Author: Debbie

Keisha McKinney: Tomato-Basil Jam {Foodie Friday}

Celebrate the Flavors of Arkansas {Tomato Basil Jam}

tomato basil jam medium 500

A couple of summers ago, my Papa fell shelling peas.  I mean, what else are you supposed to do on a summer’s night when you are 90? (Now you know the Energizer Bunny™ is in my genes!) He had already planted a full garden for the summer and it was tomato time.  I remember spending a couple of afternoons during those hot July summer days in his fields and thinking, “I understand now why he gets up so early to do this!”

But that summer was a productive one on the tomato vine.  I learned and relearned a lot of lessons evaluating those plants and the crop they were producing.  Our hearts were full and so was the floor of the carport.  You see my Papa usually overplanted because he knew he was going to spend most of his summer giving those vegetables away.

keisha 500 tomato basil jam

My papa passed away at the end of last summer, and I heard several people say that for the first time in at least 2 decades they would have to actually purchase tomatoes of their own.  I guess it seems fitting that my mom developed this recipe as a way to use up the “ugly” tomatoes in the bunch and give away some gifts in his honor. 

Here’s a tasty idea for using those fresh summer tomatoes. @bigpittstop #FoodieFriday #ARWB

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I love this jam on sandwiches or with homemade quesadillas.  And, the Texan in me prefers cilantro instead of the basil variation. But, play with the herbs in your terra cotta pots.  You’re bound to have a favorite too!

As your bounty fills this summer, enjoy this treat, gather folks and your table and take some time to remember what you love about the season!

Heather Disarro: Wicked Mix Chocolate Cake {Foodie Friday}

Celebrate the tastes of Arkansas: Wicked Mix 

wicked-mix-chocolate-cake-1

When I was growing up we would spend every Christmas or Thanksgiving with my grandparents who lived in the Hill Country of Texas, a solid 6 hours from our home in the Panhandle. When you grow up in Texas, especially outside of the major cities, you just get used to having to travel longer distances to get places and so 6 hours was pretty average for us. But when you’re a kid that is still a long time to be stuck in a car, especially when your Hanson CD has repeated itself for the third time and you’re only a third of the way there.

Luckily my mom would always pack the leftovers from our Christmas plates, and so we were able to pass the time devouring cookies, fudge, smoked pecans, and all manor of treats that insured a massive sugar high. One of my favorites, though, was the Chex mix she would make – extra butter, extra Worchestershire sauce, extra garlic. It was so good.

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These days it’s not safe for me to make massive batches of cereal mixes because it will, without question, be eaten in a matter of hours. But that’s where Wicked Mix comes in. It has great crunch and flavor I love that it’s a local company – in fact, the offices are just a few doors down from where my husband works. I love that it’s spicy and sweet, super crunchy, and packed with a variety of ingredients. And I also love that the founder was simply making something he loved and then saw that it was so good he needed to share!

 wicked-mix-chocolate-cake-3

While the star of the show in this cake is certainly the Wicked Mix itself – I used the Spicy Original, although chocolate-laced would be great too – I tried to replicate a little bit of the spice blend to give the entire cake a little sweet-and-spicy flavor. The mix of sweet, soft cake and spicy, crunchy Wicked Mix is sure to be a hit!

Oh my goodness. This @snackwicked choc cake is A. MAZ.ING. @heathersdish

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A few cook’s notes:

    • If you’re making this ahead of time wait to sprinkle the cake with the Wicked Mix until right before serving to keep the crunchy texture fully intact. It will stay crunchy even after a few hours, but no one likes soggy pretzels or cereal!
    • I made my cake in 6-inch cake pans, even though the recipe called for 8-inch, because I wanted the layers to be taller. Feel free to do either.
    • If you’re planning on serving this immediately, sprinkling the Wicked Mix on top of the middle layer of frosting is a great idea.

wicked-mix-chocolate-cake-4

Heather Disarro_1_Lowres2Heather Disarro is a food-centric lifestyle blogger who is passionate about embracing the beauty that surrounds us in our everyday lives. She is a Texan living the expat life in central Arkansas with her husband, two sons, and two massive dogs. Heather writes her blog, Heather’s Dish, from an office filled with dust, dog fur, toys and plenty of love, grace and music. She revels in the opportunity to bring the love of cooking to the world as a way to love others well! You can also find Heather on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Google+.

