The excitement is building. Each and every time I am in the store, you can spot the people who think that they are in there for the last time before Turkey Day. They have their “list” in their hands and the smug look on their faces reveal that they think that they are so smart to be shopping the week before the grocery stores look like the blue light special hour at Kmart. But, that isn’t what it is all about. The last minute runs to the store to get the canned cranberry sauce or the marshmallows for the sweet potato casserole are the things that make it a real Thanksgiving. It’s all I can do to not say, “you might think this is the last time you will be in here before Thanksgiving, but I can tell from your grocery cart that you will be here at least twice before you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner”. Some of the most fun times at the grocery store are the last minute jaunts to pick up last minute things. You always see someone you know, and usually the “feeling is in the air” of holiday excitement. It is fun to see first time cooks shopping the night before buying the frozen turkey, never guessing that it won’t thaw out for 2 more days. Love to see the fights of shoppers grabbing at the last can of cranberry sauce, or looking for the bag of seasoned bread crumbs. There is always panic on their faces when they realize there is none left. I take advantage of their misfortune and calmly say to Randy, (of course so they can hear) “honey, do you think our 3 cans of cranberry sauce we bought the other day will be enough” I have been offered their first born for just one of my cans. So think I will go take a nap. I still have 7 days to plan the menu, buy the necessities and figure out which recipe I will use for the dressing. No need to get in a rush. After all, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the 3-5 last minute trips next Wednesday to the grocery store.
Category: Daily Thoughts
Chocolate BIscotti
This recipe has already been posted but I made it again yesterday and had to remind you that this is just an amazing and easy biscotti. I am hooked on making it and since the batch I made yesterday is all gone, (no I didn’t eat it all by myself) I have another batch in the oven. We meet friends for Mexican food tonight so will take some to share. Makes such a great hostess gift in a pretty little bag tied with ribbon during the holidays. Bake some and have it for coffee for guests that arrive during this festive season. They will think you have spent hours in the kitchen and you will be proud to serve it. This is my new favorite recipe to make to take to friends in the hospital or just to “snack” (if you can call eating 6-8 of them, “snacking”) on while watching The Voice…..Just type in Chocolate Biscotti in the bottom space beside the magnifying mirror and it will pop up…
Post Election Thoughts
As we went to bed last night learning that our country will be under the leadership of President Obama, both Randy and I were, to say the least, disappointed, saddened and surprised that he had won. As many of you across the country have been setting special times of prayer to pray for our country and this election, and probably feeling like we were, I couldn’t help but wonder, “why did God not answer our prayers”….were there not enough of us praying?, did we not have the right attitude in our hearts? Had we really been praying, believing? As I laid there last night, not being able to sleep, I could not help but go over these questions, asking God, “why”?
This morning, after waking up to realize that America had indeed voted for a President that does not support what we feel is a Biblical approach to lead this supposedly, “One Nation Under God”, something occurred to me.
Over 2000 years ago, was this not what the disciples were thinking and struggling with the night Jesus was arrested? They must have been asking the same questions, “wasn’t Jesus suppose to be setting up His kingdom” and if everything they had been taught were true, why was God allowing Jesus to die? What was happening to their perfect plan to have Jesus as their leader and what would they do now, that Jesus had been crucified?”
In 3 days, they found the answers to all their questions. God had a better plan. A plan that would bring salvation to all who believed and a plan that would last throughout generations to bring eternal life and joy and peace that the world had never known.
We might not find out in 3 days what God’s plan is, but we can be sure of this.God does have a perfect plan and He is still on His throne. Let’s commit to pray for our President and leaders. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see salvation come to the White House. We, just like the disciples, will be watching expectedly for God’s Perfect Plan” to unfold!
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know Who holds the future and life is worth the living, just because He lives.”
