Please Eat Responsibly...Chicken Fried Bacon

Hope you enjoy my Father's Day interview with the best dad I've ever known, Wild Bill Montgomery! From his days of growing up in Green Forest, AR to his working days on the MoPac Railroad to his family days in North Little Rock, AR...he's had a very special life. Just in case you haven't had the opportunity to meet him face to face...take a peek at my special dad!

No smoking, very little drinking, and eating on the healthy side has helped my dad live a long, productive life. And, because my life is a topsy turvy kind of world...here is a recipe I know you will love, but I hope you will choose to only eat every now and then! My hope for you is a full and happy life just like Wild Bill's! However, I couldn't resist sharing this Chicken Fried Bacon recipe and a YouTube video of where this dish just might have originated...it's a widow maker for sure!  Please eat responsibly!

Always a day late...and a blog entry short...Celebrate National Pecan Pie Day today

Yipes! I was reading my favorite food blogs today and realized I missed National Pecan Pie Day, yesterday! What a freakin' bummer!! I do love that classic, good ole, Southern recipe...Pecan Pie and certainly want to pay tribute to it right here on Di's Cup Cakes!

However, I do wonder why it is that I can't keep up with all these national holidays and tributes geared toward just about everything under the sun that we can name, mention, relate to, chow down with, borrow, investigate, love to handle, or never live without. Anyway, I've got all the ingredients for three, yes, three delicious, classic pecan pies! Eat one...give the other two away...found the recipe and giving idea a while back on one of my fave sites, Bakerella!

And, I am without fail not going to miss National Pecan Pie Day on July 12th of next year, nor April 14th which is National Pecan Day which is certainly not to be confused with plain ole Pecan Day which is held in March! Got it? Oh well, nuts to you and hope you make these three pecan pies and give away two, too!

Three Pecan Pies
Melt 2 sticks margarine in microwave, set aside
Measure out 16 ounces pecan halves, check for hulls and such
Place 16 ounces light brown sugar in bowl
Add heaping tablespoon of self rising flour, stir
Add 16 ounce bottle light corn syrup, stir
Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, stir
Add the melted margarine and fold into mixture
Crack 6 eggs and loosely beat, then add to mixture
Add the pecans and stir completely
Pour mixture evenly into 3 traditional (not deep dish) frozen pie shells
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or done when the pies swell up then go back down
Cool and store on counter or in fridge

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!"

Strawberry Winning Recipe...time will tell

Ahhh...strawberry season has arrived in the Natural State! Don't you just love the taste of fresh strawberries? They are so low in calories and full of vitamins, fiber, and minerals, you should really include these juicy little morsels into your meal plans any way you can!.  Lots of ways you can do this, too!  And...according to the London, Ohio Strawberry Festival, how about a few, fun strawberry facts?

1. Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside
2. The average strawberry has 200 seeds.
3. Madame Tallien, a prominent figure at the court of the Emperor Napoleon, was famous for bathing in the juice of fresh strawberries. She used 22 pounds per basin. 
4. Strawberries are a member of the rose family.
5. Ninety-four percent of US households consume strawberries.

Check out this site for more interesting trivia on strawberries. But, in the mean time, if you are one of the 94 percentile of families in the US that consumes this delicious fruit and doesn't bathe in them like Madame Tallien, please read on...

I have been working on a recipe for the Real Women of Philadelphia Contest  and, recently have come up with a wonderful and hopefully winning dessert that will rock Paula Deen and her boys socks off!  They are judging this super contest, and I have my fingers crossed to get to meet them in Savannah, come late June, to cook this luscious recipe I just originated, especially for Paula! Check out all of my cooking videos for this fun contest on YouTube! And, try this prize winning recipe...at least in the Hocut home...when your local berries come in season!

Strawberry Scone Shortcake

with Strawberry 1/3 Less Fat Philly Cream Cheese

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, unsifted

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt 

6 tablespoons butter, cold

1/3 cups milk, whole

1 (8 ounces) tub of Strawberry 1/3 Less Fat Philly or more!

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F
2. Wash, hull, and slice berries
3. In an upright mixer, mix together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder and then add the butter
4. Mix until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs or cornmeal and remove from mixer
5. By hand, mix in about 3/4 cup of the prepared strawberries
6. Add all of the milk and with a fork, toss together until the mixture holds together, well
7. With floured hands gently form into a ball
8. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness with a rolling pin
9. Cut the dough with a 2 1/2 inch circle cutter
10. Place the scones onto a greased cookie sheet and bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown
11. Remove from oven and serve your Strawberry Scone Shortcakes warm and generously spread with the Strawberry 1/3 Less Fat Philly
12. Sprinkle with the remaining strawberries

When I tasted these scrumptious scones lathered in the Strawberry Philly for the first time, I knew they were absolutely the best dessert I have made in a good while! I hope you enjoy the simplicity and tastiness of this ???prize winning??? recipe. The Strawberry 1/3 Less Fat Philly Cream Cheese is the perfect topping for these perfect Strawberry Scone Shortcakes.  And, thanks for stopping by Di's Cup Cakes...we always love your visit and especially enjoy reading your comments! And, as my Nannie use to say..."Y'all drop in when you can!"

Happy Birthday, Real Woman...Debi Wood

If by chance you have been living under a rock lately, and not heard of the Real Women of Philadelphia Contest, you have to drop by the site and check out this Real Woman...Debi Wood! This month, I've been told is her birthday, and if it isn't...who cares...you gotta meet this gal!

On her Real Women Contest profile, Debi considers herself a "lucky girl." Yes, Debi, as for my experience, the harder you work, the luckier you get...and, I see how hard you are working at husbands, kids, grandkids, gardening, pets, a rewarding job, cooking, and everything else that comes your way like this Real Women Contest.  I'm worn out just writing about it! And, you are doing a terrific job, Debi, because apparently you are doing the things you love! Debi also says, "As you can see I wear many hats, and speaking of hats, I have a huge collection of unique hats, too!"  Well, Debi, if those hats are as colorful as your shining personality, I'm gonna need some powerful shades, for sure, if I ever get to the Sunshine State to meet you!  Happy Birthday and congratulations on your "lucky" life...and thanks for all you do on the Real Women of Philadelphia website! We other Real Women appreciate and absolutely love your humor and zest for life!

Check out all of Debi's contest entries at YouTube...your're in for a Real treat! And, don't forget to wish her a big 'ol Happy Birthday, all month long!