Happy New Year With Blacked eyed Peas & Hungarian Coffee Cake YUM!

Hello to all you foodies out there in web land and this is MadJon saying I hope you have a very happy and healthy New Year to you and yours.  A big thank you to all my followers here on my Cooking With MadJon blog.  I hope you are enjoying the recipes that I put up and give them a try.   It is hard to believe that 2011 is just about to end and one door will close and another one will open for all of us.  Its like stepping out after a run and we get to do it all over again.  Fresh starts, you have to love it.  I don't know about you but 2011 was a pretty good year for me with more of my products going out the door and am starting my third season of the , Cooking With MadJon and Friends show.  I have had articles published on cooking and my recipes.   You have to love that.  Am also working on a few cookbooks which I can't tell you about as yet but very soon and I hope you all give them a great big try.  My hubby has had like two surgery's this year and it looks like we will be headed into 2012 with another one.  Please give a prayer out there in web land for us and we will be at MDA in Houston for awhile.  His in good hands.  If anyone out there would like to watch the shows and be a sponsor I say come on in and join us it will only cost you some money and you will get some business in return.  Let's talk about why we eat what we do on New Years Day.  Well we eat Black Eyed Peas for good luck and some Greens for money.  Like show me the money honey!  We did the TV show and made like Greens and some Hoppin John which by the way come from the slaves bought back from Africa.  Its Black Eyed Peas and Rice Mixed with onions and pepper.  Very tasty dish.  Any Who am going to give you a reuipe to make some Black Eyed Peas and also we are going to talk about a very easy and good Hungarian Coffee Cake that my friend Sylvia Berger said that she made and before I forget I want to thanks her for sharing this recipe.  I upped the cocoa amount from 1 tsp. to a 1 1/2 Tbsp.  This is a very good cake and everyone loved it.  So please give these two recipes a try and enjoy, Bona Y'all.

Blacked Eyed Peas

1 Bag Dried Black Eyed Peas
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Piece of Ham
Salt and Pepper to taste
Tabasco

Sock and cook the peas according to package directions.  Then to that you add the chopped onions, ham cut up, salt and pepper to taste, and a few dashes of Tabasco.  If you wish add about 1 cup of rice to the peas and some peppers and you can call it Hoppin John.  Also I like my peas creamy not watery when they are cooked.  You just cook them a little longer to reduce the water content.

Hungarian Coffee Cake

1 Box French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 Small Box Vanilla Pudding
1/2 Jar Apricot Jam
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Oil
1/2 jar Chopped Cherries

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundlt pan.  Mix the cake with the pudding, apricot jam, eggs, oil, sour cream, and cherries.  Blend well. Reserve and make the filling.
Filing:

1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cocoa
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

Mix the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, and pecans together.  Then pour half of the cake into the pan and pour half the filling onto the cake mix and stir the batter with a knife and then top it with the rest of the batter and then pour the rest of the filling onto the batter and stir it with the knife like you are in a swirl pattern.  Bake the cake for about 1 hour or until a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.

Well am going to go with my hubby to the ranch here in Texas and they will be roasting some oysters for New Years Eve.  I wish you all the best in 2012 and most important remember to take time to smell the Rose's is what my Momma used to say to me.  Love the one your with very much and give lots of kisses and hugs to everyone from me.  I hope all your wishes come true. Go see our new show at www.aikenstandard.com  Cooking With MadJon and Friends and view the recipes from the shows and go like my Fan Page on FB.  Come be my friend.  Send me some recipes to try at madjon51@aol.com .  Happy Trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Nothing Better then Home Made Key Lime Pie Have Some

Well hello to all you foodies out there in Web land its MadJon again and I hope you try some of this wonderful Key Lime pie that can be made right in your own home and its easy as pie!  Before we start with the recipe I hope you all have most of your Christmas shopping finished.  I have all of it but for writing one check to our daughter and I saw so much I could have bought for her today but she would rather buy for herself.  I don't blame her because from the time she was a little girl she and I never picked out the same thing.  She had her own mind then and she has it even more now.  Do you have any kids like that?  Of coarse you do because if you say you don't I don't think I'd believe you much.  Our daughter has wonderful taste in style and everything but she seems to have a problem in just one area but I guess I won't talk about that unless we are on Dr. Phil and I get money to tell it all baby. She has no problem airing everything I do to the world on that thing called Face book.  She tells you I snore and sleep naked, etc. etc., etc.  That's enough detail.  Besides that what woman doesn't sleep that way when she is my age.  Hot Hot Hot.  That's all I can say on that subject.  Any who kids, they step on your feet when they are little and step on your hearts when they are grown.  They can be real heart breakers and pains in the rear.  However that said I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world and am the only one that can say anything about her and get away with it.  I love her so and would do anything for her, as most parents would.  OK let's get off that and start talking about Key Lime pie.  My mother-in-law gave me this recipe and I changed it a little, not much and she has won Blue Ribbons with her Key Lime Pies. So let's give it a swirl.

Blue Ribbon Key Lime Pie

crust:

14 Crushed Graham Crackers
3 T. Sugar
3 T. Melted Butter
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Filling Key Lime:

4 Egg Yolks, beaten
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1/2 Cup Key Lime Juice
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 8oz. Cream Cheese, softened

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Crush graham crackers and to that you add the sugar, butter and cinnamon, mix well and bake in oven for about 10 minutes.  While the crust is cooking mix the softened cream cheese, sour cream, key lime juice, eagle brand milk, and the beaten egg yolks  together until well blended.  Then pour the filling into the graham cracker crust and bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes and top with sliced almonds.  Cool and serve with some whipped cream.  Serves 8.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we do and please let me know at madjon51@aol.com and also send me some recipes to try.  Come like my fan page on face book at https://www.facebook.com/#!/CookingwithMadjon and go to http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95 Cooking With MadJon and Friends.  Have a Happy and safe holiday season.  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.
Almonds sliced for top

Merry Christmas Let's Make some Eggnog Pie Goody Goody

Well hello to all my foodie friends out there in webland I hope all is well for you this holiday season.  I feel very blessed this season with my hubby getting a good report on his medical test but he is still going to have to have some surgery but he will live.  I hope that all your wishes come true for you this holiday season.  I remember one Christmas my dad lined the three older kids up and said that times were bad and the three of us would not being getting presents from Santa jsut the little ones and I was maybe six at the time.  I turned to my sister Brenda who was all of 8 and said, gee, now I wish there really was a Santa Claus.  After that I don't remember alot of Christmas gifts until after I got married and my dad made good money he just spent it all or gave it away.  We would go from rags to riches in a instant.  He would sometimes wake us up in the middle of the night and off we would be going to another state to live and he'd leave all of our belongings behind, furniture, household items and even what toys we owned sometimes we'd go of with jsut the clothes on our backs.  What a life ups and downs and all around.  I can't even count how many schools we were in and out of,  sometimes we'd live in a state for like 6 months but my dad's problem was he spent money, drank and liked lots of women even the kind with rings on their fingers.  I know that is one of the reasons we moved so much, he just couldn't keep his hands off and his pants up.  We lived on the North, South, East and West of this country.    It didn't hurt me much, I learned how to make friends and how to survive. meaning to exist in spite of adversity and to live.  Sometimes I lived alittle to much but as my mom always said, well that's the way the cookie crumbles.  She used to say all you girls make sure to use what you have to get into the front door and if your looks do that for you then so be it.  After your in then that is the time to show them what your made of.  Which everyone of us learned very fast how and what to do.  We made the best sales people in the world.  We gave the men a run for their money when it came to sales.  Out sold everyone of them and they couldn't stand us.  If fact, I had a job one time selling cars and I had to really teach myself on how to close the deal. The men hated me and the last month I was there in that little town I out sold the men and put out 7 units for the month and topped the money held on the cars.  I did alright.  Just remember that you have to ask for the sale.  They are not going to say I want to buy that car, you have to do your job and pitch it and listen to what they are saying and don't ever not pay attention to the wife or girlfriend, because they will control the sale.  Not the man, when your ready you put the paperwork in front of them and ask, may I have your business and they are going to say yes or no and if they say no then ask why not and it usually is money, then take them to the finance guy and if his any good he will close the deal for you.  It dosen't matter if you are selling a big ticket item or a small one, you sell it all the same way.  Well any who I didn't mean to get off on that I guess am remembering the Christmas at our house sometimes.  Well lets talk about Eggnog Pie and I hope that you give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it.

Eggnog Pie

1 Cooked Pie Shell, deep dish and 9 "
1 Tbsp. gelatin
1/4 Cup Water
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla
pinch of Salt
3/4 Cup Milk
4 Eggs, separated
1 1/2 Cup Cool Whip

Place gelatin into the water for about 5 minutes.  Mix the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and milk.  Cook in a double boiler until thick.  Remove from heat and add the gelatin mixture and fold in egg whites that you have beaten until stiff with 1/4 cup of sugar.  Then fold into the mixture the cool whip.
Then pour the mixture into the cooked pie shell and refrigerator until cooled and ready to serve.  Optional: Bourbon to taste.

I hope you give this recipe a try and write me with the results at madjon51@aol.com.  Come visit me at https://www.facebook.com/#!/CookingwithMadjon and like it. please.  I want to say have a safe and Merry Christmas and I hope you and your family have many special memories to share.  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Please send me some recipes to share.

