Collard Patch

Let's Write Weekend, PPW's Exciting 2012 Conference

2012-01-16T13:54:00.004-06:00

Frontiers in Writing, June 28-29, 2012, is 164 days away from today, January 16. I’m excited. And I’m grateful to the FiW 1012 Conference Committee:
Dr. Mike Bellah, Jim Gleason, Rory C. Keel, Phyliss Miranda, Barbara Propst, and Natalie Bright-Chair. Kenja Purkey, PPW President.

This year’s Friday night Keynote speaker is Jodi Thomas, New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist and RITA award winner. Another featured keynote speaker is John Erickson, best known as the author of Hank the Cowdog series of books, audio-books, and stage plays.

Other speakers are Arizona poet and writing instructor Harvey Stanbrough, former acquiring editor and ghostwriter Hilary Sares, and best selling author Candace Havens.

In addition to the above lineup, Panhandle Professional Writers will feature Jeff C. Campbell, former criminal investigator and author; Jim Gleason, Community Relations Manager at Barnes and Noble; Craig and Nancy Keel, both prize-winning authors; and Phyliss Mirando, an outstanding presenter, who is also a New York Times bestseller; Chris Steward, an attorney specializing in copyright issues; and Mary Lou Cheatham, author of story cookbooks, devotionals, and inspirational historic romances.

I’m going to enjoy this conference. I’m bringing plenty of pens and notebooks. Now let me tell you another reason I’m excited. Check the last name on that list. This is the first time I’ve spoken at a conference. And it’s a big fabulous conference. (I know it’s good – I enjoyed the 2011 FIW Conference.)

During the next 164 days, I will continue to prepare my fifty-five minute talk scheduled for Friday, June 28, 2012, about overcoming rejection. I am delighted to present “Reject Rejection” with my insights as a writer on the way up writers’ hill. Let's Write Weekend

Terry’s Spicy Collard Soup

2011-12-31T19:18:00.001-06:00

Terry Chrisman, a great north Louisiana cook, made a powerful pot of collard soup today. She said it had a spicy Italian-flavored kick. It was so good she didn’t have a leftover. She said she just made it up as she went along. She has a well-stocked spice rack. When she cooks, she says she “makes a pass by the spices.” Today she told us exactly what she added. With some cornbread, this soup would make an excellent New Year’s Day meal.

Terry’s Spicy Collard Soup
1 can collard greens (spicy ones)
1can pinto beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 chopped onion
1 heaping teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
a shake or two of parsley, Cajun seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper,
dash of Tabasco
1 cup seashell macaroni

Sauté onions and garlic. Add all other ingredients except macaroni. Add enough water or chicken stock (Terry uses water) to make it soupy, cook for ten to fifteen minutes, add macaroni. cook till al dent. Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. (Terry adds parmesan last and stirs it in whole soup. She also adds one teaspoon of dry ranch style dressing mix.).Serve with dollop of sour cream.

Character Interview with Caroline from Secret Promise

2011-12-28T15:20:00.005-06:00

Secret Promise is a historical inspirational romance to be released in early 2012.

Mary Lou: Hello, Caroline. Thank you for taking some of your time to talk with us today. I know you are busy.
Caroline: Yes, I’m very busy this summer. I have to make dresses for my stepsisters to wear in a revue. The styles they have selected are elaborate. As a result, I have to spend more time on these dresses than necessary. You see, the fashions they selected are out of style.
Mary Lou: Why didn’t you tell them?
Caroline: They went shopping without me. They never ask my opinion. They just go buy fabric and bring it home for me to sew.
Mary Lou: Too bad. What is the special occasion that requires them to wear new dresses?
Caroline: In our little town of Taylorsburg, we’re having a revue. The young ladies are going to be presented. I think they are trying to let the eligible bachelors see them look their best. The new man in town, Jacob MacGregor, is the master of ceremonies for the event. My sisters have their eyes on him.
Mary Lou: What are you wearing to the revue?
Caroline: I don’t have time to make myself a dress. Besides, my stepmother would have a fit if I participated.
Mary Lou: Why do you allow your family to mistreat you?
Caroline: It involves a secret promise I’ve made. I must make sure my family looks good in the community.
Mary Lou: So you make sacrifices because of your promise? I noticed your eyes sparkled when you mentioned Jacob MacGregor.
Caroline: All the young women in town are looking at him. He’s the new owner of the Mercantile. He may be interested in my sister Lydia. At least, she thinks so.
Mary Lou: Your situation seems hopeless. How do you handle it?
Caroline: I have to trust in the Lord. I look to our cook Rachel and Aunt Haley as my mother substitutes. I try to deal with my resentment. Lydia is mean like her mother, my stepmother. Millicent, the baby sister, may turn out all right, but she has no discipline.
Mary Lou: Thanks again for the time. I know you need to get back to your sewing.
Caroline: Oops, my last sewing needle broke. I need to head down to MacGregor’s Mercantile to buy a replacement. Maybe I’ll see Jake.

When Cinderella Meets a Man like Job

2011-12-27T22:51:00.001-06:00

Cinderella – the ever-popular old folktale of unjust cruelty – remains a favorite. For centuries Cinderella has been a favorite character. Imagine a real, true-to-life, beautiful young woman who is mistreated by a stepmother who abuses alcohol.

Now place this situation in 1907 in a south Mississippi timber-and-railroad town. What is the result? Caroline Clemons, who has made a secret promise she will keep no matter the cost. Her life’ struggles seem as impossible as those of the Cinderella we know and love.

To make matters worse, Prince Charming has endured a life similar to that of Job; but, unlike Job, he voices anger at the Lord. How can he overcome his perceived misfortunes and return to the love for God he knew before disaster struck?

Tonight I moved one step closer to giving you this inspirational romance with a historical setting. I edited the cover and the galley proofs. I am excited about sharing this book with my friends.

She lives alone with her dogs. They don’t hit her or yell at her.

2011-12-19T22:10:00.003-06:00

A dear sweet friend of mine – let’s call her Sherrie – told me she found abusive men attractive. Her husband yelled at her, pushed her around, and eventually slapped her. She doesn’t divorce him, because she hopes and prays God will change his heart.

She has decided she should remain alone because she is not worthy of someone who would treat her well. Through a process of soul searching, she has come to realize why she feels unworthy of a decent man. When she was a teenager at home, her stepmother abused her. As she matured, she concluded she was unworthy of being treated kindly.
.
She lives alone with her dogs. They don’t hit her or yell at her. Her life has sadness in it that is painful to watch. Sherrie is beautiful, vivacious, intelligent, and accommodating. Her sense of humor and playful spirit brighten the lives of all the people with whom she interacts at work. Her Christian spirit radiates from within her.

When I was eight years old, I owned a little paperback novel telling the story of Cinderella. It was my favorite story. As soon as I finished it, I started over at the beginning and reread it. I never failed to emote with tears, laughter, or anxiety when I read certain passages. I knew Cinderella would marry Prince Charming, but in my heart I had trouble believing her story would end in such a happy fashion. At various points in the story, I used to stop and invent different conclusions.

In my romantic historical novel, Secret Promise, Caroline suffers from her stepmother’s abuse. Despite all her wonderful qualities, she sees herself as too flawed to expect a happy life. I hope you enjoy reading about Caroline, the brutal struggles of her life, her joys, and her sorrows. I hope you love Caroline as much as I have loved writing about her.

A Walk down the Street One Week before Christmas

2011-12-18T14:42:00.009-06:00

My neighborhood in north Louisiana doesn’t know we have only a couple days of autumn remaining. The leaves continue to glow with the beauty of fall colors. Some years the trees and shrubs are lovelier than others; this year the leaves have been exceptionally brilliant with subtle nuances.

I took Foxy, my standard poodle, for a walk down the street to admire the leaves this afternoon, but she had eyes only for the cat that teased her. She’s more interested in the winter wonderland we have after dark than in the leaves. Tonight the twinkling lights with plastic snowmen catch her eye.

After Christmas my neighbors and I will settle into a gray world punctuated by evergreens. We’ll be saying it’s raining too much or not enough. We’ll rejoice if we see any snowflakes. As always, springtime will come early. Then summer, our dominant season, will take over.

Do you ever wish you could stop time and hold onto one lovely moment? We keep walking down the street and doing all our other business until the time comes when time is no more.

Secret Promise

2011-12-16T11:28:00.001-06:00

Sharing with you the opening of my first romantic novel, Secret Promise. It is due to be released soon.

Chapter One
The Clemons Household

Spring 1907

The thought occurred to Caroline that no one would believe what went on inside the Clemons household. She slipped out of Millicent’s bedroom. Glancing over her shoulder, she rushed through the dining room back to the warm kitchen, leaned by an open window, and drew the breeze into her lungs.

“Land’s sakes . . . you done got too hot.” Rachel brushed the thick soft back of her brown hand against Caroline’s cheek. “Sit a minute. I’ll fetch you some cool water.”

Caroline swigged it down and set the empty glass on the worktable. “Thank you, Madear. Got to go.”

“You can’t let Miss Horsey catch you back here when you supposed to be at the front door.”

In the parlor Caroline plumped the needlepoint-covered pillows on the sofa. A burst of wind blew a filmy curtain into her moist face. Reaching to straighten it, she looked through the window in time to see two Tennessee Walking Horses pull an elaborate surrey with fringe trim into the circle drive.

A dark-haired man perhaps in his early twenties stopped the team next to a hitching post. He jumped out to tie the horses and bounded up the steps to the high front porch.

A Sneak Peak at the Back Cover of Secret Promise

2011-12-16T10:48:00.006-06:00

Secret Promise, my first historical romantic novel, is scheduled to be released in early2012. I'm excited to share with you what is to appear on the back cover:

Caroline is in hiding. She knows that lying in her bed seems too dangerous. If the wind blows, the curtains will fly open. Anyone passing in the yard will see her. She pulls the bed sheets and quilt onto the floor to make a pallet. Then she snuffs out the candle and finds her way to her makeshift resting place.

Caroline prays for God's protection as she lies, holding her pistol. Soon the morning will come, but the sky is still dark. Clump-clump. Clump-clump. It isn't the milkman; the horses and the wagon sound different.

The wagon pulls into the back driveway, and a man's thudding steps came closer, closer, and closer. He pushes against her door. Stuck—this door is stuck. He crashes into it, but the door does not budge. How will Caroline escape?

She watches the front room through the crack by the kitchen door. She feels an inexplicably strong attraction to the handsome young man.

Years ago she made a promise, which she will honor at any cost.

Guest Blogger: Paul Elliott, The Collard Patch, The Story of the Collard Greens Cookbook

2011-11-29T18:45:00.005-06:00

If you think you don’t like collards, you haven’t tasted our collards.

The Collard Patchstory cookbook began life in Sister Ruth’s Laurel, Mississippi, collard patch. She invited us to pick a mess of collards, and did we pick a mess! We even made a mess. After the first big black plastic bag full, Mary said, “Paul, what are we going to do with all these collards?”

With a cavalier toss of his head, Paul said, “We’re going to fix them and eat 'em.” Of course, Paul wasn’t even sure he liked collards, didn’t know what they tasted like. Four big plastic bags of collards later, the cleaning and chopping process saw dawn’s early light. What a J-O-B!

Now reduced to many freezer bags of chopped collards and much needed sleep, the challenge of what to do with them remained. Fifteen thousand messes of collard greens with salt pork somehow overwhelmed our interest in healthy eating.

When an online search for a cookbook devoted to collard greens was fruitless, searches for individual recipes showed very little diversity or imagination. Mary went to work thinking of unusual ways to cook with collards. Paul signed up as a certified eater.

It was quickly obvious that the files were the beginning of a fine cookbook devoted solely to collard greens and cornbread. Research revealed the amazing nutritional value of collard greens – better than spinach, turnip greens, and mustard greens. (For more details look in The Collard Patch.)

Mary’s creativity soon yielded delicious recipes from appetizers to desserts. Yes, desserts! Collard greens make chocolate taste better. Did you ever realize you can eat your chocolate and get your greens? Other than eating Mary’s creations, Paul created stories of growing up in collard country – tales of his misspent youth.

It seems that a second edition may be on the horizon and we have some inventory to clear. Grab your copies for gifts at an unbelievably low price. Stock up for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, and wedding gifts.

At $23.97 it was a cookbook bestseller on Amazon.com. This offer we’re making now on Amazon is good only while the supplies last. Maybe the price is too low. Go here to learn more.

Guest Blogger: Paula Taylor. Family Gardening Legacy, Traveling Bulbs

2011-11-29T18:14:00.003-06:00

Paula Taylor lives in Amarillo. She is in the process of writing her first novel, which reveals her sensitivity as she delves deeply into her characters' motivations. She has a unique talent for turning a phrase.

Because I enjoyed her comments about bulbs, I want to share this article with you. Thanks, Paula.

My dad's mother was an avid gardener. She could grow anything...my dad can too! Anyway, my grandmother followed the habits of most women from her era and moved plants and bulbs with her whenever she moved. I can only imagine the arguments that caused with their spouses!

She came from Iowa to Missouri. Then to Oklahoma, next Texas, back to Oklahoma, Arkansas, Oklahoma, then Arkansas again before finally staying In Oklahoma in her later years. She moved plants everywhere she went as the story goes.

I always loved helping her in her garden. One of my favorite plants was a pink lily she called a “Surprise Lily” or a “Naked Lady Lily”. It was unique because it sent up foliage in the spring, died back to nothing, and then in late summer sent up a single stalk where a cluster of gorgeous pink lilies bloomed.

My dad has many of Gram’s bulbs and has shared this particular one with me. Being the “Greedy Gus” that I am, I wanted more. I found that these bulbs are almost antique and very difficult to find. Ultimately I located a company called “OLD HOUSE GARDENS” which salvages old bulbs from places and then cultivates them for stock to sell.

If you like flowers, a copy of their catalogue is a must. The pictures and descriptions are fabulous. I now have more bulbs planted in my yard and am dreaming of ways to use more of these beautiful old plants in the future.

A Christmas Special, Flavored with Love at a Ridiculously Low Price

2011-11-26T14:07:00.002-06:00

Something nice for Christmas for Less than Five Dollars

Many readers and cooks have delighted in Flavored with Love, my story cookbook. My sister in Laurel, Mississippi, sold almost 2,000 of the first and second editions. When Paul Elliott and I wrote The Collard Patch, I revised Flavored with Love a third time. It has sold constantly on Amazon for $22.97. Not long ago I reduced the price of Flavored with Love to $15.00. Just in time for Christmas I have reduced it to $4.95, a price so low I'm losing money; but I want you to have this book to enjoy. It would make an excellent Christmas gift. Right now there are only three available on Amazon, but more will be on the way soon. When I wrote this, I used the pen name Jane Riley, my imaginary cousin. She tells about the cooks in my family -- the way they act, what they cook for holiday meals and for every day good eating.

You'll be surprised that it is a big cookbook in big print.

Product Description:
Flavored with Love, Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook, Third Edition, is a wonderful story cookbook. Experience the recipes for some of the most delicious food you'll ever put in your mouth. Delight in the intimate glimpses into the lives of some precious, colorful people! Take a culinary trip through the South from Texas to the Carolinas, while you plan to spend most of your time in south Louisiana and Mississippi. Imagine the delightful aromas wafting through your house as you enjoy the heart warming stories. Flavored with Love introduces you to a beautiful blending of flavors in a cookbook packed with more than 300 favorite nostalgic recipes in big print. Enjoy the personalities related to the recipes. Learn secrets from the kitchens of some of Louisiana's favorite restaurants. Collect some hard to find south Louisiana recipes. Learn about the simple recipes that have won cooking contests. Have fun with food and cooking facts. You don't have to be a cook to enjoy Flavored with Love.

