I’m so excited to introduce you to this week’s Blog Friend Feature. She and I have so much in common and she feels like a true friend. Even if I can’t tell you her name because she blogs anonymously.
Since she introduces herself, I’ll just jump right to her post. Meet Sorta Southern Single Mom from Single Mom in the South.
I could hardly contain my excitement when I got an email from Shell telling me I was “on the list” for BFF! Seriously y’all, it’s a good thing I was alone or I would have embarrassed myself, such was my excitement. Then, like many of my predecessors have claimed, reality set in and I realized I had to actually write a post. *Gulp*
I’ve been following Shell almost from the inception of my own blog. I can’t exactly recall how I found her, I think it might have been her SITS day, but she is a legend, so it could easily have been elsewhere!
Turns out we actually have quite a bit in common…okay, she’s married, I’m divorced, so not that, but other stuff – feel free to correct me Shell…Shell’s note: she’s right, we have a lot in common, though I guess she wanted to leave out our shared love of trashy romance novels. Oops.
- We both hail from Above the Mason Dixon Line.
- We both relocated Below the Mason Dixon Line, although she beat me to it, cause I think she first came down after college and I only came down a few years ago to start fresh after my divorce.
- We’re both blond- naturally so, of course π *winks*
- We’re both moms, although I have one boy and one girl and mine are a bit older.
- We are both teachers, although she’s currently home with her boys and I just started back for the first time since having kids this year. Holy Long Maternity Leave Batman! *grins*
I keep threatening to come visit her. She says she lives by the beach and claims she’s in an area with a really high male/female ratio. Really, I may just show up on her doorstep this summer… you just never know *winks*
As part of my relocation to the south, I’m constantly trying to become more Southern. I love to “y’all” up a storm and often blog about the differences between northerners and southerners.
Speaking of all things southern, guess what I got, ironically, the last time I went ‘home’ to The Great White North????
My very own Cast Iron Skillet. I felt like a complete fraud, living Below the Mason Dixon Line and not having one. I’d mentioned to my parents that I wanted one, and apparently, although I’ve no recollection of either of them ever using one, they had THREE, so they kindly gave me one. It actually belonged to my grandfather and was tucked away in the camping equipment in the garage, so that makes it extra special, although technically NOT southern.
So y’all help me out. I haven’t used it yet. Tell me what I should make in it… I know cornbread, but what else????
Oh, and guess what other southern thing I wowed them with the last time I was up north? Chocolate Chess Pie! My sister’s fiancee, who’s southern through and through, taught me to make it. It’s so easy and if you serve it warm, it’s like a great gooey pile o’ hot fudge in a pie crust. Be Still My Heart!
Chocolate Chess Pie
1 unbaked pie crust
1 stick butter
2 squares semi-sweet baker’s chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
In a small sauce pan, melt butter and chocolate and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together other ingredients. Add chocolate mixture to the bowl and stir to incorporate. Pour into a regular unbaked pie shell and bake 35 minutes at 350Β° degrees F. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Seriously y’all will just swoon over this. I swannee! Run on over to the Harris Teeter or Piggly Wiggly –Really, where do they come up with this stuff???- right quick and get yourself the fixins’ to make some!
Hurry on now, what are y’all waitin’ for????
OMGracious Shell! I can't believe I forgot to mention the smutty romance novels…that's like the best part!
LMBO! Thanks for the feature!
I was born and raised south of the line.
My mom got me a cast iron skillet a while back so I can make…. cornbread. She came over to my house one day and screamed in terror when she saw the skillet in a dishful of water. Who knew? You aren't suppose to wash them…ever?? Gross
The cast iron skillet may not be bought in the south, but the pure fact that it's a family heirloom screams SOUTHERNER π
We just saw Tangled last weekend. That pot makes a great weapon too!
Oh My Gosh, Shell! She's great! I'm running over to give her some love from another northerner turned southern, well, Florida southern anyway. π
hugs and kisses!
Yay for Sorta Southern Single Mom!
So we cook everything in our cast iron skillet. Stir fry, sloppy joes, bacon, etc. I love my skillet!
