War and Kentucky Woodford Pudding

Last weekend I decided to try Southernlady's recipe for Kentucky Woodford Pudding. It just sounded so delicious I could not wait to taste it. The cake was easy to put together and as it baked, I made the sauce. Southernlady couldn't have been more right, that sauce was out of this world, slap yo momma twice good! I kept some for us and sent some to work with my husband who said it was a super big hit. Hop on over to Southernlady's blog and try it out. You will not be sorry.

By now you might be wondering why I don't have a recipe this week to share (besides that wonderful pudding!). Well, I was planning on baking this week but after learning that my brother, who is in the Navy, is in Libya, I didn't have the heart. My stomach has been in knots all week.

He is assigned to the USS Kearsarge (photo above) and was in Iraq. No shocker there. And up until last Thursday, we could email each other pretty regularly. But then the news of Libya started coming out and the Kearsarge was mentioned on MSN as being assigned to head over. I emailed by brother who said "so much for operational security" but yeah, it is true. We emailed a few more times, with reassurance from him that they were just chasing their own tails in the water and nothing more. Then the weekend strikes started. I emailed him again but with no response. I was pretty worried so I found the Facebook page for the Kearsarge and all the relatives were saying the same thing, no communication from their loved ones on the ship. So we all are watching the TV news closely and checking Facebook for any word. It is good and bad that they mention his ship a lot. I know what he is doing but I am almost afraid that if Libya strikes back, they will focus on the lead ship. So it's many prayers and hopes that this will end quickly and I can breathe again.

I will try to get back to some type of routine next week, if my nerves hold out, that is! Hopefully by then, I will have something delicious to share.

No Flour Chewy Chocolate Cookies

When my son had Autism, he was on the Gluten Free Casin Free (no flour, no dairy) diet. I searched high and low for recipes for sweets I could make him. Most of the recipes available subsituted real flour with rice flour. If you have ever used rice flour you know it is heavy and makes your baked goods flat. So we ate flat cookies and flat cake. Now, with Celiacs disease becoming more well known, the flour free recipes are pouring out. My son no longer is Autistic (thank the good Lord for that) but I still make the occasional flour free cookies. The recipes are so good nowadays, why not? These cookies are no exception. They remind me of brownies- chewy and chocolately. And very easy to make. You'll never miss the flour!

No Flour Chewy Chocolate Cookies

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

2 tsps. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

2 egg whites

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted if desired

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add egg whites and stir with a spoon until the mixture forms a dough. If the mixture is not thick enough to form into balls, add more powdered sugar and cocoa (I added about 3/4 cup more mixed). Add the nuts and mix well.

Form dough into tablespoon sized balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 16 to 19 minutes or until the cookies are glossy and crackled. Remove and cool. Makes about 15 cookies.

This recipe is easy to double.

"The path I travel is lit by those who came before me, and it will shine brighter for those who follow me"

-Autism quote, unknown author

Mud Hens

Mud what?! That is what my kids said when I mentioned what I made them for an after school snack. I explained that Mud Hens are a Southern dessert. They still think the name is odd, but they loved the bars! I got the recipe from Christy Jordan and her new book Southern Plate (there is a link to her blog in my favorite blog's list). These bars remind me of smore bars a bit with the chocolate, marshmallows and nuts. Yum! Very good, chewy and a bit crunchy. This recipe makes about 16 to 20 bars.

Mud Hens

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 whole egg
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nuts, chopped
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup light brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening, butter, and sugar together. Beat in whole egg and two egg yolks.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt together. combine flour mixture with creamed mixture, blending thoroughly. Spread batter in buttered 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan. Sprinkle nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows over batter.

Beat the two egg whites stiff and fold in brown sugar. Spread over the top of the batter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool then cut into bars.


True Southerners know instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. (If the trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin'.) - from Georgia Girl

Breakfast Cookies

Although I have been tempted many times, I've never had cookies for breakfast, until now. I was struck by how different this recipe is, at least in my limited and humble experience! The appeal of having something so easy to grab and eat, especially while running out the door (which I do most mornings!) is too much, so I had to make these. I was a bit overwhelmed by the ingredients at first, but once I got going it was easy. These are sweet, chewy and very versatile. Changing the ingredients to suit what you like is very easy. What's not to love?!

Breakfast Cookies

2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of honey (I used 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup of butter (I used 1 Tblsp.)
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins (I used dried cherries)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped (I didn't use)
1 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all purpose)
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 and 1/2 cups Cheerios

Combine egg, honey, carrots and butter. Add raisins, walnuts and apricots.
Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Add this to wet mixture and stir until everything is wet. Fold in Cheerios.

Drop mixture onto cookie sheets about an inch apart and bake at 350 for 15 minuts or until cookie is firm.


“Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.”
-Oscar Wilde