What Friends Say about Flavored with Love:
I have been browsing through Mary Cheatham's cookbook Flavored With Love for some time now, and have found it growing on me the more I dip into it. I started out skimming through it just reading the fascinating recipes. But after a while I noticed that the little stories around the recipes were not just filler, but fascinating in their own right. These stories are wonderful little snippets of Southern life starring Mary's family and friends from times gone by, evocations of an era when the pleasures of life were simpler and available to all, rich or poor. Buy it! Read it cover to cover. I particularly liked the story where little 4 year old Mary Lou caught the biggest Bream that had ever been caught and what happened to the Bream the next day. This story was, of course, followed by a recipe for Fried Bream. I live in Western Australia, on the opposite side of the world to Mary, and we don't get much in the way of Southern food out here (apart from Col. Sanders)... But Mary's recipes are so interesting, dripping as they do with the flavours of the South, and I certainly intend to introduce some of them to my family. I highly recommend Mary's cookbook, not just for her incredible recipes, but also for her personal introduction to her family and other interesting people via her warm and memorable stories. --Lex Edmonds, Perth, Western Australia

I own several cookbooks, and this is the only one I would suggest reading cover to cover. In real life I am an auto mechanic, and I have to use exact measures and specifications. I love to cook and not worry if everything is the same as last time. Mary's recipes can all be added to or changed just enough to make them your own, but her humorous way of preparing to cook a pan fish by first catching the fish, or the warning at the end of one recipe about beating your brains out with your tongue, these will only be found in a cookbook written by someone who cares about real people. Some of the best cooking I have done was at the expense of a healthy dish. I love cholesterol, fat, and salt. I am a Louisiana state certified food handler and probably the only mechanic to hold that license. The other day Mary came into my shop and told me that her radio, steering, and electric windows all quit working when she put her car in reverse. Most people would have doubted her, but knowing Mary, and some of the things she has done I started working on her car. I owe my job to a killer pecan pie, and hope to get a raise with this new book. May the Lord bless you and keep you, Mary. --Walker Gay, Choudrant, Louisiana

Mary Lou, thanks for a great cookbook. You share so many downhome real family recipes that it's often hard to decide what to fix next. The little stories you add all bring a smile to my face. You sure can cook. --Willie Crawford, Renowned Internet Marketer, Navarre, FL,

Cornbread Salad

2011-11-21T11:23:00.001-06:00

We Southerners love our cornbread. For the Simsboro First Baptist Church Thanksgiving meal, I made Cornbread Salad, an unusual dish that has become popular on the salad bars of all-you-can-eat seafood and catfish restaurants. If you like the tastes of raw vegetables, bacon, mayonnaise, pickles and cornbread, you will be unable to stop with one bowl of this unique salad.

Cornbread salad is featured in Flavored with Love by Jane Riley (my penname). My sister Ruth Ishee contributed it to the cookbook. She said I should take a big bowl of cornbread salad to the party. She was right. Several people wanted the recipe.

She suggested I dress it up by adding something. I made four batches and added one pound of frozen whole kernel corn (uncooked). Instead of four green bell peppers, I used two green bell peppers and two orange bell peppers.

Cornbread Salad

1 box (8½ ounces) corn muffin mix
1 egg
⅓ cup milk
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium green bell pepper chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup sweet pickles, chopped
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup sweet pickle juice

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a 6-cup muffin tin. Blend the first 3 ingredients. Let the batter rest 4 minutes. Pour the batter into the muffin cups and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow it to cool, and crumble it.

Combine tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, pickles, and bacon. Toss gently. Combine mayonnaise and pickle juice. Mix the mayonnaise mixture with the vegetables. Arrange the vegetable mixture and cornbread mixture in layers in a large glass bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours. Toss lightly before serving.

Mom’s Dressing, Our Family's Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe

2011-11-17T19:41:00.002-06:00

Mom’s Dressing

My mother-in-law, Mary Cheatham, cooked this traditional family recipe. (Because her name was Mary and for a few more reasons, I have reverted to the name Mary Lou Cheatham to avoid confusion, although most of my friends except the ones in Taylorsville and on Facebook, call me Mary.)

Fanny, a precious friend in Peru, is a missionary and the wife of a missionary from Louisiana. She is planning to cook a USA Thanksgiving dinner and needs help. I am posting this recipe for her and for you if you’d like to try some of the best traditional cornbread dressing I’ve ever eaten.

2 batches cornbread prepared according to the instructions on the mix (Mom uses Martha White buttermilk mix; we use Jiffy®.)
½ - ⅔ large loaf white sandwich bread
6 large onions
1 bunch of celery less 2 stalks
½ bunch parsley
1½ teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon sage
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Salt to taste
5 large eggs
Hot water or chicken broth (depending on the use of the dressing.)
Cooking oil

In a huge pan crumble the cornbread; tear the white bread into small pieces.

Sauté the celery and onions in oil but do not allow them to brown. Cut the long stems off the parsley and tear the parsley into small pieces. Stir the vegetables and the seasonings into the breadcrumbs. With vigorous stirring, add the eggs. Continuing to stir, add enough hot water to make a moist dressing. (Alternate directions: if the dressing is to be served as a side dish instead of stuffing, moisten it with chicken broth.)

Cook the dressing in a scant amount of oil in a large electric skillet until it is warm. Adjust the seasonings according to your mood.

Store the dressing in the refrigerator until it is time to stuff the turkey. (If the dressing is to be served as a side dish at a later time, bake it until it is light golden brown on top. Store it in the freezer.)
***
Having lived in Louisiana for more than half my life, I’ve become addicted to cayenne pepper. This dressing is better if you shake a little cayenne into it. Stir well so one of your guests won’t get a mouth full.
***
Just a reminder: Stuffing is cooked inside a bird, and dressing is cooked outside of it. My mother-in-law used this recipe to stuff a turkey, and she always had two cake pans of it left over no matter how big her bird was.
One more note: My daughter and I have stopped cooking the dressing in a small amount of oil. (See the last step of the recipe.) Mom did that to avoid food poisoning from stored raw eggs. Instead of frying it again, we mix it just before we bake it. Then there is no danger. I never stuff a bird. Instead I cook it in a separate pan. It’s lighter and lower in calories. Also there’s no danger this way. The problem of food poisoning arises when a bird is stuffed.

This recipe is featured in Flavored with Love, available on Amazon.com

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 6 (Final Section)

2011-06-17T17:48:00.001-05:00

Ed: And finally, may we please use one of the recipes from your book -your choice -in our book, or do you have another (newer?) one you'd let us include?

Mary: As soon as we published The Collard Patch we realized we didn’t put enough recipes of our favorite way to eat collards when they are tender: wraps. We published a little bonus e-book called Collards Notebook, which I will gladly send to anyone who asks for it. I cannot make it into a Kindle book because it has colored pictures illustrating the following recipe.
Wraps with Collard Greens

Ingredients
Collard greens
Flour tortillas (12" is preferred)
Tuna spread (Use any spread you like, or use meat and cheese. In Flavored with Love, I have included a unique tuna salad recipe.)

Preparing the Wraps
Begin with thoroughly washed collard leaves.
Two methods to wilt the leaves:
Dip them into a shallow pan of boiling water for approximately 15 seconds and drain them on paper towels
OR
Wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave them 15 seconds or longer if they need it.
Second step: Fold the wilted leaves and cut the stem out. Try not to let the leaf fall into two pieces.
Tortillas are sometimes sticky. Warm the tortillas in the microwave 15 – 30 seconds, depending on the size of the package. Warming makes them more pliable – easier to separate and roll. Carefully separate the tortillas. (Tactic for separating the tortillas: work a sheet of waxed paper between them.)
Cover the tortilla with a collard leaf. The 12" size is the right size to go under a leaf.
Spoon a generous amount of the spread in a row on one end of the collard leaf and tortilla.
Too much spread will squoosh out the bottom.
You have two choices:
Make the wrap neat and skinny. You may need to eat two of them!
Make the wrap big and eat one.
A layer of Swiss, cheddar, or Romano cheese could be placed along the top of the spread.
Or if you are a spicemouth, you may want to add some jalapeño slices.
Wrap it tightly and carefully. Start at the side that has the filling on it. To reduce squooshing, you may want to fold in one side as you wrap it.
Toothpicks are useful to hold the wrap together.
Slice at angles or eat a whole one by yourself.

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 5

2011-06-17T17:34:00.001-05:00

Ed: We have found that mustard greens are more popular than collards in many parts of Louisiana.

Mary: What I learned from interviewing people that some prefer one green over another. Many people like to cook two or three varieties of greens in the same pot. Such recipes are included in The Collard Patch.

Ed: Do you have any idea why collards are more popular in the Hill Country?

Mary: They look pretty in flower beds. Those big broad blue leaves look like expensive plants.

Ed: And here's another odd question, related to something written by a Louisiana writer: Have YOU ever heard anyone use the phrase "a bate of collards" (meaning a mess)?

Mary: No, and I couldn’t find ”bate of collards” on google.

Ed: I know from your writings that your faith is at the center of your life: so can you see any connection there with cooking collards? (I figure that is a tough one, so you can ignore it if you wish!)

Mary: This question is an easy one, Edward. We all know that the body is the temple of the soul and the Holy Spirit lives within the heart of every Christian. Add to this knowledge the fact (as documented by food analysis) that collard greens are one of the most nutritious vegetables available. What better way is there to take care of our bodies – and honor God – than to dig into a plate of collards?

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 4

2011-06-17T17:17:00.002-05:00

Ed: Which unusual recipe has really made a surprising splash?

Mary:Dr. Paul Elliott, the co-author of The Collard Patch , helped develop the following recipe. We prepared if for food demonstrations. Tasters kept coming back to our table and asking for another little cup of it. It’s a mixture of south Louisiana gumbo, red beans and rice, and a mess of collards all in one pot.

When we appeared on Chef John Folse’s radio program, he raved over this gumbo. We call it Texianne cooking because it is what happened when a Texas cook and a Louisiana cook poured ingredients into one pot.

Red River Gumbo

Ingredients
1 cup small red beans
⅓ cup all purpose flour
⅓ cup olive oil
1 chopped onion (approximately 1 cup)
1 chopped green bell pepper (approximately 1 cup)
1 cup chopped celery
4 cups finely chopped fresh collards
6 ounces Richard’s tasso, finely chopped
1 can Ro*Tel® diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 cups cooked, diced pork or other meat of choice
2 tablespoons chili powder
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound crawfish tails
2 cups frozen mixture of okra, tomatoes, and onions
Salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste

Preparation
•Soak the beans overnight, empty the water cover again with fresh water, and cook until they are tender:
•Make a roux in the Dutch oven by browning the flour in the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, collards, and tasso. Stir and continue to heat. Add enough warm water to cover the mixture as it continues to cook.
•Add the Ro*Tel®, pork, chili powder, lemon juice, and red beans; keep the pot simmering. Add water as needed.
•Sauté the crawfish tails in butter until they are warmed throughout.
•After the gumbo has cooked until the vegetables are slightly tender, add the tomato-okra mixture and crawfish.
•Adjust the seasonings by adding salt and red pepper as desired. Simmer until all the ingredients are warm throughout and the flavors are starting to smell so good you have to eat it.

Sprinkle on some gumbo filé. Serve it over rice.

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 3

2011-06-15T11:44:00.003-05:00

Ed: Which recipe from your book (it has so many! My wife and I like several) has gotten the most compliments from readers?
(Answer continued)

Mary: Many cooks don’t want to take the time to prepare fresh collards. Here’s a popular frozen collard recipe, which many health-conscious readers prefer:

Simply Delicious Collards

Ingredients
1½ cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups (1 pound) frozen chopped collards
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon basil leaves
2 tablespoons Splenda®
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Salt substitute to taste
Ground red pepper to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
•In a large heavy pan or Dutch oven, heat ½ cup water with the oil until it is very hot.
•Add the greens and garlic. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
•Add the remaining ingredients and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
Having said all this, I need to add that the first recipe in The Collard Patch is the world’s most famous. For years it was number one on google under the heading “collard greens.” Willie Crawford, famous Soul Food cook and internet marketer allowed me to feature this recipe – Awesome Collard Greens.

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 2

2011-06-15T10:02:00.003-05:00

Ed: Which recipe from your book (it has so many! My wife and I like several) has gotten the most compliments from readers?

Mary: The key word in that question is readers. Here’s the one tasters rave over most. It has a few collards and plenty of other yummy ingredients. This recipe is not traditional.

Crawfish Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup small fresh mushrooms
1 cup large pitted ripe olives
1 cup fresh red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
12 ounces frozen crawfish tails
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt-free Cajun seasoning
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 teaspoon Splenda®
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt substitute to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup seedless golden raisins
1 package (14 ounces) cheese tortellini
4 ounces (1/4 cup) feta cheese
4 cups tender baby collard leaves, chopped
4 cups Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces

Preparation
•Place the first 6 ingredients in a big bowl
•Place ¾ cup olive oil in the blender. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and all the remaining powdered seasonings. Blend until it is well mixed. Stir in the parsley and basil.
•Pour the blended dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and marinate them covered at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
•Sauté the crawfish in ¼ cup olive oil and Cajun seasoning about 5-7 minutes. Even though there will be other seasoning mixed with the tortellini, each individual crawfish needs its own spiciness. You don’t want those crawfish to get lonesome. After you sauté them long enough to catch the seasoning, set them aside to cool,
•Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Cook it al dente. Drain it in the colander and allow it to cool.
•Toss the crawfish, tortellini, and raisins with the vegetable mixture.
•When you serve the salad, place it over the greens. Garnish it with feta cheese.

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 1

2011-06-14T22:07:00.003-05:00

Edward, before you start asking me questions, I’d like to ask you a few.

Mary:Why did you write a book about collards?
Ed: My colleague John Morgan and I have been curious about several things: the decline of home gardening since WW2, and the unique history, botany and geography of collards as a leafy vegetable - none of the other vegetables have such an interesting background! No geographer has done a food study at this scale, since the South is such a large cultural region, so it made for a fascinating challenge.

Mary: What is the name of your book?
Ed: Collards and the American South

Mary: How did you go about writing the book?
Ed: This is academia so we were just doing research for small publications - journals you would never hear about, but then we learned more and more and a few years ago someone suggested we could have enough of a story for a book. We began in 2000 by interviewing farmers and gardeners, then as the project grew we ended up surveying agricultural extension agents, seed savers, grocery store produce managers, restaurant owners, seed store retailers, and even 11,000 college students! That last piece is part of a larger project about food in the South - not all of that goes in the collards book.

Mary: Did your wife help you?
Ed: Sandy is a big help in my life, even though she works also as a community college teacher. She did not work on the book, but I ws lucky to have her all along. For example, she allowed me to disappear on long expeditions for weeks at a time!

Mary: What is your book like? Please describe it.
Ed: You got a glimpse in the answer to the third question. It is going to be like a journey through ten Southern states, from Arkansas to Virginia, but with lots of history and agriculture and geography and economics and even literature thrown in, since collards show up not just at covered dish suppers but in novels, poems, songs, festivals, fashion shows, interior decorations, celebrity scandals, and even prison farms!

Mary: What is one of the recipes in The Collard Patch you and your wife like?
Ed: One of the casseroles - I don't have the book with me to remember the exact name of it - but it was a big hit at my family reunion!

