I was going to wait and post this tomorrow but I've had to lay down on the couch for a while and think about the fact that at least 3-4 of you left me comments and said you didn't know what okra was???? Oh bless your sweet hearts. Okra is only one of the best vegetables EVER! There are so may things you can do with Okra - pickled okra is a personal favorite. We put that on salads. FRIED OKRA will rock your world. Gumbo wouldn't be the same without okra (tell me you know what gumbo is???).
A while back a ton of people left comments on my recipe blog wanting to know what Rotel is and now Okra. Help me Help you people!! I want to introduce you to the blessings that is southern food!
I got a great deal on steaks at Sam's today so we had a yummy meal. One of my favorite sides is to cut up red potatos and bake them. I love to put a little olive oil on them and mix with onion soup mix or tonight I added garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Oh my it is so good.
I saw this recipe in Southern Living (I am ashamed to admit I let my subscription run out so I was reading it at my mom's) and thought it sounded quick, easy and good. Only I didn't write it down and I forgot really what was in it but I improvised and it was SO good. It gave you the taste of fried okra without all the work.
Just saute sliced okra in olive oil and add some (I'm not one for measurements) Italian bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. I also added Salt and Creole seasoning. SO, SO, SO good!! We will be having this A LOT in the future. It took literally all of 10 minutes to make.
Harper got to try carrots tonight. This is the one food I read is better just to buy than to make so I bought several jars. My mom told me I loved carrots so much I turned orange and she has always told me carrots are good for eye sight. Well - this is an old wives tale because I ate a TON of carrots and I can't see past my nose.
Hmmmmmm.........what is this?
Thinking about it
And ladies and gentlemen...............we have a SUCCESS!!! The first food she has eaten and not gagged on the first bite. She ate almost a whole jar on the first try! Like mother, like daughter!Ya'll have me wondering..............what foods are out there that maybe I don't know about??? Are there things in other parts of the country that are regional that I haven't eaten??? I'm curious now!!
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«Oldest ‹Older 1 – 200 of 301 Newer› Newest»Who doesn't know what okra is?????
Ha Ha!
Kelly, she is too stinkin' cute! I can't believe how big she is getting!
And, I love me some fried okra. Mmmmm!
Oh, Okra! I love it. I can't believe people haven't heard of Rotel? Velveeta and Rotel meets heaven in your mouth :) Yay Harper for loving those carrots. Avery loves carrots. I just love Earth's Best brand. It tastes so fresh and yummy.
I already ate dinner and your meal for tonight is making me hungry all over again!
Isn't it funny how people from the same country can have such different food habits? I love okra, but when I lived in WI, I NEVER ate it because I couldn't find it! (I'm from MS.)
My Noah loved carrots too. I made all his baby food. I loved doing it. I did have to mix it with cereal at first to help mellow out the flavor till he was used to it. and even when I tried to give him Earth Best's baby food he would not eat it. Always preferred the home made stuff. Yay for a success!!!
I'm originally from TX, but I'm living in Minnesota right now. When I mentioned Rotel at work the other day, no one knew what it was! Same with Ranch style beans and okra! Don't even mention Shrimp & Grits! Sometimes I think I live on another planet!!
Thank you for the reciepe, my husband will love you!
Oh Marci, I can't believe someone had never heard of Ranch Style beans, we had those for dinner tonight!
I love fried okra. Also, my son would not eat many of the green veggies. He loved carrots and squash! Sometimes I would put a little of the green veggie on the spoon and cover it with the carrots or squash. He would eat it then.
I told you Harper would like carrots!! Like Mama like daughter!!
Mom
Oh! Thanks for that recipe! Not only does it sound easier, but healthier.
I smiled about the okra ignorance because I didn't know what it was until I was 20 years old! :)
But, I've been in the South for 15 years now, so it's all good. Ha-Ha!
Harper is so cute! FYI- Carrots stain clothing. I couldn't get the stuff off of Emma. The first time she ate them, the knocked it out of my hands and it fell all over her bouncy seat. The fabric still has an orangy stain.
I too love Okra! Any way you cook it!
aww! Awesome! My Story used to love carrots, now she spits out every bite. :(
And your dinner looks delilsh! I have NEVER tried okras before, but I do know what they are. :) I am terrified of trying new things, maybe someday I'll give it a try...
... I don't know what gumbo is.
But I grew up in Connecticut, am I excused?
Ok, I live in the south, but was born and lived in south america until 11 yrs old. What is rotel, I've never heard of it!?!?
Ahhh Okra! Love it! I think a lot of food will turn kids orange. Jarred food for sure, because a lot of it contains carrots even if it doesn't seem like it would!
I love okra...especially boiled. Yum! Unfortunately, no one else in my family does. No one. Since it is somewhat fuzzy, and somewhat slimy when cooked, they like to refer to it as "hairy snot with green chunks". Needless to say, I don't eat it around too many folks.
Kelly I can not wait to try that okra... how does NOT know what okra is????
H is just too precious, I pray every night for the Lord to bring me a baby girl :)
Katie
Harper needs to tell Lauren to eat her carrots too. That was the first food that she actually threw up, sad! And people really dont know what okra is?!?!
OKRA ROCKS OUT! My 4 yr old has been eating it for years and years and my Dad grows it in his garden now just for Luke! We go to Cracker Barrel, he eats an entire bowl! Soooo Yummy! Whoever doesn't know what okra, rotel and gumbo is apparently was just not raised correctly! I put okra in my fresh shelled purple hull peas and I make a big ol' pan of corn bread!
Kelly, I am so glad you let people know what okra is! My goodness they have been missing out! I am a southern girl now in the Midwest and had to chuckle when one of my coworkers didn't know what collard greens were! Did you know cottage cheese is a standard dinner side here? I didn't and still haven't tried it.
Hi hi. Okra is know as Lady's Finger in Singapore http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_finger
Why the term? I guess because the plant looks very much like a lady's finger - long and slim.
Follow this link for more okra recipes http://www.indobase.com/recipes/category/okra-50.php
Fried okra ROCKS MY WORLD for sure! I can't believe someone had never heard of okra - I had it for lunch today and it was so YUMMY!!!
I enjoyed reading your blog tonight! Stop by mine any time!
oh my gosh how do you NOT know what okra is! Holy Cow!
oh my goodness! I can't imagine my life without fried okra! haha I'm glad miss h liked found a winner!
Oh my goodness!I love okra and gumbo!! I will have to give your recipe a try as my hubby and I can't seem to get enough of it!
I completely understand what you mean about people not knowing what Rotel is. I lived in Jersey for four years when we were first married and I couldn't find Rotel anywhere! I was so frustrated and would have my mom ship me some or would bring cans back with me after each trip! I don't know what I would do without Rotel!
Another item I couldn't find out there was Taco flavored Doritos.
One thing I can't find in Missouri is an "everything" bagel. Panera carries them, but they aren't the same as the Jersey bagel shops! Something I discovered living there!
My sister and I love reading your posts! Harper is so cute!
Funny this is I sent Veronica (the girl who made the Harper Hat) a can of Rotel because she had never heard of it, she loved it!! It just blows me away that so many people don't know what a lot of these Southern foods are!! I am curious also to see if there is anything I might not know about. I only live about an hour from you so I get to enjoy the same great food as you!!!!
