Fried Pickles

One of my favorite places back home in Mississippi is Que Sera Sera. It's a local place near Millsaps Campus with good southern food. Of course, the main attraction is the fried pickles dipped in peppercorn ranch dressing.

We search for fried pickles wherever we go. If they are on the menu, we order. We like chips better than spears. I finally decided to try to make some a few months ago. Still haven't perfected but getting close.


Fried Pickles

Thick Sliced Hamburger Pickles (Vlassic Ovals and Mt Olive Hamburger Dills are the ones I have used)
1/2 c Bread Crumbs
1/4 c Corn Meal
1/4 c Flour
Vegetable Oil

Heat oil in large skillet, just enough so that pickles can still float.
Mix dry ingredients together.
Coat pickles in breading.
Drop in very hot oil. When they start to float, flip them over and let cook a little longer, until golden brown.

Remove from skillet onto paper towel to drain off grease.

Serve with ranch dressing.

What are you doing Sunday night?

Do you have plans between 7 and 9 central time? If not.... you do now.

Go to http://www.wfrd.com/, 99 Rock. My little brother ("in-law") will be featured on the radio station's Homebrew segment. Click the "Listen Live" link at the top right.

Eric was interviewed this week and they will be playing 5 of his songs along with the interview. He had a couple of songs played two weeks ago and they sounded AWESOME over the Internet. I hope you will check it out. I think this will all be closer to 8 but it wouldn't hurt to tune in early. And, if you like what you hear, got to HeyEric.com to hear more of Eric.

And while you are checking out Eric's website, pay attention to the artwork by our friend Justin. He rocks! Look at this drawing of my favorite big man, Yao Ming.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving. I try to remember my blessings year round, but it's this time of year where we force ourselves to reflect. I have an amazing family, a wonderful husband, great friends, my loveable crazy dog, a nice house and a new one on the way. My job is stable in this uncertain economy, as is Ryan's. There is really nothing in my life worth complaining about, especially when you put it in perspective of the struggles of others. It's been a good year.


On a lighter note, I am thankful for Keifers and Passenger Jones. Keifer's I have written about before. Ryan and I arrived in Jackson on Tuesday evening. Last night we made our pilgrimage to our favorite restaurant for pita mozz, gyro's and a pitcher of Amber Bock. I jokingly asked Ryan "Which is better, Keifer's or Thanksgiving Dinner?" thinking no one would say anything is better than Thanksgiving. He easily said "Keifer's". Yes, it's that good. We stuffed ourselves and were, at once, both happy to be in Jackson (it's not Ryan's favorite place). Thank you, Keifers.
Passenger Jones is one of my closest friend's band. Taylor and I have been friends since 6th grade...when I did his drafting assignments for him in "shop" class (and he told his mom about this bossy girl in his class). High school is when we became the best of friends and is also when Taylor picked up the guitar and started singing. I remember telling Taylor his guitar skills were great, but the singing... eh, not so much. I'm glad he didn't take my opinion too seriously. Over time, Taylor really "found his voice" I guess you could say and has become a very talented musician. He has been playing with this group of guys for several years now and they put on a great show.

In perfect Jackson style, Passenger Jones put on a concert at the one and only Hal and Mal's for the night before Thanksgiving. Any holiday concert at Hal and Mal's is sure to make for a reunion of the Murrah/St. Andrew's crowd... throw in Passenger Jones and it's a sure fire hit. Thank you, Passenger Jones, for bringing friends together after too many months apart.

Life is good. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pita Mozz!!!

People from Jackson, especially from Millsaps, have a really strong love for a place called Keifer's. It's right near campus and has two great patio's so it was a favorite for lunch and dinner on the weekends. Keifer's is one of those places that those of us who have moved away always crave. It's the one place we MUST go when we make it back to Jackson. The gyro's are good but I think what makes the place, other than the atmosphere, is the Feta Dressing. My favorite thing there is the Pita Mozzarella ("Pita Mozz") -- a pita, with fried cheese on the top, served with Feta Dressing.

While I was home this week, without Ryan, Mom, Dad and I went for dinner. After some talking with the waiter about how to bring Ryan some food home, we decided I would buy a 16oz cup of the dressing. The waiter wrapped the cup in several layers of plastic wrap. I packed it in a box with ice packs and bubble wrap and checked it on the plane for my trip home (Feta Dressing in quantities greater than 3oz are not allowed through security!).

