Girls Night Out

Happy Friday y'all! We thought everyone should have this recipe for "Girls Night Out"! Y'all get together and try this one and don’t bother on trying to decide on a restaurant! Enjoy this recipe before you have a night on the town! It will fill you up and rev your engine! That means more time for dancing and gettin' loud! What are y'all doing tonight?

Girls Night Out

2 tablespoons butter
½ medium green bell pepper, diced
½ habanera pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh corn
¼ cup heavy cream
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

In a cast iron skillet, heat butter on medium heat. Sauté green pepper until tender. Stir in habanera and corn.

Reduce heat to medium; add cream and garlic. Cook and stir long enough for mixture to bubble. Add shrimp and salt; stir well. Cook at medium heat until the shrimp turn pink.

Add chopped parsley and serve warm.

Gussied Up

In the South, you know you are not supposed to leave your house without being "gussied up". In fact, it is a crime in the South to leave your house without makeup and you have to wear clean underdrawers because you never know when you could be in an accident. This Fritter Chick In Training obeys the rule. We feel the same way about these kabobs. Why have plain when you can have gussied up! What did your momma tell you before you went out the door?



Gussied Up Kabobs

1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup lime juice
1 pound raw shrimp in shells
2 cups assorted fresh cut-up vegetables (bell peppers, onions, zucchini and mushrooms)
4 wooden skewers

Mix salad dressing mix, oil, tequila and lime juice until well blended. Pour over shrimp and vegetables in shallow dish; cover. Refrigerate two hours to marinate or overnight if you have the time. Remove shrimp and vegetables from marinade; discard marinade.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Arrange shrimp and vegetables on skewers. Grill kabobs 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, turning after 4 min.

We won!

Thank y'all Sweet Tea Diaries and Lauren Nicole Gifts! The Fritter Chicks are winners of the beautiful Lauren Nicole GiftsFleur-de-lis Necklace! Please check them out - every product they have is so cute!

Stick shift or automatic? We want to know!

The St. Simons Island Causeway Bridge was formerly a tollbooth/drawbridge back in the day. At that time, it cost twenty-five cents to get onto the island. The eldest of us Fritter Chicks drove a stick shift Pinto as her first car, which was a gift from daddy. She was scared to death of stalling at the tollbooth so she just rolled the window down and threw in her quarter, and never stopped the car. This chowder is just like that. Throw it all in and go!

Causeway Chowder

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tubes frozen cream corn
2 cans Original RoTel, undrained
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
One dollop of hot pepper sauce
3 cups peeled shrimp, raw

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Carefully add flour; cook and stir until golden brown. Reduce heat to low. Add onion, green pepper, green onions and garlic until veggies are tender. Add corn, tomatoes, white and cayenne peppers and hot pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in shrimp until shrimp turn pink.

Stand Out In A Crowd!

It finally quit raining here in the South - at least for a little while, which got us thinking: When you Fritter Chicks are trying to get back into that bikini and look amazing on the beach, you may want to cut back on your frying time! These coconut shrimp are oven baked. They are laid back, soaking up that 425 degree rays and will make you ready to explore the shore!

Ship Shape Shrimp

1 ½ pounds peeled raw shrimp
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Generous dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup honey (or cane syrup to add a twist!)

Heat oven to 425 F. Put some aluminum foil on your cookie sheet and then spread some oil on the foil, sister! In a food processor or blender, mix the coconut, bread crumbs, salt and cayenne pepper just a little bit. Remove your mix from the food processor and place into a mixing bowl.

Place your shrimp in a separate bowl.
Heat honey (or cane syrup) in small sauce pan over low heat just until it gets melted and smooth. Now, pour your honey/syrup mixture over your shrimp; toss it to coat. This will make those shrimp good and sticky.

Roll shrimp in coconut mixture to coat; place in single layer on your greased foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 425 F. for 9 to 12 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and coconut begins to tan brown.

Get ready to strut your stuff!

26 again . . .

Happy Birthday to Aunt B who is 26 again today! When our Fritter Chick In Training asked Aunt B how old she was going to be, Aunt B replied that she was going to be 26 again. Age is nothing but a number and southern women age to perfection and Aunt B still looks hot! You go girl! Sis, may you always have sand on your feet, seafood to eat, surfer dudes that say hi and always a slice of this key lime pie! Please help celebrate with us!

