Happy Easter Red Eyed Gravy and Ham Mafia and Daddy

Well hello to all my foodie friends out there in web land I hope all is well this Easter season.  I hope you are going to be cooking some ham and Red Eyed Gravy.  Ham is what my mom always made on Easter Sunday with pineapple, cherries, brown sugar and a few cloves, but not to many just enough to give it a lite flavor for the ham.  Our dad always made Ham and Red Eyed Gravy in the mornings with the slices of left over Ham with girts. He was a mountain man from Spring City Tennessee and his dad was Irish and his mother was from Oklahoma and full Cherokee Indian.  John, his dad saw her on a river boat and traded her for some goods to her dad. So they had 16 children and they lived on a mountain in Tennessee and when my grandmother passed the kids didn't know what to do with the land, they couldn't agree is what I mean so they donated it to the state of Tennessee and there is a Newby National Park named after us and that is the story that we were told anyway.  Well when my Daddy was in the army during WW11 he learned to design and make furniture so when the war was over he and a few of his brothers opened up a furniture manufacturing plant in Florida, Miami if I remember right and we lived in the Cables, am not sure if am naming that right, long time ago.  Any who it was in the 1950's.  However they had to many Chefs and not enough Indians so our Dad left them and opened place around the country.  One of them was in Compton California and it was in the early 60's because I was about 12 years old then.  Any who you know my Daddy always looked Italian with his cold black hair and dark brown eyes.  He stood 6' 3" tall and was about 260 pounds but all muscle when he was at that age.  Well he had six kids and a wife, and a couple more that we didn't find out about until after we were grown.  Well one day three men in suits came calling to my Daddy and told him that they expected some money from him for certain thing that they would do for him, like protection money.  Well they told him that they knew where he lived, how many kids he had and our names and where we all went to school. Well that didn't set well with my dad and he stood up to those men and told them that if any harm came to anyone of his children or his wife then they had better get ready to die because he would hunt down each and everyone of them himself.  He also told them that he would close the whole plant down before he paid them one dime.  So needless to say he closed the plant down and moved use in the middle of the night to Houston, Texas and opened a small Upholstery Shop. Any who we ate a lot of Red Eyed Gravy at our house.  I hope you enjoy the story and give this recipe a try with some ham left overs.

Red Eyed Gravy

Ham Sliced Pieces, like 5 or 6 will do
2 Cups Strong Coffee
Black Pepper to taste
1 tsp. Onion Powder

Cook the ham slices in a sauce pan till browned then remove from pan.  To the drippings you heat and add the coffee, black pepper, and onion powder.  Cook sauce for about 5 to 10 minutes until it reduces and you have all the pieces off the bottom of the pan.  Serve over grits or even mashed potato's.  Bona Y'all.

I hope you come like my fan page on facebook, "Cooking With MadJon and Friends".  Go watch and get recipes from the TV shows at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95.  Send me some recipes at madjon51@aol.com and tell me some stories about them, all foods have a great story.  Happy Easter and happy trails to you until we meet again.  Come follow my blog please.

Bittter Sweet Life and Andes Chocolate Mint Icing-Devil's Food Cake

Hello to all my foodie friends out there in Web Land and I hope that you have been having a great time cooking with new recipes or even making a few up along the way of this thing called life.  Life can be bitter sweet like Chocolate filled with all the antioxidants that life brings you.  That said I have two children and two grand children.  They all four are a joy to have in our lives however as a parent you raise your kids and hope you do the right things by them.  You never really know that for sure until they are grown and leave the nest and have children.  Kids don't come with a book of instructions when they are born.  All you can do is read a few books, which by the way are written by people who never even had children if you know what I mean.  Who's to say is the right way or wrong way to raise them.  Each child is different and each child has their own way of doing things.  I have no advice about raising Children except when they are little they walk on your feet and when they are grown they walk all over your hearts.  Its easy when they are still under your roofs because they are more likely to heed the advice that they are given but when they are grown they seem not to listen or mine seem to not listen.  As a parent you get the blame for anything that may go wrong in their lives but I say once they are out of your house then they are reponsible for their own actions.  Does that make any sense to you?  Any who am just sayin enjoy them while they are young and at home because when they are grown sometimes they still act like your little child but you can't controll what they do with their lives.  They have to make their own mistakes and live their lives the way they want too.  No matter how bitter sweet that life may seem to you.  Let's talk about the hearty antioxidant food called Chocolate.  I went to a St.Patty's day party and made up this Chocolate Mint Cake and it was Yummm.  So I hope that you enjoy it as well.