Merry Christmas And Nothing Better then Home Made Eggnog WOW!

Well hello to all my foodies friends out there in webland.  I hope all is well and that your holidays are the best they can be.  I've been busy with going to Charleston for my birthday and eatting at some mighty fine restaurants.  Like we ate at Husk which had some mighty fine Southern cusine.  I had the pork Chop with Black eyed peas and Greens with a taste of some of the Oatmeal pie.  The pie taste alot like my Buttermilk pie that I make.  I just love going to Charleston and shopping at the market and watching the basket making and tasting all the fine foods that they have to offer.  Didn't want to come home.  Anywho let's get back to talking about Egg Nog.  There are a few ways to make this seasonal drink.  I haven't found many of them that I don't like. I just don't like alot of the hard stuff in it.  However my husband's grandmother used to make it and whenever we went to visit I tried really hard to stay away from the eggnog bowl, hers would knock your socks off!  When I was a kid I used to make it at home around the holidays because I didn't like alot of heavy spices mixed in it.  Anywho here is a recipe that I used to make for our holiday drink.  I hope you give this a try.

Eggnog (Cold)

This serves about 10 servings

6 Fresh Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 pt. Heavy Cream
1 pt. Whole Milk
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 oz. Rum
1 pt. Bourbon
Nutmeg Ground or Fresh

Beat the 6 egg whites in a bowl till they are fluffy.  Then in another bowl add the 6 yolks, beaten, sugar, vanilla, cream, milk, cinnamon, and mix like crazy.  Then to that add the egg whites and mix.  Then add the rum and bourbon, mix.  Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top. Remember not to put to much nutmeg on the tops, it will make it bitter.  If you wanted to cook the eggnog, just mix the yolks, milk, cream and spices together really good and heat on the stove until right before it boils and then slowly add the egg whites and beat really fast and then add the rum and bourbon to the mix and chill in the fridge.  Serve with the nutmeg on the tops.

Well I hope that you enjoy this Christmas drink that has been around for along time.  Remember not to drink to much of this stuff and drive.  HEHE.  Anywho go watch my TV show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/astv/madjon/Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Go view my fan page on FB and like it.  Like my Thanksgiving page as well on the Aiken Standard site.  Sen me some recipes that I can write about and try for my TV show.  My email address is madjon51@aol.com  Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, madjon

Breakfast Anyone? French Toast (ameritte) Lost Bread

Hello to all you foodies out there in web land, hope all is well.  Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving feast?  I did.  We went to D.C. to visit our boys and ate dinner with their friends.  Had the best Time and the food was fabulous.  We had Turkey, Dressing, Macc and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole , rolls, 3 or 4 different desserts. It was all Yummy!  I know that when ever the holidays roll around one of the best meals with my family is the late breakfast that we have.  Like the sausage and egg casseroles or the old stand by the sausage balls are my daugthers de'lite and monkey bread.  Fresh fruit and sometimes crepes with fresh cream and fruit.  This year I think we should have French Toast with fruit and lots of home made syrup like I used to make when I was a kid at home.  Now with my cake syrups around the house I can have just about any flavor of syrup I want.  What do you all eat for breakfast during this special time of year? We only have about 26 days left to wait.  I love this time of year and I love having the family around me as well.  We hardly get to see our son so its always a treat for him to be home.  I get to spend some extra needed time with our grands.  Well any who let's get to writing about our wonderful French Toast recipe that we will be putting up today.  FYI, French Toast has been around since the Roman times.  No one likes to waste food and this is a good way to use up the older breads that you have in the kitchen and its quick and easy to do.

Serves about 4 people
Prep is about 5 minutes
Cook time is about 5 to 8 minutes

French Toast

4 Eggs, Beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla
pinch of Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 TBSP Confectionery Sugar
2 TBSP Cream or Baileys
1 Stick Butter
6-8 slices Stale Bread

Beat your eggs, add to beaten eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, confectionery sugar,and cream, mix till well blended.  Heat about 3 tablespoons of butter in a pan, do not burn butter, heat on low.  When melted and heated then take a slice of bread and roll it on both sides of eggs and place in pan.  Repeat another slice of bread and brown on both sides of the bread.  Then repeat with the butter in pan until all the bread is toasted.  Cut the toast in half and dust lightly with confectionery sugar and serve with heated syrup and fruit.  Remember t cook it slowly to brown so it does not brown because the sugar may want to make it burn as well.  Cook it nice and slow, see.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and write me at madjon51@aol.com with any questions or recipes that you would like to share.  I always like to hear from you all.  Have a happy holiday and enjoy your family and friends.  Enjoy all the food and cooking that is going to be passed your way.  Come like my fan page on Face book, Cooking With Madjon and friends.  See the show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Southern Fried Turkey for a Happy Thanksgiving Moist to eat

Hello to all you foodie friends out there in web land, I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving to you.  I hope all your travels are safe ones and all your memories are treasured ones.   As you know if you read my blog am off to DC to visit our boy's.  I love going to visit DC its so exciting.  We are going to be very busy and I've been asked to make my coconut cake.  Yum Yum, another Southern favorite.  Right now we are going to talk about frying a turkey.  If you have never fried a turkey for the holidays then you are in for a treat.  You have to make sure that it is nice and dry on the inside and outside of the turkey.  The oil needs to be about 300 to 325 degrees.  You need to cook the turkey for at least 3 minutes per pound.  Example the one you are looking at was about 10 pounds and we cooked it for about 30 minutes.  It was perfect, and moist.  You need also to remember when you drop the turkey into the hot oil you need to do it very slowly.  You need to also leave it sit out for about 45 minutes before firing the turkey.  Am going to write down a rub that you can use on your turkey and make sure that you lift up the skin on the breast and apply some rub and put some of the rub on the inside cavity and under the skin of the turkey.  You will like a fried turkey.

Rub:

1 TBSP Onion Powder
1 TBSP Garlic Powder
1 TBSP Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 TBSP Cajun Seasoning
1 TBSP Dried Sage

Mix all ingredients and after you dry the turkey and right before you fry it, then you need to add the rub to the Turkey with your fingers and work it into the breast by rubbing the breast under the shin and if you want add some rub to the outside of the turkey, but not to much.  I also tie up the legs and wings of the bird. Remember when you dress a turkey make sure you wash your hands good and make sure that you clean up your work station with soap and water.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and have a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Come see my TV show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Also come like me on Facebook.  Come view more recipes at http://www.aikenstandard.com/local/1120-go-eileen-hutson-thanksgiving-recipes--3582801.  Happy Trial to you until we meet again.   Eileen Hutson, madjon, madjon51@aol.com.

Happy Thanksgiving and let's make some "Pumpkin Pecan Swirl Cheesecake"

Well hello to all my foodie friends out there in web land.  Its nice to See you again.  I've been really busy with filming the Thanksgiving and Christmas show.  Then I have the New Year's day show to film and then I will be set for this holiday season with all new recipes.  I hope you try them all.  You know its not easy to film the shows sometimes.  It's alot of work and sometimes things go always go like you want them.  Like when we did the Thanksgiving shoot and I had to find small pumpkins for the Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pies baked in the pumpkin shells.  Halloween was over and there were no fresh pumpkins t be found. Then we have the recipes for the brine for the Turkey fry and I had to fry three turkeys before I got the recipe to where the turkey wouldn't brown.  Now its perfect.  Well am always in the test kitchen cooking away.  I had to make our daughters wedding cake and the first large cake I made broke in half and I had to start all over again.  Such is cooking, stuff happens and you just learn to deal with it. Any who it keeps me busy.  The recipe I have here is one I made up for like a test recipe for one of the seasonal shows.  Anyway I made it and sent the Cheesecake packing to my hubby's work and they loved it.  So am going to pass this one on to you.  Where are you going for Thanksgiving?  Am headed to D.C. to be with our son and am excited about that but I will miss our daughter and grandchildren who are headed in the other direction.  Too bad, so sad.  I hope you all will be with family and friends as well.  This time of year I try to remember how grateful I'm and count my many blessings.  Am glad I live in the USA and that there are people who fight for our freedom and even lay down their lives for each and everyone one of us, to them I say a big Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.  I wish you and your families the best.  Safe trips to us all.  Now let's get started with our recipe shall we.

Pumpkin Pecan Swirled Cheesecake:

Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed Graham Crackers
4 TBSP. Brown Sugar
1/2 stick Butter, melted
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Pre Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix the crackers, sugar, pecans. cinnamon, and butter together until well blended.  Press into the bottom of a cheesecake pan.  Wrap some foil on the bottom of the pan and place in a shallow cookie pan.  Ready to make the mix.

Cheesecake:

4 -  8 ozs. , Cream Cheese, softened
4 Eggs, Beaten, room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Cup Sour Cream

Beat the cream cheese with the eggs until blended.  Then to that add the sugar, vanilla, and sour cream.  Pour mix onto top of the graham cracker crust.  Time to Mix Pumpkin:

Pumpkin Mix:

1 can Pumpkin Pie
1 Egg beaten
1 Cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed
3 TBSP  Cream

Mix the can pumpkin with, the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cream, and pecans.  Now take a spoon and spoon the mixture on top of the cream cheese mixture until all gone and then take a butter knife and start swirling the mixture into the cream cheese mix.  Then place the pan with the shallow cookie pan in the oven and bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Don't forget to add some water to the bottom of the shallow pan for the hot bath. The reason you use a hot bath to cook the cheesecake in is because it keeps the cheesecake from cracking and it will come out smooth.  You will like the texture of this cheesecake.

