The Sweetest Thing's Sunday…Twinkie Desert….Seriously?

And you thought I had a deep, thought provoking post for this Sunday! No, instead…it's all about the Twinkie! Talk about the history of a 'sweet'! This one is unprecedented! And I for one feel like I need to take it to another level!
I did do an earlier post about it which you can see here…but, seriously, the more I look into it I feel like I need to go deeper! I may just continue this little investigation! It's quite fun!
For those of you that don't know….Twinkie Dessert is my family's signature dish! And I for one could not be more proud of it!!! If you don't believe me….just pretend you trust me! My mom is probably the best cook I know…besides my precious mother in law! And they are equal in my book! MaryAnne makes 'Tipsy Pudding' and my mother makes  'Twinkie Dessert'! And these are ONLY made on Christmas and Thanksgiving and SOMETIMES, Easter! So, when I heard that my precious niece Kathryn ordered Twinkie Dessert for her 14th Birthday….I was sort of stunned…seriously! Holly and I are dieting so this was going to be a tough one!
Was it still going to be a "Sweetest Thing's Sunday post?" I wasn't sure! But it was….
A Sweet Sunday It Was, Indeed! 

It was definitely a sweet sunday spent with family! And I needed that! I needed something because Sundays have been hard since Miller left for college…and I'm not going to lie about it! Luckily, we've been pretty busy in general! In fact, it's been quite busy! I have a feeling God knew it would be like this and that this would keep my mind occupied as opposed to driving to Auburn every (other) day to make sure Miller is doing ok! I almost feel like we have to make the time to stop and smell the roses! Just like Rosie above…ok…it's not really her…but it sure does look like her! And little did I know this pic was from my good friend Teresa's blog,  Splendid Sass! 
Make sure you take the time to check it out…she's incredible!
With Holly and Brad living with us it's been a constant flow of normal to paranormal activity! There have been wedding parties and dinners out, and family members to see! 

So all of that is good and has kept me from getting to concentrate on being sad!

So, tonight we went to my mom's to celebrate my precious niece's birthday! Thank you, Kathryn for choosing an "easy" dinner  of hamburgers so that Mom would make you 'Twinkie Dessert' for your birthday! We all thank you! It's only our most special family favorite ever! In fact…I think I'm choosing it for my birthday next March! When it's your birthday I say you choose whatever you want! We were super excited! And it's the only reason I would ever cheat! It's that good!

Mom always does such special birthday dinners for all of us! We are very blessed!

And it's a lot of fun to act silly with cousins! No matter the age differences! Being together is what's really important.

I was so glad I didn't miss the moment of Kathryn blowing out her candles!

(Just look at this divine treat! I know the picture isn't great…but trust me…the dessert is!)

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend and a super sweet Sunday…..Promise me you will give this lucious dessert a try! It truly is our Christmas Eve dessert since I've been born!  We have never veered off to another and we will always be that loyal! I love it! And I love traditions like this! We've never strayed and never will! It's just that good! It's Twinkie Dessert! 

Much love,

Twinkie Dessert

1 12 ounce package chocolate chips
pinch of salt
6 eggs, separated
1 Cup sugar
1 t vanilla
1 box twinkles

Separate eggs into two bowls. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Sitrring constantly, add 6 egg yolks, one at a time. Beat 6 egg whites in mixer, adding sugar gradually. Fold into chocolate mixture. Add salt and vanilla. Cut twinkies into 3 lengthwise slices. Place a layer of twinkies in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Spread half of chocolate mixture on top, and then layer the rest of the twinkies. Then spread the remaining chocolate mixture on top. Chill overnight. Cut into squares and serve with REAL whipped cream!

The Good,The Bad And The Ugly! Grilled Peach and Spinach Salad

When I think of peaches….they are good! They are sweet and they are all things summer to me!

When I think of onions…I think bad! " I hate that smell! I know me and I know I hate fooling with them because then my hands smell bad and my house smells bad, and on and on and on…..

But have you ever mixed the two? Good and Bad can sometimes turn out to be GREAT!!! There are all kinds of analogies that I could bring into this picture but I'm not….I'm simply making a salad! And smelly red onions turn out to be a glorious tasting experience once they are grilled to perfection!

 It was DIVINE!!! Just ask Jim, Holly and Brad! And I wouldn't be sharing it with you if it truly wasn't New Orleans Restaurant Worthy! And in my book…(And yes, I do have one!) It was definitely NORW!!! 
(New Orlean's Restaurant Worthy!)

 Glorious summer peaches mixed with rebel red onions! Made for a spectacular meal!

 I guess when you throw anything on the grill, it just gets that much better!

And Jim is the master griller in our house!

( as I'm telling him exactly what to do and when to turn everything and when to throw water on the flames!)

In fact, I actually threw our okra from our garden on the grill simply because I cannot stand to waste anything and it was fabulous! Everyone ate it and everyone loved it and said it was the best they'd ever had….besides Grandmama's fried okra! I know I can't ever beat that I really don't want to! I love it!