PS Harper is sooooo cute, I just can't get enough of her cuteness!!
Steph
I had to laugh at the thought of someone not knowing what okra is!! LOL
Your dinner looks delicious.
Love that last pic of Harper, adorable!
seeing that fried okra made me a little homesick. ha It's been a long time since we've eaten any. :-(
Ever had chocolate gravy? I grew up (and still live in) Tennessee and it was a staple at my Mamaw's for breakfast. DELICIOUS with a hot buttered biscuit.
MMMMMM!!!
Fried okra is soo good! However, I do not enjoy it boiled.
Ew. I think the only this worse is collards.
Love Okra and can't wait to try your red potatoes with onion soup mix!! Sounds yummy!
Rotel...love it. You are talking the dip right? Cause my next door neighbor who is from Wisconsin had never had it until she came to one of my children's birthday party. So it must totally be a southern thing!
Well, that is just strange. I am from the Northeast and all of my family up there knows what Okra and Rotel is. Now I grew up all over the world as a military brat and in the midwest people know what that is. And I have NEVER met someone who didn't know what Cream of Chicken soup is. Martha Stewart was being silly! :)
Carrots was my first daughter's favorite baby food as well. All her pics from about 8-9 mos old, her nose is orange from all the beta carotene in her the carrots! ha! I am definitely going to have to try your okra recipe. My dh loves fried okra, but it's too much work for me on most days. Do you use fresh okra or frozen?
What in the world is Rotel? Okra I've heard of but never tried...does not look very good but then again I am known for being slightly picky with food!
As for unique foods...out here in Ca. we have pretty much any and every type of food that you can imagine! Ecclectic California...too bad I'm so picky!
You have to try Paula Deen's fried okra- sooooooo good.
I cannot believe that okra and rotel are exotic southern foods- how do people make it through football season without rotel dip?
And, the only thing I craved during pregnancy was pickled okra and grape kool-aid. Weird, I know- but oh my word it is sooooo good.
I'm growing okra in my garden- I literally go out and pick it and bring it in and fry it. You can't even know the joy.
Thanks for the help with baby shower ideas!
Well, here in KY we have biscuits and gravy. I'm sure you know this, being from the south! When I went to college, friends from up north were so confused as to why there was gravy on the breakfast bar! I quickly showed them... and they were grossed out! Must be a southern thing.
I LOVE FRIED OKRA!!
Hey Kelly!
Have you ever roasted okra in the oven? It's so yummy! I'm doing a post about oven roasted okra in a few days. Hope you'll drop by to check it out!
Carol ~ in Tulsa
So glad she likes carrots!
i feel so sad for the people who don' tknow what okra is...yummy! they don' tknow what it is up here in WA...so we don't get to eat any-bummer!!! have you tried pumpkin with harper yet? Addelyn LOVED it..i just got the can of pumpkin-but make sure it isn't the pumpking pie kind with the sugar added...
We live in Phoenix and are desert dwellers. I'm one of the guilty ones that had NO idea what Okra was. I'm going to look for it at the grocery store tomorrow!!
We eat ALOT of mexican food. Chorizo is a favorite around here. Anything that has a little spice and tons of flavor. MMMMMMMMM.
Andrea
I've heard of Okra but never had it! I am from Delaware but now live near Cincinnati, Ohio. In Delaware people (not me)eat scrapple. It is like all the left over pig parts put together in kind of like a sausage. It is YUCKY, but a lot of people LOVE it. Well, when I moved here everyone told me about goetta. They have festivals and everything around it. It is similar to scrapple but has oats mixed in it instead of corn meal like scrapple. Both really yucky in my opinion but people who like it, LOVE it!
I'm from Maryland and crabs are THE thing to eat if you visit in the summer. I'm sure you know about crabs but you may or may not know about the seasoning we use on said crabs. Old Bay. It's good on other things besides crabs as well. You can put it in crab dip, on fried chicken, and there is a brand of chips that is seasoned with it...so good! I'm not sure if it's available in Arkansas though. I lived in CA for awhile and you couldn't find it there. Definitely worth a try!
I've been eating Okra since I was a little girl! It is the best and I am going to try that recipe this weekend! I just learned that people up east eat prosciutto and melon together. I think its an Italian thing? It seemed really different to me!
Fried okra was a staple in our house - but my mom made this amazing "okra and tomatoes" dish that I swear would make your head roll. It was unbelievable. All homegrown okra and tomato from her suburban little garden. DELICIOUS!!!
Oh I could make myself SICK on pickled okra! So with the recipe, do you just bake it after you toss it in bread crumbs?
love love love fried okra, fried squash, new potatoes, and fresh green beans :) best supper ever!
I grew up in East Texas so I know about great southern food. Love it all. I moved to Roswell, NM 17 years ago and people here didn't know what purple hull peas were!! In New Mexico everything is green chili. Green chili stew, green chili cheese burgers, green chili brisket, steak combo burritos with green chili. Many receipes have green chili. Or when you order mexican food in a resturant they ask you if you want green sauce or red sauce. It's either made with green or red chili. Not the same as used in Tex Mex food.
Karen Mendenhall
Roswell, NM
My husband's from Pittsgurgh and he's always horrified when people haven't heard of pierogis or kielbasa.
I'm from the midwest, so I don't know anyone who cooks Okra in their home... but hasn't everyone been to Cracker Barrel??? That's where I heard of it. :)
I make my potatoes the same way. I've heard of okra just never had it. And seriously how do people not know what Rotel is?!? I use it on a weekly basis. I'm sure you haven't tried this as I know a lot of people have not heard of it unless you are Scandinavian but Krumkake is amazing!! It's like a pancake and an ice cream cone in one! It's amazing!!
How sad for some! Okra is fantastic and one of my favorites of summer- with sliced tomatoes and squash of course!
Keep educating the masses girl!
I have never had okra in all of my midwestern life. I've heard of it though, thanks to the Food Network. Here in the north, we eat Hotdish--not casseroles. (I grew up in Minnesota and now live in Wisconsin.) The cheese curds are the best here--the fresh kind, NOT deep fried. You know they're fresh because they squeak between your teeth when you chew them!
ah, you have enlightened a New England girl- no clue what Okra was before reading your post! :)
Glad the carrots were a success!
I don't care for Okra at all, but I know what it is... and Rotel, too.
Is Scott still doing the P90X diet???
Yay, Harper, on the carrots!!
I am disturbed and saddened that there are people in this world walking around seperated from 2 of life's greatest pleasures - the okrey and the rotel.
It's as if someone wanted to know "what is air?" or "water is water?"
Some things in life you just can't live without!
She is a DOLL!
My son turned yellow from carrots and sweet potatoes!
My husband will love this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Have you heard of poi? I grew up in Hawaii and it's a necessary food group there!
as always love your blog!
~Ashley
Fried Okra is the best!! It's also good boiled and add a can of stewed tomatoes! Also good eaten over cornbread!! I was shocked that some people didn't know what chicken fried steak was!! I am from Texas!!
