Cookie's Southern Style: 2013

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

My Christmas Home Tour
Christmas is my favorite time of the year! I have been collecting Christmas decorations for 15 years. (Due to a pinch nerve) This year I only decorated 7 of my 15 trees. But, I did get a chance to decorate for a few of my clients before I had to take a holiday break. This year I had my entire home painted so I had to move a few trees around. This little change gave me a desire to purchase more décor!! Yeah!!
My favorite room this year is my family room. I purchased a flocked tree accented it with white and gold, placed on a rotating stand and this is how it turned out!

We have had some unusual winter weather the past 2 weeks in Dallas. Last week we had an ice storm which caused some much needed time to rest. Of course during this down time I have been searching Pinterest for decorating inspirations. Lately, I have been inspired by Vintage and Shabby Chic Décor. I literally stayed up till 4am surfing the web. The only reason I stopped was to paint an antique vanity in my guest room. Yes, I am a little obsessed with Decorating!! I can't help myself it is so much FUN!! You must see some pictures that had me so inspired to paint at 4am.

After looking at these cool inspirations I painted this Antique vanity below! I used Annie Sloan chalk paint and dark wax to create a Shabby Chic Masterpiece!

I Love decorating and looking at model homes. I schedule day trips to view home tours whenever they are available. My home do not stay the same very long because I am always changing up after getting inspired by other homes. Having a husband that allow me to freely express myself with our home décor has been a blessing. I would like to share pictures from some of the homes I have recently visited.

The pictures above were taken during my tour of a Local Model Home.

The master suite is very spacious featuring a seating area and tray ceilings. My favorite room in this model is the master bath. The tub is amazing.

My favorite tour in 2013 was the Fort Worth Dream Home designed by my favorite designer

Donna Moss.

Watching Donna post sneak peaks of this tour was torture. It was well worth the wait! Take a look at some of the pictures that I have below.

Southern Spice Recipe by Cookie Hudson Catering

Ingredients:3/4 cup margarine, 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped, 3 large onions, chopped, 1 green bell pepper, chopped, 1 red bell pepper, chopped,1 yellow bell pepper, chopped, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons, dried oregano, crumbled, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 5 (8 oz.) bottles clam juice, 2 (28 oz.) cans Cajun style diced tomatoes, 2 pounds Smoked Andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/4 inch thick, 2 pounds okra, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, 2 pounds large Shrimp, uncooked, peeled and deveined, 3 tomatoes, seeded, diced, 1 pound rice, cooked

Directions:

Heat oil in a large iron skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add flour, stirring constantly until you get a dark red-brown rue, about 8 minutes. Add celery, onions and bell peppers. Cook 5 minutes, stirring and scraping bottom of pan often. Mix in bay leaves, salt, oregano and cayenne. Add clam juice, canned tomatoes and sausage. Boil 15 minutes. Add okra, reduce heat and simmer until okra is tender, about 15 minutes. Cover and chill to let the flavors merge. Bring to simmer before continuing. Add shrimp to gumbo and simmer until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Ladle over rice and top with tomatoes.

"Chicken Creole" Recipe

Cooked leftover chicken can be tossed into this gumbo and simmered with tomatoes, mushrooms, chile peppers, a little of this and a little of that. Delicious chicken gumbo consistency with tomato base served over a bed of rice

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil for frying

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast

meat

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with

green chile peppers, with liquid

1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms,

drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 dashes hot sauce

Directions:

1.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until mixture is the color of a copper penny. Reduce heat to low and stir in bell pepper and onion. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.

2.

Add chicken, tomatoes with green chile peppers, mushrooms, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Stir together, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay or Creole/Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, drained

Preparation:

Combine egg whites, mayonnaise, parsley, Creole seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and dry mustard. Gently stir in the bread crumbs and crabmeat. Shape mixture into 8 patties, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place patties on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or non-stick foil; cover and chill for 30 to 60 minutes.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray or use a little olive oil to coat the bottom. Place over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add crab cakes; cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until browned.

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013