Drum Roll Please

Thanksgiving is the best day of the year, and Thanksgiving 2010 was no exception.

Our family has much to be thankful for everyday of the year, but Thanksgiving day brought fantastic news..............., Ronnie and I are going to be grandparents!!!!! Actually, we have known since October 15th, but have been sworn to secrecy so Lacy and Bashar could share their news with the family before Thanksgiving supper. We are so excited, a summer baby! I love summer birthdays. June seems so far away now but I know the time will fly as we start shopping and planning for baby Massarani.

Sugar and spice and everything nice or hammers and nails and puppy dog tails, makes no difference to us. We are grandparents and babies smell so good!!

So, Until Tomorrow.......,
S~~~

Happy Thanksgiving !!!!

Just popping in for a second to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

I have been busy running the Thanksgiving gauntlet all week but I promise to be back next week with some great new recipes and some wonderful news!!

Be safe, be happy and most of all be thankful.

So, Until Tomorrow...........,
S~~~

While We Are Cheating..........

Since I went ahead and put it out there for all ya'll to see that I used fish sticks in a recipe, I thought I just might as well go all the way out there and give you one of my favorite "cake mix" cakes. To my Mother it was a sin right up there with having a Coke with your meal to use a cake mix, and truthfully I rarely use one, but this recipe is the exception.

Thought this might come in handy what with the holidays coming up and all...........

Southern Pecan Praline Cake

1 - pkg. Betty Crocker Butter Pecan Cake Mix
1 container ready to spread coconut pecan frosting
4 eggs
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour a 10 tube or Bundt cake pan.
Combine cake mix, frosting, eggs, oil, water and 1/2 cup pecans in mixer bowl. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup pecan in the cake pan. Pour batter evenly over pecans.
Bake 55 minutes or until cake tastes done.

Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

So, Until Tomorrow.........
S~~~

Monday Night Fish Tacos

Supper tonight was one of those super easy meals that makes it okay to cheat sometimes. By cheating I mean, a recipe where you can use the forever made fun of fish sticks. Yep, I said frozen fish sticks.I would say cheap fish sticks but amazingly the fish sticks cost more than the chuck roast I bought for tomorrow night. Now to be perfectly honest, they have changed a bit from the mystery fish that we had in the school cafeteria in the 60's and 70's. The Mrs. Paul's that I buy are actually good, made from whole flounder fillets.
That said, the crowning glory to this humble little taco is the cilantro cole slaw. I am told that there is a small segment of the population somewhere that does not like cilantro, I don't know any of those people so I go a little heavy handed on the it because we love the flavor. To me it is a clean, herby, fresh taste, to those that hate it I hear it tastes like dish soap. So, on the off chance that you don't eat cilantro, feel free to leave it out or even substitute parsley.

For dessert I am playing around with the sacred pumpkin pie. I saw this Pumpkin Rum Pie last year and wanted to try it but time got away from me so I am getting an early start this year. The tablespoon of rum seems like a complimentary ingredient. At least it makes it interesting enough for me to give it a try. Even if this is the most wonderful pumpkin pie we have ever tasted I will of course make the traditional Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe on Thanksgiving Day. I think it is some kind of a law or something..........

Easy Fish Tacos with Cilantro Cole Slaw*

Baked Tortilla Chips

Guacamole

Salsa

Roasted and Salted Sweet Potatoes Rounds w/ Garlic

Pumpkin Rum Pie*

Easy Fish Tacos with Cilantro Cole Slaw

4 package frozen crispy fish sticks

1 package - 8-inch flour tortillas

1 bag cole slaw mix

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or more)

1 green onion, diced (green part too)

1 tsp. chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise or sour cream

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

Bake fish sticks according to package directions.Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place them in the oven to heat.Or heat them in the microwave by package directions.

In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage mix (I chop mine up a bit finer with a round cutter) with all the remaining ingredients. Place about 3-4 fish sticks into a hot tortilla and top with with lots of cole slaw.

We usually add more finely chopped onions and a dab of sour cream mixed with a tiny bit of taco sauce on top.

Pumpkin Rum Pie

3 large eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Karo corn syrup

1-1/2 cup heavy cream (try not to substitute)

1-1/2 cup canned pumpkin (1 - 15-ounce can)

1 Tbsp. dark rum (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 - prepared pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place crust in pan and prick with fork.

Bake pie shell about 8 minutes or until very, very lightly browned. Allow to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the Karo syrup. Stir in the heavy cream, pumpkin and rum. Add the salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Bake until the filling is set, 50-60 minutes.

Makes 1 - 9-inch deep dish pie.

So, Until Tomorrow..........

S~~~

Candied Yams for Toni

In response to Toni's comment about candied yams, I am probably the wrong person to answer but, of course that never stops me. Sorry..........

I remember my great grandmother used to make candied sweet potatoes in an iron skillet by slicing the sweet potatoes and layering with white sugar. I think they cooked for quite a while on the stove top with her adding a little bit of water along. I wish I remembered more about this because I really liked them fixed this way when I was small.

I am not a big fan of the yams topped with marshmallows. If I have marshmallows I want them in s'mores or hot chocolate. Baked sweet potatoes with a dab of butter and some cinnamon sugar are a common dessert at our house, but sweet potatoes or yams do not appear on our Thanksgiving table.

A few months back I saved this recipe thinking to make it this fall, maybe this weekend I will.

