Earlier this week, my friend Chris was graciously (THANK YOU) mowing around my property. Having known about our pond, but not visited it in years, he decided to try mowing the underbrush near it so that he could get a better look.

When we were children, my grandparents would stock the pond with catfish and brim and allow us to feed them torn bread in the early evenings. We delighted in walking to the pond – just as the lightening bugs began to brighten the edges of the nearby woods. The summer heat would be disappearing with the setting sun over the loblolly pines, still giving us enough light to make the trek to the spring-fed pond. I remember standing on the end of the dock, tearing up pieces of stale Merita sandwich bread and tossing the tiny bits into the clear water. As the bread just began to get soggy, all sorts and sizes of fish would surface and feed. We always kept our eyes out for the biggest catfish that mainly stayed on the pond’s bottom until each evening feeding. I always thought their long whiskers made them look like something out of Dr. Seuss!

Unfortunately, after my grandparents passed away, I let the pond’s edges grow up. Work, family responsibility and life took precedence over maintaining the pond, now grown thick with weeds and trees from years of neglect. And this is where the story takes an interesting turn…

Back to Chris. He is mowing, enjoying little peeks of the water through the bushes as he is steadily making progress to the pond’s edge. All of the sudden he noticed two eyes staring back at him. Yup, that’s right – we have a GATOR in our pond! That isn’t something he (or ME) expected! He appears to be about 4 or 5 feet in length, just enjoying the pond as his own personal alligator paradise. Not surprising, since our property backs up to “Alligator” Creek and we have had some really dry weather. But still, this fella had to come through many acres of woods to bust up into OUR pond!

Many suggestions from gator teeth necklaces to alligator tail appetizers have circled around dinner table discussions, not to mention a cousin that wants to wrestle it and have it photographed and made into his Facebook profile photo! For now, he is quietly enjoying his gator oasis. Something tells me that the Fish and Game guys will be making a visit to our land soon to rescue this critter and let him loose (hopefully, not in our creek) back into the wild.

Price you pay for living in Florida!

We are camping this weekend and will probably be grilling up these little goodies:
Lighter Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients

• 1 tblsp. olive oil

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 3/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
• Greek seasoning, to taste
• 10 jalapeño peppers, halved and seeded (I used a mixed bag of peppers)
• Parmesan cheese 
to sprinkle on top

Method

Step 1

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown turkey with green pepper, onion and garlic; drain.

Step 2

Transfer turkey mixture to a bowl; blend in cream cheese and seasoning.

Step 3

Add one tablespoon of turkey to mixture to each jalapeño half; sprinkle with Parmsesan cheese.

Step 4

Transfer filled jalapeños to lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 425° for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops are golden. I chose to cook them on the grill, just until skins were charred and filling heated through.

Ingredients

• 6 large poblano peppers
• 3 cups cooked chicken (combine white and dark meat for best flavor)
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 2 cups Sargento Reduced Fat Shredded Sharp Cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese
• 4 oz. Philly 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1 can or 1 cup whole kernal corn, drained
• 1/4 tsp. McCormick Red Pepper Flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small can diced roasted chiles (hot or mild)
• 1 tblsp. McCormick Chili Powder
• cayenne, to taste, optional
• 2 cups Sargento Reduced Fat Shredded Sharp Cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese

Method

Step 1

Roast the peppers over a gas burner or with a blow torch until completely charred. Alternately, roast under the broiler or on a grill, but take care not to overcook the peppers. As peppers roast, transfer to a plastic bag and close to allow peppers to steam.

Step 2

Remove the charred skin from the peppers using a soft brush or paper towel or under running water if necessary. Carefully split one side of the peppers and use a spoon to remove the seeds and the three pith lines on the inside of the pepper; set aside.

Step 3

Combine the chicken, onions,cheese, corn and salt and peppers. Stuff this mixture into the peeled peppers and place in an oiled casserole dish large enough to hold them in one layer.

Step 4

For the sauce, cook the chopped onion over medium heat with 1 tbs. oil (or use 1/4 cup water or stock to reduce the fat content). Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer 15 minutes.

Step 5

Pour sauce around the peppers in the casserole. Top peppers with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees, for 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through.

Step 6

Serve with salad or rice and beans.

Poblano Pepper 30 Seeds - For Authentic Chile Rellenos. Easy to Grow:

Peppers of the World Poblano Chili Seeds

Ingredients

• 2 large red or yellow onions, chopped very finely
• one 16 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tblsp. mustard
• 2 tblsp. sugar
• 4 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tblsp. paprika powder
• 2 tblsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tblsp. oil
• keilbasa or your favorite sausage

Method

Step 1

Warm oil over medium heat. Put onions in pan and cook over medium heat until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add curry powder, paprika powder, chilli powder and continue to cook while stirring, for one to two minutes. Add tomatoes and juice to pan and crush thoroughly, stir through.

Step 2

While stirring add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and lower to simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened. 20-25 minutes. Purée mixture in blender and strain through a sieve. Makes 2 cups of sauce.

Step 3

Grill sausages until done, slice into bite sized pieces and cover with warm sauce. Add additional paprika powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, curry powder, mustard or finely chopped onion to taste, over the sauce covered sausage.

Make your own sausage! How delish would this curry ketchup be over homemade sausage? Check it out by clicking the link:

LEM Products Sausage Stuffing Kit

Ingredients

• 16 slices bacon (about 12 ounces), cooked crisply and diced (smart substitution: turkey bacon)
• 16 oz. Philly Cream Cheese, cubed, room temperature (smart substitution: Fat Free Philly Cream Cheese)
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (smart substitution: Sargento Low Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese)
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dried minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• dash Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 1 pkg. chopped frozen spinach (thawed)

Method

Step 1

Put all ingredients in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 hours, until cheese is melted and mixture is hot. Serve with bread, crackers, light tortillas or whatever!

