The Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

Fried Green Tomatoes | Hannah & Husband

Truth be told, my real “fried green tomato recipe” is throwing a little of this and a little of that into bowl. Then, I put a cup of that, a dash of this, and an egg into a different bowl…

Fried Green Tomatoes | Hannah & HusbandFried Green Tomatoes | Hannah & Husband

But since Husband was posting about burger night, and we’d had this recipe requested on several occasions, I thought I should probably try harder for you fine people and (*gasp*) use a measuring cup. So here it is, my fried green tomato recipe (or at least a close approximation of the dumping and smidging). Enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes | Hannah & Husband

Before you do anything, start heating your oil in the iron skillet. Put the burner on medium heat–this will take a little longer but is safer.

Ingredients:

34 C all-purpose flour
12 C finely ground cornmeal
1 Tblsp coarsely ground cornmeal
dash salt

34  C milk
1 egg
hot sauce (like Louisiana or Frank’s) – knock yourself out

Fried Green Tomatoes | Hannah & Husband

Make It:

In one bowl, mix your dry ingredients. In another your wet.

The key in breading is ORDER. Repeat after me: Flour – Milk – Flour – Milk – Flour

Fried Green Tomatoes | Hannah & Husband

Fried Green Tomatoes | Hannah & Husband

Now just fry until golden brown on both side.

Remove from the oil on to paper towels to soak up any excess. Then, sprinkle with a little salt.

Fried Green Tomatoes | Hannah & Husband

If you make them, be sure to instagram us! @jamesaslaughter @hb_belle

burgers-hannahandhusband-2-titleWant Husband’s burger recipe? Click here to get it. 

Click here to learn how to care for your iron skillet.

 

Burger Night

Well, it’s officially grilling season. What’s that mean? Burger night.

Hoo-freakin’-ray!

burgers-hannahandhusband-2-title

We don’t mess around when it comes to burgers. Here’s how we get started:

1 lb ground beef
12 cup diced bell peppers (green, red, yellow–dealer’s choice)
12 cup diced onion
3 tbsp Worcestershire
salt & pepper

burgers-hannahandhusband-1

Mix

Patty

Patty

Grill

Grill

Now for the build:

English muffin (Toasted, of course, we aren’t animals.)
Cheese of your choice (She went blue, I went pepper jack)
A good, strong mustard
Fried green tomato

That’s right, it’s not finished without a fried green tomato. Hannah’s recipe will be following soon.

Roasted sweet potato chips and maybe an extra fried green tomato; you are ready to go.

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Enjoy!

1950s Dinner Party with the “Club”

I usually don’t share too much about the “club” except for the fact that it exists and an instagram here and there, but last night we threw a 1950s dinner party. So really how could I resist?

If you remember, last year I started a book club. It was fun! We liked talking about the books we were reading, but we also just really loved each other’s company–and planning ridiculously over-the-top food and drink to accompany the discussion. So finally…

It's finally happened. Book club has officially become 'Club'...

Last night was the first gathering of the “club,” and what better way to kick things off than with a 1950s dinner party? After all, the women of the 50s were all about a good gathering of the girls, right? Garden clubs, book clubs, bridge circles… you get the picture.

Anywho, here are a few highlights:

Punch Table | Hannah & Husband

 

Hannah in Woo-Woo's dress | Hannah & Husband

I wore the only dress I have of my Woo-Woo’s. I’d never actually worn it because, in the words of one of the guests, “It’s beautiful, but the fabric feels like the upholstery on my couch.” It fit perfectly.

Humpty Dumpty Egg | Hannah & Husband

We made dishes that we found (and, in most cases, updated) in cookbooks from the era and our own family’s recipe boxes. Somewhere in the midst of the jello-d ham (totally a thing) and massive amounts of mayo and MSG, we found a few things that were pretty tasty.

Note to self: I learned that you really should never make meatloaf for a dinner party. It’s best out of the oven, which means that by the time we’d finished our punch, the main course was looking (and tasting) rather cold and sad.

50s Party Table | Hannah & Husband

Anywho, we had punch & deviled eggs to start. Then, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, pea salad, jello salad, banana pudding, and candle salad. 1950s women were all about the salad! But what is candle salad you ask? The weirdest way to serve fruit I’ve seen and also the best centerpiece ever. I’ll let you be the judge.

Hannah prepping the candle salad. | Hannah & Husband

Assembling the candle salad… from Liz’s instagram

Candle Salad Recipes | Hannah & Husband

Candle Salad | Hannah & Husband

 What’s your favorite 1950s recipe? Have you ever thrown a 50s party?

Loverboy’s Specialty Cake

piece-cake-hannahandhusband

Welcome to part ii of our series “Always Be Prepared to Party.” (If you haven’t had the chance, read about our party drawer here.) This post is particularly fitting because Husband actually learned how to make this cake as a boy scout. (For the record, his scouting career lasted a lot longer than mine did.) Several years later, he would use it to woo a certain high school girl, and we’ve been together ever since!