I hope you enjoy this Cheesecake and have fun making it.  Have some happy holidays to you and yours go make some memories.  E-mail with some recipes to try and your comments at madjon51@aol.com.  Watch my TV show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/astv/madjon/ and come like my Fan Page on Face book, Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, MadJon.

Happy Halloween You All Orange Cream Pie W/Banana Thrown In

Hello to all my foodie friends out there in web land.  I hope all is well.  Me, I've been very busy with catering, friends, bridge, cooking and just living life as we know it.  Am getting ready to start my third season of "Cooking With Madjon and Friends" and getting ready for filming of the Thanksgiving and Christmas shows which I love cooking for the seasonal shows.  Its so enjoyable thinking about the new recipes and family being around.  This year we are going to D.C.to be with our son for Thanksgiving.  My daughter is getting married next Saturday and am doing the wedding cake.  Its going to be Vanilla with a pineapple fulling and Butter Cream Frosting, yum yum.  If you come be my friend on FB you will be able to see some of the pictures.  She wants  Meatballs for her dinner, which am cooking.  Any who if I have time after the wedding, food and friends, then we are off to a pig picking at the Heath's.  Always a joy to go to that.  Wonderful eats there.  You know the thing, everyone makes one of their best dishes to share and alot of Beer is passed around and we pick on the pig and just have a great time!  Any who Halloween is tomorrow and I know the kids are all excited about that.  We spent the last two days helping a friend get ready for her kids party and then the adult party was this evening and I put on a tall wig, alot of make up and with my body now I went as Hairspray.  One friend went as a teenager, that was funny.  I also met a lady who used to eat in my restaurant like twice a week.  She was telling Wendy how much she liked the food at the party and Wendy starting telling her that it was me who did the food and gave her my name and she didn't know it was me dressed like that.  Her husband owns a few Burger Kings around these parts.  When we were little we dressed up with whatever we could find at the house and drag along our candy bags, which were old pillow cases.  When my cousins were to big to Trick or Treat,  they would hide behind trees and scare kids who would then drop their candy bags running and my cousins were there to pick up the pieces, sort of speak.  Shame on them.  You know that Halloween has been around for centuries and is still celebrated world wide by children today and the older ones like me.  I think Ireland gets the credit for the holiday of spooks and cheer.  Any who now we are going to talk about the recipe I have to offer tonight.  My producer last year had eaten to much Grasshopper pie and felt a little sleepy after eating two pieces and asked me if I could make up a pie for Thanksgiving and I said sure I'll make it out of some kind of oranges.  So I went to my test kitchen and this is the results which I made a pie for our Home Group to try and they loved it.  So am passing this recipe on to you to try.  I say thanks very much and please give it a try.

Orange Cream Pie:

Vanilla Wafers
32 Large Marshmallows, melted
1 Large can Mandarin Oranges
1/2 Cup Cream
1/4 Cup Orange Liqueur
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1 1/2 Cup Cool Whip
2 Sliced Banana's, rings, Optional

Line bottom and sides of pie plate with vanilla wafers, top with sliced Banana's.  Melt marshmallows, cream, orange liqueur, and orange juice in a pan, till all is blended and melted.  Cool completely and then add the drained Mandarin oranges.  Blend lightly.  Then fold in the cool whip till blended. Pour into pie pan and smooth.  Then chill and slice and serve with a chocolate Ice Cream topping.

Please give this a try and email me at madjon51@aol.com and send me some recipes to try for you.  If you are not liking a recipe send it to me and see how I can improve on it for you.  I do that for friends all the time.  Any who I want to say Happy Halloween and stay safe. Have fun and Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again. Signing off MadJon. http://aikenstandard.com/astv/madjon/

Let's Talk Italian Antipasto Salad Fresh Made Dressing

Hello to all you foodie friends of mine out there in web land its MadJon signing in and I hope all is going in your favor.  Me I've been just a little busy with going to the Columbia State Fair and cooking with my Pasta Gravy and MadJon's Salsa.  I made some Itlian Shrimp and Grits with MeMe's Pasta Gravy and  some Cheese dip with MadJon's Salsa, all was wonderbra I was told by people who ate.  I even had a Chocolate Cake and Coconut Cake made with MeMe's Cake Syrup.  Anywho I finished that until next year and then My hubby and I went to watch the North Augusta Middle School play some football and over see the band student of which my grandson Jonathan is a member and they play very well from what I heard, they have a great teacher.  Then yesterday I went over to my friends house to check on her and I went and opened the door and a snake fall from the top of her door right at my feet, I said, well you can guess what I said!  It had a pointed face so I went and grabed a shovel and chopped it in half.  Boy I was spooked all day long because also when I went out to check on my friend again their was a dead mouse right at the foot of my steps outside.  I thought what is it today with me!  Any who it made me very restless.  So today we are going to talk about making something I really enjoy eatting and its is easy to make and your friends will just love you for making it.  One thing that is nice about a salad is that you can make it fit your palate very well.  Salads have been around since the Roman empire and they used to use Oil and Vinegar just like us.  A salad can be made with alot of mixed vegetables and a variety of pastas, meats or even fruits.  They can be served hot or cold and with a varity of toppings and garnishes for whatever your litlle heart desires.  Anyway am going to pass this recipe on to you and I hope that you enjoy it.

Italian Antipasto Salad:

1 Head of Romaine Whole Lettuce Leaves
1 bag of Carrot Hearts, fresh
3 stocks Celery, cut lengthwise
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
1 Can Black Olives, drained
1/2 cup Green Olives
1 Bunch Broccoli Head
1 bunch Green Onions, Sliced
8 Oz's. Salami, thin sliced
8 Oz's. Smoked Salmon
6 Oz's. Provolone Cheese, sliced thin
1/2 cup Grated fresh Parmesan Cheese

Dressing:

1 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 T. Sugar
1 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1 tsp. Basil, dried
1 tsp. Oregano, dried

 Mix the dressing till it is blended and set aside.  In large bowl clean the lettuce and place it all around the bowl with the whole leaves, like a blanket inside the bowl.  Then start adding the chopped up vegetables, and you want them in large pieces.  Then add the olives, then the meat and provolone cheese.  Then top the salad with the graded Parmesan cheese and salt and use ground pepper to top the salad.  When ready to serve pour your dressing on the salad and serve.  It should feed about 6 to 8 people.

Well I hope you try this recipe and please let me know how you like it.  I love hearing from everyone at madjon51@aol.com  Please watch my Tv show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95, "Cooking With MadJon and Friends".  Go like my fan page on FB as well, "Cooking With MadJon and Friends".  Now I think I covered it all.  Send me some recipes to try and I will make them on my show.  Am starting my third season in December. Still would like a couple more sponsors.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, MadJon.

Louisiana's Oldest Dishes " Shrimp and Crab Gumbo"

Hello there to all you foodie friends out there in web land.  Its nice to see you all again.  For your FYI I tried to blog this and I got almost finished with it and I bent over too the key broad and my girls hit the key board and the rest is history. I decided to start again this morning let's hope they make it though this. Has that ever happened to you? Well its raining here in our state of South Carolina.  It's a much needed rain.  Its the end of the summer for the year 2011 and what a year for me.  We traveled from Texas to Minnesota this summer and caught Speckled Trout in the Texas bay and caught Bass in the Mississippi River in Minnesota and may I say we met alot of nice people from one end of the USA to to the other.  The food was amazing.  Each state has something different to offer your palettes.   Today we are going to talk about that great Louisiana Cajun dish called Gumbo.  It is one of the oldest dishes that they have to offer.  It can be made in a variety of ways.  You can make it with chicken, fish, or sausage.  It can be made with File (dried and ground Sassafras leaves) or Okra, which is a natural thickener.  It is a dish that is well liked in the great state of Louisiana and has been around recorded from about the 1800's.  I just happen to be making this dish with Okra as my roux.  You may use canned Crab meat instead of cooking it with fresh crabs if you wish.  If I make it with
fresh crabs, I season the crab boil and cook the crabs and remove the meat.  Some people like it thick and some people like it thin.  You have to serve this with Rice, of course.  This should serve 8 to 10 servings, I'll use serving instead of people.

Shrimp And Crab Gumbo

Roux:

1/2 pound Bacon, diced
1/2 stick Butter
1 Onion, Diced
1 Bell Pepper, diced
5 Cloves Garlic Pods, minced
1 pound Okra, cut in rings
 Salt and Pepper to taste
3 T. Flour
3 Ribs Celery, diced

 Place bacon and butter into a pan and cook till bacon is brown,   To that add the onion, celery, and garlic, cook till clear.  Then add the okra tossed with flour into mixture.  Cook and turn till a nice brown color.  Add too Roux:  Salt and pepper to taste.