I'm not from the South. I think it's funny that everyone seems to think us Northerners are crazy for not knowing what okra or rotel is. I've heard of okra, but have seriously NEVER seen it ANYWHERE up here. And rotel? Never heard of it until tonight. You can't really fault us, I guess...if we're not exposed to the stuff, how are we supposed to know what it is? :-P
But I'm curious, and really want to try it now. Wish I could think of something that's strictly from up here, but I really can't at the moment :-P
I live in MN, and have seen Rotel at the store, but I eat mostly organic and certainly preservative free, and I've never had a reason to try Rotel. As far as Okra- I've always been to afraid to try it. What does it taste like? maybe I'll have to try it.
As for weird foods- honey. Come to MN. "They" (even though I am born and raised) eat the weirdest crap. Hot Dishes (casserole)? Ew. My mom never made that jnk for s. From what I can tell, its more of "everything in the fridge w/ seasoning and a can of cream of something w/ something on top" Ew. I didn't have a "casserole" until I was in college.
Also, my family is Scandanavian and those people eats nasty stuff. Lefse is not too bad- it like a potato tortilla w/ butter. I still dont eat it, but its the best of the yuck. Herring? I mean, come on. Pickled tiny little fish. Nasty.
Oh heavens! Where have these people been? Okra?!? It is a staple in the south. I love it. Every part of it! Every technique you can think of to cook it. It is just good!
I must know where the grey dress came from?!? You are always too stinkin' cute!
Harper is a doll! She is killing me with those grins :)
BTW, we just got two new puppies and I named one Harper! Hope you don't mind. We thought it was a cute name, and fits her so well!
I have heard of Okra, but wouldn't be able to pick it out in the produce section- and I have never heard of Rotel.... I am from NJ and a regional food that is a favorite around here is Pork Roll... when I went to college just a few hours west, they had no idea what it was :) you should try it if you get up to Jersey!!
will you ppplllleeeaaassseee put the potatoe and okra recipe on the "reciple blog" i would LOVE to make this for supper one night.
That is just so sad. I started eating okra practically at birth. And people didn't know about Rotel either? It makes me wonder what I am missing out on if people are missing out on okra and rotel.
I so glad Harper liked carrots. It's a personal favorite at our house and Brody has proudly sported an orange nose for several months thanks to those and sweet potatoes!:)
Thank you for the recipe. I LOVE Okra, and can't wait to try it your way. Yipee for Harper loving carrots. She is just the cutest little thing! :) My Parker has eaten so many that his little nose has been orange for quite some time.
God Bless,
Stephanie
This is the funniest post! It has made me laugh out loud tonight (much needed..thank you!) I have been born and raised in Indiana but even I know what okra is...although I have never prepared it myself. LOL In Indiana in May we find mushrooms out in the woods and fry them...YUM, YUM... and I have only heard of ROTEL the last 5 years or so, but it is staple in our house!
ps Harper could not be any cuter!
I have LOVED reading all these comments...
I think my mom gave my pickled okra at like a year old. My kids love it, too. They love salad bars with pick. okra! Nothing like my Memaw's fried okra, either! I have lived in Benton my whole life except for two years we lived in Nashville. And I had never heard of putting vinegar on your BBQ. But lots of BBQ places in Nashille put vinegar on their BBQ. I love being from the South!!
I've lived all over the U.S. (except for the South), and while I've heard of okra and Rotel, neither are my thing.
As far as regionalism goes, I think it has to do with style of cooking. In California, everything is fresh. No one uses Velveeta or cream of anything soup or canned veggies. Why would you when you can buy stuff that was harvested yesterday? Up here in the north, people eat hearty. (Which means they do use cream soups, etc.) But you're more likely to find someone serving bear meat than okra. It's all about what's available.
(There's no Sonic, CFA or donut shops in the Twin Cities either. And only about one Cracker Barrel. So we are like a whole different country than where you live.)
These comments are great. The potatoes and okra look wonderful- I'm going to have to give them a try.
Harper is a doll as usual!
My little granddaughter loved carrots and squash and ate so much of it that she also turned orange, especially her nose. I kept wondering what was wrong with her. She is normal color now. Obviously not so much into carrots now.
I am so confused.. people don't know what okra is? hmmm... I LOVE Okra... your recipe will be on my table TOMORROW! I love Gumbo..my grandma grew up in New Orleans and she makes the BEST Gumbo EVER.. and you are right...it would be downright odd without Okra!
I make potatoes like that all the time...yummo!
My mom says the carrots I ate so much of turned my nose orange too...hehe.. I can't see worth a darn either...LOL
Haper is so cute when she eats...hehe
I have never had okra but it is now on my grocery list !
Have you ever heard of Fry Sauce ? I am from PA (and never even heard of it) but have lived in Utah for the last 12 years. I refused to try it until about 5 years ago and now LOVE it. It sounds gross but it is the most popular condiment here...its a mixture if ketchup, mayo and a little pickle juice. (some people use bbq sauce). It is so amazing, but I am still too grossed out to make it from scratch, I only eat it at restaurants !
Up here in Central NY we have "salt potatoes" I've been told they're a northern food. I have no idea why or what the deal is but when people move south and come back to visit they bring them back to the south with them. We also have a brand of hot dog called Hoffman Hots- they're also something southerners bring back home.
I didn't think we had Rotel up here either but after some searching in 2 grocery stores I've found it in the Latino food section very easily.
We should do a what foods do you have where you live recipe swap!
who doesn't know who Rotel is? I mean.. seriously? woha
PS with regard the the ranch style beans i read in the comments above- we do NOT have that up here in NY- i've looked for it for a few recipes- it's nowhere in my stores. but i do know what okra is and i do know where the rotel is. HA HA
I love okra it is great. I love it boiled and made it for my husband when we first got married. He said he liked it but when he looked at it he said yuck! I don't like it boiled I like it fired. So since then I have never made it again. I am sure that I don't have a food that you haven't eaten. I live in Arkansas to.
This isn't a food, but a drink
Have you heard of SKI?
It is a kind of pop (soda) nad it is usually only around Southern Ohio.
Also, not sure if you have had it but my uncle likes to make potato candy. If you haven't heard of it, let me know and I will get the recipe for you.
The only place that I've ever had fried Okra or any kind of Okra for that matter is at Cracker Barrel!!! I get it as a side every time I go. It's not that common in Ohio I guess.
I'm glad Harper liked the carrots :) She is soooooo cute!!!
You made me laugh out load when you said that fried okra will rock your world, ha! So true!!!
Awww how sad that some people didn't know what okra AND rotel was! Thankfully you helped! I love all of your recipes,thanks for sharing.
I've never commented, but I've been reading your blog for a couple of weeks now! :)
I had to comment when I saw this! My husband and I are talking about some other things that are or seem "exclusive" to the south: Chicken Fried Steak for example.
My hubby worked for a company that had him travel a lot a few years ago and one night he had dinner with a man from Chicago, in Kansas City, and the man asked the waiter what Chicken Fried Steak was.
Southern cooking is something I never knew I took for granted until now. Mmm, mmm, love me some okra and rotel + velveeta! Yum!
Crystal
I am originally from TX and love, love, love, me some' okra! Now, I live in WA and my goal is to teach as many people about okra as possible :)
I also wonder if you can order a breaded tenderloin sandwich in AR? I know some of my family that used to live in Ohio and now live in NV always have to get one when they come back because they don't have it out that way at all! You usually get a normal sized bun and then this HUGE breaded tenderlin that doesn't come close to fitting on the bun!!!