Andes Chocolate Mint Cake

1 Boxed Devil's Food Cake, Baked according to box directions

Icing

1 stick Butter, Softened
2/3 Cup Cocoa
3-4 Cups Confectionary Sugar, Sifted
1/3 Cup plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. Cream
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Box Andes Creme De Menthe Thins, Melted

Bake your cake according to box directions and cool.

Cream butter and cocoa tegether till smooth. Add to that the sugar and milk alittle of both at a time and mix.  Repeat process untill all the sugar and cream are blended.  Then add your vanilla and melted andes mints.  Blend till smooth and frost your cake when it has cooled down.

Well I hope you foodies enjoy this cake recipe and please come like my fan page on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/CookingwithMadjon.  Please watch the Tv show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95,  "Cooking With MadJon and Friends".  Send me some recipes to try for the show at madjon51@aol.com because I always enjoy hearing from you all.  I wish you luck with your children and grands out there if you have any to love on.  Give them lots of hugs even when you are upset with them.  Happy Trail to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

When Life Throws You A Curve Eat Some "Carrot Cake" Yum Yum

Hello to all you foodies out there in webland I hope all is well.  Well you know this thing called life is full of surprises for you.   You have everything going for you, you have a family who needs you, a job, grandkids a nice home and then you are ready to retire and you get hit with a bomb.    You go to the Doctor and they find cancer in your body and you go and have the surgery to remove the cancer but they may not have removed all of it.  So your waiting to hear back from them and it takes like weeks to hear.  Well that is where my husband sits now in a waiting period.  If he still has cancer then the only thing they can do is prolong his life.  Life sucks sometimes and what a bitch, its easier to just not know when your time is up.  We've been married for 41 years now and it will be 42 this September and that is alot of years to spend with someone.  We have also had our Ups and downs just like life itself.  I have gone round and round with him when I believe in something and his learned to just to let me do my thing and am alot happier that way.  Any who time will tell what is going to happen and there is one thing I've learned over the years time is something that waits for no man.  It just keeps hoping right along.  Well that is enough talking about this part of our lifes.  Its springtime and getting really close to Easter and am ready to start making my Coconut Cake dressed up like a rabbit.  However we are going to give you a recipe for my famous Carrot Cake that people here in South Carolina enjoy so much.  It has a Cream Cheese Icing which is one of my favorite's.  Carrot cakes have been around for a while now however they became really popular in the 1970's.  Here is the way I make my Carrot Cakes.  I hope you give this a try.

Carrot Cake

2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground Ginger

Sift these seven ingredents together.

1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Buttermilk
2 cups grated Carrots
1 cup Coconut
1 Cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1 8 oz. can drained Crushed Pineapple

Mix all ingredients together till well blended.  Pre- Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake in 3 greased cake pan for about 35 minutes or until done.

Icing

1 stick Butter, softened
1 8 oz. Cream Cheese Softened
1 16 oz. Confectionary Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

Cream the butter and cream cheese until well blended.   Slowly add the sugar.  Then add your vanilla and beat well.  Then fold in your pecans or walnuts.  Ice your cake when it is cooled.

There now I hope that you enjoy your Carrot Cake and please email me at madjon51@aol.com and come like my fan page on Facebook at, "Cooking With MadJon and Friends.  You may watch the TV show and get recipes by going to http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95.  Send me some recipes to try because I always liek hearing from you.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Bona Y'all.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Some Texas Old Folks Stories and Texas Chicken Tortilla Soup "Nothing Better"

