Delicious and easy-to-make Belgian Waffles. Easy Belgian Waffles PRINTABLE RECIPE ▼ 5 (6-inch) WAFFLES When I was first married, recipes like Belgian waffles terrified me. I had grown up with pancakes, but waffles were not in the meal rotation. My grandmother made sourdough and regular pancakes quite often. And I loved it when we had them for dinner. (She made the best biscuits too!) Favorite Things from the Kitchen I love making waffles, especially this recipe. You can add fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips right after the batter is placed in the waffle iron. (Make sure they are ready before mixing the batter.) Ingredients • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour • 1 Tbsp baking powder • ½ tsp salt • 2 eggs, separated • 1¾ cups milk • ½ cup good vegetable oil (I use coconut oil) You will need an electric waffle iron; you choose the size. This recipe will make five 6-inch waffles. Instructions 1. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff; set aside 2. Sift together the dry ingredients; set aside. 3. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the eggs, milk and oil; stir in the dry ingredients; fold in egg whites. Use immediately per instructions of your waffle iron. LAURA LEE ALICE COOKS PIN PRINT Don’t love it Not great Good Great Love it Easy Belgian Waffles

Easy crustless Mini Pecan Pies. Mini Pecan Pies Makes 4 to 5 dozen These are wonderful to have with a cup of coffee or tea, a bridal shower, or any occasion where you want small pick-up treats. They look so good on a tray with the Mini Cheesecakes for an after-dinner treat. Ingredients • 1 ½ cups chopped pecans (no need to toast beforehand) • ¾ cup milk • ¾ cup corn syrup, light or dark • ¼ cup butter, softened • 1½ tsp vanilla • 4 eggs • ¾ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark) • ½ cup baking mix (our recipe) Heat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease mini muffin pans with baking spray or use our pan release . Instructions 1. Sprinkle large pinches of pecans on bottom of each cup. 2. Place the rest of the ingredients in a blender; cover and blend on high for 15 to 20 seconds until smooth. 3. Pour into each cup on top of pecans until ½ inch from top. 4. Bake until almost firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool thoroughly; store in covered container. Options • This recipe will also make 1 large pie (9-inch) Tips • The number of tiny pies will never come out the same two times in a row. The important thing is not to overfill the cups. • Do not use paper cups with these. • Tiny tongs are useful when serving these. KEYWORDS mini pecan pies, pecan pie, pecans, corn syrup PRINT

Fish & Seafood Beer Battered Fish This is another super simple recipe with minimum ingredients. It can also be used as a batter for other things such as chicken (I do chicken nuggets) or vegetables. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled. It goes great with our Cole Slaw and fried potatoes. Ingredients • 1½ cups Batter Mix (recipe below) • 1 pound fish fillets, fresh or thawed if frozen • ¼ cup lemon juice • ¾ cup beer • Peanut oil or oil of choice Prepare Batter mix. Instructions 1. Pat fish dry; coat with Batter Mix, about ½ cup total. Lay on rack. 2. Combine remaining Batter Mix, lemon juice and beer; mix well. 3. Dip fish in batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown; drain. 4. Serve with Tartar Sauce . Batter Mix The baking powder keeps the batter light and crispy. Ingredients • 1½ cups plain unsifted flour • 2¼ tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • ¾ tsp baking soda Instructions Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a medium bowl. Options 1. Use thin slices of chicken instead of fish. 2. Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to dry batter.

Lemon Butter Sauce This simple sauce is great on so many levels, with 3 ingredients in the basic sauce, and can be elevated by simply adding different herbs. It works as a dipping sauce for seafood or brush chicken with it before baking. It is so good and simple to make. Makes ¾ cup. Ingredients • ½ cup butter • 3 Tbsp dresh lemon juice • Dash of sea salt Instructions 1.In small saucepan, melt butter; stir in lemon juice and salt. It's fine as is, but I use my immersion blender as an emulsifier to give a creamier consistancy right nefore using. 2. Add 1 teaspoon dill if using with fish ½ teaspoon each oregano and thyme for chicken ½ teaspoon parsley for everything Tips • Easily doubled or tripled. KEYWORDS lemon butter sauce, lemon butter

