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.
Southwestern Quiche
Simple, but delicious quiche.
8 large eggs
2 1/2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
12 slices bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
Pillsbury pie crust (or you can make your own)
Canola or vegetable oil
Sour cream, tomatoes and chives for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 375.
Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (easy cleanup) and cook bacon in oven at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Take out of oven and set aside on paper towels to cool. Reset oven to 425 degrees.
Line a deep dish quiche pan with the pie dough, pushing it all the way to the top of the pan, but it shouldn’t hang over like a pie. (You don’t need to spray down or butter the pan, but you can).
Next, saute chopped onions and red bell pepper in 1-2 tbp oil until onions are translucent and peppers are tender.
While onions and pepppers are sauteing, coarsely chopped bacon and shred pepper jack cheese.
Spread sauteed onions and peppers onto dough lined pan, then layer bacon on top. Whisk together eggs, cream, salt and cayenne pepper. Pour on top of bacon. This should fill the pan almost to the top. Bake in oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then turn down heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 40-45 minutes or until a knife can be inserted and comes out clean. Let quiche sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Garnish as desired.
Marci, what great timing! I was away for the weekend, and while there a friend asked me if I could bring some quiches to a holiday function for our PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) – I didn’t have a quiche recipe I like and was inwardly groaning about having to look one up. I signed on to the blog this morning, and your recipe was top of the page! Thank you Lord (and Marci) for saving me all kinds of time!
This recipe is so easy and so comforty and yummy it will be a tradition every holiday. The hardest part is chopping and sauteing the onion and bell pepper in butter. Everything else you just dump in a big bowl and stir. You HAVE to try it !! If not now, some day.
JoAnn in Houston, TX
Amy’s Corn Casserole
1 can yellow creamed corn
1 can yellow whole kernel corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
½ pt sour cream
½ bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
8 oz Cheddar cheese grated
1 stick butter
Sauté pepper and onion in butter. In large bowl combine corn (with liquid from cans), drained Rotel tomatoes, eggs, corn bread mix, sour cream and sautéed mixture. Stir well. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle on grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done in middle.
I make this, but hadn’t seen tomatoes included. It is my all-time favorite recipe and I could eat it all by myself. I will try it with the tomatoes – sounds yummier.
The rotel tomatoes add just a touch of firey goodness. Just what us Texans LOVE !!!! And, I agree, I could eat it all be myself too.
I’m from Southern Illinois and am most definitely NOT a cook, but here’s a recipe for a simple salad that I love and always gets great reviews. I’ll write the recipe as it was given to me, but I don’t really measure anything except for the dressing ingredients (and I usually double the recipe for that to make sure I have plenty of dressing. . . with maybe a little left over to just put on another salad for myself later!).
5 cups of baby spinach
5 cups of Iceberg lettuce, torn
1/3 cup cashew pieces
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 large (or 2 small) Granny Smith apple
Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Combine spinach and lettuce. Top with cashews and golden raisins. Mix the dressing ingredients together. Cut the apple into bite-sized pieces and add them to the dressing. Wait until right before serving to add the dressing with apples to the salad mixture.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Siesta’s sorry I am late to the recipe party but this one is a keeper you must try IF you like homemade German Chocolate Cake.
German Chocolate Cake
1/2 cup boiling water
1 bar (4 oz.) Baker Sweet German Chocolate
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Coconut-Pecan Frosting
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 round layer pans, 8 or 9 x 1 1/2 inches, or 2 square pans, 8x8x2 or 9x9x2 inches. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper or spray with baking pam. In small bowl, pour boiling water over chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted; set aside to cool.
In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. On low speed, blend in chocolate and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition until batter is smooth. Fold in egg whites. Divide batter among pans.
Bake 8-inch round layers 35-40 minutes, 9-inch round layers 30-35 minutes, 8-inch squares 45-50 minutes, 9-inch squares 40-45 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. Cool. Fill layers and frost top of cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting. (Double Frosting recipe if you really like Frosting to be sure there is enough)
Coconut-Pecan Frosting
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick, about 12 minutes. Stir in coconut and pecans. Beat until thick enough to spread.
Happy Thanksgiving, Siestas, from Decatur, AL!
This recipe is from The Home Show in the early 1990’s, which I watched when my kids were very young. It was a great resource for a then SAHM like me (especially loved the crafts segments with Carol Duvall). Mrs. Fields shared and prepared this recipe herself on the show. I quickly jotted down the ingredients, tried it, and it became a fall family tradition. Hope y’all enjoy them as much as we do!
Pumpkin Harvest Cookies
From the kitchen of Melanie Holmes via Mrs.Fields
*Yield: About 3 dozen
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, @ room temperature
1 1/2 c. (packed) dark brown sugar [light is ok, too]
1 c. solid-packed unsweetened pumpkin puree [not pie mix]
2 large eggs, @ room temperature
1 Tbl. vanilla extract [the real stuff, not imitation]
10 oz. white chocolate, chopped [I use 1 bag white chocolate chips instead]
1 c. chopped pecans, toasted [My family prefers I leave these out]
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F
In a small bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda.