I don't know a thing about cast iron skillets. How do you make cornbread in that? I make mine out of a box and in the oven. LOL!
Crate & Barrel has a great cast iron skillet cookbook. I got it as a wedding gift. But, alas, we still have no cast iron skillet. We might be run out of Texas soon …
And, "right quick" … I hate that one! lol … Must be my Yankee roots showing through!
Great choice, Shell! I've been following her for awhile now.
I'm a lifelong southern girl myself though I don't do a lot of frying. Cornbread and grilled cheese sandwiches are about the only things I make in my skillet.
My mother would fry okra and squash in hers a lot when I was growing up. Yum! π
A stick of butter? Omg, sign me up!As always, love your BFF, Shell!
Ah, two of my most favorite ladies in one post! The joy of it all!
Ehem, Ms. Single Mom, if you DARE go to visit Shell and not bring me with you I will go all Brooklyn on yer behind! π
Shell, you've got THE perfect mama featured here today. I can vouch and say she's one incredible lady and y'all should head on over and give her loads of bloggy love!
Oh my you are hilarious – off to read your blog.
Anyone that posts a recipe like that gets an A+ in my book. There really is something so intriguing and charming about the south
I just love the South. I've often (constantly) wished I was southern so I could have what I see as an excuse to love frying everything in sight. That chess pie recipe? Swoon!
Great to "meet" your BFF!
That recipe sounds divine! Off to read more on her blog.
I have a recipe like that. But we call it brownie pie – cause I always over bake it and then its more like a brownie… lol But we like it that way now.
I'm a Northerner and I always cook in a cast iron skillet. Got that from my mama. I used to be a blondie…now my hair is red…of course it's natural!! π Can't wait to read more on her blog.
I love the southern jabber there at the end. My mom is kind of from the south, enough that I have heard some of those phrases.
I always thought it would be cool to live in the south. I probably won't ever get the chance, but at least now I can live vicariously through bloggers that do live there.
Oh and that pie, OH MY GOSH! I'm going to have to try that one.
my mom is southern and cooked that way to..wish i could remember a recipe for you!
way to go on the move down there!!!
Oh I love this post! My entire family has already tried to lay claim to Grandma's skillet, and she's not even dead yet! My daddy got me one after the hubs & I got married, and my poor Yankee/French hubby had no clue why I was crying for joy. I don't use it nearly as much as I should, but I love cooking in it.
And the other commenters were right – you NEVER use soap on them. You have to season them.
Gawd, now I sound like a total cast iron freak, don't I?
I have 2 cast iron skillets and I love them! One is a HUGE one that requires two hands at all times!
And what to make in them…anything! Pork chops, chicken, bacon… you name it and it can cooked in it!
Just be sure to clean it right or it'll rust!
I hear ya on point #1 and #2…we yankees living in dixie need to stick together! π
I would marry pie if I could.
FREAKING DISCRIMINATORY PIE MARRIAGE LAWS.
*Shakes fist*
Funny! I'm a Midwestern girl that moved to the South so I feel your pain. When I add a "y'all" into the conversation, I wonder if it sounds natural or if people can tell I'm just a Northern faker:) I think if you watch enough Paula Deen on the Food Network, you'll come up with plenty of recipes for your cast iron skillet.
We lived in the South for several years and I loved it!!!! A good Y'all always makes me smile. I don't know about making food in a cast iron skillet, but I can make grits for about 100 hungry perschoolers!
I L-O-V-E chess pie. It is all kinds of yummy! There are many kinds, but the chocolate one is the only one I know of. And that is just fine. It's to die for. *ahem* Gonna go and check her out! Yay.
Oh yeah, woman, you have to go visit Shell! Don't ya know she lives by all those fancy Marines? π Okay, maybe I'm biased since I'm married to one but… you could find a real looker and a charmer. Haha
I love Single mom! Great feature! π This was a cute post. I do not have a cast iron skillet. Now I want one to make that recipe. MMmmmm!
Love her already!
Of course, I'm on my way to follow..I love my southern gals.
Oh, she is just a wonderful BFF. What's not to love?? π
Also, I'm intrigued by corn bread in a skillet.