Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

I love, love, love Thanksgiving and honestly who doesn't love the holidays.

Mostly I love pretty tablescapes



Turkey




Family




Playing Games




Most especially, my sister-in-law washing dishes in my kitchen...



Christmas is coming and she is going to get a big present!!!

Menu Planning Week Ending 12.05.09

After this weekend, we are moving to the holiday season. The outside is decorated and this week, I am finishing the inside of the house. I made an easy menu for a busy week.

• Sunday: Leftovers
• Monday: Breakfast for dinner
• Tuesday: Crab Cakes, herb roasted potatoes and salad
• Wednesday: Church
• Thursday: Sante Fe Chicken Salad
• Friday: Club Sandwiches
• Saturday: Meatloaf, Scalloped potatoes and broccoli

Have:

• Red onion
• Capers
• Potatoes
• Sour Cream
• Ranch dressing

Need

• Chicken Breast
• Black Beans
• Corn
• Red bell pepper
• 2 Avocados
• Cheddar Cheese
• Lime
• Roasted Pecans
• Eggs
• Turkey lunch meat
• Roast beef lunch meat
• White bread
• 2 lbs of hamburger
• Eggs
• Mushrooms
• Celery
• Yellow bell pepper
• Red bell pepper
• 1/2 lb of lump crab meat
• Corn Tortillas

Crab Cakes ( Ina Garten)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup small diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 1 1/2 cups small diced celery (4 stalks)
• 1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
• 1/2 cup small diced yellow bell pepper (1 small pepper)
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked to remove shells
• 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten for frying
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Place the 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons oil, onion, celery, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, capers, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, crab boil seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, break the lump crabmeat into small pieces and toss with the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add the cooked mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into bite-sized crab cakes.

Heat the butter and olive oil for frying over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the crab cakes and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a 250 degree oven and serve hot.

Confession: When you start to look like your dog

The kids were playing with Mr Darcy, who has some weird habits...like carrying a ball with his jowls showing....


But recently I have begun to worry... the kids are starting to look like Mr. Darcy.




What is a Mom to do?

Christmas Organization Part 7: Charitable Giving

This time of year admit all the rushing, shushing, shopping, carolling and egg nogging; I try to get the family to find one charity that we can donate some time and money to throughout the year. I try to get the family to discuss the idea over Thanksgiving since we have so much to be thankful for.

Here are my ideas for this year:

1. The angel tree


A wonderful and easy charity that children request items and some angels put the request on a Christmas tree and people can pull the request off and fulfill the request.

2. Toys for Tots:



Another fantastic charity that allows the family to visit Toys R Us... my kids are too old for me to to buy toys any more so I could always use a Toys R Us fix.

3. Salvation Army ringing the bell:



My lovely daughter did this for two hours the other night already. Another wonderful charity that raises money for the Salvation Army. Warning.. her ears rang for an additional two hours but still worth the effort for such a wonderful cause.

Thanksgiving

We always go around the table on Thanksgiving and tell what we are thankful.

So here is my partial list:

1. My faith
2. My family
3. My dogs
4. My friends, especially my new blogging friends
5. My health, as well as, my family’s health
6. The financial health of our family
7. Living in such a wonderful country
8. To have a lovely home

What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving: Tablescape

I am baking all day today and wanted to share the tablescape for Thanksgiving with you.




Okay, off to make some stuffing... come on over!!!

Baking: Sugar Cookies

I love making sugar cookies for every holiday, here are some Easter cookies before they were decorated. These cookies are super easy to make, but I don’t think I ever showed you how I make them.

In a large bowl cream the shortening and the sugar.

Add the eggs, extract, and milk.

In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl.

Mix with mixer until well combined.

I have several secrets that make the cookies tender and are EASY.

Secret #1. Parchment paper and wax paper allow you to roll out doughs without flour. The flour make the cookie dough tough after you roll it out more than two times.

Cut out a piece of parchment paper to fit a baking sheet.

Secret #2 Use two flat wooden dowels, 1/4 inch thick

Place the dowels on either side of the parchment and wax paper. The dowels allow the rolling pin to roll over the soft sugar cookie dough ensuring the dough is a consistent 1/4 inch thickness.

Spoon 1/3 of the dough onto a piece of parchment paper

Top with wax paper of the same size as the parchment paper and smosh... the sugar cookie dough to flatten the dough

Roll the sugar cookie dough out to the size of the baking sheet, stack the other two wax paper/ parchment paper cookie dough on the same cookie sheet.

Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. After the cookies have chilled, using a cute cookie cutter, cut out the cookies. Remove the excess dough and chill.

Bake on the parchment paper at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Repeat rolling the sugar cookie dough on parchment/wax paper until all the dough is gone.

I can whip up a batch of sugar cookie dough and roll out on three sheets of cookie dough in 30 minutes. And with the wax paper/parchment paper system, I can cut out all the cookie dough in another 30 minutes.

Sugar Cookies

The Recipe

• 3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 1/2 cups flour
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Early in the day or the day before:
In a large bowl cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, extract, and milk. In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl. Mix with mixer until well combined. With hands, shape dough into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Crafting: Fall Leaf Napkin Ring

Of course, I have more guests coming than napkin rings. But I found this really adorable picture on a blog... and of course, I cannot remember where I saw it to give them credit.

and thought it would be fun to make some felt leaf napkin ring.

So I started with some very inexpensive felt and pipe cleaners.


I traced out and cut out bunches of leaves.


I sewed some veins on a few of the leaves but you can leave this step off.



Twist the pipe cleaner in half twice.




Layer three or four leaves on a surface.



Scrunch up the leaves near the stem end of the bunch, place in the pipe cleaner. And twist the pipe cleaner around the end of the bunch.




