Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Cranberry Sauce and Thanksgiving Prep

Today is Day 4 of thanksgiving prep and probably one of the busiest prep days! I have had several people text and email about recipes and prep days so I want to share with you all of my preparation days and a new recipe for Cranberry Sauce!

Ok so my preparation started on Sunday!

Day 1: All about "T". Sunday I decorated my table, ironed the table linens and set
The table! All I will have to do on Thursday is add silverware and glassware and most likely I will do that Wednesday night! Jamie also put the Turkey in the fridge to thaw!

Day 2: Grocery Store! I stretched my grocery shopping over a few weeks to cut down on the huge grocery bill at one time but on Monday Jamie and I went to pick up a few things that weren't available in the weeks before like cranberries! Plus I think we beat some of the RUSH!

Day 3: Organization! I double checked all my supplies, made sure all my casserole dishes were clean! Normally I would have started chopping and peeling but I had a  Birthday Cake to make for a very special friend!!! Also I caught up on housework and anything else to make Wednesday easier! And made the cranberry sauce recipe that you can find below!!

Day 4: THE DAY BEFORE and the busiest! Today I will do all the following
-make cornbread for the dressing
-chop onions
-peel and boil 5 pounds of potatoes
-roast garlic
-make a pound cake
-make layers for a chocolate fudge and strawberry cream cake
-clean the kitchen floor after my baking marathon!
- and finish the birthday cake.

THANKSGIVING:

This will be a pretty easy day! We are eating at 2 so I will have time to watch the parade! First thing first we will get the Turkey ready to go on the EGG. Then I will make all the casseroles and make the yeast rolls so they have time to rise and then POOF it will all magically come together and we will have an amazing meal!!

Here's our menu:

Turkey a la Jamie
Cornbread Dressing
Corn Pudding
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Beans
Deviled Eggs
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Giblet Gravy

And Dessert:
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Strawberry, Chocolate Cream Cake

I don't think there will be a lack of food at the Brady house!!!

So now on to the Cranberry Sauce. Jamie only will eat the kind from the can but I wanted to try this and it turned out great! 

Here's the recipe:

12 oz fresh cranberries
3/4 cup OJ
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, I used my Le Crueset.
Combine and summer on Med-High heat for 15-20 minutes! You will start to hear the cranberries popping!
This is what they will look like when they start to pop!
After 20 minutes you will have cranberry sauce!!!
I scooped mine in to a Ball Jar and popped it in the fridge and it will be ready to serve on Thursday!!!! 
So easy! This was the only mess!

I hope all of you have a wonderful thanksgiving! I am thankful for everyone that reads my blog and everyone who asks for advice and recipes!!

Enjoy!!

B

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Thanksgiving Green Beans!!

I got spoiled as a child by my grandmothers canning abilities. We always had the best green beans and I mean I would give a lot of money for a jar of those green beans right now. I have seen a lot of recipes lately for fresh green beans but I saw on another blog where someone commented requesting a way to make canned green beans taste better and I thought I would share! We love fresh green beans but sometimes canned vegatables are more economical and time saving! 

These are our favorite, Del Monte French Style Green Beans! 
First step is to drain the beans and rinse them with cold water for about a minute.
Then add 4 tablespoons of white vinegar.
1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt.
Then I add a teaspoon of black pepper and a tablespoon of minced garlic. The last thing you want to do is add enough water to cover the beans and for even more flavor you can substitute chicken broth. I let mine simmer on the stove for 30-45 minutes.

Granted, nothing will ever replace the green beans I used to eat that my grandmother canned but these are pretty good!

Enjoy!

B

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Thanksgiving Dressing!

One of my favorite things in life is this recipe! I remember eating it at every Thanksgiving and Christmas for as long as I remember! This recipe was passed down to me from my grandmother, Toye Thrasher!! 

Surprisingly, this recipe is really easy, unlike some that have been passed down!!