Well hello to all you foodies out there in web land, I hope all is well.  Yes, am still in the great state of Texas.  However we should be heading back to our home state of South Carolina Next week some time after my hubby sees the doctors.  I've been busy cooking with my sister-in-law and trying some new recipes.  We made a Caramel Cake this evening but am going to have to work on the Icing recipe some before I put it out there.  The test kitchen is still testing.   We also fried some fish and made some Apple Cole Slaw.  We have been feeding my poor in-laws to where they will not be able to wear the cloths they own.  Any who yesterday my hubby says I don't feel like going out to eat with Aunt Ene can you go to the kitchen and whip up something for all of us to eat and I said well we do have some left over roast and I'll see if mom's kitchen is stocked for some home made Beef Vegetable Soup.  Well it was and I made some Corn Bread to go with it.  My father-in-law hates soup but he managed to scoop that down and tell me that he liked and ate all of his.  I made so much and was going to pass some around and mom says NO, am going to freeze it and you are going to make me some more corn bread.  I love it here, am needed!  Any who while Aunt Ene was here she started telling stories about her aunts which they have all passed now but any who she said one day that Pop, Mike's grandfather has some flase teeth and they never did fit right and oen day he was sitiing with Aunt Lou at the table eatting and he said he couldn't take them any more and took them out.  Well Aunt Lou didn't have any teeth and she put his teeth in her month and they got stuck, she could not get them out, so they fit her just fine.  Then one Christmas Aunt Vene was going to play Santa Clause for the kids and she got all dressed up and dared anyone to tell who was playing Santa.  Well she walked into the room and before she knew it everyone was yelling her name Lou, Lou and then she realized that her hair had caught fire from the candles in the room.  So much for not telling.  Then at Hockley Texas, near Doctor Flechers house is a gate and Aunt Vene and Uncle Charley were just getting home and Aunt Vene got out to open the gate and the cemetary is at the gate and when she cloed the gate and black dog started circling her around and around and she couldn't leave and she yelled out< Oh God, and the dog disappeared, vanished right in front of her.  Alot of my hubby's family is buried there.  My hubby and his dad Hal went to Wal-Mart yesterday and Mike turned around to ask Dad what time it was and Dad is hoilding a drink in his hand and just turns the drink upside down to see the face on his watch.  I guess he forgot he had something in his hand.  Well that is all the stories for right now and am sure I'll be hearing about more of them later.  Funny, Funny I think.  Any way let's make some Tortilla Soup.

Texas Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 pounds boneless Chicken Breast, cut up
3 Tbsp. Cooking Oil, for browning
1 Onion, Chopped
4 cloves, Fresh Garlic, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tsp, Ground Cumin
2 tsp. Chili Powder
2 Beef Cubes
2 tsp. each Onion and Garlic Powder
1 packet Ranch Dressing
1 Carton Chicken Broth
2 cans Ranch Style Beans, with juice
1 Can Black Beans, with juice
1 can whole Corn, drained
2 cans diced Stewed Tomatoes with juice
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes with green chiles
2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 Jar Salsa

Cilantro, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Tortilla Chips for topping and a sliced Avacodo is you wish.

Heat the oil in a large crock pot.  To that you add the onions and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes.  Then to that you brown the chicken with some salt and pepper,  and cumin.  Then add the chicken broth and all of your spices and beef cubes.  Then when it comes to a simmer you add all your canned goods and the ranch packet.  Simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes and serve with your toppings.

I hope you give this recipe a try and email me with any questions at madjon51@aol.com and send me some recipes to try.  Send me a story or two would you I love hearing them being passed on.  Go like my fan page at https://www.facebook.com/aolmail#!/CookingwithMadjon on facebook.  Watch my Tv show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95, Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Happy Trails to you until we meet again, Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Claustrophobiac in Biloxi Welcome Spring Roasted Avocado & Asparagus Salad