You’ve probably all had this cake and likely most of you have made it. But, it’s the one cake that we always have on hand. Unexpected company? Unexpected birthday boy coming to your house in an hour? Have a midnight chocolate craving? Need to woo the ladies? This is the cake.  Enjoy!

loverboy-cake-hannahandhusband

Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box chocolate Jell-o instant pudding

8 oz. sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 package chocolate chips

pan-cake-hannahandhusband

Make It:

Flour and grease a bundt pan.

Mix all your ingredients together and spoon into the pan.

Drop the pan straight down on the counter a couple of times to make sure any air bubbles settle.

Bake for 50 minutes at 350° until a skewer or toothpick comes out with little pieces of cake clinging to it (and maybe some chocolate chips).

cake-hannahandhusband

 Happy Friday, Loves!

Any fun weekend plans? We’ll be attending the Rhythm ‘n’ Blooms festival in Knoxville.

 

 

Always Be Prepared to Party

Oh please, you know the Slaughters are always ready to party! I like to think of myself as a very sparkly, very crafty Girl Scout. And despite the fact that I quit the scouts at age six after just one year (I felt the crafts were lacking a certain panache), I took the “Be prepared” motto to heart. And so begins a new series here on Hannah & Husband: Always Be Prepared to _________.

Always Be Prepared | Hannah & Husband

So today, I’m kicking off our Always Be Prepared to Party series by peeking into my party drawer. The other day, I was working with my friend Liz (the entertaining editor over on HGTV) on this cool project and told her about an impromptu birthday party we threw for one of our friends one night. Our friend had been working with Husband all day and was coming over to our house for dinner when Husband discovered it was his birthday. Luckily when he called me on his way home, I had everything we needed for a party in my party drawer.

partydrawer-hannahandhusband

You don’t have to keep everything on hand, but here are a few things we suggest:

Candles

Something Festive to Hang (pom-pom garland, crepe paper streamers, a banner of some sort)

Colorful Napkins 

A Killer Cake Recipe (recipe to follow)

A Boogie-Worthy Playlist

A fun way to kick it up a notch? Rather than keeping paper products on hand that will just be thrown away, invest in some neutral small plates that can be used for any occasion regardless of color palette.

Want to really over achieve? Keep your silver polished and be ready to get out that china at a moment’s notice.

So tell us, what are your party drawer essentials?

Power Lunch

The weekends are when I most enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. There’s hardly ever a plan; I just turn on a podcast, pour myself a drink, and get to cookin.’ This healthy dish was a particular hit. Perfect for keeping up with those resolutions, it’s packed with flavor and full of veggies. We just didn’t know what to call it. So Husband suggested I ask you!

Power Lunch | Hannah & Husband

Here’s the recipe…

Ingredients

1 4 oz. box Wild Rice (or enough for a couple portions)
2 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 sweet potato or yam
3 slices red onion
a handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
14 red pepper, diced
1 handful kale, julienned

cayenne pepper
garam masala
1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Replacing the liquid with low-sodium chicken broth, cook your rice. For this recipe, the broth really kicks up your flavor base. The rice takes about an hour so clean up your kitchen and pour a drink for the first 30 minutes or so.

2. After 30 minutes of the rice being on, preheat your oven to 400°F

3. Cube your sweet potato. Toss it with olive oil and cayenne. (I used about a 14 teaspoon.) Then, seal the cubes in a piece of folded aluminum. The seal will let them cook without getting crispy. Cook for 20 minutes at 400° or until soft. When they’re done. Pull them out to cool.

4. Cut your remaining veggies. Sprinkle with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and garam masala. With the oven still on 400°, cook these veggies for 10 minutes. Then, put them under the broiler for 3-5.

5. Just as your rice is finishing up, toss in your your julienned kale for about 5 minutes.

6. Finally, toss all your ingredients in a large bowl and add the juice of half a lemon.

Makes 2 large portions or 4 side salad portions.

*Delish!* The only question left?

What should we call it? Add any suggestions in the comments below.

 

 

Party Photo Booth DIY

Party Photo Booth DIY | Hannah & Husband Looking for a cool way to document your New Year’s shindig? Let me suggest setting up your own photo booth. We set one up in my office for our Cocktails & Carols party, and it served as a living guest book. We captured some really fun moments, and (BONUS) it was a great alternative to people walking around with their phones all night taking selfies. Plus, it was super easy to set up! Here’s what we did. Party Photo Booth DIY | Hannah & Husband

On one wall of my office, we hung fabric and tinsel with push pins from the top of the window molding so we wouldn’t have to patch any holes in the wall. Then, we put a bench in front of that big enough for 2-3 people.
Opposite the fabric, we set up our camera on the self-timer setting with instructions hanging in front of it.
Party Photo Booth DIY | Hannah & Husband

The party was “black tie or festive,” which gave Cindy an excuse to pull out the family jewels.
Note to self: we should all find more reasons to wear tiaras.

