I love, love, love our Talk to Me Tuesdays! I had no idea how fun it would be. One of you made my day yesterday on Twitter by saying you couldn’t wait for it to be Tuesday so you could take in some good stories from the heart of Siestaville. (My paraphrase) I’m so glad this is working for somebody besides me. (And, yes, the writing is coming right along so this two-month commitment is accomplishing its goal.) One good thing about not posting so much is that we take a little longer to read the comments and I love that. So many people are putting their hearts out there. I want them to know it’s not pearls before swine.
OK, I’m totally pumped about today’s topic. I got my inspiration from watching Good Morning America this morning while I was putting on my mascara. They’re doing this “Count Down to Thanksgiving” thing and this morning they had on a chef to bring a few fresh ideas to the table. SO, with Thanksgiving in a little over a week, Talk To Me about one of your favorite holiday dishes and – listen carefully here – TELL ME EXACTLY HOW TO MAKE IT. Yes, the recipe or don’t even mention it. Don’t taunt me here. Take me to Cooking 101. A Holidays for Dummies kind of approach. That’s not to say you can’t give an elaborate recipe. Some of you Siestas are fabulous cooks. Strut your stuff (or your stuffing) here! Just make sure that your directions are really clear so we can follow them without calling you next Thursday at 11:30 AM crying while all our company is standing in the kitchen staring at us. Now’s the time to share our recipes so that we have ample opportunity to read through all of them and plan some into our Thanksgiving menu. (Yes, I really do have a Thanksgiving menu and I really can bake a turkey and make cornbread dressing. It’s one of the meals I do best. I can do fat food. I just can’t do healthy food. Keith’s parents officially handed the baton of family Patriarch and Matriarch to us several years ago so we host all four generations. Our holiday meals will be extra big this year since Keith’s sister and her family moved home from Japan so we’re moving lunch here to the ministry so that there’s room for all of us at one huge table.)
HERE’S THE REALLY FUN PART! Let’s each commit to work one Siesta dish into our Thanksgiving holiday (even if you’re not a cook and it’s the only one you make) so that we can have a little touch of Siestaville on our table. It will be a way to remember one another and be so grateful to God for this wonderfully quirky community. I’ll write a post right after Thanksgiving to let you share which one you chose. Be sure and give your name and city with your recipe so that your sister can point you out if she chooses your dish. And don’t be offended if no one chooses yours. I can think of two times in my entire adult life that someone outside my own family has asked me to share a recipe with them.
I’m really excited! Bring it on, Siestas!!!
OK, so this is not a recipe but I have discovered the world’s best sugarfree gum and I’ll taunt your taste buds in closing.
And just in case you want proof that this really is your very own Siesta Mama writing these Tuesday posts to you:
And she loves you like crazy.
I’ve got nothing on your topic – holidays are usually hard and I’m not a great cook, but may I please say this:
Thank you so much to all the Siestas who sent encouragement and prayers this past week. I lost my beloved dog Cindy last Wednesday and then my cat AJ two days later. Cindy’s death devastated me because a traumatic event just before she died shot deep into pain and fears from my own past trauma.
And now I am alone in my house for the first time in over 15 years, with no job, no school, no pets, just this big emptiness. I thought about going away for a bit, maybe head south just to take a little vacation or something, but go where? Do what? Idk.
I know God has a plan and is in full control, it has just been an extremely painful week. I just wanted to say that I very much appreciate all the support from Siestaville. I love you guys.
Praying for you right now Michele. I pray God’s peace and comfort to envelop you in a real and powerful way. Hide under His wings–it is safe there.
Its just a suggestion, but when I was alone, GOD had me get involved with the Thanksgiving dinner at the church. I was there all the live-long day, but in a way, I felt needed.
GOD knew that. And we are.
Bless you Siesta, feel the radiant love HE has for you! It never ends!
Michele,
I will continue to pray for you, especially as we head into this holiday season…and from on Siesta to another, if you were heading in our direction for Thanksgiving, we’d be honored to have you as a guest in our “new” home.
(((hugs))) and love in Christ,
Donna Benjamin
Goodness, Michele! I am so sorry! If you live in Colorado, you are welcome to our table. Praying for God to be so very near. With Love, Holly
We love you too, Michele. I’m continuing to pray. And if your travels should take you to middle TN, you let us know and we’ll save you a seat at the table.
We may be south of you, let me know we would love for you to spend Thanksgiving here! I’m in Maryland
Oh sweet Michele,
So sorry for the dual loss of your pets….I know how dear they are to ones heart! May God help you find direction and may He bring you more comfort than you have ever known!
In Him,
Andrea
Michele, I am praying for you. I wish I could just be there to put an arm around you and listen and pray. (Consider yourself “hugged” from afar)
My heart is crying out for you. I am praying for God’s conforting arms to wrap you in His Love and Presence.
If you are anywhere near Wisconsin, you are welcome to come and have a meal with us!
Bless your heart…..I feel for you. Our four legged friends are such big parts of our lives, you know? I’m so sorry you lost them both. Praying for you even as I type this.
Thank you, I always like your your pic of your puppy
HI Cindy,
I do not understand everything you are going through but I do about pets! As in just one week ago and two cats are not well going to vet, very concerned and I cannot talk about it.
I would love to invite you to come visit me in the Ozarks. Unfortunatley I will going to Eastern Ar for just two days and then back to prepare for surgery on Dec 1. With that said if you are stil invited to the Ozarks and if I were able I would take you to Branson, a great place for Holidays. The invitation is open ended so if you would like a get away this spring my recovery and pt should allow me to do more things.
Michele,
I’m so very sorry for the painful week you have had. Praying God’s comfort and strength for you as you rest in Him. If you’re anywhere near upstate New York, we’d love for you to join us for the holidays!
I live in Liverpool, outside Syracuse. Where are you?
We live in the Coxsackie-Athens area, just south of Albany. Please feel free to email me or find me on FB. I’m not sure exactly how far we are from Syracuse, but really meant it when I said you would be welcome here.
Michele, I’m so sorry about your babies! I just read your blog entries about them… I’m so sorry. My own girl, a golden retriever, was named Cindy. I lost her suddenly in a tragic accident 6 years ago and still miss her terribly. You’ll be in my prayers sweet siesta, in these coming days and weeks. Please don’t focus on that guilt… I’m sure you were such a good mama to her that those last minutes of her panic pale in comparison to her whole life you gave her. When my Cindy died, I got together every picture I’d ever taken of her and put them together for an album. It was painful, but helped so much to start the healing seeing all the happy memories.
Maybe you could do this for your Cindy and AJ…
much love to you!
lavonda
Oh Lavonda, that’s a good idea, I will do that. I am also thankful that I borrowed a friend’s video camera a few months ago and got some video of her.
Michele, Although we know God has plans for us, sometimes it’s hard to “not” know those plans ahead of time! I pray that you will feel His big ol warm arms around you and know that you’re loved by many Siestas!
Yes, I can definitely feel it, thanks Bobbie
I’m sorry to hear about both your pets. You’re in my prayers during this time. God Bless.
