Cripsy Cod

I LOVE fried fish.  And being from the south, I was raised on fried catfish.  My family used to fry fish every weekend, and when my husband and I go to visit my parents, we almost always have a fish fry.  Fried food is sadly not healthy :( and I am NOT a fan of the healthier option of baked fish.  But I think I found a remedy!  I found a way to make baked fish taste fried!

I bought good quality cod filets and seasoned and breaded them.

*I rubbed tarter sauce on each filet and then covered them in breading.

*Breading: bread crumbs, parmesan, Butt Rub seasoning (can use a seasoning salt like Lawry's or anything with some spice)

*Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 or 20 minutes

I've also found that cornmeal seasoned with garlic and seasoning salt and fish rubbed with olive food crisps up and tastes pretty good!  But overall, the bread crumb mixture and tarter sauce have been mine and my husband's favorite.

Yay for finding a way to like the healthier option!

Slap Yo Momma Cobbler

Please believe me when I say this cobbler is worth the calories!  I had some fruit in the fridge that was about to overripe.  I was leaving town in a day and knew I wouldn't be able to eat all the fruit before I left.  So a cobbler was born! (It went on the road with me to my parents' house.)

Here's how you can make your own:

*Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

*Put 4 tbsp of butter in a dish and stick it in the oven until the butter melts then take out the dish.

*Slice your fruit (I used 1 apple, 2 nectarines, 2 plums, blackberries) and mix them with a cup of sugar (I'm telling you-- it'll be worth the calories! or be good and use a sugar substitute).

*Start making the crust: mix 3/4 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, 3/4 cup of milk

*Pour the crust into the pan.

*Pour the fruit on top.

*Bake for about 50 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and bubbling

*Let cool

*DIG IN!

EDIT: Since making this several times now for a few years, I have found that you only need about 1/3 cup of sugar mixed with your fruit if your fruit is not bitter.  I only use 1/3 cup for things like peaches.  If you're using plums or anything really tart, you may want to stick to a cup of sugar.

Baby of the 80s, Child of the 90s

A few weeks ago I was at my parents' house, and mom made me clean out my old room.  She wanted me to go through and throw out what I didn't want and then neatly organize what I wanted to keep.  Here are a few things I found:

not only was this a great cartoon, but what a cool crayon package!

i was a barbie fiend and had the card to prove it!

what girl didn't love lisa frank?

 my jazz and clogging shoes-- and they still fit!

 my awesome tape collection

 bangles and tshirt ties!

 a ring and stamp in one!

 i really don't know how i got this.  i remember this show, but i think i was too young for the trading cards.  maybe they were my brother's.

disney story cassette tapes.  most people have vhs movies.  i had tapes!

and no, this wasn't in my room from way back when.  i just bought this at the store, but it reminded me of summers at the baseball fields!

oh childhood, where did you go?

Christmas Ornament Necklaces

Yes, I realize that I'm talking about Christmas ornaments in May.  I really should have blogged about this in January when Christmas ornaments were on clearance.  But I didn't.  So I slap myself on the hand.  Ok, done and moving on...

I bought some really neat heart (Christmas) ornaments at the beginning of the year when a store was clearing out its holiday merchandise.  The ornaments were so pretty and had a great vintage feel.  They were too great to enjoy for only one month out of the year.  So they became necklaces!  I put them on a chain and voila!

While it's probably difficult to find Christmas ornaments right now, maybe you can easily access some you already have that would make great jewelry!

Storms and Flowers

If you've been watching the Weather Channel or national news this past week, then you know that the South got hit hard with storms and tornados.  I live in Arkansas, and a town just down the road was almost completely wiped away by a tornado.  We've continued to get rain (until today..thankfully it stopped!), and all the water is now causing flooding problems for a lot of people.  It's been quite the week weather wise.  We haven't had any flooding, and we only lost a small tree, so we're very blessed.  I took some time to appreciate the flowers in our yard and to be thankful for what I have.

We have lots and lots and lots of honeysuckle!

We have several rose bushes all over our yard!

Look at my baby strawberries growing in the topsy turvy!  I really hope they do well...I can't wait to eat one!