I woke up this morning realizing I had let my readers down by not posting recipes for dishes that might freshen up their standard Thanksgiving menu, or as a guest, bring to the hosts home as their contribution to the meal. So, I quickly put this list together. Some recipes are quick and easy to prepare. Others, not so much. But all are perfect for celebrating the joy of cooking, eating, and sharing the special gift only home-made food (made with love) can offer. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
And as always, peace and love to all.
APPETIZERS
Butternut Squash, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Tart
Cambozola Cheese Appetizer with Honey, Rosemary, and Black Pepper
Caramelized Onion, Gorgonzola Cheese, and Walnut Tart
Cheddar and Port Wine Cheese Ball
Dried Cranberry and Pecan Cream Cheese Spread
Rosemary Roasted Cashews
SOUP
Crab Bisque
Curried Pumpkin and Peanut Soup
Gruyère Soup
Roasted Mushroom Cream Soup
MAIN DISH – TURKEY/CHICKEN/HAM
Bourbon, Brown Sugar, and Dijon Mustard Glazed Ham
Brined Oven Roasted Whole Chicken
Crispy Skinned Roast Chicken and Gravy
Herb and Lemon Basted Turkey Breast with Cognac Pan Gravy
Herb Salted Turkey with Cognac Gravy
Oven Roasted Whole Chicken with Dressing and Pan Gravy
Rosemary, Lemon, and Garlic Roasted Cornish Game Hens
DRESSING
Cornbread Dressing
Savory German Bread Pudding with Mushrooms
Savory Turkey Dressing
Turkey Dressing with Oysters or Sausage
Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding
GRAVY
Turkey Gravy with Cognac
SALAD
Waldorf Salad with Dried Cranberries and Orange Zest
Winter Fruit Salad
SIDE DISHES
Brussels Sprouts in a Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
Creamed Swiss Chard
Creamy Caramelized Pearl Onions
Creamy Caramelized Pearl Onions and Petite Peas
Creamy Corn Pudding
Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Dried Corn Casserole
Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Carrots with a Honey Bourbon Glaze
Spinach Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole with Butter Pecan Crumble Topping
CRANBERRIES
Brandied Cranberries
Cranberry Sauce with Grand Marnier and Cinnamon
ROLLS
Brioche Dinner Rolls
Picnic Buns
Sour Cream and Chive Crescent Rolls
Overnight Brioche Rolls
Overnight Soft Herb Rolls
DESSERT
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Apple Pie Bars
Bourbon Pecan Bars
Bourbon Pecan Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream
French Apple Pie
Ginger Cake with Bourbon Whipped Cream
Nantucket Cranberry Cake
Pumpkin Pie Bars with Bourbon-Caramel Whipped Cream
Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream
Sweet Potato Bourbon Bars with Bourbon Caramel Sauce and Bourbon Whipped Cream
Well, I just finished making both my Brandied Cranberries (recipe on site) and this new cranberry sauce. And frankly, I could keep dipping a spoon into either of these sauces (quality control) and be one happy camper. (Patti, walk away from the kitchen!) Because they are both DELICIOUS ways to turn raw cranberries into an amazing accompaniment to turkey, smeared on a turkey sandwich, or with baked chicken, pork tenderloin, or get adventurous. Add some cranberry sauce to plain yogurt and heap it over granola for a decadent breakfast treat. Or as a topping for baked brie. The possibilities are endless. And cranberry sauce is ever so easy to make. And perfect for your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.
So, if you are looking for a way to use that big bag of fresh cranberries you just brought home from the grocery store, with no real idea in mind how to use them, may I suggest either of these recipes.
And I know, there’s booze in both of my recipes. But I’m here to tell you, liquor really goes nicely with cranberries. It’s kind of like bourbon and caramel. There are just certain ingredients that appear to be a match made in heaven. And if you try this recipe, I’m sure you will agree.
Anyway, this is the second recipe I am posting today. So, I’m going to make this preface short and sweet. Just like this recipe which requires a short time in the kitchen to produce and could in every way be considered “sweet”.
Peace and love to all. And again – HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
12-16 oz. fresh cranberries
1 tsp. orange zest, or more to taste (but go gently)
½ c. water (or part orange juice)*
3 T. Grand Marnier** or any orange liqueur
¾ c. brown sugar, packed
1 cinnamon stick or ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Wash the cranberries and pick out any that appear soft.
