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Summer is the time for backyard parties, long days outside in the sun and lots of good food. There are thousands of versions of chess pie and I've never been a big fan. I'm more the coconut cream or banana pudding type. However, today's recipe caught my eye 'cause I don't recall seeing sweet milk in any of the other recipes I've read. Naturally, I changed the milk to half and half. Be sure to get plain corn meal. Self rising contains leavening ingredients that will change the taste of the pie.

Pecan Cobbler is really a new twist to me. A nice lady asked if I ever made one and I told her I'd never heard of one. So ... off to the Internet I went. I got rave reviews with the following recipe and I didn't hardly change it at all. I hope you like it.

I'm not fixin' to tell you how much I changed the peanut butter brownie ice cream. Just make it and eat it. You will love it if you like peanut butter or brownies.

Of course, you can't just eat dessert. Black bean soup is so quick and easy to make, you will want to make it all year 'round. Sweet potatoes and apples are usually associated with the holidays. They are so good for you get an early start; make the casserole tonight.

Sweet Potatoes and Pink Ladys

3 sweet potatoes peeled and thickly sliced

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 large pink lady apples, peeled and sliced

For the topping

¼ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup firmly backed brown sugar

¼ cup butter

¼ cup chopped pecans

Steam sweet potatoes until tender by whatever method you prefer. Spray a medium size baking dish with Pam. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar with spices. Blend well. Spread one layer of potatoes in bottom of the prepared dish. Sprinkle lightly with spice blend. Layer apples over potatoes. Season with spice blend. Layer once more ending with apples. In a small bowl, blend topping ingredients. Cut butter into the dry ingredients with a fork. Sprinkle over top layer of casserole. Bake about 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Pecan Cobbler

2 ½ cups sugar

5 eggs, lightly beaten

2 ¼ cups white Karo

¼ cup maple syrup

½ cup melted butter

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x15 inch baking dish with Pam. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, corn syrup, maple syrup, butter and vanilla extract. Blend well. Pour about one-third of this mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Set aside.

For the crust:

1 cup oat flour. (You can make this by processing one cup regular oats in a food processor)

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

¬½ cup chilled butter

¬º to ¬½ cup ice water

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, processed oats, sugar and salt. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse meal. Add ¼ cup water and stir to combine. Add a little more, a spoonful at a time, until the mixture will roughly stick together. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured pastry cloth or counter top and knead only until it is no longer sticky. Roll the dough out to roughly fit the 9x13 baking dish. Gently lay the dough onto the mixture in the dish. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the dough. Gently pour the remaining syrup mixture over the pecans. Bake about 50 minutes or until the center is lightly set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter n' Brownies Ice Cream

Joy Kimbrough/The Daily Times

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 cups half and half

2 cups crumbled brownies

May your own brownie recipe, use a mix or buy them from the bakery. I made the Duncan Hines mix using the cake type directions on the box.

Beat together until smooth, sugar, salt and peanut butter. Work in half and half a cup or so at a time until smooth and well mixed. Add vanilla. Pour into ice cream freezer and process according to the manufacturer's directions. When the ice cream has finished, remove from the canister and stir in the brownies. Freeze several hours to ripen.

To serve: Garnish with chopped peanuts and drizzle with chocolate sauce if desired.

Chess Pie

1 pie shell, unbaked

1 ¬½ cups sugar

1 tablespoon plain corn meal

3 eggs

1 stick butter, melted

1 fat teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon vinegar

¼ cup half and half or cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and corn meal. Add eggs and beat until well blended. Add melted butter, vanilla extract, vinegar and cream. Whisk until smooth and well blended. Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven to wire rack. Cool completely. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Black Bean Soup

3 tablespoons oil

¬½ large onion, chopped

¬½ cup sliced celery

¬½ medium, green bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

¬½ teaspoon salt

¬½ teaspoon pepper

2 (15-ounce) cans Bushes seasoned black beans, rinsed and drained (May substitute one can of Bushes chili beans, pour off excess liquid)

2 (15-ounce) cans tomatoes of your choice

In a medium size Dutch oven, heat oil then add onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Add garlic, broth and seasonings. Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Add beans, reduce heat and cook until heated through.