I stopped by HEB and picked up some Pita Bread and Mozzarella cheese to give the Pita Mozz a try. I was not really sure how to make it so I just played around. This is what worked:

Pita Mozz

Pita Bread
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Feta Dressing

Heat non-stick pan over medium-high heat -- it did NOT work in a stainless pan, maybe with some cooking spray but I am still not sure the pan I used can be saved.

Place on pita bread in pan and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.Leave on this side until cheese starts to get soft and melt. I sort of pressed it all down with the spatula to make it stick together.

Flip pita so the cheese side is down. Let cook a couple of minutes, until the cheese gets a good brown crust on it. Quickly slide the spatula under and move to a plate, cheese side up. Serve with feta dressing.

I think our new normal will be bringing back a cup of Feta Dressing each time we go to Jackson, or my parents bringing it when we come. This will satisfy our cravings in the off months between trips home!

2 years ago....

...Ryan and I were just about to get married. July 22, 2006 was the day of our wedding. All our family and friends gathered in Jackson, MS for the big event. It really was a great day, everything we could have hoped for. Thank you to everyone who shared it with us.

Last night we celebrated our anniversary a little early with dinner at Jasper's Restaurant. It was quite possibly one of the best meals we have had in a really long time. I really don't remember a meal that we enjoyed each course as much as we did.

We ordered the Blue Cheese Potato Chips appetizer that is one of the signature dishes. It was good. I don't love Blue Cheese so it was a little overwhelming to me, but Ryan loved it. We then split a Jasper's Green Salad which was also really good. It had blue cheese crumbles and roasted pecans (mmm) and a really nice light vinaigrette dressing.

Jasper's is known for the their ribs so that is what Ryan ordered. It came with a hot potato salad, dressed with a creamy cheese sauce and topped with fried onion strings. The meal was absolutely delicious and Ryan let me sneak a few extra bites of the potatoes.

I ordered the Shrimp and Pork Tenderloin Brochette, substituting the rice for the sauteed zucchini and squash. The shrimp and pork and a great flavor, a little spicy but delicious. The zucchini, squash and carrots were shoestring style and had a nice Asian flavor on them. It was the first time in a long time I pretty much cleaned my plate.

For dessert we ordered the Cherry Limeade Pie. I must say it was one of the most refreshing desserts I have eaten at a restaurant. We polished it off in no time flat.

Back In Aggieland!!!

I spent two (long) years in College Station, TX while getting my Master's at Texas A&M University. I say it was long because school was hard, work was hard, writing a thesis was hard, I didn't know many people. I spent lots of time on the "farm roads" between College Station and The Woodlands visiting Ryan. I was really ready to be done with school by the time I finally graduated in August 2005.

I did enjoy my time in College Station and did meet some good friends through my fellowship program through PEER and the NSF. I learned how to live on my own, pay rent, find my way around a new city, go to Division 1 sporting events, and ultimately found a great job through the A&M career center. I enjoyed the food! As you can tell from this blog, I like food, but I am not a food snob.

One of my favorite places is called Pita Pit. Its just a sandwich shop, but its great. They grill your meat (chicken, philly steak, deli meat, etc) and stuff it in a pita with whatever veggies and dressing you want. I am a big fan of the Chicken Caesar--Chicken, Bacon, Romaine, Parmesan Cheese, lots of Caesar Dressing. My other favorite was the Philly Steak. I think I ate Pita Pit at least twice a week. It was walkable from my classes/office.

Most Aggies would crave a trip to "The Chicken" (The Dixie Chicken) or Freebirds World Burrito. Both are great, but me, I crave Pita Pit and Kolache Rolf's. (I didn't get to see Rolf this trip, maybe next time.) I guess this is just another reason why I am a "two-percenter".

My job has client in College Station so I got to spend 2 days there. I'm actually writing this from College Station, with a belly full of Chicken Caesar Pita. It was as good as I remembered it.

