Tag Archives: Cajun Mama Cooks

healthy options, quick and easy, veggies, Weeknight Meals, Weeknight wonder

Chicken and cabbage stir fry and the family that gets sick together…drives each other crazy

December 31, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

So we have been sick in the cajun mama household. Looking around, I know it could be so much worse, but I will straight up say, 4 sick kids and a sick mama es no bueno. My youngest started running fever on Christmas Day and it just sort of spiraled from there. We fell like neatly placed dominoes. Christmas 2015…the Christmas of the fonk. But truthfully it was so much more than that. Even in the hazy eyes of the after illness, in my cough syrup induced haze, I know it’s not all that bad. And bad moments don’t make a bad life. Having some time together (albeit time where everyone is coughing and a little cranky) has not been so bad. There has been some cabin fever, lots of eye rolling, some “get out of my face!” And “mama he Is coughing on me!!” But we have also had lots of family time to take naps…

Dress the dog up in scarves…

Play games…and pose for selfies…

Have group discussions…

Choreograph dances…

And get lots of puppy kisses…

So all in all, we have been pretty lucky. We have all been together and we have laughed a lot. I can honestly say one thing that has not happened a lot is cooking. Whatever we had left us with little appetite. It’s been lots of cereal and sandwiches around here. But the other day, my best friend posted a link to a recipe for cabbage and chicken stir fry and I had to make it. Nearly everyone in our family loves cabbage and it is super cheap, so that makes it a great option! The recipe came from http://www.pomanmeals.com and I really like this blog. This cabbage and chicken stir fry was absolutely lip smacking de-licious! Now, I kind of added a few things and I will give you the recipe the way I made it, but I wanted to make sure ya’ll got the original website, because I must always give credit where credit is due. If you love cabbage and you love stir fry, try this recipe. I am telling you…you will be so happy you did. I ate it for breakfast this morning ya’ll. It’s that good!!

Cabbage and chicken stir fry

Stuff you need~

2 tablespoons canola oil
3 chicken breasts, cut up into cubes
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 head of cabbage, cut up into chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, cut into large chunks
1 carrot, peeled and cut diagonally into large chunks
Chicken stock
Cornstarch OR Tony’s instant roux*

*If you don’t have this stuff…get some! My daddy swears by it at the camp and BD came home after a stay at the camp and said “must have this stuff! Your daddy loves it!!”

What to do with the stuff~

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken to the warmed up oil. Now sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Just let the chicken brown on one side. don’t disturb it for a few minutes. This gives it that nice stir fried effect. After one side is done, I flipped it with a spatula and Cooked the other side. I did not mess with it much.

Ok, now you may need to work in batches as to not overfill the skillet. The chicken cooks quickly So it’s not a big deal. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Next add the butter to your skillet. Let it melt. Toss in the garlic, the carrots and onion. Let them cook a few minutes, and then add in the cabbage. Don’t stir much so the cabbage stays crisp and does not turn to mush. Using a spoon and spatula I kind of tossed the cabbage around, making sure it all gets in that butter. Just cook for about 5-10 minutes as cabbage becomes tender crisp. You can add a little salt and pepper here as well. Be judicious with your salt addition though (I am sensitive to salty flavors and don’t use a bunch so maybe you need or like more. Do your thing. You are your own boss!)
Next, I removed the veggies from the pot. I just placed them in a bowl and set aside. I added in my chicken stock. Now what I used was Knorr concentrated stock. I keep this stuff on hand all the time. I diluted with a cup of water. Let it come to a boil and then sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of Tony’s instant roux. Cook over medium high heat and whisk well. Let the sauce cook down for a few minutes or until it is thickened up some. Add veggies and chicken to this yummy sauce. Serve over hot cooked brown or white rice. Plum larapin’ as my daddy would say.

as delicious as I imagined it would be

Since this is New Year’s Eve, I want to take a moment, on my last post of 2014, to say I wish you and yours an abundance of blessings in the coming year. I look forward to sharing plenty of tales from the trenches and the kitchen. So much inspiration for tastier food and an abundant life, right where we are. No need to go to a restaurant to eat good every night. We can keep it simple, keep it real and eat good (and for less!!) at home. Not every night because that is no fun (and completely unrealistic) but more often than not. There are so many recipes for us to share…so enjoy your New Year’s Eve and I will see ya’ll back here sooner than later in cajun mama’s kitchen for some more inspiration. Thank you for reading along and letting me be a part of your life and for being a part of mine. More of that in 2015 please. Happy new year.

