I can’t imagine growing up and living anywhere but in the South.
Any traveling outside of the South that I have done has certainly been enjoyable, but I couldn’t wait to get back home.
Every day I get lots and lots of e-mails, and some I never even open. Last week, I received one from a friend titled “Things I learned growing up in the South.” It made me chuckle, and I hope it will make you smile, too.
• A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.
• There are 5,000 types of snakes, and 4,998 of them live in the South.
• There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in the South, plus a couple no one’s ever seen before.
• If it grows, it’ll stick ya. If it crawls, it’ll bite ya.
• It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy!
• People actually grow, eat and like okra.
• Fixinto is one word. It means I’m going to do that.
• There is no such thing as lunch. There is only dinner, and there’s supper.
• Iced tea is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you are 2 years old. We do like a little tea with our sugar. It is referred to as the “Wine of the South.”
• Backwards and forwards means I know everything about you.
• Y’all is both singular and plural.
• All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or an animal.
• You only have five spices: salt, pepper, mustard, Tabasco and ketchup.
• The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require six pages for local high school sports, the motor sports and gossip.
• Everyone you meet is a Honey, Sugar, Miss (first name) or Mr. (first name).
• The first day of deer season is a national holiday.
• You don’t push buttons; you mash ’em.
• Fried catfish is the other white meat.
• You know what a “hissyfit” is.
Hope you enjoy this week’s recipes. Thanks for reading.
LAYERED TACO SALAD
(This is a meatless dish.)
1 (10-ounce) bag corn chips
1 head iceberg lettuce, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can chili beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
1 tomato, chopped
¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
Sweet and Tangy Dressing
In a large serving bowl, layer corn chips, lettuces, beans, corn, cheese, tomato and green onion. Serve with Sweet and Tangy Dressing.
Sweet and Tangy Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together oil and remaining ingredients. Store, covered, in refrigerator for up to five days.
SEVEN VEGETABLE SALAD
1 (15-ounce) can white shoe peg corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can French-style green beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can green peas, drained
1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained
1 cup chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Combine the corn, beans, peas, pimiento, celery, onion and bell pepper in a bowl, and mix well. Bring the sugar, vinegar and olive oil to a boil in a saucepan, and boil until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let stand until cool. Pour the vinegar mixture over the corn bean mixture, and toss to coat. Chill, covered, until serving time.
LAYERED CLUB SALAD
1 (8½-ounce) package cornbread mix, prepared according to directions
1 (16-ounce) bottle peppercorn ranch salad dressing
¼ cup milk
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups chopped turkey
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 Vidalia onion, sliced
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1 (3-ounce) package real bacon bits
2 green onions, sliced
Crumble cornbread. Thin bottled dressing with milk, and add Parmesan cheese; set aside. Layer half of each — cornbread, lettuce, turkey, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, Swiss cheese and bacon bits. Repeat layers, and drizzle with half of the dressing. Cover and chill. Just before serving, sprinkle with green onions and remaining salad dressing mixture.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