In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually add in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate (and pecans, if desired).
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until just set. Do not overcook. This is a soft cookie. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
After cooling, place waxed paper between layers to store; freezes well, too.
Happy Thanksgiving my wonderful Siestas.
And to you Moores, Jones, Fizpatricks May your day be truly blessed as you sit down with your large family.
Love,
Kelly
I’m sorry I’m a week late with this! I got thrown all off schedule last week with a terrible rash on both thighs which turned out to be SPIDER BITES according to my doctor! They are on the back of my legs so was hard to sit at the computer for very long. (I must have sat on the spider!!!) Anyway, I’ve been on medication and I’m much better now. Thanking God often for His healing touch!
Here’s a quick and simple but delicious dessert recipe that many of you may already make. I take it to church suppers all the time because it’s such a hit and I never bring any leftovers home with me!
Chocolate Eclair Dessert
1 box graham crackers
3 cups cold milk
1 (8 oz) bowl Cool Whip, thawed
2 (3 oz) pkgs. vanilla instant pudding mix
1 can milk chocolate icing
Put a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9X13″ pan. In another bowl, mix pudding and milk with whisk for 2 minutes. Then fold in Cool Whip. Pour half of pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Put another layer of graham crackers over this. Add rest of pudding mixture. Top with another layer of graham crackers. Take foil seal off top of frosting and heat frosting in microwave for 1 minute or less….just until it is barely warm and spreadable. Stir frosting a time or two with fork and then pour over graham crackers. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight before serving.
The first time I took this to church our pastor asked me for the recipe. When I gave it to him he said…”That’s it? Wow! I thought it would be some very involved recipe by the way it tastes so great!”
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
Marilyn…in Mississippi
I’m way late but this is super yummy and SOOO easy- it’s become a must at our holiday gatherings!
Pumpkin Dip
16 oz cream cheese (best to do regular, not low fat)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 can pumpkin
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and blend until creamy. Serve with favorite cookies- gingersnaps (store bought or homemade) are our favorite. This makes ALOT and can be frozen in ziploc bags to use again and again at holiday parties. We always get rave reviews on this even from people who claim not to be big pumpkin fans.
I made this the night before Thanksgiving. It is delicious. We dipped Ginger Snaps in it. Thanks for sharing.
Jan
Dear Kelli~
This awesome Pumpkin Dip recipe is made in heaven! I’m doing two adult Sunday School Christmas buffet parties here at my house – one this weekend and the other the weekend after next! I’ll be using this and you can get the most delicious thin Gingersnap cookies at Costco to compliment this dip. Thanks again and again!
A grateful siesta,
Pam H.
Ah, leave it to da Joybreaks to be a week late and a dollar short! Howza bout a FIVE STAR Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake? I have one in the oven now, and I confess, it’s my first one. 🙂
God bless you all as you pig out and then repent. lol Just messing wif ya! Be sure to take Joy Breaks along the way. Love Y’all!
Carol in AL
Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
3.Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.
Happy Thanksgiving from Madrid, Spain! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these amazing recipes, in spite of the fact that it is nearly impossible to find Pillsbury pie crust, pumpkin pie mix, Cool whip, corn syrup, Andes Candies (long live Delavan, Wisconsin, let alone a turkey at this time of year in Spain. I am taking a break after boiling pumpkin to make pumpkin pie—yes, I know it’s painful–from scratch. Most ex-pats here will prepare Thanksgiving meals on Saturday, so our Spanish familes can celebrate with us. I had the privilege to attend a Thanksgiving church service today. Can you picture a group of Americans of all faiths celebrating Thanksgiving in a British Anglican church in Spain? Praise God, He knows no boundaries, and His blessings are graciously bestowed on all who love Him, regardless of where we are in the world. In a severe time of economic turmoil, those of us who are able to celebrate the day with a special meal are still among the most blessed in the world. May we always give Him thanks for the food set before us!
Happy Thanksgiving TO Madrid, Spain! We’re so glad you’re on here! Blessings to all of you and we’ll look forward to hearing more from you.
Ok I know I am so late and I do no see this recipe posted yet, so forgive me if I missed it! This is my kids FAVORITE dessert and so easy. But there is a catch. You have to live in Blue Bell Country. Beth – this is right up your alley with your precious grandchildren and your, uh, shall we say, love of the simple recipes to allow time to do more important things than cook! 🙂
Peppermint Ice Cream Cake
1 gallon Blue Bell Peppermint Ice Cream (seasonal-just came out this week-yea!)