For more great recipes using Philly Cream Cheese, clink on the link below to take a look at their cookbook:

Kraft Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese Cookbook

Ingredients

• 4 low fat graham cracker sheets
• one 12 oz. Cool Whip Free
• 1 (2 oz.) Butterfinger Candy Bar, crushed
• 1/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Syrup
• 1/4 cup Smucker's Sugar Free Caramel Topping

Method

Step 1

Lightly spray an 8"x8" glass dish with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with the graham cracker sheets.

Step 2

Mix together the cool whip with half of the crushed Butterfinger. Spread the cool whip mixture evenly over the graham crackers.

Step 3

Drizzle both the chocolate and caramel syrup over whipped topping. Sprinkle remaining Butterfinger over pie.

Step 4

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours. Cut into 8 equally sized pieces.

For more fun recipes using Cool Whip, check out this recipe book:

Ingredients

• fresh pineapple, sliced or cut into strips
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• shot of tequila
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• vanilla or coconut ice cream

Method

Step 1

Combine all ingredients in small pan and heat until sugar dissolves

Step 2

Place pineapple slices or strips onto a hot grill and baste with glaze. Continue to baste until you have good grill marks.

Step 3

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with remaining brown sugar glaze.

I. LOVE. DEPRESSION. GLASS. And green is probably one of my favorite colors. And it's just not for eating off of either - click on the link below to see these gorgeous depression glass earrings from Bottled Up Designs:

Green Depression Glass Earrings by Bottled Up Designs

“In the spring of 1988, I returned to New Orleans, and as soon as I smelled the air, I knew I was home. It was rich, almost sweet, like the scent of jasmine and roses around our old courtyard. I walked the streets, savoring that long lost perfume.”

― Anne Rice, Interview With the Vampire

One of my favorite movies! And although the main course in “Interview” was mostly mullatto blood, I am certain someone human could have been serving this authentic Louisiana receipt!

Gumbo is a stew or soup that probably originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It typically consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoning vegetables, which can include celery, bell pepper and onions (a trio known in Cajun cuisine as the “holy trinity”). Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used: the African vegetable okra, the Choctaw spice filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves), or roux, the French base made of flour and fat. The dish likely derived its name from either the Bantu word for okra (ki ngombo) or the Choctaw word for filé (kombo).

Several different varieties exist. In New Orleans, what is known as Creole gumbo generally contains shellfish, tomatoes, and a thickener. Cajun gumbo varies greatly, but often has a dark roux with either shellfish or fowl. The Creoles of Cane River make a gumbo focused much more on filé. Sausage or ham are often added to gumbos of either variety. After the base is prepared, vegetables are cooked down, and then meat is added. The dish simmers for a minimum of three hours, with shellfish and some spices added near the end. If desired, filé powder is added after the pot is removed from heat. Gumbo is traditionally served over rice. A third, lesser-known variety, the meatless gumbo z’herbes, is essentially a gumbo of slow-cooked greens sometimes thickened with roux, with rice served on the side.

The dish combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including French, Spanish, German, West African, and Choctaw. Gumbo may have been based on traditional West African or native dishes, or may be a derivation of the French dish bouillabaisse. It was first described in 1802, and was listed in various cookbooks in the latter half of the 19th century. The dish gained more widespread popularity in the 1970s, after the United State Senate cafeteria added it to the menu in honor of Louisiana Senator Allen Ellender. The popularity of chef Paul Prudhomme in the 1980s spurred further interest in gumbo. The dish is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana. (source: Wikipedia)

For a taste of NOLA, try my Andouille & Chicken Gumbo:

Andouille & Chicken Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup oil, peanut or vegetable
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 lb. Andouille sausage
• 6 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, shrimp stock or water, enough to cover other ingredients
• 1 chicken thigh per person
• salt
• red pepper
• black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• chopped scallions, green only
• Tabasco
• 1-1/2 cups okra, cut ½-inch thick

Method

Step 1

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown in a heavy-bottomed pot with 2 tablespoons of oil. Remove chicken and hold. Once cooled, remove meat from thighs. Discard bones and skin.

Step 2

Add the cut sausage to the same pan and cook until lightly browned. Remove and hold. To make your roux, add the remaining oil to the same pot. Stir in the flour and cook until a deep brown color, stirring constantly over low heat. The darker the roux, the better the gumbo.

Step 3

Add the garlic powder, chopped onion, celery and bell pepper to the roux and continue cooking until roux is a medium-dark brown and vegetables wilted. Season with salt and black pepper. Vigorously stirring, add 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock.

Step 4

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; if too thick, add more stock. Add the sausage, sliced okra and chicken and allow to simmer 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt, red pepper, black pepper, Tabasco. When ready to serve, add the parsley. Ladle into a bowl and sprinkle with chopped green onions. To make a more substantial meal, serve over cooked rice.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground beef chuck
• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
• 3 (15 oz.) cans chili beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can chili beans in spicy sauce
• 2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with juice (Rotel® Tomatoes kicks up the spice!)
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped (I have also used canned chile peppers)
• 1 tblsp. bacon bits
• 4 cubes beef bouillon
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tblsp. minced garlic
• 1 tblsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• sour cream (for topping)
• 1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Sargento cheddar cheese

Method

Step 1

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

Step 2

Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer.

Step 3

Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Step 4

After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

Step 5

To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

My husband loves to go up to the hunting camp and cook over a real campfire. We have several different sizes of Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Ovens that we use to cook everything from chili to cobbler. This five quart oven is a great starter piece to invest in! Click the link below to see the details of this versatile pot:

Lodge Logic L8DO3 Pre-Seasoned Dutch Oven, 5-Quart