not the end-all-and-be-all recipe to stop the search.

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Bobby Dean’s Ghoulash

December 21, 2009 · Narrative

I am so far behind on recipes and various things to tell you about, it’s staggering. Usually I know exactly what I’m going to write about before I even get near the laptop, but tonight … I was torn. There are just too many possibilities! But then I spied this picture of a ghoulash recipe I made last week, and thought it would be the perfect thing to kick off this crazybusy holiday week. Who doesn’t want an easy, peasy, family-approved one pot meal on one of the busiest weeks of the year?

Last week, when I was trying to plan my menu for Christmas Eve dinner, I grabbed Y’all Come Eat, a cookbook from Bobby and Jamie Deen, otherwise known as Paula Deen’s sons. After just a few minutes of flipping through the pages, I had folded down more than a dozen corners of recipes to try. This was the first recipe I’ve tried from the cookbook, and I think we’re off to a good start.

Bobby says that his mom’s Ghoulash was one of his favorite foods growing up, and she still makes it for his birthday. When it’s not his birthday, he whips up his own version, sometimes topping it with sour cream and jalapenos. I love recipes that lend themselves to personal toppings. (I topped mine with sour cream and shredded Cheddar)

Whenever I’m trying a new recipe with the kids, I tend to hold my breath. They are, without a doubt, my toughest audience. Nick can love something one day, and outeat any adult, and then the next day swear that it’s never passed his lips. My little fickle foodie. As for Madeline? Well, her biggest issue, aside from the fact that she wears most of her meals, is that she doesn’t want to sit still long enough to eat. The high chair is history, so getting her to sit and eat a meal, unrestrained, is a challenge at best. For this meal, she ate a few bites at the table, and then took off. After dinner, as I was cleaning up the kitchen, her and Nick were racing around on an invented obstacle course. Every time she raced past me, I stuck out the fork and she’d stop for a bite. A small enough bite so I didn’t have to worry about her choking while running, of course, but a bite just the same. By the time they were done with their sprints, she had polished off the whole bowl. She’s an adorable piece of work, that one.

As for the recipe? Both kids loved it, as did the babysitter, who is picky about ground beef. I liked that it was a one-pot meal and a crowd pleaser. It’s totally easy and uses basic ingredients that will satisfy most picky palates. The ease of cooking the pasta right in the same pot, and the one pot meal aspect makes it a perfect weeknight meal, especially this week when time is short but your to-do list is long.

Good job, Bobby Dean!…

Symphony Brownies

February 9, 2009 · Narrative

Last month I got into a conversation with a guest at a party about all the things she baked over the recent holiday … toffee, shortbread, brownies and countless other items, each one sounding better than the next. “And then I made Symphony Brownies. I made them so many times I’m sick of them now, but they’re so good,” she said. “Symphony Brownies?” This was a new one on me. “You’ve never heard of them? They’re all over the net and very simple to make.” She rattled off the ingredients and I was already making a mental grocery list of items to buy on the way home. It starts with a box mix. Actually two box mixes. And three big candy bars. And nuts. There’s nothing wrong with making a box mix once in awhile. Or all the time. It depends on your comfort level, your motivation and available hours in the day, you know? Truth be told, as much made-from-scratch baking as I do, I always have a few boxes on hand for those spur of the moment times….