Happy Thanksgiving!

Last week, JD and I were talking and I was excited to tell him all about the show I was watching on the Food network as Claire prepared a Thanksgiving feast! I was honestly sitting there drooling as I watched.  I quickly decided I am going to prepare our Thanksgiving meal.  This is a bold move for me, as my mother has always been the bearer of all things Thanksgiving.  She's a pro!  This year, it's my year.  

JD of course mocked me as I entertained the idea... but, then he came up with a fabulous suggestion!  He (jokingly) said "How about you practice this weekend... I'll have turkey for DAYS!"  I'm sure I mentioned before that he gets very excited about leftovers.  Anyhow, that's what I did!  I am thrilled to report that my practice "Thanksgiving" meal was a total success!  Granted, I started a bit late so we didn't eat until almost 8:30pm... but otherwise, it was awesome.  And the best part?  The entire meal (including the grocery shopping) only took me 4 hours! 

I was excited to try out some recipes I've been stockpiling for a while.  I'll list them all here, below.  Some I didn't have exact measurements/directions for... so, I made up my own rules! :)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

from the packaging of a bar of Philadelphia® Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lb. baking potatoes (about 7), peeled, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tub (8 oz.) Philadelphia® cream cheese spread
• 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Cook potatoes and garlic in boiling water in large saucepan 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain.

Mash potatoes until smooth.

Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

from the labeling of a Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom Soup can

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• Ground black pepper (to taste)
• 4 c. cooked cut green beans
• 1 1/3 c. French's® French Fried Onions

Directions:

Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 c. onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Sausage Stuffing 

 from my friends/co-workers Noelle & Sandy

Ingredients:

• Breakfast Sausage
• Onion, chopped
• Celery, diced
• Margarine, melted
• Poultry seasoning
• Black Pepper
• Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing Bread Crumbs

Directions:

Combine ingredients, stuff into Turkey and bake.

I didn't have any exact measurements for the stuffing, so I eyed it.  I used 1 lb. of Jimmy Dean® Spicy Breakfast Sausage, probably about 3/4 c. of onion, 5 stalks of celery, a stick of margarine, a large bag of the bread crumbs, about 3 tsp. of poultry seasoning, and just a dash of black pepper.

I followed the traditional directions for preparing a turkey, nothing fancy.  In fact, I followed the exact directions on the Reynolds Wrap® Oven Roasting Bags box.  I didn't stuff the turkey, however, since I was a bit short on time and a stuffed turkey takes longer to cook than an unstuffed turkey.  It turned out great!  

Then, I had to think of a way to make my stuffing, since I wasn't going to be baking it inside my turkey... So, I turned to my favorite stand-by kitchen appliance, my crockpot!  I simply browned the breakfast sausage, and at the same time sauteed the onion and celery in margarine, then combined all of the ingredients in my crockpot and let it cook on high for 2 hours.  I can say, without hesitation that it was the best stuffing I've ever had! SUCCESS!

The mashed potatoes weren't my fav.  I was quite disappointed.  I don't know if it was because I used little red potatoes instead of the gold baking potatoes or maybe it was the cream cheese, I'm not sure but the potatoes just didn't taste right when paired with the gravy! Epic fail.  They were, however, very yummy on their own.

To make the gravy I simply brought the turkey drippings to a rolling boil and added a flour/water mixture.  I was not thrilled with my gravy. That'll need some work, for sure! It was a bit lumpy.  I'm not sure why?  It was definitely boiling for a few minutes before I added the flour... and I poured it slowly and whisked the gravy the whole time... Any gravy tips would be much appreciated!

The green bean casserole was probably my favorite.  It was perfect.  With such an easy recipe, I guess you can't really go wrong.  JD loved it, and he'd never had green bean casserole before so that was very exciting!

My mini "Thanksgiving" feast was ultimately a success!  I was anxious since JD was going to be my taste-tester!  It was great! We really had so much fun planning, shopping, and making the meal. There's proof above... a picture of JD carving the turkey! After that practice run, I can't wait to cook a real Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday!