Tiny Coconut Cakes Makes 12 About this recipe . . . • The scraps from this recipe make great cake pops. KEYWORDS tiny coconut cakes, coconut cake, coconut Tiny Coconut Cakes Makes 12 Ingredients 1 cup sugar ½ cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick) 2 large eggs 1½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup unsweetened coconut 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ½ cup milk White Chocolate Buttercream Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 18x13-inch baking sheet; line bottom with parchment paper. You will need a 2½-inch round cutter. Instructions 1. In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, scraping bowl often. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in extracts. 2. In a medium bowl, blend the flour, coconut, baking powder and salt. At low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with coconut milk; end with flour mixture. Beat each addition just until combined. Pour the batter mixture into the prepared pan; smooth top. 3. Bake 15 minutes; check for doneness by inserting toothpick in the center. Cool in the pan. 4. Using cutter, cut 36 rounds from the cake; freeze or discard scraps. 5. Using the White Chocolate Buttercream, pipe a thin layer of buttercream onto 12 rounds; place another round on top of those, pipe another layer of buttercream on top; top with the remaining 12 cake rounds, pipe an open star design on top of those. Jump to Printable Recipe▼ Share Pin Share 2½ inches PRINT RATE Don’t love it Not great Good Great Love it

Makes 4 servings Garden Pasta Salad Simple to make, beautiful to look at, and totally delicious! This is a basic salad recipe that I have made for years and rarely have used the same ingredients. Everything is bite size so it's pleasant to eat. It is very easily doubled and you can eliminate something if you don't like it or double it if you do. I've also given a list of optional ingredients that you can add according to your taste. Ingredients • 1 cup halved small tomatoes • 1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices • 2 green onions, cut into ½ inch slices • 1 small bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces (or small colorful sweet peppers) • Fresh corn kernals, 1 ear • 1 small cucumber, cut into thin slices • 1 small bunch Romaine, washed, patted dry and cut into 1 inch pieces* • Parmesan dressing (below) • 1 pkg (8 oz) pasta– penne, elbow or your choice, prepared and drained (could even use tortellini) • 2 boneless, skinless cooked chicken breasts, pan grilled or prepared your way, cut into 1 inch pieces Instr uctions 1. Gently mix the first 8 ingredients and set aside for 10 minutes. 2. Add the other ingredients and toss together; season with salt and pepper to taste. Best if served soon. Optional ingredients • ½ cup cooked chick peas, drained well. • ¼ cup chopped basil, cilantro or parsley. • ½ cup fresh kale or red cabbage, shredded or cut in bite sized pieces. • 1 small avocado,chopped. *Or your lettuce of choice. Tips You can prepare the first 7 ingredients and refrigerate for two hours before assembling. Parmesan Dressing A simple dressing for salads as well as vegetables. • ½ cup mayonaisse • ¼ cup olive oil • ½ cup fine shredded Parmesan cheese • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 2 Tbsp lemon juice Place all ingredients in a bowl (if using immersion blender ) or in a blender container. Mix until smooth and creamy but don't overmix. KEYWORDS garden pasta salad, chopped garden salad

Spinach Dip Makes 4 cups This recipe has just the right amount of everything . Chopped pimentos or sweet red pepper would work well as a garnish. I usually add extra spinach when I have it. This is such a good dip to use for any get- together. I used Beau Monde seasoning in this recipe. In case you're not familiar with it, the basic seasoning is salt, onion and celery powder. Some versions may have garlic, cloves and other spices. If I don't have fresh Beau Monde seasoning, I add ¼ teaspoon each of granulated garlic and celery seed. I would taste after combining ingredients before adding additional salt. Easy Spinach Dip Ingredients • 1 (10-ounce) package of frozen, chopped spinach • 1 cup sour cream • 1 cup mayonnaise • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped • ½ cup green onion chopped • 1 tsp sea salt • 1 tsp Beau Monde seasoning • ½ tsp dill weed • Juice of 1 lemon You will need a sealable glass container for storage. Instructions 1. Thaw, drain and squeeze spinach dry; then squeeze again. 2. In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients well, including spinach. Store in refrigerator in a sealable container up to 3 days; keep chilled. Options • Great served with a variety of sturdy chips. KEYWORDS best spinach dip, spinach dip PRINT Share Pin Share RATE Don’t love it Not great Good Great Love it