Books by Mary Lou Cheatham

2011-05-20T08:39:00.017-05:00

I'm Choking . . . But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief (Insights about Grieving:
"The process of grieving is like walking through a murky swamp. In this e-book I want to talk with you about the way it feels. There's no way I can know exactly what you are going through, not even if we could sit and talk and you could tell me. I will tell you though that I have experienced grief and known many other dear ones who have." Mary Lou Cheatham

The Collard Patch:
"I highly recommend The Collard Patch to anyone who loves cooking good, healthy, down-home food." Willie Crawford, The World's Leading Soul Food Expert

Do You Know How God Loves You?:
"If the question were actually asked of us 'Do You Know How God Loves You?' I'm afraid most of us would have to say 'I haven't got a clue!' It's easy to go through our normal daily routine without giving a thought to God's love. This book can help change that. Mary Cheatham has written a lovely devotional book that takes the reader deep into the heart of Scripture where, day by day, she examines the many facets of God's love for his people. I can't imagine anyone reading this without being informed, enriched and encouraged. I know I was!" Ann Tatlock, author one of the Top Ten Historical Novels of the year according to Booklist Magazine

Do You Know How God Loves You? [Kindle Edition]:
"I requested through Amazon that your publisher make your book available in an Amazon.com Kindle edition, so Kindle readers can find it and enjoy it 'on the go'. God bless you for such a wonderful book that reminds us of God's presence and love for each one of us." RBS Prods, one of the top 500 reviewers on Amazon

A Prayer of Nehemiah, The Birth of Leadership [Kindle Edition]:
Assuming a role of leadership can be challenging. We face all kinds of problems when we step out to lead. The struggles a leader faces are human problems that have not changed over the centuries of history. "Nehemiah, a cupbearer for a Persian king more than 400 years before Christ was born, led a company of his people from Babylon to Jerusalem, where he restored the walls and civil authority. Where his nation once existed, he found ruins. His challenge was for him a great one." Mary Lou Cheatham

Solomon's Porch:
"In this warm, personal story of a devoted marriage, a tragic illness, and incredible perseverance, Jane Riley presents us with the full spectrum of good and evil. But it is not done through high drama, or in complicated philosophic terms. Rather, with a constrained writing style she shows us how it appears in our ordinary, everyday, lives: good friends and devious friends; doctors guilty of deplorable malpractice and callousness, and doctors moved by unswerving concern for their patients; churchgoers who run the gamut from cruelty, hypocrisy and selfishness, to those kindhearted souls that harken back to the early Christians who met at Solomon's Temple and shared compassion and love for one another. All of this is dealt with, fought with, and savoured, in this story of a loving wife-mother-and-caregiver's story, which is gently and beautifully written (with a wonderful knack for dialogue), and -- as several reviewers have already noted - very hard to put down." Andrew Cort, author of "The Purpose of Religion: Enlightenment, Meaning and Love in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Symbology"

Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook:
"Jane Riley is a pen name for Mary Lou Cheatham. 'Jane' has garnered recipes from her lifetime of cooking, mostly from family members and friends, to compile this omnibus cookbook. 'Flavored with Love' is additionally punctuated with a nostalgic overview of the Louisiana and Mississippi regions, and its people, in particular." Patrick Crabtree, one of the top 500 reviewers on Amazon.

All quotations are from reviews and product pages on Amazon.com

E-Book about Grief: I'm Choking . . . But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief (Insights about Grieving)

2011-05-08T22:27:00.005-05:00

Months pass; nothing changes. We sleep in our beds, awake to the buzzing of our alarm clocks, go about our daily routines, enjoy our health, feed the dogs, and interact with our families. We start thinking that our lives will always be the same.

No matter what we think, life moves on. Someone close – a family member or a cherished friend – dies.

Insights about Grieving

It's okay to cry. It's okay to grieve just as it's okay to eat. Problems arise from negative effects when we become stuck and continue to gratify our yearnings and uneasiness by luxuriating in abnormal amounts of normal behavior.

Have Yourself a Happy Little Mother's Day

2011-05-07T09:18:00.004-05:00

What makes holidays sad?

It's Mother's Day and we're supposed to be happy, but it doesn't always work that way.

This realization became evident to me when I was a young girl. In our yard we had several varieties of roses in all colors. We always pinned them on our dresses for church. Those whose mothers were living were supposed to wear red ones. Those whose mothers were deceased wore white ones.

The year after my grandmother died, I remember going out and selecting the roses. Our red ones were small, but the white rose blooms we had were huge and impressive. The one we found for Mother that year was the most beautiful I had ever seen. I still remember the bittersweet expression on her face.

On holidays the memories of the times when we were all together can overwhelm us. The personnel at our gatherings changes. Some of us have no one. We tend to romanticize the past times -- to see them through rose-tinted lenses. Our minds tell us the good old days were better than they could have possibly been.

As much as possible, it's best to look for ways to make each holiday special within the context of the joys we have today. It's time to make some new happy memories.

I have published a new Kindle book entitled "I'm Choking But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief." It is under review and is scheduled to appear in Kindle today. The purpose of this book is to help us deal with grief.

Light Chocolate Cake

2011-04-14T17:24:00.002-05:00

Lightening Up Chocolate Cake

It is possible to have what you want, eat what you love, and lose weight. Small choices made daily will bring big results By thinking ahead about food, I’ve managed to lose weight slowly.

Last night I wanted chocolate cake. By making a few adjustments I was able to enjoy a great cake without going on an eating binge. In the recipe I substituted soy milk, which has only 70 calories per cup. Instead of making a layer cake with rich frosting or cooking a chocolate pound cake with an abundance of butter, I made a simple chocolate cake in a bundt pan. By the way, this cake was easy to prepare.

I took the cake while it was still warm to a meeting and enjoyed a slice with whipped topping. The others attending seemed to enjoy the rich chocolate taste as much as I did. When I left the meeting, I left the cake with my hostess.

I always use Hershey’s Cocoa. It happens to be the cocoa I like.

Here’s the recipe:

Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups self-rising flour
¾ cups Hershey’s cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup soy milk
½ cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee (decaffeinated or regular)
Canned light whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to make sure the cake doesn’t stick.
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the eggs, soy milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes. Add the hot coffee.
Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. This should be about 45 minutes.
Turn onto a pan.
Slice while it is still warm and serve it with whipped cream. The cake has a rich chocolate taste.

I'd love to read your suggestions about ways to lighten up favorite foods. You can send me a message on Facebook.

Quinoa

2010-04-30T22:00:00.002-05:00

Recently I tried some NatureCrops Nutrition Bars
containing quinoa. (It's pronounced “keenwa.”) Delicious! I especially liked the way the quinoa seeds popped when I chewed them. I couldn't wait to try cooking quinoa.

We bought a cup of quinoa seeds in the bulk foods department at Central Market in Plano, Texas. This evening I cooked it for supper. Yum!

DIRECTIONS ON THE BAG: Add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Yields 3 ½ cups. Serve as a side dish. Add sauteed onions and vegetables.

I don't like to run to the store. Usually there is something on hand that can make a tasty meal. While the quinoa seeds simmered in broth, I found enough vegetables to fill a huge skillet: frozen English peas, broccoli, green bell peppers, corn ; fresh onions, garlic, carrots. I stir fried the vegetables in a small amount of olive oil. After combining the vegetables and the quinoa, I added a generous amount (six tablespoons) powdered green chili dissolved in water, a big shake of black pepper, and a small amount of cumin. Then I stirred that together.

Topped with sour cream and a small amount of grated cheddar in bowls, it was a winner.

Quinoa was cultivated in the Andean region of South America by the Incas. It's been an important food for thousands of years. The greens can be eaten as a nutritious food.

Three and one half ounces of uncooked quinoa seeds contains 368 calories with 7 grams fiber. It's rich in vitamins, especially thiamine, riboflavin, B6, and folate.

The seeds can be toasted and served in salads or with toasted nuts. It is a good source of essential amino acids; therefore vegetarians find it a healthy choice.

As people throughout the United States are developing a love for Louisiana food, where do they get their recipes?

2010-04-21T16:55:00.008-05:00

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a wave of desire for the Louisiana food experience swept across the country with the Louisianans. People began wanting to eat more Cajun food, to collect more Louisiana recipes, and to read more of the lore of Louisiana.

Using the pen name of Jane Riley, I wrote the story cookbook reader, entitled Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook

This book is full of heart-warming stories and yummy recipes about and by my relatives and friends who live mostly in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

After Katrina and Rita hit the region, people buying and reading Flavored with Love, Second Edition, begged for more south Louisiana food and experiences.

To meet these requests I interviewed cooks with knowledge of authentic Cajun and Creole food in Louisiana towns such as Grammercy and Donaldsonville to add to the book. I persuaded some of the leading Louisiana restaurateurs to share their tastiest recipes in Flavored with Love. I interviewed south Louisiana people and captured their words the way they spoke them.

Flavored with Love, Third Edition, contains New Orleans influenced cuisine, Mississippi comfort food, and spicy Texas dishes. It introduces a new style of intermingled cooking–La Cusine Texianne®.

Many of the recipes are for the best old stuff that is difficult to find these days. Other recipes explain methods of cooking light food with an accelerated sense of taste. With this book you can serve an authentic Louisiana meal that you prepared without difficulty and fill your house with the distinctive odors of Creole and Cajun food. There is no equal!

Flavored with Love, Third Edition, contains over 300 recipes. There are 320 pages in the third edition with more than 60 new recipes not found in the previous versions. The recipes are in big easy-to-read print so it is possible to place the book on the counter and read it while cooking without smearing it with fingerprints. The book has a lay flat binding, which also helps the book stay open on the counter-top.

With its big 8½ x 11" pages and clever cover, it is pretty enough to place on the living room coffee table. Humorous and poignant stories mixed with the recipes are well loved by all who read them. The stories warm hearts while the food satisfies taste buds.

Baked Coon

2010-04-20T14:28:00.002-05:00

Soon it's going to be too warm to cook this recipe. We're reaching the end of the "R" months.

Raccoons love city life. A country coon weighs as much as fifteen pounds, but a city coon can weigh as much as sixty pounds. Louisiana country coons are content with acorns, fresh fruit, vegetables, and crawfish. Urban coons prefer the higher calorie diet they find in garbage cans. Country coons sleep in the woods, but city coons reside in outbuildings and abandoned houses.

People try to turn raccoons into pets. Although they are cute, I don't recommend them as pets. Their claws are dangerous. If people feed them pet food such as cat food, the raccoons develop gout, which can be painful for the little fellows.

They are not as clean as we have thought. They don't really wash their food; instead they like to play with it in the water when they can. Furthermore, some of them have rabies, leptospirosis, listeriosis, tetanus, or tularemia. Coon eaters, beware.

In earlier days, raccoons were considered a delicacy. They were popular food items, especially at Christmas in the United States. People in all social circles loved them. Today they remain a well-loved source of food. I know families who enjoy eating raccoons for Christmas dinner. They tell me it tastes scrumptious.
Here is a great recipe for baking a raccoon.

Terry Chrisman shared her mother’s recipe for baked raccoon with me. Since I can’t find any raccoons, I have not tried this recipe. Although it is my policy to try recipes whenever possible—my freezer door is propped closed because of all the food I’ve cooked and stored—I will make an exception in this case. Terry is a distinguished cook, and I trust her. She called her mother to verify the recipe. Because you may find a raccoon you need to cook, I’ll share the recipe with you.

It was one of the first entries at this blog, which now has 370 entries. Also the readers of the Bernice Banner (Louisiana) told me they enjoyed it when I shared it there as a suggestion for Christmas dinner.

Baked Coon by Ann Webb

Dress the coon.
Remove all the glands, especially from under the arms.
Quarter it.
Cover it with pepper sauce.
Lay thick slices of peeled sweet potatoes around the edges.
Pour a little bit of water in the pan.
Sprinkle a cup of dark brown sugar over the sweet potatoes and coon.
Cover the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until tender.

Terry told me that her mother cooks coon two or three times a year only in cold weather. Her father kills them when he goes squirrel hunting. She said, “He’s supposed to be squirrel hunting, but if he sees a coon, he kills it.”
Baked coon would be a gourmet meal with collards and cornbread on the side.

Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook

Aunt Etta's Turnip Greens

2010-04-20T13:42:00.007-05:00

The little memoir of Uncle Dan's concern over eating turnip greens is a true story. It appears in Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook

It also appeared in the Bernice Banner (Bernice, Louisiana).

Feeling queasy a few months after being married, Etta decided she needed medical help. Uncle Dan took her to the doctor, who informed the young couple that she was pregnant. “Don’t hurt yourself lifting heavy loads and working too hard on the farm,” the doctor cautioned. “Eat a balanced diet.”

As they were walking into the waiting area on their way out the clinic, Dan, exposing his ignorance of the subject, turned around and went back to talk with the doctor another time. “Doctor, I’ve got a question.”

“What is that?”

“Is it all right if I eat turnip greens?” he asked.

My family laughed about this for years.

Etta's Turnip Greens

1. Pick some nice tender greens from the patch down in the damp hollow. The best ones are grown in cold weather with a kiss of frost on them.
2. Wash them thoroughly to rid them of grit and sand. Don’t skimp on the washing.
3. Be sure to pull off the stems and ladybugs.
4. You may want to peel and slice a few turnip roots and toss them into the pot with the greens.
5. Fill a big pot with greens.
6. Cover them with water.
7. Throw in a lump of bacon grease the size of a large egg.
8. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Shake in a tiny bit of red pepper.
9. Add a spoonful of sugar–the size depending on how bitter the greens are.
10. Throw in a douse of pepper sauce, or if you don’t have any, use vinegar.
11. Cook the greens over low heat for hours to make sure they are tender.
12. Cut them before serving.

Notes

1 .It’s easier to cut the greens before cooking, but that procedure is unorthodox.
2. Serve the greens with plenty of thin fresh cornbread to sop up the pot liquor. Try cracklin’ bread.
3. A sprinkle of hot pepper sauce would taste good on greens.
4. A ham hock or a small block of side meat could be substituted for the bacon grease.
5. If you want to make a pot of heart-healthy food, try omitting the grease altogether and add low sodium beef bouillon with a few drops of liquid smoke.
6. Greens have been enjoyed with slices of fresh raw onions.
7. You may want to dip some sliced green tomatoes in flour and fry them in a small amount of fat in a skillet to serve with your greens.
8. Sliced ripe tomatoes would be good too.
9. Some people serve peppers–sliced bell peppers, sweet banana peppers, hot peppers–with greens.
10. Linda R., a Louisiana friend, cooks garlic in green leafy vegetables.
11. Frozen greens taste good if they are cooked carefully.
12. Diane, my sister-in-law, cuts cooked fresh greens with a pizza cutter.

FLAVORED WITH LOVE has more stories about Aunt Etta and Uncle Dan. THE COLLARD PATCH is an entire book about cooking greens, primarily collards, and the cornbread to go with them.

My Home Town -- Those Funny Names of Mississippi Places in Our Neck of the Woods

2010-03-29T21:26:00.003-05:00

Join this Facebook group if your heart is in Taylorsville, Mississippi (Smith County)

We natives of Taylorsville (Smith County, Mississippi) have our pride about our town's name. Even though our town is small, we at least have a better name than some of the surrounding communities can claim.

To the east of the town of our origin is Soso. This name was given to that community 125 years ago by Jim Eaton, a Taylorsville post office worker, who thought the community was so so. Those dear people have kept the name and made the best of it. It has become distinctive. The Soso residents received a lemon of a name from a Taylorsvillian and made lemonade out of it.

To the southeast is Sullivan's Hollow, named after Wild Bill Sullivan. The legendary rowdy ways of that community have become internationally famous. We Taylorsvillians cannot help adding the sin of envy over their name to the pride we feel for our own name.

South of us is Hot Coffee, Mississippi. This community supposedly had an inn there that sold hot coffee. Most people have never heard of Taylorsville, but they know about Hot Coffee. Taylorsville is much more significant than Hot Coffee. It's too bad! We have such a respectable name but people don't know about us.

Part of the problem is that there's nothing very original or unique about the name of our town. We share the name with places in Utah, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, and Iowa. In fact, there are two towns named Taylorsville, Mississippi.

We pronounce the word by accenting the first syllable with no emphasis on the "ville." We are very boastful of the name.

Recently I read that it is believed that the original town of Taylorsville was called "Bullace" back in 1898 when a road from Jackson to Laurel was built. How humiliating to have had such an undignified beginning name!

Sources:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3291/i s_2_23/ai_n29132353/

http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?loc Index=285673

http://www.mize.town.ms.gov/history.html

http://www.mapquest.com/directions

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

Five Prizes

2010-02-23T17:48:00.005-06:00

How do you make broccoli salad?

When I compiled and wrote FLAVORED WITH LOVE, which includes recipes from my friends and family, I published two broccoli salad recipes because I liked both of them.

I've been wondering whether some of you have other ideas about making broccoli salad. Send me your recipe at MaryLCheatham at gmail.com. The contributors of the five best broccoli salad recipes will receive free copies of FLAVORED WITH LOVE!

Please send me your recipe by March 30, 2010.

1. Broccoli Salad
1 bunch broccoli (Use only the flowerets.)
½ cup red onion
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup celery

Combine the above ingredients.

Dressing
1 cup Miracle Whip® (We use the low fat.)
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup sugar

Combine the dressing ingredients and stir the dressing into the salad.

2. Broccoli Salad
4 cups broccoli
½ cup raisins
½ cup nuts
½ cup onion
½ cup celery
½ cup real bacon bits
½ cup light mayonnaise
½ cup sugar
¼ cup vinegar (apple cider or white)

Mix the first 6 ingredients. Make a sauce out of the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Pour the sauce over the salad. Toss and chill.

Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

Crawfish Tortellini Salad

2010-02-23T16:35:00.006-06:00

Who said crawfish and collard greens don't mix? This salad from The Collard Patch will prove otherwise. When we cooked this and featured it on KTVE news, the staff had trouble giving the news that day because they kept sneaking over to get a little more of this while they were trying to give the news, weather, and sports.

Crawfish Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup small fresh mushrooms
1 cup large pitted ripe olives
1 cup fresh red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
12 ounces frozen crawfish tails
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt-free Creole seasoning
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 teaspoon Splenda®
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt substitute to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup seedless golden raisins
1 package (14 ounces) cheese tortellini
4 ounces (¼ cup) feta cheese
4 cups tender baby collard leaves, chopped
4 cups Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces

Preparation
Place the first 6 ingredients in a big bowl.

Place ¾ cup olive oil in the blender. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and all the remaining powdered seasonings. Blend until it is well mixed. Stir in the parsley and basil.

Pour the blended dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and marinate them covered at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Sauté the crawfish in ¼ cup olive oil and Cajun seasoning about 5-7 minutes. Even though there will be other seasoning mixed with the tortellini, each individual crawfish needs its own spiciness.

You don’t want those crawfish to get lonesome. After you sauté them long enough to catch the seasoning, set them aside to cool.

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Cook it al dente. Drain it in the colander and allow it to cool.

Toss the crawfish, tortellini, and raisins with the vegetable mixture.

When you serve the salad, place it over the greens. Garnish it with feta cheese.

Cooking Tips
Instead of crawfish, substitute 1 of the following:
3 cups white chicken meat, cooked and chopped
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
If the feta cheese is a block, cube it.
Cubed ham would be tasty too.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

My New Job

2009-11-15T21:05:00.003-06:00

Hello from the Collard Patch. I stopped by to tell you about my new job. It's exciting!

My official title is Examiner. To be more specific, I am the Shreveport Christian Books Examiner. I've been having fun with this new assignment. I write reviews of the books I'm enjoying reading, and I interview authors. Also I talk about the skill of writing.

Please go over to Shreveport Christian Books Examiner and take a look.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

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How Not to Lose Your Mind Eating Venison

2009-11-14T20:28:00.004-06:00

The following article appeared in THE BANNER of Bernice November 12, 2009:
My nephew, Jameson, gave me this recipe to include in FLAVORED WITH LOVE, a book of recipes by my family members and stories about and by the cooks. Y'all will love this:

Mustard Fried Venison

Venison (ham pieces or loin)
Plain mustard
Onion
Soy sauce
Garlic salt
Self-rising flour

Trim and slice venison into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces. If using ham pieces it's a good idea to tenderize (beat) the venison. Also cubed venison works real well. Place meat in bowl.

Mix in mustard, large chopped onion, a couple splashes of soy sauce, a few dashes of garlic salt. Make sure all meat has some mustard on it. Let marinate as long as possible in fridge. Overnight or all day is fine.

Place flour in a paper sack, mixing in salt and pepper freely. Dredge venison pieces through flour mixture and drop into hot cooking oil.

Plain mustard is prepared yellow mustard. Heed the following warning.
Jameson's Note. At the bottom of the recipe he wrote: This is one of my favorites. You can tell it's a guy recipe as the minutia are missing–you just go by feel. It was given to me a long time ago by a friend, Eddie, of South Carolina. My copy is dog-eared. Eddie is one of the best deer hunters I've seen. He's one of those types that spend days in the woods prior to opening day scoping out a big buck. He is also a bit crazy.

Warning. He also wrote: :Do not put a piece of this on top of your head or your tongue will beat your brains out trying to get to it!

More about Jameson: As a youth, Jameson learned to hunt and fish on his grandparents' farms in Mississippi. As an adult, he has traveled extensively to hunt and has gathered game recipes and hunting stories along the way.

He claims: Once I was hunting elk in an aspen forest in Colorado and confronted a grizzly. I jumped up to catch a limb ten feet over my head. I missed, but luckily caught it on the way down.

For Louisiana Readers Only: Don't bother to read my observations about this recipe if you are from South Carolina or Georgia. Everybody in Louisiana knows that most recipes (including cakes, cookies , and brownies) need a little shake of cayenne pepper. An addition of our favorite spice could enhance this recipe. Cayenne pepper opens the palate so you can appreciate all the flavors. Sometimes when we put too much, it opens the eaters' whole heads up. Noses drip, eyes water, mouths drool, ears smoke, and scalps bead sweat. That way we know we've overdone it.

One more suggestion: If you cannot get a deer this year, try this recipe with pork chops. Y'all have a good time hunting!

Mary Lou Cheatham
Email: MaryLCheatham@gmail.com
THE COLLARD PATCH
http://collardpatch.blogspot.com
http://www.collardlovers.com
FLAVORED WITH LOVE
http://www.flavoredwithlove.com
DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU?
http://www.DoYouKnowHowGodLovesYou.com

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

Eating Venison During Poor Economic Times

2009-11-04T21:13:00.002-06:00

The following article appeared in THE BANNER of Bernice, LA, November 5, 2009:

Eating venison is a solution to having a bountiful meat supply during this time of down-turned economy.

A friend of ours is preparing for a bumper crop of deer meat this year. He has planted his deer salad. The other day he went to the store and bought his supply of deer corn. He wanted the sacks to say, “Go, Razorbacks,” but all he could find was in yellow and purple bags honoring LSU. He had no choice but to buy it, and since it was fifty cents cheaper per bag if he bought a ton, he bought a ton.

Having purchased more corn than he could possibly use, he arrived the next morning at the local coffee club with a plan. Being a frugal man … okay a penny-pinching Scrooge … he offered to sell some of it to his deer-hunting, coffee-drinking, yarn-spinning buddies. Not above making a tidy profit off his friends, he proudly announced a special offer: fifty cents a bag more than he had paid at the ton rate. One of them told him, “_____, you can buy deer corn down the road at the convenience store at fifty cents per bag less than you are asking.”

It was particularly embarrassing when it came out that he had bought a ton to get the same price he could have gotten at the local convenience store while buying it one bag at a time. To put it mildly, he was perturbed! What came out of his mouth next cannot be reported here.

He decided to make good use of the corn. At his stand he has the fattest, best fed deer in north Louisiana and south Arkansas. The deer that eat at his place are so fat he doesn't need to use his gun. He can just go out and run them down. Is catching deer on foot included in the primitive weapon season? Any way, our friend could be considered a primitive weapon. Like us, he's definitely an antique.
His wife told me, “At $450 .00 a pound, this solution for stocking the deep freeze may not be so economical after all.”

A while back I was collecting recipes to place in my story cookbook, FLAVORED WITH LOVE, which is about my family and friends. Most of the people are real, and all the stories are. Bill, my deceased brother-in-law, gave me this easy recipe for venison:

Venison Hash

Cook 2 pounds venison in salted water until tender. Drain all but small amount of liquid. Add 1 chopped onion. Season to taste with seasoned salt. Cook until tender and liquid is absorbed.
Note: When I was a little girl, Bill cooked this hash dish with goat meat one time. Just in case y'all can't find a deer ….
.
Mary Lou Cheatham
Email: MaryLCheatham@gmail.com
THE COLLARD PATCH
http://collardpatch.blogspot.com
http://www.collardlovers.com
FLAVORED WITH LOVE
http://www.flavoredwithlove.com
DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU?
http://www.DoYouKnowHowGodLovesYou.com

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

Poinsettias

2009-11-04T11:34:00.005-06:00

Last year I bought a beautiful large red poinsettia at Sam's. For an entire year I have managed to keep it alive. Today in early November I decided I needed to repot it and rebloom it. I wish I had read earlier the article I found today. It may not be too late to try. I'm going to pay attention to this paragraph from "Poinsettia Care in the Home" by Paul Ecke:

"The poinsettia is a photoperiodic plant, meaning that it sets bud and produces flowers as the Autumn nights lengthen. Poinsettias will naturally come into bloom during November or December, depending on the flowering response time of the individual cultivar. Timing to produce blooms for the Christmas holiday can be difficult outside of the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Stray light of any kind, such as from a street light or household lamps, could delay or entirely halt the re-flowering process."

www.ecke.com

It is wise to use what we have to improve our lives.

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Growing Up Near Hot Coffee, Mississippi

2009-10-30T21:15:00.003-05:00

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Re-Green the Green

2009-04-24T16:28:00.003-05:00

"Have you ever noticed how easy it is to grow stuff in Louisiana?" A friend observed. "If it falls on the ground in Louisiana it will just grow!" Grass grows here. We are in the middle of the grass-growing season. Another friend could not attend excercise class this morning because he had to stay home and mow his grass. Our back yard stays so wet from the sporadic rains that we cannot mow the grass. The crawfish and moles compete for space there. Then when it dries out, the sunshine makes the grass grow. Before the earth dries enough to mow the grass, the grass is waist high.

I read about somebody in the North who let her grass grow a little higher for Easter so her grandchildren could hunt eggs. That tactic wouldn't work here. Saturday before Easter the backyard grass was so high and thick that we would have lost not only the eggs but also the children.

All over the civilized world, especially in our dear nation, we are spending a fortune mowing grass. Think of all the money and resources spent on gasoline, electiricity, or human strength to cut the grass. My mother and father used to have me push a girl-powered mower. They called that kind of energy fuel "elbow grease."

Riding through the neighborhood, we noticed today that more and more people are tilling up large sections

I'm not sure how many people had victory gardens in WW II, but more and more people have them now. Growing garden is actually less work than mowing grass.

Wherever you live, it is possible to grow stuff. Don't forget to grow collard greens. Collard greens are almost perfect food. In the cool climates, they grow beautifully in the warm weather. In the warm climates, they grow best in the cool water. They are prettier than many of the plants that are considered ornamental. Also it's easy to grow onions, turnips, lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes.

Get your plants, garden seeds, gloves, and spades here:
http://www.1newmall.com/nh

We have shared more of our thoughts about this practical way to improve the world in The Collard Patch.
The Collard Patch

Picking and Fixing Collards

2009-04-05T16:04:00.003-05:00

Paul Elliott is the co-author of The Collard Patch. He loves to pick collards, cut them up, cook them, and eat them. I wash them. Get your own collard-cooking manual to learn the best ways to fix collards.

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON88q82BQq4

Top Secret Green Beans Recipe -- 25 Servings

2009-04-04T10:53:00.003-05:00

I overheard the recipe for church beans! And here I'm sharing it with you. This is top secret. I'm sharing this with you so you can make some outstanding beans the next time you have to carry a covered dish to a fellowship.

In addition to what I overheard, I suggest you add a teaspoon of garlic powder, a generous shake of red pepper, and two generous shakes of black pepper to the sugar and butter mix. (Only if you are a spicemouth.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1/4 of a small bag of brown sugar and two sticks (1/2 pound!) of salted butter in a saucepan. Cover that with water, not too much. Heat that until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, not too much.

Place an institutional-sized can of cut green beens in a big pan. (Don't drain them. You will have to be careful not to spill them on the way to church.) Pour the sugar and butter mix over the beans.

Cut a pound of bacon in pieces -- about 1-1 1/2 inches long. Spread the butter over the top.

Bake the beans 30 minutes or until they bubble and the bacon is cooked (not crsip).

Cover it and take it to church. You will have enough beans for 25 people. Don't even think about the number of calories or fat grams in this dish. Beans are health food, aren't they?

Collard Wraps

2009-02-10T12:46:00.005-06:00

Make delicious wraps with collard greens!Paul Elliott, co-author of THE COLLARD PATCH, demonstrates his method of preparing wraps containing collard greens.

Get your copy of THE COLLARD PATCH at http://www.CollardLovers.comor Amazon.com

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

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Picking and Fixing Collards

2009-02-10T09:35:00.007-06:00

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Collards fresh from the collard patch can be prepared hundreds of ways. THE COLLARD PATCH is full of delicious recipes and information to be read about collards and to read while the collards are growing and cooking. Farming and harvesting them is excellent exercise. To prepare them it is beneficial to remove the stems. Collard wraps and collard tortellini are two examples of unusual ways to eat collards. THE COLLARD PATCH is full of traditional and innovative ways to prepare collard greens.

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

2009-01-10T23:03:00.004-06:00

Here I am with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal holding his copy of Do You Know How God Loves You?

Do You Know How God Loves You? is my new book of daily inspirational thoughts and devotionals.
This book provides help, reassurance, and hope for today's difficult circumstances. It is based on the Bible, and it is designed for daily personal reflection.

"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14)

While this verse was a specific reference to the Israelites in their land, we can speak it for ourselves. When we become part of the body of Christ, we are His people and we are called by His name. We can go humbly before Him and seek His face.

Flavored with Love Review

2009-01-05T21:59:00.002-06:00

People in California love it!

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

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Do You Know How God's Loves You?

2008-12-16T10:34:00.001-06:00

Do You Know How God's Loves You?

Do you need a last minute gift?

Here is a unique gift! Chances are that no one else will duplicate your gift because it is FRESH OFF THE PRESS as of December 10!

There is still time to order from Amazon and receive a gift with free shipping before Christmas. December 17 is the last day to order and expect to receive something by December 24.

I'm sharing with you a new daily devotional book that will make you think and show you some more about the Bible both as inspiration and as knowledge of God's word that is not usually included in material such as this. This book will give each person who studies it daily guidance to make 2009 a more meaningful and succesful year.

The most powerful, most intelligent, most loving, most beautiful, most self-sacrificing Person who has ever lived loves you more than anyone else is capable of loving you. He came to the world as a Man, and He was totally a Man. Yet He is God, totally God with more glory and power than we can comprehend. Jesus, the God-Man, loves you so much that He died for you.

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)

DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU? came out on Amazon.com, just in time for Christmas gifts. (There are only two more days until the end of the guaranteed deliveries for free.) The book contains a daily devotional for each day of the year.

Please take a minute to go look at this big beautiful book. It has over 400 pages with an inspirational study for each day of the year. Some of the subjects included are angels, the names of God, the chracter of God, witnessing, grief, prayer life, and daily living. There are amusing stories about children and musings about life. In fact, the book is full of stories that will challenge you and inspire you.

Here is the link: http://adexclusive.com/r/amdy/

Merry Christmas,
Mary

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2008-10-05T18:35:00.002-05:00

Spicy Guacamole Dip

This message is from Paul Elliott, the co-author of The Collard Patch The recipe is for Jane Butel's spicy Guacamole Dip. Paul says: We know you love delicious food. How about healthful food that ALSO helps you lose weight?
You're gonna love this!

It's called cooking with chiles! Yes, the capsaicin (hot stuff) in chiles actually stimulates your metabolism by about 30% and THAT burns more calories. But you don't need to go around with a flaming mouth and a scalp dripping with perspiration to get the benefit.

1 Delightful spicy Guacamole Dip recipe and 2 Southwestern Recipe and Chile Resources--

First, a delicious spicy guacamole recipe--

Jane Butel, the Queen of Southwestern Cooking and owner of the "Best Cooking School in the US," designed this recipe.

GUACAMOLE
Guacamole at its best! For greatest flavor, appearance and keeping
quality - always cut avocados with two knives into coarse chunks
about 1/2 inch square.
**[Paul's hint: "Two knives" means one in each hand cutting across in front of you so you don't squash up the avocado. Jane says chunky avocodo is tastier and has a better texture. You know what? Jane's right!]
Yield: 4 servings
2 ripe avocados (preferably Haas)
½ teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste
1 medium-size tomato, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped Spanish onion
1 medium fresh jalapeno, minced
2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1. Halve the avocados; scoop pulp into a bowl. Coarsely chop with
two knives. Add salt and garlic; then slowly add lime juice to
taste.
2. Fold in tomato, onion, chiles and cilantro. Let stand a few
minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings. Some like spicy guacamole, while
others like it quite mild. Often piquancy is best determined by
the other foods you are serving. If some like it hot and others
don't, a solution is to serve a side dish of spicy salsa.
4. Serve guacamole in a Mexican pottery bowl and garnish the top
with a few tostados thrust into the top. Serve with a basket of
tostados. As a salad, serve over chopped lettuce and garnish each
serving with a cherry tomato.
Note: Many myths seem to abound about placing an avocado pit in
the guacamole to keep it from discoloring or oxidizing. I don't
find that to work so well. Cover the guacamole well or sprinkle
with a few drops of ascorbic-acid mixture, the mixture used to
prevent darkening in freezing fruits. Be careful not to add much
of the acid, as it can be slightly sweet.
** [Paul's Note: ascorbic acid is nothing more than Vitamin C: great for keeping food from turning a brown color on exposure to air. Of course, it's still good food with excellent flavor, the ascorbic acid keeps it looking nice.]

