We are so excited IT RAINED!! There is a wonderful fresh smell and new hope in the air today. When I posted the date today I realized that our big event is just around the corner.  I sure hope that you are planning on bringing your very best bowl of chili over for The Texas Star Chili Cook Off coming up on October 1. Now we better get busy setting these tables and I can't wait to see what you have brought today. Thank you so much for coming today and come back soon! Y ou Are Invited to Participate In  The 2nd Annual Texas Star Chili Cook-Off October 1 through October 31 For Details  Click Here Bring Your Best Bowl Of Chili The Code Is On The Side Bar This Is How I Filled My Plate Last Week Breakfast Mango Banana Yogurt Pancakes   at  Bizzy Bakes  Special For The Little Ones Its A Sunny Breakfast   at Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons Morning Snack   Lemon Bars   at  My Hobbie Lobbie  Lunch Mushroom Burger at  Two Birdies and a...

We are coming to the end of our growing season for our tomatoes and I wanted to make some oven dried tomatoes to have on hand for some recipe's that I will be making soon. How To Make Oven Dried Tomatoes Beautiful Roma Tomatoes Ready For The Oven Roasted For 3 Hours Recipes Great For Recipes I am so happy that you were able to stop by today to have tea with me. I have a container of these wonderful Oven Dried Tomatoes for you to take home with you so don't forget them. Be sure and let me know what you cook with them. Come back to see us real soon, I always look forward to your visits! Peace and Joy Miz Helen This Post Will Be Shared With These Great Linky Parties

We have baskets of Zucchini from the garden and this cookie recipe is just perfect for using up some of those awesome Zucchini.   This is a cake like cookie with a fantastic flavor and the frosting just completes the flavors inside.  These cookies will just melt in your mouth and sure wont stay in the Cookie Jar very long. Frosted Zucchini Spice Cake Cookies Recipe  Great Cookie Dough With Fresh Zucchini Ready To Bake The Recipe Yield: 24 cookies Author: Miz Helen's Kitchen-Miz Helen Print With Image Without Image Frosted Zucchini Spice Cake Cookies This is a cake like cookie with a fantastic flavor and the frosting just completes the flavors inside. These cookies will just melt in your mouth and sure wont stay in the Cookie Jar very long. Ingredients 1 egg 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 9*could sub 1/2 unsweetened applesauce) 1 cup grated zucchini (1 medium) 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp...

I walked outside this morning and it was here, a nice cool breeze it was just wonderful. Still no rain but at least it is cooling off somewhat we are so grateful for some cooler weather. Lets walk up to the upstairs patio and have our coffee, we are making plans to have an additional herb garden there next year. We can look at the herb garden plans and check out the menu for next week and I want to tell you about the upcoming event. I want to give each of you a very special invitation to join us for the upcoming 2011 Chili Cook-Off. The Code Is On The Side Bar Y ou Are Invited to Participate In  The 2nd Annual Texas Star Chili Cook-Off October 1 through October 31 For Details  Click Here Bring Your Best Bowl Of Chili Sunday Pasilla Garlic Shrimp Mexican Bean Salad Tortillas Key Lime Pie Monday Portabella Veggie Grilled Sandwiches Spicy Sweet Potato Chips Mixed Berries with Vanilla Cream Tuesday Slow Cooker Herb Baked Chicken  Steamed Broccoli with Lemon Sauce Cr...

Grits are a very southern dish, but if you ever have a chance to come to Austin and have dinner at Threadgill's you will know that they are also a Texas dish. I have had the grits at Threadgill's and they are awesome as are these Tomatillo Cheese Grits. Lisa writes about her visit's to Threadgills and makes it a great basis for her Tomatillo Cheese Grits recipe. A Great Plate of Creamy Grits Tomatillo Cheese Grits The Homesick Texas Lisa Fain Page 270 Serves 6 Prepared In Miz Helen's Kitchen 1 pound fresh tomatillo's husks removed, or 1 11 ounce can, drained 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 serrano chile, stems and seeds removed, diced 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 cup grits 2 cups milk 2 cups water 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese (4 ounces) Salt and Black pepper, to taste If using fresh tomatillos, on high heat,...