But the main attraction was supposed to be the Blackened Mahi Sandwiches! They were so yummy!

I always do our fish in my grandmother's large cast iron skillet on the one eye we have on our grill so as not to have my house smell like fish for a week! It also allowed us to sit outside with Holly and Brad and have quite the discussions as we sat on the patio!

The best part about cooking out this meal on the grill was spending time with my precious baby girl just as we were! Even in our exercise clothes! I guess she will always be my baby girl even if she has one of her own! Some things just shouldn't change in my opinion! 

She took this picture at the last minute so I know the quality isn't great…but the fact that she loved this grilled okra meant the world to me! I'm always the only one that loves okra any way, shape, or form! I was so glad to find a new way to fix another healthy meal…and definitely a healthy green veggie!

Here are the recipes for the salad and salad dressing that we made tonight! I promise…they are delicious!

Salad

2 C torn and washed baby spinach leaves, stems removed

2 C torn and washed red leaf lettuce

4 peaches, peeled and seeded and then quartered and grilled

(grilling instructions to follow)

1/3 C crumbled feta cheese

1/3 C toasted almonds or pecans

1 large purple onion, sliced and grilled

( grilling instructions to follow)

place lettuces in a serving bowl along with toasted nuts of choice and feta cheese. Grill onions on a grill that is medium hot, and onions have been brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with a little kosher salt and pepper. Grill until charred or until desired 'doneness'.

Grill peaches pretty much the same way but just brush with a small amount of olive oil. Do not grill so much that they get mushy, they just need that yummy grill flavor!

Salad Dressing

6 T Balsamic Vinegar

2 T olive oil

2 t dijon mustard

2 t honey

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t pepper

2 shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

whisk all ingredients together and cover for at least an hour before tossing with salad ingredients.

For the Fish Sandwiches

4 pieces of Tilapia or Mahi Mahi, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 stick melted light butter

Blackening Seasoning

Dip cleaned fish in melted butter on both sides and place on a platter. Sprinkle with desired amount of seasoning and place that side down in a hot cast iron skillet coated with melted butter. Sprinkle the other side with seasoning. Flip after about 2-3 minutes and cook on other side until done. Place on toasted buns with pepper jack cheese. Serve with lettuce and sliced tomatoes and tartar sauce. So, so good! 

Hope you enjoy this! It's almost the end of summer so it's time to fire up that grill for some yummy warm weather meals before we head into fall! I can't wait to get Holly and Brad moved into their wonderful first house and help them try out that grill that they love so much! I can't believe it's been in storage for 2 LONG years!
No more! Now they can begin their cooking quest for NORW meals! ( I also can't believe we really do belong to New Orleans now because of them…I never even used to want to go! Now, it only appeals to me because they've taught me to love it!) 
Oh, the things you can learn from your children!! "The from the mouths of babes" saying didn't just happen, you know! 

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!

There Is Something About Your First House...

 There just is!
 It still makes my heart glad and my mind starts racing with ideas when I think back on all that we did with our first house and the determination I felt to make it our home…

Thursday, we set out for our trip to New Orleans this time to not only celebrate our 29th Anniversary but also to help Holly and Brad find their new home now that he has his own Chick Fil A store.

Truth be known….I was glad I still had it in me! I used to live for this sort of thing!  I always loved the challenge of a new home…a fixer upper…a cottage that needed life breathed into it!  Lately I've been so tired from everyday life I was surprised to find myself excited about anything! Let alone feel the need to breathe life into something!

That is, until I spotted this "Sunny, yellow kitchen"! 

As Jim and I spied into the window with Holly ( me griping about how my hair was frizzing!)  we tried in vain to find an unlocked door of the house they were dying to get in to see. I tried to go back to our car to get out of the rain and then I heard Holly ask for me to at least come peak through the window…"Just come see, mom!" I heard her say! That's when I saw it… the beautiful, 

Yellow Kitchen!

 It was the one thing holding them back though…."The kitchen needs a lot of work"…."the kitchen is YELLOW!" I heard them say.  I really did get it…but my mind was racing with the possibilities and yet also trying to let them make this very important decision as a couple…

I needed to take a step back…and I did!

They weren't crazy about these floors...

I didn't verbalize out loud that we also had these parquet floors in our first home! ( until later!)

Or, that I sure do have a lot of twig style furniture that will really work in this sunroom! ( until later!)

I just kept hearing those words in a mama's heart…"They should take it! They better get it! Don't let this one go! Fall in love with yellow kitchens, and shiny parquet floors! Small closets and small bathrooms….that's what makes us who we are"!

For crying out loud….the couple that owns this house lives next door and from all appearances are wonderful and cute and fun!!!

 RUN FOR IT!!! 

 Look at the safe street! We've searched high and low and not much is safe ANYWHERE near New Orleans…Seiously!! It's just NOT!!! It's fun…it's great food…but it's NOT SAFE!!!

And so they did…they decided to take it…with certain pre-requisites that the owner met gladly! And Brad had some valid reservations and told them to the owners…the owners couldn't have been nicer about meeting his expectations and I'm so glad and very grateful to them!