Appetizers and party foods, Holiday Perfect, Party foods, feed a crowd, crowd favorites

The Great Goetz cheeseball and our wonderful beach friends

December 24, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

So last summer we went to the beach. It was a wonderful vacation and we made so many great memories. We also made some good friends. Yeah, you heard me. We went to Florida and made friends with a family from Kentucky. Naturally we spent most of our days on the beach. My youngest is a friendly fellow and he started playing with a kid who was around his age. Big Daddy and I started talking to his parents who were sitting nearby and it just snowballed from the there.

our sweet boys

They were actually staying in the condos next door to us but we managed to meet up at the beach every day. L and N became fast friends and the rest of our families followed suit. Sometimes in life, I believe, some things are just meant to be. Us meeting the Goetz family is one of those predestined meetings that is just a blessing. The mama, Kari, is the sweetest woman with the prettiest smile and we instantly hit it off. Their other son, J, and their daddy, Marty also followed suit with the rest of the family. We just really hit it off. My sweet baby turned 6 while we were there and the Goetz family came to our condo for cake.

I usually would not just take to people like that, but something about them just drew us to them. Seriously the sweetest family we have come across in a long time. So Kari and I became friends on Facebook and she started following my Cajun Mama Cooks Facebook page. It’s so nice that we are able to be a part of one another’s life and share day to day stuff when we can. Kari, being the sweet lady she is, was kind enough to send me a few of her favorite recipes and this cheeseball was one of them.

me and my sweet friend

Last night while I was in Kroger picking up sliced mushrooms for the other cheeseball, I decided to go on and get the fixins for the Great Goetz cheeseball and boy am I glad. It is 10 kind of delicious and though I already had many reasons to be glad to be friends with Kari, that cheeseball just seals the deal. It is sweet and tangy and oh so easy to prepare. It really such a yummy treat!!! I cannot wait to bring it to the Christmas Eve soiree we are going to tonight (with another friend who God blessed me with).

So thank you, sweet friend, for blessing me with your friendship and for this recipe. Our meeting at the beach was no accident and I am so blessed to call you my friend.

To all of my readers out there, you reading this post is a blessing as well. Wherever you are, you continue to bless me by tuning in to read what I write. I look forward to getting to know each of you better in the coming year and sharing more recipes with you. I don’t believe in accidents and most situations are predestined for all of us, there is a reason for it all. I hope your Christmas is magical, filled with happy memories, beautiful friends, and delicious treats. Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

one of our recent family pictures. Photo courtesy of Heather Wilkinson photography. http://www.heatherwilkinsonphotography.com

The Great Goetz cheeseball recipe

makes 2 cheeseballs

Stuff you need~

4 cups finely shredded cheese
2 cups mayo (Recipe called for Hellman’s but I am a Duke’s girl)
1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 jar of Major Grey’s chutney *
1 pound bacon, fried until crispy and then broken up into smaller pieces

*the chutney is usually found on the top shelf in the condiments aisle. Now the major grey kind was in that section of Kroger’s. They also had another brand on the jelly aisle. Just a little FYI.

what to do with the stuff~

THE DAY BEFORE YOU WILL SERVE IT, mix together in a large mixing bowl, the shredded cheese, mayo, salt and green onion.

Divide the mixture into two balls. What I did was just shape it into a ball as best I could (it held its shape fairly well)

Now I just spread the chutney over the top and sides of the cheeseballs. Next, just sprinkle the crispy fried bacon all over the balls. Let it sit overnight. I am sure you could wait until right before you are serving the cheeseballs to do that last part. I went on and did it so I could get a photo. Serve with Ritz crackers.

have cheeseball, will travel

beach friends are some of the best friends

Appetizers and party foods, Holiday Perfect, Party foods, feed a crowd, crowd favorites

