Archive for the ‘Thanksgiving’ Category

Pumpkin-Walnut Cake

Posted by Nancy on October 31st, 2011

I love the fall time, the colors turning on the leaves, the crispness in the air and just the overall feel of the season.

Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays are right around the corner so it is time to start planning our Christmas treats. Pumpkins, cranberries, turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and for our family all the Polish and Irish goodies that come with our traditional holiday celebrations.

Do you remember as a child waking up on a holiday morning to the smell of pumpkin pie baking? The cinnamon smell throughout the house signaled a special day. Close your eyes and the smell will come back!

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Posted in Cakes, Christmas, Eating Well Cookbook, Holidays, Thanksgiving Tags: , , , , Comments Off

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Posted by Nancy on November 22nd, 2010

This is one of my favorite recipes for pumpkin from my favorite chef…Paula Deen.  My husband made it a couple of years ago for Thanksgiving and it was a huge success.  It is easy to make and can be made a day ahead of the holiday.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.

Happy Holidays!

Ingredients
Crust:

* 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 stick melted salted butter
*

Filling:

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Posted in Cakes, Cheesecake, Christmas Traditions, Dessert Recipes, Desserts, Holidays, My Family Recipes, Paula Deen, Thanksgiving Tags: , , , , , , , Comments Off

Brine Your Turkey…then grill

Posted by Nancy on November 19th, 2010

A wide variety of ingredients can go into a brined turkey. The purpose is to give the turkey a boost in flavor and moistness (not sure that is a word but it fits). Combining a brined turkey with the grill adds extra flavor.

I have put together three of my favorite brines to use either on a turkey or a chicken. I have tried them all over the years and love them all.

#1 Ale Brined Turkey

  • 12 ounces beer (recommended: Pale ale or IPA style)
  • 3 tablespoons stone-ground Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
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Posted in Holidays, My Family Recipes, Thanksgiving, Turkey Tags: , , , Comments Off

Spinach Cheese Mushrooms

Posted by Nancy on November 8th, 2010

This is a wonderful and easy appetizer. The only thing that I changed in the recipe was adding a sprinkle of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound torn fresh spinach
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
1 egg
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, divided
56 large fresh mushrooms (about 3 1/2 pounds)
Refrigerated butter-flavored spray

Spinach Cheese Mushrooms Recipe at Cooking.com
DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, bring spinach and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain; squeeze dry and finely chop.

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Posted in Appetizers, Holidays, Mushrooms, My Family Recipes, New Years, Party Starters, Thanksgiving Tags: , , , , , , Comments Off

Roasted Turkey for Gas Grill

Posted by Nancy on November 6th, 2010

A couple of years ago the electricity went out the day before Thanksgiving and being the electric company did not get turned on until the Friday after Thanksgiving. You can imagine my initial panic about how I was going to cook a Turkey for a family of eight. Luckily I had already pre-made my pies, but I still had to contend with cooking the potatoes, veggies and rolls. The rolls were no problem I just purchased some pre-made ones at the bakery but the rest of the meal should have turned out to be a disaster.

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Posted in Holidays, Thanksgiving, Turkey Tags: , , , Comments Off

Cranberries Historical Facts

Posted by Nancy on November 1st, 2010

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without cranberries, now would it? I know for a fact that around our house it wouln’t be Thanksgiving without it.  I have tried many recipes and variations on this fruit, but the one from Ocean Spray is definitely the best.

How much do you really know about this fruit?  Where does it grow?  How did it become part of our Thanksgiving traditions?  Here are a few facts from our friends at Ocean Spray about this deep red fruit.

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Posted in Fruit, Fruits, Holiday Sides, My Family Recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Turkey Tags: , , , , , Comments Off

Remembering the Holiday Baking

Posted by Nancy on October 17th, 2010

When I saw this recipe at Cooking.com, I was taken back to the wonderful smells coming out of the kitchen during the holidays as a child.  Baked bread, cookies, pies, cakes and then the smell of Turkey and all the trimmings.  I get hungry just thinking about those smells.

My mother made a cake very similar to this only she used Pumpkin Pie spice in place of the spices listed.  She usually made it a couple of days before the holiday and kept in the refrigerator.  She took it out the night before to make sure it was a room temperature the next morning.

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Posted in Cake Desserts, Cakes, Coffee Cake, Dessert Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Holidays, Mom's Favorite, My Family Recipes, Thanksgiving Tags: , , , , , , Comments Off

Cranberry-Apple Coffee Cake

Posted by Nancy on October 15th, 2010

Halloween is around the corner and with it comes the start of the holiday season. Time for family, friends, shopping and lots of good food.

Thanksgiving is the first big holiday after Halloween. I like to take them one at a time, if I think about them all at once then I become overwhelmed and stressed. Being stressed during the holidays isn’t fun as we all know. My husband gets stressed about it. Already he is asking what we are having for Thanksgiving dinner.

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Posted in Cake Secrets, Cakes, Coffee Cake, Cranberries, Dessert Recipes, Fruit, Fruits, Holiday Recipes, Holidays, Thanksgiving Tags: , , , , Comments Off

Lemon Chicken with Olives and Ricotta

Posted by Nancy on December 4th, 2009

Tired of Turkey yet?  Still have a little left over?  I know I am and I do!   Truefully if I don’t see another turkey for a couple of months that will be all right with me.

So on that theme I had to come up with some recipes for the leftover turkey.  There are tons of them out there, but this one I have made before with chicken, so why not use the turkey instead?   The guys in my house (of which there are many) loved it.  I hope you will too!

Ingredients

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Posted in Chicken, Holidays, Main Dishes, Pasta, Thanksgiving, Turkey Tags: , , , , , , , Comments Off

Pumpkin Bars

Posted by Nancy on October 26th, 2009

It is Pumpkin time once again. What most people seem to forget about the pumpkin is that it is not just a Jack-O-Lantern. A friend of mine never used canned pumpkin, she always quartered a fresh pumpkin and cooked it down until it was mushy.

I tried doing it her way with a slow cooker, and it was all right, but give me a can any day! Why go through all that work yourself, when someone else has done it for you. Anyway here is a great recipe for pumpkin other than pie.

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Posted in Desserts, Halloween, Halloween Treats, Thanksgiving Tags: , , , , Comments Off
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