Hi Michele have been praying for you and will continue if you are anywhere near Albuquerque Nm give me a shout and we can get together would love to meet you but you said you were heading south I am north I believe.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and I will be praying for God to put somebody in your path to share the day with.
Carol
Michelle
I know it’s hard to lose pets, they bring such comfort and peace. Praying that God will wrap His loving arms around you and meet all your needs. If your close to central IL you can surely join 21 of us, all ages and so much fun. I do feel every ounce of loneliness you are experiencing. May God Almighty come and meet you where your at and supply the void. Love ya, Alexia
Gosh y’all are so sweet. I did not want to hog this blog again, I just wanted to say thank you.
Sorry Beth for all this. Thank you for graciously allowing me to connect with all these great ladies on your site, it has been a huge blessing.
Michele, if you make your way to the Charlotte, NC area, you are welcome to join our family! Sending lots of hugs your way. Lean on Jesus!!
Praying for you. It is tough being single under normal circumstances, but the storms of life make it even more so. If you are anywhere near the upstate of South Carolina, there is a group of single believers that get together for dinner once a month just to hang out. Most of us are in our 40’s and 50’s. We are single for a variety of reasons. If you are interested, I would be ok with LP giving you my email address. Or you can find us through http://www.southsidefellowship.org/ We meet during the second service to discuss the sermon. Oh and we have free Dunkin Donuts coffee for the whole church–that is blessing to me!
I just had to tell you I’m praying for you. Pets are family. What a tough week. Don’t apologize for your posts – this is what we are here for, and I’m sure it’s one of the major reasons why Beth started the blog. Thinking of you…
I just need to tell you all that have responded to Michele and invited her into your homes, it has left me in absolute tears! To see so many of you reach out to someone you don’t even know has moved me. What an amazing group of supportive, loving, women here and I’m glad I came to read this post today. Bless you all!
It touches me deeply too, I wish I could travel all over the country and meet them all.
My devotions this morning were in Beth’s “A Woman’s Heart,” talking about Ex 17:11-12 and how everyone helped each other to win the battle. Not even Moses could do it alone.
If i dont know where i’m going, how will i know when i get there- I can only share with you what’s been real for me, i can’t give advice cause i’m not you, though i have felt loss and i have felt like running and I have run without knowing where to or what i would do there. I so much remember an intersection in which i was sitting at a light crying and called my mom Far Far from home and my mom told me “they dont know you there and they dont care that they dont know you”. that stuck with me. today this day i experienced a small crisis yet it was still a crisis for me, and I ran TO someone whom I knew would welcome me there, cause I couldnt be alone with it, sure I had jesus and jesus came along too, and I received a hug and kindness on a day I so much needed some. I try not to run away so much now. I try to run TO someone, that’s a different way from my old way. Im a little far from you on the map, but I still care to get to know ya in here.
I have question for you Beth. Where is your recipe? I would love to have one of yours. I know you don’t do healthy well, but it’s the holidays who needs healthy. 🙂 I will post mine later. I was just wondering about one from your family is all. Glad the writing is going well. I too, look forward to Tuesdays and in these very busy days of mine, it is just perfect.
The Dessert Delite gum comes in Strawberry Shortcake and Key Lime Pie (my favorite!) too! LOVE it! It’s helped me lose some weight these last couple months! My go to when I get a sweet tooth or when I’m wanting to eat something I shouldn’t!! I was going through almost a pack a day for awhile, can you believe it?!!!
ANYWAY, I’ll be back with a recipe. Just couldn’t pass up commenting about one of my new favorite things!!
I cannot WAIT to try this new gum! Thank you for enlightening me. =D
Donna B.
This gum is really good! Tried the Chocolate Mint today and liked it. Thanks Beth!
This is my daughters’ favorite addition to the Thanksgiving table. It is very yummy and so easy to prepare. The girls enjoy taking turns making it for us.
We call it Delaney’s Delight.
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz. brick of cream cheese
Combine above ingredients in the mixer. Mix until desired consistency. One of my daughters likes the cream cheese to still be lumpy and another likes it perfectly smooth.
Fold in a container of whipped topping. You can do either a small container or large depending on how much fluff you want and how much you love whipped topping.
Allow it to set up in the refrigerator for a few hours and enjoy!
It’s not the healthiest addition to your Thanksgiving table, but it sure is tasty!
Penny
Grimes, IA
Heavens! Cream Cheese and Cherries, you have me!
I’m SOOO making this.
this sounds yum! i’ll be trying this one!!! thanks! 🙂
This sounds AWESOME and so easy! You could keep those ingredients handy for last minute surprises!! Thanks Penny!
Do you put it in a pie crust?
No, just a pretty bowl.
You could put it in individual graham cracker crusts if you want. It doesn’t set up firm enough for a regular size pie crust.
Sometimes we throw mini chocolate chips in it for a change of pace!
YUM! That would be so good to dip the little graham cracker sticks into.
Hash Brown Casserole – can be prepared a day or two in advance and refrigerated until time to cook
*This is a staple at our four generation Tennessee Thanksgiving. We also eat it for breakfast here.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
1 stick margarine, melted
1 small onion, chopped
1 16 oz sour cream
1 can Campbell’s Creamy Chicken Mushroom Soup
2 cups mild shredded cheddar cheese
1 Bag Ore-Ida cubed hashbrowns (do not buy generic as they may be crinkle cut French fry pieces – this happened to me once)
Mix all ingredients well in a 9 X 13 casserole or pyrex dish. I start with the first three ingredients mixing and then add and mix each ingredient until mixed well before adding the potatoes.
Cook for one hour or until golden and bubbly at 350 degrees. You can top with crumbled corn flakes about 15 minutes before removal from the oven if desired. ENJOY!
Ooh…I may be trying this one!!
even if you don’t like brussel sprouts, if you will just try them when they are cooked like this, i guarantee you’ll like ’em! they are delish!
(from http://www.allrecipes.com)
ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2.Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
3.Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.
love ya, Siesta Mama. you are a hoot!
Sounds fabulous! I love Brussel sprouts!
OK Siestas and Siesta Mama, although I am not a cook and do not enjoy being in the kitchen like my husband, I will put up by mom’s and her mother’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c.pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar (you can add 1/3 c. to this if you wish)
1/2 t. salt
1 2/3 c. milk
That’s it! Mix together and pour in an unbaked 9″ pie shell, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake 425 degrees for 15 mins., then 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
I like my mom’s/grandmas pie better than the standard ones on the back of the pumpkin cans because it is lighter and milkier, not as heavy pumpkin or as dark. Plus it tastes good! And I’m sharing this in honor of my grandma who is in heaven, and my mom who is here with us but struggling with Alzheimer’s…so at age 44 and being the only daughter, I am now the major cook for the holiday meals! And I will make her pies for our meal.
Happy Thanksgiving! The Lord has blessed us mightily!
Jen N., Ohio
NC Yam Casserole Delight
6 sweet potatoes
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 sugar
1 tsp salt
1. Bake, peel and mash the sweet potatoes.
2. Stir in other ingredients
3. Pour into 9×13 baking dish
4. Make the topping (see below!)
Topping
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1. Mix ingredients with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.
2. Sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes.
3. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes or until brown on top.