Now wrap the ends of the pipe cleaners around the napkin ring


Fan out the leaves a little.




And slide your napkin in the ring. Voila.



The total cost of the napkin rings was 2.10. It is a great project for the kids and may have them help with setting the table.

Menu Planning Week ending 11.28.09

This grocery list does not include Thanksgiving Dinner.

• Sunday: Navy Bean Soup
• Monday: Chicken Tenders with french fries and cut up veggies
• Tuesday: Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto Panini
• Wednesday: Chicken Fettuccini Verde, Cesar Salad and Garlic Bread
• Thursday: Thanksgiving
• Friday: Asian BBQ Ribs, Stir fried Rice and Sauteed Snow peas
  
• Saturday: Turkey Tetrazzini

Have:

• Onions
• Garlic
• Egg Noodles
• Turkey
• Potatoes
• Hoisin Sauce
• Teriyaki Sauce

Need:

• Tomatoes
• Mozzarella
• Rustic Bread
• Chicken Tenders
• Celery
• Carrots
• Navy beans
• Ham Hocks
• Romaine Lettuce
• French Bread
• Ribs

Navy Bean Soup

I think this would be good to have this week if I need a lunch for some of our Thanksgiving guest.

Ingredients

• 1 pound navy beans, picked over, rinsed and drained
• 10 sprigs parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 8 cups of cold water
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Butter for garnish

Directions

Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes; remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for one hour. Drain and reserve. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven combine the beans, herb bundle, hocks, onions, and garlic with the water. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so the soup cooks at a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans and hock are completely tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

Turn off the heat and remove the hocks. Cool slightly. Remove the meat from the hocks, discarding the bones, fat and skin. Cut the meat into small cubes. Remove the herb bundle and discard.

Puree about 3 cups of the beans with a bit of the liquid in a blender. (For a smoother soup puree all the beans.) Stir the puree and diced meat into the soup. Heat the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. To serve divide the soup among heated bowls. Place a small pat of butter on top each soup and serve.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Ingredients

• 12 oz egg noodles, spaghetti, linguini or other pasta
• 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 4-5 cups)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1/4 cup cream
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry sherry, vermouth, or dry white wine
• 3 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey
• 1 cup cooked peas
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1 Cook the pasta according to the package directions, al dente; drain well and set aside. After you've started with the pasta, proceed to the next steps.

2 Preheat oven to 375°F.

3 Cook the mushrooms in 3 Tbsp of the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until all of the liquid they give off has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

4 In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Stir in the flour, and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes.

5 Gradually stir in the milk, cream, broth, and the wine or sherry. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.

6 In a large bowl combine well the pasta, the sauce, the mushrooms, the turkey, the peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan and the 1/3 cup of Swiss cheese, and transfer the mixture to a buttered shallow 3-quart casserole.

7 In a small bowl combine well the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan, the bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the Tetrazzini, and dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits.

8 Bake the Tetrazzini in the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is golden.

Serves 4 to 6.

Confession: The Art of Playing Hookey

Unlike Sun Tzu, I am not so wise or have such a deep topic as the Art of War. I would like to take this opportunity to develop my dissertation on the Art of Playing Hookey.

My inspiration is Bueller, Ferris Bueller.

According to the Urban Dictionary: Playing Hookey is “A day in which liberty is taken upon oneself to exclude themself from school or work obligations while, most likely, pretending to be sick or having a death in the family. Usually this time is spent with a significant other, sports activity (i.e. golf or playstation), or just plain sitting on ones ass all day editing & writing definintions for modern slang words over the internet. “

1. I think every hard working person should play hookey at least 6 times a year. Yes, once every two months.
2. Plan something completely fun. I am not a big shopping fan but hey, what ever you want to do that gives you joy, do it. Last Thursday, I spent the day taking pictures, lunching with friends, a movie and dinner with other friends. I did not work on the computer, think about work, grade a paper, think about housework, do housework, rake a leave, pull a weed or wash a load of laundry.
3. Do not wear a watch, look at the time or plan anything that you have to meet someone at a particular time. The exception to this rule is if you are meeting friends for dinner with alcohol involved.
4. Act a little irresponsible. Buy something frivolous or do something that makes you feel like a kid.
5. Refuse to feel guilty. I am a productive person that does not like to goof off. If I am not doing something then I usually feel guilty.
6. Do not think about work, projects, housework, and do not get on the computer. You will violate the cardinal rule of playing hookey.
7. THE CARDINAL RULE OF HOOKEY: STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES. LIFE IS SHORT.

Here is what I did when I played Hookey:

Okay, we did do a very little shopping:

Okay, and maybe a little more shopping

 

But then we saw an upside down house:

 

Had a camel ride…. just kidding

Saw the Titantic 

No Seriously….. they are building the Titantic

Thought about visiting a winery

Good thing because shortly after, we saw this…..

 

Umm…. dinosaurs?

 

 

And a tiger on the rooftop….

 

A castle?

Saw some newlyweds:

And Tacky t –shirt stores:

 

And some Hillbilly Golf 

 

But we went through a tunnel:

and on the other side was the Beautiful Smokey Mountains:

Crossed a bridge:

Sat on the riverbank… Daughter took this picture

Found this sign was next to the riverbank, I hope it wasn’t important…. like bear eating people sitting on the riverbank warning.

Like these bears?

Picture of daughter taking pictures of river… its like the circle of life…. Nice red vest.. Hello bears… we are here and we are fashionable.

Stared at a large Christmas tree

 

Ended the evening with friends and ummm Margaritas

 

We had a fantastic day…. laughed, sat, thought, ate good food, amazed at sites, found some good bargains and finally, rested our brains… Like a mini-vacation.