WHAT'S COOKIN' IN AUGUST

The month of August was designated as National Catfish Month by Congress in the late 1980s, so how about some Catfish recipes. Catfish was once considered the "food of the Poor," Fried catfish is nearly an iconic as hush pups, sweet tea and pork.
If you've turned up your nose at this surprisingly healthy (and easy to get fresh) fish, you're just being -- as my mama would say -- uppity. Rural fish lovers, especially in the southern states, dote on the sweet flavor of catfish,it is the most widely eaten American fish. U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish is the No. 1 farm-raised fish in America. More catfish is produced in the United States on a yearly basis than all other farmed fish combined.
In a time when Americans are more and more concerned with the origins of their food, U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish has become one of the safest choices in seafood, because the fish are raised in freshwater ponds and fed a strict diet of wholesome grains.
Catfish can be used in any recipe calling for a non-oily white fish, but most southerners prefer it dredged in cornmeal and fried. This month I will share my father's mouth watering fried Catfish recipes and other family favorite from soup to grill Catfish.

Easy, Eggless Strawberry Ice Cream

Ice cream can be made from just a few ingredients--cream, milk, eggs,
sugar, and flavorings. This recipe is made without eggs, the ingredients
for this divinely creamy strawberry ice cream are a snap to mix and
freeze in a ice cream maker. There is something extra-special about
homemade ice cream.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups whole milk
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1 cup white sugar
* dash of salt
* 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups mashed fresh strawberries
* 2 drops red food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, strawberries,
and food coloring. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker,
and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. If you have a small ice cream
maker use 1/2 the mixture.