A "YOU CAN'T STOP ME" PRODUCTION STARRING TRENT RICHARDSON AS "THE GINGERBREAD MAN"

Only in the South do you merge Christmas holiday traditions with college football festivities.

When I asked Lucy and Owen to come over to bake off a-just-shy-of-a-dozen-batch of the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line, I must admit there was a good deal of silence on the other end of the phone. Once the cookies were dived and sent home with the mini-me's, there were plenty left for the "D" line too. Lucky duck!

We didn't quite get to the jerseys and numbers yesterday so I finished them off this evening. Perf-- just in time for the Christmas party tomorrow evening.

Oh, and sorry Nick for the bell. It was sort of an after thought and all I had left...just think of Coach Calhoun from Grease. Win that game on January 9 so we can go back to Tuscaloosa and ring that victory bell. Or at least Denny Chimes.

Gingerbread Men Cookies
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/gingerbread-men-cookies-50400000118027/

Roll Tide, Silent Night, and all that jazz.
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living.

I HAVE A BUN IN THE OVEN

Make that 8 to be exact. And no, we're not talking Octomom here. I'm talking fresh from the oven, made-from-scratch hamburger buns. Sturdy and rather stately on the outside, yet soft and cozy on the inside.

Several years ago The New York Times ran an article about the best burger and how to achieve perfection in all of its "parts". The hamburger buns were described as light and brioche-like which is exactly spot on. The recipe is fool proof and the bun is sure to become a staple in your home too.

Light Brioche Buns: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/dining/011brex.html

Adapted from Hidefumi Kubota, Comme Ca, Los Angles
Recipe courtesy The New York Times, published June 30, 2009.

I promise, you'll never buy a sorry package of gummy hamburger buns again.

CHOW.

RUN TRENT RUN!

RTR! We're all behind you today...go, go, go!

BAKE & TAKE: JUST ADD COFFEE TO THIS OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CAKE

Coffee cake is one of those delightful holiday treats that I look forward to whipping up each year. It's also a cinch to make, and even better, if you can make it ahead, refrigerate overnight, and enjoy fresh from the oven, why wouldn't you go for it?

I prepared the Overnight Coffee Crumble Cake from the December 2011 issue of Southern Living. No surprise here. Mmmm... scrumptious!

I made a couple of substitutions with more than stellar results:

• I substituted all pecans in the Cinnamon-Nut Crumble, simply because I had a stash of them in my freezer.


• If bourbon isn't your thing, you could also substitute vanilla extract in the Sweet Bourbon Glaze with equally good results.


• My super dear friends' sister lost her home to a fire a few days ago (Everyone Is OK!), so I baked the cake in an 8-inch foil pan and a 9-inch brownie pan. Both cakes baked within the range we published in the mag but keep in mind that my 8-inch pan baked on the higher end and the 9-inch pan baked on the lower end. Definitely, now, a shareable treat.

Overnight Coffee Crumble Cake:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/overnight-coffee-crumble-cake-50400000117950/
Recipe and photo just above courtesy of Southern Living.
ENJOY!

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

i HEART november college football.

TIDE FANFARE

Gobble-Gobble them up today, Tide!

PARKING LOT PARTY FARE

Wheel in to your favorite grocery store or catering joint and pick up a few of your signature specialties. Shhh... it'll be our little secret.

The inspiration for this post comes via the biggest socialite in town, as my mother would often bump into her in the Western parking lot before teas and luncheons. With her sterling silver tray resting on the hood of her luxury vehicle, Mrs. R stacked brownies, cookies, tea sandwiches, or a similar nibble appropriate for those types of gatherings in lickity split time. GENIUS!

3 Trunk Top Specialties:

Tray Chic
Log of goat cheese
Pepper jelly
Roasted, salted almonds
Assorted olives (You know, the fancy ones they sell by the pound.)
Crackers (The imported kind. They're a little pricey, but folks will notice and give you a point.)

Finger Lickin' Hood Platter
Deli Fried Chicken Fingers
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Assorted carrot and celery sticks
Nick's-in-the-Sticks House Dressing (You T-Towner's know what I'm talking about... Ranch dressing sprinkled with blue cheese crumbles.)

Greek (Goddess Doesn't Want to Ruin Her Mani) Tray
Sabra Hummus with a squeeze of fresh lemon (Yes, take it out of the tub and no, not the juice from the plastic lemon!)
Marinated feta cubes
Olives
Cucumber rounds
Pita Chips

Sorry, no dessert options (no offense, Mrs. R), that's simply where I draw the line... Party Foul! Sweet treats, must be made from scratch. Oh, and be kind to the germaphobes. Keep a stash of disposable rubber gloves handy.

So don't forget to grab your pretty platters and bowls on your way out the door. And when your friends rave over the dish you bring, truthfully you can say, "Aww, it was nothing..."
Photo courtesy of Southern Living.