Top secret, super yummy cheeseball recipe aka your mama’s cheeseball

December 24, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

Don’t ya’ll love my fancy name for tonight’s recipe? It’s super creative. Ha ha! But really, I am a straightforward gal who calls it like it is…and this cheeseball IS super yummy. I have, more often than not, had an ornament exchange in some form or fashion since I got married. The guests have changed some what and some have stayed the same, but it has been around in some form. It’s always fun, it’s always a potluck, and we always have a great time. Back when the kiddos were really little, one of BD’s secretaries brought a cheeseball that everyone absolutely went crazy over. I had frankly, not had much experience with the cheeseball. Crazy, right? But it is true. Sigh. Anyway, that cheeseball was always the hit of the potluck and everyone wanted the recipe. She gave it to me once and I quickly scribbled it down between breast feedings and bath times in a little notebook I had back then. She was always reluctant to share the recipe (hence the top secret part), and I have been respectful of that. Then I searched for it on google because I could not find my paper scrap the recipe was written on and well…it is everywhere. So the cat is out of the bag and recipes are meant for sharing. So share I shall. It’s very delicious and will be a major hit at any party you bring it to. We are going to a friend’s house for Christmas Eve and I am bringing cheeseballs. That’s right. Multiple. I will give you this one tonight and then the other tomorrow.
This recipe came together really quickly and the ingredients are not complicate. Just make it the night before so the ball has a chance to form and the flavors can really mix and mingle (in a jingling beat…that’s the jingle bell rock…oops sorry. I love Christmas does that to me.)

Top secret super yummy cheeseball

Stuff you need~

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 jar dried beef
2 bunches green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons Accent (yes good ole MSG)
1 can mushrooms, stems and pieces

I never thought I would be photographing a jar of dried beef…

What to do with the stuff~

Add your softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl or bowl of your standing mixer. Give your dried beef a good nice chop.

Toss that into your mixing bowl. Drain the mushrooms and then give them a what the Pioneer Woman calls a rough chop.

Add those babies to the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on and give it a few quick spins. Just let the ingredients in there mix in. Now add in your chopped green onions. Sprinkle in the Accent. Yes this stuff is pure MSG. I don’t often say hey let’s just add some straight up msg to our recipe, but this cheeseball is so good, I will allow it.
Now, mix at low speed for a minute or two then kick it up to high. Mix well.

Now lay a nice size piece of Saran Wrap on your countertop. Take half of the cheeseball mixture and put it in the middle of the plastic wrap. Like this…

Ok now roll the cheeseball mixture up in the plastic wrap. Try to shape it into a ball as well as you can .

excuse my countertops…it’s a hot mess. Clutter is my enemy!!

nice ball-ish shape

Do the same thing with the other half of the cheese mixture. Allow both cheeseballs to refrigerate overnight. Serve with wheat thins or wheat townhouse crackers. Yum!

you never know who is going to show up in the kitchen at Christmas time…my sweet Rudolph

desserts, Holiday Perfect, Party foods, feed a crowd, crowd favorites

Thin mint crackers

December 20, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

The recipe I have for you today is a fast easy treat you can make in a flash for incoming guests or package in a festive treat bag for a last minute homemade gift for someone.

see what I mean? I got these treat bags from target. Easy breezy beautiful cover girl.

Ok so this sweet and salty concoction is my friend Alayna’s brainchild, as far as I know. As a matter a fact, there are some parallels between Alayna and these crackers. Funny but true! Alayna has a dry wit that can slice through the wind, but she has the kindest most loyal heart of nearly anyone I know. I am definitely better for having her in my life. She is the same Alayna that gave me my favorite cornbread recipe.

One year, the kids and I went over to her house for a play date and Christmas treat making session. She taught me how to make these and I pretty much make them every year. Big Daddy loves these and calls them homemade thin mints. It’s crazy how much a salty cracker dipped in melted chocolate tastes so good. These also make really good treats to have on hand for any Christmas festivities you host in your home. Keep them in the fridge and set out when you need them. I am telling you, they make any occasion just that much more festive. Like yesterday, a few good friends came over for an impromptu ornament exchange. I set these out and they were very well received. Most of all, we just laughed a lot. That was the best part.

I love these ladies. They keep me laughing. Our kids all go to school together and I am so blessed to know them.

Ok so now down to the business of making these sweet and salty treats. These chocolate chips are easy to find at this time of year, but any other time you will not likely find them. Alayna taught me to buy a few bags and freeze what I did not use. It’s the smart thing to do. That chick knows her stuff. ~AMB

this is what the package looks like

Thin mint crackers

Stuff you need~

1 package of dark chocolate and mint morsels
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
Parchment paper (not to eat…but this is crucial to the process)

What to do with the stuff~

Pour the morsels into a microwave safe container. I heat mine in 30 second increments and stir in between to prevent scorching.

Line an 11 x 18 ” baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Using a pair of tongs, take a cracker and just kind of set it into the chocolate. Push down gently and then flip over. Same thing.