Place the cranberries, orange zest, water/orange juice, Grand Marnier, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir to combine.
Simmer the mixture over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or so, until the cranberries start to pop and the sauce starts to thicken. Stir occasionally.
Reduce the heat and continue simmering until the sauce has thickened to your liking. (About 10-12 minutes total).
Remove cinnamon stick, if using, and let the cranberry sauce cool. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
*After I have zested an orange, I squeeze out as much juice as possible into a half-cup measuring container. Then I make up the difference by adding water if necessary.
**A French, orange-flavored liqueur that combines cognac with bitter orange.
OK, this is really Sweet Potato Pie. But pumpkin pie looks just like this. I never took a picture of pumpkin pie because I thought I’d already posted the recipe. Duh!
While going through all my recipes to share my favorites with you, I realized I had never posted my recipe for pumpkin pie. What?! Sweet Potato Piewith Bourbon Caramel Whipped Cream, yes, but not my favorite pumpkin pie recipe. Whenever I want to make this pie, I just look up the recipe in my first self-published cookbook. So, I guess that’s why I never got around to publishing the recipe on this site. But I have to say that if you don’t already have a wonderful pumpkin pie recipe, you do now.
The filling is smooth and creamy with lots of warm spices to set this recipe a bit apart from others. And the bourbon spiked whipped cream just makes the whole dessert simply amazing.
And yes, I know. Thanksgiving has come and gone. But it is never too late to make a pumpkin pie.
And because I’m basically a good person (or try my best), I’ve provided you with the recipe for my favorite pie crust. (Recipe below.) The one pie crust recipe that has never, ever failed me. So, I hope you enjoy that recipe too, although it’s a bit different from most pie crust recipes. But I’m sure you will have figured that out for yourself once you have read the instructions.
Well, that’s it for today. I’m still working on my list of favorite recipes by category. And believe me, it’s quite a challenge. Narrowing my favorites out of hundreds of recipes, is just plain crazy. But then, well, you see where I’m going with that!
Anyway, it’s helping me figure out my list of goodies to send out in my Christmas packages to my kids. Which BTW, is one of my favorite things to do. Makes me feel like I’m still Santa Claus. Speaking of which, I read this the other day and thought I might share it with you. I believe the author was Robby Bennett, but I can’t be sure of that. But in my opinion, whoever wrote this lovely response to “Is there a Santa Claus” should be awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
ATTENTION TO ALL PARENTS WHO NEED TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA
Son: “Dad, I think I’m old enough now. Is there a Santa Claus?”
Dad: “Ok, I agree that you’re old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the “truth” is a dangerous gift. Once you know something, you can’t unknow it.
Once you know the truth about Santa Claus, you will never again understand and relate to him as you do now.
So, my question is: Are you sure you want to know?”
Brief pause…
Son: “Yes, I want to know”
Dad: “Ok, I’ll tell you: Yes, there is a Santa Claus”
Son: “Really?”
Dad: Yes, really, but he’s not an old man with a beard in a red suit. That’s just what we tell kids. You see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Claus, so we explain it to them in a way that they can understand.
The truth about Santa Claus is that he’s not a person at all; he’s an idea.
Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years.
I actually bought those myself.
I watched you open them.
And did it bother me that you didn’t thank me?
Of course not!
In fact, it gave me great pleasure.
You see, Santa Claus is THE IDEA OF GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING, without thought of thanks or acknowledgement.
When I saw that woman collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she’d never know that it was me that summoned the ambulance.
I was being Santa Claus when I did that.”
Son: “Oh.”
Dad: “So now that you know, you’re part of it. You have to be Santa Claus too now. That means you can never tell a young kid the secret, and you have to help us select Santa presents for them, and most important, you have to look for opportunities to help people. Got it?” Help each other this Christmas and…be kind.
And on that refreshing thought about how to approach Santa, gift giving, and the upcoming holiday in general, I wish you peace and love.
For the pie:
pie crust for 9-inch one crust pie (regular not deep-dish pie plate)
2 c. canned or pureed fresh pumpkin
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 (14.5-oz.) can evaporated milk
2 lg. eggs
1 T. melted unsalted butter, cooled
¾ c. granulated sugar
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Line your pie plate with crust. Crimp the edges. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, salt, evaporated milk, eggs, and melted butter. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and spices together. Stir into the pumpkin mixture.
