Paula Deen's grits pie 3/4 cup water 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup quick-cooking grits 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 3/4 cups sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 large eggs, slightly beaten 1/4 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 (9-inch) frozen pie shell, thawed Sweetened whipped cream and strawberries, optional Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a small saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the grits and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the butter and cook for 1 additional minute. Set aside and cool slightly. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Slowly stir into the cooled grits. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream and strawberries as a garnish, if desired.

Braised Short-Ribs in the Slow Cooker (from our local paper) The sauce that these ribs make is truly exceptional, and doesn't even need thickening. But because the ribs are fatty and tender, you might need a gravy separator. It's a handy tool that allows you to pour off the delicious broth, separate from the fat that collects on top of the juices. I served this delicious main course with steamed green beans and soft fresh bread to mop up the gravy. It would be lovely with mashed potatoes or noodles, too. Bring on winter! Braised Short Ribs with Orange and Hoisin 1 kg (2 lb) beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely or sliced thinly 125 ml (1/2 cup) orange juice 15 ml (1 tablespoon) ketchup 5 ml (1 teaspoon) soy sauce 30 to 45 ml (2 to 3 tablespoons) hoisin sauce 15 ml (1 tablespoon) fresh ginger, grated 5 ml (1 teaspoon) sesame oil 8 to 10 pearl onions 1. In a large skillet on high heat, quickly brown the meat on both sides. You can use a little oil if you need to, but this shouldn't be necessary, as the meat is quite fatty. Place the meat in the slow cooker, trying to keep it to one layer at the bottom. 2. Fry the garlic in the pan for a moment or two until it turns pale gold. Combine the orange juice, ketchup, soy sauce and hoisin sauce in a bowl and whisk together. Pour this into the skillet with the garlic and stir until all the browned bits are loosened in the pan. Pour the mixture over the meat in the slow-cooker. Sprinkle sesame oil on top. 3. Peel the pearl onions. This can be tricky, so I trim the pointed top and the root end with a sharp knife, then plunge them into boiling water for one minute. The skins will then slip right off. Scatter the pearl onions over the meat. Cover the slow-cooker and leave on High for four to five hours, or Low for eight to 10 hours. 4. Remove meat and onions from slow cooker and place into individual plates or a serving dish. It should be dark and very tender, with the bones falling off. Pour the juices into a bowl or gravy separator and skim off the fat. Pour degreased juices over the meat and serve with steamed vegetables or a salad, and bread, noodles or mashed potatoes. Makes 2 large or 3 medium servings.

Almond Tres Leches Muffins 1/2 cup butter (stick not soft tub margarine) or 1/2 cup margarine, softened ( stick not soft tub margarine) 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 2 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk ( from 14oz can) 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup milk 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/4 cup sliced almonds 1/4 cup additional sweetened condensed milk Directions Preheat oven to 400F; grease 12 regular-size muffin cups with shortening or line with paper cups. In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Beat in almond extract and eggs. With wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking powder, 1/3 cup condensed milk, whipping cream. milk and 1/2 cup of the almonds just until combined. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (3/4 full) sprinkle 1/4 cup sliced almonds evenly over batter. Bake 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes and drizzle each with 1 tsp of the additional condensed milk. Serve warm. From The Betty Crocker Booklet Fall Baking Sue

Angel Biscuits Ingredients: 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 2 cups buttermilk 5 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons white sugar 3/4 cup shortening Directions: 1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add buttermilk to yeast mixture, and set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in yeast mixture until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead 4 or 5 times. 3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheets, barely touching each other. Cover, and let rise in a warm place free from drafts for 1 hour, or until almost doubled in size. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). 4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned. This dough can be stored in the refrigerator for several days and then shaped and let rise and baked. Sue