I began cooking when I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it was almost therapuetic, even then. After I got married, in 1982, I began really trying to come up with recipes and menus of my own.
I catered a few parties here and there, but I have no artistic abilities, so cake decorating wasn't my thing, and that limited my opportunities.
I do make a lovely display of food, and can, given time and space, make a lovely buffet or tablescape, but my food is what I focus on. After all, the beautiful cakes, etc. only look that way until they are cut... it is then that the true test of the cook begins. I'm not saying my food is ugly, because it isn't. You eat with your eyes first, so it has to be visually appealing.
I cook some really fancy things, and I will include those recipes here and there. But everyday food is where the majority of cooks need help. It is the newly married couple, or the beginning cook I want to reach; those struggling to come up with tasty dishes for the average Sunday meal or a dish they can make over the weekend and re heat or restyle during the week, to broaden their menu on a smaller budget.
I love to smoke foods, grill a steak, etc. But I am a southern "if it ain't fried, it ain't supper" kind of gal. Most of my dishes aren't typically low fat nor are they figure friendly. They are comfort food... pure and simple.
One of the hardest things I learned to make was a good mashed potato dish... sounds simple, but there are so many potatoes out there, and some are great for roasting, but few lend themselves to that creamy texture we love when sitting down to a true "Sunday supper at Grandma's" taste.
So it is the everyday cook who should most enjoy my dishes. I certainly don't advocate fried food everyday, but I truly enjoy my share of country fried steak and gravy, fried chicken, pot roast, pork shoulder, etc. I love to eat, I love to cook for others and my motto is "Never trust a skinny cook; if they don't eat their own food, why should I?'"
There are plenty of folks out there who can show you how to make a standing rib roast, and I may publish my own version, but I want you to be able to take that unexpected afternoon off or that lazy Saturday and turn it into something that takes you back to your childhood, or makes you think of your Grandma or Great Grandma when you eat it.
Please let me know how these recipes work for you and your family. Tell me and the followers if you put your own spin on a dish. I'd love to know if the tips, recipes, etc are helpful....comment on individual recipes or post as you like. I love to hear how someone has made a dish their very own.

The photos of recipes you will see here are pics of the actual dishes I have made and served my family... if you look closely, you may see a dirty dish or two, or a hand in the photos... I think you should only publish a recipe you have tried and tested on your own family. ENJOY!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Abby's Steak Marinade

My youngest daughter likes to cook, like her mom. I usually give her pointers, but this past Mother's Day, she presented me with the very best meal I have EVER, EVER had... BAR NONE! I had some of the best New Potatoes, Grilled Corn on the Cob (In the Shucks, something I hadn't done!), and Grilled Orange Slices (HEAVENLY!), but oh, my the very best thing of all was this beautiful Sirloin Steak, cooked to Medium Rare, just the way I love it, not to rare, not to well, just absolutely perfect, and I mean... oh, so tasty! I am not a person who likes a marinade, but Abby totally changed my mind, I kid you not. This is her recipe. She got some pointers off the internet and took it and did just what her Momma always told her to do.. she gave it her own twist, but she won't tell me what she did. So, I give you her recipe. One or more of the ingredients is her own addition. I now refuse to eat anything that isn't marinated...proof that you never are too old to learn and to change!


  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • salt and pepper to taste

    • Mix and pour over steaks. Abby and I use gallon sized bags to marinade our steaks. No reason to dirty up a dish. I may get all misty eyed, but this gal makes a Momma proud. I mean, I am NOT a dish washer and I just adore that she thought of putting it into a baggie!

    Marinade for at least 30 minutes. I have left the steaks in this marinade for as long as 4 hours and they were good, too!

    For your steaks, cook them over hot coals or on a gas grill with wood chips. I think it is sinful to cook with just propane, since you might as well cook it in a skillet for all the flavor that adds, lol.
    If you don't know how to check for doneness, here's a good guide...
    Rare---open your hand, but just naturally.. not stretched taut... now, feel the flesh on that thick pad between your thumb and wrist? That is what it feels like to touch a rare steak...

    Medium--- close your fist and tuck your thumb under your index finger... touch the pad... voila! Medium.

    (for med. rare, just go in between these two. I usually do 7 minutes on one side, rotating halfway through to create hash marks. Then, flip them and do 5 minutes, rotating halfway through. I do this on steaks from 1-1/2" to 1-/4")

    Well done... untuck that thumb! Now, feel the webbing between the thumb and forefinger?

     WELL DONE...
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