Pour into the pastry lined pie plate. Cover the crust with thin strips of aluminum foil to prevent excess browning. Remove the strips for the last 10 minutes of baking time so that the crust can obtain some color. (You don’t want a white crust. But you don’t want a crust that is too dark either.)
Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted near the edge comes out clean. (The middle will set as the pie cools.)
Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting. Or refrigerate if not serving the pie until the next day. Serve dolloped with whipped cream
For the Bourbon Whipped Cream:
1 c. heavy cream
2-4 T. powdered sugar
2-3 tsp. bourbon
Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Add the powdered sugar and bourbon. Serve dolloped on big old slices of cooled pie.
Please note: I have never in my life made only 1 pumpkin pie. So, I make 1½ times this recipe for 2 (8-inch) pies.
PIE CRUST
¼ c. very cold water
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
heaping 2/3 c. Crisco
Step 1 – Pour cold water into a small bowl. Step 2 – Measure flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Step 3 – Take 1/3 cup of the flour back out of the mixing bowl and stir it into the water. Make a paste. Set aside. Step 4 – Add the Crisco (heaping 2/3 cup) to the flour and salt mixture. Mix together. (I use my KitchenAid mixer.) Step 5 – Add the water/flour paste to the flour/shortening bowl and mix just until blended. Do not over-mix. Roll out dough and place in pie plate.
This recipe makes enough dough for a double crust pie, if using a regular sized pie plate, or one large bottom crust with a little left over for Pastry Cookies. See recipe below.
PASTRY COOKIES
pie crust scraps
ground cinnamon
granulated sugar
Place scraps on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and granulated sugar.
Bake along with your pie for 10-15 minutes depending on how thick you rolled your dough.
Remove from oven and allow to cool before devouring these tasty morsels. Don’t worry about storing them. There won’t be any left to store. This I promise you.
In my opinion, there is just nothing better than homemade bread. And I don’t care whether the bread comes in the form of loaves or rolls. I’m easy in that regard. So, when I was planning the menu for our last JazzVox home concert meal, I decided to make 2 kinds of bread. Why? Because bread is easy and inexpensive to make, and people love it. So, in combination with Light Rye Bread (recipe on site already), our guests gobbled up all but 1 of these rolls and a few slices of rye bread. Thank goodness there was at least a bit of bread left for us. Because dang, there is no such thing as left over bread at this household.
What wasn’t left was any of the double batch of Kräuterbutter (German Herb Butter) I had made to slather on the rye bread. Well, that didn’t go as planned. People frosted both kinds of bread with this amazing, flavored butter. (Find the recipe for Kräuterbutter below.) And frankly, given the opportunity I would have done the same thing.
Anyway, the main thing you should know about these rolls is that they are really quick and easy to build, and absolutely delicious. And you don’t even need bread flour for this recipe. Just plain old all-purpose flour. And as you can see from the picture, they are beautiful to boot.
And remember, Thanksgiving will be fast upon us. And these rolls would be perfect on your table. And because I am the kind of person I am, I’ve included directions so that you can make the dough and form the rolls one day and bake them off the next day. So, no excuses about dinner rolls being too hard to make, too time-consuming, or being too last minute. Nonsense! There is nothing easier than this recipe to build delicious dinner rolls to serve your family and friends. And boy will you be the hero of the day!
Well, it’s sunny outside. A bit of scattered cloud cover here and there. But although the sun is shining, it’s cold. So, I’ve built some soup that is happily burbling away on the stove. Along with a couple slices of leftover rye bread, we will be dining in style at the dinner table tonight.
May you too find happiness at your dinner table sharing the wonderful world of fine cuisine with your family and friends. For me, there just isn’t anything more rewarding than seeing someone smile when they bite into something I have served them. As you may gather from this comment, I live for those smiles.
As always, peace and love to all.
¾ c. whole milk, slightly warm
2 tsp. instant dry yeast
¼ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
4 lg eggs, divided
½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into chunks
veggie oil
In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the warm milk, yeast, and sugar together. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until it becomes frothy. Add salt, flour, and 3 eggs to the bowl. Using your dough hook, mix the dough until all the flour is absorbed. Then add the butter cubes. Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and only a smidge sticks to the bottom of the bowl. If needed, add a bit more flour.