Well hello to all my foodies friends out there in web land I hope all is well with you and yours.  Am sitting here in the great state of Texas again with my hubby waiting for his surgery.  So we have been visiting with relatives, cooking and eating a lot.  His surgery is going to next Tuesday the 28th so I will keep our fingers crossed, right now he has a fever and acting like his has a cold.  I hope not.  Any who on our way down here we stopped in Biloxi to gamble and westayed at a new hotel and the elevator works only witht he room key however if you didin't know how to read you'd be in trouble.   We get on the elevator and my hubby pushing the 5th floor and instead of stopping it just keeps going to the top of the building however the doors won't open and then he hits it again and now we end up at the bottom.  I'm claustrophobiac and I start yelling at him do something!  So we get to the 9th floor and the door opens and I jump out of the elevator and he says get back in here and I said no am taking the stairs and he says I have it figured out now you has to insert the key and I said I'll see you on the 5th floor.  No way was I getting back on that thing without knowing how it works, however by the time we went gambling it was all OK.  So I go gamble and my hubby goes back to the room and after I had lost all my money I go back to the room and my key will not work to get into the room.  So I try a few times and can not figure it out so I go to the desk clerk and he runs it under a machine then he says it will work now so off I go and get back into that elevater that doesn't work for me and go to my room and the key is not working.  I go back down stairs and the clerk comes back with me and he trys and the key is still not working.  He says you hubby has put the door lock on and that is why its not working.  So the rest is history.  However for your FYI I was stuck in a elevator in Atlanta at the mart and that was a trip.  By the time we got off of that trip the three people that were on it with me had just about taken all their clothes off.  It was so hot in there but that's another story.  This recipe am going to give you was in Southern Living  however I changed it some what.  I didn't like the Lemon Pepper they had used for their recipe along with a couple other changes I made.  So I just want you to cool the Asparagus before you top your salad.

Roasted Asparagus Avocado Salad

1.5 Lbs. of fresh Asparagus, stem ends removed
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Fresh Basil, finely chopped
1 Fresh Lemon
1 tsp. Salt
cracked Pepper to taste
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vineagar
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 Cup halfed Cherry Tomatoe's
1/2 cup chopped Red Bell Pepper
1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
1 head Bibb Lettace, torn into bite-size pieces
1 Avocado
1 packet Trivia
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Pre heat your oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a cookie sheet.  Clean and snap the tough end stems of your asparagus.  Place in a bowl.  To that you mix 1.5 Tbsp. of olive oil, 1/2 salt, 1 TBSP. Basil chopped, cracked pepper, and Juice of a 1/2 Lemon, no seeds.  Pour over the asparagus and mix.  Place on cookie sheet and roast in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for about 13 minutes.  When they are cooking remove from pan and let cool for about 12 minutes.
Now you are redy to make your salad and mix your dressing which is: Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, garlic, rest of the olive oil, basil,  1/2 tsp. salt, trivia sugar packet, onion and garlic powder, and the lemon juice.  Set aside.  Now take the toss the halfed tomatoes, onion and bell pepper mixture with about a couple TBSP. of balsamic mix and set aside.  The place the lettuce on a large plate, top it with the asparaus, and some of the tomatoe's that have been tossed with the dressing and add your sliced avocado to theplate and pour the rest of your tomatoe's on the sides and pour the rest of the dressing mix on top and sides of the salad plate.  Bona Y'all.

Hope that you enjoy this first spring salad and please come like my fan page on facebook "Cooking With MadJon and Friends".  Come watch and get recipes from ASTV 95, http://www.aikenstandard.com/.  Happy Trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, MadJon.

The Month Of Love Chocolate Make "Johnny Hoosier Cake" Yummmmmm!

Well, hello to all you foodies out there in Web Land, I hope this month you have found the love of your life or at least keeping the love of your life.  Me I still have the same old one I had over alot of years now and I mean a whole lot of them.  I've had him so long that he doesn't try to remember Valentine's Day which is to bad for him because nothing is worse then having a wife that is just alittle unhappy with a charge card in her hand.  I will buy what Iwant.  He just has never been very romantic and that's the way it goes.  Anywho today wasn't the best day for my family because our daughter ended her love and has started with a new life.  Sad but sometimes its best to just move on and pick up the pieces of your broken life and make the best of what she has and maybe she has learned a thing or two along the way.  Anywho besides this being the month of Love it is also the month for Chocolate which is not only good to eat but it is also good for your heart.  At least that is what am told.  Chocolate is one of my favorite things to eat and cook with.  Today I ahve a cake that I have been making since we lived in Morris, Ill.  Along time ago and its one of our son's favorite cakes as well.  Its easy to make and serves alot of poeple.  So any who I hope that you give this recipe a try.