In my excitement over the assignment, I tried to recall the recipe from memory. OOPS! Here’s the corrected version:
NC Yam Casserole Delight
6 sweet potatoes
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1. Bake, peel and mash the sweet potatoes.
2. Stir in other ingredients
3. Pour into 9×13 baking dish
4. Make the topping (see below!)
Topping
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), softened
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1. Mix ingredients with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.
2. Sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes.
3. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes or until brown on top.
I love love love to make chocolate cream pie. This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. It’s even better with homemade pie crust, but I didn’t want to bog you down by posting 2 recipes. Enjoy!
Chocolate Cream Pie
9 inch, deep dish baked pie shell
1 ½ cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
½ tsp salt
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 squares (1 oz ea) unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp vanilla
Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 1 ½ quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Add chocolate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks. Blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into pie shell. Press plastic wrap onto filling. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, but no longer than 48 hours. Remove plastic wrap; top pie with whipped cream and chocolate chips if desired.
http://vimeo.com/16404771 copy and paste this to see the story of Jonah told in a way you’ve never heard before from a little girl who is a mini-Beth Moore for “her generation”. I couldn’t hardly wait until Talk to Me Tuesday to post this! It’s okay if Beth doesn’t see it I totally understand she’s working on James, but someone on the staff there will be loving it.
so glad you posted that… I just got it from a friend and LOVED IT!!! All our Jonah Siestas will enjoy! Praise God for this precious little Girl and her momma and daddy for reading this story over and over to her till she had it memorized word for word!
wow! what a gifted child!!!! i loved it!
Yanna,
Thanks so much for posting that amazing video! What a blessing to see such a young child giving the Word of God to many!
Lisa
Yanna, Thanks for sharing this! She’s adorable and does a great job telling a story…
Thank you for sharing.
According to my computer, I’m the first comment!! Cool!!
Anyway, I have to laugh about this, but my husband (crazy as he is) loves, loves, loves my candied sweet potatoes! I’ve tried making other versions of them, like more “real” sweet potatoes or fancier versions, but he always complains/whines and politely requests that I use the “one I like the best” next time. And I do, but truly, I feel like a fake cook when I make them. Why, you ask? Because the recipe he loves comes off the CAN of “Bruce’s Cut Yams” (40 oz.)!!!
I know. It’s just ridiculous. 18 years ago, when I didn’t even know how to cook real meals for a family of more than 3, I made “candied sweets” from the recipe on the back of that can. Over the years, I’ve adapted it to my own way and so my husband loves them even more the older he gets. So, here goes…
1 40 oz. can of Bruce’s Yams
1 stick of butter
4-5 TBSP brown sugar
mini-marshmellows
Place drained yams in casserole dish, big enough for the yams to lay in only 1 layer. Pour the liquid from the can over the yams till they are mostly covered. Cut butter into 1 Tbsp slices and drop randomly over the yams. Then sprinkle the brown sugar over them also, and add a bit more if you like them really sweet. Bake, uncovered, in 350 degree oven about 20-25 minutes. When they come out of the oven, sprinkle mini-marshmellows over them to your heart’s content, cover and set aside for the marshmellows to melt. Enjoy!
Now, seriously… Isn’t that pathetic?? If any of you siestas have a great candied yams recipe, I’d love to have it!!! After all, I’m into making only “real” homemade mashed potatoes now after years of the cardboard box instant type, why can’t I make “real” candied yams??? Help!!!
I forgot!… Kristi from Philadelphia!!
This is my favorite sweet potato recipe too!!! I agree with your husband, this is the best 🙂
I am so looking forward to do this. I love swapping recipes
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
4 cups sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cranberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In bowl combine eggs, pumpkin puree and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add cranberries and mix well. Divide dough into 2 (8 by 4-inch) loaf pans. Bake for 50 minutes.
I’m sorry I forgot
I’m from Cadillac, MI
oh good, God fixed it so all anyone has to do is click on the link, someday this little girl will have homework for us on Jonah…grin
I would like to submit one of my mothers recipes in memory of her— she moved to Heaven 6 years ago this Thanksgiving season ( 11/29 ) Anyway, my mother was a wonderful southern cook
And this was one of my favorites growing up.
Sweet Potato Casserole
1 large can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1cup sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick of butter or margarine
here’s what makes it a little different from some others—- is your mouth watering—–
I ripe/black banana !!!
Mix and pour into a greased casserole dish ( for holiday dinners— I double e recipe )
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup flour
1/2 stick butter (melted)
mix together and spread over potato mixture
Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoy!!!
I’m Karen Hollis in Memphis— My mother is Marietta Cummings in Heaven
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! ( I’m SO excited to get some new recipes — great idea Beth!!!! )
This recipe is great for Thanksgiving, with a fresh rush of flavours that can make beet lovers out of anyone. Just pop the beets (wrapped in foil) into the oven and roast right on the oven rack around the turkey roaster, make the very yummy dressing separately and then toss together before serving. So simple, you can foil wrap the beets and make the dressing the day before. I found the recipe on Epicurious several years ago,awesome recipes with honest, intelligent reviews.
Very easy to double or triple the amount.
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium beets (1 1/4 pound total without greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
1/3 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
Prep:
Stir together lemon juice, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in oil and let stand while roasting beets. (I often use about half the oil called for).
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.(Just roast longer around your turkey, 2 inch beets take about 2 hours beside a turkey, they should be tender, but not soft when pierced with a fork – watch for steam venting when you test).
Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.
When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges. (Wear cleans rubber gloves, or else cringe at your pink hands while serving supper).
Toss warm beets with dressing. Stir in mint just before serving.
Cooks’ note: Beets can be roasted and tossed with dressing 4 hours ahead, then kept, covered, at room temperature
I saw that gum on biggest loser last week! I do want to try it. That is my favorite ice-cream. Ok, this is so sad. I tend NOT to cook T-giving. My sister does a fab job. I will bring the appetizer, get ready, it’s so hard!
1 Jar of Orange Marmalade
1 Block of cream cheese
1 Box of your favorite cracker. I tend to use Ritz or Town House
Open cream cheese and then dump (yes dump) the orange marmalade over the top. Spread on crackers!!!
You can improvise of course; jalapeño jelly is yummy too!!
I am so thankful for my Lord. He is good to us.
Blessings Ladies.
What a great idea, Beth! I could use some new recipes and YES, I’ll commit to choosing one, maybe two to share with our family. This is my Man’s FAVORITE pie, it’s a must in our home!
PRALINE PUMPKIN PIE
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1–1 lb. can pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup whipped cream
**praline crunch (recipe to follow)
1 baked 9″pie shell
Add whipped cream for garnish
Praline Crunch:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup coarsly chopped pecans
Melt butter, stir in sugar, add nuts. Cook over moderate heat. Stirring constantly until sugar mixture begins to turn golden (3 min.) Remove from heat and turn onto piece of foil. Cool and then crumble into small pieces. Make this ahead of time, it stores in the fridge!