Yum!

FREE: A delightful Southwestern recipe e-book and Southwestern Cooking resource--tips, tricks, and recipes

Jane is offering all our friends a free subscription to her newsy, recipe filled Butel's Bytes. As a bonus for joining Butel's Bytes, you will receive her five favorite recipes and a weekly series of fun, newsy notes about chiles, health, and Southwestern cooking.

To subscribe click here for Jane's Site. When you get to the site, look on the right side turquoise menu bar and select the button labeled "subscribe." You will be taken to the form where you put in your name and email address. Press "submit."

VERY IMPORTANT: Next, you will need to activate your subscription.

Check your mail from Jane Butel that says "RESPONSE REQUIRED." Open that email and click on the long link in the middle to activate your subscription. Very quickly you will receive Jane's email with the e-book of special recipes attached.

Spicy Guacamole Dip

You'll get her Butel's Bytes tips, tricks, information, and recipes in your email regularly and can even browse back issues. Yum!

All Jane's recipes are kitchen tested and guaranteed to delight!

Here's to Happy Cooking and eating.

Oh, yeah, that little ** thingy--Blatant confession follows . . . I, Paul, acknowledge that I know little of cooking. I am the Certified Spicemouth(TM) and Eater in Chief. So I'll watch out that these great chefs and magnificent cooks don't run in any strange terms on y'all.

Yum!

Mary Cheatham and Paul Elliott, the Collards Folks

Go to Jane's site here.

Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-04-05T15:43:00.000-05:00

I have heard stories about people paying huge amounts of money for cookie recipes. Here is the very best cookie recipe in the world. It is not for sale. Go to this link to get it.
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18476

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

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Who Invented the Chocolate Chip Cookie?

2008-04-05T15:31:00.002-05:00

By: Steven Magill

Have you ever wondered who invented the chocolate chip cookie? Because chocolate chip cookies are so common, it is easy to forget that these treats have not been around forever. In fact, did you know that chocolate chip cookies are not even one hundred years old? It's true!

The answer to "who invented the chocolate chip cookie" is: Ruth Graves Wakefield.

Ruth Graves Wakefield was born on June 17, 1903 and she is person who invented the Toll House Cookie, which was the world's first chocolate chip cookie.

Ruth Wakefield was educated at the Framingham State Normal School Development of Household Arts and she graduated in 1924. After graduating from school, she worked both as a doctor and gave lectures about food.

In 1930 Wakefield and her husband purchased a lodge for tourists in Whitman, Massachusetts (part of Plymouth County). The lodge was first built in 1709 and has a long and rich history of its own. Many weary travelers have spent the night at the lodge as it is conveniently located around halfway between New Bedford and Boston. This is usually where passers through paid a toll, changed their horses and stopped for some much appreciated home cooked food. When the Wakefields bought it, they named the lodge the Toll House Inn and made sure to keep up with the lodge's traditions. All of the home cooked meals were prepared and served by Ruth and it was not long before her desserts earned her some local fame. There were many visitors to the lodge, one of the most famous being John F. Kennedy (when he was still a Senator).

In 1940, Ruth wrote a cookbook called Toll House Tried and True Recipes. Ruth passed away in 1977 and the Toll House Inn burned down at the end of 1983. While there are plenty of companies that make and sell chocolate chips now, the recipe printed on the back of the Nestle Toll House bags is the original Ruth Graves Wakefield recipe. As of today, Nestle is the only company with the rights to print the recipe on its bags. All of the recipes that are printed on other company's' bags are different from the original recipe.

The chocolate chip cookie was invented in the late 1930s (making it almost seventy seven years old) though there are different stories about how, exactly, the original chocolate chip cookie recipe was invented. Some stories say it was an accident, others say it was an experiment and still others say that it was a purposeful recipe. The story of how the chocolate chip cookie was invented varies according to the person telling the story. One thing is for certain, though, and that is that the answer to "who invented the chocolate chip cookie" is Ruth Graves Wakefield. Who knew that what might have started out as an experiment or an accident would someday be one of the most common treats in the Western World? Who doesn't remember eating chocolate chicookies p after school?

Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill

Article Source: http://articlestars.com

Just think, you can start enjoying the recipes right away -- no waiting at all! Can you taste the key limes already? You gotta try the Chocolate Chip Key Lime Cookies...mmmmmm!www.chocolatechipcookie.info/index.html

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How to Cook Collard Greens

2008-03-27T21:24:00.007-05:00

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How to Cook Collard Greens

These women are amusing, but they have
done a terrible thing.
They poured the pot likker down the
drain! There was a collander in the sink. Horrible.
Shame!
All that valuable nutrition and cornbread
sopping wasted.
I was impressed by the way Cynthia,one
of the cooks, pulled the stems out. We
prefer cutting our stems out.
Those cooks chopped the greens after
they cooked them. We always chop
ours first.
They had tofu with their collards; we have
not tried that yet.
Notice the way they cooled the collards
with icy cold water after cooking to make
them pretty and green. Most of us
Southerners don't care whether our
greens are bright green.
The members of the family promote
organic whole foods grown locally. We
believe in that too. (Our collard patch is
in the front yard.)Go here to see a funny and informative YouTube video of collard cooking.

Rice and Vegetables

2008-02-19T10:49:00.000-06:00

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Rice and Vegetables
“Eat your carrots!” Sometimes we need to give our children some subtle encouragement. This recipe is simple and delicious. By combining a few vegetables with rice, it is easy to teach young palates to appreciate different flavors. Combining rice with vegetables improves the nutritional value of rice and makes everything taste special. We like this rice dish with pork. “Eat your carrots!” becomes an unnecessary phrase when they taste as good as these.

Yield: 4 servings
Begin by cooking ½ cup basmati rice for 5 minutes in 2 cups boiling water with the lid in place. (I need see-through lids. Also use an adequate container, such as a small stockpot. That way you will not need to worry about having the water boil over he sides.) Flavor the rice with 2 teaspoons ham bouillon or 2 bouillon cubes.

Add 1 cup frozen chopped carrots and 1 cup frozen corn kernels. Continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in 2 tablespoons margarine.

Football Widows' Revenge

2008-02-03T13:41:00.000-06:00

Coping with Super Bowl Desertion

Girls, today the computer is all yours.

“HE” is too busy watching television to keep you from the Web.
Whether he is cheering for the New York Giants and
New England Patriots is unimportant.

What is important is that this is your time.

Carpe diem! (Seize the day!)
Go to my favorite virtual hangout http://www.1newmall.com/ws/
and get your revenge. Here are some sharp looking clothes.
You will hardly notice that he is not listening to you today,
and he’d better not care how much you spend.

http://www.1newmall.com/ws/

Stevia, Chives, Rosemary, Fennel, and Cilantro -- The Joy of Living Green!

2008-01-24T22:36:00.000-06:00

In our front-yard collard patch, last fall's collards have survived. We continue to cut leaves off the plants. Last night we had stir-fried collards with broiled salmon; tonight we
enjoyed collards in wraps with hot Italian sausage.

Mint is growing near the rocks piled in the patch. Soon we'll set out some onions in the collard patch. Today we bought stevia, chives, rosemary, fennel, and cilantro. We plan to start those herbs in pots inside the house.

Stevia, a tropical popular herb, is growing in popularity as a sugar substitute. Stevia's small green leaves are thirty times sweeter than sugar, and they can be dried. If our efforts succeed we'll save grocery money spent on Splenda©, Alterna©, and sugar.

We selected garlic flavored chives with long, flat leaves. They will be delicious on baked potatoes, in salads, and in stir-fried collard greens. Chives do not dry well, but the chopped leaves can be frozen.

Rosemary, ah, rosemary! We love it. Rosemary is very pretty in the garden. It is a great flavoring for polenta, marinades, salad dressings, soups, sauces, gumbo, chicken, fish, lamb, and pork. Since it flavors Creole, Cajun, and Middle-Eastern food like nothing else, rosemary is an essential in Louisiana kitchens. We use it dried, but we prefer it fresh. I hope our crop flourishes.

Fennel has a mild anise flavor. The bulbous stems can be served raw like celery or steamed. Their flavor will enhance stews, soup and collard greens. Paul likes to eat the
seeds.

Cilantro is important in Mexican dishes, which are important in our diets. It also flavors Mediterranean and Oriental dishes well. For a garnish it is unsurpassed.

All the plants we grow will help our personal economy, our health, and the world's ecology. Write me at Mary@CollardLovers.com to tell me how you are living green.

New Collard Greens Recipes

2008-01-05T22:19:00.000-06:00

Visit The Collard Patch at Amazon.com for some new collard greens recipes. Check the blog entries there.

What We Are Doing Now

2008-01-01T23:38:00.000-06:00

On BlogTalkRadio Paul Elliott and I have a new radio talk show called GreensCast. We appear there occasionally and speak with interesting people, friends and family, to discuss a variety of subjects. No matter what our program is about, we always share information about the preparation of delicious food. Check our archived shows there. Also on our BTR blog we have posted several recipes that we wish to share with you.

Our programs include a useful interview of Dr. Mike Stanley, my son-in-law, by Paul about food safety in preparation and storage. Mike, a veterinarian and an Air Force veteran, has a wealth of experience in public health and food safety.

Another popular show is an interview with the famous marketer and cookbook author Willie Crawford. He discusses with us the way he cooks collards, and his background.

Paul and I are the authors of The Collard Patch, the world's best collard and cornbread cookbook. It is not only a book of recipes; it is also a book of stories and nutritional information about collard greens, the Cinderella of dark leafy greens. We believe that collard greens are important for maintaining good health. Collards, one of the most delicious foods imaginable when prepared appropriately, furnish a wealth of nutrients while remaining incredibly low in calories.

One of the beautiful aspects of collard greens is that they can be grown almost anywhere. They love cool weather and tolerate a mild amount of frost. These beautiful plants make excellent ground cover in yards. Also they can be used to add interest to flower beds. In a time when people are seeking more intriguing flavors than ever before because our taste buds have grown up and when people are needing to spend a smaller percentage of their budgets on food, we recommend growing collard greens.

Nutritionists consider green leafy vegetables such as collards to be one of the leading foods, as far as food value is concerned. They are nutritious when eaten raw, added to vegetable juices, or prepared in delicious dishes much as spinach has been traditionally prepared. There is a theory that the chlorophyll in them removes environmental toxins, such as heavy metals and pesticides from the body. Some people consider them to be a liver protector.

I cannot prove all these ideas, but I do know they are a source of iron, calcium, beta carotene (precursor of vitamin A), soluble fiber, and manganese. They provide vitamins C, K, B1, B2, and B9. Collards have potent anti-cancer properties, antiviral, and antibacterial components including diindolylmethane, sulforaphane, and selenium. There are only 46 calories in one fourth pound of cooked collards.

We devote a large amount of our time encouraging people to eat more collard greens. When we tell people about this project, some of them find us slightly insane. We, however, are devoted to this cause. We have appeared at book signings, crafts fairs, civic club meetings, radio interviews, and cooking shows on television in Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and Wisconsin. We are willing to go throughout the country to promote the use of collard greens.

This recipe is an example of a collard greens dish that is packed with all the good things we need to eat without unnecessary calories. The taste is great.

Wilted Collards with Flaxseed

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil with 2 tablespoons minced garlic in a big deep skillet.
Toss in 1 pound finely chopped tender collard green leaves.
Heat and wilt five minutes or until tender.
Add some salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes.
Turn off the heat. Add 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon red vinegar.
Top with ¼ cup toasted flaxseed.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

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Shopping at Central Market

2008-01-01T16:40:00.000-06:00

Central Market
HEB Food-Drugs #/546
320 Coit
Plano, TX 75076
Phone: 469-241-8300
Store Hours: 8 a. m. to 10. p. m.

Central Market is the essential place to shop. It is a grocery store like no other.

Entering, you will go through the produce section. Fresh produce is not something on the periphery of the store. Instead it is important. There are fresh vegetables and fruits organically grown from all the right places. We like the bananas and the Brussels sprouts. I've never seen such a varied selection of potatoes. The precious little fingerlings of infinite variety are fun to select. They taste delicious. The artichokes are outstanding.

After winding through the marvelous displays of fresh fruits and vegetables, you will find yourself in the meat market and fish market. Let's check the leg of lamb. I love it! If you are not traveling too far, buy one. (Or perhaps you should buy a cooler.)

My favorite part of the store is the section deep inside the store where you can weigh spices and put them in your own bags. I love the spices, as well as many of the other food items there -- coffee, nuts, candy, peanut butter, honey, cereals, flours, meals – displayed in an endless array. Sounds expensive? No. Actually these items are less expensive than prepackaged items. The curry and the chile powder mix are the best. We usually select a big bag or two of Wasabi peas (dehydrated English peas coated in Wasabi and horseradish) to munch on the way home and for days to come. We like the flax seed, which are incredibly delicious and noted for their salubrious properties. If you lose us in the store, look here. We stay here about an hour.

Did I say what my favorite section is? It is the bakery. Our favorite bread is the white chocolate apricot. We eat it toasted or straight out of the package. Don't miss the most delicious item in the store
being made by expert cooks on the spot – tortillas. I like the little golden ones with sun-dried tomatoes and flecks of pepper in them. When I pass there, I admire these and the ladies usually hand me one to cram into my starving mouth.

What I really like most in Central Market is the selection of cheese. Along the walls there are coolers with every kind of cheese imaginable. What makes this section special is the station in the middle of the floor where someone is making mozzarella cheese balls in olive oil and garlic. Buy a jar of these and serve them on very special occasions. When you pass, the cheese preparer will give you a morsel. My advice: go there first and pass the section several times as you shop. The taste is splendid.

There is a section of sausages and prepared meats. We usually select the hot Italian sausage, the bratwurst, the Jalapeño cheddar sausage, the salami with Jalapeños. By the time we arrive in this section, which is my favorite, the shopping cart is too full to hold anything else.

And there is a deli section. Since we have already filled our cart, we don't buy things here, although it is the most intriguing food in the store.

On the way out, we will pass through the florist's section, where the flowers are unusual and inviting. By the time we arrive there, we are loaded with food. There is no more space in the car to place flowers.

You owe it to yourself to shop at Central Market at least once in your life.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

Take a trip to Natchitoches!

2007-12-09T23:54:00.000-06:00

If possible go see the Christmas Lights of old Natchitoches, Louisiana.
As you approach the quaint downtown with its brick streets, you will see rows of antique and gift shops. Arrive before dark so you will have time to look at all the fleur de lis displays in the little shops. A horse with a carriage will be waiting to take you on a tour.

Enjoy an authentic Natchitoches meal – meat pie or gumbo. We recommend Lasyogne's.

The lights are a splendid display along the Cane River Lake.

Go here and click on the image to see a picture of the Natchitoches Christmas lights.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

Kindle

2007-11-26T15:57:00.000-06:00

Amazon has a revolutionary way to read books. If you haven't seen this, take a look.

Kindle:
Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device

Product Overview (Quoted from Amazon.com)

Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper.
Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing.
Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle—whether you’re in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed.
Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute.
More than 88,000 books available, including 100 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.
New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise.
Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.
Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes—all auto-delivered wirelessly.
Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times—all auto-delivered wirelessly.
More than 250 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN's Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post—all updated wirelessly throughout the day.
Lighter and thinner than a typical paperback; weighs only 10.3 ounces.
Holds over 200 titles.
Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours.
Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones—so you never have to locate a hotspot.
No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments—we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read.
Includes free wireless access to the planet's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia—Wikipedia.org.
Email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to Kindle for easy on-the-go viewing.

GreensCast - BlogTalkRadio - Collard Greens

2007-11-19T18:15:00.000-06:00

This show is our first program on BlogTalkRadio. Here we are sharing recipes along with information about growing, preparing, cooking, and eating our favorite vegetable -- collard greens.

