God, Grits and Georgia Bulldawgs!

Three Things Southerners Love:  God, Grits and Georgia Bulldawgs!

I recently had the unexpected pleasure of meeting an Arizona Bulldawg who is appropriately named Precious.  I was greeted yesterday at the front door of the home of my friends Ann and Kevin Chadwick by a sight that gets the attention of any true born and raised Georgia girl - a friendly and charming bulldog.  That her name is Precious only endeared her to me more. You just don't see one of Uga's cousins in Arizona everyday -  It was a chance encounter that Precious and I met.  It was a last minute change of plans that lead me to   the Chadwick home to meet up with Ann and our friend Barbara so that I could ride with them to Payson, AZ for our Bunco Soiree at Mary-Alice and Mike Mustacci's country place.  I am one who believes in signs and I think this might be a prediction of things to come on future Saturdays between the hedges in Athens, Georgia.  Let the  2011 College Football Season Begin!

Today's recipe will be a sweet and unforgettable - just like Precious Chadwick - My Official Arizona Bulldawg! This is a tried and true favorite on Game Day. Great to take for tailgating too!  Hope ya'll enjoy!  Make more than one! People will want seconds! Don't forget to read the Nitty Gritty Grit Fact after the recipe – Today’s fact is especially interesting for Bulldawg fans from Columbus, Georgia…



Grits Pie Courtesy of Georgia's very own Paula Deen!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking grits
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (9-inch) frozen pie shell, thawed
• Sweetened whipped cream and strawberries, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the grits and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the butter and cook for 1 additional minute. Set aside and cool slightly.

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Slowly stir into the cooled grits. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream and strawberries as a garnish, if desired.



Arizona's Precious Chadwick

Nitty Gritty Grit Fact:  Uga (pronounced UH-guh) is the name of a lineage of English Bulldogs owned by Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler, which have served as the mascot of the University of Georgia (UGA) since 1956.^[1] Although the University is located in Athens, Georgia, the dogs have lived with the Seilers in Savannah, Georgia.  UGA was given his name by Columbus, Georgia resident - William Young, a University of Georgia Law Student and classmate of Sonny Seilers.




UGA - Sports Legend!

 

Google The Grits - The Shaw House Inn Grits Casserole

The Shaw House Inn is  nestled on a grassy knoll, among the pine trees, the Inn overlooks miles of marsh lands and pre-Civil War rice fields. From this description - you just know that the Grits are Good!  My friends Mary and Mike Mahon stayed at the Shaw House while vacationing in the Charleston area.  Mary told me about this Grits Casserole that she and Mike had for brunch.  She said it was wonderful. She did not have the recipe but suggested I google it... so  I googled the Inn and found the recipe.  Immediately, I was thrown off as I usually avoid anything with a boxed corn bread mix - just does not seem right to me.  My southern grandmothers Bobbie and Lillian, along with my cousin Dianne and my Aunt Faye are the Queens of Cornbread baking - so boxed corn bread is against my religion -  but Mary swears by this dish and she is a well travelled southern girl  and a great cook  Living out in Arizona - I might feel the urge to throw some diced mild Jalapeno Pepper in to the mixture. Maybe some fresh fruit salad and a Mimosa or your favorite Tomato Juice beverage with a little pickled Asparagus.  Ya'll let me know if you try this one.


Grits Casserole By Shaw House Bed And Breakfast - Georgetown, South Carolina

• Time 30 minutes
• Serves 12

Ingredients

---

• 1 cup raw grits
• 4 cups water
• 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 lb sausage
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 stick butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp salt

How to make it

---

• Add 1 cup raw grits to 4 cups of boiling water, 1 tsp salt and 1 stick butter and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. (you are going to want to cool the grits down so after cooking pour them into your 13x9 casserole dish and prepare rest.)
• Cook 1lb sausage (I like Jimmy Deans Hot) and drain.
• Beat 4 eggs with 1 cup of milk then add Jiffy mix and stir then add sausage and stir.
• Pour this over the grits in the casserole dish and stir it all together then top with the cheese.
• Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

• ENJOY!!!!!

Nitty Gritty Grit Fact:  Grits are Good!  (I am rushing out the door - more facts tomorrow!)

Put on Your Cowgirl Boots – It’s A True Grits Weekend

Today all is quiet on the Southwestern Front.  I am looking forward to a great weekend.   Tomorrow night we have an event at my church.  The guest speaker will be Jasmine Frasier,   She is speaking about change.  The Title is  Seeking What Is TRULY Worthwhile in Life   -  this is so perfect  for me as I am in the middle of a career identity crises. (details at another time)  I look forward to some inspiration  from tomorrow’s event. 

