B.B.'s Pickled Black-Eyed Peas - The Crown of Southern Cooking

The other day I gave you a little tease of this recipe, B.B.'s Pickled Black Eyed Peas, from "The Crown of Southern Cooking".
It really is so delicious, and a bit addicting.

Not being in the south, field or crowder peas were a bit challenging to find, but Walmart did have field peas. The kind I found were well seasoned, so I gave them an extra good rinse. If you are a ways from the south, you may have to check your big stores for that ingredient. If you absolutely can't find them, I would just substitute another can of pinto, and another can of black-eyed peas.

Truckin' Man has loved this most as a side dish with his meals, while I love it most as an appetizer. But, I have enjoyed it both ways. Little bit sweet, little bit tangy, and every bit delicious.

Be sure to enter for your chance to win your very own copy of The Crown of Southern Cooking.  Your chance to win is here, or you can purchase your own copy here.

B.B.'s Pickled Black Eyed Peas 

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 large onion, diced (I used red for the color splash)
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2-15 oz cans blacked eyed peas
2-15 oz cans field peas (crowder peas)
2-15 oz can pinto beans

Mix marinade in a large bowl. Combine sugar, salt, black pepper, oil, vinegar, and mustard.  Stir well. Add onion and bell peppers.  Mix until all are combined.

Rinse black-eyed peas, field peas, and pinto beans. Drain well.  Add to marinade, stirring gently until beans are covered. Refrigerate. Make at least one day ahead.

***Note: Can be made up to a week ahead of time. Flavor only gets better with time!

Recipe Source: The Crown of Southern Cooking

The Crown of Southern Cooking - Cookbook Review and Giveaway

Winner of The Crown of Southern Cooking is: Carol M. Happy baking and cooking, Carol!

I would like to give a huge shout out and thank you to Quail Ridge Press, for the opportunity to review this new and delicious cookbook, The Crown of Southern Cooking by Evelyn Roughton.

I have enjoyed every page of this cookbook. While Evelyn's husband was in the Air Force, they spent time living in, and traveling in many countries, so the history of some of the recipes is quite interesting. Adding to that, they have a restaurant in the Mississippi Delta.  

I am loving learning more about the foods and flavors of this part of the south. It really is delicious, and different from Wisconsin and Minnesota traditional foods.

Up on my baking list for next week is Italian Cream Cake. This cake is a recent obsession of mine, so I was thrilled to find a recipe for it in this cookbook.

B.B.'s Pickled Black-Eyed Peas are so yummy, just look at this dish. It's a dip, a side, or a salad. Your choice! I've had it all three ways. This recipe is one of my favorites from the cookbook, it's completely different from anything I have ever made before. I can't get enough of it!

I highly recommend adding this cookbook to your collection, and while you can head right over to Quail Ridge Press and buy a copy, you can also enter to win a copy right here!

How do you enter? 4 entries possible.

1.) Leave a comment below ( or email me) with your email address. It's that easy.
Email address: bigrigsnlilcookies@gmail.com

2.) Subscribe to my blog, you will find the box on the right hand side. 

Come back and leave another comment telling me that you signed up.

3.) Leave a comment on my facebook page telling me you want to win a copy of this cookbook.

4.) Follow me on Instagram and leave a comment on the giveaway telling me your all time favorite food.

Deadline: Friday, October 2nd 6:00 pm.CST
Winner: I will randomly choose a winner and announce it at the top of this post, and on facebook. The winner will also be notified via email; if the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this cookbook to review, and as well as one to giveaway.

Fall in the Garden

Our garden is still busy and producing quite a bit. 

We enjoyed our first spaghetti squash this past week. It was delicious! We also have 4 varieties of pumpkins growing.

Even White Pumpkins. I've never had a white pumpkin before. I really am diggin' them!

Our artichoke venture was so so. The fruits were to buggy to eat, so I will have to work on that next year. 

But the blooms this plant makes? Stunning! I will continue to grow this plant even if it is only for the flowers.

We replanted some seeds for a fall crop. 

Gotta have some more lettuce.

And onions.

And radishes. 

Can you tell I am craving garden fresh salads?

Some pea's.

And some beans. Not sure if the beans will make it though. No sign of them yet.

Are you still working in your garden?

New Kids on the Block

It seems as though every year there is something that changes our plans on adding chickens to the flock. This year, my parents were going to raise our chicks, along with theirs, until they were old enough to bring home.

But... things changed and we had to bring ours home early, along with my parents giving us their chicks.  They were a little younger than we had planned on them being, but old enough that the blending of flocks went smoothly.

Now, we have 17 chickens. That's a lot of chickens in my world.

I have wanted an Ancona hen for several years, and I "think" I finally have one! Annie is definitely an Ancona, however we are not sure that she is a hen. She just might be a rooster than will have a name change to Andy.

Meet Annie (or Andy)

Lot's of pictures coming to share with you on the new flock. My wonderful husband surprised me with a new laptop for my birthday, so I have been working on getting everything loaded. 

I am loving that I am struggling less in my daily online activities!