First you need to start with a pan of cornbread! This is the recipe from the back of the Martha White bag. I added two tablespoons of sage and one tablespoon of poultry seasoning when mixing to help flavor the cornbread later. I doubled the recipe and cooked it in a 12 inch cast iron skillet.
You also need to toast 6 slices of what ever bread you have in the pantry. I put it in the oven while it was preheating.
Here's the wet stuff!!

2 sticks of melted butter
Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
Can of Cream of Celery Soup
6 eggs
1 carton of chicken broth

And your spices! Poultry Seasoning, Sage and S&P!

First crumble 3/4 of the pan of cornbread, if you like your dressing dry add it all.
Then I just tear up the loaf bread in no certain form or fashion.
Once bread is crumbled I tossed it together and then added the butter and the soups.
Then add the eggs.
Then stir in the chicken broth. I pour alittle and then stir till the carton is empty. The mixture will be really runny!
Then add your spices! I did 2 teaspoons of all 4 of the following, poultry seasoning, sage and S&P.
Then pour mixture in a 9x13! It will fill it up all the way to the top. Bake at 450 for 25 minutes then finish it off at 350 for 30. 

I made this mid afternoon so I then covered it with foil and left it in the oven turned off till we were ready for dinner. 
And there ya go!!! It is just waiting for some cranberry sauce and turkey!

A recipe note:

You need 5 cups of crumbled cornbread. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe! I plan on serving it to Jamie's family on Thursday along with a multitude of other things!!!

Enjoy!

B

Friday, November 22, 2013

Crockpot Angel Chicken

This recipe has been making the rounds on Pinterest for a good while, and I finally decided to try it. This is not as easy as most slow cooker meals, it requires combining the sauce on the stove but totally worth it!

Here are the ingredients for the sauce. 

1/4 cup butter
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 packet of dry Italian dressing mix
1 8 oz tub of chive sour cream.
1/2 cup of white wine

Melt the butter in a saucepan and the add the dry Italian mix. I used a whisk to make sure it was combined.
Then scoop in the golden mushroom soup, cream cheese and white wine and whisk to combine. 
This is the finished sauce! 

While the sauce was cooking.....

I quartered 24 oz of mushrooms. The original recipe called for 8oz or so but we love mushrooms and I am glad I did this because it ended up being a perfect ratio.

Now to assembly all of this in your crockpot:

Put all the mushrooms on the bottom.
Place chicken breast on top of the mushrooms. I just used boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Then pour the sauce over the top! Then cover and set it on low for 6 hours. And I have to say the smell in the house was awesome!! Made me hungry all day! 

You can serve this with rice or pasta, I chose Rice and it was delicious. Husband approved!

Enjoy!

B


Monday, November 18, 2013

Hot Artichoke and Feta Dip

I completely forgot to post this recipe this morning! 

This is a delicious appetizer that is perfect for tailgating or in our case a rainy Sunday Snack!

It is a simple recipe! You will need:

8 oz of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and rinsed.
14 oz of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
8 oz of crumbled feta cheese
1 cup of Mayo
And 2 cloves of garlic

First, rinse and dry your sun dried tomatoes. I also chopped these because I prefer a smaller bite than a large piece.
Chop your artichoke hearts as well to what ever size you desire.
Combine the sun dried tomatoes and artichokes.
Add mayo.
Add Feta.
Add garlic, I used minced garlic in the jar.
And mix! It's that easy!
Place in a shallow baking dish and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes!
It can be served with pita chips or Fritos! I have also had it on crackers!
When done it is so gooey and delicious!

Enjoy!!!!