Jenna
thejacksonfivefamily.blogspot.com
I had actually never had okra or gumbo for that matter until I moved to Houston from Los Angeles. I had heard of it though. (my voice teacher was from New Orleans and they used to make gumbo)Anyway, I'm not a fan of gumbo nor okra. If I have to eat okra I like fried ok.
Anyway, being from California. We make Avocado chicken boats. (don't know if this is special to CA or not, but it's one of my favorites)
It's halved avocados topped with a cubed grilled chicken salad sort of mixture and topped with cheese baked in the oven...It's so GOOD as an appetizer or a meal.
I love fried okra. Love it.
How 'bout a bierock. Do you know what that is?
Yummy sweet bread dough, wrapped around hamburger and cabbage.
De-Lish.
MMM! Love me some shrimp and okra gumbo!!
I had no idea there were people who didn't know about okra. And rotel is practically it's own food group!!
I've gotta admit - I don't think I've ever had okra. I grew up in the midwest, and now live in the southwest, and I don't even know if people grow it around here.
Ever had green chile? That is a huge deal down here - people go NUTS over it.
I do, however, know what Rotel is - and I love it! :)
My aunt from Michigan was visiting last week and we took her to a homecooking restaurant here in Arkansas. She was introduced to fried okra AND hush puppies in the same outing!!
I'm fascinated by some of the foods I'm reading about in these comments! I've spent my whole life in MN and have never heard of half of the foods mentioned here! I do know what okra is but I've only had it once-- long long ago. I can't remember the last time I even saw it somewhere. I may need to search for it now!
Mmmmm that okra looks SO good! I love me some fried Okra :D
Hi Kelly and Harper, I have previously only been a reader, but I just had to comment on this, because this happened to me just the other day. I live in NC, but have spent summers in Maine and Maryland since I was a young child. I guess I have the best of both food worlds, with sweet tea and a fresh Maine lobster. I have always assumed that people knew about seafood, but I was commenting the other day to a friend that I was looking forward to eating clam chowder, she-crab soup, and a soft shell crab and they had no idea what I was talking about. I guess I have taken my fresh seafood consumption for granted. On another note, I will have to try the okra recipe and I am glad Harper has taken to carrots. I love reading.
Nicole
These comments are too funny. I am in so.Cal. but lived in N.J for 30 yrs...we had this frozen pizza called Ellios..pure junk but it was the best..taylor ham, egg and cheese on a roll...yum...and french fries with cheese and gravy..pure diner food (mozzarella and the gravy was brown)..southern California has nothing like that..in New jersey it is against the law to pump your own gas.
I JUST recently realized, myself, that there are people in the world who have never had okra!! One of my dear friends lives in Oregon and said she had seen it in the freezer section of her grocery store and didn't know what it was!! CRAZY!!!
being a california girl who has transplanted to the south, i didn't know what okra or rotel was til i moved here. i also didn't know that people fried pickles or ate mac n cheese on thanksgiving. but now i know almost all things southern!
as for the other way around, i have found that people here don't know what tri-tip is (which is my favorite cut of steak) or carne asada (a mexican cut/seasoned steak). people look at me like i'm weird when i talk about it. also, we have cactus cooler soda in cali, which isn't out here. oh, and what southern people call "banana peppers" we call "peppercini's". that's all i can think of tonight (from someone on both ends).
i also lived in illinois for a couple years and had never had cheese curds (or fried cheese curds) til i lived there.
Well I'm not sure if there is food here you wouldn't know about, but you should try some squash for Harper. My mom says that was my favorite when I was a baby. :)
Oh my stars! I haven't laughed so much in days! This post - along with the comments - just cracked me up. I love okra, but know that when I was a little girl, we couldn't get it in Illinois, so we always ate it when we visited my grandmother in Texas. I'll have to try your new recipe.
I have to share with you a funny story! My husband isn't too informed about kid stuff - especially when we didn't have children. When the first Shrek movie came out, he misunderstood that Shrek was a ogre. He thought I said okra. He then asked, "So is it a new veggie tale movie?" I still laugh about it everytime I think of okra. :)
Hey Kelly! I have enjoyed reading your blog for several months now, but have never posted a comment, because I know you already have soooo many comments to read! Tonight, however, I decided I could no longer resist:)! I just want to set all southern hearts at ease...I am from Michigan, born and raised, and I have Rotel in my pantry (that I bought at my local grocery store) and I LOVE okra in any form!!! I also drink more than my fair share of sweet tea ha-ha!
Anyway, your blog is precious. My sister-in-law introduced me to it shortly after Harper was born. Her son (my nephew) was also born very sick, and spent 16 days on ECMO. We are so happy that Harper is doing so well...she is so adorable! Thanks for sharing your journey.
Blessings -
Kim
Okay I have NEVER in my life heard of someone not knowing what okrah was!!! How do they even survive?
We have friends up north in Wisconsin who have visited us here in Virginia for years. They always take black-eyed peas and grits home with them. They can't find them in their stores.
We love okra and rotel. Okra goes into my veggie soup. Wouldn't be the same without it. I'll be trying your okra recipe.
Oh, and my husband makes a gumbo that can rock your world. We also eat collard greens and scrapple. We're very eclectic here.
Oh, why did you write about fried okra? Now I want some. I grew up in Denver and went to Furr's Cafeteria all the time with my family. I always got the fried chicken, mac and cheese, and fried okra. I even took a picture last time I was there!
http://365photoblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/furrs-cafeteria.html
My mouth is watering, just thinking about it.
That sounds just so yummy! I like fried okra!
And I heard that the old wives tale about the carrots came from a war, it was to make soldiers think they were doing better.....or something along those lines, I have a horrible memory and can't remember specifics, but that's the just of it....interesting huh....
And I have only been reading your blog for a few days now and let me just say I'm hooked! And I would be HONORED if you checked mine out! Thanks a ton!
I live in Central California - where a large portion of the nations food is grown, and I had never had okra until I married my husband - his mom was born in Arkansas. I don't even think we can buy it fresh in the grocery store, I buy it frozen. The first time I tried biscuits and gravy was when I was in high school at a friends house. About 22 years ago we lived in central Arkansas for a short time and I couldn't find tri-tip anywhere, not sure if you have it now, that is our favorite thing to grill here.
Also, here in central California, I have heard of Rotel and I think they have it on the top shelf at the grocery store in the canned tomato section, but I have never seen anyone use it. I am going to have to buy it just to try - how do you use it, what recipe?
I am glad you posted tonight! I have laughed hard reading this and then all the comments! I can't imagine life without okra or rotel. This is the 1st year I planted a really great garden and it is heaven to go out and pick fresh okra to cook for dinner! I usually fry it but would eat in any way but raw! What really hurt my heart tho was to read someone doesn't have a sonic... ewh that is bad. :) I love hearing about other parts of our country/world and what is unique to them! And no ranch style beans? I would like to send you a can! ;) Love that Harper. She is adorable. I had to stop feeding my daughter store bought babyfood because her nose was orange and the dr said she couldn't break what was in the carrots (which they put in everything). It wouldn't have hurt her... I just got tired of her orange nose in every picture of her!
How deprived a life must be without okra!!! I love to fry okra and squash together! So good. The food is the reason we call our state "Sweet Home Alabama"!!!