Saturday morning road trip -  headed out to Payson, Arizona for a Bunco event with my group – The Bunco Babes.  Mary Alice from our Bunco group moved to Payson, but still hosts our group once a year.  Some of us are staying over and spending the night at the Casino.  I have been looking forward to this all summer. We are leaving around 8am Saturday morning. My neighbor will check on Luke Skywalker (my 15 year old dog).  An added plus will be that it is Rodeo Week in Payson – well most of the Bunco Babes are married – however, there are a few single ladies in the group and we love Cowboys! One of my favorite Cowboys is John Wayne.   I loved the old movie True Grit with John Wayne.  I saw it at the beautiful but now gone -  Georgia Theatre in downtown Columbus, Georgia in 1969.   I was just a kid but I remember the power of John Wayne on the big screen.   I enjoyed the new version very much as I am a huge fan of Western movies and Jeff Bridges,  but the John Wayne version was my favorite. 

Grits Gone Wild feature recipe today has a taste of the Southwest.  It had me at “pimentos and cheese” LOL  I sometimes have substituted the ham with ground sausage.  Hope you enjoy!

Don't forget to read your Nitty Gritty Grit fact after the recipe! :)

Southwestern Grits

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 ounce canned jalapenos, diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup grits
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated Cheddar
• 1 cup grated Monterey jack
• 1 cup diced green peppers
• 1 cup diced onions
• 3.5 ounces canned pimentos, drained
• 6 ounces sugar-cured ham or deli ham, diced
• 1/4 cup diced scallions
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes

Directions

In a large pan, combine 3 1/2 cups of water, the butter, jalapenos, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper and bring it to a boil. Add the grits and stir. Reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring until the grits start to thicken. Add the sour cream, half of the Cheddar, and half of the Monterey jack and stir until creamy.

Preheat the oven broiler.

In a small skillet, add the remaining 1/4 cup water, green peppers, onions, and pimentos and cook over high heat until tender. Pour the grits mixture into a large casserole dish and top it with the cooked vegetables and ham. Add the remaining cheese on top and broil in the oven until the cheese is melted. Garnish each serving with scallions and tomatoes and serve immediately.

Nitty Gritty Grit Fact:  Elvis was  offered the role of La Boeuf in the 1968 version of  True Grit. Colonel Parker, Elvis’s manager, wanted him to have top billing over John Wayne and more money????? Glen Campbell was surprisingly great as La Boeuf – even better than Matt Damon’s performance.  Good job Glen Campbell – Singer of Southern Nights and By The Time I Get To Phoenix! LOL

Elvis Is Dead and I don't Feel So Good Myself - Lewis Grizzard

Today is the 34th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley.   This is the perfect day to start this blog that I have been thinking about for some time.  People say I am funny, they say  "write that stuff down girl."  So here I am  making an attempt to write it down - but cannot think of anything funny to say!  Today instead of being funny, I will pay honor to the beloved King of the South - Elvis Aaron Presley.  Where was I when Elvis died?  I was 18 years old - worked for The Jordan Company and taking classes at the local college in Columbus, Georgia. I left work at 5pm  and drove to meet my family for dinner at Indy's on Whitesville Road.  On my drive to meet the family all radio stations were playing his songs - no commercials.  I got to the restaurant and it was very quite and sober which was unusual for all you can eat spaghetti night - usually a lively crowd - I knew something was up.   I sat down in the booth where my Mom, her current husband Ray and my brother Tommy (aka Tom Tom) were waiting for me.  My mom said "did you hear about Elvis"  I said, "what is going on - did he get married to Linda"  my mom said, "No,  he died"  What a shock!  I suspect my eating for comfort disorder probably began at that very moment.  For the last 33 years on August 16th, I have spaghetti  on this day - either my own homemade  recipe or go wherever it is served. It just seems like the right thing to do. The proper tribute to a legend.

Favorite Elvis Song - Suspicious Minds. 
Favorite Elvis Look- The 1968 Comeback Show -  THAT BLACK LEATHER  - can I get an Amen!!
Favorite Elvis Movie -  King Creole.
Favorite Elvis Documentary Moment - In the 1960's a bunch of women in North Carolina were in the local beauty shop.  They  got wind that Elvis was landing in his private plane at their airport. They ran from the shop - Hair rollers and bobbie pins flopping all over the place and went to the airport.  When Elvis got off the plane they burst through the barricade and hugged Elvis - Hair Rollers and all. Elvis was very much a gentleman and hugged each lady. It was too funny!
Amazing Fact - Barbara Streisand wanted Elvis for the movie A Star is Born - Colonial Tom Parker would not allow this because he wanted Elvis to have top billing.  Bad Call Tom! I have never gotten over that.  I believe had Elvis had a real agent and not been surrounded by his friends - "The Memphis Mafia"  he would not have died on that bathroom floor. He might still be with us.

                                                              Elvis Sandwich

 Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Spread 2 slices of white bread
with 2 heaped tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
and half a very ripe mashed banana.
Fry the sandwich in melted butter until brown on both sides.
Serve warm. (Use a knife and fork to eat it.)

I personally like fresh baked warm banana nut bread with peanut butter spread over it and an ice cold diet coke.

Well, the spaghetti is ready.  Good night and God Bless.   "Thank ya', Thank ya' Very Much!"
Nitty Gritty Grit Fact:
The annual World Grits Festival is held in April at St. George, South Carolina. The town claims to be the 'Grits Capital of the World', eating more pounds of grits per capita than anyplace else in the world.