As you finish with each cracker, completely coating both sides, set each one on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. The chocolate hardens fairly quickly so you can move them into a container or just lay another piece of parchment paper on top and make a second layer.

Put them to cool in the fridge and then enjoy. Merry Christmas to one and all!! I hope you love them as much as we do. Drop me a line and tell me what you think!!

done and done! Oh so yummy!!

quick and easy, Soups, Weeknight Meals, Weeknight wonder

Skinny lasagna soup and enjoying the moment

December 18, 2014 cajunmamacookin 2 Comments

So…we are on the Christmas wind down (or is it wind up for some of ya’ll?). I am sure glad of it because I cannot keep up the pace. 4 kids in school equals a whole lot of busy and this mama here is tired. I am ready to coast. You know what I mean, right? It seems as if the past few weeks have been all up hill and I am ready to reach the top and then just coast downhill. Sure this likely means going way too fast and losing control, but I am at peace with that. It is going to be insane with the kids all home for the next 2 weeks, so yeah out of control sounds accurate. But I am tired of having to control so much. Homework, getting them here and there on time, get this, do that, rush. You know it’s been haywire when it sounds relaxing to have 4 kids at home. Maybe some of you are looking at that same situation. Staring down at it like you are looking down the barrel of a gun. Ha ha!!! Go ahead you filthy animal…make my day. I am going to go ahead and know the inmates will be running the asylum. Making my peace with it and just give in. Let go. I am working on that lately. Letting things fall where they will and making peace with what will be. I am determined to enjoy some of the moments, even amidst the chaos .

All this Christmas prep is not always easy nor for the faint of heart. Knowing you have a hearty but healthy supper for yourself or your family at night makes it all just a little bit better. There is not much prep time required for this soup and you can get it all together at night and even start it then finish it after work the next day. It could go easily in the crockpot. Just put it all in the crockpot and add the noodles and let it cook on low. This is one heck of a tasty soup and you will not even miss the extra calories. This time of year is all about indulgence so this is one amazingly tasty dish that you can feel good about! It’s also a great recipe to have in the New Year when we decide it might be time to cut back a bit after all of our merry making.
I hope you enjoy this lasagna soup recipe and you find some time amidst all of this holiday hustle and bustle to kick back and enjoy the moments with family and friends during this Christmas season. ~AMB

Skinny lasagna soup (a Jamie Deen recipe)

Serves 6

Stuff you need~

1 pound Italian ground turkey
1 onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic or 4 cloves, minced
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
1 (32 ounce) box of reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Reduced fat shredded mozzarella
4 whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken up

What to do with the stuff~

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Brown ground turkey, onions, bell pepper, and garlic until turkey is no longer pink and veggies are tender.

Pour in tomatoes, tomato sauce and chicken broth into pot. Sprinkle in salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then add broken up lasagna noodles.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until noodles are tender. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle mozzarella over each serving. Garnish with extra red pepper flakes if desired.

this stuff is crazy delicious

T-Roy is an expert at kicking back and relaxing

Big kitty, Greg, is pretty good at it…he likes the view from UNDER the tree

taking a moment to enjoy the view

Thanksgiving

Homemade cranberry sauce

December 10, 2014 cajunmamacookin 1 Comment

So…I know Thanksgiving was nearly 2 weeks ago and I am here posting about cranberry sauce…”what the what woman!?” But where I come from, we have turkey and dressing on Christmas Day and back when Momee was in charge, on New Year’s Day too!! So we had cranberry sauce from the can and we liked it. Now for this year for Thanksgiving, my mom and dad (aka BB and Poppy) joined us! It was such a treat to have them spend the day with us. And my best friend (we are talking elementary school) and her boys joined us as well. It was a lovely day that I will look back on fondly for years to come. It was pretty chaotic but the food was delicious and the company was wonderful. We ate so much yummy food and laughed a bunch. Of course there were pictures…taken by me.