Homemade carrot baby food is absolutely wonderful. The color is so vivid and bright and the flavor is way better than store bought. The only reason I can imagine that someone told you not to make them is because carrots have nitrates in them and when you steam them in a double boiler to get them soft enough to puree you can't add back in the water that was boiling the carrots because of the nitrates that have leach into it. With all that said you can just add regular water into them to smooth them out to the consistency you want. Give it a try...they are yummy.
There is a fabulous cookbook you must check out - The Petit Appetit by Lisa Barnes. It is loaded with nutritional info and other goodies on feeding your baby from the first taste of solids to about age 4. My daughter is 21 months and I make the recipes for her all the time. They are delish, easy and oh-so-healthy! She has hardly ever turned down anything I have made from this cookbook. The author is so knowledgeable about infant/toddler nutrition that it is not even funny! In fact, my husband and I even enjoy the recipes - although we passed on the puree chapter...
Harper is cute as ever! Ok so how about
Rocky Mountain Oysters?? I live in Colorado and I know what they are and I NEVER EVER plan on trying them! I was there when they were "harvested" and there is NO way I will ever eat them! I may be the only Colorado native to never have tried them but I don't care!! And I have had fried okra in Arizona and Texas and it was Yummy!
Do you eat artichokes, avacado, romaine lettuce, garbanzo beans? Used to be only in California. How about Clam Chowder? Just a few ideas.
try squash next. my kids LOVED it! and of course peaches, pears and applesauce. i hate to have to sweeten with sugar, but until they're a year old, you can't sweeten with honey. you might want to try adding fresh fruit to vanilla yogurt. but like any new food, only add one per week to be on the lookout for allergies.
my babies loved all the yellow/orange foods. till they turned that color. literally.
I love your blog & although I don't know you, you remind me of myself :) I had to comment today because I loved your sentiments about okra. That's right, bless their dear hearts who don't know what okra is! I just bought some the other day (along with peaches, onions, tomatoes and new potatoes)& that saute idea sounds fabulous!
Thanks for your posts about everyday things, its nice to read :)
That is soooo FUNNY that some people do not know what OKRA and RO-TEL are!! I guess us Southern girls do not realize how spoiled we are! I am definately trying your okra recipe. Sounds yummy...and I love any Southern Living recipe! THANKS!! And...HARPER is a doll eating those carrots!
Kelly- you are seriously so funny! I am so glad you share your recipes and food stories. I live in Mpls. We do have rotel... they sell at WalMart, and we do have a few sonic's and a few cracker barrel's. Generally speaking our food is BLAND up here. Hotdishes with no seasoning, jello (which some people up here call SALAD) it's a funny place. Thankfully I have been blessed with traveling to the south and LOVE southern cooking. My husband has recently joined the army and we are waiting for our orders for a base and we HOPE AND PRAY that we can go south for the good food and southern hospitality!
Harper is a cutie!
Please tell me ya'll know what Ro-tel is. A Southern girl could live without that!
Thankyou for showing us what OKRA looks like!
Sounds yum! I've heard of gumbo, but don't know what that looks like either. Pardon my Aussie ignorance!
I'd love to try out some easy Southern recipes for my family over here. I looked up Jumbalaya on google once and made my own version of that- yum!
Claire
Love your site Kelly...you bring joy to so many :) Harper is a little doll--she's so stinkin' cute!
Both my husband and I are originally from North Dakota and something people eat there is lutefisk. It's a dried whitefish that has been soaked in lye. I never once tried it. My Mom says it should be used to paint barns! Ha! Also, something popular in ND is lefse. It's basically like a flour tortilla but it's made out of potatoes. Some people put butter and sugar on it and eat it just like that. It's really good like that I think :) Green bean casserole is another big ND dish. I think everyone has heard of that though, right?!! One last thing I still crave that I believe you can only get in ND and a few other states around ND are Old Dutch potato chips. They are the best potato chips I've ever had!!
I love how in almost every single picture you post of you feeding Harper, your sweet little doggy has to make his apperance somewhere in the pic! Is he just waiting for droppings?! Thats what ours does!
And I'm from California and we LOVE okra! Never heard of Rotel though! I've heard MckMama talk about it too though.
I am so not a fan of okra. It is definitely on my top 10 list of foods I do not like. Especially fried, that's the worst!
Now, I'm with Harper on the carrot thing. I could eat carrots all day!
~Tellie
Ok Kelly don't kill me..... I don't know what Rotel, Gumbo or okra is? I did know it was a vegetable but that's it. My mom said its her least favorite thing because its slimy.
HA HA I love reading that people have never heard of rotel (i cook EVRYTHING with it) or Okra (LOVE).
But I know the feeling. I moved to Rhode Island, I met a lot of people that summer that asked me to order Quahogs [a type of clam]
and Gaggas [a weird hot dog], a johhny cake [a type of cornmeal pancake] and a cabniet [milkshake]
So glad to be back in Texas with all my southern goodness! :)
I Love reading about you and your adorable family... wanna just give Harper a huge hug! & thanks for all the recipes!
Love me some fresh okra with fresh tomatoes, add minimal water and cook just til tender. Add sea salt and fresh basil. Yum!
I'm a Southern gal, but have to say that I have never cared for Okra...one of the only foods that would literally make me gag as a child...so we don't eat it, sorry!
I have made my own carrots baby food & always found it to be pretty easy...you may have to use a bit more water, but my kids would eat it up. I would steam the carrots over water or boil them in water & then use some of that same water to puree them in the blender or food processor. I did the same for sweet potatoes & green peas...though the peas did come out a bit lumpy...my kids still liked them though & I think it helped them get used to some texture.
Harper is so sweet! She is growing up so quickly! I love that you are enjoying every moment! I have a question, do you save or back-up your blog in any way? I have wondered how to do that in case anything were ever to happen to the server?
Thanks & sorry for the long comment!
Blessings~
Melanie
Oh, this was cracking me up. How can anyone not know what okra or rotel are???
Life just wouldn't be the same without okra, now would it? ;-) Harper is getting so big and is absolutely adorable! My three wee ones all turned various shades of orange cause they all LOVED carrots, too. Try some creamed corn, they lapped that up as well....
I agree Kelly, these people are missing out! I am also from Arkansas & love me some fried okra, better yet what don't I love fried?!
Oh Kelly! I have been dying reading all of the comments so far! I've already mentioned to you before that I had no clue what Rotel was and had to ask Kristin for some help with that!
Anyhow...Steph just sent me a can of Rotel this week and I made that Mexican chicken dish you posted about not long ago for Monday night's supper here at my house. I ended up doing a post about it on Tuesday and it was funny to see what people had to say about the fact that I hadn't known what Rotel was.
Anyhow...I did read someone else's comment earlier about how here in CA we have tri-tip. This is something that is huge here although I have heard that in other parts of the country people have never heard of that cut of beef. I've also read on a few other blogs that people refer to BBQing as "grilling out." Where I'm from, we just call it BBQing. Oh, and as far as BBQing is concerned, it is a sin here to BBQ with anything other than red oak wood!
We also have this awesome seasoning here on the Central Coast called SusieQ's Santa Maria Seasoning. It's a blend of salt, pepper, garlic, parsley and sugar. It is soooo good. I've actually given it away to a few people from other parts of the country and they love it!
Maybe I need to send you some too!
