Diversity and Delilah…

Every so often the Hubs, Pappy Paul, and Zach Attack, get the itch to get out of the lovely state of MO and go shopping. Their ideal shopping trip isn’t quite the same as mine; they are typically in search of women. Oh yes more piggy women to add to the family. In the past their ventures have taken them east to Indiana, but this time they headed north to Iowa. And I am so excited about the lady they brought back.

To understand the profoundness of this purchase a lesson in breeds of hogs is necessary. Most pure bred hog producers have their favorites/specialty. I have two favorites Spots and Hampshire’s. I have always liked both of these breeds. Now each member of my family has their very own favorite breed.

The Hubs favors the Hampshire breed (side note my hubby is not fond of spots).

While Zach Attack prefers Duroc’s (my least favorite that we raise no offense to red heads)

Pappy Paul is the spot man.

And then Mamma Linda well she just really likes sows who like their heads scratched, but I guess if she had to pick she would choose Yorkshire’s. (I know there are better pictures of yorks out there but I thought this was so funny!)

As you can see we have a many differing opinions, this could be why our farm looks like the coat of many colors.

Any who back to our most recent addition this Delilah, she is a spot. A spot that apparently is good enough to make my non-spot liking hubby appreciate them. When they bought her on Saturday I received a text from him that said “I am now excited about raising spots…hamps are still better though." I don’t really care I just think she is a cutie.

Look at those ears!!! Welcome home Delilah!

There are many more swine breeds out there these just happen to be the ones that we raise, if you want to learn more this is a great site, just click here.

Cheddar and Garlic Creamy Salad Dressing

I enjoy a nice salad with my dinner quite often, I just love fresh veggies. But my other half has other thoughts about salad, “rabbit food,” as he calls it. The funny thing about the hubs and his taste buds is that apparently they change as soon as he enters my mamma’s kitchen. She could put a salad down in front of him most anytime and he will eat it, if I try that I get the “I am not a rabbit” look. So last night I was determined to have a nice refreshing salad to accompany our spicy jambalaya. Knowing that it was going to have to be good I decided to whip together my own special dressing. In the recipe I put a splash of milk because I am not sure what the measurement was, just add milk until it is the consistency you like! You know what he actually liked the salad, he even took some to work with him for lunch today, and that is definitely a good sign.

4 oz. Block Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Garlic Clove
½ Cup Greek Style Plain Yogurt
½ Cup Sour Cream
A few Sprigs of Parsley
1 TBSP Pepper
Salt to taste
Splash of milk
Drizzle of olive oil

In your handy dandy food processor mix cheese, garlic, yogurt, sour cream, and seasonings until the cheese is in small crumbles. Slowly add the milk until the dressing reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Apple Crisp

I have absolutely no shame in admitting an easy recipe, not everything has to be complicated and totally gourmet. Friday when I asked my coworker what he wanted for his birthday treat, he said he was thinking apple crisp. This request made my life quite easy over the weekend. When I was whipping this up last night the hubs thought that he defiantly needed some of it. So as any good wife would I made him his own personal one. Ok really I just had some extra filling and topping, but I let him believe that I had done something extra special. This recipe is easy, now hear me out I do sometimes make my own filling but there isn’t any need to be feel guilty for using a canned pie filling as I did for this version. Get ready I promise you can have this finished in about 10 minutes flat.

Apple Crisp (canned pie filling version)

2 large cans Apple Pie filling
1 box Butter Cake Mix (I like using Betty Crocker’s)
2 ¼ cups Old Fashioned Oats (divided)
3 TBSP Cinnamon (divided)
1 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 stick Cold Butter (cubed) plus 3 TBSP

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a glass 9x13 baking dish. Pour your filling into the bottom of the pan sprinkle 1TBSP of cinnamon over the filling. In a large bowl mix cake mix, 2 Cups Oats, 2 TBSP cinnamon. Then using your hands mix in 1 stick of cubed butter, continue mixing the butter until it is close to pea size pieces of butter. Pour topping over the filling, spread out evenly. Sprinkle the top with some additional cinnamon in desired. Dot the remaining butter over the top and cover with remaining oats. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Best served with ice cream!

Side note this method can be used for any type of fruit pie filling I really enjoy blueberry!

The Hubs Second Favorite Sandwich

My husband is pretty low maintenance man when it comes to supper. I swear that I could fix the man a pork burger each and every night and he would be perfectly happy. I am not saying that he doesn’t enjoy my cooking creations; he just doesn’t have to have anything fancy. This sandwich happens to be the exception to the rule. He loves it, when he sees Italian sausage out he knows that this sandwich is likely to be his supper. It combines the right amount of spicy with a touch of creaminess from the mozzarella cheese.


Roasted Italian Sausage and Pepper Subs
1 package Italian Sausage (Hot or Mild it is up to you!)
1 Onion (Thinly Sliced)
1 Red Bell Pepper (Cut into Strips)
1 Orange Bell Pepper (Cut into Strips)
1 Pablano Pepper (Cut into Strips)
1 box White Button Mushrooms (Sliced)
3 Cloves Garlic (Chopped)
1 TBSP Tomato Paste
Fresh Mozzarella (I like using the kind that comes in small rounds)
Dash of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Hoagie Rolls

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place sausage on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. While sausages roast sauté onions, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic until softened. Allow sausages to cool and then thick slice. Stir sausages into the pepper mixture. Stir in a little of the juice left from roasting the sausages and the tomato paste. Season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes more. Place your desired amount of sausage and pepper mixture on a hoagie roll top with the cheese. Put sandwich back into the oven to melt cheese.

Then all you need is a napkin and a large appetite. Yummy!

Simple Traditional Pecan Pie

It is another birthday at my office and the birthday boy couldn’t have chosen an easier or tastier treat. Pecan pie, a sweet, crunchy, and nutty treat, it is absolutely delectable. Although it is full of goodness there are plenty of ways to mess up such a simple pie. As with any pie it all starts with the crust. This is another one of my mamma’s classic recipes that I have no shame in stealing. To be perfectly honest my mamma has to help me quite often in making pie crust, I seriously have no shame when it comes to good food. Keep it simple and you will experience the delightfulness of pecan pie…


Pie Crust (there will be a step-by-step post on this later, when I can get my mom to slow down while making it so that I can snap some pics. In the meantime you can try your hand at her recipe.)

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cup Crisco (you have to use Crisco)
½ tsp vinegar
1 egg
5 tbsp water

Mix first five ingredients together until it forms pea size balls. Then begin adding the water mix thoroughly

Filling

3 lightly beaten eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 T. butter softened
1 t. vanilla
2 cups pecans

Mix first 5 ingredients well. Place pecans in the bottom of the pie curst then pour in the syrup mixture.Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.