Buttermilk Pie

Had dinner with a friend the other night and she ordered a piece of Buttermilk Pie...it was so delicious, I had to make one myself. It was so delicious, too! Got this super easy recipe out of one of my favorite cookbooks, The Contemporary Cowboy by Dotty Griffith.  Griffith suggests adding some blackberries for color and a tart zing...will do that next time. But this time... couldn't wait to cut into this beauty...was very, very good! 

Buttermilk Pie with Blackberries

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 T all purpose flour

7 T melted butter, not margarine

1 1/2 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 10in pie shell

1 cup fresh blackberries

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

mint leaves for decoration, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place eggs in a medium bowl and beat until smooth but still frothy. Add sugar, flour, butter, vanilla, and salt.  Mix thoroughly until dry ingredients are well-blended.  Gently blend in buttermilk being careful not to over beat. Pour into pie shell.  To prevent crust from over browning, place strips of foil (or a 1inch wide circle of foil) over crust just to edge of filling.  Bake pie for 50 to 55 minutes or until filling is set.  To test, insert a knife in center of filling; blade should come out clean and the middle should not jiggle.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Serve pie at room temperature or gently chilled. About 30 minutes before serving, rinse blackberries and drain.  Place in a small bowl and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.  Toss gently to coat berries evenly without bruising.  Garnish each serving with a spoonful of berries and a drizzle of accumulated juice.  If desired, add a mint leaf or two for additional color.  Makes 8 servings.

You gotta make this pie...and check out the cookbook, too. Dotty blends great Southern recipes with insightful quotes from real cowboys and fancy chefs that are sure to please your palate and slap yo mama...they are sooooo good!

My Three Dads...and taking the easy way out

Hey, what's cooking for your Happy Father's Day this Sunday? I have decided to take the easy way out this year! Will do fillets from the Meat Shoppe, salad in a bag, bottled Kraft Seven Seas Green Goddess dressing, Green Giant Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower in a cheese sauce, Mary B's Tea Biscuits/Cheddar Cheese, and my very own...make ahead and stick it in the freezer...Di's Tortoni! Yes, I'm doing something different this year and getting outta the kitchen and into quality visiting time with three of the greatest dads in the whole world...Willie, #3, and AB!  AB won't be with us in person, but always in our hearts...he does live in Charlotte!  And, you gotta make my special Di's Tortoni...cool, refreshing, and soooo eassssssy!  So, get outta the kitchen and spend some quality time with all the favorite dads in your life, and have a very Happy Father's Day! And, please leave a comment about how special your favorite dad is!

Di's Tortoni

1 cup crushed macaroons

1/2 gallon soften, vanilla ice cream

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled

1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries

1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix all together gently and put in plastic cups or lined cup cake tins. Garnish with cherries and mint leaves. May store in the freezer for up to one week...cover them with foil. Serves about 8 in plastic cups and 18 if using the lined cup cake tins.  Enjoy!!

Classics I Could Never Live Without...If I Were Lost on a Deserted Island

Did you catch the final moments of LOST?  Like who didn't?  Date night for me and #3 had us flipping back and forth between the last LOST and the Celebrity Apprentice finale, simultaneously. Way to go, Brett Michaels! He's a cool dude! We did record both shows and will watch each one in it's entirety, at a later "date." Love that modern technology...the DVR!  I especially love the fact that we can operate this convenient device without any grandkids present for assistance!  Anyway, #3 and me usually plan a delectable, easy, and memorable spread for these 'one of a kind' final episodes or season finales that are sure to stimulate active conversations for many years to come.  These flashy and epic like endings on the shows we all know and love like Mash, St. Elsewhere, Seinfeld, Friends, Dancing with the Stars, Survivor, deserve majestic dishes and beverages to go right along...and this night was no exception.  Our paramount menu included only fabulous and classic items we could never choose to live without...

Homemade Pizza and Red Sauce with Meat, Caramelized Onions, and Cheeses

Famous Kraft Velveeta and Rotel Cheese Dip with Freshly Baked Tortilla Chips

Fresh Arkansas Strawberries

Cool and Refreshing Coors Light

Nothing like freshly made pizza and sauce with whatever meat and cheeses you have on hand.  Some delicious brats with freshly ground Parmesan and Mozzarella were just aching to jump on our pizza! And, caramelizing the onions always gives the toppings an extra special taste!  No plain chips, either...I brushed the round corn tortillas with a hint of canola oil and popped them into a 425 degrees F oven to bake until crispy and golden.  Yum, yum! One pound of Kraft Velveeta (cubed) and a full can of Rotel Tomatoes in the microwave on high for 5 minutes came out bubbly and tasty as ever!! Kraft and Rotel...I even like them on Facebook!

In fact, this famous cheese dip recipe, along with freshly fried corn tortillas, dates back to the 50s when it was the center of attention at my annual overnight birthday bashes...till we got the Ouija Board out. However, from way back then until this moment in time, this legendary queso dish, homemade pizza and sauce, fresh Arkansas strawberries, and a cold Coors Light have become some of the classics I would be forever LOST without, if I were somehow LOST on a deserted island!!

And, best wishes for Jack Shephard...discovering the final way out of all chaos and being the true shepherd he was meant to be by leading the LOST sheep home...as Hurley probably would have said..."Cool, dude!"