Rhonda Franz: Celebrating the Flavors of Arkansas with Petit Jean Meats

Celebrating the Flavors of Arkansas: Variations on BLT

Oh, the beloved BLT: a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich is so good you can almost get by without one of the three core ingredients. Except the Petit Jean Meats bacon. Or the tomato.

I haven’t much need to mess with the original, except that variations are fun and in some cases and for some food preferences, add pizzazz to the standard sandwich. Following are a few BLT variations I’ve played around with in my kitchen.

rhonda frznz blt open face

Celebrating the Flavors of AR w @PetitjeanMeats @rhondafranz #FoodieFriday

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The Breakfast BLT

Of course you can have a BLT for breakfast (BACON, people), and with tomato to boot. I am leaving out the lettuce on this one, because I’m not sure about lettuce for breakfast. So, it’s more like a breakfast BLT minus the L . No worries, though: I’ve added some vowels.

Rhonda Franz: Open Face BLT
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Ingredients
  1. thick white or whole-grain bread, toasted
  2. 1 to 2 strips Petit Jean bacon
  3. 1 to 2 slices tomato
  4. 2 to 3 slices avocado
  5. 1 egg
  6. salt to taste
  7. cooking oil
Instructions
  1. Lay toasted bread on plate.
  2. Cook bacon, pat with paper towel, and set on toast.
  3. Pat tomato slices with a paper towel to soak juices and sauté in a skillet on medium heat for about a minute. Add to bacon.
  4. Cook egg over easy, runny yolk or solid yolk. Add to bacon.
  5. Lay avocado slices on top. Eat the open-faced toast while ingredients are nice and warm.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

The BLT Salad

I like whole cherry tomatoes for this one. The egg provides perfect companionship to other ingredients, and crispy bacon adds the crunch.

Rhonda Franz: The BLT Salad
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Ingredients
  1. a mixture of dark greens and crispy lettuce
  2. 2 to 3 strips Petit Jean bacon, cooked slightly overdone (to crispy), cooled and chopped or torn into small pieces
  3. a few cherry tomatoes
  4. 1 hard-boiled egg, cut into wedges or crumbled
  5. other good toppings for this salad: croutons, shredded cheddar cheese, avocado, grated carrots
  6. dressings to make this salad delightful: ranch, blue cheese or balsamic vinaigrette.
Instructions
  1. Toss lettuce with chopped bacon
  2. Top with cherry tomatoes, egg and other ingredients you’re using.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

 

BLT salad

 

BLT Kabobs

This one’s just for fun. Iceberg lettuce works the best for sticking on skewers, but it works with any kind of lettuce folded over a time or two. The best part of these kabobs  is that they can be eaten cold.

Rhonda Franz: BLT Kabobs
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Ingredients
  1. several pieces of toast
  2. iceberg lettuce cut into small wedges or leaf lettuce torn into big pieces
  3. cherry tomatoes, whole or halved
  4. cooked potatoes, sliced or diced
  5. several strips of Petit Jean bacon, cooked and cooled (for this recipe, it’s best to have the bacon not overdone)
Instructions
  1. In any order, slide the ingredients onto a skewer.
  2. In any order, eat the ingredients.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

Ingredients

BLT kabobs

 

rhondafranz

 Rhonda Franz is an educator, freelance writer, and mom. She is a born city girl who is raising three boys in the woods of northwest Arkansas with her husband, a corporate pilot. She works as the Girl Friday for the Women Bloggers, and writes for websites, parenting magazines, and on her blog, Captain Mom.