P.S. Glad that Harper is doing so well and that she liked her carrots! :)
Up here in Upstate Ny we have have a fish fry or a clam bake. We also have salt potatoes- I've not heard of anyone outside of New England making salt potatoes. We also eat maple syrup, creme and candy. I would never ever ever use maple "flavored" anything. Ick! If it didn't come from a tree, why bother. One of my favorite spring outings is to visit sugar houses to see them boiling the sap and turning it into syrup.
Last year I made boiled peanuts for a family get together and you would have fallen over laughing. It was a foreign concept to my Yankee family. I tried to explain how they are a tradition in the south and great to eat warm at a football tailgate (go dawgs!). Most like them but thought it was the strangest food ever.
I once mentioned something online about sausage balls, and I got all kinds of comments from girls who had never heard of them. I was ASTOUNDED!
One of my first jobs was at a hospital cafeteria where we served staff and visitors, and we were selling breaded fried cheese curds and a visitor asked me if it was okra! I'll never forget that.
Tonight I had lamb biryani with raita. SO yummy!
Kelly, I made my son's foods in the beginning also. His 1st solid (other than cereal) was green beans. Funniest video of him NOT enjoying them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcpffHCrDuA&feature=channel_page
He would, however, eat them jarred. I think the gagging thing is more about the texture than the taste! My green beans were not quite as smooth as they manage to get them in the jar!
I'm from Montana and I there is no okra here...I've had it before during a 9 month move to TX. We do however have rotel...We eat venison (deer,elk,anteloupe) almost every meal. I was 5 the first time I ate beef and didn't even know that you could eat cow....a few of my other favorite different foods are, goat's cheese, dahl, paneer, thai basil, curry paste, pesto, hummus, sun dried tomatoes....are any of these things you haven't had??
I grew up in WI, but I knew what okra was from an early age, because whenever we would go visit my uncle in Florida, my dad would go buy some fried okra...and he and I would gobble it up...love it!
I have to admit, I didn't know what Rotel was until a few years ago -- it's not around in the Midwest...my aunt in Kansas City introduced me to it, and then we moved to Texas where everyone uses it:) Thankfully, it's out here in CA as well:)
Oh, and for regional food, how about Cincinnati chili? LOVE it! I finally found a recipe online that is pretty close to authentic, and my husband is a big fan, even though he never lived in Cincinnati like I did (I only lived there until I was 2, but my parents made sure we had it every time we went back to visit).
It is delicious!:)
I live in Oregon and I've never seen fresh ocra...I'll have to look harder because all these recipes sound so good!! One thing that I have learned isn't "normal" everywhere is fresh sliced tomatoes on pizza (put on top after it's finished baking). My relatives from Kansas came for a visit once and just couldn't belive we were eating that! After the show us your life series you should do a series on regional foods...that might be pretty interesting, not to mention yummy!! :)
this southern peach loves loves loves and hearts okra! boiled, fried...whatever...gumbo...just throw it in!!! put some butter on some boiled okra and have at it! I used to live in GA all of my life, then went to college and married my college sweetheart...now live in VA...cannot for the life of me find whole okra anywhere...all they have up here, including walmart, is the cut okra that is good for gumbo and frying...oh i miss whole okra!!! :)
omg okra is amazing!!! pics are darling!
I've heard of okra (but never tried it) but have no clue whatesoever of what Rotel is! But then, I hail from Scotland, land of haggis, neeps, bridies and pieces... :-)
Cxx
There's no okra in China. But if there was, I'd be boiling it. Yep. I love me some boiled okra. Honestly, I'll eat any kind. It's all good.
Seeing Harper eat carrots reminded me of Schäfer. I fed him so many carrots and pumpkin that he did turn orange. His scalp was flaking these huge orange flakes. Hubs had to ask me to steam up some other color of vegetable so our son could return to his natural state.
hugs.
sandra
www.easternjourney.com
never ever heard of it here in Australia!!!I eat all veges what is the other thing you mentioned????
Maybe I will start a blog for you to see some good old Aussie tucker!!!
love reading, have been since Mckmama linked to you when Harper was first born, I find it very interesting the whole south vs north way of life... I guess in a way we have it here just never noticed as much I guess.....
have just had a wonderful friend move back to minnesota, she introduced me to black beans and pumpkin pie, we showed her some great Aussie foods too like savoury pumpkin... really cannot come to grips with the sweet myself.
take care Leonie
blondieripp@hotmail.com
Hey, I live in Canada and even *I* know what okra and gumbo are!!! YUMMMMMM. I've never heard of Rotel, so I had to google it! We don't have that here (that I know of), and it's probably because we don't have the mexican influence that you guys in the southern states do.
I'm from the North (PA but live in Ohio now). We always had a garden growing up and while mom was preparing dinner we would snack on fresh, just picked string green beans, with out cooking, just wash them off and eat straight. Everyone here says yuck but they're good. Also another snack while dicing up potatoes I just pop a piece in my mouth they think it is gross but I like it and it's just a little something to munch on while preparing the potatoes.
I was raised in the south and went to college in the south but apparently like 20% of our student population was out of state. I remember in the dining hall one time, the menu board said "fried okra" and one of my New Jersey friends said "what is or-ka?" I also remember when living with a gal from NY in college, my other (southern) roommate and I brought home corn dogs. Our NJ roomie did not know what they were. She also didn't know what pine straw was. And bagels were bagg-les to her...
It cracks me up that people don't know what okra and Rotel are!! Being a life time Okie I thought they were just staples in everyone's house until I moved to Michigan for a short time. They didn't even know what a proper steak sandwich was! My husband ordered one and they brought out a steak (like a sirloin!) on a piece of Texas toast! We just cracked up!
I've lived in the Midwest my entire life...Illinois and 4 years in Nebraska, and we DO use Rotel. Only had okra a few times but did like it. The one food we have frequently that many people don't know about is we have brats (bratwurst) all the time in the summer and a lot of people from outside the Midwest have never had it. Love brats on the grill in the summertime.
Harper is SUCH a little doll.
Thanks for keeping us supplied with pics.
I was born in CA and now live in New England and I think I am pretty familiar with most foods. When I moved to New England I saw fiddleheads... I had no idea what they were. I finally tried one this year.
Girl, I'm SO glad to have been raised in the south with a knowledge of Rotel tomatoes and okra! This recipe sounds like it comes together so easy and I can't wait to try it!
I'm sad to say that I let my Southern Living subscription expire, too...not enough time to read it. :(
Sprinkle olive oil and a packet of dry Italian dressing on your potatoes, then roast-they are yummy too!
Ok, I think we were twins in another life. I commented on yesterdays post that I blogged about the same song as you refering to Darius Rucker as "Hootie" (without reading your post first) NOW- I read that Harper tried Carrots last night- SO DID CHATHAM- he loved them too. (We also made our own sweet potato puree on the same night)
If you're ever in NC or I in AK we MUST MEET!!!
Too funny!
I am just starting foods with my 3rd little one and experimenting with all the same things! Please do NOT add sugar to babyfood as a previosu commenter suggested (I literally gasped out loud!) There is NO reason whatsoever to give a baby sugar. The fruitd and carrots and squash are sweet enough.
I do add a little bit of cereal to thicken it up. I am not a fan of how thin jar foods are and when I make them I always make them thicker.
