Heart Makes The Home Cookbook: IT'S ALL IN THE SEASONing

By Donna Frasier

Heart Makes the Home: IT’S ALL IN THE SEASONing

This is the first in a series of cookbooks dedicated to family. Donna Frasier is a former director of education and activities for her home church and worked in this capacity, along with event preparation, for over twenty years. She was raised in the South and shares stories, recipes, and poetry that read much like a biography. These are timeless Southern recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. These recipes will become favorites.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638851981

Book preview

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Heart Makes the Home Collection Cookbook Series

IT’S ALL IN THE SEASONing

Donna Frasier

ISBN 978-1-63885-197-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63885-199-8 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-63885-198-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Donna Frasier

All rights reserved

First Edition

Designs and pictures in this book are the property of Frasier Enterprises.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Winter

Merry Christmas

The Season Of Magic

Festive Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Rum Sticks

Mimi’s Buttermilk Pralines

Aunt Maude’s Fruitcake

Mimi’s Mincemeat Tarts

Aunt Edna Marie’s Christmas Nut Thins

Merry Kahlúa Cake

Christmas Tree Cheese Ball

White Trail Mix Puppy Chow

Mawmaw’s Sausage Balls

Snowball Cookies

Christmas Cake

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

16 New Year Superstitions

Cranberry Mimosas With A Kick

Best Darn Ham Sandwiches Ever!

Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas And Collards

Hot Crab Dip

Filet Mignon Wraps

Steak Marinade

Cabbage Slaw

Hot-Water Corn Bread

Black-Eyed Pea Corn Bread

Mimi’s Leg Of Lamb

Vaselopita

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day Is Every Day

Iced Heart Sugar Cookies

Shiny Sugar Cookie Icing

Red Velvet Cake

Easy Cake Balls

Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Butterscotch Squares

Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Meringue Pie

Mardi Gras

Louisiana Food Influences

Cream Cheese-Filled King Cake

King Cake Creamy Glaze

My Oh My Crawfish Pie

Louisiana Crawfish Bisque

Chicken Sausage Gumbo

Brooke’s Jambalaya

Crawfish Stuffed Mushrooms

Golden Corn Bread Muffins

Low-Country Shrimp And Grits

Blueberry Muffins

Quick Lasagna

7 Up Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Bread Pudding

Deluxe Bread Pudding

Winter Comfort Food

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Pork Chop Casserole

Creamed Asparagus With Mushrooms

Mushroom Garlic Soup

Meat Loaf

Easy Meat Loaf

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Chicken And Dumplings

Flexible Fruit Cobbler

Instant Pot Chicken Soup

Potato Soup

Sprite Biscuits

Southern Grits Casserole

Spring And Summer

New Beginnings

Saint Patrick’s Day

Hot Sausage Rolls

Spinach Casserole

Baked Stuffed Squash

Irish Beef Stew

Potato Bake

Corn Casserole

Stuffed Artichokes

Spicy Okra And Tomatoes

Ms. Kathleen’s Irish Soda Bread

Lemon Lime Pie

Light Spring Meals

Cassie’s Creamy Chicken Fettuccini

Curried Fruit Bake

Refrigerator Rolls

Eggplant Casserole

Salmon Lemon Loaf

Pea Salad

Creole Lima Beans

Cabbage Bake

Lazy Potatoes

Ms. Artie’s Banana Pound Cake

Easter

Meet In The Middle

Danita’s Rice Dressing

Deviled Eggs

Coke Ham

Company’s Coming Mashed Potatoes

Baby Carrot Cake

Avocado Dressing

Pork Tenderloin

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lori’s Summer Salad

Homemade Croutons

Velvet Sugar Cookies

Happy Mother’s Day

Breakfast Quiche

Easy Breakfast Casserole

Easy Breakfast Quiche

Mom’s French Toast

Chicken Divan

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Mamaw’s Honeybun Cake

Heavenly Angel Dessert

Happy Father’s Day

Meat And Potato Pie

Mashed Potatoes

Mawmaw’s Bbq Stuffed Bell Peppers

Macaroni And Cheese Bake

Chicken And Spaghetti

Taco Casserole

Deep-Dish Pizza Pie

Beef Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Golden Oreo Cookie Pie

Here Comes The Bride

Mrs. Margaret’s Fruit Punch

Pink Party Punch

Petit Fours

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Sweet Pecans

Almond Cookies

Lemon Squares

Carrot Tea Sandwiches

Grape Pasta Salad

Bacon Avocado Turkey Pinwheel Sandwiches

Cream Cheese Pineapple Sandwiches

Fourth Of July

New Orleans Spareribs

Shannon’s Hot Wings

Robert’s Baked Beans

Potato Salad

Fran’s Shrimp Salad

Velveeta Ranch Dip

Spicy Mayonnaise Dressing

Frosted Brownies

No-Crust Strawberry Cream Pie

Blueberry Graham Cracker Cheesecake

Peach Frost Salad

Summer Favorites

Baked Stuffed Squash

Crusty Oven Fried Chicken

Baked Fish Fillets

Hush Puppies

Broccoli Casserole

Bbq Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Piña Colada Cake

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Tiger Stripe Brownies

Amanda’s Fruit Pizza

Mini Fruit Pizzas

Fruit Freeze

Peach Ice Cream

Chocolate Syrup

Praline Sauce

Fall

Game Day

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

Libby’s World-Famous Pepperoni Dip

Cheesy Bread

Cream Cheese Roll-Ups

Cocktail Winners

Avocado Toast Points

Sweet And Sour Meatballs

Shrimp Dip

Avocado Dip

Super Nachos

Cracker Bacon Crisp

Party Pizzas

Haystacks

Halloween

Spicy Taco Soup

Mrs. Margaret’s Chicken Potpie

Fast Red Beans And Rice

Twice Baked Potatoes

Kristie’s Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers

Kristie’s Potato Dip

Iced Carrot Cookies

Chess Pie

Pecan Fingers

Apple Crunch

Mimi’s Fat Pork Cake

Thanksgiving

Heart Makes The Home

Thanksgiving Dressing

Mia’s Chicken And Dressing

Green Bean Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

Butter Rolls

Never-Fail Rolls

Traditional Pumpkin Pie

Praline Sauce

Pumpkin Banana Bread

Lemon Ice Box Pie

Cranberry Carrot Cake

Fresh Apple Cake

Charts And Household TIPS

Sauces

Equivalent Measurements

Can Sizes

Substitutions

Ingredient Equivalencies

Cooking Time For Vegetables

Wine Chart

Tips For Home

10 Refrigeration Myths

This cookbook is dedicated with much love to my girls

Cassie, Brooke, and Harper

Love,

Mom (Mimi)

PREFACE

Recipes in this cookbook have been passed down from generation to generation and stood the test of time. You will find some are easy and there are those that may require a few extra steps. Believe me when I tell you, the effort will be appreciated; and the more you make these dishes, the easier they will be as they become a part of your family celebrations.

These recipes are personal. Some are from family and close friends, a conglomeration from numerous places. It is surprising how vague some instructions can be. Adjustments have been made to ingredients and amounts after researching ambiguous details.

Due to fast-paced lifestyles, you will find a few shortcuts that will enable you to spend more time with the people who matter to you the most! My love of arts and crafts, floral design, entertaining, and writing are such a large part of who I am. These passions come from family members and extended family and have come full circle. I think you will enjoy this collection, their origins, and a few stories behind them.

This is designed as a seasonal series but are recipes that can be used year-round.

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.

—Ecclesiastes 3:1

TIME IN HISTORY

Amid the COVID-19 virus, our way of life and ideas of family and togetherness are being tried. Solidarity is challenged more now than any other period in history.

This is a scary time because we are being isolated from people we love. We are distanced and have to choose between what we want to do and what we need to do to keep each other safe. With all my heart, I hope this virus weakens and every person does all that they can to see that it is short-lived. One thing for certain—we need to cherish and be there for our loved ones in the most prudent way we can. I pray every day that this pandemic will be eradicated and life as we have known will return; but even if it doesn’t, we learn and find new and creative measures to be united rather than divided. All people need love and support; that will never change. Perhaps during this crisis, we as a people and especially lawmakers and government, will keep in sight the need for and importance of love, hope, and solidarity in all ways possible.

May God bless us and keep us in his sight! Amen.

—Donna Frasier

March 20, 2020

Winter

Lincoln Parish Park, February 2015

Rare sight in Louisiana

As the rain turns into snow,

Icy, frigid wind will blow.