Beginner Approved Lime Pie

1 6 ounce can frozen Limeade
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8 ounce carton cool whip
1 graham cracker crust

Mix Limeade and milk. Fold into cool whip. Pour into graham cracker crust. Chill until firm.

The Nor'easter

Fritter Flash: If y'all aren't in the South today, you are probably warmer than us! A Nor'easter blew in yesterday and the temperature only reached 55! Usually in May it is a scorcher, in the 90s, everybody is beach ready and the only scent you smell is Hawaiian Tropic! We woke up freezing this morning! The weatherman said that we are in for for hurricane weather two weeks early this year! It was very unexpected and reminds us of our daddy. Our daddy had a boat and he named it the Nor’easter because every time he took it out fishing, a Nor’easter blew in and it was a front from out of nowhere! When you taste this one, your taste forecast will change and your tongue won’t know what hit it!

The Nor’easter Dinner

1-1/2 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup limeade juice
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound large, raw shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup Slivered Almonds, toasted
3 cups hot cooked rice
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until garlic is slightly softened. Stir in limeade, green onions and ginger. Increase heat to medium-high; cook and stir until liquid is reduced by about half. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink, stirring frequently.

Stir in almonds and rice; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Season with the salt and pepper.

*Photo from Femail Creations. Don't you just love this picture/sign of "Whatever floats your boat"? Head on over to check it out at www.femailcreations.com!

Fellow Fritter Chicks, bless your hearts! We have been given two blog awards. The first coming from http://socialclimbers123.blogspot.com/ (if you haven't been to Beth's site yet you have to go there now as we just love it!). The second coming from http://sweetteatalkin.blogspot.com/ and you have to go there now too as we love it just as much! Everyone of our followers are so supportive! We really love y'all! We now get to play like Reba at the awards show and tell you are nominees and winners of these two blog awards. Here are the rules:
1) Accept the award, post it to your blog with the name of the person who gave you the award and list his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award on to 15 other bloggers who you think rock. *Remember to contact the bloggers and let them know they have been chosen for this award.
Congratulations to y'all!

He Keeps Me Singing
The Pink Chick
Sweet Tea Diaries
Prissy Southern Prep
Fabulous Florida Mommy
Chronicles of a Country Girl
Petunia in Paradise
Diary of a Southern Belle
Capturing real life
All Things Southern & Preppy
The Pink Tutu
Life's A Beach 4 Us!
A Southern Accent
A Boston Belle
A Belle and her Beau

Cane Pole Dance: Haha!

Hope y'all had a great weekend! We took our Fritter Chick in Training to the beach with her grandma on St. Simons this weekend. That was an adventure in itself. You know you are getting old when, after you buckle in your child, you have to buckle in your mother as well. Time goes by fast so dance while you can and do not wait for tomorrow to do what you wanted to today! Fritter Chicks, once you try this recipe it will make you want to jump up on the pole and do a dance. Let us rephrase that, grab your fishing/cane pole and do a dance!

Cane Pole Shrimp

8 fresh rosemary sprigs, about 6 inches long
1/2 cup apricot marmalade
1/2 cup flaked coconut, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1-1/2 pounds large raw shrimp, peeled

Soak rosemary sprigs in water for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the marmalade, coconut, pepper flakes and minced rosemary; set aside 1/4 cup for serving.

Spray your grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Thread shrimp onto rosemary sprigs. Grill for 4 minutes. Turn and coat with some of the remaining marmalade mixture. Grill 3-4 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink and then coat them again. Serve with remaining marmalade mixture.

Sweet Tea is better than ___________.

Happy Friday! To kick off the weekend, we are going to let you in on our little secret. A good glass of Southern Sweet Tea is, at most times, better than ______________. We’ll let you fill in your own blank.

Sweet Tea

6 tea bags regular size (we like Black Tea)
4 Cups of cold water
2 Cup of sugar

Place the 4 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil. Then add your tea bags. Remove from heat and let steep for about fifteen minutes.
Remove from heat and pour tea into empty gallon tea pitcher. Add your sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Fill the pitcher up to the top with more water and ice until the tea reaches the top.

Taste the tea while it is still warm. If not sweet enough for your tastes, add some more sugar before the tea gets too cold so that sugar will dissolve!

National Dance Like a Chicken Day!