Heading 6 Pork Best Pork Loin Bacon Southern Crockpot BBQ Baked Spaghetti with Bacon

An easy simple Tartar Sauce with just 4 ingredients. Tartar Sauce PRINTABLE RECIPE ▼ MAKES ¾ CUP There are as many variations of tartar sauce as there is fish. Mine is super simple with just 4 ingredients. • ¾ cup mayonnaise • 2 Tbsp dill pickle relish, chopped fine and drained • 1 Tbsp finely diced green onion • 1 Tbsp lemon juice • Up to ½ Tbsp fresh chopped dill (optional) Instructions Gently combine all in ingredients in a small bowl. Chill thoroughly. Options • You can also do sweet pickle relish or a combination of both. • Add 1½ tsp chopped capers for a different twist. • Reduce the mayonnaise to ½ cup and add ¼ cup sour cream. LAURA LEE ALICE COOKS PIN PRINT Don’t love it Not great Good Great Love it Tartar Sauce

A refreshing Cucumber Spread for sandwiches. Cucumber Spread I can truly say that this sandwich spread is refreshing. It makes the most wonderful tea sandwiches for a luncheon or shower. My recipe used to call for seedless cucumbers but I don't grow those, so I quarter regular cucumbers and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Ingredients • 1 cup grated cucumber (about 2 to 3 regular) • 3 oz pkg cream cheese • 1 Tbsp mayonnaise • ¼ tsp each sea salt and black pepper • 1 tsp finely minced red onion • 1 tsp chopped dill Instructions 1. Peel and quarter the cucumbers; remove seeds. Grate onto a clean dish towel pla ced in a colander. Let sit in colander for 10 minutes; twist several times to remove as much liquid as possible. 2. While cucumber is draining, in a small bowl mix the cream cheese, mayo, salt and pepper. 3. Add the cucumber, onion and dill to the cream cheese mixture; thoroughly mix; refrigerate in a container with a tight-fitting lid. KEYWORDS best cucumber spread, easy cucumber spread