Pie:
Sprinkle gelatin over water in saucepan. Place on low heat. Stir constantly until gelatin dissolves (2-3 min.) Remove from heat. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually blend in gelatin mixture. Stir until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Sprinkle 1 cup praline crunch over pie shell. Turn pumpkin mixture into pie shell. Chill and serve with whipped cream and more ‘crunch’. (I usually double the praline crunch, ’cause it’s really good on anything! Especially, on a bowl of Bluebell, Keith!)
Can’t wait to see all the results of this TTMT!!Thanksgiving Blessings to all our Siestas, and the Moores, Jones’ and Fitzpatricks!
Bobbie
College Station
OK, here goes.
Mine might seem strange, but it’s become a holiday tradition at our family table for 3 generations.
CAULIFLOWER SALAD
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower broken into bite-size florets
1 14 oz jar of pimento stuffed olives, sliced into rounds
1 cup pecan pieces
1 c mayonnaise (not low-fat or fat free)
2-3 T of brine from the olives
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy! (It’s even better the day after Thanksgiving.)
Serves 10-12
My wish is for a love-filled and blessed day for each siesta, full of praise to our God, the supplier of all our needs.
YEAH-it’s Tuesday! That was me on twitter! I adore this topic!…
Okay. I have never cooked in my life. Don’t know how. Honestly!! But I HAVE found a very simple treat that has been a hit so far everywhere I bring it. I call it VIA brownies. I work at Starbucks, & as any of u frequenters know, (I believe it’s a non-fat cappuccino w/ extra foam, am I right, Mama?) we sell an instant coffee called VIA. Last year I decided to make brownies using a box of brownie mix with the packets of VIA thrown in. I used 4 packets for a batch of brownies. I simply put the VIA in the bowl while
mixing everything else, and then made sure to take the brownies out on the brink of beige done. Tastes better when they’re softer. Caramel drizzle on top, (Starbucks sells their caramel drizzle. It should be on the shelf with the merchandise.) and guala! Coffee flavored brownies that rock! I brought them to all my holiday events last year & they were a hit. I’m sure many of you can improve it and make it better from scratch. I’d love to see that! So excited to read all these recipies! Love y’all!! No…..really!
Oh how I love Starbucks! What a fantastic idea! 🙂
I have a recipe for espresso shortbread cookies. Do you think the VIA packets would work in that recipe instead of espresso powder? It would be pretty close to the same thing, right?
Best Ever Banana Pudding I make for Aggies
1 lg box of Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1/3 cup of powdered coffee creamer (I use Coffeemate original this is the “secret” ingredient
3 cups cold milk
Mix above and put in refrig to chill and firm up. While it’s firming up place “mini” vanilla wafers in a large bowl and sliced bananas on top, then a layer of the pudding to which you have added a 1/2 6oz carton of cool whip, do another layer of wafers, bananas and pudding then use other 1/2 of carton of cool whip as an icing. Decorate pretty with vanilla wafers along the edge and crush some in a small ziploc with a plastic glass or rolling pin to sprinkle on top. I like the “mini” wafers best easier to eat! I love my Siesta’s this is going to be major fun not only a Bible Study notebook but a receipe book – I hope LPM will make us one and sell it at the James study, help buy Keith and Beth an RV maybe? LOL and LOL!
Still deciding which recipe to share but you are absolutely right about the gum. My daughter discovered it about 3 weeks ago and now we can’t keep enough in our purses!
This is the easiest and tastiest pumpkin bread I have ever had. I like to make it in mini-loaves and wrap it pretty and give it to neighbors, Sunday school teachers, etc. for a thank you gift this time of year. Here goes…
1 can pumpkin–around the 15 oz. size, not the big can (make sure it is not pie filling, just regular Libby’s pumpkin)
1 box spice cake mix OR carrot cake mix
Mix together 2 ingredients. (Yep, no oil, eggs or anything else 🙂 Pour mixture into loaf pan. Bake at 375 for about 50-60 minutes. Check around 50 minutes to see if you need more baking time. Bake shorter time for mini-loaves. The result is an extremely moist pumpkin bread. Yum!
Blessings this Thanksgiving.
Melissa F my daughter is having her 20th bday away from home Friday for the first time ever …she always requested either pumpkin bread or carrott cake for her bday cake…can’t wait to fix this!
I’ll contribute an appetizer people can snack on before the meal, or during the football games that follow on tv. There’s never been a place this has been taken that people don’t hunt you down to get the recipe for it. And I mean literally hunt you down! “Do you know who made that dip?” “Find out who made that, I need the recipe!” “Did you make this??” “Didn’t you make that dip? There’s some people over there asking for the recipe!” 5 people put their email addresses on a napkin for me the other night at the baseball dinner, wanting me to send it to them before next week.
I’m not kidding. It’s that good.
mix together:
3/4 c. apple cider vinegar
3/4 c. veg oil
1/2 c. sugar
add to it:
3 c. black beans – drained and rinsed
3 c. shoepeg corn – drained and rinsed
thinly sliced scallions (a bunch)
chopped cilantro (a bunch)
8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Serve with any kind of chips you like (the Scoops ones are great with it).
I wish I could post a picture of it here, it’s so pretty and colorful! Lots of black, white, green, and pale yellow.
love you all!
lavonda
what is shoepeg corn?
It’s smaller, pale yellow kernels of corn. I find it on the grocery shelf right beside regular corn, but in smaller cans.
Thanks for sharing…. I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love fresh ingredients!
3 cups or cans?
3 cups! 🙂
For the “sauce” part, do you just mix with a spoon or a whisk, or do you mix it in a food processor?
I’m going to try this one. I know my husband will love it, and probably the whole family!
I have two but they are short (and yummy!!!)
Easy-Peasy Cobbler
Pick out two or three small bags of your favorite frozen fruits (I stick to blueberries, blackberries and cherries). Add the frozen fruit (still frozen) to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Cover fruit with one box of yellow cake mix (sprinkle the powder all over the top). Melt one stick of butter and pour all over the top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for one hour (or until you can’t take it any longer, it smells delicious!!). Serve with whipped cream on top <3
Creamy Zucchini
(I got this from Food Network and it is a total hit – we always need a "creamy" dish for Thanksgiving, and this one hits the spot! Plus, it's got a veggie in it so it's healthy, right??)
Slice 4 medium zucchini lengthwise until you have a nice pile of pretty green circles. Butter the bottom whatever size pan you'd like (I've used almost all of them, but anything with a flat surface will do), and add one layer of zucchini circles to the bottom, overlapping a bit. Sprinkle layer with salt and pepper, then drizzle with heavy cream and add a handful of six cheese blend shredded cheese (usually includes mozzerella, parmesan, provolone, asiago – all white cheeses). Then start a new layer of zucchini circles and add the salt, pepper, cream and cheese. Repeat the process until you have used up all of your zucchini and have a nice layer of cheese on top. Sprinkle THAT with panko bread crumbs, and dot entire casserole with pieces of butter. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. The panko crumbs mix in with the top layer of cheese and it is absolutely outrageously good!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving Mama Beth <3
I know which recipe to post. I can hardly wait to get home to do just that.
