The Southern Way

Southern sayings are those wonderful similes, metaphors or other expressions used during conversations from different regions of the South. Some expressions may not be in use today but have been a part of another generation growing up. I picked out some of the colloquialisms I thought you might be interested in. If I could find the translation I added it it with a T, if not be imaginative:)

Well, butter my biscuit. T...Isn't that something

Two goats in a pepper patch. T..That's some hot stuff.

Short end of the stick. T...Treated in an ill manner.

Ruffled her feathers. T...Upsetting

Forty going north. T...to do something with great gusto and enthusiasm.

Good fences make good neighbors.

Well, that just dills my pickle!

That's about as useful as a trap door on a canoe.

Did you know that in the city of Atlanta which is composed mostly of one way streets, there are some 55 streets that have the word Peach Tree in their name? Peach Tree Rd. was the name of the original road linked to a Fort in Gwinnett City.

Recently I ordered a dessert called Mississippi Mud Cake. I have always wanted to make one and was quite surprised to find that there are over some 200 recipes on some 30 food websites. Wow..for just one cake!!!

It is thought the name of the recipe might have been inspired by the muddy waters of the Mississippi River. The dessert is usually associated with Southern cuisine and also goes by the name of Mississippi Mud Pie. In 1927 there was a popular song called Mississippi Mud. The earliest recipe for this cake to to be found came from Texas in 1967.

I had good results with this cake and the best part is came from Cooking Light Dec. 2006 magazine if you use their substitutes and skip coconut!

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Mrs. Sippy's Mud Cake

recipe adapted from myrecipes.com and the name is borrowed from another recipe. I thought it a rather clever name for Mississippi Mud Cake

Cake Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter or fat free substitute
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 4 large eggs or use 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup boiling coffee or water
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

• Grease well a 9 x13 pan
• In bowl combine cocoa and boiling coffee-stir to blend
• Beat sugar, butter and vanilla
• Add cocoa mixture and eggs one at a time beating
• Combine flour, soda,pecans, coconut and salt in another bowl
• Blend ingredients alternating flour, buttermilk and sugar/butter/cocoa mixture
• Stir till blended
• Spread batter in pan Bake @ 350 20 minutes
• Sprinkle marshmallows in an even layer return to oven till marshmallows puffed and then cooled

Ingredients: Chocolate frosting

• 3 TB. butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup evaporated fat free milk or 2 % milk
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cup powdered sugar

Directions for frosting:

• Combine all ingredients except powdered sugar and vanilla-whisk to blend
• Remove from stove and beat in powdered sugar and vanilla (note-you may have to add a little more milk to get frosting correct consistency
• Drizzle hot frosting topping over cooled cake
• Save any extra frosting for another time