I have a feeling God has great plans for Holly and Brad in this house! I'm so excited about this couple that literally just bought this house next door to their own home just three weeks ago and has been renovating it ever since….I would bet that they have NO idea that they are a part of such a wonderful plan! I mean….Brad got his first store just 3 weeks ago…this couple just bought this house 3 weeks ago…Holly and Brad were chosen to live here over several other applicants…They are actually able to be apart of the refinishing process even as renters! 

God is good!!! All the time!!

All that's left to do now is trust….and by that I mean that I need to trust that where God has Holly and Brad at this very minute is His best plan for their lives! It just wears me out to worry and so I've decided that I'm too tired to worry much any more! That may sound crazy to a lot of you…to me it sounds glorious! I want to enjoy!!!

And I want to rest….and enjoy the fact that they chose a house with such wonderful bathrooms and beautiful tile!

 

 Don't get me wrong…their other choice of a house was great and

extremely charming!

However…one bathroom meant the Ritz for me...

 And yet there would be no way that I could give up staying with Holly and Brad…it's just too much fun and too enjoyable!

Thankfully, they have a beautiful pale blue tile in both bathrooms that works wonderfully with all of their bedding, curtains, etc…. that we had made for their first apartment…and I for one am excited about that! It was all too pretty to stay in storage for these past two years!! It's time to bring it all back out!

But, I cannot tell a lie….

I'm very glad they have great closet space, great tile and two bathrooms…. and for crying out loud….they even have a sunroom and great neighbors to boot!

 But the main thing I'm excited about…the one that I need to yell from the rooftops….

Is they finally have a home!!! One that we can be excited about…one that we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God provided!

And, 

They have a yellow kitchen!!! 

I'm so excited for my Holly and Brad! I have a lot to be thankful for and I'm very grateful….trust me! I know it could change in the blink of an eye! As with all of our children, we need to be so trusting that we know God has their very best interest at heart and that our joy does not depend on them…as a mom, this is probably the hardest battle I face! 

For now, God has blessed me with this family! 

I am forever grateful!

The Sweetest Things Sunday…"Did We Just Have An Anniversary?"

This Sunday I really don't have any one particular thing to write about….I'm very thankful that we got to help Holly and Brad find a house in New Orleans, I'm very glad that Miller came home this weekend  after only being gone for a week and I'm extremely grateful that I got to share a 29th Anniversary with my best friend and husband!
Happy 29th Anniversary, Jim!

What more could I ask for? Well, the only thing I can think of is that I wish I could've seen Mitch and Britney and my precious Layton!

Other than that…it's been a great week getting back in the groove so to speak and learning how to cope with this new life that we seem to have been forced into! The life of being an 'Empty Nester'!

Which makes me begin to question what an Empty Nester really is? I haven't googled it except to try and find a few cute pics for my blog…that wasn't fun at all! They were all very elderly people that looked like they could be my grandparents and didn't seem to fit my description of what I think an Empty Nester should look like! In my mind when I hear the phrase Empty Nester I will admit that my first thought is sadness! Why? I'm not quite sure except that it means change and I don't like change!

 Other than that…I don't really know why I'm sad because I pretty much enjoy a quiet, very straight, peaceful house when I come home from the shop! I also enjoy being able to make a tiny dinner if I want to or just running to pick up something at the very last minute. I really enjoy just sitting on the sofa with my husband of 29 years and watching what ever we feel like watching on tv! I REALLY love being able to go to bed whenever I feel like it and not fretting too much over curfews. I love getting up when I want to and exercising or not…if I WANT to! And besides that….as Miller said as he was heading back to Auburn today…

"See, we do come back"! And he is oh, so right!

 He was such fun this weekend…all one and half days we were with him! We drove in from New Orleans Saturday at 2:00 and he was here by 2:30….we spent the afternoon with him, took him and precious Sarah out to dinner, went to church on Sunday and by the time we got home, ate lunch and I made food to send back it was time for me and Jim to go to dinner for our "official" Anniversary dinner! Mind you, we've just returned from New Orleans where one is NEVER hungry thanks to the over abundance of spectacular food but nonetheless, we went to dinner to celebrate! 

 As Miller headed back to the Plains it hit me that yet another week is ahead of me that I will have to get used to…it's always something! Now, Holly and Brad are returning to live with us for almost a month before he takes on the position of owning his own store with Chick Fil A. After that I see visions of moving them again…and decorating their cute new home!

( it's the one in the middle!)

 So, my life as an Empty Nester was really quite short lived….I should have savored it, I suppose!

 Oh well, surely after 29 years we can roll with the punches so to speak!

I don't have an actual recipe this Sunday…I'm too tired to be "sweet"! But I will show you all of the incredible desserts that were compliments of John Besh and his AMAZING restaurants in New Orleans…one being Domenica and the other, Restaurant August. They were all divine!!!

Hope you've had a great weekend and that your week ahead will be filled with joy! That's what I need for sure! His joy that can see me through even the emotions of being a new Empty Nester!