Ah, Fall is Here! And the Eating Season is Upon Us!

That means goodness is coming.  Here in Texas, the summer heat can be brutal and I always welcome the first real cold front.  Much like all weather in Texas, we never know when it will come, but I am ready whether it is closer to the beginning of November or at the end.  Fall means root vegetables and comfort food. Thanksgiving is always about tradition for us.  We always fry our turkeys, we always have cornbread dressing and giblet gravy, and we always have buttermilk pie.  As much as I love our traditions, I also enjoy trying new dishes to mix it up a bit.  Here are some of the dished I make every Thanksgiving. 


One year, my nephew raved about the Loaded Mashed Potatoes.  Ever since then, my mother requests them every year.



3 1/2 - 4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

8 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, divided

1/2 bunch green onions, sliced

Place potatoes in saucepan, and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Cook until tender, then drain well.  Preheat oven to 375° degrees F.   Transfer potatoes back to the saucepan. Masher with a potato masher until almost smooth.  I have used a ricer to get them ultra smooth. Add cream cheese, sour cream, butter, milk, salt and pepper. Continue mashing until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and half the bacon. Spoon mixture evenly into a lightly oiled 3-quart casserole dish.  Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese, bacon and green onions. Bake for 5 more minutes to melt cheese. Serve immediately.   Serves 8

 

 

 

Being a good southern girl, I love cornbread dressing with my turkey. 

 

 

1/2 bag herb-seasoned stuffing, preferably Pepperidge Farm

1/2 bag cubed stuffing, preferably Pepperidge Farm
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, divided
2 cups finely chopped sweet onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
5 cups chicken or turkey stock
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons dried sage

1 teaspoons thyme
Salt and pepper

 

I cheat and make up a double batch of Jiffy Cornbread Mix in a skillet. 

The cornbread can be made up to 2 days in advance when using for the dressing. Store until needed, then crumble and follow instructions for the dressing.

For the cornbread dressing, preheat oven to 350°F.
Crumble the cornbread into small pieces (makes about 5 cups). Combine the crumbled cornbread and stuffing mix in an extra large mixing bowl (or stock pot) and toss to combine.
Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 10 to12 minutes. Add the onion and celery to the cornbread mixture.
Melt the remaining stick of butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, chicken stock, eggs, and sage, and whisk to combine. Add to the cornbread mixture and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, until the dressing is set and golden brown, about 45 minutes to 50 minutes.

 

 

 

 

The most popular root vegetable for Thanksgiving has to be the sweet potato.  My southern mother taught me to make nothing else but Praline Sweet Potatoes.

 

 

3 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

TOPPING:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans                        

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons butter, melted

 

In a bowl, beat the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Combine topping ingredients until blended; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 4-6 servings.

 

 

 

 

As you can imagine I watch a lot of cooking television.  I watched Paula Deen cook Fried Green Bean Bundles one year, and I was mesmerized.  There is nothing healthy about them, but they are so good.  This one gets at least one request a year.  It's messing and time consuming, but so worth it!

 

 

 

1 pound fresh green beans

1 bunch green onions, cut into strips

2 tablespoons House Seasoning, recipe follows

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

Oil, for frying

 

Bundle about 5 green beans by tying in the center with a green onion strip. Combine house seasoning and flour. Dip green beans in buttermilk and roll into flour mixture. In a deep frying pan or Dutch oven, fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Makes 6-8 servings. 

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

 

 

 

 

A new favorite last year was roasted root vegetables.  I purchase a produce basket from a weekly produce club, and I have the privilege of getting to learn what certain items are and how to prepare them.  Celery root was one I received last year.

 

I know they look rather odd, but you can peel them and cut them up for some tasty dishes.  Last year, I put them together with other roasted root vegetables for a nice change for Thanksgiving.  Any vegetables can be used in this combination, not just the ones I have listed below.

