Vacuum Sealer

I'm obsessed with vacuum sealing food.  I love to cook and do so only in huge quantities.  I am not a fan of fast food or chain restaurants at all. I love good food when I eat.  I cook good food.  I cook like my Mama and my Grannie.  I cook like a Southern cook.  But I've learned a few things about cooking and eating.  You can always have healthy fresh food if you learn how to vacuum seal.

I started with a little ordinary vacuum sealer from the local Walmart.  I bought the rolls of bags and cut them to fit.  The sealer lasted a while but not too long.  The rolls of bags were expensive and bulky.  It wasn't until I learned of this cool place called The Vak Shack that I really learned to vac seal.  I order bags that are pre-cut and so economical.  I've ordered from them for a couple of years now.  It makes keeping and sealing great food fresh and economical.  

I can put up just enough in individual servings or for 2, 3, or 4 people.  Food just does not go to waste at our house.  Meat does not go to waste in our house.  When I find meat on sale at the store, I grab it, seal it and freeze it.  We can often eat rib eye, t-bone or tenderloin steaks for as little as 4.99 per pound.   Chicken, pork chops and wild game are often abundant in our freezer as I only try to buy meat when it is on sale and cheap.

When my last vac sealer finally died, I splurged and bought a commercial vac sealer.  What a great investment that was.  I use it at least 3 -5 times a week.  I never let fresh vegetables go to waste.   I just seal and freeze.  I always have great veggies as the local farmer's market this season was a fun Saturday morning adventure.  The good news is we eat a lot healthier these days.  

I close this ramble with a brief shout out to Amanda Crum who is back at the helm of the The Vak Shack!  I missed you while you were gone.

File' Gumbo, Baylor Bears and Rain

Life is full of simple pleasures.  It just takes us a long time to figure out that the simple pleasures in life are really the greatest blessings we have.  

File' gumbo is a recipe that I have never really mastered.  The best gumbo maker I know is my sweet friend, Pattycake.   She is making me a huge pot today, and I have been dreaming of it all week long.  My mouth has been watering for 3 days.  Smelling the spices this morning just made me hungry all day long.  Best friends and great food make life grand.

Baylor Bears are ranked #8 this week and are undefeated this far into the season.  Watching how Art Briles has taken this team and developed raw talent into football history makes me so very happy to be a part of the Baylor Bear family.  

Rain is such a blessing.  We take if for granted because our lawns and plants are beautiful thanks to the modern day sprinkler system.  However, rain is so powerful.  Listening to it pound on the roof and seeing how it fills our little lake in the neighborhood are simple blessings in life that I recognize and give thanks for every time the sky opens up to rain.  

So I ask you, what simple pleasures in life make you happy, make you smile and make your day?

Oxford Miss is Ole Miss

On a recent trip to Oxford, Mississippi, I learned several things.  I would say these are the top 10 things I learned on my trip to Mississippi.  These things in no particular order are as follows:

1.  Kudzu grows like wildfire in Mississippi and there is really no way to kill it.
2.  Boure' is one of the best seafood joints in the South.
3.  You can't get good Mexican food in Oxford.
4.  The Square in Oxford is really the true essence of a Southern College Football Town.
5.  There is actually a road in Oxford called Seed Tick Road.
6.  Kids really do still use bicycles as a means of transportation.
7.  Parker Wood is the best steak cooker I have ever met.
8.  You never ever quit being a Rebelette.
9.  There is something special about being Southern.
10.  You can find some of the best pizza in the world in Sardis, Miss at Tribecca Allie's.

The Moon

The post tonight is not a long one. I love waking up when I can't sleep, looking out the tall windows in my bedroom and seeing a large round moon shining down on me. When I am troubled and can't sleep, it reminds me that all is well. God put a little night light up there to let me know He is with me. It's a reminder that He is going to get me through any storm. He is the one thing I can count on when I am worried, scared, frustrated or anxious. Thank you God for your beautiful nightlight you've shone on me tonight.

It's Game Day in the Kitchen

Today is one of those awesome days I live for every year.  I got to sleep in till about 9:00 a.m. this morning and got up to a perfect pitcher of iced tea.  I turned on Game Day in the Kitchen and started going through my cabinets and recipes.  You guessed it...........I cook and watch college football all day.  My tastes are a bit eclectic and no one dish is designed to go with another.  I just like to cook certain foods.

My first dish I opted to create is actually for tomorrow.  I am making chicken & dressing to go with the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese that I am cooking for lunch tomorrow when all my kids and grandkids arrive!  It's going to be a special Sunday afternoon to have Jake, Lisa and Lori, their spouses and all the kids under one roof, if but for only a couple of hours.

Then I chose to take Mama's Duck & Wild Rice Recipe and try it with dove.  It is still cooking and the jury is still out on that one.  I'm also cooking a big pot of soup that we can munch on all week long.  There is nothing better to me that a big bowl of soup and cornbread at night when I get home from work.  Finally, I made some Queso Blanco.  Velveeta makes that now and it is pretty awesome.  I add the regular can of Rotel, but my friend Donna Boles told me to add in a carton of fresh pico and it makes such an amazing difference.  It tastes just like the Queso at Fuzzy's.  All I need is whatever they sprinkle on their chips there, and I'm Fuzzy in Cleburne.

It's been a great day so far.  All I need now is about 3 more TV's in my den so I can keep up with all the games I am watching today!