Review: Southern Flavor
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 1, 2012
I'll start with one of the author's opening comments..."If you don't have a sense of humor, just close 'er up and head on out with your uptight little self.  Everyone else, prepare to laugh and eat pretty darn good!"I am having the best time reading this!  Recipes are easy to follow, use common ingredients (unless you don't ever eat bacon - many of the recipes I've looked at (so far) have called for bacon grease), and most are cooked in cast-iron skillets, in true Southern style.  (The author humorously comments:  "Touch my skillet and die!" and "The secret to a long and happy marriage is not touching my skillet" and my favorite: "There is no five-second rule here... the dog will have it in .02 seconds"  Totally true! LOL!)  Directions are clear, complete, and easy to follow, and all recipes are interspersed with funny comments and tips.Starts out with a section of breakfast recipes, many of which include gravy of one kind or another.  Then goes on to main meals, with a variety of meats and other dishes - the pork ribs sound FANTASTIC and I can't wait to make them.  She also includes her own special barbecue sauce recipe, which sounds great as well.  Most of the recipes I looked at include dill weed, which I might skip sometimes.  I do like dill weed, but not every day.  Then comes a variety of recipes, from veggies to hors d'oeuvres  ("snacks")I loved reading the author's personal comments and views, and laughed-out-loud several times, like at this:"You might want to invest in several skillets.  Ya know, make sure you have a life supply.  Before too long, none of us will be able to afford to even heat our houses, let alone run the stove with energy prices the way they are.  At least you can use a skillet over a campfire.  Well, that's if some activist doesn't find a way to ban that too!  Why can't everyone just pull their heads out of everyone else's rear-ends and let people be?  You tell me and we'll both know!"and..."I don't really care what they say about meat.  I'm eating it anyway.  I weight 100 pounds soaking wet and I can be pretty darn sure there is no 30 years of undigested meat in my body!  If there were, I would be the size of Texas by now!"Some of the recipes included are:Old-fashioned Buttermilk PancakesShyanne's Sausage GravyBacon GravyBreakfast BiscuitsShyanne's Southern Style Hash BrownsShyanne's Southwest Breakfast (burritos with sauce/gravy)Sloppy BeefBaked Chicken BreastManicottiShyanne's Ultimate Ribs and Killer Sauce (this looks fantastic!)Skillet SteakShyanne's 2-day Stew  (Crockpot recipe)Mild ChileFire Chile (similar to above, but with extra peppers added)Shyanne's Bad-Ass LasagneBaked Twice TatersCorn PoneCorn Bread StuffingSyanne's Cheesy Ranch TatersSkillet Corn off the CobBread Bits with Garlic Sauce and Mustard dipping sauceDeep Fried OnionsSouthwest Fried Onion DipCorn Pone DelightPumpkin Pie CakeShyanne's Party Blob  (cheese ball)(and a few more)Shyanne loves her dog, and frequently refers to him in her comments.  My favorite one - because I also have a dog who does this:"You know what I love best about having my beagle in the house?  I never have to bend down and clean any messes in the kitchen or dining room.  She keeps the floor spotless... it doesn't matter if it's food or liquid, when it hits the floor it's gone."I have to agree with the other reviewer who said this book really needs a Table of Contents, but I enjoyed it so much, it was still worth 5 stars.  If you don't take time to actually flip through the pages and read, you'll miss out on a lot of the fun.  :)