We just got up from the talble and went for a walk. We are in Florida with Christi, Tim and Kenley and when Christi and I went to the store, we found two new recipes, so we decided to venture out and try some new things. Now Randy had already decided that he wanted pecan pie instead of pumpkin and Tim and Christi wanted chocolate pie. We also wanted a new squash casserole and a new dressing recipe, so that is what we did. We made a dressing with articoke hearts, parmesean cheese and sausage. It was delicious. We also made a squash casserole with corn chowder, shredded carrots, cheese, garlic-herb butter, croutons, bacon, onion and yellow squash. It was so good. So we have decided that not only is it the traditional green bean casserole, or turkey/gravy or ham that make the day. It is the laughter that you have, everybody in the kitchen, each one putting their own spin on their favorite food to cook. Rememer this, it is not the breaths you take that make your life, it is the moments that take your breath away that makes your life. Thank you Christi and Tim for inviting us and for the sweet memories we will have this Thanksgiving Day….we love our sweet little new princess. It was a very special Thanksgiving Day. We love you, Honey and Pops
LowFat Chicken Tostado
We are in Florida for Thanksgiving visiting our daughter, Christi and Tim and precious new grandbaby girl, Kenley. We are already preparing for the big day of turkey and talking about maybe trying new recipes we have both seen on Food Network.Com, but some recipes are just so traditionally that we cannot steer away from them, such as Green Bean Casserole. So we are compromising and trying the new Green Bean Casserole we saw on Throw Down with Bobby Flay, at a meal on Saturday. In the mean time, we are trying to eat healthy, with low fat meals, saving our calories for Thursday.
Christi cooked me the best chicken Tostado yesterday and I wanted to share it with you. You could use left over turkey in place of chicken.
4 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded chicken or turkey
1/2 cup tomatillo sauce (we used Frontera Brand)
1/2 low fat cheese
1/2 cleaned zucchini squash, shredded
olive oil
Spray each tortilla with olive oil or spray oil. Place on baking sheet and bake at 425 and bake 4 to 6 minutes, until crisp, and lightly browned.
Take out of oven and set aside. Mix chicken or turkey, squash and tomatillo sauce in saucepan and cook for about 3 to 4 min, or until heated throughly. Season with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder.
Divide and spoon meat mixture over the 4 tortillas. Sprinkle cheese over each one and place in oven for about 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Best Ever Chocolate Cake
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup milk
Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temp for 30 min. Lightly grease bottoms and sides of 3 8x 1 1/2″ cake pans, floor each pan lightly and discard any flour that does not stick to pan. Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, stir the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In large bowl, beat butter with mixer for 30 seconds on medium speed. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time u till well mixed. Scrape side of bowl and beat for another 2 min. Add eggs, one at a time, beating about 1 min per addition. Alternantely add flour mixture and milk to egg and butter mixture beating for about
20 seconds per addition. Spread evenly into prepared pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 min or until cake is done in center when a toothpick is inserted.
Prepare chocolate frosting, fill and frost cake. Store cake in fridge.
Chocolate frosting:
In large saucepan, combine one 12 oz. Package (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 stick butter. Heat over low heat until melted, stirring often. Cool for 5 min. Stir in one 8 oz. Carton sour cream. Gradually add 1 lb box of powdered sugar, beating until mixture is smooth. Add 1/2 teas vanilla and beat until blended. Fill and frost cake. If desired, sprinkle chocolate curls on top or crushed pecans over cake.
An Apology to My Children
I have learned something since moving to California. I admit that I have watched a little more television than I normally do since being here the last 3 weeks, and because I had not seen this certain commercial before, it was just unknown to me that my children were probably hiding resentment toward me for taking potty breaks during those most important days in their lives. After watching the commercial where the daughter looks at her mother with this horrid look on her face for having to go to the bathroom while she, the daughter, was trying on her wedding dress for alterations, and, if the mom would have taken a certain medication, would not have had to miss one minute of this momentous moment, I, with tears in my eyes, began to think of all the memories I probably ruined because I had to take a minute to go
to the bathroom.