GreensCast - BlogTalkRadio - Collard Greens, Collards, Cooking, Health, Food, Gardening, Green Cooking, Greens, Living Green, Nutriton, Organic, Recipes, Southwestern Food, Thanksgiving Recipe, The Collard Patch, Delicious,

Great Cookbook Giveaway

2007-11-06T17:25:00.000-06:00

Have you heard about the Great Cookbook Giveaway? It's going to make Internet marketing history.

Willie Crawford, a world-famous Internet marketer and noted cookbook
author, is asking his friends to give away electronic cookbooks. He's organizing the largest free list-building giveaway EVER.

(He's the author of the world's most famous recipe for
collard greens. You can get it in our cookbook, THE COLLARD PATCH.)

Willie and his wife Nancy have run a free recipes website for about
10 years. He told me that in November people start looking online
for holiday gift and cooking ideas.

He is expecting to have the largest free cookbook giveaway in the
history of the Internet. We're talking literally HUNDREDS of free
PDF cookbooks and cooking related ebooks.

The giveway started November 1, 2007. Go take a look. All you
need to do is drop by and get free electronic cookbooks: Great Cookbook Giveaway

Go there and get a free copy of "The Collard Notebook" and our free e-book
with reicpes from Flavored with Love.

Smoothies at Crescent City Coffee Shop

2007-07-09T16:33:00.001-05:00

Yum! At Crescent City Coffee Shop, 1007 North Trenton Street, Ruston, LA 71270
(318) 232-5282, you can get a fruit smoothie made fresh by the attractive young men and women working there. (Most of them are students at Lousiana Tech or Grambling). As you watch, they toss a generous serving of fruit into a blender with a small amount of flavored syrup. Then they will ask you if you want whipped cream and how much whipped cream you want.

My mouth craves Strawberry Smoothies. I confess that after my first one I have not passed many minutes without thinking about having the next one. There is also a Four Berry Smoothie, which is a blend of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Alexandra, one of the baristas, recommends the Peach Pear Plus. For adventurous palates, there is the Mango Tropics Smoothie, an exotic blend of mango, pineapple, and bananas.

With one of the eight different types of biscotti to go with your smoothie, you can have a light healthy lunch. There are three sizes of smoothies: 12 ounces, 16 ounces, and 20 ounces. Let your appetite and your conscience guide you. Or perhaps you would prefer one of those great big cinnamon rolls or a fresh warm muffin instead of biscotti.

Beignets are the most popular food at the Crescent City Coffee Shop. Mike makes these authentic New Orleans style fried dough temptations fresh in the shop. There are big ones and little ones. Also before 11:00 am, there are irresistible stuffed beignets, filled with ham and cheese or sausage and cheese.

While you enjoy your smoothie, look around for a newspaper or for someone with whom you can enjoy a lively conversation. If you don’t see any of your old friends, don’t despair. There are always people there who love to visit: soon you’ll have some new friends. If you have your laptop with you, check your e-mail while you enjoy your smoothie. Use the free WiFi; if you need a private connection, bring a cord to plug into the Ethernet.

I’ve noticed that the frappes are more popular than the smoothies, but I have not tried one because I’m too busy drinking the smoothies, Diet Cokes®, dark roast coffee, or hot blackberry sage tea with lemon.

Warning: Don't sit down in the Crescent City Coffee Shop unless you have hours to spend. You will have so much fun you won't want to leave.

A Special Gift: THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT by Beatrix Potter

2007-01-13T17:41:00.000-06:00

Peter Rabbit at THE COLLARD PATCH

Beatrix Potter's THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT is, in my opinion, one of the great masterpieces of all time. When Paul Elliott and I were co-authoring THE COLLARD PATCH, I wanted to offer something special to the readers of our story cookbook.

We found a treasure! We decided to make THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT available to our readers. This is the original book, THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT. (If you live outside the United States, please check the copyright laws in your country before downloading this book.)

Go to the lead at the bottom of any page in THE COLLARD PATCH to find a lead to download the book. If you set your printer in black and white, you can download some of the pictures for your children to color.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

A Free ECookbook of Our Favorite Christmas Recipes

2006-12-19T12:06:00.000-06:00

Christmas Cookbook - a collection of our best family recipes for the holidays assembled in one place. They are classics along with our families' latest innovations. Delight through the holidays to the sights, smells, and delicious tastes of some of the best food you'll ever put in your mouth! This book covers everything-from appetizers to party foods to breakfast to Christmas dinner to desserts to gifts to food with children to what to do with your gifts. (value: $19.97)

Availiable FREE at The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Midnight Clear

2006-12-17T16:26:00.000-06:00

Houston – Carolyn Forche`, national best-selling author and motivational speaker, just returned from the book launch of The Midnight Clear, a collection of Christian and Christmas-themed stories of love, hope and inspiration by 20 national female African American authors. Many of the authors, such as Carolyn, are award winning, national best-selling authors. Sixteen attended the launch event held at Copeland’s Buckhead Restaurant in Atlanta, GA this past weekend. The book is published by KNB Publications in Atlanta. Forche's story, The Best Christmas Promise Ever, chronicles the riveting account of her 3-year vigil with a dying sister, and God's miraculous, near-death delivery, that stunned the Chicago medical community.

She is author of the award-winning Colors Come From God … Just Like Me, (Abingdon Press), which has sold nearly 30,000 copies. She hails The Midnight Clear as a first and one-of-its kind publication, that will touch and inspire the lives of people everywhere. The book was released in late November, and is already getting very positive reviews nationally.

Forche`, who is busy scheduling a number of book-signings here in Houston and in her native home, Chicago, says the book was timed for Christmas release and makes the perfect gift for anyone. Reading the “page-turner” contributions from the various authors on the plane home made her feel “privileged to be a part of such a stellar group of talented writers.” She applauds the efforts of Kendra Norman Bellamy, publisher and author of many best-selling works, whose genius in pulling together some of the best writers in the country has made this publication a sure-to-be best seller as well. Carolyn may be contacted at her office, (281) 914-0422.

Real Women Eat Chiles -- One day only – December 7, 2006!

2006-12-07T10:06:00.000-06:00

What's this all about? Read on...
I am very excited to be able to tell you about my friend
Jane Butel and her award winning book "Real Women
Eat Chiles". For the last month, Paul Elliott and I have been
helping her put together an awesome “Real Women Give Away”
featuring her wonderful cookbook for the 2006 Holiday season.
When you order a copy of Real Women Eat Chiles right now,
as a thank you for your support, you will receive a complimentary
collection of gifts.
(Combined together, all of these gifts are worth over $685 and you
get them as a bonus, at absolutely no charge.)
Real Women Eat Chiles is full of fabulous spicy, Santa Fe-style
recipes and delicious, health-tested quick ideas for great, easy meals.
The inspiring stories about women and chiles remind us that the secret
to weight-loss without a diet is high-energy, healthy food!
This gorgeous gift book is perfect for:
· girlfriends
· teachers
· mothers
· sisters
· daughters
I recommend the reading for any woman who is a high achiever or who wishes to be!
But you must act now as this offer is for a limited time! Go here right now and check this out:
http://www.janebutel.com/realwomen.html
Remember, you must act today!

2006-12-04T22:04:00.000-06:00

***MARK HENDRICKS' 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS 06 OFFICALLY LAUNCHES ***

It's here and it's live now.... It's now in its 4th day!I've already spotted several things and started downloadingbut if you haven't gotten over there yet to take a look...be sure to do it soon before the huge download rushbegins...This only happens once a year — so download everything you want while you can...=======> http://www.collardlovers.com/12days/

We are including a Christmas Cookbook for you in that bonus package!

=======> http://www.collardlovers.com/12days/

2006-11-14T12:22:00.000-06:00

The Collard Patch was featured on John Folse's "Stirrin' It Up" on October 4, 2006. To hear the radio program, go to this link:

http://www.CollardLovers.com/jfolse110406.mp3

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

RECIPE: Stacey Pardue's No Sugar Added Lemon Ice Box Pie

2006-11-14T12:16:00.000-06:00

No Sugar Added Lemon Ice Box Pie
(Some of my television viewers have reported that the Crystal Light lemonade adds too much tartness. You may need to use only a 1/2 package depending on your taste buds.)

1 small box sugar free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 3/4 cups skim milk
1 tub Crystal Light lemonade powder (to make 2 quarts) or 1 package Kool Aid lemonade powder plus 1 cup sugar substitute
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8 ounces fat free Cool Whip
1 low fat graham cracker crust (See recipe below!)
Combine pudding and milk; add lemonade powder and lemon juice.

The above recipe is quoted from http://www.wafb.com/

Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Pour into crust and refrigerate until set. Top with Cool Whip.
Yield: 8 servings Calories: 215Fat: 4 grams

Low Fat Graham Cracker Crust
Reduce the fat and calorie content of your recipes by making your own graham cracker crusts! You may find that 1 cup of crushed graham crackers is sufficient for a small pie.
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 8 full-sized crackers)
2 tablespoons sugar substitute or 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons liquid Butter Buds
Place all ingredients in small mixing bowl and mix with a fork until moistened. Press into 8 or 9 inch pie pan prepared with nonstick cooking spray.
Yield: 8 servings Calories: 40Fat: 1 gram

WAFB <http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1385316&nav=menu57_10_2>

-----
Get your copy of FLAVORED WITH LOVE at www.FWLCookbook.com

RECIPE: Stir Fried Vegetables

2006-11-13T22:01:00.000-06:00

Stir Fried Vegetables

Stir fry these ingredients in a wok as listed :

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

12 garlic pods, finely chopped

2 cups carrot s, chopped

2 cups collards, chopped

2 cups cabbage, chopped

1 Fuji apple, coarsely chopped

Pinch baking soda

1 tablespoon Madras curry

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons Teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons raisins

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

Serve in bowls or over rice. Two servings.

An Offer You Cannot Afford to Miss

2006-11-02T01:38:00.000-06:00

"Here's How To Grab Your $3,757.23 Book Buy Business Bonus Bonanza...absolutely FREE!"!
Go right now to www.CollardLovers.com

You have to grab these bonuses today, November 2, 2006, or not at all. This is a one-day offer.

BONUS BANANZA

2006-10-31T12:49:00.000-06:00

We have some exciting news for you! We are giving away bonuses worth more than $3,000 to everyone who orders The Collard Patch at Amazon.com on November 2, 2006.

These bonuses include cookbooks, help with producing and marketing your own cookbook, self-help literature, generalized marketing, thousands of free recipes, software . . . and so much more.

Go to our Bonus Bonanza page and discover what we are giving away.

Go to http;//www.CollardLovers.com/bonuses and follow the directions.

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Collard Patch Great Sales Event!

2006-10-26T22:16:00.000-05:00

We are working very hard on the Great Sales Event Launch of The Collard Patch!

The launch will be on Thursday, November 2, 2006. There will be more information here AND an announcement of the tremendous bonus package for all customers purchasing on that date.

Come back for more news next week!

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

Our Prater's Mill Country Fair Experience

2006-10-19T23:16:00.000-05:00

Well, the anticipation of the Prater's Mill Country Fair in Dalton, GA, this past weekend was certainly well-placed. There were about 10,000 visitors over Saturday and Sunday!

Our cookbook, The Collard Patch, sold very well. We met so many delightful people. Of the ones we met, some were from TN, AL, MS, SC, KY, and LA, in addition to many from all around the home state of GA.

The history of Prater's Mill is intriguing, and the volunteers demonstrated that grain can still be ground into flour, corn meal, and hominy grits. We bought both white and yellow cornmeal and wheat flour.

One of the local matriarchs, Mrs. Smith of the Goodner-Smith Family, was selling delicious homemade jellies and we laid in a supply of that also.

It was a wonderful weekend experience both as a spectator and as a vendor.

Check back this week for a surprising announcement!

**Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!**

Recipe: Hot Link Collard Eggs

2006-08-23T17:08:00.000-05:00

Original Recipe by Paul Elliott
Ingredients
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 cup finely chopped tender baby collards with stems removed
1 hot link, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 eggs
⅔ cup grated cheddar
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt substitute
1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Sauce—Chile ’n Lime®

Preparation
· Sauté onions, collards, and hot links in olive oil in a heavy skillet.
· Whisk the other ingredients together—the eggs, cheese, and spices—in a mixing bowl
· Pour all the ingredients into the skillet; cook and stir, as you would scramble eggs.

Use to fill crepes or tortillas.

This recipe was featured in The Ruston Daily Leader. Paul's story is in a separate blog entry.

The Way Men Cook Breakfast

2006-08-23T16:58:00.000-05:00

Hot Link Collard Eggs

The Way Men Cook Breakfast

By Rindy Swafford. Ruston Daily Leader

Who knew collards could be eaten for breakfast?
Ruston resident Paul Elliott found this fact out after a truckload of them landed in his lap.
Mary Cheatham’s sister had some collard in her garden, and it turned out to be a pickup truck full,” Elliott said. “So we had all these collards and had them in these big black garbage bags.”
His friend Mary Cheatham then wondered what they would do with all the collards.
The answer, for Elliott, was simple.
“We’re going to wash them and freeze them,” Elliott said. “So we had enough collards to do a lot of experimenting. And this recipe was part of that.”
He manufactured his recipe for hot link collard eggs out of things he enjoys – hotlinks, collards, and eggs. Also, in his two and a half years of living in Louisiana, this Texas native learned to season his recipe.
“Living in Louisiana, I’ve learned to enjoy well seasoned foods, so I added some of those and worked with the recipe until it suited my spicemouth,” Elliott said.
Elliott and Cheatham soon decided to add this recipe to the May 2006 release of their cookbook entitled The Collard Patch.
“We picked a lot of other areas that people have not thought of to use collards,” Elliott said. “People don’t usually think of collards in desserts; we’ve done it all and got some delicious recipes in the process.”
Elliott”s hot link, collard, and egg mix can be used to fill crepes or even soft tortillas. The size of the wrap or crepe depends on “how big a breakfast you want.”
Elliott’s cookbook not only contains information about how to create his recipes, but also it contains nutrition facts about the ingredients.
“In the process (of making the book) we put in some information on collard nutrition, how to grow collards, how to control pests and the series of stories from my youth that we titled “Growing up in Collard Country,” Elliott said.
This series contains stories about “people who didn’t know how to farm but moved out to a farm and boy did we get laughed at by the serious farmers” – Elliott’s family.
Elliott said the nutritional facts were included alongside some the recipes to let people know how healthy collards are.
“Well, we did it on some of them; on others you probably shouldn’t even ask because it’s in and effort to point out that collards can be very healthy, very tasty, and have many different ways they can be used,” Elliott said. “So if you think you don’t like collards, you haven’t tasted our collards; that’s the difference.”Elliott and Cheatham’s The Collard Patch can be found at Potluck Gifts and online at www.collardlovers.com

The above story is quoted from The Ruston Daily Leader. Paul's recipe for
Hot Link Collard Eggs appears in a separate blog entry.

Recipe: Creamed Taco

2006-08-13T22:14:00.000-05:00

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
2 cans Ranch Style® beans (original seasoned ones)
1 can chili without beans
1 can Ro*Tel® tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
½ pound regular Velveeta® cheese product, cubed
½ pound Mexican Velveeta® cheese product, cubed
½ pint whipping cream
1 large bag regular Fritos® corn chips

Place the meat in the bottom of a four-quart pan or crockery cooker. Dump all the other ingredients (except the chips, of course) on top. Cook at very low heat until the cheese melts.

(The story about the above recipe is in a separate blog entry.)

Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!
Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

Mary Vaughn’s Creamed Taco: Adding a little spice to a Texas favorite

2006-08-13T22:02:00.000-05:00

The Ruston Daily Leader featured Mary Lou Cheatham, author of Flavored with Love,as guest chef in “North Louisiana Cuisine” in the Lifestyles section Sunday, August 13, 2006. Creamed Taco, a recipe from Flavored with Love, was the featured recipe.

Though Mary Lou Cheatham has had a passion for cooking all of her life, it was only four years ago that she decided to put her own recipes and those of her family along with life stories into a cookbook called Flavored with Love, which can be purchased at Potluck Gifts in Ruston.