Let warmth take hold

Banish the cold.

Enrich the soul, warm the heart.

Merry Christmas

And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the

Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called

Holy—The Son of God."

—Luke 1:35

• FESTIVE HOT CHOCOLATE

• CHOCOLATE RUM STICKS

• MIMI’S BUTTERMILK PRALINES

• AUNT MAUDE’S FRUITCAKE

• MIMI’S MINCEMEAT TARTS

• AUNT EDNA MARIE’S CHRISTMAS NUT THINS

• MERRY KAHLÚA CAKE

• CHRISTMAS TREE CHEESE BALL

• WHITE TRAIL MIX PUPPY CHOW

• MAWMAW’S SAUSAGE BALLS

• SNOWBALL COOKIES

• CHRISTMAS CAKE

The Season Of Magic

The Christmas season has always been a magical time for me. My parents loved the perseverance of tradition on both sides of our family. These memories are forever etched in my mind.

Christmas at my Mimi’s (maternal grandmother) house came early. She would begin in the fall, even the summer, planning and preparing. With every visit, there was a new creation to behold. Her love of nature, flowers, and design was recurrent for every season, but especially the Christmas season. She made arrangements, arts and crafts, and baked goods for Saint Catherine’s Church in Shreveport, Louisiana (the church my mom grew up attending), annual Christmas bazaar. As the holiday drew closer, everything came to fruition, and I have to tell you, it was quite amazing. Her house was filled with Christmas.

Each design had a theme of faith and wonder, mixed with the beauty of nature recreated—the presence of the season but simplicity of the past. By Christmas Eve, her house was completely emptied of all decorations taken to the church, with the exception of her tree, which she chopped down herself—always a pine. My grandfather would pick at her and say, Flapper [his nickname for her], I am going to have to come get you out of jail one day if you don’t stop cutting down trees from goodness knows where. She would laugh and say she had permission. I really never knew where the woods were since they lived in the city, but I think of her every time I cut magnolias, pine, cedar, and bare or blossoming limbs. My mom always told me I take after her. I wish I was as capable of doing half the things she could. My dad’s family was a family of storytellers. My Mama Rentz would tell me stories about her childhood. I felt like I was listening to Laura Ingles Wilder, whose books I loved as a child. She was a feisty lady, small in stature and strong-willed but very loving.

A good story, poetry, and writing gene are from her and my dad. Not that my mom’s family didn’t have their share of stories. We would sit on the front porch of my mom’s childhood home with family and talk for hours, the front porch swing always ready for an occupant.

My mom was a woman of faith like I have ever known. She was a wonderful cook, and her home was her canvas. My husband and I have always wanted our daughters to experience our shared love of family. Family can be work. It can be dysfunctional and diverse, but it is important to make a concerted effort to keep the magic of all the seasons, the stories, the memories, and our heritage alive in honor of those who helped to make us who we are. As you will see for the Christmas season and throughout this cookbook, there are names attached to certain recipes. These dishes are ones that are most favored and connected to family and friends.

Festive Hot Chocolate

It is so easy to just open a pack and add hot water, but this recipe is worth the extra steps.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup of sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp. salt

5 cups milk

2 cups (1 pint) half-and-half

2 tsp. vanilla

garnish with heavy whipped cream (optional)

1 peppermint stick, or one cinnamon stick (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Melt chocolate chips, stirring constantly, in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar, water, and salt. Increase heat to medium. Cook whisking constantly until mixture is at a full boil.

Lower heat. Continue cooking and whisking for 2 minutes. Add milk and half-and-half. Cook until heated through; do not boil.

Add vanilla; remove from heat. Beat with a whisk until frothy.

Pour into mugs. Serve with whipped cream. Garnish with peppermint or cinnamon stick. Can sprinkle toppings of your choice, like cinnamon, nutmeg, or shaved chocolate.

Heard you’d been really good this year,

So very glad to hear it!

With freezing weather drawing near

You’ll need to warm your spirit…

Here is a little snowman soup

Complete with stirring stick

Just mix it up, sip it slow

It’s sure to do the trick.

Chocolate Rum Sticks

This recipe was adapted from a cookbook from Saint Paul’s Catholic Church in Minden Louisiana, 1961 (two years before I was born). My mom was president of the Ladies Altar Society.

I have included several of the recipes I remember my mom raving