As many of you have probably gathered my family is very important to me.  The holidays remind me of those who are no longer with us to celebrate and how much our celebrations have changed because of their passing. It also reminds me of how much everyone has grown and changed over the years.  For example below my lil' man is no longer this cute little baby he is growing into a big boy daily.  


I grew up next door to my maternal grandparents.  They were the glue that kept my mom's family together.  After my grandfather passed away our family rallied around my grandmother to ensure the holidays were a special time not one for sorrow and sadness even though...there were times when we would miss his laugh...or him yelling at us for making a huge mess.  

So in honor of the start of SEC Football Season (GO DAWGS!!!) and the upcoming Labor Day Holiday I thought I would share two of my favorite grilling recipe. Typically on the farm if we grill its either hamburgers and hotdogs or steak...in our household there really is nothing else! Many times we do use beef that was grown on our farm however there are times that we purchase meat from the store. I am just as comfortable using store bought beef as I am the beef we raise on farm. And honestly sometimes the beef bought at the store is a little tastier especially the steaks because they have more marbling than our homegrown beef does. Both recipes are fast and easy to create and grill.

My steaks are simple...

1 tsp seasoned salt,
1.5 tsp pepper,
1/2 cup Worchester sauce
Mix all three together in a Ziploc bag.
Drop in the ribeyes toss for a minute.
Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Heat the grill to medium heat so you don't overcook the outside.
I don't use time as an indicator of how well my meat is cook. I use an instant read thermometer...we like our steaks medium so 160 is our magic number. (Rare= 145) But you probably need to check them after 4-5 minutes depending on how done you would like them.

Hamburgers

2 lbs of ground beef
3 tbsp of ranch dressing mix
2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp of A1
Buns
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions (preferably Vidalia Onions)
Mayo
Mustard
Ketchup
Cheese Slices

1. Combine ground beef, ranch dressing mix, pepper, and A1 in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape into eight 3/4-inch thick patties.

2. Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 11 to 15 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 13 to 14 minutes) until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers 160°F, turning occasionally. About 2 minutes before burgers are done, place buns, cut sides down, on grid. Grill until lightly toasted. During last minute of grilling, top each burger with cheese slice.

3. Line bottom of each bun with lettuce leaf; top with tomato slice, burger, and toppings, as desired. Close sandwiches.

Again grilling at our house is simple and easy. All my food safety information came from Beef It's What's For Dinner website.
The site has great tips, ideas and recipes. I hope you all enjoy!

Linking up at

So I thought today I would share one of my favorite BEEF recipes with you.

Now realize that I am typically trying to whip something up at 8 or 9 at night after we get in from the barn. So my cooking is quick and usually cheap!

Chili is one of my personal favs and as we head into fall this will be cooked often in our home.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 med Onion chopped
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp Oregano
1 tbsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tbsp Chili Powder
2 lbs Ground Beef
Homemade tomato sauce (canned during the summer)or an 8 oz can
1 tsp Salt
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Diced tomatoes & Chilies (Could have canned at home but didn't)
grated Cheese
Chips or corn bread

In a large pot put in oil and chopped garlic & onions, stir until slightly brown... DON'T BURN!!
Throw ground beef in pot...cook until brown. Drain off excess fat. Pour in tomato sauce, spices & salt. Mix together VERY WELL, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about an hour stirring occasionally. If you notice the mixture is getting dry pour in a little water (1/2 cup at a time). Taste after an hour to check flavor...add spices as needed...pour in beans and tomato mixture simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with grated cheese and chips or corn bread.

Chili can be frozen after completely cooled.

Fall has just really began in our part of the country and we are lucky to still be enjoying some summer garden favorites such as fresh tomatoes and squash.  Now my little man LOVES LOVES LOVES his veggies, but especially squash (in any form).  His favorite though is fried squash.  So I thought I would share this super simple recipe and give all of you a chance to enjoy Simply Southern Squash...

You will need:
a frying pan
tongs or fork
knife
bowl w/ a lid (tupperware works best)
2 or 3 medium sized yellow squash
cornmeal
cooking oil
and a little helper doesn't hurt

1. rinse the outside of your squash and pat dry
2. fill your bowl about 1/2 full with cornmeal
3. pour oil into your frying pan (it needs to be about 1/4 inch deep) turn the burn on med-high heat
4. slice your squash into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices
5. put squash slices into cornmeal bowl, place the lid on and let your little helper shake

6. once the slices are coated throughly...shake off the excess cornmeal and drop into the oil (which should be hot but not smoking hot)
7. don't over crowd the slices, leave a little room for flipping
8.  after about 2 minutes flip the squash slices over...the side that is now facing up should be light golden brown (you might find you like them cooked a little darker)
9. wait another minute or 2 and flip again to ensure color is correct on opposite side
10. take slices out of oil and drain  and cool on paper towels
11. repeat steps 5-10 until all slices have been cooked.
12. serve warm and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this quick and easy way to use your garden bounty and enjoy some Southern comfort food.

(pics coming soon!)