I am very excited to mention that for my birthday, one of my gifts from JD was a Julia Child cookbook! It's perfect. It's basic, and pretty much gives step-by-step instructions on how to cook anything! Too bad he waited until after the meal to give it to me... Hahaha!


Happy Thanksgiving! :)

Meghan's Mom's Meatloaf!

I am super excited for tonight's meal! I have been craving a good meatloaf and Meghan (my friend/Supervisor) raves about her Mom's recipe! I can't wait to try it! It's going to be absolutely delish, I just know it!

Meghan's Mom's Meatloaf

courtesy of Meghan (& her Mother, of course!)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef
  
• 1 egg
• 3/4 c. Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder (optional)
• 1 can Campbell's® Alphabet Vegetable Beef soup ("smushed up a bit")
• Ketchup

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper (to taste), garlic powder, and soup.  Shape into brick form in a casserole dish, and top with Ketchup.

Bake at 375 for approximately 1 hour or until golden brown.

My mouth is watering in anticipation! I can't wait! Report back later!

<8pm>
So, I'm betting this would've been an awesome recipe, if I had it right? Something went terribly wrong, as I ended up with meat-mush.  Maybe it needed more breadcrumbs? Maybe I should've drained the soup? Perhaps I should not have made it in a loaf pan? Silly me for thinking a meatloaf was made in a loaf pan! Not this meatloaf! :) 


We'll have to attempt this recipe again when we have all of the correct measurements and directions! Honestly, it was very tasty meatmush... I simply feel I'd prefer it if it were a loaf. ;-)


Verdict: Tabled pending further investigation...

Crockpot Turkey Breast & Stuffing

I was watching the Food Network earlier this morning and it got me all excited for Thanksgiving!  And, so, I've decided to make Turkey and Stuffing for dinner tonight!  I've never attempted a turkey in the crockpot, but my Chicken and Stuffing was amazing, so why the heck not?!  I'm attempting to prepare it almost exactly the way I did the Chicken... could be a disaster? We shall see!

Crockpot Turkey & Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. Turkey Breast
• 2 c. Turkey broth
• 1 (6 oz.) package of Turkey Stuffing
• 1 stick of butter
• 16 oz. package of whole kernel corn, frozen

Directions:

• Place frozen Turkey breast in bottom of crockpot.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Spoon over Turkey breast.
• Cover and cook on low setting for at least 8 hours or until Turkey is tender and stuffing is dry.

Here's hoping it hits the spot! I'm REALLY hankering for some Turkey!


I think I would have either doubled the amount of stuffing mix used, or halved the amount of broth since the stuffing turned out to be a bit mushy... Everything else was perfect though! The turkey was definitely done at only 6 hours! MmMmM! It was good! AND VERY EASY! :)


Verdict: Definitely recommended.

Pampered Chef Taco Ring

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to leave work I was pondering what to make for dinner (and secretly craving Chinese food) when I received a call from a friend.  Heather asked me if I had any good "Taco Bake" type recipes.  That's when it hit me! When I was younger, my Mom held a Pampered Chef party at our house.  The consultant had made this amazing "Taco Ring".  I remember it was SO tasty, that my Mom and I had made it together several times after the party.  Well, come to think of it, it's been a while! Last night I gave into my craving and ordered Chinese Take-out... It's about that time! I'm making it tonight!  Here's the recipe:

Pampered Chef Taco Ring

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1  package taco seasoning mix
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp. water                                             
• 2 (8 oz.) pkgs. refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1/2 head lettuce, shredded
• 1 medium tomato, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. whole pitted black olives, sliced
• 1 c. salsa
• sour cream 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees (200 C.).
• Combine meat, seasoning mix, cheese and water in 2 qt. batter bowl.
• Arrange crescent triangles in a circle on a 13" round baking stone, with bases overlapping in center and points to outside (there should be a five inch diameter circle in center).
• Using medium stainless steel scoop (approx. 2 T) spoon meat mixture over rolls.
• Fold points of triangles over filling and tuck under base at center (filling will not be completely covered).
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Using V-shaped cutter, cut off top of bell pepper.
• Place bell pepper in center of ring; fill with salsa.
• Mound lettuce, onion, tomato and olives around pepper.
• Using easy accent decorator, garnish with sour cream.
• Cut and serve.

