Hoppin' John Stuffed Poblano Peppers

"Eat poor that day, eat rich the rest of the year. Rice for riches and peas for peace."

- Southern saying on eating a dish of Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.

source

Black Eyed Peas
2 cans Black-eyed Peas
1 small red onion–diced
1 small red bell pepper–diced
4 cloves garlic–minced

1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/8 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Rice
1/2 cup long-cooking rice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Drop heat to low. Cover and steam rice according to the directions on the package (about 15 to 20 minutes).

Poblano Peppers

2 poblano chiles-washed, deseeded, deveined, and cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup marinara sauce
cooked rice, recipe above
cooked black eyed peas, recipe above

optional: shredded Mexican-mix cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix rice and black eyed peas in large bowl. Mix broth, coconut milk, and marinara in the bottom of a baking dish. Stuff each poblano half with the rice-pea mixture. Add stuffed poblanos to baking dish. Cover pan with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 15 minutes uncovered. Remove poblanos and place on serving dish. Top with shredded cheese, if desired. Serve with the lovely sauce that the peppers are baked in.

source: Comowater

Little Snowmen Treats

This afternoon snow began to fall. It was very exciting to everyone because we have been seeing snow pictures from all across the country and have been longing for it. But it did not snow for long and the tiny flakes melted as soon as they hit.

But the melting snow did not stop us from making snowmen.
These would also be a great treat for those who have come in from the snow to warm up with hot cocoa.
To make these you will need:  large marshmallows, white Karo syrup, some black and orange confetti sprinkles (I have some left over from Halloween), and white sparkling sugar. You'll need some wood skewers and a clean paintbrush for each person making one.

The original instructions, found at It's always a party at the Parker's, said to take your large marshmallow and with a clean paintbrush, brush some Karo syrup all around the side of the marshmallow, and then, roll your marshmallow in the white sparkling sugar, three times, separately and  so we did this at first, but, as you can imagine things got pretty sticky really quickly. We found it a little less messy with kids to thread all three marshmallows on the skewer first, then paint them with the Kayro syrup and...

roll the whole skewer full of Kayro-laden marshmallows in the sparkling sugar.

Next we added the face. Using your paint brush, dot the back of your confetti sprinkles with a touch of Karo syrup and then apply to your sugared marshmallow...two black for coal eyes, one orange for the carrot nose and three purple ones for the buttons on the body. Some of us used black sprinkles for the mouth and some of us used a red Christmas sprinkle for the mouth. You can be as creative as you like. They take a few minutes to set or the face will slide off.

Snowmen Cookies

Nutter Butter cookies

Vanilla Almond Bark

Mini M&M's

Orange Sprinkles or Tic Tac's

Black Decorator Icing or black Sprinkles

Melt Almond Bark according to the package. Dip cookies in the bark or spoon over it. for 90 seconds, I used a spoon to help cover the cookies when I dipped them. Add a orange sprinkle (leftover from Halloween) for the carrot nose. If you don't have orange sprinkles, orange Tic Tacs work well. Add mini M&Ms for the buttons and use either black sprinkles or black decorators icing for the coal eyes and mouth.

Source: My Pretty Purse

Capt. Berk's Oyster Stew

I know this is not the season for oysters, but in honor of Father's Day, I wanted to post a recipe that was handed down to me from my father. My father was a waterman and tonged oysters from the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay each winter. He was even once featured in Diner's Club magazine. Here is his simple but wonderfully delicious Oyster Stew recipe.

1 pint oysters

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 can of Evaporated Milk

2 Tab. butter

In a heavy bottomed saucepan saute celery in the butter until the celery starts to become clear. Add oysters, with their liquor, and simmer until the edges of the oysters begin to curl. Add milk and simmer 15 minutes. Serve hot with crackers.

A Pot of Hot Cocoa

My kids love hot cocoa when they come in cold from making snowmen in the wintertime, but they also love it in the summer. They come in from the pool and into the air conditioning and they begin to complain of being cold. I think I am just a sucker and they have just figured out a way to get hot cocoa in the summertime, but I pretend I don't know. Here is how to make it homemade for a crowd.

3 cups boiling water
1 cup of evaporated milk, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tea. vanilla
1/8 tea. salt

Combine sugar, cocoa, vanilla and salt in teapot. Add about 1/8 cup boiling water. Stir well; until ingredients have blended. Add the rest of the water (2 7/8 cups) and milk. Stir.

Snow Cream

I remember my mother making snow cream most times when it snowed. It was up there with missing school because of snow days. To this day, whenever I see snow falling, I get this excited celebratory feeling. I don't usually measure ingredients when I make snow cream, but I will give you the rough idea...

Have the children gather about 4-6 cups of clean, edible snow. Meanwhile in a bowl mix together about 1 cup of milk, half-and-half or cream and add to it about 1/2 cup or so sugar and about 1 teaspoon of vanilla. If you want chocolate, add about 1/4 cup cocoa and perhaps a bit more sugar. I used already mixed in the carton chocolate milk (and subtracted the sugar) this morning and it turned out fine. Mix in the snow as quickly as you can and serve.