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.
Church Bells Bringing A Message
During this time when we are in a brand new place, far away from home and trying to make this as “close to being our home” as possible, God has sent me comforting messages through the church bells across the street! After my morning devotion this morning, I was having a little pity party thinking how much I missed my kids and grandkids and was just struggling to put a smile on my face. I had even snapped at Randy this morning. When Jodi, my daughter called she and I both broke down and tried to talk this “move to California” thing out! It was then that I heard the church bells across the st ringing out “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and then “Leaning On The Every Lasting Arms”. It reminded me that God is faithful and hears our cries and we can lean on Him for every burden! It was such a comfort to me to hear these old hymns that have comforted me through the years! God is faithful and a few minutes later a new friend called to see if I wanted to meet her for lunch on Friday. It was just what I needed today. Thank you Lord for your sweet blessings. It was enough to put a smile on my face and I went walking to town to eat outside and stop at the grocery store before walking back! This week look for a new way of how God is trying to bless you and write down the different ways He uses to give you a blessing! It will bring a smile to not only your face, but to your heart.
A place to call home
We did it! We drove 1475 miles in two days and as of today I have Internet service and can write on my experience of moving here in California from Dallas! I would like to say that i made my first homemade meal at our corporate apartment last night of chicken stew with lots of veggies and it tasted so good! Of course after two meals of In and Out burgers over the weekend, veggies tasted good to us.
We had a very bad experience at the movies on Saturday! Don’t know if I’m going to like it here! Randy and I walked up to the window where Randy handed the nice (i use that word”nice” very loosely) and asked for two senior tickets for the 2:55 movie. The “nice” young man said,”sir could I see your ID please?” to which I replied, “oh honey isn’t this great, he doesn’t believe we are seniors, ” the “nice” young man quickly responds, “oh no mam, I’m just checking his ID for the credit card.”! maybe all the sun we have had the last 2 days has already aged our youthful glow. I think I had better go back to Dallas where the youngsters are a little smarter and have better vision!
Pesto Provolone Batter Bread
The past week flew by. I am preparing for our 3rd Annual Mistletoe Market to be held here on Fri and Sat. Last year, we had over 200 ladies pass through here buying all sorts of Christmas goodies and so as the excitement grows and the oven is busy baking cakes for the event, my feel just do not allow me to stand as long as I would like. So to give myself a few minutes off them, I have been sitting down, looking through old recipe books and magazines. It seems that some of the oldest books/magazines have some of the best, easiest and most tasteful recipes. In one of the books, I found this one and had remembered that I had made it when I first saw it and loved it. So will share this with you. It is so easy and your guests will be so impressed!
1 (16 oz) package hot roll mix (I used Pillsbury)
1/2 cup plus 2 tables (2.5 oz) shredded provolone cheese, divided
1 1/4 cups hot water (120-130 degrees)
1 large egg
1 (3.5 oz) jar pesto basil sauce (Alessi is a good one)
1 tables pine nuts (optional)
Combine roll mix, yeast packet and 1/2 cup cheese in a large mixing bowl, stirring well; add hot water and egg, beating 2 min at medium speed with mixer. Add pesto, beating well.
Scrape dough from sides of bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from drafts, 30 min or until doubled in bulk. Stir dough 25 strokes with a wooden spoon.
Spoon batter into a greased 2 qt round casserole pan, sprinkle with pine nuts, if desired.
Sprinkle batter with remaining 2 tables cheese. Bake at 350 for about 45 min or until loaf is lightly browned.
BLT Dippers
A Most Perfect appitizer for the holidays with color, taste and ease!
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
1 pound of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 large tomatoes, chopped
Belgian endive leaves
Combine mayo and sour cream in a medium bowl, stirring well with a wire whisk; stir in bacon and tomato. Spoon 1 tablespoon onto individual Belgian endive leaves or serve with Melba toast rounds.
*You could also split snow pea pods and fill them with this dip instead of the endive leaves. Either gives you the color for appearance and the taste is wonderful with either.
Breakfast Enchiladas
This is so good to make the night before Thanksgiving or Christmas or any time you need a breakfast casserole. It is different from the usual sausage -egg casserole you see in all the cookbooks and magazines around the holidays. Uses ham instead of sausage.
2 cups diced cooked ham (about 3/4 lb)
1/2 cup chopped green onions or diced green chiles or both.
10 (8 in) flour tortillas
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
6 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Sprinkle cooked ham and chopped green onions (and green chiles if using them) evenly down the center of each tortilla; top each with 2 tables shredded cheese. Roll up tortillas, and place, seam sides down in a lightly greased 13×9 inch baking dish, which you have greased lightly.
Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Pour mixture evenly over tortillas
Cover and chill at least 8 hrs. Remove from fridge and let stand 30 min at room temp before baking.
Bake, covered at 350 for 20 min; uncover and bake 15 min. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bake 3 to 4 more mins or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 min before serving.