Here are some of my faves…

holding our glorious bird…cooked in a roasting bag like Momee did it (and my Mama too)

me and my parents with my baby

me and my best friend…Nicole I ❤️ Her

Nicole and her 3 beautiful boys…my pseudo nephews

a little post dinner nap…

I have been wanting to make the Pioneer Woman’s cranberry sauce recipe since I bought her holiday cookbook last year. Actually, I have always wanted to attempt homemade cranberry sauce, yet somehow each year I succumb to the can. I just have so much other stuff to do, I just cannot fathom making one more thing from scratch. But this year, I changed my mindset and I did it. And I am so glad. I will never ever go back to the can if I can avoid it. This stuff is stupid easy to make and can be made ahead of time to boot. It is FABULOUS!!! Even my daddy who is not always forthcoming with the compliments (he is the strong silent type…) said how good it was. High praise I know. It really is so tasty and compliments the turkey just perfectly. If your family loves cranberry sauce like mine does, this is definitely worth your time. So if you are looking forward to a Christmas turkey just like we are…this post is right on time. Enjoy!!!

Pioneer Woman’s Cranberry sauce

Stuff you need~

1 bag of cranberries
1 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
Juice and zest of 2 oranges

What to do with the stuff~

Wash the cranberries in a colander under cool water. Dump them into a medium size saucepan. Add maple syrup, orange zest and juice. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Allow the mixture to continue to simmer until the juice thickens. You will know when the time is right. Trust yourself friends. Ommmmmm…

Remove from heat and allow to cool. This can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2
days. Practical and delicious and one less processed food item on your menu. Score!!

cranberry sauce perfection!!

Party foods, feed a crowd, crowd favorites, super sandwiches

Twofer Tuesday…funeral sandwiches and monkey bread

December 10, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

Hey ya’ll! I am back! Big daddy was out of town all last week on his annual hunt at Bayou LaGrue. I am so happy he gets a chance to get away and relax and do something he loves, but keeping up with 4 kiddos and their school and emotions is exhausting when I am flying solo. Not much time for much else. We had a good week. We went and did it up. American Rose Center, sleepovers, nutcracker, lunch with friends, we saw Santa 3 times, Natchitoches lights…Yep we kept busy. But that left little time for blogging. So sorry about that but here I am!!! And the 2 recipes may be old hat to some of ya’ll but they are something special to us! So I thought it would be worth blogging about them because 1) my goal is give ya’ll recipes we really love over here and 2) maybe some of you have never tried them and would like to.
The first is monkey bread. I can honestly say I have had monkey bread 3 times in my life. It is such a treat and such a great thing to serve on Christmas morning. I did not grow up in a family that made breakfast on most mornings, so maybe that’s why. (But I did get dirty rice and chicken fricassee so that’s a more than fair trade…:) ) So for the most part this recipe and how stupid easy and devilishly tasty it is is pretty new to me! My oldest child (Mr. BHB) is fairly resistant to try new things. He is overly cautious in most areas and this extends to new foods. He could not resist this and is now officially a self proclaimed monkey bread addict.

Next is the funeral sandwiches. My oh my. I have made them once before this last time and my sister made them once for our family Christmas party, and my best friend Lolly made them for our a annual New Year’s extravaganza, but I had never heard them referred to as “funeral sandwiches”. I have had several friends inbox me and ask if I had made them before so I thought I might need to revisit this recipe. What a fabulous treat. Sweet and tangy and hearty and perfect for a midday lunch when you have a houseful of holiday guests. Or a hubby and 4 hungry kiddos on a regular day. Lol. Both recipes are perfect for the coming weeks when you have guests. So I hope I am not preaching to the choir or being redundant by blogging these recipes but they are definitely new family favorites in my kitchen. Funeral sandwiches and monkey bread are something we must pass on to future generations.

monkey bread addict all decked out. Note the nod to one of our favorite Christmas movies…Elf. Coolest. Shirt. Ever.

American Rose Center…oh the joyful smiles

the tree is 9 feet tall and she is 5 feet tall…she is getting so tall but she will always be my baby

the Natchitoches lights…we brought Loretta with us and took in the view

that really happened…carpool madness

he finally came home

Funeral Sandwiches (from http://www.ramblesahm.com)

Stuff you need~

1 12 count package king’s Hawaiian buns
12 slices thinly sliced ham (I used honey ham)
12 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter, melted
2 tablespoons Brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder

What to do with the stuff~

Separate the top of the buns from the bottom. I used a bread knife and just split them down the middle. Lay the bottom layer in a greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Now, place a piece of ham over each bun bottom. Place a piece of Swiss cheese on top. Now to shake it up or if you don’t like ham, you can use turkey. It’s equally delicious. Next, place the bun tops over the cheese. Moving on the sweet yummy sauce…whisk together the melted butter, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and onion powder. Take a basting brush and spread some of this all over the sandwiches. Pour the rest over them. Yum. But they are not ready yet so hold that thought. Cover the pan with foil and stick them in the fridge for a few hours. Leave them overnight if you have the time. Making them in the a.m. of the day you plan to make them is ideal. Bake at 350 degrees with foil cover for about 10 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 10 minutes.
Let sit for a few minutes and then dig in! Holy moly that’s good stuff!!!

some call them funeral sandwiches but I just call them delicious!!!

