Fried Green Tomatoes, Y'all!!! and a Card

Well, hello y'all!!!   This looks as if it may be a dreary, rainy day today.    If it is y'all, try not to let it affect your crafting mood.    I find that the weather really does affect my mood.   But.....since I am aware of it, I DO have a little more control over it than I used to.   My philosophy now is this:   "So what if the sun isn't shining outside!    The SON is always shining inside!"   So, if you have a personal relationship with the SON, it doesn't make any difference what's happening on the outside, the SON is always shining onside!!!!   Who wants to give a little shout out of praise for that?    I just did, and I know many of y'all did too!  

As most of y'all know, I took a tumble on Sept 1st.   I am overjoyed to report to y'all that I am doing great.    I am just about healed up from all the facial dings and bangs.    My leg is coming along nicely.   My wrists are not as sore as they were.    My neck is a whole lot better.   All in all, I just thank God everyday that He heard my cry as I started to fall!    Believe me, I KNOW how very blessed I am at this very minute to have been able to recover so quickly from such a fall.

I still haven't gotten my fair winners photographed yet, and at this stage, I may not, I don't know.    But, I keep several things on hand to take photos of and share.    One of the things that I remembered to take pics of is some "fried green tomatoes"!!!    My hubby came in from work last week with a sack of tomatoes that a person he works with brought to him.    There was a couple of huge ripe tomatoes and then there was 5 green tomatoes.    I had tried to fry green tomatoes in the past with a mediocre result.   They have a tendency to get really greasy really quickly, and mine did.    Well, this time, I was bound and determined to have some spectacular "Fried Green Tomatoes", and I'm so happy to tell y'all that I did!!!!

If you are from the South or know very many Southerners, then you may know how we/they love fried green tomatoes.     There is nothing that you can describe it to.    With a lot of diff types meats, sometimes it's described as "tasting like chicken".    But, with fried green tomatoes, there's is nothing to you can say that it tastes like except fried green tomatoes.    Green tomatoes have a tartness to them and they are delicious.

There's not a recipe as far as giving measurements, but I'll tell y'all what I done.

First thing I do is plug in my deep fryer and set it to 400* and get it to heating.  If you are using a deep fryer, you want to get it going for about 15 to 20 minutes before actually dropping your battered tomatoes in it.  The hotter the deep fryer, the least amount of grease they will absorb.   Then I cut the top and bottom off the green tomatoes, so they'll be flat.    Then make 1/2 inch slices of the tomatoes.   I lay them out in an even layer on a cookie sheet and sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them.    Then sprinkle an ever so slight amount of sugar on each slice.   Maybe 10 to 15 grains of sugar, no more than that.   You don't want them to be sweet, the slight amount of sugar actually enhances the tartness of the tomatoes.   Turn the tomatoes over on the cookie sheet and repeat the process with salt, pepper, and a bit of sugar.    Sprinkling salt, pepper and sugar on both sides will bring out the natural juices and that is vital to the next step.

Next thing you want to do is get your dredging station set up.    One small tray with flour.   Another small try with an egg and about 1/4 cup of buttermilk whisked together really good.    The next tray has cornmeal and flour and then any seasonings you want to put in that.   I put salt, pepper, paprika, and maybe a bit of onion powder.   Whisk that together really well.

Take a tomato slice and lay it in the flour only, turning to flour both sides, tap off any extra flour.    Next, dip it in the egg buttermilk wash, let any excess drip off and then place it in the cornmeal flour mixture, turning over and getting good coverage on both sides.    Now, you have your assembly line going and start dropping in the deep fryer, so as not to splatter yourself with hot grease.  DO NOT over crowd deep fryer.    I dropped 3 slices at a time.    Watch them pretty closely.    You will have more than enough time to get the next three or four ready to go.    Turn the tomatoes in the fryer over so both sides are evenly browned.    Have a plate covered with paper towels to lay them on when you remove them from the fryer.    Once cooled a bit, make room for the next batch of tomatoes on the paper towel covered plate.