Our crisp and delicious Ginger Beer tops off the most boring day! Share Pin Jump to Recipe Share Ginger Beer (Ale) When I was growing up, there were small stores scattered throughout the piedmont and the mountains on roads that were built to follow the contours of the hills. Most of them had one or two icebox type of units that held small drinks like cokes, Nehi orange drinks, and my favorite, ginger ale. It was presented in a small green bottle and on a hot day you couldn't beat it! Although ginger ale is still sold, it doesn't taste even close to the original. My recipe is simple and not made with any form of yeast. It can be done with kefir, but this is an easy way to do it with just four ingredients. FYI, I have never had two batches of Ginger Beer turn out to be the same color; it depends on the sugar and the ginger. The color shown above is the most common. And it's okay if it's a little cloudy as well. About the Ingredients: • Water -Use filtered water if possible. It really does make a difference. Tap water has too many chemicals. • Ginger -I always use the freshest ginger available. The youngest ginger rhizomes give the best flavor! • Limes -Seem to work better than lemons in this recipe. • Brown Sugar -It doesn't matter whether it's light or dark; both will work. KEYWORDS ginger beer recipe, best ginger beer recipe RATE Don’t love it Not great Good Great Love it PRINT Ginger Beer (Ale) Ingredients • 1½ quarts water (3 pints) • ½ pound fresh ginger, peeled and grated • ¼ cup fresh lime juice • ½ cup brown sugar, organic if possible You will need a medium saucepan and a 2 quart jar with a lid. Instructions 1 . In the saucepan, pour in the water and bring to a boil; remove from heat and add the grated ginger; stir, cover and let sit overnight to steep. 2. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, squeezing the ginger to release all the liquid. Pour the liquid into the jar; add the lime juice and sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved. 3. Put the lid on the jar, set aside at room temperature and let it steep for 24 hours. During this time you will notice some fine particles (dregs) settling to the bottom. This is normal. 4. Pour into other containers (I like flip-top bottles) and secure the top. Refrigerate for 2 days before using for better flavor. Use within 5 days. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Southern Cornbread Dressing PRINTABLE RECIPE ▼ 6 to 8 SERVINGS Whether it was Christmas or Thanksgiving, the smell of homemade dressing greeted you at my parent's home. And it was always homemade, with no exception. I've adapted the recipe to make it a little less time consuming and it makes enough for a large gathering. BUT this recipe is easily divided into thirds. About the Ingredients: • Butter: Real butter is best for this recipe, preferably unsalted. • Celery: Diced is perfect (¼ to ½-inch) • Onions: Like the celery, diced is the way to go. You can use sweet, but I would not do red onions. • Pepperidge Farm Classic Cornbread Stuffing: I like to use 2 bags of this one and 1 of the herb seasoned-the ratio is up to you. • Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing: If you're not a cornbread fan, use 3 bags of this one. • Poultry seasoning: Freshness is important for this recipe. • Chicken stock: I make my own (recipe here ) but if you are buying, make sure to get stock, not broth. • Eggs: Large or extra-large work best. FYI ♥ This recipe easily accommodates your favorite additions. During the holidays I like to add dried cranberries and toasted pecans. ♥ If you're not a fan of cornbread, it can be made from the Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix with white and wheat breads. ♥ You can do individual servings by baking in greased muffin tins. I love to do this especially for a buffet. ♥ If I'm adding sausage to the recipe, I precook it to keep the dressing from being too greasy. The sausage seasoned with sage is especially good for this. Ingredients • 1½ sticks butter (¾ cup, unsalted) • 3 cups diced celery (about 8 ribs) • 3 cups diced onions (about 3 to 4 medium) • 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Classic Cornbread Stuffing (24 oz total) • 1 bag Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned classic stuffing (12 oz) • 1 Tbsp poultry seasoning or up to ¼ cup Lite-House Poultry Herb Blend * • 6 cups chicken stock • 3 eggs Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 13-x-9 baking dish and an 8-x-8 baking dish. (Use an 8-x-8 for one-third of the recipe) Instructions 1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add celery and onions; sauté just until soft, and set aside. 2. Mix stuffing in a large bowl with poultry seasoning; add the celery and onions. 3. Mix eggs with the broth; add to the stuffing mixture and blend well. Adjust salt and pepper seasoning. 4. Place the mixture in the two dishes making sure the tops are even. I press down on the tops just a bit. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour; the smaller dish will be ready sooner. I like mine to be golden brown on top. *I freeze-dry or dehydrate most of the herbs that I use during the winter months. I use fresh the rest of the time. If there is something that I don't have, I use the Lite House herbs because they are freeze dried and are more flavorful. They contain little bits of herbs instead of powder. Sometimes I add an extra half teaspoon of freeze-dried sage to this recipe. Tips • If the dressing seems a little dry, add a small amount of stock or water. • Don't worry if you don't have the exact amount of onions or celery, or if you don't like one or the other. Options • Dried cranberries & chopped toasted pecans (½ to ¾ cups each) make a great addition to the dressing. • If you like sausage in your dressing, precook and add up to 1 cup to the recipe. • Sometimes I will add ½ to 1 cup of corn to the dressing. I prefer frozen but you can use what you have. LAURA LEE ALICE COOKS PIN PRINT Don’t love it Not great Good Great Love it Southern Cornbread Dressing Seasoned Bread Crumbs Chicken Stock Celery Onion Butter Poultry Seasoning Egg Mix the ingredients. Place the mixed ingredients into a greased baking dish. Favorite Things from the Kitchen