Sweet Potatoes Praline

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
6 medium yams cooked, peeled and quartered

Place sugar, cream, butter, pecans, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until ingredients are blended and thick and syrupy. Pour over hot yams in serving dish.

So, Until Tomorrow.........
S~~~

Thanksgiving Anyone ?

Have you finalized your Thanksgiving menu yet? I have, but really, it pretty much stays the same year after year. I sometimes vary the recipe for the turkey a bit and no one seems to mind. Last year I brined the bird and I was positively thrilled with the results, so I am most definitely repeating that process. It is not overly time consuming, but simply a matter of planning ahead. The brine last year was very simple with not a lot going on flavor wise, it just produced the moistest turkey I have ever roasted. This year I am changing the recipe up, looking for more flavor, and plan to use Alton Brown's brining solution. I have read rave reviews and can't wait to taste the turkey. The only change I plan to make is to use half butter and half canola oil to coat the turkey and perhaps sprinkle with some rosemary.

I wanted to get ahead of the game and post the recipe so you would have plenty of time to plan, should you choose to brine. I can promise you will not go back once you step over. The results are amazing.

Oh, oh, oh, I almost forgot to add. The Williams Sonoma brining bags are a life saver here. They take up far less room in the refrigerator than a bucket and I think they are easier to handle.

Good Eats Roast Turkey

Ingredients

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar - packed
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

* 1 red apple, sliced
* 1/2 onion, sliced
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 cup water
* 4 sprigs rosemary
* 6 leaves sage
* Canola oil

Directions

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

The night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

So, Until Tomorrow.........,
S~~~

Frozen Pizza for Supper

Where has the extra hour gone? Guess we slept it away. We had a few errands to run and a couple of Netflixs (I love The Closer) to catch up on and bam, Sunday has disappeared. I say that as an excuse to say supper tonight was Totino's cheese pizzas. Should I be embarrassed to admit that? Not in the least. Totino's are the only frozen pizzas I eat and they are cheap too. I really don't even dress them up, simply add a few chopped onions and a sprinkle of pepper and call it supper. Ronnie likes to add pickled banana peppers to his at the table.

I did manage to add a fresh apple crisp to the menu. All the beautiful apples in the grocery store called out to me. We like a crisp that doesn't have oatmeal best. Certainly you could sub oats for part of the flour in the recipe and make it a tad healthier to boot. Need I even mention that a scoop of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream on top would be perfect? And/or a drizzle of caramel sauce?

Autumn Apple Crisp

6 medium size apples (I used Galas)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice (bottled is fine)
1 1/2 cup cold water

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

Combine lemon juice and and water in a mixing bowl. Peel and dice apples into the lemon water mixture. Drain well and place apples in a 9 inch deep dish pie plate that has been sprayed with pan release or buttered.
Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt well in a medium size mixing bowl. Add vanilla and melted butter. Stir until crumbly. Spread topping evenly over apples.
Bake at 375 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

So, Until Tomorrow................,
S~~~

Soup Time

It is chilly outside, a beautiful sunshiny day, but oh so chilly. Cold weather always has me looking through my folders for soup recipes.
As much as I like to eat out, I love to come home from work on a cold night and know that I am in for the night. Change into my play clothes and relax for the very first time that day.
S0, Friday I planned soup for supper with the cold weather in mind. French Onion is Ronnie's favorite soup but time did not allow so I made the next best thing, Creamy Onion Soup. Roast beef, avocado and provolone on Everything Thins rounded out this early November supper.

Creamy Onion Soup

3 medium sweet onions
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper

4 cups chicken stock (Kitchen Basics)
1 cup vegetable stock

2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold milk
1 packet Lipton Cream of Chicken Soup mix

11/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar
4 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan
1 tsp. season salt (I like Morton's Natures Seasoning)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Slice onions very thin. Melt butter in a 4 quart stock pot. Add onions and cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Add chicken stock and vegetable stock. Simmer 15 minutes. Mix cornstarch and milk until smooth. Add to onions and stock. Sprinkle in cream of chicken soup mix. Stir until smooth. Return to boil and cook 2 minutes or until soup begins to thicken.
Add heavy cream and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses until they are melted and the soup is smooth. Add season salt, nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve with Parmesan crisps or Better Cheddar crackers.

So, Until Tomorrow............,
S~~~

Email Presents

Opening my email is like opening Christmas presents. I love surprises. Today I received a cute one.
Enjoy!

1. Aspire to be Barbie - that bitch has everything.

2. If the shoe fits - buy a pair in every color.

3. Take life with a pinch of salt... A wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila.

4. In need of a support group? - Cocktail hour with the girls!

5. Go on the 30 day diet. (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days).

6. When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.

7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is truly your personality.

8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's okay. They know me here.

9. Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.

10. Don't get your knickers in a knot; it solves nothing and makes you walk funny.

11. When life gives you lemons - buy some Coronas. ( I thought it was limes but what do I know)

12. Forget about the perfect man - he's living in San Fran with his boyfriend.

13. Keep your chin up, only the first 40 years of parenthood are the hardest.

14. If it has tires or testicles it's gonna give you trouble.

15. By the time a women realizes her mother was right, she has a daughter who thinks she's wrong.

'Good friends are like stars... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there'

'Remember yesterday, dream about tomorrow, but live for today'.

So, Until Tomorrow..............,
S~~~