I truly love going grocery shopping! Right now until I get my knee taken care of I load up on pain pills and wait 30 min to take effect before heading out so it isn’t so painful to shop. Yes I know I can order online and I do that as well, but days like today I just want to go and do it myself. We didn’t need much so we headed out to pick up some frozen dinners for lunch to avoid having to cook with the heat and my knee! As I was looking at the Dolly Parton brownie mixes and the new Dolly Parton biscuit mix, a lady with bright blue hair came up beside me and we began to talk. And that is why I love going to the store! She was telling me she was planning on making hamburger steak tonight with gravy but it was so hot she didn’t know if she would make the hamburger Patty or just a salad. She ask me if we ever made hamburger Pattie’s and of course I said “yes”! Randy loves them cooked with onions and gravy. Well she proceeded to tell me that when she makes them she grates butter in the meat mixture and soaks some bread cubes in milk before shaping the meat into patties .

She said it keeps them so soft and moist. But she said to be sure to use a cheese grater for the butter. So that is what I will make for dinner sometime this week. I think for a pound of meat I’ll use 1/2 stick of butter and 2 pieces of bread cut up into cubes soaked in about 1/4 cup milk. Add 1 egg, pepper and garlic powder to taste! She didn’t give me the amounts she used but I think these amounts will be perfect for a pound of hamburger!

I’ll use Pioneer Brown Gravy Mix to add to the meat patties , cover and cook on low until meat is done. Serve with mashed potatoes, green beans or fried okra . Makes a great southern meal

And don’t be afraid to speak to others in stores. You never know what great cooking tips you might come home with!!!

Last night before the storm blew in, we were sitting at a club our son belongs to waiting for one of the best fireworks shows to begin! As I sat there and “people watched” , it reminded me of years past! Families were gathered around on blankets while kids played tag, or ran around with glow in the dark necklaces, with their faces painted. The wind was cool and the laughter was rampant! Folks seeing other families they knew would stop and hug each other and visit! I didn’t see one iPad or game being played on any phone just phones out taking picture after picture! Was such a beautiful reminder of what we use to do on a daily basis and not just on a special day! It was so nice that one could almost forget the unrest, the mass shootings, the political lines, the anger, the depression that seems to be all around us and entitlement that we live with now on a day to day basis! It was a night that allowed us to just forget all the negatives and enjoy the sheer laughter and focus on what we could have if we could let our hearts to be led to the One who gives true peace and fulfillment! That our Land could be filled with His goodness and enjoy the benefits of all the blessings that He wants to give us! As everyone began to run for their cars, (I waddled quickly), there was still laughter and kids were still trying to play until the huge lightning that appeared made parents scramble to get their quilts and belongings. we realized that we would not be seeing any fireworks that night! But my spirit wasn’t any less dampened by the rain! It had been a joy to just be out and feel the coolness of the evening! But more than that, it gave me a picture of what America still is, in spite of the problems, it is still the land of the free and the home of the brave! We sometimes just have to be reminded of that! God bless America! Happy 4th!!!

This is a new twist of the original one that is made with chocolate instead of white cake mix. I made the original one last week for a lady who ordered it and as I began to mix it up, I started thinking of why couldn’t I make it with a chocolate cake mix…so today that’s just what I did! We have a birthday dinner tonight celebrating our sweet Payton who turned 9 yesterday and Randy’s also who’s is the 2nd at our son and DIL house! Payton requested her own cherry pie, so I made her that and am taking a cake for the rest of the family as well, so she doesn’t have to share her pie! I have not tasted the cake yet of course but just the smell and frosting has me thinking that this might become one of my favorite cakes. I used a Duncan Hines Devils food cake mix and white chocolate instant pudding mix for the cake. (To use the instand pudding g mix to the cake mix, yo Heiko add 4 eggs, room temp, 1 1/4 cups water and 1/2 cup oil) mix well and then add a cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of chopped up Oreo cookies to the batter before pouring batter in greased 9×13 baking dish. Baked it for 25 min at 350 and let it cool!

First layer of frosting, I spread some chocolate frosting over warm cake and let it the cool completely allowing the frosting to spread over top of cake with a knife and set before adding the vanilla frosting!

First picture is raw batter going into oven

Second picture is with the chocolate frosting

Third picture is with the vanilla and crushed Oreos.

Chocolate Oreo Cake

Next Layer was vanilla buttercream frosting and then sprinkled crushed Oreo cookies over the top. When we cut the cake tonight, I’ll take a picture of the finished product and will let you know how well it was received. I hope not well, so I can have some left over to bring home! I can be selfish like that as this is my birthday month!!!