2 Cartons Chicken Broth, 32 ozs.
3 Bay Leaves
2 Chicken Bouillons
1 T. Onion Powder
1 T. Garlic Powder
1 T. Mrs Dashes'
1 T. Basil
1 T. Oregano
1 tsp. Thyme
1.5 T. File (Optional)
5-6 dashes Hot Sauce
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 large can of Diced Tomatoes
1 pound Shrimp, peeled
2 Cans Crab Meat


Pour ingredients into pot except for the shrimp and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Stir while simmering.  Add shrimp about 3 minutes before serving.  Serve with your favorite rice.

OK looks like the girls made it though this blog, thanks.  Please visit my fan page on FB at https://www.facebook.com/pages/CoverClicks-Media-Inc/255889881112909?sk=wall#!/CookingwithMadjon and view the TV show.  Write me at madjon51@aol.com and try this recipe.  It will fit your palettes. Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.

Edible Wild Mushrooms And American Meatloaf W/Mushrooms

Hello to all my foodie friends out there in web land I hope all is well and you are enjoying the cooler weather.  I know I'm but when its freezing out side I'll be saying come on summer, isn't that how we humans are, just can't stop bitching or ever be happy!  Oh well, let's get to our story shall we.  We are going to talk about edible mushrooms and did you know that in Ohio their are over 2000 kinds of mushrooms, edible ones and not so edibles.  Me I've really never eaten a Wild one but am sure like anything else, there are good tasting ones and not so good tasting ones.  Me I'd want the good ones because if am going to die from eating the wrong mushroom I'd like it to at least taste good.  Any who you all don't eat the mushrooms raw that you find, cook them and most likely you will find them under logs and in the woods walking.  Some wild mushrooms aid in the breakdown of logs and leaves so they are good to have around us.  If you want to go hunting for wild mushrooms there are books that can help guide you on your way though the woods for that wonderful mushroom hunt.  There is also a web site that you may go to and read up on good ones and bad ones, called, MykoWeb.  Merry hunting to you all and I hope the ones you pick are the edible ones or at least they taste good and make it worth your hunt.  Now lets talk about Meatloaf, did you know that its considered  a European dish and is as old as from the 5th century, but they used minced meat to cook with and some of us used cornmeal to mix in it, of all things.  A little mush please.  Then its the cousin to the Italion meatball, well I can see that given that you may add bread crumbs to the recipe.  Any who I consider meatloaf as American as Apple Pie or is at least the way we make it in America.  Which by the way can be cooked so many ways, I bet we couldn't count how many ways there are to make meatloaf.  Its all in how our mothers or grandmothers made it.  They give us credit for the meatloaf in America to be in the 19th century and I really do think that this dish is as versatile as Apple Pie.  Which Apples are in season now you know.  Its hard to say how many ways there are to putting this classic dish together, you can smoke it, cheese it, vegetable it, ketup and mustard it and you can even wine it up.  Whats more American, may be the Hot Dog, well that is another story.  Any who lets' get down to this way of making the all American classic Meatloaf. 

The Edible Classic American Meatloaf W/ Mushrooms

1 pound Hamburger Meat
1 pound Ground Pork or Turkey Meat
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
1 Egg, beaten
1 tsp. Mrs Dash's
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Ploutry Seasoning
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
3/4 Cup Ketup
2 Squirts Prepared Mustard
3 T. Hentz 57 Sauce
2 T. Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 Pound Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced
Oil for browning Mushrooms

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop the onion and slice the cleaned mushrooms.  Place meats in a bowl for mixing.  To that add all the spices, ketup, mustard, and sauces.  Mix and then add the bread crumbs.  Set aside.  Heat the oil in a pan and place a flat layer of mushrooms in the pan and borown on both sides and repeat process until all the mushrooms are browned.  Then turn the mushrooms into the meat mixture and double check you reipe to make sure you added all the ingredients.  Top with ketup.  Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes covered.  The remove cover and bake until nice and browned.  Pour off some of the liquid , rest for about 10 minutes and remove from pan for cutting.

By the way one way to clean your mushrooms is with a dump paper towel and whip them clean, do not place them under water.  Well give this recipe a try and please let me now how it works for you.  Watch my Tv show on ASTV 95 "Cooking With Madjon and Friends"  http://www.aikendstandard.com/ and visit my fan page on FB and come like me and send me your reipes I love to hear from you all.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Summer's End Stuffed Fried Okra With Cheese and Jalapeno Peppers

Well hello to all you foodies out there in web land, its MadJon again with another neat recipe. I hope all is well and school is under way for you all.   I have been busy planting my garden for fall and I put in Cabbage,  Rutabaga, Spinach, and Purple Tip Turnips.  I planted them about 3 days ago and they are starting to come up out of the earth.  Yea.  Chicken Poop really works!  I also added Epsom Salt-Magnesium Sulfate- a wonderful compound.  We added Lime as well.  The Okra plants are over 6' tall, amazing isn't it?  I will take some pictures when the plants come up more.  We have had so much okra, its coming out of our ears.  I have try ed a few new recipes this year and I liked all of them.  One is a french style and its kind of like stewed Okra Texas style with rice cooked in it.  I made it a Indian style which was good as well.  So I decided to make it stuffed so first I had to clean out the seed pods from the Okra and then I boiled it for about 2-3 minutes.  You cut the heads off the Okra, then cut a split on the side of the pod.  Then remove most of the seeds, boil, drain and let pods cool.  Then you fill them with the cheese mixture, dip it in beaten eggs and a dry mixture of corn meal and bread crumbs.  Fry it in oil till golden brown and it is fab baby fab!  Am willing to give you the recipe so here goes.

MadJon's Stuff Fried Okra:

10 pods fresh Okra, split and cleaned
2 ozs. Feta Cheese
4 ozs. Monterrey Jack Cheese, finely grated
2 Jalapenos, finely minced
1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
2 beaten Eggs

Dry Mixture:

1 C. Italian Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Corn Meal Mix
1 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
2 Strips Crisp Cooked Bacon (Optional)

Clean and cut the Okra and remove most of the seed pods.  Mix the cheese's, jalapenos, and seasonings, together, for the wet ingredients, pulse with a blender would be nice to use, you want it smaller to stuff easier,  then fill the Okra where you split the side of the pod.  Then mix the dry ingredients with spices all together till well blended. Then roll a filled Okra in egg and then in the dry mixture and place in hot oil and fry till golden brown.

I hope you try this recipe and please let me know what you think of them. I love hearing from you all, write me at madjon51@aol.com and please watch me TV show at http://aikenstandard.com/astv/madjon/ .  Visit me on my Fan Page on Face book, "Cooking With Madjon and Friends".  Am in a rush am baking something in the oven for tonight and I need to finish.  Just want to say Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Just remember that if you have a dream don't let anyone stand in your way of it.  Sometimes my hubby or relatives are the ones that stand in my way.  Just push them aside and keep climbing that ladder to your dreams.  Hugs, Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Garden Over Flowing With Eggplant (Baked) Taste like Fried Yea Yea

Hello to all you foodies out there in webland its Me, MadJon again and I hope you are liking the cooler weather.  Am up to my ears in Eggplants from our garden and they are so pretty.  If I can find the pictures that I loaded onto the computer I will let you all see.  Sometimes I think my head is empty up there.  Do you ever feel that way.  We have a shoot to do tomorrow so am going to write this faster then I would but anywho I planted some of my fall garden with cabbage, turnips with purple tops,and rutabaga, I think that is right, hehe.  I will keep you posted on the process of the food bank called a garden.  Am learning how to put up some pictures for you all because a few of you have been asking for them.  Go see my TV show at http://aikenstandard.com/astv/madjon/ and find some more recipes and I have about 30 plus more to add to the 30 I just sent them for this season.  I've had a busy week with baking in the buff, have you ever not had time to get all the way dressed when your rushing around the kitchen, cooking on a deadline plus I had a meeting to get to by 12:30 and my hubby comes in on Friday and says what are you doing and I said am baking what do you think?  He then says the grass is being delivered and I was wondering why the guy kept going to the back of the house (he was just joking) so we also had 18 pallets of grass to get out and we will be busy this Saturday as well with 18 more.  Busy, busy, busy.  Does your life ever get like that?  Mine does.
Any who let's talk about the eggplant well I make eggplant parmesan for the hubby and am trying to cut down on fried foods in our diets so I started baking the eggplant and it comes out crisp just like it was fried but with out the calories.  So here is the reicpe for you all.

Fried (Baked) Eggplant:

1 Eggplant , cut in rings
1 Egg, beaten
1 cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs
1 cup Panko
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tsp. Onion Powder
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 Parmesan Grated Cheese
3 T. Olive Oil
Cooking Spray

Cut up eggplant and place into bowl with salted water and cover with a plate afor about 2 hours.  Pour off the water, it will be a brown color.  Beat Egg.  Now place the dry ingredents into a bowl with spices and mix together till blended.  Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees. Take a baking sheet and place the olive oil onto the sheet and spread on bottom of pan.  Then take a piece of the eggplant and place in eggmisture, then into the bread misture and place on pan and repeat proces until all the eggplant is coated with bread mixture.  Then spray the top of the eggplants and then place in oven and cook for about 15 minutes then turn the eggpants over and spray again and bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown.  You may eat them just like this or serve them with your favorite pasta sauce.  I make Eggplant Parmesan ou of them. 

