To honor and remember former President Lyndon Johnson’s birthday today…I decided to make one of his favorite meals in the kitchen tonight.

He was a “meat and potatoes” kind of man (my kind of person!) and enjoyed steak, potatoes…cornbread. Just pure deliciousness! 😋

One of his favorite meals was Chicken Fried Steak. He would have enjoyed spinach and mashed potatoes to go along with it too. Oh and don’t forget the cornbread with lots of butter.

For dessert and especially for his birthday he would have most likely enjoyed his favorite cake which was German Chocolate.

Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients for the Chicken Fried Steak

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 lb. cube steak

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 TBSP butter

Ingredients for the Gravy

1/3 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Directions for the Steak

In a medium bowl, add the milk and eggs. Use a hand held whisk to mix the eggs and milk together until well blended. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, add the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Whisk the ingredients together really well to get the spices well blended into the flour.

Work with one piece of steak at a time. Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with a mixture of salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp combined)

Place the steak in the egg/milk mixture and turn to coat on each side.

Place the steak into the flour mixture and coat thoroughly on each side.

Once again, place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat on each side.

Finally, place the steak back into the flour and turn to coat.

Place the breaded steak into a clean plate – I lined the plate with parchment paper to handle easily.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the butter.

When the butter sizzles immediately, you know it’s ready. The butter will become brown and golden and time to start cooking the steaks.

Cook the steaks for two minutes on each side until brown, golden and crispy.

Remove the steaks from the skillet onto a paper toweled line plate to drain the excess grease.

Wrap in foil to keep the steaks warm while you make the gravy.

Directions for the Gravy

After all the steak is fried and removed onto a plate, pour off the remaining grease into a heatproof bowl.

Without cleaning the skillet, return the skillet to the stove over a medium-low heat.

Add 1/4 cup of the grease back to the skillet and allow it to heat up accordingly.

When the grease is hot, sprinkle the flour evenly over the grease.

Using a whisk to mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden-brown paste.

Helpful hint: If the gravy mixture looks too greasy, add more flour. If the gravy looks too clumpy, add a little more grease.

Pour in 3 to 4 cups milk and whisk constantly. Add the salt and pepper while cooking…and whisking…until the gravy is smooth and thick – should be thickened between 5 to 10 minutes.

If the gravy is overly thickened? Add more milk.

Make sure to taste the gravy to make sure it is perfectly seasoned – might need more…all depends on your preference.

Serve immediately over the chicken fried steak and if you are having mashed potatoes…goes wonderful over those too!!

Today in American history…former President Lyndon Baines Johnson was born on August 27, 1908 in Stonewall, Texas.

He would serve as our 36th U.S. President from November 22, 1963 until January 20, 1969.

I love stumbling across old recipes and trying them out in my kitchen. Sometimes I’m successful…other times? It can be a little dicey. It’s always a fun time researching and exploring though! Some recipes I get really excited about. Other ones like a former President’s squirrel stew recipe not so much 🤣

The other day I came across a recipe for Norman Rockwell’s favorite oatmeal cookies and I was so excited like a kid in a candy store. Oatmeal cookies are my personal favorite (peanut butter closely behind it) so I just had to make them. Plus, it’s always such a fun thing to taste what people in history enjoyed too!

Norman Rockwell (1984-1978) was an American painter and illustrator. He is most famous for his cover illustrations of every day life in America which were published in the Saturday Evening Post for nearly five decades.

Today in American history…former President Bill Clinton was born on August 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas 🇺🇸

I was lucky enough to meet him (and get a picture taken!) at an event in Washington, D.C. several years ago while he was in office. That was pretty cool!

One of President Clinton’s favorite meals (besides a McDonald’s cheeseburger back in the day!) has been Chicken Enchilada’s. I was able to stumble upon his favorite recipe and made them for dinner tonight to honor his birthday.

I have to say they are quite delicious and I can understand how this recipe would be his favorite. They were pretty easy to make too and if you are feeling like making a Mexican type dinner – I highly recommend!

Today in American history…former First Lady Rosalynn Carter was born on August 18, 1927 in Plains, Georgia.

Rosalynn Carter was well known for her advocacy work with mental health and caregiver issues.

Some other interesting facts about her life are:

✔️ One of her favorite things to do was to go fly fishing.

✔️Mrs. Carter has a rose, an orchid, a camellia and an azalea named for her.

✔️Was valedictorian of her Plains High School graduating class.

✔️President Jimmy Carter’s mother helped to deliver Rosalynn Carter into the world in the house next door to his home (the families were neighbors). Three year old Jimmy Carter met baby Rosalynn soon afterwards.

✔️Mrs. Carter was an honorary chair of the Last Acts Campaign to improve end of life care and was an early advocate for the hospice movement and palliative care.

✔️Mrs. Carter was a key advocate for passage of legislation during the Carter administration requiring vaccinations for school children.

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

In honor of Mrs. Carter’s birthday today, I made a delicious Strawberry Cake and used her own personal recipe.

The cake is so moist and delicious. If you love strawberries this is the perfect cake for you – it’s filled with them! 🍓

You can serve it plain but wow it is extra delicious and yummy with homemade whipped cream too! Or maybe even a scoop of vanilla (or strawberry!) ice cream 😋

In the written recipe, it says to use an angel food cake pan. I’ve made this cake previously and a Bundt pan would work perfectly too.