Why did the Fritter Chicks cross the road? Because we smelled southern fried chicken on the other side! Fritter Chicks, today is National Dance Like a Chicken Day! That's right! You get an excuse to shake your tail feathers! Why only do the chicken dance at weddings when you can boogie all day long? In honor of today, we would like you to fry um...try this recipe! How do you like your chicken?



Southern Fried Chicken

1 (3 pound) Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon Salt
1 tablespoon Fresh Ground Pepper
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 quart Vegetable Oil

Preparation:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs and milk with 1/2 cup water. Add the chicken and set aside.

In a heavy paper bag combine flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Close tightly and shake to blend. Remove the chicken pieces from the egg mixture and immediately drop them into the bag one piece at a time. Shake to coat.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over moderate heat. We like to use Cast Iron Skillets but that is your call.

Remove the chicken pieces from the bag, shake off the excess flour and drop them in to the hot oil. Cook the chicken pieces until golden brown and done, 5 minutes on each side for breasts and wings; 8 to 10 minutes on each side for thighs and legs.

Drain on paper bags. Serves 6.

*After you eat this meal, do the chicken dance to burn off the calories!

Anchor Management

Drop your anchor and stay awhile with these tasty bites! This is how Fritter Chicks deal with our stress! We saw the name "Anchor Management" on a boat near St. Simons and we thought it was too cute! What are some cute boat names you have seen? We want to know!

Anchor Management

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons minced Vidalia onion
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon lime juice
2 packages (2.1 ounces each) frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
1/2 cup cocktail sauce
1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled

In a small mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Spoon into tart shells. Top with cocktail sauce and shrimp. Refrigerate until serving.

Bring It On Catfish!

You might be a Fritter Chick if you think Catfish is THE OTHER WHITE MEAT! Our Fritter Chick In Training was about four years old when she was speaking with her Aunt Bilinda, whom she calls her Aunt B. (Is she southern or what?) Aunt B said she was coming to visit her and she responded to her Aunt B with, “Well, Bring It On Catfish!”. So, bring it on catfish and try this recipe!

Bring It On Catfish with Fritter Chicks Salsa

CATFISH:

2 tablespoons fajita seasoning
4 catfish fillets
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

SALSA:

1 medium green pepper, diced
3/4 cup diced Vidalia onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 cups fresh corn
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 pound peeled, raw shrimp
1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning
Generous dash of hot sauce

In a small bowl, combine the fajita seasoning and rub over catfish fillets. In cast iron skillet, fry fillets in oil over medium-high heat on each side for 4-5 minutes. Remove.

In the same skillet, sauté the green pepper, onion, jalapeno and garlic in butter until tender. Add the corn, and tomatoes; cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until corn is tender. Add shrimp until shrimp turn pink. Stir in fajita seasoning and hot sauce. Serve with catfish.

Momma's Potato Salad

Hope y'all had a great Mother's Day! St. Simons Island and Brunswick, Georgia, is where we grew up. It’s about as south as you can get in Georgia and right on the beach and rivers. When our daddy caught enough seafood in the river from his fishing trip, we chicks knew we were going to get something we really, really needed. . . an L.C.B.! (And, no ladies, L.C.B. does not stand for Low Cut Bra!) We’re talking about a LOW COUNTRY BOIL! Ya’ll know what that is? Those corn cobs, potatoes, onions, Blue Crab and shrimp just waiting to have all the juice sucked out of ‘em with some southern rolls! We’d invite all our friends over to Bryan’s Landing. Our momma would make her famous potato salad (which we have included for all our Fritter Chicks), and daddy, well . . . he was in charge of the entertainment. Our daddy always knew from experience when everything he was cooking would be done, depending on the meal. He would start cooking and have one of us girls fix him one glass of what he called “Daddy’s Drink”, which was usually Old Granddad mixed with water and ice, but, not too much ice. Daddy would say that too much ice would mess up your sugar levels! Two drinks and the L.C.B. was almost done and he was ready to add the shrimp. Three drinks and “Ya’ll tell your momma to quit messin’ around and bring the potato salad. The L.C.B. is ready!” We lost our daddy in 2007 but the memories live on and, included in those memories, is the taste of that potato salad and the image of it always being served in a big yellow bowl. It just didn't seem like Mother's Day this year as there was not a gathering. Our daddy has passed, and momma never celebrates anymore. But, we Fritter Chicks were raised to be tough and we know that we must pass down the tradition and the recipe. So, have a party while you still can and dance like nobody's watching! Live for the moment, have a bite of this potato salad and make your own memories!