Please give this recipe a try my hubby loves it.  Please send me a email with a recipe to try and let me know how you like this one.  My email address is madjon51@aol.com and also visit me on FB and like my fan page called, "Cooking With Madjon and Friends".  Hope all is well with you and again happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, MadJon.

9/11 Hero's and Eatting Home Made Pop Tarts Okey Doekey

Hello to all my foodies friends out there in webland I hope all is well with you and yours.  We are here to talk a little about our state of affairs here in the USA and we will talk about that wonderful breakfast food called a Pop Tart, but is it just for breakfast?  Mine are home made and everyone loves them down here in SC and people also love them in the DC area there on 9th street.  However we are getting ahead of ourselves.  This is the 10th annivarsary of 9/11, which I really don't have to remind anyone of that today of all days but I do want you to know that when I think of that day many things come to mind.  One thing is the tears that come to my eyes when I remember the scenes on TV and I remember the fear I had when I could n't get a hold of our son Chris who lives in DC and also lived across from the pentagon in a building that the airplane that went into the building had flown right over him.   It was a long day for us here in SC and all over the states before we heard from our loved ones that they were safe.  That said I will always remember and pray for the lives lost in 9/11 and the lives of our 9/11 generation that loses their lives everyday fighting for our freedom and the freedom around the world.  The freedom that I have isn't mine because I deserve it, its mine because someone fought and died for that freedom so please let us try and work together to keep that freedom and that means from the North, South, East, and West of these United States I say let's all fight to keep freedom in our land for the future generations of Americans that will someday have to stand up and be as strong as our generations past.  I say thanks to all of you who serve our nation for the freedom that we have.  What happened on 9/11 may have shaken us but it did not defeat us.  Our tears are still falling and the bell is still ringing but I say God Bless to all the fallen Hero's from our past generations and the Hero's of our future generations.   I hope they hear the freedom bell ringing.  I will never forget! Let freedom ring.
Am heading on another subject for now and its called the wonderful Pop Tart that my children loved and now my grandchildren love.  They are made by Kellogg and introduced to us in 1963 and they are made to pop in the toaster as a breakfastfood, however that said we were in DC last November to visit Chris and we ate at a resturant  that serves pop tarts as a dessert and man were they good.  So I decided to do them for one of my TV shows,"Cooking With Madjon and Friends".  I made the filling as well but you don't have to you can get a pie-filling or use a jam that you like.  I also made them today for a wedding brunch we attended here in the neighborhood.   I made some Cherry filling and a Chocolate Chips with Hazelnuts, mum, mum. Recipe Follows:

Crust for Pop Tarts:  Serves 12

4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 Stick Butter, softened
2 1/4 cups All-purpose Flour,shifted
1 tsp. Salt
1 egg
3 T. Milk
3 T. Sugar

Filling your choice

Icing:

1 cup confectionary Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Water or Milk

Cream butter and cream cheese together till blended.  Add flour, sugar, salt and blend with butter and cheese.  Then add the egg and mix, add the milk and stir to foam a ball.  Dust with light flour. Roll into about 12 balls the same size.  Then roll out each ball on a flour surface, fill with jam or fruit and turn to ends and press with a fork to seal.  Spray pan and place in a pre-heated oven for about 20 mins at 375 degrees or until brown.  If you wish you may brush the tops with a beaten egg before baking.  Let cool.  Make icing by placing sugar in a bowl, add the Vanilla and water or milk and stir until blended.  Ice the Pop Tarts.  If the icing is to thin just add more sugar to the mix and enjoy!  These taste great!

Please visit my fan page on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CookingwithMadjon and watch the TV show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/, ASTV 95, "Cooking With Madjon and Friends".  Write me at madjon51@aol.com if you have any questions about cooking or my recipes.  Send me recipes to try on TV and for my blog if yu wish.  If you have a recipe that isn't working for you please forward ti to me and I will tryo help you.  Hope you enjoy this blog and God Bless to you and yours.  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, MadJon.

Is It Dinner or Supper? Aiken Brewing Company And Beer Bread

Well hello to all my foodies friends out there in webland I hope all is well and that we all got though Labor day just fine.  Summer's weather will be leaving us soon an dI for one will be missing it.  I love the HOT and I don't mean fire.  We are going to talk about a recipe I developed from a TV show we did with the Aiken Brewing Company located in downtown Aiken.  Which I must say has some great tasting brewed Beer,  They were nice enought to let us come in on a Sunday and film the show and I say a great Big Thanks.  They were jsut great and I had alot of free beer and am not complaining but I had a show to talk about and it was kind of hard after about three-fourths of the way though it.  Anywho we also got to watch them make their signature Beer Cheese Soup which I must say was very tastey and we had a beer or two to get it down.  Someone should have followed me home. Anywho it was great fun to watch them and they gave me some samples of the grains that they use to brew the beer with so I made up a recipe for the next TV show I did with the grains that they gave me, which reminds me I need to go see if they have any of the morsels left after brewing on Sunday, just kidding.  I will have to add a Pinch of Herbs to the next Beer Bread that I make.  Anywho go visit them on Laurens Street in downtown Aiken, its worth the trip.  Tell them I sent you.  By the way I was thinking what do you say is it Dinner or Super for your evening meal?  You should goggle it you may be surprized about the history behind that question.  I call it supper because that is what my family did.  For the English dinner is lunch and supper is the later meal, at least I think it is, I was so confussed after I started reading what the whole world does!  Anywho let's make some good old Beer Bread.

MadJon's Beer Bread

3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup granulated Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Baking Powder
1 (12oz. ) can Beer
2 T. Melted Butter
3 T. Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Onion and Garlic Powder
1 Cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1 T. Pinch of Herbs

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a loaf pan.  Combine all ingredients, mixing well.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour or untill done.

If you like a nice strong tasting bread with a bite this is the recipe for you.  My hubby lovs it.  If you can't find the grains just add some Pinch of Herbs spice to it.  You may also add any spices that fit you pallet.

Please if you have any questions about this recipe you can e-mail me at madjon51@aol.com I love hearing from you all.  If yu have any questions about recipes or would like to share some for us to try please feel free to fly them our way.  Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/CookingwithMadjon?ref=ts and hit the LIKE butoons on our fan page. Watch our show on the aikenstandard.com ASTV 95, Cooking With Madjon and Friends.   Happy trail to you and your until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Minnesota American Indian Wild Rice With Mushrooms WOW!

Hello to all my foodie friends out there in webland I want to said a big hello to you all.  Its labor day and I hope you all enjoyed your grilling out with family and friends.  I spent the day shopping with a friend for the household items we both needed to get.  I hate to shop but it is more fun with a friend but however that said, I seem to spend more money with a friend. Well my hubby will just have to get over it after all it was for the house.  I bought dishes for the TV show and linens for the house.  Then we all went to dinner.  So anywho let's talk about Minnesota again a little bit.  The wild rice we bought is not cultivated rice it grows wild right there near the waters in Minnesota.  It is harvested by the local Indians and locals and is state regulated as to how it is harvested.  It is still hand harvested in the traditional indian way by taking a canoe with one pole for power and two rice beater sticks to knock the seeds into the canoe. Boy, I call that the hard way to go. Did you know that its not really a rice its a grain and is called water grass seed, zizania and  that is what am told anywho by the locals.  Interesting it seems that is how their fathers did it and so on and so on.  Neat how they keep that up.  Anywho I made some for my hubby and I the other night and made up the reicpe for all of us so here it is:

Wild Rice

1 Cup Wild Rice
2 1/2 Cups Water or Chicken Broth
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 T. Butter
1 pound fresh Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teas. dried Thyme
1/2 teas. dried Rosemary
1 teas. Onion Powder
1 Onion, chopped
4 fresh garlic gloves, minced
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

Melt the butter in a pan, add to that onions, garlic, mushrooms, and cook till clear. and add rice,stir . Then add the spices, water or broth, soup and anything I forgot to meantion, lol.   Then pour into a greased pan  and bake in a pre-heated oven at about 350 degrees for about an hour of until the broth has reduced and stir.  It should be creamy.

My hubby loved this recipe and he says it had alot of flavor and texture.  Its meaty as I call it.  Please email me with any questions at madjon51@aol.com.  I enjoy hearing from everyone.  Send me recipes to try if you wish and come like my fan page on facebook called Cooking With Madjon and Friends, come on in and join the fun.  Watch my TV show on the web at aikenstandard.com ASTV 95.  I hope you all have a safe and happy week to you and yours.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Thanks its been a pleasure.  Oh am still looking for TV sponsors out there in webland.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Minnesota Trip Indian Okra and Rhubarb Cake Globe Dog Erik Bendi

Hello there to all my foodie friends out there in webland.  Its MadJon again and we are here to talk about Minnesota and some food.  We just got back from the wonderful state of 10,000 lakes and boy do they have them.  While we were on our way to do some much needed fishing I spyed a man walking along the highway pushing a very large world globe and walking with a dog.  I wanted to stop and talk and get a picture but of coarse my hubby was to busy getting to the fishing however I found out that he is walking for charity to raise awareness about diabetes and his name is Erik Bendi and if you would like to know more about him just goggle him.  Way to go Erik!!!  It was a amazing trip with the food that I tasted like at Bobbie's Kitchen, I ate their Fried Cheese Curds and the coating tasted just like a donut, yum.  We ate smokin B.B.Q. at Vegas Lou's, in Lebanon Junction, K.Y.  We ate at the Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, MN.  It was family style atThe Italian Gardens Trattoria and I understand that Oprah Winfrey was there a couple of weeks ago to attend a wedding.  Great food there.  We ate from the South end to the North end and in between.  We ate at Sue Clark's house and what a great cook she is.  It is her recipe for Rhubarb Cake that I will be giving you with a couple of changes.  The Okra recipe comes from Michael who owns The Plum Pudding in Aiken.  We also ate some thick bacon that came from Thieles Meat Market that you can order on line and I heard that Oprah and M.S. buy Bacon from them.  Am just sayin.  Did you know that they drink Pepsi up there and also have something called a "Minnesota Minnow Shot" and no am not brave enough to try one of them.  They do talk like the Fargo movie and I loved the accent and how friendly everyone is.  They have what they call hot dish and spam is the Minnesota meatloaf and say things like pop, you bet'cha, and Don'cha know.  Anywho if you ever get a chance to visit up I highly recommend the trip.  Take your fishing pole and some spray for the bugs that do bite a little bit.  Anywho that is my trip to Minnesota and on with the recipes for you all.