🙂
Okay, the absolute BEST/and easiest turkey* recipe ever is to simply place a couple of yellow onions inside the turkey cavity with a heap of butter, then massage the outside of the turkey with more butter. Carefully place turkey into an “oven bag” (found in your grocer’s paper goods aisle), coat the inside of the bag with flour, close bag, place on sturdy pan, and pop into a 250degree oven. (The length of time will depend on the size of your turkey–I usually put mine in around 6a.m. and it is ready by lunchtime).
Happy Thanksgiving
Donna Benjamin
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
*my favorite is Butterball, but I still give it a good massage with butter before roasting
(recipe passed down to me from my Aunt Helen Dayton) =)
p.s. (don’t forget to take the gizzards out of the cavities before starting the recipe)
It’s me again and I just have to give an update to my Aunt Helen’s turkey recipe. Several bible study groups at our new church hosted Chinese exchange graduate students, from the University of Alabama yesterday after church, for a Thanksgiving potluck. I was honored to be permitted to roast the 21+lb turkey, . Our ultimate objective was to show “Christ” to these students, by sharing the tradition of Thanksgiving. Praise God the turkey, once again, turned out beautifully, and was absolutely devoured. Now I pray that these exchange students will not only remember the American Thanksgiving, but also remember the recipe for salvation, and take it back to their homeland!
(Note: I did turn the oven to 275 and roasted the tukey for 12+hrs, because it was soooo massive). =)
Happy Thanksgiving =)
You know I’m all over this, right??
And if I may, I have 25 of the very last ever, ever Siesta Fiesta Cookbooks that are sitting on my dining room table (where we plan to host Thanksgiving for people without a place to go this year next week). The money paid toward these final cookbooks is literally the well money (first in first out). A few backed out on their order, so if anyone wants a lot of Siesta recipes, please email me, so I can mail a check to Life Outreach before Christmas. Here: chrishollysmith at msn dot com
Now…My recipe is from my mother in law.
Mary Ann’s Sweet Potato Casserole
This is the only one my Chris will eat. It is his love language, plain and simple. He hails from the South, Texas to be exact, and this is just the RIGHT way to make this dish–and is his Mama’s recipe. I love that I have it on a card in her handwriting with a date of 11-95 on it. That makes it so special to me!
2 c. peeled and cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. melted butter plus 2 1/2 T. separated
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
Combine cooked and mashed sweet potatoes with sugar, 1/2 c. melted butter, eggs, vanilla and milk in a mixer. Whip until smooth. Pour into a 2 quart dish.
Blend together 1/2 c. brown sugar, flour, 2 1/2 T. butter and chopped pecans in a bowl. Evenly spread this topping over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degree for 30-40 minutes until semi-firm in the center.
This sounds really good, Holly! I’ll have to try it for sure.
This is similar to the one we’ve had in our family for years, too- Sweet Potato Casserole II from the Taste of Georgia cookbook! I don’t like it when they have marshmallows!
OK, girls…here’s my top secret cheesecake recipe that I make every year for my sweet family. We’re the place where our family always meet for holidays as well, and this is the biggest request I get…but, the recipe I never give out! Ya’ll are LOVED! 🙂
First: your cream cheese needs to be room temperature. Make sure you get it out about an hour or so before you begin.
CRUST:
1. 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
2. 4 tablespoons of butter
3. small handful of walnuts
4. dash of cinnamin and nutmeg (more if you love that flavor)
FILLING:
1. 4 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese (don’t you dare get that whipped stuff or low fat! …grin…)
2. 1 1/2 cups of white sugar (organic will also work fine)
3. 3/4 cup of milk (low fat works, but not as well)
4. 4 eggs
5. 1 cup of sour cream (NO low fat here…the fat is what creates that moist, creamy texture)
6. 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
7. 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
YOU MUST USE A SPRINGFORM PAN!!! First, make sure your 9 inch springform is put together tightly and butter the bottom and sides VERY WELL. This is important because the cheesecake pulls away from the sides as it cools and will “split” down the middle if your pan isn’t greased well.
Melt your butter in the microwave and crush your walnuts until they are basically the same consistency as your graham crackers (I just put mine in a plastic sandwich bag and whack them with a roller!). Don’t leave big chunks of walnuts. Mix your dry ingredients together and then pour your melted butter into it for your crust. Dump this directly into your springform pan and use your fingers to press the crust into shape in the bottom of the pan and mix your butter into the graham crackers. Press a little up the side if you like your cheesecake to have that look. The butter will hold it in place just fine.
Now, take all your room temperature cream cheese and your sugar and beat until very smooth. You may need to scrape the sides of your mixer with a rubber spatula once or twice to get it nice and consistently mixed. Blend in the milk.
Here’s a BIG cheesecake secret: Mix in your eggs ONE AT A TIME….and ONLY just until they are incorporated. DO NOT BEAT THE TAR OUT OF THEM.(one of my grandmother’s sayings!) If you do more than just incorporate them, your cake will rise…and then fall, creating a big split in the cheesecake.
Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and flour until smooth. Pour this over your prepared crust. I usually bang my pan on the counter a few times to remove the air bubbles (just pick it up about 4 inches and drop it). I like a nice, consistent cheesecake with no pockets of air in it.
Here’s the other secret: Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with aluminum foil. Make sure the whole bottom edge is covered with foil. Then, fill a casserole/baking dish with about 1 inch or so of water and place the springform pan in the water. This will make sure your cake doesn’t split!
Bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the cake cool in there. The center of the cheesecake may still jiggle, but that’s perfect! It will set just right as it cools. Place the cooled cheesecake into the fridge for at least 5 hours. (I usually bake this the night before and let it chill all night in the fridge!)
I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we do!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, sweet sisters! And to Beth, and all the LPM girls…I just love you! May your holiday be filled with the love of Christ and hearts overflowing with thanksgiving!
Love, Kristi 🙂
Oops…I’m Kristi Walker from South Carolina!
Seriously!! IN the water? I’ve put the water BELOW the cheesecake before but never IN the water. Hmm, have to try this.
p.s. LOVE all the litte tips! 😉
Pam: Campbellsurg In.
Ok I can do this one 🙂 My Mom hardly ever had a meal without a jell-o salad. This was one of her Thanksgiving ones.
Cranberry Salad
1 (9 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 large box cherry Jell-O
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tlb. lemon juice
1 cup ground fresh cranberries
1 small orange quartered and ground
1 cup chopped celery
Zest of one orange
1/2 c walnuts chopped
Drain pineapple, save syrup. In sauce pan combine Jell-O and sugar, add water to reserved syrup to make 2 cups and put into pan with Jell-O.
Heat and stir till Jell-O and sugar is dissolved. Add lemon juice. Pour into dish or bowl ( Mom used a square glass like a 9 by 9 I think )
Chill until partially set. Add ground cranberries and orange,orange zest, drained pineapple, celery, and nuts. Return to fridge to chill until completely set.
This is so fun. My Mom passed away in 2004. Since then us girls procceded to make a family cookbook with all Mom’s and our recipies in it. Took us about 5 years to complete but it is the best. Called Cookin with the Albaugh’s 🙂
Have a great Thanksgiving
I debated between 2 recipes…Crock Pot Macaroni or Blondies…Blondies won because I really don’t follow a specific recipe for my mac n cheese- I’m not one for measuring ingredients- lol. This yummy dessert is quick and easy and is always one of my family’s favorites!