The first time I cooked them I had 12 slices of green tomatoes.    We actually had two meals out of them.    For lunch that day we both had 3 slices each.   I wrapped the others in foil and put in the fridge till the next day and figured while I was doing it that I would probably have to toss them in the trash the next day.     BUT.....I am so happy to report to you that they were very good the next day heated in my toaster oven on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.    It actually brought their crunch back.   Hubby said they may have even been better the next day than they were the day before.   I don't know, I DO know they we good both days, and that is because they did NOT soak up grease while cooking, and I did drain them really well on paper towels.

So, this fall when you have gotten all the ripe tomatoes you want off your vines, don't forget about the green tomatoes.    Make yourself some fried green tomatoes and share them with someone who has never eaten them.    They will be happy you did.

I must tell you, that if you don't have a deep fryer, use a skillet.    A lot of people are used to using a skillet to fry in.    I don't like using a skillet, because it is too easy to catch a skillet of grease on fire.    When I use my deep fryer, I know it won't get over 400* and it's not gonna catch on fire, under normal circumstances.

I did take a couple of pics.    A word of warning, don't drool on your computer.   I will not be responsible for any drool related repair issues to your computers.   Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Now, you tell me, don't these look perfect?    I am telling you, I have eaten a LOT of fried green tomatoes in my day, but I haven't eaten any that was any better than these were, and my husband said he hasn't either!  

Ok, y'all wipe the drool off right now before it falls on you keyboard and messes your computer up.    I will not be responsible for any mishaps over drooling!     Hahahaha!!!     Isn't those just wonderful to look at!!     Oh gosh, I may have to make a quick run to HG Hill and get us some more green tomatoes.

So, I also wanted to share a card that I made for a church family who had a loved one to go home to be with the Lord recently.    I was really happy with finished result and I hope y'all like it too. 

I used my standard white card base.   I cut a shimmery gray base 1/4 inch smaller and inked the edges with my black ink spot.    I used my shimmery silver ribbon I got at the Dollar Tree to wrap around the bottom of the gray card front and taped it to the back and then I used scrappy tape to attach the gray piece to the card front.    Then I cut a 3x3 inch square of cardstock and used versa mark to stamp the anchor and the sentiment then used a platinum colored embossing powder and my heat gun and attached it to the upper portion of the gray section.   I used one of my white souffle pens and made white dots in the corners of the black and the the top right hand corner, I made the spots on the gray card front, just for fun.     I then took a small piece of ribbon and tied it around the piece that was already there and made a bow knot and trimmed my ends slanted.   

As I look at the card, I am reminded that we all are anchored to something.    If I may get a little personal, to whom or what are you anchored?    You may say, "It really doesn't matter."    But....I suggest to you that it does matter.    It really does matter to whom or what you anchor yourself.    There are many ports of call in this life in which to anchor yourself to.    Many of those are like the proverbial fence that some are setting on, not wanting to make a choice.    Not realizing that by setting on the fence, a choice has indeed been made.    You see, the enemy of the Cross owns the fence.     Most of the things that we can anchor ourselves to in this life is owned by the same one who owns the fence, the enemy.    If you are anchored to JESUS CHRIST, then your anchor will hold firm!!!!!!!     No other anchor in life will ever hold as firmly.    You may be tossed about a bit from time to time.     You may get worn!    You may get frazzled!     But I guarantee you that your Anchor WILL hold!!!!!!     There is no other safe place to be during the storms of life than to be anchored to JESUS CHRIST!!!!!     I hope that you are firmly anchored in Christ, knowing that when the rough days come, and they will, Christ will see you through it.     When all else fails in life, and all the other anchors have failed or sunk or left, Jesus will never leave you or forsake you.    I know that from personal experience!     I hope y'all know it from personal experience too!

Hey there Ladybug, hope you are doing well and can't wait to see you soon!   Till then, Sweetpea loves you bunches!

Have a blessed rest of the day and tell someone you know that "Jesus wants to be your anchor!"     Till we meet again right here, God loves y'all and so do I!    hugs, Patty