One trick I have learned with my 3 babies is to leave the spoon in their mouth a moment and let them gum it while sucking the food off. It prevents their toungue reflex from immediately pushing it out.
I also want to recommend my FAV bib ever the Bumkins bibs. The are cute, soft (not that ahrd plastic) but you can totally just rinse in the sink or scrub with a little dish soap and lay to dry. LOVE them!
http://www.amazon.com/Bumkins-Waterproof-SuperBib-Flutter-Floral/dp/B001D0U2Y0/ref=pd_sbs_ba_6
I love okra, I had never had it until I went off to college but I love it now. I am always looking for good recipes and I will have to try the one for okra. For potatoes you can also put them up and sprinkle them with a little dry ranch dressing and olive oil...it is so good. Thanks for introducing the finer foods (rotel and okra) to your readers.
Oh that meal looks delicious!! It's been too long since I've had okra...and you are too funny talking about these people who didn't know what okra and rotel are, haha! I'm beginning to branch out and try new recipes myself...I get into a rut of making the same thing every week!! You gotta love Southern Living, Taste of Home and Paula Deen!! I think a blogging world girls trip to The Lady and Sons needs to be planned, lol!! Anyway, I've started something new on my blog...I'm cooking my grandmother's recipes. One a week randomly drawn. Today is the first day and I'm too excited!!
I'm so glad Harper liked carrots!! Carrots are my favorite...not the mushed up kind though :o)
What kind of deprived society doesn't know about okra? What sad, miserable lives they must live!
And where would we all be without Rotel?
Betcha tons of people have only heard stories of grits.
Yankees! But, if it wasn't for them, we couldn't be considered southerners anymore. We'd be the northerners. Yuck!
I have tried and tried and tried to like okra and no matter how I cook it I don't like it. I have not given up it took moving to england to aquire a taste for brussel sprouts and boiled cabbage so there might be hope. Guess I am going to have to move to the South next!
Okra and Rotel are two staples! I'm with you...can't imagine not knowing what they are! I didn't read the comments but I want to so I can see if there are northern foods us southerners don't know about!
P.S. My granddaughter's nose turned orange from carrots and sweet potatoes!!! :)
Well I am a Yankee farmer and I know what Okra is.
My family grows it on the Ohio farm, we have people drive hours to pick it fresh.
I didn't like it until I had it sauted, like you mentioned, in Egypt, now I grow 10 plants in my own backyard!
Do you know what Kolrahbi is? Many people don't. We also grow that on the farm. It is super yummy! Just sliced with some ranch dressing! It is mostly a German traditional food. My family has German, again another food people drive hours for :)
Hi Kelly! Blessings How are you doing? Love reading about your everyday adventures! I know i've posted comments before but i wanted to let you know that I'm from NJ and I have defiantly heard of okra and you can get here haha! Plus if anyone has ever watch Paula Dean you would only know that it's a staple in southern cooking! I wanted to see if you have ever gotten the Lipton Soup mix Garlic and Herb?? It's AMAZING!! We used it on roasted potatoes and veggies in the oven and my mom has always put it in Mashed potatoes! it's unbelievable!! The roasted potatoes with the garlic and herb gets so crispy my family and I fight over the crispies on the pan hahah yummo!! Just though i would pass it on you will LoVe it!!
Blessings!
Stacey
Hi Kelly, I have to admit, at one point in time I had no idea what okra was!!!! I actually discovered it during a trip to Arkansas in high school, it must be a veggie staple in Arkansas households like tomatoes and corn are up here in Cleveland!!! Let me think, Cleveland is famous for it's perogi's and stadium mustard. Have a great day!!!
Warmly,
Karen
long time reader, first time poster! if you have a Fresh Market Store near you, you have to try the okra and green bean chips they have this time of the year. they are not cheap but they are well worth the money.
btw, harper is so darn cute!
shanna in sc
I grew up in Ohio and desperately crave a giant breaded tenderloin when I come back to visit. They simply do not exist in Maryland where I live now. Also, deep-fried pickles. Same type of deal as fried okra--deep fry anything, and you are in business. So delicious. Are you familiar with things like hummus, falafel, Brazilian style steakhouses (TO DIE FOR)?
My son was orange for the longest time because the boy loved him some carrots!! When he got past baby food & started eating diced veggies, he would bypass everything (chicken, cookies, anything) on his tray to grab up the carrots.
I heart okra & will be trying your new way of fixing them. You've never let me down with your recipes!!
Harper gets cuter all the time...what a doll!!
Bless the hearts of those poor souls that don't know what okra is! or Rotel!
Has anyone else ever heard of Burgoo? Most people haven't! It's a soup. I've only ever seen it in Western KY (Owensboro specifically) with lots of veggies and mutton (lamb). It's soo yummy!
Amanda
Yummmmmm, OKRA! I didn't know what it was until I moved to TX as a teen. Gotta love the south!
That's great Harper loves the carrots. If you have any plastic backed bibs around, try putting one on her backwards, plastic out for easy cleanup. You can use one bib for the whole day!
I will tell you a German favorite I learned from my best friend's mom, who was actually from the home land. She would take saurkraut and mix it with mashed potatoes and either ham or turkey (you can be easy and just use your favorite from the deli). Regular russet potatoes are best, but you can use any, and just take a jar of saurkraut and add it to the finished potatoes and shred up the meat and go to town. So very good. It may sound odd, but I still dream of this stuff.
It's even better if you side it with some applesauce.
We LOVE okra around here too!! We mostly eat it fried with cornmeal, flour, and salt on it. Then we put hot sauce on it. Yummy! Your recipe sounds great too. Will have to try it sometime.
Harper is adorable! So glad she likes carrots! :)
we know and love okra but what I want to know is how you prepared your steak to look so juicy, mine are always BLAH!
Well I am a southerner so I knew what Okra was. People that move here to the south from other parts of the country have asked me before what Okra, or grits are. A LOT of people don't know what grits are! we have something here called Chicken bog...it is GREAT!!!!! Here is the link for a recipe:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-bog-recipe/index.html
-Courtney
Carrots are pretty easy to make. I use baby carrots because they're ready to go. Just steam them until they're very soft (10 minutes or so), then throw them in a blender or food processor or magic bullet or whatever with some of the cooking water, and you have pureed carrots! They really puree very nicely. You'll have to play around with how much water to add to get that perfect consistency. Then just freeze it in your ice cube trays.
I love orka any way I can get it. But fried is my favorite. Harper is too cute. My son loves carrots too.
What a FUNNY post last night! Oh my word....how can one go through life without knowing 2 of our Southern staples?! Rotel and Okra are delish! Your comment, "Help me Help you" is priceless! Ha ha ha ha!
Kelly, I had to laugh about the turning orange comment. My Mother told me that when I was little I loved carrots so she fed me them a lot. A little while later my Grandmother told her to stop with the carrots because it was turning my nose orange, haha!
oooo we love okra! I usually make mine either fried or throw some in a dish with a can of stewed tomatos and pop it in the oven until it's hot....sooo good! I can't wait to try your recipe!
I've lived in AL my entire life....what are ranch style beans?
It is so funny how different people are about food. We have a relative who lives in the south, just a few hours from us and you would think we lived on different planets when it comes to food. There is a lot of good food out there but thank God I live in the south and get to enjoy the best... southern food!