Finally, we added a table full of props. I would say glittery things and mustaches are musts. Bonus points for fab headwear!
Party Photo Booth DIY | Hannah & Husband

Recognize these lovelies? Deanne blogs for Made + Remade, and Liz is an online editor for HGTV!

Party Photo Booth DIY | Hannah & Husband

Kayla is the cutest–always!

So now I’m on the lookout for more ideas.
How do you document your parties? Any fun ideas?

 

Two Holiday-ish Cocktails

I have two new cocktails to share today, and I must confess that neither recipe is completely original to us. Saturday was our annual Cocktails & Carols party, and we had two signature drinks for our guests: the first was a Sage Ginger Sparkler and the second was a Jingle Julep. 

Sage Ginger Sparkler | Hannah & Husband

I found the first idea on Pinterest and, in turn, I found a beautiful blog: Local Milk. The blogger behind Local Milk is a photographer in Chattanooga, Tennessee named Beth and her writing is absolutely beautiful. I’d especially recommend reading what she has to say about the herbs in this sage ginger cocktail

“…we can think of it as a tincture, as a potent medicine that lends itself to mindful savoring & promotes strength, prosperity, and cleansing…”

Sage Ginger Simple Syrup

12 torn, small sage leaves
1 inch ginger, minced
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Bring all the ingredients to a boil over low heat stirring frequently.
Allow to boil until sugar is dissolved.
Turn off burner and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Store in the refrigerator.

for the Sage Ginger Sparkler

sage ginger simple syrup
crystallized ginger
chilled prosecco
sage leaf

We dipped the rim in simple syrup and crystallized ginger.
Add one teaspoon of the sage ginger simple  syrup to your glass.
Top off with chilled prosecco.
Garnish with a small sage leaf.

Jingle Julep | Hannah & Husband

The second cocktail was a Jingle Julep. The base of the recipe was found via HGTV Gardens’ twitter, but we mixed it up quite a bit. Here’s our take…

Cranberry Rosemary Simple Syrup

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 bunch rosemary (6-10 sprigs)

Bring all the ingredients to a boil over low heat stirring frequently.
Allow to boil until sugar is dissolved.
Turn off burner and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Store in the refrigerator.

Ice

We put cranberries & rosemary leaves in these large ice cube trays. Top off the ingredients with boiling water and put in the freezer immediately. Boiling helps the water stay as clear as possible.

Jingle Julep

mint
Cranberry Rosemary Simple Syrup
bourbon
ginger ale

Muddle mint with a bit of simple syrup in the bottom of your rocks glass.
Add your ice cube and one Tablespoon of Cranberry Rosemary Simple Syrup.
Pour one ounce bourbon.
Top off with ginger ale.

 

 

Host Gifts for Holiday Parties

As we are officially right in the throws of holiday party season, now is as good a time as any to talk about the “host gift.” As I learned recently, the trusty bottle of wine is not so trusty after all. Bring a bottle of wine to the wrong person, and you’re guaranteed a lecture about alcoholism and someone going to rehab. (It wasn’t fun, but it did make me a lot more aware of what I give to other people.) So today, I’m here to share with a few trusty gifts that will make you the favorite guest at any shindig.

Host Gift Ideas | Hannah & Husband

a potted Christmas Cactus

Really any indoor plant will do, but  a Christmas cactus is especially festive this time of year because (most of them) bloom bright pink or red flowers just around the holidays. One of our friends actually brought us a cutting from his own plant (which he’d gotten from his aunt I believe) that has livened up our kitchen for a couple years now.

Host Gift Ideas | Hannah & Husband

Love these organic tea towels by artgoodies’ Lisa Price

Breakfast for the Morning After

Throwing a party or hosting overnight guests can be a lot of work! One of the coolest host gifts we ever received was a basket of muffins for breakfast the next day wrapped in a beautiful tea towel. Bonus: add coffee and a bottle of Baileys. (If you know they imbibe, of course.)

Local Goodies

This year, most of the gifts we are giving have either been locally made or locally purchased. Giving things from around your own hometown adds a perfect personal touch and supports local businesses. If you’re in East Tennessee, one of my favorites to give and receive are Blackberry Farm products. (Their cheeses are divine!)

Thanksgiving Snapshots

Turkey in the Straw | Hannah & Husband

Our Turkey in the Straw is finally done! Click here for instructions on how to make him yourself.

Hello! Hello! How was your Thanksgiving? Our holiday weekend was filled with friends, family, and So. Much. Food. (Everyone says that, don’t they?) We host Turkey Day at our house every year, and I have to say that this year the highlight for me was this pie crust–the first one I’ve made myself in about 9 years. Why did I ever stop?

Other highlights documented below from the day of the feast include…

hannahandhusband-thanksgiving

 

And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Hannah & Husband weekend without a little time in the mountains, right?

hannahandhusband-friday

 

What was the highlight of your weekend?
Did you travel or cook a homemade feast for the family?