Monkey bread

Stuff you need~

2 can biscuits (just the plain grands juniors or even the cheapo biscuits that come in a 4 pack will do)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick or 1/2 cup melted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar

What to do with the stuff~

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your bundt pan by spraying with some non stick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together white sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle some on the bottom of the bundt pan.

Cut your biscuits into fourths. I used my cooking shears (clean of course) to do this but you can use a pizza cutter or knife. Whatever floats ya boat, my baby. Ok next, roll your cut up biscuits all up in that cinnamon sugar. Awww yeah.

coat those babies good now

Next in a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter and brown sugar.

Drizzle this all over the sugar coated biscuits.

Bake for about 25 minutes in a preheated oven. Let cool as long as your family will allow it (for their own good!) and then dig
in. That’s something special there and a recipe that really cannot be shared enough.

get behind me Satan!!

healthy options, Sides, Thanksgiving, veggies

Loretta’s corn salad

November 26, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

So Big Daddy is a Farm Bureau insurance agent. They are an amazing company with a reputation for excellent personal customer service. The people who work for FB are mostly just good people. Good ole folks. From the secretaries, to the managers, to the agents and the adjusters. They are family people who are hardworking and sincerely just want to help. Naturally, the secretaries there need to be extra hard working and amazing because they deal with the public and are the right hands of the agents. When BD started working there many years ago, he had an amazing secretary who is so amazing and still such a big part of our lives, it would be wrong not to mention Renee. She is an amazing cook and I imagine I have several of her recipes to share. She moved and took another job with a different agency, but still Farm Bureau. Love us some Renee and no one can replace her. She delivers a big sack of Christmas goodies to BD every year and he cannot wait to tear into them. In fact the other morning as he was brewing his coffee, he asks me if I could make some cinnamon bread (coffee cake) and I was all like “um…who do I look like? Renee?” I am not sure even if I had her exact recipe (Renee? Can I have it?) I could make mine as good as her’s. She is a great cook, baker, friend, mom and grandmother and I am not sure I qualify. So when she left, we wondered if they would ever get another amazing secretary. There have been some good ones in between but one day, Loretta walks in and BD knew. She was going to be great. And she is. Now there are 2 great secretaries. Big shout out to my girl Tanya…the Desoto Parish FB cake baker!!

Boy is Loretta ever amazing. Our kids adore her. She babysits them and they push us out the door. She is hilarious, big hearted and has a big laugh that makes you smile when you hear it. She keeps a tree in her house that she decorates even in the summer. She is one of a kind. We love us some Loretta. So one year, they had an agency Thanksgiving feast (pretty sure Loretta made that happen) and she made chicken and dressing (omg so good…recipe to be shared later) and a corn salad that made me want to do a happy dance. So so so so good. She emailed me the recipe in time for Christmas that year and I made a batch. It is perfect. I made so much though that we had a ton leftover. So BD took the rest to Bayou LaGrue and it was gone that night after dinner.
So cut to last week and BD tells me he signed me up to make Loretta’s corn salad for their upcoming agency feast. I was a little annoyed to be honest. Like “who do I look like, Loretta?! That is her signature dish!! I cannot do it justice!” I mean, I am supposed to make her dish for her?! What!? But then I remembered I am a food blogger, dang it and my readers might love this recipe. So I will make it and blog the recipe and it will be ok. And it was. And now we have corn salad for their office feast and some for our family dinner. Score! This recipe is a winner. It is fresh and tangy but sweet. It’s just a great fresh side for any meal. It provides some lovely colors for your plate (my mama taught me that was important so I try to make sure our plate is colorful). I think you will love it and I am pretty sure it will be a mainstay for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners and many meals in between. Loretta is not great at giving exact measurements in her recipes (none of the great cooks are) so I am having to improvise. You can half the recipe or you can add to it depending on how many folks you are feeding (I am channeling my inner Loretta here). You will love this recipe and if you know Loretta or ever meet her, you will love her too. Thank God for Loretta (and her corn salad recipe). Love you Lolo!

