Cooking With Author Jane Jenkins Herlong

Today my guest is Jane Jenkins Herlong, who has a recipe for cheesy grits made in a rice cooker, as well as a new book out. I grew up in Japan, so I've been eating steamed rice forever, but have yet to make grits in my rice cooker. I might just have to do this as this recipe looks like the kind of southern cuisine I love. For those of you with steamers, I guess you will need to follow Jane's instructions for the bottom portion of your steamer. If made in a rice cooker, there is no need to fill the bottom pot with 1/2 water. Omit that step.


Slap Yo Momma Grits!
You will need a rice steamer.
In the top of the steamer with the bottom of the pot filled 1/2 with water, add one cup of grits and four cups of water.
After 20 minutes, add 8 ounces of cream cheese and a 4 ounces of sharp cheese.
Stir and enjoy!


Now here's a bit about Jane . . .
Jane Jenkins Herlong is a Sirius XM Humorist, Amazon best-selling/award-winning author, professional singer, recording artist and award-winning professional speaker.

A recent inductee into the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame, Jane is one of the 232 men and women to be awarded this honor including former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Colin L. Powell. Jane also has achieved the distinction of Certified Speaker Professional by the National Speakers Association.

Jane’s book, Bury Me with My Pearls is an Amazon Best-Seller and was awarded the Gold Medal in the Illumination Book Awards and Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year. Jane’s newest book is entitled, Rhinestones on My Flip-Flops: Choosing Extravagant Joy in the Midst of Everyday Mess-ups published by the Hachette Book Group.

Her award-winning singing and humor is featured on Sirius XM Radio and Pandora Internet Radio along with Jeff Foxworthy, Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld. She criss‐crosses the country sharing her “downhome principles delivered with uptown humor.” Jane has also spoken in New Zealand and Germany and is fluent in four languages: English, Southern, Northern and Lowcountry Gullah (gul‐la).

Jane’s keen sense of humor evolved from being labeled Dyslexic and constantly told, “You can’t do that!” Jane changed the word NO to NEXT and the rest is what dreams are made of. Audiences learn the healing power of humor when handling negative people and circumstances for more productive, positive living. Jane’s life stories and humor leave audiences with the same message she lives- “prove people wrong and laugh while living your dreams.”

With a sense of humor and smart work, Jane traveled from the rows of her family farm to the runway of the Miss America Pageant all the way to performing at Radio City Music Hall. She graduated from college with the highest honors voted by her peers and continued on to graduate school. Her successes continued to pile up from there. Today, Jane travels around the world featured at speaking events in New Zealand and Germany as well as several venues around the United States. Jane has also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with several noteworthy people such as General Colin Powell, Rudolph Giuliana and the late Charlton Heston.


And here's about her newest book . . .

Rhinestones on my Flip-flops offers the message Jane lives by: prove people wrong and laugh while living your dreams.

Has your life ever flipped? The challenge is to not become a flop! Strap on your sandals and let Rhinestones on my Flip-flops deliver joy and laughter in the midst of everyday mess-ups.

Professional Southern humorist and award-winning author Jane Jenkins Herlong uses humor, wisdom, and life stories from iconic biblical women to guide you through the inevitable blunders of life.

Learn from the flip-flops of Deceived Eve, Domestic Diva Martha and Whiny Naomi. Laugh and be inspired by honest (ouch) stories delivered with Jane's sparkling sense of humor. Add in some "rhinestoned" advice from modern Women of Wisdom (WOW). And you will learn how to keep the sparkle and shine on your God-given talents even as you experience life's inevitable flops!

Order a copy of Jane's book from Amazon today.

All Things Southern: Grits

"I believe grits is one of God's finer creations."
~ Nicole, in Rain Song (2008, Bethany House)

I'm trying to be faithful to post every so often about things that are truly Southern. So far I've written about oatmeal bread, moonshine and Krispy Kreme donuts (scroll around to find these blog posts here). There are countless other aspects of the South I want to touch on. Yet, it seems that life keeps getting in the way of composing those thoughts, which is crazy, because I think, a true Southerner understands that life should be lived slowly, like a winding brook, with time to wade barefooted--not rushed and harried. I should be like that lazy creek up in the Smoky Mountains and take time to breathe and observe instead of being so set on deadlines and that ol' instilled-in-me work ethic.



True, I live in North Carolina, and we are graced to be part of the South. I wasn't always a Southerner because I was born and raised in Japan. (I heard some of the missionaries speaking Japanese with Southern accents, and didn't want to be like them. Sigh. As children, we do have our aversions.) However, my roots are in Virginia and North Carolina, so really, even though I have the love of sushi, seaweed, and broiled eel (unagi) running through me, I also have grits, cornbread, and sweet tea in my veins. My Mama from Richmond would make iced tea and grits for us as children; I have fond memories of both at our home in Awaji.


I've traveled to many countries and written about them in my novels, but I've been labeled as "knowing how to write about the South" by reviewers. Me? I look at the calendar and realize I should know about the South. After all, not only are my roots here, but I've now lived in North Carolina for 24 years. Hard to imagine that I've had time to have a childhood in Japan and live here for 24 years when I think of myself as such a youngin'.

So let's talk about that true Southern delicacy---grits. I've lived long enough to know that many people don't have a clue as to what grits are. Many turn their noses up at just hearing the word.
"Grits? Yuck. Sounds like gritty and gross and gravel."
And there are those who refuse to even try them, including my Yankee/European husband.



Grits should be tried because they are:
a) healthy for you, made from broken grains of corn, rich in iron and calcium
b) easy to prepare (there are even boxes of instant grits)
c) a versatile food, which can be covered with butter, salt or cheese (or all three) and eaten at any meal
d) wonderful when served with shrimp or red-eye gravy
e) delicious in a casserole or fried and eaten with maple syrup
f) possibly the closest to Manna from Heaven the world will ever know (according to many real Southerners)



Please, don't let anyone steer you away from these lovely white pieces of broken corn. Welcome grits into your life today! Put a little South in your mouth!



And on another note, grits have another meaning, too. What's that? you ask. Well, if you've been to Cracker Barrel and seen the T-shirts with GRITS printed on them, you know that grits is an acronym for Girls Raised in the South.



Speaking of those girls, if you want to listen to Brantley Gilbert sing his country song about "ain't nothing like a woman Southern born and bred" then listen to G.R.I.T.S. here.

And if you want to know what kind of blessing to say when a bowl of hot grits sits before you, laugh a little at this website.


Learn more about grits and recipes for them at GRITS. Surprise your family tonight!