Johnny Hoosier Cake

Cake:

2 Cups all purpose Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Oil
1 stick Butter
3 TBSP. Cocoa
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 tsp. Soda
2 tsp. Vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together till blended.   Heat the butter, water and oil on the stove until it is all blended and add your vanilla last to the mix.  Then pour the hot mixture into the cake mix.  Then to that add the buttermilk and beaten eggs.  Pour into a greased oblong cake pan.  Then bake in a pre heated oven for about 30-35 minutes.  Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Icing:
1 stick butter
6 TBSP. Buttermilk
3 TBSP. Cocoa
1 Tsp. Vanilla
3 Cups Powdered Sugar

Heat butter with buttermilk till the butter is melted.  Then to that you add the vanilla, cocoa, and mix, then add the sugar and mix till well blended.  Then pour on top of the cake when it comes out of the oven.  You may add some chopped nuts if you wish.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as my family has for years.  Am sorry its taken me so long to blog but i have been busy with my daughter and grands moving back in with us and also am working on a E-Cookbook and we are working on a few more volumes to sell.  Am really looking forward to having you all try them.  Come visit my fan page on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/CookingwithMadjon and visit our TV show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASRV 95, "Cooking With Madjon and Friends."  E-mail me at madjon51@aol.com and forward some recipes, I always love hearing from you all.  Forward some recipes for me to try.  Have a good month eatting all that chocolate.  Bona Y'all.  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Imo's Superbowl Party Cranberrry B.B.Q. Sauce Meat Balls GREAT

Well hello there again to all you foodies out there in web land.  I hope this finds you all getting ready for the big weekend of Superbowl parties that you will be attending.  I always enjoy the betting, food and the people watching.   This year will be no different for me then the others except for the foods that I make.  I always rout for the underdog like the cartoon character with his cape flying thought the air with the song Underdog, Underdog.  Like it!  Any who this year it is the  Superbowl XLVI.  I think that the food that is sold is greater then it is during the holidays or at least it seems that way.  We went one year to the Heaths house and he made roasted oysters and they were great!   Another year it was a pot luck, which my hubby really loves the pot luck dinners.  This year am not sure what we are doing but I do know one thing that I will be making Imo's Superbowl B.B.Q. Balls.  If there is a ball to be made I make it.  Any who this year its the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, I know that Houston really wanted the Texans in on the Superbowl this year but it wasn't in the cards.  I loved watching the play-offs this year everyone did a fine job.  However there can only be two teams playing.  I see by the point spread that the oddsmaker is picking the patriot's as the winners but I say its who ever has the hearts to win over the other ones.  I hope am reading the point spread right.  Any who it should be a interesting game and a happy time for all.

Imo's Superbowl Cranberry B.B.Q. Meat Balls

2 Pounds Ground Hamburger Meat
2 Eggs Beaten
1/2 Cup Diced Onions
1.5 tsp. Onion Powder
1.5 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 TBSP Parsley, Dried
1 TBSP Lite-Soy Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mrs's Dashes 1.5 tsp.
1/2  Cup Ketchup
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs

Mix meat with the beaten eggs and blend well.  To that you add the diced onions, garlic and onion powders.
Then add to the meat mixture the parsley, soy sauce, salt and pepper, ketchup, mrs's dashes, and bread crumbs.  Roll meat into about 1" balls and boil in oven until brown and turn once.  It should be about 5 minutes on both sides.  Now its time to make your sauce:

B.B.Q. Sauce

1 can Cranberry whole sauce
1 Jar Chili Sauce
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 tsp. lite soy sauce
1 tsp. Onion and Garlic Powder
1 tsp. perpared yellow mustard
Hot Sauce, a few dashes
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
Mix the sauce, chili sauce, sugar and soy sauce on stove top until well blended.  To that you add the onion and garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, lemon juice and hot sauce.  Cook until it comes to a simmer and remove from stove top.  When the meatballs are fully cooked pour the sauce over the meatballs and give them a lite toss.  Serve warm.

I hope that you enjoy your Superbowl and your Superbowl Meat Balls.  Please give me a email and pass on a few recipes for me to try on the TV show.  Write me at madjon51@aol.com and watch the TV show Cooking With MadJon and Friends at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95.  Visit my fan page on facebook and like it please.  Happy trails to you until we meet again,  Bona Y'all.