Making a Christmas Butter Pecan Cake - a tribute to Meemaw

So the very woman who has engrained in my mind since I was a young child that "a way to a man's heart is through his stomach", created this recipe. She is the reason for the name of this blog! Meemaw loved to cook and serve others, it was her passion. One of her family tributes that I grew up adoring about whether it was over Sunday lunch or her serving at church, LSU international students, or just people passing through. Her heart was genuine, pure and servant driven! 

I thought about Meemaw because the pecans are falling and my cousin Callie brought me a HUGE bag from Clinton, Louisiana out on their land! Caden and I were suppose to go pick them but got caught up, so she was sweet enough to deliver them to us! Now I am not only making one of Meemaw's recipes and hoping to share it with others! Meemaw was known for her baking!!!! She could cook just about anything southern but her baking flare was her gift!!!!

This is a great recipe for using Louisiana Pecans! Enjoy as much as the many McCollister grandkids did growing up!

MeeMaw’s Butter Pecan Cake

1 pkg. butter yellow cake mix

1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

¾ cup vegetable oil

6 eggs

3 tbs. melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

1 pkg. butter pecan instant pudding

1 cup chopped pecans

½ cup brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees

Mix together pecans and brown sugar. Mix cake mix, sour cream, oil, butter, and vanilla flavoring, and beat, adding one egg at a time. Add pudding and flavoring. Mix well.

Pour 1/3 mixture into Bundt pan, sprinkling over ½ sugar and pecan mixture, and then add 1/3 of the cake mixture into the pan. Add the remaining sugar and pecan mixture and pour over remaining cake mixture. Bake for 1-1.5 hours.

And Voila!

The Best GUMBO eva'

If you like a good gumbo that almost makes you smile and your man feel like he is at the duck camp, then you have the recipe you have been looking for sitting before your very eyes!

1 jar of Savoie's Roux 

2 ham hocks

1 whole chicken

2 packages of sausage (sliced)

2 small jars of minced garlic

2 containers of Creole Seasoning Mix (bell pepper, onion, parsley, combined)

4 bay leaves

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup of Garlic Powder

Tony's

1 cup of parsley chopped

First you begin making your homemade broths! THIS IS THE KEY!

1) In a pot you will boil your whole chicken. Cover the chicken with water. Add in half of the container of Creole Mix. You will boil on medium high (NOT HIGH) this for about 4 hours. Add in more water if needed. Keep the water at about the top of the chicken or a little below.

2) In another pot you will boil your 2 ham hocks in 8 cups of water. Add in the OTHER half of the container of Creole Mix. Boil on medium high (NOT HIGH) about 3 hours. You may have to add in about 4 more cups of water as you go.

3) You will begin your next step in a LARGE double pot. Once your broths are near done, you will begin to sautee all your veggies in oil. When your veggies get fairly soft after about 10 minutes, you will add in your jar of roux ! key is to STIR this constantly for 20 minutes. Set a timer and constantly stir so it does not burn. 

4) Take chicken out of boil and set aside to cool.

5) After 20 minutes is up on your roux mixing, add in your broths, seasonings, sausage, and ham hocks. Mix well.

6) Now break and shred your chicken down and toss the bones away. Add in your chicken to the gumbo now. Let gumbo simmer for another 2 hours on low heat, so the veggies and flavors all combine well.

7) Serve with rice or potato salad or BOTH!

Enjoy!!!!