Pour a small amount of oil into the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff spatula, shape the dough into a round, lightly greased ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 75-90 minutes or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, make an egg wash by whisking the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water.
Shape the dough into 15 rolls and place in a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan. Let rise again for about an hour, then brush with egg wash. (For building the rolls on day 1 and baking them off on day 2, see directions below.)
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 23-25 minutes. The internal temperature should reach at least 190-degrees.
Remove from oven and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
For making the dough ahead and baking it the next day, once the rolls are formed, cover and refrigerate them overnight. They will rise while in the fridge and be ready to bake in the morning. Make sure to let them sit out for about 20 minutes to come to room temperature before brushing with the egg wash and baking them in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 23-25 minutes. The internal temperature should reach at least 190-degrees when they are done.
Remove from oven and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Mush all the ingredients together with a table fork and refrigerate covered until ready to serve at room temperature. (Best made the day ahead so the flavors have time to get to know each other.) This butter is a great spread for rye bread. (Or any other kind of bread for that matter!)
About a week before Thanksgiving, our neighbors and dear friends Mark and Vicki had us over for dinner. And Mark served this soup as the first course. His soup was chunky, and I loved the taste and texture from first bite. So, when it came to planning what soup to serve as a first course for Thanksgiving, I decided to prepare the same soup, but use my immersion blender to make the soup creamy rather than chunky. And to offset the creamy, I decided homemade croutons would provide the texture that was missing from not serving the soupy chunky. So, I messed with the recipe Mark found on the tasteofhome.com site to what you find below. But, if you don’t care for smooth soup, just leave your immersion blender in its hiding place, and serve the soup chunky. But, no matter how you decide to serve this soup, you are in for a treat.
Now, if you are only into soups that pack a lot of flavor, this may not suit your taste. It absolutely does not provide an “in your face” flavor punch. It’s more of a subtle and unpretentious little soup with hints of class and refinement. And perfect when the rest of the meal is going to be a full-blown taste bud extravaganza!
So, I hope you give this charming soup a try. It really is delicious. And ever so easy to prepare. And the croutons ain’t bad either!
As always, continue to prepare and eat delicious food. Life is short and one of life’s greatest pleasures, at least for me, comes from sitting down to a truly wonderful meal with family and/or friends. So, make it happen. Even if you live alone, call a friend or two and invite them for dinner. They will love being entertained and you will have a great meal to share and maybe even some delightful leftovers you can treat yourself to the next evening. And always keep in mind that what we are experiencing right now is not a dress rehearsal for our lives. We are living the main and only event. So, don’t skimp on the quality of food you feed yourself or your family and friends.
And sorry for no picture. But by the time I was dishing up soup on Thanksgiving, I was already thinking fondly of my pillow and taking a picture for my blog didn’t even enter my mind. What blog???
So, from one recovering Thanksgiving cook to all of you out there – peace, love, and endless days of joy.
1 med. head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 med. carrot, shredded
¼ c. finely chopped celery
2½ c. water
2-3 tsp. chicken or vegetable bouillon
3 T. unsalted butter
3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 c. whole milk
1½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
dash hot pepper sauce, opt. (I use Frank’s RedHot sauce)
Combine the cauliflower, carrot, celery, water, and bouillon in a heavy soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain). Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (If there are a few chunks, that’s just fine!
In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese until melted, adding hot pepper sauce if desired. Stir into the cauliflower mixture.
Serve in small bowls or small coffee cups garnished with Oven Baked Garlic Croutons.
OVEN BAKED GARLIC CROUTONS
1 T. unsalted butter
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ tsp. dried parsley
Pinch kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 c. bread cubes
Heat the butter, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium sized frying pan. When starting to burble, remove from heat and stir in the bread cubes. Transfer to a small low sided baking pan and bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the bread cubes are crisp and starting to brown. Turn the cubes once during the baking time.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before using or storing in an airtight container.
Let me begin by saying that Mr. C. loves leftovers. So, one of the benefits of cooking too much food for Thanksgiving is having just what he loves at his disposal. (Remember that word – disposal, because it’s going to be used again in this post, but in a very different context!)
But after the first meal of all things leftover, and even a second attempt to present him with yet another opportunity to enjoy all the delicious flavors that make Thanksgiving such a special occasion, his desire to eat anymore of the leftovers began to wane. And I could hardly stand to open the refrigerator. So, that meant that I had to figure out a better way to use up the leftovers. Thus, this recipe.