Linda Kay’s (a/k/a Momma’s) Potato Salad

5 pounds of brown potatoes
4 raw eggs in shell
¼ cup Apple Cider vinegar
½ Vidalia onion, chopped
1 stick chopped celery
½ green pepper, chopped
½ cup chopped pickles (Momma prefers dill)
2 cups mayonnaise
¼ cup yellow mustard
½ cup sour cream
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of Paprika

Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil the potatoes in salted water with four hard eggs. When you can stick a fork in the potatoes, they’re ready. Drain and cool.

Meanwhile, in a separate large bowl, mix the vinegar with the onion and the celery. Add the green pepper and pickles. Then add the mustard, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste.

Peel and chop eggs and add to mixture. Add potatoes and mix well. Sprinkle with Paprika for color. If too dry, add more mayonnaise.

Serve chilled – unless you just can’t wait!

Momma's on Cloud 9

It takes a special women to be the momma of a Fritter Chick! This is a true story about our momma. She has really put up with a lot and we love her!

Throughout our childhood, our dad worked shift work at the local pulp and paper mill. As sisters, we are sixteen years apart. I, being the youngest, as a little girl, dreaded the “graveyard” shift as that left my mom and I alone and I needed my dad around as our “protector” from the boogie man! My family and I lived in a nice neighborhood but there had been some robberies lately. Every time something horrible happened around our home, my dad was working night shift. A helicopter swarming the river behind our house looking for a notorious jewelry store thief, a gang that was on the State’s wanted list, and our mailbox, which had a beautiful painting on it of Mallard Ducks, was stolen. All of these events happened on night shift! To add to my panic, I dreamed every night. Most of my dreams were nightmares. The problem with my dreams is that sometimes when I woke up, the dreams were so real, I felt like they actually occurred. Little did I know, my dreams were going to end a beautiful friendship between myself and the neighbors' child. I mentioned we lived in a nice neighborhood, however, about three miles down the road stood a bar named The Cloud Nine. It was a blue, cement building with white clouds which were spray painted on the exterior. This building was smaller than a gas station. I was only in elementary school and I really did not know what The Cloud Nine could possibly be. I actually thought it was where you could buy chalk and crayons because the clouds on the outside of that building reminded me of craft time at school. I finally inquired as to what The Cloud Nine was to my parents. The answer I was given: “It is a place where adults go and children have to stay home”. The explanation sounded simple enough to me. However, one night shift evening, my dreams got the best of me. I dreamed that my mother had left me alone in the house to go to The Cloud Nine. Of course, this would never happen in real life. My mother is a saint and my parents had a wonderful marriage. She would never be at the Cloud Nine. In fact, she was always in bed by nine! However, I still woke up crying. When nobody came to my room to comfort me, I called out for my mother. No answer. I walked into her room and felt around on her bed and still nothing. I panicked. It was one o’clock in the morning and I was alone at only six years of age. I reached up on my tip toes and grabbed the telephone off the wall and called . . . the neighbors! Keep in mind that these neighbors are great pillars of the community, are both pharmacists, and their daughter and I played together every day. The phone rang. They answered. I screamed into the phone in a panic, “My daddy’s working graveyard shift and my momma left me at home and went to the Cloud Nine.” I sobbed. The neighbors spoke to me in a calm voice and one of them said they would stay on the line with me until the other could come and pick me up. It was right at that time that my mother emerged from the bathroom in her fuzzy robe and said “Who are you talking to at this time of night and why are you not in bed?” I was so happy that the nightmare was not real that I yelled out in delight, “There’s my momma!” Of course to the neighbors, this sounded like my mother emerged from the front door instead of the hall and had just arrived back home after the bar closed because it was that time! We tried to explain everything to the neighbors the next day and let them know about my nightmares. However, since that evening, no more invitations to come over and play with their daughter were extended. I do not think they ever believed us. To this day, no matter how ill I feel, when I go to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription and see our old neighbors, I cannot help but remember that night, laugh, and feel like I am on cloud nine!