Gingersnap Meatballs
I’m BACK! Ready to cook and had to share this recipe with you. Jane Warren, one of my mom’s friends who allows me to stay at her house while I am in Corpus, served these one night and I must say they are delicious. She had given me the recipe years back and I had never tried them. They are now going to be served during the Thanksgiving holidays while the kids are here. They are simple and delicious. You can actually freeze them, as Jane did and she just pulled them out of the freezer and covered them with foil (still frozen) and baked them. The last 15 min of baking, she removed the foil so they could brown. I think it made them even more moist cooking them that way. The gingersnaps just give them a very deep, almost a sweet and sour flavor. Everyone there just went crazy over them.
1 1/4 cups gingersnaps, crushed
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground lean pork
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
parsley
Directions:
Crush gingersnaps, approximately 20, 2 inch cookies, to make 1 1/4 cups.
In large bowl, combine crushed gingersnaps with milk and egg.
Add ground beef, pork, onion, salt, pepper and allspice. Mix well to combine.
Refrigerate, covered for one hour.
With moistened hands, shape mixture into meatballs, 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Preheat oven to 325.
Place meatballs on a cookie sheet with sides and bake about 25 min or until meatballs are brown.
Remove to a 2 quart greased (pam) oven proof casserole dish as they brown. Pour off drippings to measure 1/4 cup, adding more butter if necessary.
Add drippings back to skillet heat and add flour stirring to make a smooth mixture.
Gradually stir in beef broth and bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly.
Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste simmer for 5 minutes for flavors to mingle.
Pour over meatballs and bake covered one hour.
Garnish with parsley and serve with noodles.
Texas Bound
Had to post one last recipe before leaving for Texas where I will be celebrating my mom’s 90th birthday, in Corpus Christi, before going on to Dallas to get my fill of Tex-Mex, Pappadeux, Luby’s and Whataburger, oops, I mean get my fill of more grandkids, which are there…..Can you tell I am always thinking about food? I do love my grandchildren, but don’t make me choose between Whataburger and kids. Seriously, I am excited that I get to trick or treat with Sevy this year. Since he is like his dad, I will probably be the only one in costume. He will most likely wear a sport coat and tie. He is 8….guess he has grown up more than his grandmother!
The cookbook I am taking several recipes from is one that I have learned to leaf through and seem to always find something that I have never seen before. This one caught my eye and I will be making it during Thanksgiving when our house will come alive with family. It is easy and loving the flavor or oranges, this will be a winner.
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tables butter
1 table grated orange peel
3 tables orange juice
2 cans crescent rolls (see I told you this would be easy)
Spray a 12″ pizza pan with Pam. In small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, orange peel and juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly and set aside.
Remove dough from each can; DO NOT unroll dough. cut each roll into 12 slices.
Arrange 24 slices evenly on prepared pizza pan. Spoon brown sugar mixture evenly over slices. Bake at 375 for 13-15 min or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Doesn’t this just make you want to get up right now and go make these? I can’t wait to get home to make these delicious little gems….will be back home Nov 1st…until then, enjoy the wonderful gift of Fall…Blessings, tkbakesalot
Thanksgiving Tip #2
Having just posted the different version of dressing, I began to remember having Thanksgiving at some friends house, years ago, which were Lebanese. They could cook better than anyone I have met (If I ever taste Paula Deens food, I will let you know how they faired against her)
They didn’t use traditional dressing, but substituted rice for the cornbread and then stuffed it into the turkey cavity. Wow, was it delicious. Everything was the same, even the chicken broth. It is still a recipe that I love to make when we are having stuffed chicken. Our kids would never come back for Thanksgiving if we didn’t have cornbread dressing, (hum,………ok, I won’t think that anymore) but with fresh green beans, which I am posting tomorrow for a different version for turkey day you won’t want to miss, it makes such a great dinner for guests.
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Krusteaz Pumpkin Pie Bars
FYI…..these are amazing! Bought a box of these to make and just made them. They are absolutely wonderful. Just made them to take to a friend going through chemo and of course had to sample them. You can find them at your local Walmart and trust me on this…they are not only easy, but really really good. Top them off with whipped cream and you have a real seasonal winner..Good enough to serve in place of traditional pumpkin pie…am off to store to buy more before they disappear. Will be posting a new recipe for dressing this afternoon. Just in case you are wanting to try something different this Thanksgiving, you will have a new version on an old classic…..just like me when I get a new hair color….blessings for you today, tkbakesalot
Free Popcorn, Flat Tires & Fresh Coffee
I thought an update might be appropriate since many of you have commented on the fun and cheap, (oops, I forgot, we are trying to be classy) I mean inexpensive Saturday that Randy and I had a couple of weekends ago.