So, with 3 cups of shredded turkey to use in a dish that would hopefully be welcome, even if the name included “leftover turkey”, I came up with this recipe. But what to serve it over? That part came next.
So, I went online to find a drop biscuit recipe that didn’t require getting out the food processor or my stand mixer. (I’m still recovering from all the cooking I did for Thanksgiving, so the simpler the food prep for now, the better.) I found this recipe on the cookingclassy.com site and the biscuits turned out perfect for the intended purpose. Split in two, they weren’t smooth surfaced like so many of my biscuit recipes produce. (Which is perfect in most cases.) However, these biscuits had the perfect crumb to absorb the lovely gravy base that makes this àla King so delicious. And, best of all, the drop biscuits had been super easy to prepare.
As for the leftover mashed potatoes, dressing, and corn pudding, well you remember that word I used above – disposal, that’s exactly where they ended up. Sometimes you just have to do what’s best for everyone concerned. And for my own sanity, not having the leftovers stare me down every time I opened the refrigerator, was a prudent move towards keeping me mentally healthy. Of course, the guilt is still there, but then, that’s another story for another time.
As always, keep staying healthy, keep making decisions that benefit not only yourself but those around you, and stay positive. Your positive outlook on life can be contagious. You never know who might need positive inspiration from time to time.
Peace and love to all.
¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ c. minced onion
¼ c. shredded carrot
¼ c. finely diced celery
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. poultry seasoning
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
¼ c. dry sherry
1½ c. turkey or chicken broth, or more as needed
¾ c. whole milk
¼ c. heavy cream
2-3 c. diced turkey (and yes of course, you can used cooked chicken in place of turkey)
1 sm. (4-oz.) jar sliced pimento, well drained
½ c. frozen petite peas
2 T. freshly chopped parsley
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sauté onion, carrot, and celery until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour, seasoned salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and thyme and cook a minute or two. Add the dry sherry and let it evaporate for about 30 seconds.
Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream. Cook until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. If too thick, add a bit more broth. Add the cooked turkey, drained pimento, frozen peas, and fresh parsley. Cook only until the chicken is hot. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve over halved biscuits, steamed rice, or mashed potatoes.
See recipe below for quick and easy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits.
BUTTERMILK DROP BISCUITS
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. granulated sugar
¾ tsp. kosher salt
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. buttermilk
In a small mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together.
Place the butter in a medium sized microwave safe dish and heat until about ¾ of the way melted. Remove and stir to melt fully.
Pour the buttermilk in with the butter and whisk until mixture appears lumpy.
Pour the flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture and stir gently just until all the flour is incorporated.
Using a #16 ice cream scoop that has been coated with cooking spray, scoop the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking pan at least 1½-inches apart. If you don’t own a #16 ice cream scoop, spray a quarter cup round measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake in a pre-heated 475-degree oven until tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205 to 210-degrees, about 12 – 14 minutes. Remove from oven, split, and serve topped with plenty of the à la King.
Well, for those of you who have been to this site before, I have a huge confession to make. (Those of you who are new to this blog, ignore my following comments. I don’t want you to shy away from this site because I went crazy this Thanksgiving and prepared way too much food!)
Anyway, I always considered myself a good judge of how much food to prepare for the size of any given group I planned to feed. But this year, I over-achieved in every single dish I prepared. Every – single – one! (Well except for the turkey gravy. No matter how much gravy I prepare, there is never any left.)
Anyway, I should have known better than to fix so darn much food. We can’t eat like we did when we were, say, 25. So, what made me think that 12 adults between 65 and 80, 3 adults in their 50s, and 2 guests in their late teenage years were likely to put away a full complement of appetizers, a first course soup, a 20 pound turkey, plus an extra turkey breast and 6 drumsticks (for the dark meat), 10 pounds of mashed potatoes, enough dressing to feed a small cavalry, and a huge casserole dish containing corn pudding! Not to mention all the lovely appetizers, side dishes, salads, and desserts brought by our guests. OMG. If I was ever in doubt that my brain was aging right along with my body, this Thanksgiving proved that my brain was totally in step with the rest of this old gal’s declining body parts! So, lesson learned. Next year, half as much as I think I need, and everything should come out just about right! And speaking of something that is right, this spread I found on the food.com site is absolutely, right on! The flavor is amazing, the prep time so short as to be almost nonexistent, and best of all – the spread must be made ahead of time. And I can’t think of a better spread to serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Festive looking and incredibly delicious. Just like the other spread I made – Kalamata Olive Spread – to be published in the near future. Both absolutely perfect for any appetizer spread. So, do make these 2 spreads in the near future. They are simply yum!
