by Robin Caroll
(Contributed by Casey Miller, Robin’s husband)
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Becca’s Oooey-Gooey Butter Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 stick of butter, melted
Mix all together and press into 9 x 13-inch ungreased pan.
Glaze
1 package 8-ounce cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
2 eggs
Cream together and pour over dough. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until lightly brown at 350 degrees.
(Contributed by Robin’s sister, Rebecca Harden)
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Dan’s Pancakes
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
Mix well, then cook in hot, greased skillet until bubbles form and stay open. Only turn once. Serve with liberal amounts of butter and Steen’s Ribbon Cane Syrup.
(Contributed by Robin’s uncle, Dan Kelly)
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Lisa’s Red Beans & Rice
1 16-ounce bag of dried beans (I use pinto.)
2 teaspoons or so of Tony Chachere’s Original Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon or a dash of garlic powder
1 pound of skinless link sausage (I use Eckrich. Down Home sausage is very good too.)
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 cups cooked rice
Large Crock-Pot
Wash beans well and presoak them the night before (if you have time, but it’s not necessary) in a 1/2 pot of water in the Crock-Pot. In the morning, cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to water. Add all other ingredients. Cook on high for at least 6 hours, depending on your Crock-Pot.
(Contributed by Robin’s sister-in-love, Lisa Burroughs)
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Green Jell-O Salad
1 large package lime Jell-O
1 small package tiny marshmellows
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (mixed with sweet milk)
3-1/2 cups of boiling water
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 carton small curd cottage cheese
Put Jell-O and marshmellows in a bowl, add hot water, and mix well. Mix cream cheese with a little sweet milk and mix well. Add to Jell-O mixture. Add pineapple and cottage cheese. Chill in square pan.
(Contributed by Robin’s niece, Krystina Harden—the recipe of her greatgrandmother, Una Abi Brannon Shannon)
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BB’s Rouxless Crawfish étouffée
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 sticks real butter
2 family-sized cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3 large cans diced tomatoes
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
2 pounds crawfish tail meat (fresh or frozen)
Worcestershire & Tony Chachere’s Original Creole seasoning—to taste
In a large soup pot, melt butter over low heat. Then increase heat to medium and sauté the onions and peppers until soft. Add Worcestershire and Tony’s to taste. Stir in mushroom soup, tomatoes, and Rotel—mix well. Allow to simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid sticking. Add crawfish tails and mix well. Lower heat slightly and simmer another 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve alone or over white rice, and garnish with grated cheese if desired. (Note: add hot water to soup/tomato mixture to thin to desired consistency.)
(Contributed by Robin’s sister, Cindy Pittman)
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Aunt Julie’s Red Beans & Rice
(Start with Camellia Beans! It makes a difference.)
1 package dried Camellia Red Beans
2 large white onions, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds smoked sausage, sliced
4 pods pressed garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
Tabasco to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
Cooked rice
Sauté chopped onions in olive oil. Add all ingredients to a large pot, cover with water plus 3 inches more. Then bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook covered for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, checking to be sure fluid never goes dry. Taste a bean every now and then to see if it’s tender.
(Contributed by Robin’s aunt, Julia Kelly)
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Aunt Millie’s Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
3 pounds of chicken breasts and thighs (bone in & skin on)
4 cups Roux (see recipe below)
5 cups hot water
4 cups chicken stock
Salt & pepper
2 pounds sausage
1 can Rotel tomatoes
Cooked rice
Boil chicken breasts and thighs until tender. Place roux (4 cups) into a 6-quart pot. Add hot water, chicken stock, then salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 1 hour. Debone chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Slice sausage into ½-inch rounds. Add chicken, sausage, and can of tomatoes to gumbo and cook about 30 more minutes. Serve over rice.
Microwave Roux
Roux is a mixture of oil and flour that is browned and used in many South Louisiana dishes—especially gumbos.
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup flour, sifted
4 cup glass measuring cup
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
l/2 cup green onion tops, chopped
Mix oil and flour in a 4 cup glass measuring cup. Microwave uncovered on High for 6 to 7 minutes. At 6 minutes, stir the Roux. It should be light brown at this point. Microwave another minute, more if needed, to reach a dark brown color. Roux will be extremely hot, so be careful!
Add the onions, celery, and green pepper to the hot roux. Stir and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic, parsley, and green onion tops to the roux mixture and microwave on high for 2 minutes. If any oil has risen to the top, pour it off. Add 1/4 cup hot water to the roux mixture to bring back to the 4 cup mark. Stir well.
(Contributed by Robin’s aunt, Millicent Bridges)
Discussion Questions
1. Oswald wanted to start his life over, in essence, with a new identity. Have you ever felt like that? As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are given a new identity. Discuss what 2 Corinthians 5:17 means to you.
2. Riley had her own ideas of justice and had difficulty with acceptance when her ideals weren’t met. What does Scripture say about our role in justice (see Leviticus 19:15 and Deuteronomy 16:20)?
3. Emily stayed with Thomas after he’d hurt her, making excuses for him and not holding him accountable for his actions. What does Scripture tell us about taking responsibility for our actions (see Romans 3:19)?
4. Hayden carried a lot of responsibility, often too much for him to handle. Does it ever feel as if your responsibilities are too heavy? Discuss how you can use Scripture to balance your life.
5. Armand’s family stood in support of him during an extremely trying season in his life. How would you react if a similar situation arose in your family? Discuss ways to be supportive of families with loved ones in prison.
6. Hayden realized how much he cared for Riley when she was shot. Has it ever taken a crisis to make you realize how much someone meant to you? Discuss how that made you feel. Consider ways to let those you love know it every day.
7. Riley’s career was very important to her, almost to her detriment. Have your priorities ever gotten out of whack? Discuss ways you can strive to keep your priorities in check.
8. In the end, Simon Lancaster saved Riley and she forgave him for killing her parents. Forgiveness is often something we Christians struggle with. What does Jesus tell us about forgiveness? (Discuss Matthew 6:14–15 and Matthew 18.)
9. Simon stated he’d become a Christian in prison, which Riley had a hard time accepting. Do you believe people can change? Discuss why or why not.
10. The truth came to light that Armand had been unjustly imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Do you believe innocent people are sent to prison for crimes they didn’t commit? Discuss ways you can help improve our legal system.