My Version of Carolina Gold aka Yaller BBQ Sauce

Since "yaller sauce" is getting kind of hard to find around here, I figured out this recipe after several attempts. We like it better than the store-bought kind. Put this stuff in the blender for a few seconds then store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Shake before using.

1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

I will never make another pumpkin pie.

You won't either if you try this recipe over the holidays.

Pumpkin Cheese Cake
Preheat oven to 350

Crust in a 9 inch spring form pan
1 3/4 cup of mixed graham cracker and ginger snap crumbs
3T. light brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 stick melted butter

Filling
3 eight ounce pk cream cheese at room temp.
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
3 eggs and 1 yolk
1 1/2 c. sugar1/4 c. sour cream
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
2 t. all purpose flour
2 t. vanilla-

Combine crust ingredients in a bowl and press into 9 in. spring form pan.
Beat cream cheese until smooth, add pumpkin, eggs , sour cream, sugar, and spice.
Blend, add flour and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
Pour into crust and spread evenly.
Bake one hour and 350 F.
Remove and let stand 15 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours

I had never made a cheese cake before because I didn't have a spring form pan. But I went out a few weeks ago with buying one on my mind. I found a set of 3 spring form pans at Big Lots for 7 bucks. The recipe is my variation of Paula Deen's recipe. She uses separate spices instead of pumpkin pie spice and plain graham crackers. I changed it to half graham and half ginger snaps for the crust.

Weeds I Like

CHICKWEED - Stellaria Media

Cooling, antiseptic herb used to treat inflammations, relieve itching, blisters, boils, and abscesses. The fresh plant is edible in salads or as a cooked green. You can find chickweed growing in your lawn, garden, or meadows.

This is what David Hoffman says in The Complete Illustrated Herbal.

Chickweed finds its most common use as an external remedy for cuts, wounds and especially for itching and irritation. If eczema or psoriasis cause this sort of irritation, Chickweed may be used with benefit.
Internally it has a reputation as a remedy for rheumatism.
External Use - To ease itching, a strong infusion of the fresh plant makes a useful addition to bath water. Chickweed may be made into an ointment or used as a poultice.

This is a healthy stand of Chickweed I allowed to grow in my flower beds next to the carport.




















A nice close up of a sprig of Chickweed.





Chickweed Salve

Pack these dried herbs in quart canning jars
2 parts Chickweed
2 parts Plantain
1 part Comfrey Leaf
Cover with Olive oil and let sit at room temperature for at least two weeks.
Beeswax at a ratio of about 1 to 1.5 ounce to every pint of infused oil.



More to come.

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

I know grocery stores are loaded with pre-mixed cookie doughs these days. Heck, Pillsbury and Hershey's both have those chocolate-chip-cookie dough blocks you can just cut into chunks and there you have 2 dozen cookies in 10 minutes - and they are 3 for 6 bucks right now. But there's nothing like the real thing, made from scratch. These oatmeal cookies are my favorite.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Ingredients

2 sticks butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick or old fashioned oats
1 cup raisins

1. cream butter and sugars in a large mixer bowl
2. add eggs and vanilla and mix well
3. add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the mixture in the bowl and blend well.
4. stir in oats and raisins
5. drop teaspoons full on an ungreased cookie sheet.
6. bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown
7. cool on the cookie sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

makes about 4 dozen

Buttermilk Biscuits

I saw a recipe for buttermilk biscuits in the June issue of Southern Living that looks almost identical to mine. The thing that makes mine (and theirs) different from most all other biscuit recipes is the extra amount of kneading. As a matter of fact, I read the recipes on the flour bags in the grocery store yesterday. Most will caution against kneading very much, recommending only 3 or 4 times. But the method I use, that I learned as a girl from Momma, is to knead about 20 or more times, working in some more flour every time I fold the dough over. You know it’s ready to roll out when the dough springs back when poked. I cook in an oven set higher than normal, and even though I use self-rising flour, I still add some more baking powder, resulting in fluffier, higher rising biscuits.

This is my version of buttermilk biscuits, perfected for my oven and my family’s taste.
3 ½ cups self rising flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter flavor shortening
1 ½ cup whole buttermilk
1 cup flour set aside for rolling and kneading

Roll to a rectangular shape roughly 8 by 12 inches. Use a pizza cutter to cut 2 inch squares. Separate by about a half inch on the baking sheet. Place in an oven preheated to 500 degrees and bake for 10 or 11 minutes. Makes two dozen.