 

 

3 pound celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

Kosher salt

1 large red onion

1 pound turnips

1 pound parsnips

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 

Place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 425 degrees F.
Toss the celery root with 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and salt to taste in a bowl. Pile onto a double layer of heavy-duty foil; bring the ends together and crimp closed to seal. Put the packet on another baking sheet and roast in the middle of the oven until almost tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss the rest of the root vegetables with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon paprika in a bowl; season with salt. Spread on the preheated baking sheet and roast until tender, about 35 minutes.
After the celery root has roasted for 25 minutes, open the foil and spread on the baking sheet; roast 15 more minutes. Toss with the other vegetables and parsley.  When everything is cooked, toss everything together in one large bowl.




Finally, my marvelous husband's grandmother always made buttermilk pies, so that's his number one request for the holidays.



2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon flour

Pinch of salt

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter, melted

1 unbaked deep dish pie crust shell

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and flour. Whisk in the eggs, 1at a time. Stir in the buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the pie shell and bake until the top is lightly browned and the center sets, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.



This year, we have been so busy with school and band activities that I will not be cooking the entire Thanksgiving dinner for all 22-27 of us.  We will still fry the turkeys, and make the dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and buttermilk pie.  It will be interesting to see what everyone else decides to bring.

Hummus-A 'Good Thing' I'm Happy to Share

I really like hummus.  My kids really like it, too.  I pack it as the entrée in my kids' lunches every other week with pita chips.  I have purchased Sabra brand hummus, to the tune of $3.99 plus a container, when I have been in a rush and unable to make it myself.  When time has allowed, I have made a batch for us to eat, but I have always been disappointed in the texture.  My hummus always seemed grainy, where the ones I purchased from the grocery store were so smooth.  Over the years, I have tried recipe after recipe but I never found one that reaped creamy, smooth hummus.  I finally decided that a little research was in order, if I was ever going to find out why the ones at the store were so much better.

It didn't take me long to find the answer either.  I read two different blogs in a very short amount of time that stated the trick is to peel the outer layer of the bean off before grinding them.  I decided that if two people said it, there must be something to it.  I drained two cans of chickpeas, reserving the liquid to use later in the recipe.  I was hopeful that I could just squeeze the beans and the outer "skin" would just come off.  Although many of the beans were easier than others, most of them didn't just peel right off and it took a long time to get to all the beans.  I didn't actually clock it, but I know I was at it for an entire movie and then some.  Two hours of my time can be quite valuable, or expensive if that description can apply here.  Nevertheless, I persevered and peeled them all.  I placed them in the food processor and pulsed them until they become powdery crumbs.  I scraped the sides down, and pulsed it another four to five times.  I added one cup of purchased tahini, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, and more than 1/2 cup reserved chickpea canned packing water.  I blended everything together in the food processor until completely mixed and creamy.  I had pita bread left over from gyros I made earlier in the week, so I heated it up and used it to dip in the hummus.  Yum!! 

I have a recipe to make homemade naan, so that may be my next adventure.


So, to recap:

2 cans 15-ounce chickpeas, drained and peeled
1 cup tahini paste
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
4 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon table salt, or more to taste
Approximately 1/2 cup reserved chickpea canned water, more to reach the creamy texture you desire

Grind the chickpeas until powdery crumbs.  Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, and blend.  Add reserved water until desired texture is achieved.  Add any additional seasonings for taste you desire: paprika, basil, parsley...Makes 3 1/2 cups hummus.

If you never take the time to make this recipe, I hope that you appreciate the time it takes and how tasty it is!

Recipes for My Menus in the Previous Post

Hopefully, you read my last post about my menu planning.  I have finished finding initial recipes for the entrees I compiled. 