“About four years ago I was at my family reunion, and there was so much good food and I decided I wanted to collect those recipes,” Cheatham, a resident of Ruston for 30 years, said. “In the meantime everybody was just telling these wonderful stories, all the stories about my family -- funny stories and sad stories. I decided maybe I could put these together, and I came up with the idea of making a story cookbook.”

Family members and friends gave recipes and real-life stories to go along with them. After Hurricane Katrina, her readers expressed a desire for more south Louisiana recipes and stories, so she obliged them with a third edition, which was released in February of this year.

“I did the third edition because so many people were asking me about recipes from south Louisiana, so I added recipes about south Louisiana and some things from south Louisiana heritage.”

According to the book, “The Southern cooking in a down-home Louisiana and Mississippi style ranges from foolproof sugar cookies to make with children at Christmas to authentic Italian lasagna to simple desserts like the three-step fresh fruit salad.

Today’s “Mary V’s Creamed Taco” recipe comes straight from Texas with a little added Louisiana spice.

“My cousin (Mary Vaughn) gave me that one, and she has lived in Texas,” Cheatham said. “So this recipe has a Texas and south Louisiana influence.”

Though the recipe in the book calls for ground beef to be added to the tomatoes, beans, chili, Cheatham said she prefers to use crawfish tails to add a unique Louisiana influence.

With football games and other outdoor activities to go to, she also said this quick and easy recipe would be perfect for the upcoming tailgating season.

“This recipe would be excellent for tailgaiting because it’s easy to make in the crockpot, and it just has to stay warm,” Cheatham said. “People can serve it in a bowl and pour over Fritos and add jalapenos if they want to.”

Cheatham said its creamy texture also makes it the perfect comfort food.

“It’s a creamy comfort food but with spice,” she said. “And it’s very, very easy to make.”

Cheatham recommends serving this soul food dish with guacamole dip.

Cheatham’s recipe book contains more than 300 recipes for down-home dishes and nostalgia thrown in with stories from friends and family members.

As the book says, with those recipes you can imagine serving an authentic Louisiana meal that you prepared without difficulty filling your house with the distinctive odors of Creole and Cajun food.

Cheatham’s book is filled with recipes from southern Mississippi and Louisiana.

How’s that for a little Southern pride?

(The recipe is in a separate blog entry.)

To read more about Flavored with Love, visit www.FWLCookook.com and www.FlavoredwithLove.com

Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!
Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

Pineapple Upside Down Gouda Cake

2006-08-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

The Mars Cheese Castle website has some wonderful recipes, along with pictures and descriptions of different types of cheese. Mars Cheese Castle is located at Kenosha, Wisconsin.

http://www.marscheese.com/

Pineapple Upside Down Gouda Cake
Ingredients Lbs. / Ozs. Method
TOPPING:
Unsalted butter, melted 4 oz.
Brown sugar, firmly packed 7 oz.
Canned pineapple juice 2 oz.
Combine.

Canned pineapple slices, for garnish

CAKE:
Unsalted butter 4 oz.
Sugar 12 oz.
Cream together at 3rd speed of 3-speed mixer until smooth.
Eggs 6-1/2 oz.
Add.
Mix at 2nd speed until well blended.
Flour 12 oz.Baking powder 2 oz.Salt 2 oz.
Sift together; add.
Mix at 1st speed just until incorporated.
Canned pineapple juice 4 oz.
Gouda cheese, shredded 8 oz.
Stir into batter.

Heavy whipped cream, for garnish
Instructions:
Pour pineapple into two parchment-lined 8-by-2-in. round pans.
Arrange pineapple slices over topping; pour batter into pan.
Bake at 375_F for 30-35 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes; invert and remove pan and paper.
Garnish with heavy whipped cream if desired.
Yields two 8-in. cakes.

The above recipe is quoted from the Mars Cheese website.

Quick Ways to Prepare Collard Greens

2006-08-11T21:59:00.000-05:00

Drizzle cooked collard greens with olive oil and lemon juice.

Serve steamed collard greens with black-eyed peas and brown rice for a Southern inspired meal.
Use lightly steamed, cooled and chopped collard greens as a filling in your sushi vegetable rolls.

Healthy sauté collard greens with tofu, garlic and crushed chili peppers for a meal that will definitely add spice to your life.
Quoted from http://www.whfoods.org
Check this site for more information about collards.

Sauteed Collard Greens and Kale

2006-08-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

Simply stews - Susan Wyler
1 large bunch collards, 1 ¼ lbsl large bunch kale, 1 ¼ lbs3 tablespoons olive oil6 cloves garlic, finely chopped ½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Rinse collards and kale well in a large bowl of cold water. Drain and cut off the tough stems. There will be 6 to 8 tightly packed cups. In a well seasoned wok, heat the olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring 30 seconds. Add half of the greens and cook stirring for about 1 minute, until they begin to wilt. Add the remaining greens and cook stirring constantly for 8 to 10 minutes, until the greens darken slightly and are fairly tender. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serves 4.

Quoted from:
http://www.epa.net/collardgreens/recipe.html

THE COLLARD PATCH will be featured at Prater's Mill Country Fair.

2006-08-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

The Collard Patch Will Be Highlighted at Prater’s Mill Country Fair, A Southern Festival of Quality Artists, Craftsmen, Music, and Food.

Prater’s Mill Country Fair will highlight The Collard Patch, the best collard cookbook in the world, as its featured selection for 2006. Mary Cheatham and Paul Elliott will exhibit and autograph their collard and cornbread reader October 14 & 15, 2006, at Prater’s Mill Country Fair north of Dalton, GA.

Jane Galay, whose recipe for Memories of the Mill Cornbread along with her true story, “Memories of the Mill,” are featured in The Collard Patch, will be present to autograph her selections.

Prater’s Mill Country Fair is one of the most visited autumn events in the Southeast region. The festival provides an opportunity adults and children to experience life as it was in the middle 1800’s. Prater’s Mill, which is still in operation, is a gristmill that grinds grain into flour or corn into meal.

The fair features numerous types of entertainment:

Southern food
Live history exhibits
Original art
Blacksmithing
Handcrafted quilts
Quilting
Woodcarving
Rug Hooking
Hand tufting
Civil War encampment
Antique engines in operation
Tours of the gristmill
Country store
Shugart Cotton Gin
Farm animals in Westbrook Barn
Canoe rides in Coahulla Creek
Nature trail hikes
Pony rides
Clogging exhibitions
Country bands
Gospel singers
Jugglers
Storytellers

From http://www.pratersmill.org/the essential information:
Fair hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, children 12 and under enter free. There is no charge for parking. Visitors are urged to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes.
Prater’s Mill is located on Georgia Hwy. 2, 10 miles northeast of Dalton and about 30 miles south of Chattanooga, TN. Interstate travelers should take I-75 to the Tunnel Hill-Varnell Exit No. 341; drive north 4.5 miles to the intersection with Georgia Hwy. 2 at Varnell; turn right and continue 2.6 miles to the Mill, a total distance of 7 miles from I-75.
For more information or to inquire about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities call 706-694-MILL (6455) or visit www.PratersMill.org.
Fair hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, children 12 and under enter free. There is no charge for parking. Visitors are urged to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes.
Prater’s Mill is located on Georgia Hwy. 2, 10 miles northeast of Dalton and about 30 miles south of Chattanooga, Tenn. Interstate travelers should take I-75 to the Tunnel Hill-Varnell Exit No. 341; drive north 4.5 miles to the intersection with Georgia Hwy. 2 at Varnell; turn right and continue 2.6 miles to the Mill, a total distance of 7 miles from I-75.
For more information or to inquire about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities call 706-694-MILL (6455) or visit PratersMill.org.
Fair hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, children 12 and under enter free. There is no charge for parking. Visitors are urged to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes.
Prater’s Mill is located on Georgia Hwy. 2, 10 miles northeast of Dalton and about 30 miles south of Chattanooga, Tenn. Interstate travelers should take I-75 to the Tunnel Hill-Varnell Exit No. 341; drive north 4.5 miles to the intersection with Georgia Hwy. 2 at Varnell; turn right and continue 2.6 miles to the Mill, a total distance of 7 miles from I-75.
For more information or to inquire about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities call 706-694-MILL (6455) or visit PratersMill.org.
Fair hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, children 12 and under enter free. There is no charge for parking. Visitors are urged to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes.
Prater’s Mill is located on Georgia Hwy. 2, 10 miles northeast of Dalton and about 30 miles south of Chattanooga, Tenn. Interstate travelers should take I-75 to the Tunnel Hill-Varnell Exit No. 341; drive north 4.5 miles to the intersection with Georgia Hwy. 2 at Varnell; turn right and continue 2.6 miles to the Mill, a total distance of 7 miles from I-75.
For more information or to inquire about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities call 706-694-MILL (6455) or visit PratersMill.org.
Fair hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, children 12 and under enter free. There is no charge for parking. Visitors are urged to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes.
Prater’s Mill is located on Georgia Hwy. 2, 10 miles northeast of Dalton and about 30 miles south of Chattanooga, Tenn. Interstate travelers should take I-75 to the Tunnel Hill-Varnell Exit No. 341; drive north 4.5 miles to the intersection with Georgia Hwy. 2 at Varnell; turn right and continue 2.6 miles to the Mill, a total distance of 7 miles from I-75.
For more information or to inquire about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities call 706-694-MILL (6455) or visit PratersMill.org.
Information sources: http://www.georgia.org
http://www.pratersmill.org/

Natural Remedies And Old Mountain Foods

2006-08-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

Quoted from:
http://www.mountaintimes.com
Folks back in the 1800s (and even into the 1900s in some parts!) did not have a local grocery store with fruits and vegetables piled onto cooled shelves, or a corner drug store where remedies waited patiently stacked. Most of their nourishment and medicines came from the world around them, from spring greens and summer flowers, to autumn fruits and roots dug in winter.
The mountains are literally covered with herbs, plants and other naturally occurring substances which can be eaten or used for medicinal purposes. Extreme caution should be used, however, when dabbling in natural remedies and wild foods! If even remotely unsure of what you're using or ingesting, DON'T DO IT! It is important to learn to properly identify a plant before using it for food or medicine. Mistakes can be painful, or even deadly.

Go to the website to read about specific plants.

Nanny’s Broccoli Cornbread

2006-07-27T15:55:00.000-05:00

Lauren is a sixteen-year-old young lady who cooks on KTVE. Here is a recipe from her website,

http://www.cookingwithlauren.com

Go there for some more good recipes.

Nanny’s Broccoli Cornbread
1 6 oz pkg. cornbread mix (1 1/4 cup)

1 stick melted butter

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 t. Tony’s seasoning

1 pkg. chopped broccoli

6 oz. sour cream

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together except the cheddar cheese. Fill prepared muffin tins about 2/3 full. Sprinkle top with shredded cheese. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven about 30 minutes until golden brown.
*Cottage cheese may be substituted for sour cream.For a lower fat version of this recipe, use low fat sour cream, egg substitute, and low fat cheddar cheese.

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Cauliflower Soup

2006-07-23T22:27:00.000-05:00

Quoted from

Boggy Creek Farm website: http://www.boggycreekfarm.com/pages/recipes.php

Cauliflower Soup

This soup is worthy of your getting out the blender.
1 large Cauliflower (chopped in small bits to cook fast)

1 bunch Leeks (chopped finely; if using baby leeks, chop the greens too)

1 cup to 1 pint Soy Milk (or milk of choice)

1 cup to 1 pint Yogurt

Sprinkles of freshly grated Nutmeg and Cinnamon

Sea Salt to taste

Sauté the Cauliflower and Leeks until soft. Place them in blender or food processor and blend, adding Milk and Yogurt to the desired consistency. Add seasonings and serve hot or cold.

Serves 2-3

When we made our website, www.CollardLovers.com, we made a background of collard leaves. We were intrigued to discover that the Boggy Creek website has also used greens as a background.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

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Recipe:Market Vegetables with Dipping Sauces

2006-07-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

From Amazon.com:

BACK TO THE TABLE

Cookbook by Art Smith, Oprah's Personal Chef

"Dining together allows us to better understand who we are, regardless of our social status," writes Art Smith, author of Back to the Table, a cookbook that explores the meaning of the dining ritual while providing 150 recipes to "strengthen bonds between loved ones."

Personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and a contributing editor to her magazine, O, Smith grew up in the Southern cooking tradition, the underpinning of this enticing home-style collection. Smith's reiterated message--that we return to the "sanctity of the table"--is unassailable; his recipes, however, really make the point.

Readers looking for good food to cook and share will find the book a much-turned-to treasure.Chapters like "Breaking Bread," "The Family Meal," and "Food Is Love" organize recipes around the communal eating theme. "The Family Meal," for example, includes exemplary everyday formulas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, such as Zucchini and Tomato Frittata, Carrot-Ginger Soup with Minted Yogurt, and Grilled Fish Fillets with Watercress Mustard and Tarragon. Other outstanding recipes--such as Mushroom, Provolone, and Rosemary Pizza, Sunday Dinner Pot Roast, and Spring Vegetable Lasagna--reflect and encourage shared cooking and enjoyment. Formulas for sweets are woven throughout the book and include such delights as Kumquat-Ginger Pound Cake, Chocolate Pecan Pie, and an old-fashioned Peanut Brittle. Illustrated with photos that depict the food and cooking processes or show people enjoying meals together, the book reminds readers of the culinary and spiritual pleasures of the shared table. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

Art Smith is Oprah Winfrey's personal chef. Smith provides readers with an array of mouth-watering recipes that represent the very best of home cooking.He also discusses how to set the table in a way that gives reverence to the food and the guests; how various cultures give blessings before a meal; how different kinds of foods and dishes can contribute to an atmosphere of family unity; and so much more! Back to the Table is illustrated throughout with stunning photos of the food and of people sharing their tables, and their lives. He has cooked professionally for the families of celebrities and heads-of-state for almost 20 years.

Recipe quoted from Oprah.com by Art Smith:

Market Vegetables with Dipping Sauces
Created by Art Smith
From the March, 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
Makes 4 servings

Art Smith redeems steamed vegetables—the dish that gave an entire cooking method a bad name—with his market vegetables accompanied by peanut, sweet-and-sour, and curry yogurt dipping sauces.

INGREDIENTS

Assorted colorful seasonal vegetables, sliced in a range of sizes
1/4 teaspoons sea salt or juice of half a lemon

Peanut sauce:

2 Tablespoons chopped peanuts or peanut butter
1 teaspoon minced scallions
1 teaspoon finely chopped chili pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Sweet-and-sour sauce:

1 teaspoon finely chopped chili pepper
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons grated carrot
1/4 cup fish sauce
8 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice
3 Tablespoons sugar

Curry yogurt sauce:

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

To prepare vegetables: In a large pot with a steaming basket insert, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add salt or lemon juice to enhance flavor. Place vegetables in steaming basket and cover. Cook 3 to 5 minutes; remove steamer from pot. To make sauces: In 3 small bowls, mix each set of ingredients together and stir. Sauces can be prepared and refrigerated up to one day in advance; serve alongside steamed vegetables.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

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Gone fishing—RECIPE: Grilled Salmon

2006-07-19T00:41:00.000-05:00

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from our friend Shane Bryan. Visiting his blog, I discovered he has found a way to make money while he has fun fishing. Here is a note from his blog with a fishing recipe in the P. S.:
Just wanted to say "hi" to all my readers and to say sorry for the spotty posts of late. I am currently commercial fishing out in Prince William Sound, Alaska. This year has been pretty busy so far with very little time in port. Am having a good summer. I will be catching up with my blogging as soon as possible. We should finally be getting a little time off here next week. I'll also try to post some pics at that time.
Cheers,
Chef Shane
P.S.: Looking for an excellent way to grill salmon fillets on the grill? Simply rub down with lemon pepper, garlic, salt and a little hot sauce. Most of the hot sauce will burn off leaving a slightly spicy but not hot taste. This is my favorite way of doing up salmon. This will also work well in a skillet, but use less hot sauce because it won't burn.
Quoted from http://chefshane.com

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Cheddar Biscuits

2006-07-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

Note from Martha Hawthorne:

This recipe has been served in our home for many years. Enjoy!