 

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Whitney Binzell: Pulled BBQ Chicken ala’ McClard’s

Celebrate the tastes of Arkansas: McClards BBQ

 

McClard's BBQ Crock Pot Pulled Chicken-0622
When I first moved to Arkansas, I had no clue what I was in for. All I pretty much knew about Arkansas was that it was home of the Razorbacks, a rival of my alma mater. I’ve lived in this beautiful state for two years now, and I’m glad to say I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

There are plenty of things to do and see, all throughout this state, even things a foodie like myself would enjoy. Cupcakes that have been featured on Food Network? Arkansas has that! A restaurant owned by humble celebrities? Arkansas has that! A bbq restaurant that’s been around for almost a century? Yep, you guessed it! Arkansas has that, too. And let me tell you, friends…I love bbq. If you’re from the South and you don’t love bbq, I don’t trust your judgment, and we likely won’t be friends. Harsh, I know. But I’ve got principles.

McClard's BBQ Crock Pot Pulled Chicken-0623

McClard’s BAR-B-QUE has been around since 1928. This quaint Hot Springs establishment has been featured in books, magazines, and tv shows, all geared towards foodies. It’s pretty much a food lover’s paradise. So, what you ought to infer by now, is McClard’s is good stuff.

Thankfully, you can buy their bbq sauce in stores throughout the state and have yourself a mini-feast at home. I’ve put together a ridiculously easy pulled chicken recipe for you that’s made in the slow cooker. It’s a true “set it and forget it” recipe. The end result is fork tender chicken that falls off the bone, which makes a great pulled style sandwich. It’s so tender you could chop it up, if that’s your preferred style. I’ve always been a pulled chicken fan myself, so this is a win-win situation for me.

I like to eat my pulled chicken naked and drizzle extra sauce on top. If you want “all the things” then all you have to do is add the chicken, once pulled, back into the slow cooker and mix with the sauce. I’ve used a whole chicken, cut into pieces, because I love both white and dark meat. The recipe works with all white meat as well. Your choice.

I’m also a minimalist, so you won’t catch me adding coleslaw or chow-chow to my sandwich. Only bread and pickles, please. But again, do whatever you want. Either way you’re going to end up with a bbq sandwich that’s a little tangy, and a little spicy. A great balance for those of you who like all the spectrums.

Celebrate the tastes of AR: McClards @whitbitskitchen #ARWB #FoodieFriday

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whitney binzel mcclards bbq sandwich

 

Whitney Binzel

 

Whitney blogs at WhitBit’s Kitchen, where she focuses on international food and drink recipes. You can find her onFacebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Whitney’s recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Parade Magazine,  The Frisky, and Food & Wine

 

Brittney Lee: Slow Cooker Beef Tacos with My Brother’s Salsa

Celebrating the Flavors of Arkansas

 

Our life is busy these days. Along with working full time, I also teach Zumba two nights a week, teach Bible study on Wednesdays, my husband works odd hours, and I’m pregnant and exhausted. Getting a delicious home-cooked dinner on the table can be tough.

One way I make life and dinnertime a little easier is slow cooker recipes. We love making taco meat and using it different ways. The first night we might have traditional tacos. Then I might make enchiladas or quesadillas with some of the meat. Then we might make a pasta dish with the final leftovers. Using the slow cooker is a great way to cook a bunch of yummy protein at once.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the salsa slow cooker tacos, but using My Brother’s Salsa puts a tangy spin on it. Created in Bentonville, it’s a fresh, delicious alternative to other jarred salsas. I like that they are smoother and almost act more likea sauce. My house smelled AMAZING while these were cooking. In fact, I tried to nap on Sunday afternoon while they were cooking, but the smell was so good that my stomach kept growling and I couldn’t nap! My Brother’s Salsa has a big variety of options to try. I used fire-roasted salsa for my tacos, but I think the traditional or tomatillo would be great options.


slow cooker taco ingredients

I enhanced the salsa flavor with a few spices and added a can of tomatoes and chilies for some texture.

You can use frozen or fresh roast. While I used beef, I’m sure you could use pork or chicken.

ingredients in slow cooker 

slow cooker beef tacos

brittney-lee-headshot

Brittney is a native Arkansan with a love for bright lights and big city. She often escapes her 20-acre home in a small town to shop, eat and catch a concert in the big city nearby. She blogs about her life, her faith, her adventures, her dogs and her country home at Razorback Britt.

 

 

 

My Brother’s Salsa was founded by ARWB member Helen Lampkin.