Mother's Day and Southern Baby Names

Fritter Chicks, it is almost Mother's Day. In the South, we honor our mommas like nobody's business. Whether you make her something from the heart or get her a nice certificate to get her hair fixed, you have done good! We came across this list of Southern Girl Baby Names. To be a Fritter Chick, it doesn't really matter what your name is, but you definitely get crowned Miss Fancy Fritter Chick if one of these names is yours! We have relatives with the majority of these names because that is how we do it in Dixie. If you have a Southern name that is not on this list, send it to us as we want to know!

Aretha, Arnette, Aletta, Alexandria, Annabelle, Arlene, Alma, Azalia, Alice, Alma, Augusta, Beverly, Beulah, Belle, Bertha, Bernadette, Belva, Birdie, Billie, Bessie, Carolina, Charlotte, Charlese, Clora, Cordelia, Charlene, Coral, Cora, Claudell, Darlene, Daisy, Della, Dollie, Dixie, Delta, Delilah, Ella, Etta, Eunice, Effie, Eustice, Eula, Fancy, Flora, Florine, Fannie, Fossie, Faylene, Geraldine, Gladys, Georgia, Glenda, Garnet, Henrietta, Irma, Ida, Idell, Iola, Ivanell, Jolene, Jasmine, Jearlene, June, Lily, Lolamae, Loretta, Lula, Luella, Lulu, Lorraine, Laverne, Louella, Lucille, Larue, Leanne, Magnolia, Maybelle, Marietta, May, Mae, Myrtle, Mazie, Mozelle, Nola, Opal, Odessa, Ora, Pansy, Patsy, Pearl, Ruby, Reba, Ruth, Raylene, Savannah, Shelby, Scarlett, Tammy, Thelma, Tillie, Twyla, Talullah, Velma, Virginia, Viola, Verna, Vidalia.

Dance In The Rain

Fritter Chicks Text Talk

In the South, our LOL is HAHA. IDK is still "I don't know" but it seems we Fritter Chicks remain in IDK mode longer than others! When you get to meet us, if we have that deer in the headlight look and mumble a little sound that translates into IDK, then we are definitely in IDK mode. Kids, husbands, ex's, and jobs tend to do that do us! Where is the pool boy when we need him? You guessed it, he is having a Slushy Margarita and some Green Bean Fritters!

Party Ice and Slushy Margaritas!

Growing up, we always knew if our parents were going to throw a party because our momma and daddy bought bagged ice! So, in the Fritter Chicks household, bagged ice became known as “Party Ice”! It’s the best, especially with these margaritas!

Slushy Margaritas

2 tablespoons sea salt
1 lime wedge
3 ounces white tequila
1 ounce triple sec
2 ounces lime juice
1 cup party ice a/k/a bagged ice

Please salt in saucer or any flat surface. Rub rim of cocktail glass or 2-go cup with lime wedge and dip your glass into the salt to coat rim. Keep the lime! Pour tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and crushed ice into blender. Blend well at high speed.

Going Green - Green Bean Fritters

Fritter Chicks are Going Green! We wanted to share our recipe with y'all. Our cookbook is in the works but, in an effort to "go green", we had these for lunch and wanted to spread the love! In the South, we know how to pass the plate! Try it and let us know what you think. Also, if you have any recipes you would like to have featured in our upcoming cookbook, please send them to us!

GREEN BEAN FRITTERS

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh green beans, cut to one-half inch pieces and cooked until tender.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cloves, pressed fresh garlic
Canola oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 370°. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and garlic. In a separate bowl, whisk egg with milk; stir in beans. Add bean mixture to your dry ingredients, stir until moistened. Drop your batter by tablespoonfuls into your hot oil. Deep-fry in batches until golden brown. Remove and drain on brown paper bags.

Servings: 15 fritters, maybe a few more if you didn't sneak any before you served them!

The Fritter Chicks were fried over easy today as the South reached 88 degrees! No rain in sight! All the more reason we should go to the beach! If you are a true Fritter Chick, there is a place in your car that holds a beach towel, a bathing suit, and tanning oil - just for emergencies such as this. Why, you never know when the boss is going to let you leave early or you might take advantage of your lunch hour and never go back. Maybe a friend invites you over to their pool at the last minute - either way, being a Fritter Chick, you are prepared to hatch in any warm climate! We're off to enjoy the sun and trying not to get any tan lines!

You've got to continue to grow, or you're just like last night's cornbread--stale and dry.
----Loretta Lynn