B

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Winter Container Planting

This cloudy Sunday made me miss the beautiful fall days we have been having and really made me miss the beautiful sunshine from this summer! One of my favorite things as a landscapers wife is the beautiful pots Jamie prepares for clients and us alike. Winter brings a unique challenge to container planting and plants in general! Jamie purchased this enormous planter from Plant World about a year ago and I love it! This summer it was full of the most beautiful plants and after I emptied the planter it stayed empty for a few months so I was thrilled to come home and see Jamie working his magic. Here is the finished product.
To prepare the planter for winter you need to remove old plants and root systems, it is ok to leave the old soil but remove atleast a 1/3 of the top soil. Then you are going to add a small amount of fresh potting soil. Then it is time for plants!! Here is what all he used:
For height and fullness he used a Camellia Sasanqua 'Cotton Candy'. You  always want to use something like this or any other large evergreen to anchor your planter.
To contrast all the green plants, Jamie added a Loropetalum 'Purple Diamond'. This is a plant developed by Southern living and is part of their plant collection. 
To add texture next he used Liriope 'Evergeen Giant'. This adds an airy texture and another element with height.
These are my favorite, Snapdragons also know as dragon flowers. These add color right now with a second wave of color coming in early spring. 
The most popular winter flower the Pansy goes in next. These are hearty annuals that give color all season while holding up to the winter temperatures.
Lastly he added a plant that would give a cascading effect down the pot. This plant is called English Ivy and provides vertical dimension to the container to balance out the height of the Camellia.

Once you have completed planting fill in any voids or holes with additional potting soil. When asking him to tell me what all plants he has used he filled me in on a little secret beneath the surface.
After he planted all the plants he randomly placed small bulbs of Daffodils throughout the planter. He did this with his hands in the exact way pictured above. Place and then cover with potting soil. These will pop up in the spring!

The final steps to this container planting are fertilization and water. Add in a slow-release fertilizer, then water as needed. The plants will tell you when they need water but the first week they will need alittle more.

Happy Planting!!!

B

Friday, November 15, 2013

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever!

That is the title of this recipe. How could I flip past that? I had to try it and it was perfect for our family dinner with Jamie's parents before he left for his big Hunting trip in South Texas! Let's get to it!

The usual suspects! For the cake you need:

2 cups flour
1 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
2 sticks of butter
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 whole beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

First I put some water on to boil. 
I don't think you need a picture but I took one so there it is.
Next you are going to mix your dry ingredients. Be sure to flatten off the top of your measurements.
Your dry ingredients include flour, sugar and salt. 
Next go ahead and melt two sticks of butter in a medium saucepan.
While the butter is melting, go ahead and measure out your 4 tablespoons of cocoa.
Once the butter has melted add the cocoa and stir well.
Then you are going to add the boiling water and stir! This is what the mixture will look like. Allow it to boil for 30 seconds then turn off heat.
Pour this mixture over the flour and stir to combine.
This takes a few minutes but once combined set aside.
Next measure your buttermilk in a measuring cup.
Crack and beat the two eggs in a separate dish.
Add the eggs to the buttermilk and stir. 
Add in the baking soda and vanilla and stir.
Pour this mixture into the flour/chocolate mixture and stir!
This also takes a minute! I know what you are thinking, why not just use a mixer and that is a valid point but it really wasn't too bad and it is okay if it is a little lumpy.
This recipe is made for use with a 18x13 sheet cake pan, prepare it with cooking spray.
Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While the cake is baking, you can prepare the icing! You are going to want to pour this on the cake while it is still warm.
Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 3/4 sticks of butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Jamie was kind enough to Chop pecans for me again!!
Melt you butter and go ahead and measure out your cocoa just like for the cake.
Once butter is melted add cocoa and combined, turn off heat.
Add the milk. I went ahead and combined the vanilla and milk together.
Add powdered sugar, combine completely it will be a little lumpy.
Stir in the pecans! And the icing is done, set aside till the cake comes out!
Once the cake is out pour all of the icing on the top! Careful that it doesn't go over the edges! 
Spread it out! And it's done! We sprinkled with some pecans but you isn't have too!

Sorry for the picture quality on this post, I made this mid afternoon and the lighting in my kitchen was awful!! 

This cake is huge! I plan on halving the recipe to take tailgating tomorrow!!

Enjoy!

B