Loretta and her hubby, Ken

Loretta’s corn salad

serves a bunch of folks…like 12

stuff you need

2 cans Mexican corn, drained
2 cans shoe peg corn, drained
4 carrots, peeled, halved and chopped 2 stalks celery, sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I used green because that is what I had but the red adds color)
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained (optional)
1 zucchini, halved and then chopped
1 small purple onion, diced
1 cup grape seed oil
1 cup vinegar
2 cups sugar
Kosher salt and black pepper

what to do with the stuff

Ok, add all the veggies into a big bowl. Simple enough. Cover and put in fridge until the dressing is cooled.

love all the colors!

Now, In a small saucepan, bring grape seed oil, vinegar and sugar to a boil. Once boiling, whisk fairly consistently
while the mixture boils for about 4-5 minutes. The sugar should be completely dissolved or almost anyway. Like this…

keep whisking if the sugar is still stuck at the bottom.

ah whisk it, whisk it real good! Chi chi chi chi chi chi chi

Allow the mixture to cool. Pour over corn salad and stir in between pours. Add as much of the mixture as you think is good. Those fresh veggies should be good and evenly covered with that sweet dressing. Yum. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper for some kick and there you have it!!!

Sweet corn salad full of fresh veggie goodness…you are so perfect

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, my awesome readers. I don’t claim to know much, but I do know how important you reading what I write means to me. I appreciate your support, your comments, your encouragement and you just being along for the ride with me. I am grateful for all of you. And so much more. Hope your turkey day is wonderful and full of joy and blessings. When I count my blessings, I count you twice. Much love from my family to yours. ~AMB

a few of my top blessings at the tree farm yesterday. If local, check out http://www.weaverschristmastreefarm.com. It’s a great experience that you will want to make a family tradition.

My handsome Farm Bureau agent helping get our tree at the tree farm. I am grateful for such a strong sweet husband. Love that man.

so grateful for this fur baby. He has the big job of healing hurts and bringing joy…and he does fine. We love him so.

Sides, Traditional cajun faire

Susan’s baked rice

November 25, 2014 cajunmamacookin Leave a comment

I came across this recipe the other day when I was on Facebook. I have told y’all about the Sweet and Savory Sisters before but in case you missed it…they have some really yummy recipes and my friend Angie turned me on to them. They are hilarious and just lots of fun and know all about good food! This recipe definitely qualifies as good food. Trust me on that. It is so easy and requires no fancy ingredients. I made up a batch last weekend when Big Daddy smoked a pork shoulder. It went so well with that smoked meat. I always make savory mushroom brown rice but this one is definitely a new option I will make more often. I have no clue who Susan is but let me say thank you Susan! Your rice is awesome!

Susan’s baked rice http://www.sweetandsavorysisters.com

stuff you need~

1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
6 tablespoons butter (original recipe calls for a whole stick but I decided to see if I could use less. I did and it was still delish!)
4-6 chicken bouillon cubes (I used Knorr brand and they are bigger. I used 3 of them)
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups water
Black pepper to taste

what to do with the stuff~
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 x 13 dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
Melt butter in a skillet and then sauté the veggies until tender. Add the bouillon cubes and stir as they dissolve in the buttery vegetable mixture. You will know you are doing it right because the aroma will make your mouth water. Stir in rice and water and stir to combine. Pour this into your prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle some good ole black pepper on top and then cover with foil. Bake for about an hour until all that chicken buttery goodness bakes into that rice and it combines to make an irresistible rice dish and the rice is tender.
Mine took about 45 minutes to bake and be fully cooked. Adjust accordingly for your oven’s cook time. A truly delicious rice dish that will knock your socks off!!

sautéing veggies in that butter…this is key

stir in the water and rice

ready to pop into the oven

finished product. Holy yum!!!

slow cooker, Sunday Supper worthy, Weeknight Meals, Weeknight wonder

Crockpot week extended because life gets in the way…beef and broccoli and heaven in a crockpot

