Blueberry Lime Muffins

Blueberry Lime Muffins

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp grated lime peel
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Additional grated lime peel, if desired

Heat the oven to 400^F.  Place paper baking cups in each of 12 regular sized muffin cups (or spray with Pam).

In a large bowl, stir Bisquick, brown sugar and 1 tsp lime peel.  In small bowl, stir milk, butter and egg with a fork or whisk until well blended.  Make a well in center of dry ingredients and stir in egg mixture just until all ingredients are moistened.  Stir in blueberries.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full.

Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lime juice (plus lime peel if desired) until well blended. Drizzle over muffins.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nice lime flavor!  From bettycrocker.com

Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

1 Tbsp vanilla

Melt the butter in large, heavy iron skillet and stir in the potato slices.  Sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon and salt over the potatoes and stir well.  Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and "candied", stirring occasionally.  Stir in the vanilla just before serving.

Delicious!  Adapted from allrecipes.com

Southern Pea Salad

1 (16 ounce) package frozen sweet peas, thawed and uncooked 

2 eggs, hard boiled and chopped

4 to 6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled or 1 cup ham, cooked and chopped, optional

1/2 cup chopped green onion (could use regular onion)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (can use any kind of cheese)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds or 1/2 cup celery, chopped

dash cayenne

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine uncooked, thawed peas, eggs, bacon or ham or both, onion, cheese, pepper, salt, garlic powder, celery seeds or celery and cayenne in a salad bowl.  Mix in the mayonnaise and sour cream.  Place in refrigerator for a couple of hours. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

From http://thesouthernladycooks.com/2013/04/18/southern-pea-salad/.

I used bacon instead of the ham and celery seeds instead of celery.  My husband loved this and it looked lovely.  I should have loved it too, but for some reason, I didn't.  I guess my favorite will always be my Mom's Pea Salad, which is much simpler and more to my taste.  This was good, but I'll be sticking with Mom's from now on.  

Aunt Peggy's Orange Glazed Ham Steak

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons boiling water

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 2 oranges, zest finely grated and juiced

• 2 (1-pound, 1/2-inch thick) ham steaks

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and boiling water until the granules dissolve. Whisk in the orange zest and juice.

Put the ham steaks in a large baking dish. Pour half of the glaze over the meat, turning once to coat them evenly. Bake for 1 hour, flipping the steaks occasionally and basting them with the remaining glaze. The glaze will thicken and the finished ham will be golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and transfer the steaks to a serving platter. Serve hot.

From Food Network/Paula Deen.  This smelled wonderful, but didn't taste as good as it smelled.  The sauce was gloppy and gross looking and the ham was really dried out after a whole hour in the oven.   

Black Bean and Smoked Sausage Soup

1 lb smoked kielbasa, sliced thin

1 finely chopped onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp cumin

3 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp oregano

3 cans black beans

1 cup Salsa
Sour Cream to garnish, if desired

In large pot, brown sausage and onion over medium heat.  Add garlic, cumin, chili powder and oregano.  In blender, puree one can undrained black beans and add to pot.  Add other 2 cans of beans and the Salsa.  Heat and simmer.

Serve over a small mound of rice with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl with cornbread on the side.

Delicious and easy!  Adapted from e-meals "recipe"