Today in American history…former First Lady Florence Harding was born on August 15, 1860 in Marion, Ohio.

Florence Harding was the first future First Lady to vote in a Presidential election following the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Consititution.

During her tenure as First Lady, she used her platform to advocate for animal rights, veterans welfare and women’s equality.

President Warren Harding and Mrs. Harding enjoyed waffles very much. If you ever get the chance to visit their home in Marion, the waffle iron can still be seen on the stove. There is also a plaque in the kitchen that reads, “You eat the first fourteen waffles without syrup, but with lots of butter. Then you put syrup on the next nine, and the last half-dozen you eat simply swimming in syrup. Eaten that way, waffles never hurt anybody.”

It’s been a hard season for gardening in our little area here in Virginia. However…my friend Joyce just so happened to have had an abundance of summer squash that miraculously survived in her garden. Thankfully, she brought over and shared with me her plentiful bounty of squash – what a wonderful friend!

This bread is incredibly moist and delicious – especially with the lemon glaze over the top. It’s definitely “a keeper” and something that I will be making again (and again!) in the future. Who knew that a squash bread could be so tantalizing and delicious! 😋

Lemon Summer Squash Bread

Ingredients

For the bread…

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Lemon Zest (one lemon)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup summer squash, grated

For the Lemon Glaze…

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon milk

Directions

Grease and flour (or use parchment paper) a 9×5″ loaf pan.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl add the beaten eggs, vegetable oil and sugar and mix until well blended.

Add the buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixture and blend well.

In a separate medium bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

Mix well – make sure all of the lumps are gone in the batter (you don’t want lumpy batter!)

Add the grated squash into the batter and fold gently.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until the top is a golden brown.

Remove from the oven.

Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan before removing.

Cool the bread completely before adding the lemon glaze.

Directions for the Lemon Glaze

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the confectioners sugar, lemon juice and milk.

Drizzle over the top of the bread. Enjoy!

(For the drizzle…I personally use an icing piping bag. It’s much easier and comes out more uniform)

Today in American History…our 31st U.S.President, Herbert Clark Hoover was born on August 10, 1874 in West Branch, Iowa. His favorite food was fried chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. His favorite dessert was his Grandmother Hoover’s Peach Cream Pie. So to honor President Hoover’s birthday today we are enjoying his favorite meal 🇺🇸

I’ve made this dessert on many occasions throughout the years. It’s perfect for a get together or just to make at home for dessert because you enjoy it (like in our home!) You can easily whip this up in minutes because it’s so incredibly easy and simple – which I love!

Easy Pound Cake Trifle

Ingredients

8 cups pound cake, cubed (I used 2 Sara Lee frozen pound cakes, thawed)

2 3.4 ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix

4 cups milk

8 ounces of Cool Whip (reserve just a little bit for the last layer)

3 cups sliced strawberries

2 cups blueberries

A bar of chocolate, diced

Directions

Cut the thawed pound cake into bite-sized cubes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the packages of pudding with the milk until well combined and the pudding is thickened.

Add in the Cool Whip and whisk together until the mixture is combined.

It’s now time to start layering the trifle. Use a large glass trifle bowl if you have one – or just use a regular large glass bowl.

Start layering.

Begin by placing a layer of the pound cake cubes into the bottom of the bowl.

Add a layer of the pudding mixture over the pound cake,

Add a layer of the strawberries and blueberries.

Repeat the layering process – will be three layers total.

For the very top layer add the reserved Cool Whip and spread evenly over the top.

Top with the diced chocolate. Scoop into small glass bowls and enjoy!

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

I love oatmeal cream pies. When I was a young girl it was a given that we always had a box (or two) in our home because my mother loved them just as well. The oatmeal cookie with the cream filled center…there are just not enough words to explain the deliciousness 😋

While grocery shopping a few days ago, I came across a box of oatmeal cream pies and thought…lemme try and make those at home to see if I can get them to taste anywhere near the ones I loved (and still enjoy!) from childhood.

I was so excited because they actually came out just as I remembered. I was also able to make in my own kitchen which makes it even more awesome.

Ingredients

1 + 1/4 cups unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)

1 cup packed brown sugar (you can use light brown sugar or dark. I used light)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg (at room temperature)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon molasses

1 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 cups quick oats (do not use whole oats)

Cream Filling

3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 + 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

A dash of salt (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Use a handheld mixer to cream the butter and sugars together until light and creamy – about one minute.

Beat in the egg, vanilla and molasses.

Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and oats.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

You can use a mixer to mix the ingredients but the dough will be super thick. I recommend using a wooden spoon to mix by hand (use those muscles!)

Use a large cookie scoop or make sure each ball of dough is about two Tablespoons each – place onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure each ball is about 3” apart because the cookies will spread!

Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges.

Remove immediately from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5-10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling it’s time to make the filling.

In a medium bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat the butter until creamy – will take about one minute.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes.

Add in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Optional: Add in a pinch of salt and stir.

Beat for another 2-3 minutes until the filling is a fluffy texture.

Spread the cream filling on the bottom side of the cookies and top with remaining cookies right side up.