Martha

Red Lobster Biscuits

2 c. biscuit baking mix
1/2 c. cold water
1 c. finely grated mild cheddar cheese
1/4 c. margarine, melted
1 t. parsley flakes
1/2 t. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 450
Mix biscuit mix, cheese & water. Drop by large spoonfuls onto
greased baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. While still hot
brush on the margarine that has been mixed with the garlic salt
and parsley flakes. Serve hot. SERVES 4

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It all started a few months before Katrina hit . . .

2006-07-09T14:11:00.000-05:00

After Katrina, my friends asked for more Louisiana recipes, stories, and facts.
As a result, I revised Flavored with Love.

It all started before Katrina hit. People all over Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana were buying and reading the cookbook. Then they begged for more south Louisiana food and experiences.

A lady who owns a gift shop deep down in French country asked me, “How many ingredients do you have in these recipes?”

I said, “It varies. They are all simple to cook, but some of them have as many as 20 things you have to shake into the pot.”

She said, “Good. I’ll sell it in my store. You can’t make food taste right without at least 11 or 10 ingredients.”

About that time Christie and Mike (my daughter and son-in-law) moved across the Mississippi River from Modeste to St.James Parish. Paul (a fellow cookbook writer) and I went to help build a fence around their yard.

To begin the project, Christie went next door to the Kellers’ house, introduced herself to Ms. Hazel, and asked her where the property line was.

With a clear understanding of the acceptable location of the fence, Christie and Paul went to work. About 30 minutes later, a man riding in a little hauling tractor with a load of tools in the back came driving down the street and up the driveway.

Go to www.FlavoredwithLove.com to read the rest of the story.

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Collard Greens (Collards), a Source of Antioxiants

2006-06-30T11:56:00.000-05:00

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"'Antioxidant' is a classification of several organic substances,
including vitamins C and E, vitamin A (which is converted from
beta-carotene), selenium (a mineral), and a group known as the
carotenoids. Carotenoids, of which beta- carotene is the most popular,
are a pigment that adds color to many fruits and vegetables -- without
them, carrots wouldn't be orange, for example."
From http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0830.html

"Despite over four decades of research, our understanding of oxidative
damage and the role of antioxidants in health is still in its infancy.
Much of the research done to date has produced contradictory results."
[page description in the source code]
"Other studies have shown that diets high in the antioxidants called
carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, did have a protective
benefit in reducing the risk of macular degeneration. These are found
primarily in green leafy vegetables, and the intake of spinach or
collard greens had the greatest benefit. Neither vitamins A, C, nor E
was especially helpful. (58) Scientists believe lutein and zeaxanthin
may help cells avoid oxidative damage from light exposure by absorbing
blue light (59). To prevent the onset of macular degeneration, some
doctors suggest wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from
ultraviolet light damage and eating green leafy vegetables to keep
lutein levels high in the macula."
From http://www.infoaging.org/b-oxdam-17-r-macular.html

Quoted from Answers.Google.com

Recipe: FATHER'S DAY ITALIAN MEATLOAF

2006-06-16T21:46:00.000-05:00

Recipe quoted from What's Cookin'
Current recipe for June 16, 2006
FATHER'S DAY ITALIAN MEATLOAF - LA BELLA VITA'S GUEST COOK - MADDY MULL
2 lb ground beef
1/3 red bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 oz dried bell pepper
1 oz montreal steak seasoning
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 tbsp Italian seasoning
barbecue sauce
1 italian sausage link

Mix first 6 ingredients together and mix well. Form into a ball and place on wax paper. Spread over wax paper into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Place italian sausage across the width of meat mixture. Roll up meatloaf over sausage. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes then rotate and continue cooking an additional 25 minutes.

Combine barbecue sauce and italian seasoning. Spread over meatloaf and serve.

Join La Bella Vita for Father's Day!!

ENJOY and Happy Father's Day.

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

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Cookbook Readers

2006-06-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

Two Great Story Cookbooks -- Distinctive Gift Items! They are certainly unique because nobody else has these cookbooks. When people see them the first time, they say, "Ahh! Wow! These books are beautiful! I didn't expect them to be so big"

**Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!**

Order

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Order

Snippets and Snippets 2

2006-06-14T11:01:00.000-05:00

A Reader's Review of Snippets:
I've been reading bits and pieces of Beth Boswell Jack's writing for a number of years, mostly on a web site called USADeepSouth, and it's great to see them all gathered together in this book called Snippets. Our local Arkansas paper doesn't carry her column, but I wish it did. Her writing is funny and smart. I wish all humorous women without edgy big city pretensions weren't compared to Erma Bombeck. Jacks has her very own, clear voice. I love that she's been married to the same man since forever, lives in a small town in Mississippi, but gets around like crazy. Is there such a thing as up-to-date nostalgia? One of my favorite pieces is "Diary of a Mad Strutter". If you've ever heard of the Sweet Potato Queens from Jackson, Mississippi, you must read how Jacks joined the parade. Snippets is a good gift for southern readers, but also could knock down a bunch of stereotypes that Yankees might still be carrying around. For that you might want to check out Southern Jewelry Laws, page 66.

Beth has written Snippets 2!

Who is Beth Jacks?

A resident of the Mississippi Delta, Beth Jacks is a graduate of Millsaps College (B.A.-English) and the University of Mississippi (M.Ed.-Special Education).
Jacks writes poetry and short stories for children's magazines and literary journals. She's had stories and poems published in Simon and Schuster's Chocolate series and in Delta Magazine, Ladybug, Hopscotch, Devo'Zine, Pockets, Boys' Quest, Story Mates, Story Friends, Wee Ones Mag, Northwest Family Magazine, Shining Star, Kids' Highway, Working Writer, Lighthouse Story Collections, Lonzie's Fried Chicken, and a number of other magazines.

A weekly personal essay columnist for several Southern newspapers, Jacks is a member of both the Mississippi Press Association and the Louisiana Press Association.

From USADEEPSOUTH.COM

Fresh Collard Leaves Right from the Flower Beds

2006-05-29T15:01:00.000-05:00

Well Paul and I just had a smoked turkey sandwich with fresh collard leaves out from a plant in our flower bed! Why do we even plant flowers when we can get such delicious food right from planter boxes?

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Yvette Freeman loves collards!

2006-05-27T22:42:00.000-05:00

Yvette Freeman, best-known as nurse Haleh Adams on the long-running TV drama "ER," gave us permission to include one of her recipes in The Collard Patch along with her bio.

She grows vegetables in her back yard. Quoting her website:

Among them are budding eggplants, lilac peppers, collard greens, red onions, kale, tomatoes, zucchini and watermelons, which are still producing after a long, hot summer. Herbs, including rosemary, basil, oregano, mint and thyme, are grown in containers in a shady nook near her kitchen.

This quotation is also from Yvette Freeman's website:

Since adopting her healthy lifestyle, Freeman has discovered new ways to incorporate favorite vegetables into home-cooked meals. She uses collard greens, for example, in her own version of Greek roll-ups.
"I use collard greens instead of grape leaves and stuff them with mushrooms and rice instead of meat," she said, adding she's also learned to propagate them by planting a leaf in the ground and watering it.
Now she dreams of having "collard trees," she said, chuckling.

http://www.yvettefreeman.com/television.html

The Collard Patch, http://www.CollardLovers.com

Dash to Hattiesburg, MS

2006-05-25T23:55:00.000-05:00

Well, Paul and I had to make a dash to Hattiesburg, MS, to deliver books to one of our faithful vendors. We left Ruston, LA, early in the morning, stopped in Vicksburg to make additional arrangements for book storage. Vickie and Vera of JET Enterprises of Vicksburg, MS (the self-storage vendors), were wonderful. They recognized our plight and quickly made arrangements for us to get extra storage space without any additional charge!

We picked up some books and headed for Hattiesburg, MS. All this and a return in one day—a rather long day. So, our first product delivery and the launch has begun!

We are so excited about them!

Here are the story cookbooks! The Collard Patch available at www.CollardLovers.com and Flavored with Love, 3rd Edition avaliable at www.FlavoredWithLove.com

Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

Cooking Collards during the Evening News on KTVE

2006-05-21T13:57:00.000-05:00

News

May 17, 2006, 5:00 p. m.

Paul Elliott and Mary Cheatham cooked with Stephen Webster on "Supper with Stephen" featured on the KTVE (West Monroe, LA) on the evening news.

They demonstrated preparing and cooking collards. Paul and Mary showed five collard green dishes during the segment on the 5:00 news and fed the congenial KTVE staff.

Drop a note to admin@collardlovers.com to receive an e-booklet of these recipes.

For news about The Collard Patch, the new collards story book, go to

CollardLovers.com

For news about Flavord With Love, Third Edition, the expanded and revised story cookbook about Mary Lou's Family and friends, please visit

FWLCookbook.com

Collard Green Sandwich

2006-05-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

From the NPR site:

Collard Green Sandwich
by Vertamae Grosvenor

Talk of the Nation, November 25, 2004 · Frequent NPR commentator Verta Mae Grosvenor, author of Vertamae Cooks in America's Family Kitchen, offers up a recipe:

Vertamae's Collard Green Sandwich

Ingredients:

Collard Greens (2 or three leaves per sandwich. Choose the small leaves, the nice tender sweet ones... not the big fan leaves)

White Bread (not too thick or thin)

Optional ingredients:

Mustard

Cheese

Thin sliced meats

Thin sliced tomatoes or onions

Spice a pot of water or broth to taste and bring to a full boil as if you were preparing pasta. Once the water is boiling, throw in the collards and boil for five minutes. Remove collards and immediately plunge in ice-cold water. That keeps them green. Bring the water to second boil and throw the collards back in ten minutes. Remove the collards and drain and dry with a paper or cloth towel.

Now you can put your sandwich together and here's where you get creative. Prosciutto works well, or your favorite cheese. My personal favorite is thinly sliced red onion with Dijon mustard. I found that mustard works better than mayonnaise. I also like to add a thinly sliced, real good tomato... not the watery kind please.

Forty-Five Free Recipes

2006-05-10T10:36:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I've just finished assembling some of the recipes that appear online at FWLCookbook.com. I placed them in an electronic cookbook.

The title is Forty-Five Free Recipes. Write me at mcheatham@cox-internet.com for your free copy.

Announcement: The Collard Patch

2006-04-28T23:29:00.000-05:00

The World's Finest Collard Cookbook will soon be released. The printer has almost finished printing the book.

LSU AgCenter . Vegetables for South Louisiana Series

2006-04-28T23:21:00.000-05:00

LSU AgCenter . Vegetables for South Louisiana Series: "Collards
Collards

Recommended Varieties
Morris Heading, Vates, Georgia (Creole), Champion
Cultural Practices
Planting Dates

March 15 to October 1
Seed to Plant -- 1 packet (100 ft row)
Planting Practices

Plant 1/8 inch deep, for plants 6 to 12 inches apart

Fertilizing

5 to 6 lbs 8-8-8 or 8-24-24 (100 ft row). Side dress with 1/4 to 3/4 lb nitrogen 3 to 4 weeks after planting and again in 2 to 3 weeks. Side dressing after the first harvest will help the plant produce a second crop in 3 to 4 weeks

Harvesting

Days to harvest -- 75
Collard greens are harvested by cutting the tops out of the plants. However, any of the leaves may be harvested
Insect and Disease Control
Aphids -- Malathion (57%EC) 2 tsp/gal water, 7 days before harvest
Caterpillars -- B.t. (Thuricide, etc) according to label. Use weekly with wetting agent in spray
Comments
Plant some collards (6 to 10 plants) each month during the growing season to provide a continuing source of tender greens"

THE COLLARD PATCH

2006-04-14T18:37:00.000-05:00

The Collard Patch is our new story cookbook. The printer is running a proof of the cover and the text today! If you would like to be one of the first to own this book, drop me a note. I'll make you a really good deal.

Paul Elliott and I have co-authored this unique cookbook. On the Internet there are hundreds of recipes for cooking collards, but I honestly do not know of another book focusing on the subject. Here are some of the things our book contains:
Some really good stories
The Most Popular Collard Greens Recipe in the World!
Cornbread Recipes to Go with the Collards
Heart Health Recipes
288 Big Pages of 214 Remarkable Recipes!

Write me at MaryCheatham@fwlcookbook.com for more information about the cookbook.

Easter Recipes E-Book

2006-04-12T15:42:00.000-05:00

My son-in-law Mike has a very easy way to prepare ham. It's perfect for Easter. In fact, I have an entire set of recipes for a great Southern Easter meal. If you will e-mail me at admin@fwlcookbook.com, I'll send the recipes to you.

Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

Dogs

2006-02-17T12:58:00.000-06:00

Collard Patch

Let's Write Weekend, PPW's Exciting 2012 Conference

Terry’s Spicy Collard Soup

Character Interview with Caroline from Secret Promise

When Cinderella Meets a Man like Job

She lives alone with her dogs. They don’t hit her or yell at her.

A Walk down the Street One Week before Christmas

Secret Promise

A Sneak Peak at the Back Cover of Secret Promise

Guest Blogger: Paul Elliott, The Collard Patch, The Story of the Collard Greens Cookbook

Guest Blogger: Paula Taylor. Family Gardening Legacy, Traveling Bulbs

A Christmas Special, Flavored with Love at a Ridiculously Low Price

Cornbread Salad

Mom’s Dressing, Our Family's Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 6 (Final Section)

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 5

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 4

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 3

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 2

Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 1

Books by Mary Lou Cheatham

E-Book about Grief: I'm Choking . . . But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief (Insights about Grieving)

Have Yourself a Happy Little Mother's Day

Light Chocolate Cake

Quinoa

As people throughout the United States are developing a love for Louisiana food, where do they get their recipes?

Baked Coon

Aunt Etta's Turnip Greens

My Home Town -- Those Funny Names of Mississippi Places in Our Neck of the Woods

Five Prizes

Crawfish Tortellini Salad

My New Job

How Not to Lose Your Mind Eating Venison

Eating Venison During Poor Economic Times

Poinsettias

Growing Up Near Hot Coffee, Mississippi

Re-Green the Green

Picking and Fixing Collards

Top Secret Green Beans Recipe -- 25 Servings

Collard Wraps

Picking and Fixing Collards

Flavored with Love Review

Do You Know How God's Loves You?

Do you need a last minute gift?

Here is a unique gift! Chances are that no one else will duplicate your gift because it is FRESH OFF THE PRESS as of December 10!

There is still time to order from Amazon and receive a gift with free shipping before Christmas. December 17 is the last day to order and expect to receive something by December 24.

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)

DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU? came out on Amazon.com, just in time for Christmas gifts. (There are only two more days until the end of the guaranteed deliveries for free.) The book contains a daily devotional for each day of the year.

Here is the link: http://adexclusive.com/r/amdy/Merry Christmas,Mary

Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who Invented the Chocolate Chip Cookie?

How to Cook Collard Greens

Rice and Vegetables

Football Widows' Revenge

Stevia, Chives, Rosemary, Fennel, and Cilantro -- The Joy of Living Green!

New Collard Greens Recipes

What We Are Doing Now

Shopping at Central Market

Take a trip to Natchitoches!

Kindle

GreensCast - BlogTalkRadio - Collard Greens

Great Cookbook Giveaway

Smoothies at Crescent City Coffee Shop

A Special Gift: THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT by Beatrix Potter

A Free ECookbook of Our Favorite Christmas Recipes

The Midnight Clear

Real Women Eat Chiles -- One day only – December 7, 2006!

The Collard Patch was featured on John Folse's "Stirrin' It Up" on October 4, 2006. To hear the radio program, go to this link:

RECIPE: Stacey Pardue's No Sugar Added Lemon Ice Box Pie

RECIPE: Stir Fried Vegetables

An Offer You Cannot Afford to Miss

BONUS BANANZA

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Collard Patch Great Sales Event!

We are working very hard on the Great Sales Event Launch of The Collard Patch!

Our Prater's Mill Country Fair Experience

Well, the anticipation of the Prater's Mill Country Fair in Dalton, GA, this past weekend was certainly well-placed. There were about 10,000 visitors over Saturday and Sunday!

Recipe: Hot Link Collard Eggs

The Way Men Cook Breakfast

Recipe: Creamed Taco

Mary Vaughn’s Creamed Taco: Adding a little spice to a Texas favorite

Here is the link: http://adexclusive.com/r/amdy/

Merry Christmas,
Mary

This soup is worthy of your getting out the blender.
1 large Cauliflower (chopped in small bits to cook fast)