Winter in the Spring

When the summer runs into fall and we have unseasonably warm days, we say it is an Indian Summer. Why isn't there a term for when winter runs into spring? We were lucky to have two nice days this weekend, but so far spring has failed to deliver very many warm, sunny days. With temperatures plummeting and what seems to be an inevitable rainstorm on the way, I decided to cook a traditionally winter-ish dinner tonight: beef stew and corn spoonbread.

I love corn spoonbread. Although I would have preferred warmer weather today, the cold did give me an opportunity to eat corn spoonbread without feeling like I was wearing white after Labor Day. My recipe is from Southern Living's Ultimate Quick & Easy cookbook, which was one of the first cookbooks I purchased for my first post-college apartment. It was a perfect choice at the time, because most of the recipes are simple and straightforward, and it serves two purposes very well - quick and easy meals (of course) and entertaining, both of which are important in the 'first apartment' phase of life. Fortunately, many of the recipes have made a nice transition to the 'cooking-for-mr.-meat-and-potatoes-when-I-get-home-from-work' phase.

Corn Spoonbread

1 (8.5 oz) pkg. corn muffin mix
1 (8.25 oz) can cream-style corn
1 (8.75 oz) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) container light sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs

1. Stir together all ingredients and pour into a lightly greased 11x7 (I used 9x13) baking dish.
2. Bake at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes or until golden. 12 servings.