Blondies (White Brownies)
1 French Vanilla Cake Mix
2 Eggs
1 Stick of Salted Sweet Cream Butter, Melted
1 Cup (or more) of Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (Optional)
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan or glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix the cake mix, eggs, and melted butter. Mixture will be thick. Fold in the Chocolate Chips and Nuts. Using your clean hands or a spatula spreader, press the dough into the baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on your oven or until lightly golden brown. To make it look really fancy, melt 1/2 cup of Chocolate Chips in the microwave and allow to cool slightly. Spoon the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag and snip a tiny bit of the corner off, then use to pipe yummy chocolate lines diagonally from one corner to the other. To serve cut into bars.
I’ve always wondered how to make white brownies. I will be making some of these. 🙂
Just a FYI~ I have a great variation to this SAME recipe. Add 2 cups of miniature marshmellows & instead of the stick of butter…use 2/3 cup of oil. (but the butter would work too…we call them “Gooey Bars”. They are SOOOOO GOOD!) 🙂
Grandma Erma’s Cornbread Casserole
My grandmother used to make this every Thanksgiving.
It’s a great holiday side dish and very easy to make, and yes loaded with fat but she lived to be 95!
2 Sticks Butter
1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Can Whole Kernel Corn
1 Can Creamed Corn
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Small Box Jiffy Cornbread Mix
½ t. salt
1 Cup Sour Cream (optional)
1 ½ Cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 400°.
Melt butter in large skillet over Medium-Medium High heat. Add onion and red pepper and sauté until tender (5-10 minutes). Add corn, eggs, cornbread mix and salt. Mix well. Pour into a large baking dish. Dot with sour cream if desired (do not stir in). Top with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
I desperately wish I had a really creative name for the “World’s Best Country Ham Sandwiches EVER” but there’s simply not a name to describe the delight to the taste buds you will experience if you try it. It’s super simple too.
1 pound country ham
1 package swiss cheese
2 packages of Sweet Hawaiian Rolls
Make little sandwiches of the bread and country ham, cut your swiss in fours and add 2 pieces to each sandwich.
This is the sauce:
4-5 tablespoons butter
1.5 tsp regular mustard
2.5 tsp worsterchire sauce
Poppy Seeds
Melt butter and mix mustard, worsterchire sauce, and sprinkle in poppy seeds (for neat appearance) stir well.
With a pastry brush generously spread the sauce over top of the sandwiches which at this point should be on a baking pan.
Preheat oven to 350 and bake 5-7 minutes or until cheese and bread is melted and toasted.
It is DELISH!
Have a great Thanksgiving week celebrating all that Jesus has done for our souls!
p.s. country ham from the deli section…have the cut it in thin slices 🙂 Happy Cooking!
Regina,
I’ve been looking for something to have when we have those little “before the holiday” get togethers that we always have with family and friends during this wonderful holiday season. These may be just the thing! Simple, savory AND delish. Thanks!
Kristi 🙂
A dear friend of mine makes these… AMAZING. Not even kidding.
The “test kitchen” officially opened tonight: and this was first on the list! Great little sandwiches, Regina!
Sweet Hawaiian rolls? What exactly are they? Where do you purchase them and the what brand, please? Where are they usually located in the grocery store? Thanks!
Jesus made chocolate for which I am grateful!
Chocolate Cheese Cake
Pumpkin Soup
Siesta Chocolate Frosting–the best frosting ever!!!
Chocolate Cheese Cake*************************
Filling
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese
1-cup sugar—my mother cuts the sugar down a bit
1teaspoon vanilla
6-table spoons coco (usually get sloppy here and dump in more and I have started using special dark)
2 tablespoons of butter
4 large eggs
325-degree oven 25-30 minutes
Remove from oven and add first topping layer
First topping layer
2 cups sour cream
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Bake 20-25 minutes until sour cream set
Cool and serve
Second topping layer:
Sometimes I add raspberries, strawberries or other fruit to the top
To make lemon delete chocolate and add 2 table spoons on lemon
Pumpkin Soup **********************
Cook a whole chicken in a turkey roaster. I cook on 400 until it is falling apart– about 2 hours
cut up 1 bunch of celery
2 onions
fill roaster most of the way with water. –sometimes I apple juice too
spice to taste with the following
salt
red pepper
garlic
nutmeg
curry powder
When the chicken is done, remove from broth and side aside until it is cool enough to handle. Pick the chicken and toss the chopped meat back into the broth.
Add 2 8 oz cans of pumpkin and about 1 cup of half and half–ok I add a lot more, but no one is watching so no one knows just how much is in there and I am not going to confess that in public. My Mother uses milk. I guess that is one of the many reasons she is thinner!
BACK TO CHOCOLATE******************
Siesta Chocolate Frosting ********************
It is moist delicious and only sticks to the right places.
1 cup sugar–white or brown
1 cup water
4 tablespoons of corn starch
6 tablespoons of coco (I always get careless with this measurement and always put more)
2 tablespoons of butter
Put above mixure in a sauce pan and stir with a spatula so that you can scrape the bottom of pan while stirring
Cook on medium high until mixture thickens. When you start you are going think this will never be frosting and wonder what you have gotten yourself into. Keep stirring sister!
Suddenly the mixture will thicken in an instant. As soon as the mixture has thicken and is much like pudding, remove from heat
Add into thickened mixture
2 additional tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
While the mixture is still HOT spread onto a fully cooled cake. I like to put it on yellow cake as competing chocolate flavors cause me great angst. Allow to cool to room temp then chill it for a bit to finish setting the frosting.
When you place any left over in the refrigerator, if you over will plastic wrap it will not stick! This frosting seals the cake and keep it very moist!
Oh and I forgot BACON STUFFED FELINE (DOMESTIC CAT)
Fry up bacon until done
Set aside on plate to drain
While the bacon is cooling and the grease is draining off, sit down and take a few minutes to rest. Preferably in another room but not necessary. Rest for a few minutes until your strength to go on cooking has returned.
At this point the feline should be self stuffed with bacon and ready for nap.
Decide on plan B recipe since the store is closed. Don’t get mad and remember not to place temptation above that which they are able to stand in the pathway of your household. God doesn’t do it to us. Be mindful not to do it to those you love.
Praise Jesus for the object lesson and if necessary, take nap with stuffed cat!
Yes, indeed. My precious little kitty is passionately fond of green olives. We have no idea why. If you wait until she is asleep at the other side of the house and cautiously open a jar of olives, you will look down a moment later to see her staring up at you waiting for you to share. This freaked out one of my neices who helped herself to an olive one evening, only to narrowly miss tripping over the cat as she went to put them on her plate. “Was she there a minute ago?”
I Love that gum! The only thing, it’s hard not to swallow it and ask for more!
One of my daughters says I get a certain gleam in my eye when I’m excited about something I’m typing. Well suffice it to say, I’m gleaming 😉
Though I’ve never been accused of being Betty Crocker, I have one and only one claim to fame in the kitchen: PIES! Thanks to my mother and grandmother, I can make a mean pie–and very little else. And the one I’m going to share has even been entered in a few local cookbooks: Grandma Hamilton’s Chocolate Pie.