MyRecipes.com posts the Southern Living recipes, as well as recipes from several other magazines. It's a great resource! Here's your Parmasan Okra recipe... http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1911275
I live in PA now but am from MS. It's fun when my mom visits and cooks southern food for my friends. I have a friend who has never had okra! I'll have to try this recipe for her. I hadn't had pierogies until I moved here..I love them! Oh, and my friend had never had grits!
i grew up in metro-atlanta, which i view as different from the rest of georgia and the south in terms of eating-it is more urban and multi-cultural. just last night, my husband (who grew up in more rural south) and i were at his parents' house eating dinner. i almost fell out of my chair when i saw him break up cornbread and PUT it in his glass of milk! and then he proceeded to use a spoon to "eat" his strange concoction. his family thought i was the weirdo for never having seen or done the cornbread craziness.
So wrong of you not to invite all of us Okra (especially fried) lovin people over to your house for dinner!!! haha!! :)
Harper is so cute! Carrots are something all of kids have loved as well. I read also that it wasn't a good choice to make them from scratch. Not because they are hard to do, but something about the way the are grown/harvested. You have more of a chance of having pesticides, etc. I don't remember exactly, but chose to buy this veggie as well.
I used to buy the big bags of fried Stillwell Okra at Sams when we lived in Oklahoma. Now I can only find a small little bag at Wal-mart :(. Have you ever tried a salad with fried okra and tomatoes you serve cold? I had it a few years ago and loved it! I need to search for the recipe.--Amy
You gotta feel sorry for the folks that do not know what okra is. I can't imagine!! My whole family loves it. Fried okra is the best. If it wasn't so fattening we'd have it all the time. I am trying your okra tonight!
I've never commented before but I will admit I STILL have no idea what okra or rotel is.
I live where we eat things such as linguica, chourico, and cacoila, and we drink coffee milk (made with coffee syrup!) :)
Ok, so I've been lurking here for a while (Hello Kelly!!) but I had to get out here and comment on the okra. I've heard of it, but never had it. I assume it just does not grow well up here?(I'm from Canada - Quebec specifically) So, Kelly if you ever want to come up here and give me a southern food education, feel free!
I don't know if you've heard about Quebec's trademark food - Poutine. It's oh so yummy, french fries topped with cheese and a unique sauce(Poutine sauce).
I will be keeping my eyes open for some okra to try your recipe. Or maybe you'll post about the best why to try okra the first time?
Thanks for introducing us to okra, and for your blog. I really enjoy reading about your adventures with Harper!
Trisha
Have you had Buckeye candies? Chocolate and peanut butter...mmmm.
Sarah-Cincinnati
I am so going to try that okra recipe! We LOVE fried okra!!!
I don't think I've ever had okra and I only know what Rotel is because of a previous blog you wrote. :)
Up here in Michigan, and especially in the UP, we have "pasties." I don't know if other places have them.
As a transplant from the south to Connecticut, it wouldn't surprise me if people didn't know what okra is. In fact I don't think I've seen it in the stores...but I am going to the farmer's market tomorrow and hopefully will find some to try out your homemade recipe. I'll also have to check out my recent Southern Living to see if the recipe's in there...but did you know they produce different versions of SL depending on what region of the country you live in? I haven't really noticed a difference in CT but when we lived in Bama there was a whole section specifically for Bama. My husband thought it was the funniest thing one day when I started spouting off football knowledge about the upcoming season...he said "How do you know all this about football?" I said simple, "Southern Living...they have a whole section on SEC football before the season begins, probably to educate the wives so they can keep up with their husbands."
i cant eat bbq anywhere but here in nc because no one else ever has the red slaw lol. i could never eat white slaw on my bbq. we also have a drink thats almost exclusive to our state called cheerwine and its my hubbys favorite. i hate traveling anywhere up north and craving a tenderloin biscuit cause it ain't gonna happen lol
I live in Texas so I know the goodness that is okra :) My dad actually grows it in his garden. We have family from Iowa and when they came down last month they had never heard of okra either. I found that so strange.
My son LOVED carrots and sweet potatoes when he was eating baby food. That is almost all he would eat.
One last question...where did you get your dress? You are the second person I have seen with it on and I LOVE it!
Hey Kelly,
I started following you blog and actually just created one of my own. Yay! Just wanted to second you on the love for pickled okra! My household love anything that's pickled. Have you ever tried green geans, watermelon rins (sp?) or peppers. YUM!
I can remember moving to Alabama from the mid west when I was 9. The lady we rented our house from brought down fried okra and I had never heard of it. My mom said she had never seen me eat like that. I was a picky eater and loved it!
Here is a food you are probably not familiar with: rhubarb. My Grandpa grew it in Indiana and I was raised on rhubarb cobbler. Yum!
Um, okay, I have been reading your blog for AGES (like, before you were pregnant with Harper) and I love it and love your spirit. When Harper was sick, I prayed for you guys, and I'm just so happy she's such a healthy and active girl now. (I also have a 9 month old son.) Anyway, I can't believe that okra is bringing me out of lurkdom. You mentioned both pickled okra and fried okra. Well, there is a restaurant in my town (that does fancy Southern food, like gourmet pimiento cheese, etc.) that does....wait for it...FRIED PICKLED OKRA. Oh my word. This post is making me crave it at 9:00 in the morning. Love you, Kelly! Thanks for bringing me out of lurkdom.
That is the cutest picture of Harper eating her carrots -- it looks like she is trying to get every last bit off her spoon!
I'm going to your 'quick fried' okra tonight! I'm assuming you just put the breadcrumbs and Parmesan in the pan while the okra is still sauteing? (Maybe that is a dumb question)
long time lurker, coming out of lurkdom for the OKRA! LOVE IT! i was born in Oklahoma, thats where my momma was born and raised, and when i was 5 we moved back to Ohio, where my dad is from. i tell you, Okra can not grow well above the mason dixon line! the climate in the north is not friendly to Okra plants! its very sad.there is a local "pickin patch" that grow it but the plants do not grow huge like they did in OK, and they don't yield nearly as much pods either!
the easiest way to do okra is cut it up, put it in a plastic bag with corn muffin mix, salt and pepper, shake it up, and fry it in a half inch of vegetable oil! OH YUMM!
on a side note, my daughter Mae was born in February, and sometimes she get a look on her face that looks just like your Harper! i'm so glad she's thriving!
oh, i forgot to say, stores near us DO carry frozen okra, but its just not the same!
I will admit that about a month ago I was at the store getting stuff for a recipe I was making and okra was one of the ingredients. I thought it was fish. Yes, really. It kind of sounds like it could be fish, doesn't it?! Anyway, I walked around the store for about fifteen minutes before I finally figured out it was a vegetable!
OH...MY...GOSH!!! I can't believe this! I LOVE okra, boiled okra is my FAVORITE!!! Thanks for the recipe...and don't feel alone about the Southern Living, I just got my "your last issue" notice last week, gotta reup that bad boy!!!
I love Okra but I live in Canada and we don't see much of it around here. I decided to go out on a limb and give it a shot in my garden this year but we have had a really really cool summer so it is certainly not thriving.
Originally being from Wisconsin, I need to ask if you've ever had cheese curds!
I have no clue what Rotel is. And the only time that I ever saw okra in a grocery store up in WI was in the frozen section of a Whole Foods.
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