Take this out of freezer and let it soften. Line a 13 x 9 with crushed Oreos. Spread the ice cream over top of the Oreos, Drizzle chocolate sauce on the top. Cover and re-freeze an hour or two and then enjoy!!!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
I know I’m more than a day late, but I’ve got to share this yummy recipe…maybe someone could use it next year, for Thanksgiving and I did get raves over it:
Yam Souffle
3 medium sized yams, either baked or boiled (then cool and peel) and chop
1 large egg beaten
1/2 c. milk
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
Use a potatoe masher and mash up the chopped yams, then I use a whisk and beat and beat until smooth and consistency of pumpkin pie. Pour into round souffle dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until set. Yummy!
Hugs,
Pam H.
Buena Park, CA
Okay, I finally had a chance to scroll most of these, and I have a feeling many will be coming back, soooo…I am going to bless you with a recipe “just in time” for Christmas. Trust me..you’ll thank me later. This is my mom’s homemade cornbread/chicken dressing. It is da best of da bestest! Mom passed away in ’93 and I miss her dearly. She was Moroccan, but the interesting thing was that she married my dad from Cottonwood, AL (I’m talking country!)and they took in my grandparents, along with the five children they eventually had (in a two bedroom little house, no less!) Anyway, “Big Mama” showed this to my mom and she showed it to me. Mom had to toss the couscous to get this going, and it is fine! I modified it “just a bit”…but it only made it better in my opinion.
Big Mama and Esther’s Dressing
1 fresh hen (I like to get it cut up at my butcher’s or I do it myself. Also, fresh turkey wings and turkey legs will do in a pinch, two of each).
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. Knorr bullion powder (or something similar)
2 or 3 boiled eggs
2 pat of butter
1 onion
1 stalk of celery
1 can of cream of chicken soup (that’s my modification)
White Lily Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix (must be this brand)
2 to 4 slices of toast
Wash hen or turkey legs/wings and then boil the doody outta that thang (or turkey). I’m talking about 4 good hours or longer. This is one of the secrets..getting the flavor out of that hen (or turkey). I use a stock pot and cover the hen with water.
Add salt, pepper and chicken bullion powder and 1 pat of butter at the beginning. Put a lid on it and let it cook on medium/high for about the first 1 1/2 and then turn it to med for the rest of the time.
While this is happening, make cornbread according to directions on back of White Lily Cornmeal Mix. I always make a double batch, and I use a cast iron skillet.
While I am mixing the cornmeal, I am letting the skillet get hot with about 2 tbsp. of veg oil. When the batter hits that skillet, it starts frying right away. If you double the recipe, use 2 skillets or 1 skillet and a 9×13 pan.
Boil your eggs to hard boil. Saute your chopped onion and celery in the second pat of butter until the onion glistens clear. Set aside. After everything cools down, start preparing your dressing pan. I use one of those big oval aluminum deep turkey roasting pans, or something similar. Chop your cornbread or tear it, and make your toast. Add it. Then chop your eggs in there. Add onion and celery. Add 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Chop up most of the hen breast meat in there, or if you are a dark meat person, add some of both (about equivalent to 1 1/2 cup or so). Check your broth for flavor. Add more Knorr and salt until you are satisfied. Don’t go overboard.
Now, here’s the real trick. When you pour your broth over it, mix all well and pour enough broth to make it “soupy.” If you don’t do this, it will be dry. Believe me, it will cook out. Now, you have two choices. You can freeze it (covered with foil) for a few days or cook right away.
Bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown all over, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you froze it, it will take about 2 hours and in that case, leave it covered for the first hour when cooking.
And that’s it. Serve with cranberry sauce and then slap yer granny! It’s that good! (Well, don’t slap her. Just give her a big ole sloppy wet kiss) 🙂 Lemme know how it turns out!
Blessings!
Carol in LA (Lower Alabama)
Carol,
I’m originally from Kinsey, AL (about 20 miles from Cottonwood)! This recipe sounds almost identical to my grandmother & mother’s recipe. They used Adams Fine Ground cornmeal and no bullion or celery (my daddy hated celery!). But the rest is identical!
I was tickled to death to see a fellow LA-er in Siestaville!
I actually spent Thanksgiving in Texas at my in-laws. We had stuffing made by the Seattle sister-in-law’s recipe. It was good, but not the same. Going to Alabama for Christmas. Can’t wait for some authentic LA haliday food!!
-Patty
Oh my goodness! I lived in Kinsey for 18 years during the births of my middle three children. I actually lived on the main drag (like Kinsey has a main drag, but if you know Kinsey, you will know exactly what I am talking about!) in that half stone half wooden house (unlike all the other generic houses on that road about 1/3 of a mile from the 4 way stop. Ain’t nuttin like Alabama. Only place I know where the joggers and walkers alike wave to all the drivers, even if we don’t know each other..lol God bless you, Patty!
Exceptional post. Will share on Facebook. I’m itching to get away on holiday now.