Food Allergies and Wanting Cookies

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

One of my grandsons has been diagnosed with different food allergies. With this in mind and wanting chocolate chip cookies today, I started messing around in the kitchen. Wanting the crunch that pecans or walnuts give a traditional chocolate chip cookie, I replaced them with a half cup crispy rice cereal. This recipe should be safe for those with allergies to nuts. In the list of ingredients, I’ve mentioned specific brands on purpose, as the labels say they  nut free or have no allergy warnings. Please note: don’t just take my word for it; you read the labels for yourself.

Small Batch Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup Pioneer Baking Mix

1/2 cup Great Value rice crisps cereal

1/2 cup Nestlé Allergen Free chocolate chips

Here’s what to do:

Preheat the oven to 350° degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set to the side.

In a medium bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients well. Then, fold  the baking mix, rice cereal and chocolate chips.

Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet using a teaspoon. These cookies spread a little as they bake, so leave at least an inch between each.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until they are golden brown. Cool and enjoy.

These cookies are buttery and have a crunchy outside and a chewy inside. The recipe is a small batch, making 12 or so. Add one to your child’s lunchbox for a goody surprise or enjoy yourself with your favorite beverage.

Cookie blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Ten Years Since

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

It’s Baby Boy’s birthday today. It’s been ten years since he’s asked for a German chocolate cake.

I used a box mix for the cake layers but made the icing from scratch.

It takes a lot of bowls and steps to make this two layer cake. Of course, I taste tested along the way. I think it will pass the test.

The chocolate icing is a cross between genache and chocolate butter cream. Adding a half cup of chocolate chips when melting the butter gives it a nice sheen.
I made a dam using some of the chocolate icing to hold the coconut filling in place. 
Top layer before the crumb coat. After covering the entire cake with chocolate icing, it was placed in the fridge to firm up.
Out of the fridge and piped with a few  little shells and rosettes to hold the rest of the coconut icing.

Birthday Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Sweet Basil Tea

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin
Sweet Basil Tea

What’s your favorite summertime sip? Is it sweet tea or lemonade? A simple syrup using fresh, sweet basil can liven up these tried and true refreshers. I grow pots of fresh basil each summer; I love to cook with it.

Here’s what I do:

I pluck a few sprigs of sweet basil, rinse them and remove the stems. In a 1 quart pot, I put 1 cup of water and a 3/4 cup of white sugar. Then I stir it to dissolve the sugar.  Next, I drop in the basil leaves. Then it simmers over medium heat till it reduces and makes a syrup. I remove the basil leaves and add 2 cups of water into the basil syrup and 2 big tea bags. Then I  steep to the strength that I  prefer. I like it more medium than dark. 

Porch sipping

I pour the sweet basil tea into a pretty pitcher and keep it in the frig. It never lasts long. Serve over ice and enjoy.

Note: The basil syrup can be added to your homemade lemonade. It’s such a nice flavor combo!

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

The Flower Cart

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Eqy8UPr43/

Dark, dank living room, but no more.

Ironically,  the flower cart is the same color that made the living room so dark and dank. As an accent color it is cheerful and bright.

Three-Day Weekend: A Lot of Work

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer. The origins of Memorial Day are claimed by different states, but all began after the Civil War to honor the fallen.

I’ve spent my time off from work gardening and canning. The flower patch has been hit and miss this spring.  I’ve planted twice and have had as many volunteers come up as I’ve had those I purposely planted.

The row of Isabellina zinnias are some of the flowers planted early. They have not disappointed. Such a lovely pale yellow.

Green beans, snap beans, string beans – whatever they’re called, the one row I planted have been making this last week. Another bucket was picked on Saturday and I canned them Sunday evening.

In the pantry are three quarts and 12 pints. I like having a full larder for the year. I’ll probably have another picking of beans and a subsequent canning.

I spent a good bit of the weekend cutting grass. Coreopsis planted last year has been beautiful this spring, but it is going to seed. Resseding itself is exactly what I want it to do. 

The bike ‘lane’ is planted in cosmos and mixed zinnias and should be in full bloom in a few weeks. I did some cloud spotting while mowing.

This morning, I drove to my eldest’s. He and his wife are selling homegrown vegetables and fresh baked sour dough from their farmstand. They’ve done such a great job building it and filling it! Heron Hollow is what they named their place. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16DTAG7Jo5/

Support your local farmstands and farmers’ markets this summer. 

Farmstand blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Spring Planting

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

George and I were gardening beasts today. We tag teamed cutting the field, being sure to dodge the coreopsis planted last summer. The drifts of coreopsis and tickseed should be in full-glory yellow bloom starting next week. I picked a faffing bouquet and included a few sprigs of red clover. Ellie Phant seems happy with it. We planted the parade of bikes in the S-swath, along with mixed zinnias and white and pink cosmos. I’m praying the predicted rain will be just the right amount and that everything will germinate and grow as planned. Yesterday, on my way back from Baton Rouge, I stopped at the garden center that Handy Hardware opened. Tomato plants, pepper plants and beautiful, blue Louisiana iris were bought. Such friendly, helpful folks at Handy Hardware. Stop by if you’re in Magnolia. Everything was planted today, including 4 pots of Alstromeria Parrot Lily, I’ve been babying since February. I’m hoping they do well in the ground and spread. It’s such a favorite of hummingbirds.

So. What have you been planting this spring? #handyhardware #Louisianairis #gardenbikes #coreopsis #MSstateflower https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIpVg8lRlsx5aOlTSUEcu6skMEX1xsP01HYRJc0/?igsh=OGZxNDkzdjB6cHI5

Spring Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

Three Minutes, Give Or Take A Few Seconds

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Tylertown Tornadoes

March 15, 2025

In the space of three minutes, give or take a few seconds, my middle son and his family lost their home. An EF4 tornado raged through plantation pines and across farm fields to leave complete devastation behind.

My son was at work three hours away in Louisiana when the super cell tornadoes spun up on Saturday. My daughter-in-law and young grandsons were at home. So many things lined up and fell into place (quite literally) to get them out of their home and to safety. All clicked together in the space of three minutes to save their lives. Praise God!

A gofundme page has been set up for them. Any amount will help. Thank you.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-family-devastated-by-tornado?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp13_t1-amp14_t1&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=native_options&attribution_id=sl%3Ab2eef5b0-0f87-483a-8c83-f89d4af01d87

Again, if you feel led to help or share this, thank you.

Blessings to the reader.

February Is A Long Month

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

I’ve had a potting shed built in the back garden. It houses the well and has room to store garden tools. Along the south wall, antique windows are mounted to let in the light. Under the windows is an L-shaped work space. At the end of the work space, in the corner, stands a sink. The porcelain sink had been in the barn collecting leaves; the base is, an old Singer sewing machine that long ago had been my great grandmother’s. I learned to sew using the treadle sewing machine. My daddy taught me how to use it.

I could gleefully go from December 26th straight to March 1st. I don’t like winter. January eeks by. And though it’s the shortest in days, February is a long month.

Itching for spring, I potted up a few zinnia and bishop flower seeds. It’s a windy, warm day today, but rain is coming later tonight, and the temperature will drop back down to finish the month out cold.

February is my birthday month. It’s a big one this year: 60. I admit that I’m not handling it very well. Then I think about my daddy. He died young, age 47, five days after my 16th birthday. That sad anniversary date is another reason February drags on. My daddy never got to be old. He missed so much, and I miss him so much.

Inside the potting shed
The sun comes in pretty.
The sink will come in handy this spring and summer.

February Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.