Quick n' Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup

Tonight's dinner was another catch-all of leftovers from the fridge! JD should be impressed... I know my parents were! I do believe I've previously mentioned just how much I despise leftovers.  The thought of re-heating food truly irks me.  Though, leftovers don't seem to bother me so much when they're incorporated into other recipes! Score!

I thought of the idea as I browsed the aisles of the grocery store last night as I entertained the idea of cleaning out the fridge before garbage night.  

Quick n' Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup

from the back of the Quaker® Quick Barley box

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. Lean ground beef
• 1/2 c. Onion, chopped
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 5 c. Water
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Unsalted, whole tomatoes (undrained, cut into pieces)
• 3/4 c. Quaker® Quick Barley
• 1/2 c. Celery (chopped)
• 2 cubes Beef Bouillon
• 1/2 tsp. Dried basil, crushed
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 pkg. (9 oz.) Frozen mixed vegetables

Directions

In a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, brown meat.  Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except frozen vegetables. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add frozen vegetables; cook about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Additional water may be added if soup becomes too thick upon standing. Yields 8 (1 cup) servings.

Now, my modifications!

I opted to prepare my version in the morning before work in the crockpot, of course!

In an attempt to use up the items overflowing from my fridge, I made quite a few substitutions... 

They are as follows:

Instead of the 1/2 lb. ground beef, I used the remainder of a roast I had in the fridge from a meal earlier last week.  I simply cut it into small pieces.  Also, I didn't have any fresh onion, so I used a bit of Onion Onion® from the Tastefully Simple® line-- though I'm quite sure you'd get the same result by using a bit of Onion Salt.  I replaced the clove of garlic with a tablespoon of minced garlic spice, and replaced the can of whole tomatoes with half a pint of cherry tomatoes (halved) which I had in the fridge. Instead of the beef bouillon cubes, I used a large can of beef stock and reduced the amount of water to only 3 cups.  I had no frozen mixed vegetables, so I used half a package of baby carrots (whole), approximately 5 stalks of celery (chopped) and half a can of corn (again from the fridge).  I then added salt and pepper to taste.  I omitted the bay leaf, but used the Quaker® Quick Barley and basil, as instructed above.  I combined all of these ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook on the low setting for 8-10 hours.  

Honestly, the soup was SO scrumptious.  It was the perfect meal for a cold, snowy, Monday night.  I will definitely be making this recipe again! It was very easy! And the best part... now, my fridge is empty! 

Verdict: Highly recommended.  

I'll have to try the original recipe to see what that is like, as well! :) ...maybe. 

Or, perhaps I will stick to my own???

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ohh boy! It's been a while! Sorry, guys! I was away cruising the Eastern Caribbean for two weeks with my fabulous Boyfriend (who still insists that I can't cook!) We ate such wonderful food! It was such a fun trip! 

Anyhow, I was at work today, when my friend (and co-worker) Sandy asked me if I had any good recipes for cookies that fit the guidelines of a diabetic diet... Just so happens, my Mom is a diabetic, and I do! They're oh-so-YUMMY, too! :) 

I don't remember where I found it, as I have been baking these cookies for many years... I'm almost positive I had gotten it off of the Ocean Spray website at some point... but, as with most recipes, I've made a few modifications!

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Courtesy of Ocean Spray® and ME!

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. butter (if using margarine, add ½ tsp. of salt)
• 1/2 c. Crisco®
• 2/3 c. Splenda® brown sugar substitute
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 (6 oz) package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
• 2/3 c. pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, Crisco® and sugar substitute together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and nuts.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

This recipe is really very simple and very tasty too! 

If you're not a diabetic, I would highly recommend making it with chunks of white chocolate, white chocolate chips, or even semi-sweet morsels (instead of the walnuts or pecans)! I actually prefer Splenda® to real sugar, but obviously real sugar may be used as well.  The substitution is the same amount, just 2/3 of a cup.

I pair mine with a hot cup of vanilla chai tea, or hot coco-- regardless, enjoy as you wish!