Come on in, honey, and pull up a chair…

Now, I don’t know who decided football practice needed to happen right around supper time, but I would like to have a word with them.

Between homework, carpool, muddy cleats, and one youngin hollering that they’re STARVING, a woman needs a supper that doesn’t require three hours and a culinary degree.

That’s where my Pigs-n-a-Blanket come in.

And before you ask, yes, I know some of y’all call them pigs in blankets. I just prefer to say it like a Southern woman who has been making supper longer than most of y’all have been alive.

A Little History Before We Eat

The name “pigs in a blanket” has been around longer than you might think. The dish has taken different forms in different places. In Britain, pigs in blankets traditionally means little sausages wrapped in bacon. Here in America, we generally mean little sausages or hot dogs wrapped in dough.

The American version has been around for decades, with a U.S. Army cookbook listing “Pork Sausage Links (Pigs) in Blankets” way back in 1940. By the 1950s, it was featured in a children’s cookbook by Betty Crocker; the dough-wrapped version had become a familiar American party and family food.

And naturally, we Americans have spent the years since finding new ways to wrap a sausage in dough.

These days, folks are making ghost-shaped pigs for Halloween, football-shaped ones for game day, little Christmas wreaths, and all sorts of things I’m sure require more patience than I personally possess.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t make a football-shaped pig.

I’m just saying if your child is hungry and practice starts in twenty minutes, nobody is going to complain if his pig looks like a pig instead of a football.

My mama always said, “You get what cha get. No complaining.”

Nana’s Quick Supper

For my version, I keep it simple: little sausages, crescent roll dough, and a hot oven.

Cut the dough into strips, wrap each little sausage, place them on a baking sheet, and bake until they’re golden brown and delicious.

Put out some mustard, ketchup, or whatever dipping sauce your youngins favor, and there you have it.

Supper.

No fuss. No fancy ingredients. No standing over the stove while somebody is yelling, “Mama, we’re gonna be late!”

Now, you can add whatever you want to it: cheddar cheese or cheese and jalapeño peppers. My crew loves them both ways.

And if you want to make them special, go ahead and get creative. Make ghosts. Make footballs. Let the children help.

Just remember: the goal is to feed them, not win the Food Network.

Now listen here, because this is important.

Just like I don’t want you digging through the pantry at 6:15 trying to figure out what you can throw together before football practice, you don’t want to be digging through a shoebox of receipts at the end of the year trying to figure out where your business money went.

Keep up with your receipts and expenses as you go.

A few minutes each week can save you a whole lot of headaches when it’s time to get those books ready for your CPA.

And if you’re a small business owner who has been putting it off, honey, now is the time to get those books in order.

Your CPA will thank you.

Your future self will thank you.

And I promise, neither one wants to find a receipt for $47.83 from “Somewhere Around Town” with absolutely no explanation.

Until Next Time…

Now go feed those youngins, find those cleats, and get everybody where they’re supposed to be.

And if you make your Pigs-n-a-Blanket into little footballs, send me a picture.

I may even approve.

— Nana ❤️

🧾 Nana’s Tip of the Week

Now honey, I know you’re busy.

You’ve got kids to get where they need to be, a business to run, bills to pay, people calling your name, and about seventeen things on your list that were supposed to get done yesterday.

And somewhere along the way, you forgot about the books.

It happens.

But just because you’re good at running your business doesn’t mean you have to be good at doing everything that comes with it.

If those books have been sitting there staring at you from the corner of your desk, it might be time to let the girl at Southern Grace Ledgers give you a hand.

She can help get things organized, keep your books up to date, and give you back a little of that time you’ve been spending wondering where in the world you put that receipt.

Because honey, your business needs your attention.

Your books need attention, too—but they don’t necessarily need to be done by you. ❤️