Note: Here are some interesting articles that might help you understand what a "two-percenter" is. Essentially, you're a student at Texas A&M that isn't all wrapped up in the numerous traditions of Aggieland... like standing up for the ENTIRE football game, not taking your hat off for "yells", not GOING to football games (gasp)...
Campus Newspaper 1
Campus Newspaper 2
Aggie Terminology 1
Aggie Terms from Wiki

Sweet Home Mississippi

I love living in Texas, don't get me wrong. I don't really ever see myself moving back to Mississippi. But, I love coming home. I don't get to see my parents near enough and talking to Mom every day is just not the same as being home. My company has expanded their campus recruiting to Mississippi State so I got a free trip home to help out.

I flew in on Sunday and headed straight to church after a quick stop at the house to change clothes. Dad was all in an uproar about how horrible "State" (MSU) played the day before, knocking themselves out of the SEC Tournament. I always joke that I rarely heard my dad say a cuss word growing up... and when I did it was 99% likely that it was because some State team was on TV and had just done something stupid. Anyway, it was a nice welcome home... getting the play by play of the last few minutes of the game and how State lost a decent lead due to stupid fouls and missed free throws.

Going to church is always a great homecoming. My parents have been members of Briarwood Presbyterian Church since sometime in the 70's. James and I were born members of the church and spent much of our lives at church events. When I come home, I sometimes feel like I'm a movie star. Everyone at that church thinks of everyone else's kids as their own. I had a huge second family through the church. So, they are all so glad to see us when we come home. It's always a delight to see "Miss Virginia", charter member of BPC. Miss Virginia was the Sunday School teacher of most of the children of the church at some point in our lives and loved us all like we were her own. Everyone wanted to know "How's Texas?" and I got lots of nice compliments on my new hair do! :) You know that feeling of just being "home"? That is really what its like to go back to church. Jackson is my home, Briarwood is my home and no matter how far I go, that will always be true.

After church, we headed to lunch at the one place that Ryan and I both must eat each time we are back in Jackson... Keifer's. We met one of my best girlfriends, Ashley, and her little boy Jackson, for lunch. The last time I saw him, he was just so tiny, maybe 6 weeks old. He wanted nothing to do with anyone but his mom. But Sunday, he was all smiles and let me and my mom hold him all through lunch. He was just so cute. It was a great lunch... Pita Mozz with Feta dressing, Chicken Gyro with Feta Dressing, Ashley, Jackson, Mom and Dad. Can't get much better than that. Ryan really missed out!

Sunday afternoon Mom and I ran some errands then came home to catch the end of the Rockets game. Yes, I am a Texan now and I love my Rockets who were in the middle of their winning streak... going for 22 that day, and they won. The church had a crawfish boil that night so again, Ryan was jealous. Keifers and Crawfish all in one day.

Monday, Mom and I had lunch at her favorite Japanese "fast food" place OEC (mmm, the pink sauce and the fried rice) and I headed to Starkville for our MSU Recruiting trip. I do lots of driving in Houston because of my commute but the drive from Jackson to Starkville is just so different. So few cars, not much to look at other than trees and road. It was a nice change of pace, though sort of boring too. I couldn't find much on the radio other than Rush Limbaugh, so I channel surfed most of the way up there.

After our information session Monday night, my coworker and I went to have dinner at the Cotton District, a local restaurant/bar. It was a good reminder of small town Mississippi. Our waiter had the typical southern drawl and was just as nice as he could be. I ordered a Michelob Amber Bock, one of the few beers I like. I credit the like of it to Keifer's because that was one of 3 beers they served for the longest time so its what my friends always ordered. Its hard to find at bars in Texas as most only serve Shiner Bock, a Texas Beer. The waiter came back several minutes later and apologetically informed me they were out of Amber Bock. When he saw my disappointment he said "Try a Southern Pecan, I promise you'll like it. And if you don't love it, I'll buy you something else." Aww, Southern Hospitality at its best. Southern Pecan is a Mississippi Beer so I gave it a whirl. I enjoyed my beer, it was good, not quite as good as Amber Bock but it was good.

Tuesday I drove back to Jackson in time to have lunch at McAlister's with Dad. We had a nice visit and didn't talk about State basketball the whole time :). And then I made my trip back to Houston.

I love the South and I love Mississippi. I love not having to ask for Sweet Tea, they just know thats what you want... and every restaurant has it! I love not sounding different than everyone else (and yes, in Houston, I get the "I love your accent" comment all the time). I love seeing Mom and Dad. I love sleeping in "my" room. It's just nice to go "home".