So this is my public apology, to Jason, Jamin and Jodi, Christi and Cameron, for the
time I might of been in the bathroom when, in fact, you might have been in line,
along with 300 other children waiting your turn to walk on that stage to get your
diploma from school, or when I left the waiting room during your 12 hours of labor,
just to go potty, never knowing that while I was gone for 3 min, that you, or your
wife, were going from being dilated from a 3 to a 4. Just remembering the time I
left the gym to go to the bathroom, during the 4 hour band and choir concert when
you were 9, well, the lists just goes on and on. It’s just almost to painful to think
about, knowing that all these years, you were holding such painful memories of your
mom, thinking that she didn’t care about you during those special times. The good
news is that at this day in time, if you cannot forgive me, there is a drug for that, and a drug for me to help me forgive you for not forgiving me. Gotta close, it is time
for me to go take my pill that helps me adjust to the change of time of rolling back
the clock.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Ok, my daughter, Christi, just asked me if I had tried the new pumpkin flavored cream cheese? I have not seen it yet, but since I’m in a corporate apartment, with no baking pans, I have not been down the grocery isle, other than the frozen food isle. But if you are able to buy it, do so. You could use it in place of plain cream cheese for frosting on carrot cake, spice cake cupcakes, cream cheese pound cake. Wow, this will open up a whole new world of cream cheese flavor in holiday recipes. Write in and let us know of any recipes you are using it in place of regular cream cheese. Caramel-apple cream cheese dip, yum…..
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
1 pie crust
1 can (16oz) pumpkin
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 oz softened cream cheese
1 1/2 teas pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teas vanilla
1/2 cup dark ( I use light) corn syrup
3 tbs. Melted butter
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup pecan halves
Place jellyroll pan on lower rack in oven. Preheat oven to 425. Place pie crust in 9″ pie pan.
On medium speed, beat pumpkin, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, cream cheese, pie spice and vanilla, until smooth. Pour into crust. In separate bowl, whisk together corn syrup,butter, remaining sugar, 2 eggs, and 1/2 tsp vanilla; stir in chopped pecans. Spoon over pumpkin filling. Arrange pecan halves over top. Bake on jellyroll pan 15 min. Reduce oven to 350. Bake another 35-40 min or until center is firm. Cool on wire rack.
Sage-Rubbed Roasting Turkey
For newly celebrated cooks who have always been a little leery of cooking a turkey for your relatives, please please try this recipe. It is a no fail and oh so easy recipe that will bring you smiles and compliments this Thanksgiving or Christmas season.
Makes 12 servings
1 whole turkey, thawed (12-14 lbs) fresh or frozen( frozen is always a little cheaper than fresh)
Be sure you take out any giblets package inside of turkey.
1 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
2 tbsp rubbed sage
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
Place turkey on rack in roasting pan. Brush with oil. Mix seasonings. Sprinkle 1 tables seasoning inside turkey. Spread remaining seasoning over entire surface and under skin of turkey. Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Cover loosely with heavy duty foil.
Roast in preheated 325 oven for 1 hr. Roast 2 to 2 1/2 hrs longer or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Baste occasionally with pan juices. Remove turkey from oven and let stand 20 min before slicing. Reserve pan juices to make gravy.
Acorn Squash
Slice an acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp from the middle. Brush each side with butter and sprinkle with about 2 teas brown sugar on each half. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 1 hr or until tender. Cover with foil if top starts to brown to much. Each side will make two servings. Scoop out of shell into serving dish and sprinkle with a little parsley, if desired.
New Thanksgiving Recipes
I have taken enough time off from posting some fabulous recipes so beginning today will get back to sharing some new recipes you will want to experience this Thanksgiving! Don’t just settle for the same old green bean casserole when there are so many wonderful and new exciting recipes that are just waiting for you to set, proudly, on your beautifully decorated table!
Speaking of table decorations, you don’t have to spend a lot of money! Buy a bag of fresh cranberries and use any clear candle holder. Pour your cranberries into the container and buy one pumpkin scented candle and push it into the middle of the cranberries until just about 2″ of the candle extends out from the berries! When lit, the smell of the cranberries will combine with the pumpkin scent and fill the room will a glorious scent. Place an individual small baby pumpkin at each persons seat with their name written on the pumpkin, with a pretty ink.
Open Windows
What a beautiful morning! The sounds of the morning come rushing in as I open the windows and patio doors to let fresh air come in. The sounds of the lawns being mowed, people driving to work, people on the street below us walking to different places, sometimes, even hearing a siren go by. It reminds me that in the normal daily routines or our lives, those “sirens” of unexpected occurrences are “sounds” that we do not like to think about or experience!
Yet, as we go about our day really not usually stopping to think anything about the “sirens” that are happening to others, we get so caught up in what we are doing or thinking about what is next on our lists of things to do, or our own troubles, that we forget that those sirens mean that another persons life has been interrupted and is experiencing an unexpected bend in the road! Today, as we go about our daily routine, let’s ask the Lord to place on our hearts a softness for people who we know who might be experiencing that unexpected “siren” in their lives! Let’s remember that we are here to pray for others , to bear one anthers burdens and to be a “light” to those in need.
Chocolate Castles 