November 24, 2014 cajunmamacookin 2 Comments

Another week has flown by and I have not been feeling the whole cooking thing lately. Crockpot, microwave, on the stove or otherwise…not. feeling. it. Shame on me I know, but it is what it is. So I knew I needed to get these crockpot recipes posted. I mean…as it is crockpot week has gone into crockpot month. It’s time. I know it’s time. So this past weekend I decided the week of Thanksgiving was likely the perfect time to trot these crockpot recipes out because who wants to cook a bunch of other meals before taking on the mother of all meals? The beast. So crockpot cooking all week before sounded fine to me. Plus we will all have to pick up the pace in the coming weeks as the holiday madness engulfs us, despite some of our best efforts. So Saturday evening, I set heaven in a crockpot to cook in the crockpot (quite aptly named, I can say that) and took the roast out of the freezer so I could put the beef for the beef and broccoli to cook the next morning.
Well, little did I know how very glad I would be to have done that. I have not seen Momou in a while and I was yearning to see her. Needed to see her face. I was missing her, badly. So Sunday morning, I woke up and decided that was the day I would make the trek to AP to see her. Me and my kiddos. Plus, we would get to stop in Alex. to see my mom and dad. Awesome!!! BD was at Bayou LaGrue chasing after the ever elusive buck for the weekend and it was rainy and nasty, we were stuck inside anyhow…let’s do this! So we did. I left T-Roy in the hands of a good friend and her son…so I knew he would be happy. It was go time. But before leaving, I got that beef simmering away in the crockpot. I am not always a super duper planner…but I was on it that day. It was super easy to throw together. And off to AP we went.
Here’s a few pictures from our Sunday…it’s amazing what all you can get done while the slow cooker cooks supper for you!!

You can take a ride with a friend

you can take a nap

you can visit one of your favorite people

you can make silly faces

you can pick pecans with your grandmother

you can take selfies with your parents

See what I mean…I am 2 hours away and still supper was cooking. Thank you crockpot with a timer!!!

Ok now let’s get down to the brass tacks. The nitty gritty. The bare bones. Enough enough…here comes the recipes!! Both are very delicious and defy the laws of slow cooking. Are there laws? Idk. I thought it sounded good. The point is…they are both really yummy and absolutely worth the little time it takes to toss it all in. Tis the season to be crazy and tis the season to let the slow cooker do all the work!

Slow cooker Beef and broccoli

*I doubled the ingredients for the sauce but I am giving you the original recipe as I found it on http://www.worldsbestrecipes4utoday.blogspot.com

sltuff you need~

1 pound boneless beef chuck roast cut into 1 inch strips (I could not find one that small, so I used a 2 pound roast…not an issue)
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 heads of broccoli cut into florets (more if desired…definitely add 2 heads and if you use a 2 pound roast use 3)
2 tablespoons of cooled sauce from the crockpot
Hot cooked rice

What to do with the stuff~

Toss the beef into your slow cooker. For this I used my 4.5 quart slow cooker. In a large mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, broth, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil. Whisk together….

And then pour over the beef. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours, depending on your slow cooker.

everyone say it with me…set it and forget it!!! Now pack the kids in the car and head to Avoyelles!!

Ok once the beef is good and tender, take a spoon and add some of that liquid to a bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch. Remember if you doubled the sauce ingredient amounts, then double this as well.

Now pour this mixture back into the slow cooker. Give it a stir. Now, add your broccoli florets to the mix. Cook on low for another 30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice. And you are golden.

might tasty my friends

Heaven in a crockpot (from http://www.recipe-diaries.com

Stuff you need~

1 box brownie mix (regular not family size is what I used)
1 package Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
4 large eggs
1/2 cup butter (I stick), melted

what to do with the stuff~

Pour all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Pour into a greased slow cooker. For this I used my 3 1/2 quart slow cooker (I think that is the size, either 3 or 3 1/2 quart). Cook for about 3 hours. Mine took 3 1/2 hours. Serve alone or a la mode. Vanilla ice cream. A drizzle of chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of chocolate chips (my oldest’s words exactly…he has a way with words…and has had some awesome schooling in the ELA department). Heaven I tell you. Yes heaven. Makes you make a face that looks like this…

silly girl

swoon worthy…or is it spoon worthy?

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Tag Archives: Cajun Mama Cooks

Chicken and cabbage stir fry and the family that gets sick together…drives each other crazy

The Great Goetz cheeseball and our wonderful beach friends

Top secret, super yummy cheeseball recipe aka your mama’s cheeseball

Thin mint crackers

Skinny lasagna soup and enjoying the moment

Homemade cranberry sauce

Twofer Tuesday…funeral sandwiches and monkey bread

Loretta’s corn salad

Susan’s baked rice

Crockpot week extended because life gets in the way…beef and broccoli and heaven in a crockpot

Delicious food that is simple and real.