Indian Okra

3 T. Butter
1 Onion, chopped
1 pound fresh Okra, sliced
1/2 teas. ground Cumin
1/2 teas. ground Ginger
1/2 teas. ground Coriander
1/4 teas. Black Pepper
1/2 teas. Cayenne Pepper
1 Fresh Pimento Pepper, chopped
Salt to taste
Bacon Bits (Optional)

Melt butter in a pan and add chopped onions and pimento, cook till clear.  Add okra, spices and cook till nice and browned.  Top with bacon bits if you wish.

Rhubarb Cake

1 Yellow Cake Mix
4 cups chopped Rubard
1 cup Sugar
1 Pint Whipping Cream
1 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Pre heat oven to 350 degress and bake cake at about 55 minutes.  Need a 9"-13" pan and spray with oil.  Now mix cake according to directions but add the cinnamon to the cake mix.  Pour cake into pan, add the rhubarb, pour the sugar on top of that and then pour the whipping cream on top of that.  Then bake for about 55 minutes or until done.

I hope that you have enjoyed your trip with us today and  please try the recipes and I love hearing from everyone.  Send me some recipes to try or if you have any questions about a recipe please email me at madjon51@aol.com and visit my TV show at the aikenstandard.com ASTV 95 Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Visit me on facebook.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again, Happy Eatting to you all.  Eileen F Hutson, MadJon.

Minnesota The Mississippi River Headwaters Corn-On-Cob Labor Day

Well hello to all you foodies out there in webland I hope this finds you all well.  This week I have been visiting the wonderful state of Minnesota with eatting, fishing, site-seeing and we will be going to the casinos tomorrow.   Having a great time and I think everyone one should come here and visit.  Its not to hot and the people are just great and I love hearing them talk.  We are staying on the Mississippi River at a friends house who has written like six books and he is working on a couple more and he just happens to also be my sister Imogene's Father-in-law.  His name is Steven D. Clark and has books titled, "A Damn Tough Dude-Bradi Mulheron" and "Navy Gold" is another.  He is a fiction writer and very good at what he does.  His in his 80's and loving life and has alot more to offer to all of us here and is a true American.  If you are interested in his books he has a book club and his email is iwritethebooks@live.com and tell him I said it was OK to write him.  He knows alot about history and fishing come on up here and he'd be happy to go fishing with you all.  Hey maybe that should be his next book, How To Fish You All.  We have been eatting our way all the way from SC and I have alot to write about in my next blog from the pork to the fried Cheese Curds.  Let me tell you that if you would like to see the head of the Mississippi coming right out of the ground its right here in Itasca Stte Park.  Did you know that in the 1800's there was a earth quake and I think the town was called Liberty?  Anywho it was swallowed up by the earth quake and the Mississippi River flowed backwards for like 12 days.  You never know when a earth quake with hit, just like today it started in Virginia and ran all the way to NY and down to Atlanta.  Wow that is all I can say!  What if something happened in the earth and the Mississippi dried up, oh my, just think of how many states that would effect?  Anywho we will be heading back to SC in a couple of days and I will miss being here but I will be home in time for Labor day so let me give you a recipe for corn-on-cob that is wonderful with B.B.Q. and easy to make.

Oven Corn-On-Cob

6 Ears Corn Cleaned
Salt & Pepper to taste
6 Pads Butter, 1 teas.
2 Green Onions, chopped
1/4 Bunch fresh Cilantro, chopped
Foil for wrap
Lemon Juice, optional

Pre-heat oven to about 350 degrees.  Mix onions and cilantro together.  Place clean ear of corn on foil, salt and pepper to taste and pour some lemon juice on the ear, top your mix of onions and celantro onto corn, about 2 Tabs., pad with butter, then roll ends into corn ear and then roll corn on foil.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes and Eat Baby Eat!

I hope you give this recipe a try I know you will like it.  Its Yum Yum.  I wish you all well and watch my TV show by going to the aikenstandard.com ASTV 95, Cooking With Madjon and Friends or visit my fan page on facebook called Cooking With Madjon and Friends,  Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Email at madjon51@aol.com I love hearing from you and send me some olf family recipes to try out.  Thanks, Eileen Hutson, madjon.

The Help Servin Up Some Mississippi Chocolate Pecan Pie

Well hello again to all my foodies friends out there in webland and I hope all is well with you and yours.  Today I'd like to give you a recipe that I used to serve at my cafe and the customers loved.  Yesterday my family and I went to watch the new movie called "The Help" and I have to tell you I loved it.  I laughed and I cried.  Its hard to believe that people can be so bad and I grew up in the 50's and 60's.  Anywho the scene with the pie is unforgetable.  So I decided that I'd write about my chocolate pecan pie that everyone loved from the cafe but if you don't mind I will leave out that one ingredent.  Did you know that the pecan pie was born in New Orleans by the French which happened to have learned about pecans from our Native American friends.  There is nothing better then a pecan to eat you can bake with it, roast it, and eat it raw.  Anywho I hope you give this a try and remember to go to the movies.

Mississippi Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 unbaked 9 " Pie shell
3 Eggs
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Dark Corn Syrup
2 T. melted Butter
3/4 Cups Chocolate Baking Chps
1/8 teas. Salt
2 teas. Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Pecan Halves

Pre heat oven to 300 degrees.  Cook pie for about 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour and 45 minutes until desired doneness. Mix all ingredents together and then add the pecans and mix until the pecans are coated.  Pour into unbaked pie shell.

Pie Shell

1 1/2 Cups Shifted Flour
1/2 teas. Salt
3 T. Cold Water
2/3 Cups Shortening

Mix salt with flour, cut in the shortening with a pastry blender, add water alittle at a time and stir into a ball and press into the pie pan with your fingers or roll dough out on a lightly floured surface. Run a fork on the bottom of the rolled pastry to help let the air out.

I hope you give this a try and I have you had a great week.  Visit my fan page on facebook by just typing in "Cooking With Madjon and Friends"  Come like my page.  You may also watch my cooking show by going to the aikenstandard.com, ASTV 95, "Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Email me and let me know how this recipe is and Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, Madjon.

WW 11 Allen & Jeanne Newby ASKS Mom & Dad Let's Make S.O.S.

Well Hello to all you Foodies out there in Web land to all of you I say I hope all is well with you and yours.  I hope your summer is not to hot or to short!  If I ever figure out how to post pictures on this thing I will be showing you the garden I planted in mid July with corn, peas, tomatoes, sweet Potato's, okra, herbs, and some eggplant.  They are producing and I owe it all to Chicken Poop, yes that's right, Chicken Poop but that isn't for this blog.  We are here to talk about making S.O.S. one of my favorite childhood
dishes that my dad would make for us but first let me give you some history on my Dad and Mom during WW 11.  We will start with my dad first.He trained at Ft Banning in Columbus Ga.  He worked with the 82th Airborne and the 101th Airborne yes he was a Paratrooper and when it was all over he was left with flat feet and lived on like a 1/2 lung or something like that.  However he was dropped behind enemy lines and fought in North Africa and Italy.  Not sure where else he was because they didn't record what he did there.  No record of it, you know its that take your life thing if you get caught.  His boxing picture hangs at Ft Banning because he was crowned Feather Weight European champion for the army during the war and on his DD 214 it states that his hands are considered lethal weapons for a period of five years after his discharge.  I could go on and on about this but that's for another story.  As far as my mom is concerned she enlisted in the service at 16 with her dad signing for her to enlist.  She has a full story as well with all kinds of awards from the government and congress, etc. etc, etc.  However I will tell you that she was a intelligence officer and was in charge of the teletype at age 17.  She was a E 5 and a member of the Wac.  She is also partly responsible for the  WW 11 Women's Memorial in Washington DC and if you go there you may view her files and her name was Jeanne Varney Newby.  A hell of a women.  She also is partly responsible for women having different floors at the VA hospitals. She raised 6 kids and a man that was very hard to handle and that is another story.  Any who I have to tell you am very proud of both my parents.    Well what made me think about making this recipe is because while I was visiting my Boys in DC this past weekend, which by the way they live at 8th and I, for your FYI is where the Marine Barracks is in Washington, DC.  On Friday nights they hold ceremonial events in the streets and inside the compound.  I have only viewed them on the street but you can go on line and get tickets to watch them match and hear the music.   They do a wonderful job and I will be adding pictures later when I learn how to add them.  They also have the security mission of protecting the white house and the commandant of the USMC which lives with the marines at 8th & I.  You should go and view them they are wonderful and it makes you feel so proud to live here in the USA.  Go Marines!  Any who when we were little my dad would make SOS for us kids and we loved it.  He didn't like alot of the army food but he did like this dish.  I know that there are alot of you who ate this dish at home.  We ate ours with bread and mashed potato's, yum yum.   Recipe follows.