So now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to think about Christmas. And this year I’m even more excited about baking cookies and putting up our holiday decorations. After not being able to spend the holidays with our family and dearest friends last year, I can hardly wait to sit in front of our Christmas tree with a Speculaas (Dutch Ginger Cookie) in one hand and a warm cup of Glögg in the other. (And yes, both recipes are on this site.)
So, have fun in your kitchen. Consider baking extra cookies this year and gift them to a friend or neighbor who might profit from a little extra Christmas cheer. Or invite them over for a special dinner or present them with cinnamon rolls to make their Christmas morning special. It’s the little things that remind people how much we care about them.
And as always, peace and love to all.
1 pkg. (8-oz.) cream cheese, room temp.
¼ c. orange juice concentrate
½ c. chopped dried cranberries
½ c. chopped toasted pecans, plus more for garnish
Beat the cream cheese until soft. Slowly add in the concentrate until creamy and completely smooth. Add the chopped cranberries and pecans.
Mound the spread on a small plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least overnight. Remove from fridge an hour before you plan to serve. Just before serving, decorate with a few chopped pecans.
Some days are better than others. Because some days I have leftovers from the previous evenings dinner and only need to fix a little “something” new to make the second dinner a pleasure rather than a chore. So, the other evening I was thinking what would go nicely with leftover pot roast, veggies (plenty of veggies) and of course, pot roast gravy. (For my recipe, search under Pot Roast with Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots.) I decided some kind of herby buttermilk biscuit would be perfect. So, using a recipe I found on the justalittlebitofbacon.com site, with the addition of roasted garlic that really needed to be used up, I baked up a batch of these amazing biscuits. So, so delicious. And as tender as any biscuits I have ever had the pleasure of eating. And for those of you for whom turkey dressing/stuffing is a waste of ingredients (all 2 of you), these biscuits would make a perfect alternative for a “bready side” on your Thanksgiving table.
I think the secret to these savory biscuits lies in the fact that the recipe calls for all fresh vegetative ingredients. And because I happen to grow Italian parsley, chives, and rosemary it made using these terrific ingredients a snap. And thyme, well I’ve tried growing it, but for some unknown reason, I’ve had no luck with this herb. So, I always have one of those small plastic containers of thyme in my fridge. So, for me it was no problem to follow the instruction as written. But if you don’t happen to have all the fresh ingredients on hand, I would say use dried. But of course, only about a third as much since the flavor of dried herbs is so much more concentrated. And if you do use dried chives and herbs, and the biscuits come out perfect, please let me know so I can pass on your comments to anyone reading this recipe. But for now, I’m going to stick with fresh chives and herbs.
Well, that’s it for today. We are expecting at least 15 guests for Thanksgiving dinner, so I am busy strategizing for the event. Even though others are bringing a dish or 2 I still feel compelled to make sure everyone ends up with at least one of the dishes they hold sacred on any Thanksgiving table so that we can send everyone out the door, full and happy. At least, that’s my plan.
This feels like such a special Thanksgiving to me. We have received our covid-19 booster shots and will be with a good portion of our extended family for this day of thanks. And everything else in our lives seems to be happily perking along. So, we have a lot of positive in our lives to be extremely thankful for. May you be as similarly blessed.
Again, Happy Thanksgiving to all. And of course, peace and love.
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. fine sea salt
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 T. chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
½ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
4 cloves roasted garlic
8 T. (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, (can even be frozen butter), cut into small pieces
¾ c. buttermilk
Pulse the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in the bowl of a food processor. Add the parsley, chives, thyme, and rosemary and pulse a few more times to distribute through the mix.
Add the roasted garlic and butter; process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal and there are no large lumps of butter left.
Add the buttermilk and pulse a few times, until the dough gathers into clumps. Scrape the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured board.