Poultry:
Grilled chicken quarters
Crockpot chicken tacos
Crockpot chicken thighs
Freezer chicken parmesan
Crockpot chicken and dumplings

Beef:
Meatloaf
Ground beef tacos
Salisbury steaks
Burgers
Sloppy joes

Seafood:
Fish tacos
Parmesan tilapia
Lemon pepper white fish
Fish sandwiches
Dill salmon

Pasta:
Spaghetti
Soup and sandwich (best quick soup for the money)
Mixed vegetable pasta bake
Crockpot lasagna
Soup and salad

Pork:
Crockpot pork chops
Smoked sausage (my new favorite, recipes on website)
BLT wraps
Ham and cheese sliders
Gyros

Vegetarian:
Tomato pie
Stromboli
Baked potatoes
Cheese enchiladas
Quesadillas

Beans:
Crunchy black bean tacos
Turkey chili
Black bean burgers
Charro beans
Red beans and rice


I know these are not all the healthiest.  Where possible, I substitute better ingredients.  Some of these are just plain good because they are "comfort" foods.  Like I mentioned in the last blog, I choose sides based on what I get in my Bountiful Basket, what I have on hand in the freezer and pantry, and I almost always have the fixins' for salad.

If you are strapped for time and ideas, I hope that these help you out, too.  Check back for new ideas and recipes.

No Money and No Time Makes Shauna Go Something, Something, Something....

Go crazy? Don't mind if I do!

Over the past year, two things have happened that have rocked my world.  We had some financial situations and obligations pile up, and I went back to work.  For fourteen year, I was used to planning a menu and having time to shop of the better deals on food.  I was used to having all day to get dinner ready.  Luckily, I'm also used to cooking more than one meal in a day.

Since I work while the kids are in school, and I haul them all around town the rest of the time, I don't have a lot of time to cook and clean anymore.  Since I am only working in order to eliminate the debts that have suddenly popped up, I have resorted to cooking less gourmet meals.  My new mean plan includes less expensive ideas and ingredients, but is also fairly easy to prepare some items ahead of time...on cooking day.  This will continue to be a plan in progress, but I have come up with my first month...for September.  It just might repeat itself all year.

My plan was relatively simple. First, I made seven categories: beef, pork, beans, vegetarian, pasta, seafood, and poultry.  I assigned these categories to a day of the week.  In my case, Sunday is beef, Monday is pork, Tuesday is beans, Wednesday is vegetarian, Thursday is pasta, Friday is seafood, and Saturday is poultry.  Secondly, I chose five easy to prepare and less expensive entrees for each category.  I included recipes that cook quickly or in a crockpot.  I also tried to choose entrees that can be prepared on Saturday or Sunday and keep well in the refrigerator or freezer all week until needed. 
Thirdly, I also pack the girls lunch instead of having them buy in the school cafeteria.  It would definitely make my life easier if they could eat at school, but for now we need to save the money.  Ugh!  Anyway, I chose ten quick to fix entrees, especially those that can be prepared ahead of time.  These ten entrees just repeat over and over for the whole year.  Although it can get boring, at least there are ten things to choose from instead of just a sandwich everyday.  Lastly, the girls are dropped off at school at 6:25am for band practice.  Neither of them are early breakfast eaters.  I chose light, easy to eat on the run foods, expect for Saturday.  Typically on Saturday, we eat later in the morning, so instead of lunch, we eat dinner earlier...I know, like old people!

When I had my 35 entrees chosen, I created a simple menu to plug them into, along with school lunch and simple, on-the-go breakfasts for the girls.  I have only chosen the entrees because I rely on freezer stocked sides and what I get in my Bountiful Basket each week to complete the meals.  The girls lunch usually has a fruit cup, cheese stick, juice pouch, chips, snack cracker or mix, and cookies.  Having a plan is half my battle every day!

I have compiled my menu and looked up recipes to find the easiest and least expensive ways to cook them.  I am working on my grocery list next.

 



So, here's my plan so far.  I hope to much better financially in a couple of months.  I think I will really mix cooking fancy after a while.  I hope the simplicity will make it easier on me while I am working!