S.O.S.

1 pound Ground Beef
1 Onion Chopped, finely
3 Gloves Garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Beef Bouillon
2 to 2 1/2 Cups Milk
1 1/2 teas. Worcestershire

Brown beef and chop fine, add onion, garlic, salt & Pepper, and cook till onion is clear.  Add Beef Bouillon with 1/4 water.  Cook about 5 minutes. Add Flour to mixture and mix well and try to get it to brown some.  Then slowly add the milk and cook till thickened.  Serve on Bread.  Serves about 6.

I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as we do here at home.  Would love to hear from you at madjon51@aol.com and come be my friend on facebook, Eileen Hutson or come to my fan page Cooking With Madjon and Friends and you may watch the TV show by going to the aikenstandard.com, ASTV 95, Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Enjoy the rest of the summer, eat and slepp well you all.  Happy trails to you and your until we meet again, Eileen Hutson, MadJon.  P.S. am looking for sponsors for the TV show and my fan page, hehe.  Come join the FUNNNN.

To The Girls at Plum Pudding TV Show & Blue Cheese Wedge Salad

Well hello to all you foodies out there in webland its MadJon again with a wonderful post to make.  I hope this finds all of you in good spirits.  Today we are goping to talk about Blue Chesse Wedge Salad and Plum Pudding which is one of the best Kitchen Gadget stores located in Aiken and the wonderful state of South Carolina.  If you are not local then you may get them on the web just google them I'd give you the rest of the information but their not paying me for that service.  Shop till your hearts content all you foodies out there.   We did the show in April and the recipes are not up from that show as yet so I have been asked to give this recipe out so this is to the two nice girls that work at Plum Pudding.  I was a little nervous when I did this show because I really wanted them to like me and the reviews I got back from the viewers was that it turned out to be one of the best shows we have done this season.  The viewers like the idea that I showed them more infomation about the store and what they had to offer then they had by just stopping by.  I know a few of them paid them a visit and am happy that we could help them out. I learned a few things as well and enjoyed cooking with Christian.   We had fish tacos and Blue Cheese Wedge Salad.  Which was all very tasty if I do say so myself.   Wedge Salad has been served in steak houses since the early 1900's and there are many different recipes.  This recipe I made up for the show and I hope all you foodies out there give it a try and enjoy it as much as I do and don't be affraid to change it to fit your own taste after all isn't that what cooking for yourself is all about?   This recipe serves 4.

Blue Cheese Wedge Salad

3/4 Cup Mayo or Salad Dressibng
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1 teas. Onion and Garlic Powder
3 Tbs. Sugar
1 teas. Seasoned Salt
4 Ozs. Blue Cheese

Mix all ingredents and chill.

Salad

1 Head Iceburg Lettace
6 Cooked Slices Bacon
4 Ozs. Blue Cheese
Cherry Tomatoe's
1/2 Medium Red Onion Sliced thin
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix salad dressing.  Cook bacon until crisp. Cut Iceburg lettace into 4 parts, wedged, then place on 4
plates and pour dressing on top, add onions, tomatoe's, bacon, and Blue Cheese, now dig in!  The choice of Blue Cheese is up to you until they pay me to say a name its not going to happen! Such is life! LOL.  All sponsors welcome.

Anywho I hope you all give this a try with a good steak, baked potatoe and a wonderful red wine, bread is OK too.  Write me with your recipes to try and life stories.  I love hearing from you all.  Make me laugh!  My email address is madjon51@aol.com and ewatch the TV show on the web by going to aikenstandard.com ASTV 95, "Cooking with MadJon and Friends".  Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Sweet Texas A&M Hot Jalapeno Bacon Wrapped Poppers

Well hello to all you foodies out there in webland its me again and am back from a trip to the great state of Texas.  I do hope you are all enjoying your summer.  I know I'm with trips and fishing in Texas at our cousins fish camp and going to Rockport on the way back to Friendswood to visit our cousins beef ranch,  He had this Hugh garden and among the fruits of his labor were some sweet Jalapeños which he said that Texas A&M cultivated them to be sweet but let me tell you honey they are hot and sweet and there is nothing better then that.  Any who he gave us a whole bag of them so I have made the recipe about four times now.  The first time was at my mother- in- laws house and she asked if I could make them and I said yes so I made up this recipe there.  I hope you will use it and enjoy it as much as she did.  She loves hot and sweet so I made up a sauce to brush on the poppers before you bake them.  Jalapeños are a fruit from Mexico and come in green or red.  The green part has a taste like a bell pepper with a kick , however the seeds are what is hot on the pepper.  They can be pickled, roasted, saute' in oil and served with cheese on top warmed, jellied, added to salsa and the list goes on and on.  I hope that you like this recipe and give it a try!

12 fresh Jalapeño Peppers, cut in half, seeds removed
1 pound Bacon, cut in half
1/4 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 8 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 teas. Salt
1/2 teas. each Onion and Garlic Powder
Sauce

1/2 Cup Olive Oil
4 Tabs. Balsamic Vinegar
1 teas. Italian Spices
3 Tabs. Sugar
1/2 teas. Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut Jalapeño in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and place on a cookie sheet with sides.  Mix softened cream cheese, onions, cilantro, salt, onion and garlic powder.  Fill peppers and take cut bacon, add a tooth pick for hold bacon and wrap around the peppers and place onto sheet.  Now mix vinegar and sugar. To that you add the Italian spice, salt and mix then add the oil and brush the tops of the peppers.  Bake about 20 min or until bacon is browned to your desired taste.  You may want to boil these to get the Bacon browned more.

Well that is how you make my jalapeño poppers and everyone that eats them loves them.  I hope that you will make some of these for yur next party.  I hope you have a great summer vacation and watch, "Cooking With Madjon and Friends".  Go to the aikenstandardcom, ASTV95. Try the recipes and let me know what you think.  E-mail me at madjon51@aol.com with your recipes, ideas and stories.  I love hearing from you all.  Happy trail to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Happy 4th With B.B.Q. Port Ribs or B.B.Q. Chicken

Hello to all you foodies out there in webland am in the wonderful state of Texas for the 4th.  We are going to B.B.Q. some ribs and chicken, nothing better in the world to eat then that!  I love the fourth of July with the fireworks and celebrating this wonderful country called the USA.  It makes me remember and be thankful for our freedom and those who have died and fought for that freedom.  Both my parents fought in WWII.  They both loved this country as much as I do.  They believed in the American dream and I still believe in that as well.  I believe that our children were raised up in a better America then we were and I believe that our grandchildren will be brought up in a better America then we were.  I still believe in the American Dream and I still believe that as Americans we can pull ourselves up and grow some backbone and do what is best for all of us.  There are new citizens out there who still believe wholeheartedly in a great America and we should look to them like new babies brought into this world of ours to help get all of us on the right track to building and making the good old USA what it can be for us and for the world.   I wish us all a great deal of luck.  I hope you all are enjoying your 4th of July because I know that I will.  Now let's make some B.B.Q.

B.B.Q. Ribs, Pork or Beef or 1 5 Pound Chicken

3 to 4 pounds of Ribs

Salt & Pepper ribs to taste
Mix:

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1.5 tsp. Chile Powder
1.5 tsp. Onion Powder
1.5 tsp. Garlic Powder
1.5 tsp. crushed Red Peppers
1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard
1.5 tsp. ground Cumin

B.B.Q Sauce


1 Chopped Onion
5 Gloves Garlic chopped
1 stick Butter
1.5 Cups Catup
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1.5 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. perpared Mustard
1 tsp. Onion and Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Hot Sauce
1/2 Corn Syrup
Mix all the ingredents for the rub together and you may want to add some salt to that as well, like maybe a 1 teaspoon.  Anywho then rub the mix on the ribs after you salt and pepper them.  If you are doing chicken follow the same dircctions for the rub and sauce.  Then place the ribs in a preheated oven on about 350 covered with foil for about 1 to 1 3/4 hour.  The while they are cooking make your sauce.  Place butter in a pan and heat till melted, then add the onion and garlic, chopped.  Cook till clear.  Then add all the rest of the ingredients to the pot and cook till thick about 30 minutes.  After the ribs have cooked in the oven then check for tenderness, it should pull apart with a fork.  Then uncover the ribs and start basting with the sauce.  Let it cook about 15 minutes then sauce again and turn ribs and bast again.  Cook another 15 minutes and you are ready to eat.  If you are cooking chicken, clean it with papertowels and  just rub the chicken and place it in the oven at 350 degrees and cook for about 1 hour then start basting with the sauce and cook for about 10 mins and bast again and cook for another 10 mins or until done and its nice and brown on the outside.  Yum, Yum.  You may want to cover your bottom of the pans with foil, less clean up for you and more time to have fun!  Enjoy!