Pat the dough into an oblong shape at an even 1-inch height. (This will give you 8 good sized biscuits.) Cut with a floured bench scraper or large butcher knife. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Serve warm or toast for a wonderful breakfast bread.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I love sweet potatoes. Love them! And this year for Christmas I served ham. And along with the ham I wanted to serve some type of sweet potato dish because ham and sweet potatoes are just a fabulous combination. But I didn’t want a pecan topping on my sweet potatoes this time, because I was serving a salad (Roasted Beets, Candied Pecans, and Feta Cheese Salad with a Balsamic Vinegar Dressing) which included pecans as an ingredient. So, my Sweet Potato Casserole with Butter Pecan Crumble Topping would have been just a bit too much pecan.
I decided instead, to just prepare the sweet potato part and leave the pecan topped version for another dinner. And oh am I glad I made this dish to serve along-side the ham. Sweet and delicious, and a perfect creamy textural compliment to the crunchy pecans in the salad. I also tried a new cornbread muffin recipe to complete the menu. You will not be seeing that recipe on this site because the muffins simply did not live up to my expectations. (See, I can be polite when I choose to be!)
So, for all of you out there who love sweet potatoes, give this simple recipe a try. It can be prepared a day or two in advance, so it is perfect for dinner parties, or holiday meals, or anytime preparing a dish ahead of time helps keep chaos in check on the day of the event.
As always, keep smiling and stay positive. And stay tolerant of your own foibles, as well as those of your family members. After all, it’s those idiosyncrasies that make us human. And ultimately make us lovable. Peace and love to all. And HAPPY NEW YEAR.
2 very lg. ruby or garnet sweet potatoes (sometimes labeled incorrectly as yams)
⅓ c. brown sugar, packed
2 T. whole milk
¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 lg. egg
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Bake sweet potatoes in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 90 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool to touch. Remove peel and throw the flesh into your food processor. Add the brown sugar, milk, butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Whirl until smooth. Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish.
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degrees for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before serving.
So, how about those pearl onions? What, no frozen pearl onions in the grocery store! What?!?! So there goes another plan shot to hell. OK, I’m a crafty cook, I can improvise. So, that’s just what I did.
Armed with 2 lovely organic leeks, and a pound of frozen peas, we still enjoyed one of our favorite dishes for Thanksgiving. Just a little variation from the normal choice, but still within the allium family. So Creamy Caramelized Leeks and Peas instead of Creamy Caramelized Pearl Onions and Petite Peas. But you know what? We really enjoyed the subtle flavor of the leeks as opposed to big old bites of onion. But either way, onion (in whatever form) and peas are a match made in heaven. And either of these two recipes are perfect veggie dishes for the holidays or anytime a savory, creamy veggie dish is required.
So, I’m not going to spend too much time on this post. Just like it doesn’t take me a long time to build this delicious dish. Just know that when a creamy, veggie dish is just what your menu requires, you have multiple options from which to choose.
As always, keep thinking delicious, keep thinking quick and easy to prepare, and keep loving your kitchen. It’s going to be a few more months before it will once again be safe to get together with friends, enjoy meals with our loved ones, and safely share the bounty of this great land with each other. In the meantime, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay informed. Peace and love to all.
2 leeks
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. unsalted butter
½ c. heavy cream
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly ground nutmeg
1 (1 lb.) pkg. frozen petite peas
Remove the tough dark green ends and the root end from the leeks. Discard. Slice each leek in half lengthwise. Then cut into thin half-moons. Add the cut leeks to a big bowl of cold water and swish to release the dirt, which should sink to the bottom. Scoop out the leeks and pat them dry. (If there doesn’t appear to be any dirt, I don’t bother swishing the cut pieces. But look carefully before you make a decision.)
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. And the leeks and stir fry for several minutes, or until the leeks are a lovely golden brown and soft. Reduce heat; pour in cream and slowly simmer until cream is thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and a bit of nutmeg.
Just before serving, place frozen peas in a small colander and rinse under cold water to remove any ice crystals. Drain and gently stir in with the leeks. Heat the mixture only until the peas are hot*. Add additional cream if necessary if the sauce is too thick. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
*You don’t really want or need to cook the peas. They are much tastier when served just heated through. In fact, when I make Pea Salad (another wonderful Thanksgiving side dish by-the-way) I don’t cook the peas at all. They are basically right out of the freezer when I add them to the other ingredients.