First the oil piecrust:
This is relatively unusual b/c it uses oil instead of shortening. I’m a bit of a “crust snob” and will eat no other kind.
Sift together 1cup + 2Tbsp flour with 1/2tsp salt.
Add 1/3cup oil (canola oil makes it cholesterol free :))
Mix w/fork til well combined.
Add 2Tbsp cold water and whisk w/fork. Keep at it till it forms a ball (it will initially look like you’ve ruined it, but fear not).
Roll out between sheets of waxed paper (only use wax paper; many emergency trips to the grocer have occurred at this step). Once you’ve rolled it out approx 2in larger than diameter of pie pan, flip it over and remove top sheet of wax paper. Now gently flip it over into your hand and place into pan. Slowly peel off the last piece of wax paper. If it starts to tear, just move to a different edge–slow and steady. Crimp edges, poke all over with fork and bake at 425 for 20min. Remove and let cool.
In saucepan combine 3 egg yokes and 1 stick butter. Whisk over low heat until butter is melted (be careful not to scramble your eggs). Remove from heat and whisk in 1cup sugar until smooth. Add 2 heaping Tbsp of both flour and cocoa and whisk til smooth (pretty thick by now). Add 1cup milk and 1cup water and whisk again til smooth. Place over med high heat whisking the ENTIRE time (it will scald very easily towards the end). This will take approx ten minutes so consider it your upper body workout for the day. Immediately pour into baked, cooled piecrust. Do not scrap the bottom of pan, just in case a little bit scalded. Besides, then you can lick the pan after it cools (it’s scriptural: don’t muzzle the ox while treading out the corn–and don’t we all love that analogy?). Allow to set up and serve with cool whip (my mom always made merigue from the egg whites left from above, but my family ditched that idea years ago).
We like to eat it while still warm. God is good!
Oh, and my apologies to the many great cooks out there for whom my directions were waay too elementary. I tried to write to my own skill level. Enough said.
Oops! I forgot too: Kathy Burrus Hendersonville, TN
Hi Kathy…I have never tried making crust with oil…I think I must give it a try now! I’ll make sure to have that wax paper in hand…:)
michelle
Hope you love it. We’ve actually converted friends to being oil-crust-only-nuts like us.
I can say Roasted Vegetables is always a hit:
-Creamer Fingerling potato’s (1-2 small bags)
-Carrots (5 med)
-Hawaiian or Vidalia onion (1 maybe 2- depending on amount you want
-Celery (optional, but I love)(4-5 sticks)
You want to cut up each vegetable, about the size to fit into a tablespoon. Not to big, but you get the idea.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, put veggies in bowl, pour 4 turns of Olive oil on it (literally start pouring and move quickly around the inside of the bowl 4 times.)
Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of salt (i like Kosher salt, bigger pieces) and 1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper, I’d say 5 turns of the grinder.
Mix fully from the bottom of the bowl, making sure all is covered. Place in one layer on cookie sheet. If you have doubled the recipe, you may need two sheets side by side.
Roast for 30-35 minutes, Check and turn veggies every 15-20 minutes, just to make sure there is no burning.
You should end up with roasted vegetables that are hot and sweet and delish.
BIG Thanksgiving LOVE Siesta’s,
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 4:6-7)
Recipe for dinner rolls: Go to the store on Wed before T’giving and purchase some really fresh rols from the bakery. On Thurs, after removing the turkey from the oven place those wonderful rolls on a cookie sheet and put in the warm(but OFF) oven for just afew minutes…less than 5! Put them in a lovely basket lined with a clean, fresh tea towel to cover them and keep them warm. Serve with butter. You can’t fail!
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. sour milk (you can make it: 1/2 c milk +1 1/2 t. lemon juice or vinegar; let stand 5 mins. before using)
2 1/2 c flour
4 T. cocoa
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
2 c. finely shredded zucchini
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. chopped nuts
Cream butter, oil, and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Stir in all dry ingredients. Stir in zucchini. Pour into a 9×13″ greased & floured pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts; sprinkle 2 T. sugar on top of batter. Bake at 325* F for 45 minutes.
YUMMY! And it has to be healthy- I mean, it has a vegetable in it, right!? Totally cancels out the sugar! 🙂
Oops- forgot my name and location!
Tara G.
Kyiv, Ukraine
Ukraine? Coo-el!
I agree! My husband is the Director for a mission work in the Ukraine….God bless ya, Tara! Can’t wait to try this cake recipe.
Banana Chocolate Bread Pudding
4 Tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted (¼ cup), in all
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup light brown sugar
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ripe bananas, mashed
½ pecan pieces
6 cups day-old bread cubes (½ inch)
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (yes, I have substituted white, and milk chocolate)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a baking dish (about 10 x 14 inches) with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, cream and milk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, bananas, pecans, bread, and chocolate and stir to blend thoroughly.
3. Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into the pudding mixture and pour into the baking dish. Bake until firm, for about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack until just warm before cutting into squares.
4. To serve, top a square of the pudding with a dollop of whipped cream, and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
I love all the Thanksgiving foods that we serve each year. One of my favorite desserts that I make is a pumpkin roll. I can’t take credit, it comes directly off the back of the Libby’s Pumpkin can label! I didn’t make it last year and my mom asked me the other day if I was going to make one this year, so I guess the answer is yes.
I’d leave the recipe but it’s kind of long. Seriously, you can find it on the Libby’s website!
Happy Thanksgiving!
We used to have turkey only because it was required. Then Tawra Kellam from Living on A Dime website gave her recipe for turkey. Oh my goodness! We now eat a turkey every other month and sometimes more often and nobody gets tired of it.
You wash the turkey, put it in the big roasting pan with salt and pepper, put a cube of butter in the cavity, put on the lid and cook for one hour at 350 degrees. Turn it down to 250 and cook another 6-8 hours or until you can’t stand it a moment longer. It isn’t the kind of turkey you can present like a Rockwell painting as it is in pieces, but I don’t know of anyone who will ever look back. Unbelievably good, ridiculously simple and fall apart tender. Mmm!!!!
My recipe is very simple. My dad asks me to bring this to our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. It was given to me with the title “Christmas Salad”.
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 sm container cool whip
Mix all together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
This is not a new recipe, but it is very good.
It’s new to me…and it sounds just yummy! Thanks for sharing.
Kristi 🙂
Oh my gosh!!! I love this stuff. We call it Fruit Fluff, but Christmas Salad sounds prettier. I’m not a big fan of cherries,but blueberry or strawberry pie filling work just as well. Thanks for sharing the real name….
This is also great as a frozen salad – cut it into squares
and serve!
I’m not a big fan of sweet potato casseroles with gooey sweet stuff on top, so this dish was a revelation for me! You can also add in some regular potatoes for a colorful mix (I prefer Yukon Golds), or add in some fresh snapped green beans.
Roasted Rosemary Garlic Sweet Potatoes
5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 4 1/2 pounds)
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt (coarse sea salt is preferred)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs
Toss together sweet potatoes, garlic, and olive oil in a large, lightly greased roasting pan; sprinkle with chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 450° for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and brown. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs
Thanks, Tamara! This is my kind of recipe! I will be making these…maybe even tonight! 🙂
Pam
I am so trying this! Sounds delish!