Anywho I hope you all enjoy this dish and write to me and let me know how you like it.  You could finish the ribs on the grill if you like to taste of the B.B.Q.   Please watch my TV show on the web by going to the aikenstandard.com, ASTV 95, "Cooking With Madjon and Friends".  Enjoy you family, friends and the 4th of July!  Fireworks Etc, Etc.  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, Madjon.

Chicken Poop and Home Made Tomatoe Soup Summer's Best

Hello to all you foodies out there in webland.  Hope all is well.  I've been busy with getting some chicken poop from a local farmer to add to my garden that am going to plant very soon.  We have been working on a water system for the yard.  I have been told that chicken poop is what you need for a garden.  The smell is more then I can take when shoveling it!  First we went about 30 miles to go pick it up and then the air in the truck wasn't working so on the way back we smelled it with the feathers flying along with the flys inside the truck.  What a trip, plus it was HOT outside.  We unloaded it partly in my yard, then at a friends, he has a garden just starting and we left him a surprise.  His been in Ireland so we haven't heard back from him as yet.  Then we went to my friends house to clean out the back of the truck and what a hoot!  We start hoseing out the back and the poop is just sitting at the back of the truck and my friend wants me to get up in the truck and broom it out, well am not going there I said so we moved the truck.  I got to the front of her house on the street and then the mess just falls out onto the street right in front of her house.  What a mess and she was non to happy with me but anywho we managed to spray the back of the truck out and swept the street with water and a broom.  What a smell but it is not to bad now.  It still smells alot in my yard since it has rained.  Anywho I will have a wonderful garden with fresh vegeables in it though fall.  Can't wait.  I will let you know if the chicken poop helps.  It has already helped my friends front yard. 

Now we are going to talk about Tomatoes and there is nothing better then home grown.  My hubby is from Texas and in the summer he loves having thick smoked Bacon, Milk Gravy, Sliced Tomatoes, and Fried Corn Bread.  Oh and don't forget the sweet onions!  Anywho he also loves home made tomatoe soup which his aunt used to make for him when he was little.  However mine is different from hers, she puts bacon in hers which is good as well and hers was more like a sour tomatoe soup.  Anywho I made this up for him just a few days ago and he loved it.  Am passing it on to you all to enjoy because I know we will be having some of this soup again before the tomatoes run out.  Recipe follows:

MadJon's Home Made Tomatoe Soup

6 fresh Tomatoes, diced
1 Large Onion
6 Gloves Garlic, diced
1 Stick Butter
3 T. Flour
 Salt and Pepper to taste
6 leafs fresh Basil
4 sticks fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leafs
1.5 tsp. Mrs's Dash's
1.5 tsp. Onion and Garlic Powder
3 T. Sugar
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Half and Half

Now place the chopped onion and garlic with butter into pan.  Cook till clear and then add the tomatoes, cook till done.  Add the flour, spices with the sugar and mix into pan.  Now slowly add the broth and stir till mixed and simmer about 20 mins.   Then add the half and half and cook on low for about 10 more mins.  Serve hot or cold.  If you want this smooth just add the tomatoe and onion mixture into a blender after they are cooked and then add the flour spices, sugar, and broth, cook then add the half and half.  You may also top this with bacon.  Serves 8.

This ends our story with the chicken poop and our wonderful Tomatoe Soup.  Visit my TV show on aikenstandard.com, ASTV 95, Cooking With MadJon and Friends.  Please email me with any questions that I may answer for you.  Enjoy your gardens out there in webland.  If you live in the CSRA area remember me for catering and private cheffing or cooking lessons.  If anyone has a spcial need I'd be happy to c ome and cook for them.  Anywho Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Come be my friend on FB, Linkedin, etc. etc. etc.  God Bless, Eileen Hutson, madjon51@aol.com, Cell number is 803-646-0217.  Oh and if you have any aprons out there for me to wear on the TV show just forward them to the Aiken Standard with your name and yu will be meantioned on the TV show.

June is Hamburger Month "Let's Make American Hamburger's and Collard Greens"

Hello to all you foodies out there in web land, its MadJon again.  I hope all is well with you and yours.  I have missed you all so much. I have been off the computer for a couple of reasons, one is that I've been really busy and the other is that our computer line has not been up and running.  You don't know what its like with out a computer these days or maybe some of you do.  It was like I was on a lost Island all by myself with no one to talk too. All I could do was think!  I couldn't work on my recipes for the TV shows or my cook book.  Am rolling now!   While I was off S.C. made the state Vegetable called Collard Greens and may be I will add a recipe to cook the greens on this blog as well today.  Then June came in hot hot hot and the food of the month is the wonderful American Hamburger.  Did the hamburger come from the city of Kansas with all its wonderful beef?  I don't know for sure?  I also did a tour with the Celebrity Chefs as a fund raiser and we cooked Fried Fish and Chips with a Malt Vinegar White Sauce and served it English style in newspapers from the Aiken Standard.  Loved it Loved it loved it! Plan on doing it again next year with a theme. Any who its one of my favorite meals to enjoy.  It nice to be back among people again to share my , life, recipes, and ideas.   So here go again with the first recipe:

Great American Hamburger

1 Pound Hamburger Meat
2 tsp. Onion Powder
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
Optional 2 tsp. Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
Optional 1 Can Beer

Mix all ingredents except Chipotle seasoning, unless you want to use the seasoning in the Hamburger and Beer.   Then foam into patties.  Grille and while the burgers are grilling baste the burgers with your beer.  I like to grill onions and toast my buns.  I also like mushrooms cooked in beer for the top of the burgers as well.  You could add about 1/4 cup of flour to help hold the mix together if you wish.  I don't add the flour.

Southern Collard Greens Recipe

2 Bunches of Collard Greens
2 Ham Hocks
1 Large Onion Chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 T. Cooking Oil and Hot Sauce
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 T. Onion Powder
1 T. Vinegar
Clean Greens and remove the spine, cut greens, if you don't remove the spine your greens will be bitter.  Place oil and onion in pan and cook till the onions are browned, add the greens, cover with water, add spices and ingredients.  Ham Hocks and add a few drops of hot sauce to taste.  Cook till greens are very soft, like a few hours.   You will love these.  Make some corn bread and honey you are there!

I hope you enjoy these recipes very much and email me with any questions that you may have.  Am glad to be back in the game of computer life!  Watch my TV Show, Cooking with MadJon and Friends on aikenstandard.com, ASTV 95, Cooking With MadJon and Friends.  I hope you are all having a great and safe Summer so fair!  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Spring is Here Let's Make "Cream of Broccoli Soup" YUMYUM!

Well hello to all my foodie friends out there in Web land.  I hope all is well and that all your cooking turns out, out, out.  Have you tried any new recipes as yet?  I try new recipes all the time.  Its like a chemistry test every time because you are thinking how would this taste or pear or how would this look?   In today's world am finding that anything just about goes in cooking these days, just throw out the old and come in with the new.   I hope that doesn't mean that is what we do when we get old.  Throw us out and start a new!  Any who today just about any and everything is being tried or used which is a great thing!  With the cost of food these days I like to see everyone use the leftovers they have to make other recipes.  I know when I cook a roast we can get two more meals out of it.  Sometimes I think its better to get a larger piece of meat and use it over and over again, kind of like an old shoe but hopefully it doesn't taste like leather.  Am going to be busy this month with cooking at The Taste of Home Show in Aiken and catering.  Its better to stay busy.  You know the other day I bought a plant for the outside holder of my house and would you believe that that is the only plant that we have outside because my hubby has taken two and a half years to start any yard!  But back to the plant, I paid like 27.00 for this plant and guess what I did it almost passed on
 because I forgot to water it.  I say my daughter come in with this ______ grin on her face and I said what's so funny and she says , Mom you have to water plants you know.  Well I looked and it had almost left this world.  However I saved it and hopefully my hubby will get busy with our yard and I'll be planting almost all the plants, I can't wait!  Any who let's get back to our Cream of Broccoli soup, I do have a story with this one.  I made the recipe for the show last Monday and I had two guests from French.  Nice ladies. I learned alot from them about how they do their vegetables.  They stream alot of foods.  They also like their vegetables really, really soft and they like to taste the flavor of the vegetables.   Recipe Follows:

Cream Of Broccoli Soup

2 Heads Broccoli Cut Up
1 Onion, Chopped
4 Cloves, Garlic Minced
3 T. Corn Starch
1 Stick Butter
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Mrs Dash
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups whole Milk or Cream
 Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Bay Leafs
1 Cup of American  Cheese ( or whatever you like)

  Take the cut up Broccoli, onion, garlic, butter and place in a pan to cook.  Once it starts cooking start adding the spices, bay leafs, cubes, corn starch, salt and pepper.  When the broccoli is tender start adding the water and broth.  When it has cooked another 20 minutes then turn down the heat and add the milk.  Cook on low for about 15 more minutes.   Add cheese till melted. Stir often.

Any who I hope you enjoy the rest of your week and try this soup recipe and let me know how you like it.  I've enjoyed visiting with you.  Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.  Remember to watch "Cooking With MadJon and Friends", ASTV 95, http://www.aikenstandard.com/.