We have now learned something else, very important. The more expensive the car dealership, the better the snacks you get. This past Saturday, we woke up to a flat tire which meant that we called AAA (the ones who come out to fix your car, no, we didn’t turn into alcoholics from just having a flat tire, that would have been AA) But back to the story. We had them put on the spare in order for us to get to the dealership where we were told it would only be a few minutes and they would have a new tire put on and we could just wait in the “lounge” until they called us. Well, I can tell you that I am headed back there next weekend after the grandkids leave. Not only were we treated to free cookies, free popcorn, free soda and free coffee, but oh this is good……they had massage chairs that you see in the malls. So Randy and I just went on over, flopped down (yes, when you are as big as we are, you flop down), in the chairs, turned on the back roller, the up and down massager that makes you feel like a limp noodle and even had the leg massager that vibrates your legs. It was a wonderful morning. Having popcorn, coffee and watching TV all the while sitting in these glorious chairs. We were so sorry when they called us that the car was ready. We weren’t through with our massage yet….but we paid for our new tire, which cheated me out of a new outfit the whole rest of the year, and headed out to other car dealerships, still trying to find Randy a car. We discovered that the AutoMall is not where we wanted to buy a car. They only had warm bottled water, no massage chair and a salesman that wore a really bad rug….(on his head, not one wrapped around him)…That did it. We decided that even if it were necessary to sell a couple of the grandkids (don’t think badly of me, we have plenty of them) to buy a car where you are treated like royalty, then that’s what we would do. So when you see “grandkids for sale” on Ebay, you will know that we have found just the perfect snack dealership, I mean, car for Randy. I’m asking Randy for a gift certificate to the Lexus Dealership Lounge for Christmas.
GrandkidsTakes Priority
Since I am headed to hug some grandkids tomorrow, I will not be back until Oct 2nd. If I can use my daughter’s computer without having to share it with the 3 year old, I will write this week, but if not, will see you on the 3rd…..blessings and lets continue to pray for this country! In God We Trust……TKbakesalot
Bruschetta Chicken & Veggies
Tonight, since I am leaving town tomorrow for a week to go see grandkids, I figured that I should feed Randy a home cooked meal so he would appreciate me. After a friend of ours gave me this recipe last week, I have been waiting to try it and tonight was the night. It is so easy and so different. We loved it. Since bruschetta is one of those favorite dinners that we have on Friday or Sunday nights, I knew that this had to be a hit.
2-4 chicken breasts, uncooked
2 tomatoes
*1/4 to 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (if using 2 chicken breasts, use the 1/4, 4 breasts use 1/2 cup)
*1-2 tables butter (if using 2, 1 tables, if using 4, use 2 tables butter)
2-4 fresh basil leaves
1-2 tables olive oil (yes, depends how many chicken breasts you are making)
In small saucepan, put the balsamic vinegar and the butter and cook over medium heat until the mixture is reduced by half and is thick. Set aside.
In the olive oil, sauté the chicken breasts and season with seasoned salt, seasoned pepper, garlic powder and onion powder (be sure these are not garlic and onion salt, but powder)
Brown the chicken on both sides and place about 1/4-1/2 cup liquid and place skillet over pan. Cook until chicken is tender and is completely done. (liquid can be chicken broth, white wine or water)
When ready to serve, place chicken over pasta, rice or asparagus and place a fresh basil leave on top. Place sliced fresh tomatoes on top of basil leave and then drizzle the balsamic reduction over the top one the tomatoes allowing to drip onto chicken. We served this with broccolini and brussels sprouts that I had sautéed in a skillet with bacon and onions. Made a delicious dinner that we didn’t miss having starches, which we are really trying to cut back on. 
Chocolate Castles 