Beth, you said “I can do fat food.” Here’s the best, fattest pumpkin pie you will ever eat. It feels like silk in your mouth. The secret is the heavy cream. Don’t try to substitute milk or condensed milk. My sisters and I found this recipe years ago and we make no other pumpkin pie. I actually had a man in my church offer to pay me to make one for him to take to his family’s Thanksgiving this year.
Uncle Bud’s Creamy Pumpkin Pie
3 eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
Pastry
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
2-4 Tbsp. water
Prepare pastry dough. Cut butter into flour and salt until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water and mix with a fork until moist. Roll into circle on floured surface and place in 9-inch pie pan. In large bowl, beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored. Add sugar. Stir in cream and remaining ingredients. Pour into pie pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake 45 minutes more.
Of course, with a pie this good, it MUST be served with REAL whipped cream, not the stuff out of a can or Cool Whip. Just pour a carton of heavy whipping cream into a bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Add 2 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Serve with cooled pie.
ENJOY! and Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Mom’s put me on pie detail this year. I’ve only ever used the recipe on the back of the Libby’s can. Brown sugar and cream- it can’t get any better than that. I will be trying this one for sure.
This is the only recipe that for some reason I only make at Thanksgiving. We love so why I dont make it at other times is kinda weird uh?
Broccoli and Rice Casserole
1 package frozen broccoli
1 cup instant rice ( cooked )
1 can cream of celery soup
Mix well and pour into well buttered 7×11 pan. Dot w/ hunks of velveeta or cheddar cheese and butter. I usually but a 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each corner of the pan and in the middle. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes. Its really good to let the edges get crispy and this is a wonderful leftover as well so you want to double the recipe.
Jill,
My sister always makes this but she adds cheese to it, Cheese Wiz in fact. Just one jar. It makes it so much more creamier. Just a little food for thought.
Shonda
Ok, so I dont have the exact recipe (sorry) but my grandmas most favorite thing to make and one I miss dearly since her passing is called Apple Slices. Essentially this is a huge apple pie cooked in a cookie sheet and covered with vanilla icing. Served hot or cold, doesnt matter. The crust around the edges is the best. No one in the family has been able to duplicate it. Then again, can any of us when its one of those recipes of a pinch here, a pinch there and lots of grandmas loving?
My favorite recipe is one handed down from my great grandmother who was from “The Old Country”:
Kolachky
Ingredients:
1 8oz package of cream cheese
2 sticks of butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups of flour
powdered sugar
variety of pastry fillings (whatever you like. Jelly does not work well. It really needs to be thicker)
Soften cream cheese and butter then blend them together until they are creamy. Add the flour about 1/2 cup at a time. Divide the dough into 3 balls, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
When you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 350F
Take out the first ball of dough and let it soften just a bit. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough with a pastry roller or knife into two inch squares. In the center place a dollop of pastry fruit, nut or cheese filling. I use Solo brand fillings. Fold the opposite corners over toward the center and pinch them together to seal. The finished product will look like an elongated hexagon. Repeat this process until all are prepared. Makes about 4 to 5 dozen.
Bake on 350F for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them to a cooling rack and when they are cool sprinkle with powdered sugar.
They are some work, but, so worth the effort and make a great homemade gift.
Thanks to my “BaBa” this recipe (or some form of it) has survived generations and now my nieces are making it.
Enjoy!
YUM…I wonder if Paula Deen is related to you?? Butter & Cream Cheese!!! I think I’ll try this one 🙂
If you do, let me know what you and your family think.
I forgot to put where I live. I am in Virginia now.
I truly wish I would have come up with this recipe, but alas, it’s from the great Paula Deen! It is divine!
Paula Deen’s Apple Cake (with caramel glaze)
Cake:
3 tablespoons sugar
3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 cups chopped apples (about 3 apples)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 325°F Grease 10″ tube pan,
combine 3 Tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, coat pan with sugar mixture.
Mix flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; set aside. Beat oil and sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then stir in apples and vanilla. Add flour mixture until blended; stir in pecans and raisins.
Transfer to pan and then drop and shake the pan to release bubbles.
Bake 1 1/2 hours – 1 3/4 hours until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack 15 minutes
Topping:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
Heat all ingredients together over medium heat; Bring to boil, stirring constantly; Let boil for about 2 minutes; Pour over warm cake. (I just spoon some out over each serving.)
Happy cooking! I can’t wait to try your recipes!
Whoo hoo! A cooking post I LOVE this. I will be scouring these posts as I am in charge of making the pies at the convent – i have to make 6 or 7 of them!! I want something besides the obligatory pumpkin and pecan!
OK – probably all of you have this recipe. It my FAVORITE potato dish of all time.
Hash Brown Potato Casserole (aka Party Potatoes)
Preheat oven to 350
2lbs frozen hash browns -thawed enough so they aren’t a solid mass (I like ore-ida)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of onion so the dish is vegetarian-friendly)
1 c milk
1 c sour cream
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
mix the above together very well (use your hands its great fun -kids love this part). Put into a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
Topping
2 cups gently crushed corn flakes (we don’t want corn flake powder!)
1/2 c melted butter
Mix together well and put on top of the potato mixture in casserole dish. This is best part of the dish so be generous!
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Sister Lynn, this is a favorite at our house too! Our Aggies were all home for the OU game(that ended at 10 PM!). Our DIL decided she wanted some ‘yummy potatoes’ for a midnight snack!! They’re great ANYTIME! Enjoy the blessings of Thanksgiving!
Oh Sister Lynn-
I wish I was closer. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to bake and God has recently showed me that I can bake to my hearts content and not eat it all or feed it all to my diabetic husband! He has seriously place a calling on us to bake every chance we get for a group or crowd of people, then we still get to enjoy the baking and don’t have to feel “obligated” to eat it all! I so wish I could help you prepare for pie detail this year sweet girl!
In Him,
Andrea
Love this topic! Not loving the mint chocolate chip gum, tho. But I’m an ice cream purist. I need regular flavors and for those flavors to stay in the ice cream family – not translate to stuff like gum. Thankyouverymuch.
Here’s my non-ice-cream-flavored recipe. Someone praise Jesus over that. 😉 And it’s EASY to make – because I’m all about the simple, too. 🙂 But don’t ask Fran Thomas if these are any good – she’s convinced that green beans were designed to kill all of humanity.
Green Bean Bundles
Ingredients –
Fresh Green Beans – cut into 4″ pieces
Olive Oil
Bacon – cut the strips in half
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Take 6 or 7 green beans and gather them together. Wrap a 1/2 piece of bacon around and around the bundle and lay on a baking sheet with the end of the bacon tucked under. Drizzle with olive oil (not too much – the bacon has enough grease in it), and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake at 350 until the bacon is crispy. Thank the dear Lord for inventing bacon to wrap vegetables in. Amen.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I’m so thankful for this community!
Robyn – Birmingham (aka The Ham), Alabama
PS, See you at DS Bham! 🙂
Robyn,I got a great chuckle out of your commentary!
xo