Hello everyone I am so glad to see you today and welcome to Full Plate Thursday! I could hardly wait for you to get here today because I have the most exciting news to share with you, it is going to be so much fun. Lets get all the food on the table and I will tell you about the big surprise, I just know that you have brought something really special today.  Now for the big surprise. Y ou Are Invited to Participate In  The 2nd Annual Texas Star Chili Cook-Off October 1 through October 31 For Details  Click Here Bring Your Best Bowl Of Chili The Code Is On The Side Bar Thank you so much for coming today, we are going to have so much fun. Hope you will come back soon! This Is How I Filled My Plate Last Week Breakfast The Best Breakfast Casserole Yet   at  4 Little Fergusons Morning Snack Gluten Free Gingerbread Cupcake   at Lemon Drop Lunch Fruity Chicken Salad and Rice at  Cozy Home Scenes Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta with Blackberries   at Beyo...

We have enjoyed great shrimp from the Texas Gulf Coast my entire life. There is really something special about our beautiful coast. All the fishing villages and the beaches that are still being restored after the last hurricane. There is a strength and courage among the people there and a love for life that lingers in your heart long after your visit is over. Lisa has captured the gulf and Texas flavor all in one with this recipe.  Pasilla Garlic Shrimp on Tomatillo Cheese Grits Pasilla Garlic Shrimp The Homesick Texan Cookbook Lisa Fain page 242 serves 4 Prepared in  Miz Helen's Kitchen 2 dried pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed 2 pounds large shrimp (21 to 30 per pound), heads removed 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick) Salt and black pepper to tast...

Good Morning, we are enjoying being outdoors with the cooler weather that we are having. We are so blessed and are a good distance from the Wild Fires that are going on here in Texas. Our thoughts and prayers are going out to all our fellow Texans who have lost their homes in the Wild Fires. Thanks to all of you who have inquired about our well being, we have the greatest blogger friends ever!! Lets just sit down and have a nice coffee break while we take a look at this menu. Sunday Roasted Leg of Lamb with Mint Sauce Parsley and Chives New Potatoes Steamed Green Beans Tossed Herb Green Salad Orange Carmel Cake Monday Garden Veggie Chili Tortillas Sopapillas Tuesday Meatloaf Chipotle Cheddar Mac N Cheese Early Peas Fresh Tomato Salad Left Over Orange Caramel Cake Wednesday Slow Cooker Smothered Herb Chicken Steamed Broccoli Rice Crisp Green Salad Hot Biscuits Peach Pie Thursday Spaghetti and Meatballs Homemade...

I was very excited when I learned that our Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off Group would be making Sopapillas a classic Mexican dessert. After a wonderful Mexican meal one may feel there is no room for dessert until you learn the Sopapillas are on the way, then there is always room. Sopapillas are a great light yeast bread that puffs up when fried, drizzle warm honey over the Sopapilla or just dip it in the bowl of honey. There is nothing like a great basket of Sopapillas to send your guests home with a smile on their face.  How About Some Hot Sopapillas Sopapillas The Homesick Texan Lisa Fain page 295 Prepared In Miz Helen's Kitchen Serves About 24 Sopapillas 1 tablespoon or 1 packet of yeast 1 1/2 cups warm water 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted Vegetable Oil , for frying For Topping 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon Ho...

I sure hope that all of you had a great Labor Day Week End. It is good to see you today and welcome to Full Plate Thursday! I want to take a moment today to say our thoughts and prayers go out to our fellow Texan's who have lost their homes in these horrible wild fires. We have had a great break in the weather here and it is finally cooler, so we can really enjoy our party today. I can't wait to see what you have brought so lets head to the table. Thank you so much for coming today and hope you will come back soon!  This Is How I Filled My Plate Last Week Breakfast Taco Omelette   at  Creative Kitchen Morning Snack Sunrise Orange Julius   at  Eating My Way Back Lunch Szechaun Noodles   at  Louanne's Kitchen Black and White Cheesecake Squares   at  Sixteenbeans Afternoon Snack Summer Berry Smoothie   at  The Humbled Homemaker Dinner Lime and Honey Maple Glazed Chicken    at The Peach Kitchen Zucchini Casserole ...