This simmered in the background while we played with James and enjoyed our Christmas lights.
This was a great soup. I'm so glad there is leftovers of the leftovers!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Turkey, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
Still working on leftovers. We used most of the leftover turkey in this soup. Soups are my FAVE. We needed to pick up mushrooms (baby bellas), more broth, and an onion.
Roasted Potatoes, Chicken Sausage, and Peppers
Finally. I am into late November now. I made this easy meal on the day before Thanksgiving, after a full day of Thanksgiving prep. This meal was just chopping and roasting.
We enjoyed this but both agreed that it lacked something. A sauce? Some kind of moisture.
We do really like this sausage. It was chicken sausage with gouda cheese and apples. Precooked. So after this meal we had extra sausages and Jim has sliced and heated them through as a side with scrambled eggs. Yum.
Baked Chicken Stuffed with Pesto and Cheese
I forgot that I had pesto frozen from my basil plants this summer. I did use jarred pesto and it was just fine. I don't have a meat pounder but I tried to get the chicken as flat as I could. I only managed to fold it once over and not in a roll. It was still good.
Oh, I also used panko crumbs instead of ground almonds. I guess for this recipe I was just stealing the idea of it and not the actual recipe.
The pesto and cheese filling was good. This one will definitely be made again.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
A co-worker was having a birthday and they had a lunch party for her. I offered to bring cupcakes. And then it turned out that I couldn't even attend the lunch but I sent the cupcakes with someone else. They loved them :)
I've wanted to make a peanut butter and chocolate combo for a while, but it's not one that gets requested often so when I had free rein to make "anything" I picked these.
The peanut butter frosting was FABULOUS. Seriously, fabulous. Peanut butter and cream cheese? YES PLEASE!
The peanut butter filling tasted like the inside of a Reese's peanut butter cup. It was pretty firm, I wished it was a bit fluffier but it was fine. Delicious.
Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Another crockpot recipe! Jim did make this one on his own. All of it. It turned out wonderfully! The glaze was awesome- sweet, flavorful, and a little sour from the balsamic? Again, I'm trying to remember details from too long ago (11/4).
Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken
I love these crockpot meals. I sometimes start them before I leave for work or I leave the work to my dear work-at-home husband. He does awesome work.
I think Jim did make this meal. This is way back from 11/1 so it's hard to remember. I know I did make the BBQ sauce the night before and left the recipe out for Jim.
It was good! We love these crockpot meals. I don't feel as rushed to come home and hurry a meal together for a decent time. (We like to eat at 5:30, and I get home with James at about 5:00. So RR's 30 minute meals would be handy but I don't like her style of food.)
Anyway...
Roasted brussel sprouts rounded out the meal.
Cheddar Corn Chowder
I love soups. I love Brown Eyed Baker soups.
I love corn. And potatoes. And bacon. And white cheddar. So this soup is for ME! It was velvety smooth and hearty.
It also froze very nicely so we had plenty of freezer bags for quick lunches.
DIY Lipton Soup Mix
I try and use fresh and natural when I can. A few of our favorite recipes have called for Lipton Soup Mix. You just have to know that it's full of chemicals, preservatives, and sodium.
So this is better. A homemade mixture of spices, with questionable bouillon powder but what are you going to do? It's a low sodium kind.
And it tastes the same! We've used in a few recipes, like our standard potroast, and it's been great.
Salted Caramel Mochas
I had a Salted Caramel at Starbucks last month and I gagged. I am officially a food snob in all areas. I did NOT like their salted caramel. It was very artificial and too sweet tasting.
When I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew I could make it. I made my usual Salted Caramel sauce, bought the hot chocolate mix from Starbucks, made coffee as usual, and whipped up some heavy cream for whipped cream.
AHHHHHHHHHH!
Heavenly. Indulgent. I need to make it again soon!
Crockpot French Onion Soup
I'm going backwards to October, looking through the food pictures that I never did blog about. This is an easy crockpot soup that we did enjoy. Jim loves French Onion soup and this came from one of my new favorite blogs, so I thought I'd give it a try.
Turns out I love Gruyere cheese!
I thought this soup was pretty sweet. I mean, literally. Is that normal for French Onion soup? I don't know. I dont' think I've ever really ordered it from a restaurant.
Jim did enjoy it. I don't know if we'll make it again because it would have to be a very definite craving on my part... and honestly I enjoy other soups so much more. I am glad I made it though.
Dulce de Pumpkin Pie
I've been craving pumpkin pie. So I made one. I am sick but I managed to get out of bed/my funk for this one :) Pumpkin pies are really easy, especially if you used a prepared crust. I think this is "cheating" but it was okay for today.
So instead of using evaporated milk you use "dulce de leche" for this filling. The canned dulce de leche is found in the Mexican food aisle. It is basically just really thick caramel sauce. Yum.
So instead of using evaporated milk you use "dulce de leche" for this filling. The canned dulce de leche is found in the Mexican food aisle. It is basically just really thick caramel sauce. Yum.
The pie tasted a bit darker than the usual pumpkin pie, but it was very good. I think it will be even better tomorrow after we let it set completely. We ate it while it was warm.
Sir James did NOT like it. Stinker. Is he really my son if he doesn't like pumpkin pie??! JK!
Kiki, real whipped cream! :)
Friday, November 25, 2011
Gobble until you Wobble!
My Thanksgiving plate: Herb Roasted Turkey with Sage Gravy, Double Bread Stuffing with Brown Butter, Bacon and Sage, Squash, Green Bean Casserole, PW Mashed Potatoes, and Cranberry Sauce.
The Tauer family came over for Thanksgiving. To prep we made these cute Oreo turkeys the night before. James enjoyed putting the parts together :)
The Tauer family came over for Thanksgiving. To prep we made these cute Oreo turkeys the night before. James enjoyed putting the parts together :)
We put a turkey at each place setting. James helped! It was also a good way to prepare James for guests. He knew who was coming over and he was excited for them to see his turkeys.
We needed to break out a card table. I was determined that this wouldn't be a "kid's table" Kara (college student) isn't a kid! I knew I would be insulted to be called a kid at that age :)
Oh there's Kara, relaxing on the massage chair. I went downstairs to give the 10 minute warning for food and found lots of fun in the basement. Massage chair...
Video games...
Wild claw!
Pool.
I am SO THANKFUL for this little boy.
This ended up being the "Cool Table".
The turkey before (with lots of herbed butter)-
And after!
I tackled yeast again. Buttery Cloverleaf rolls.
THE BEST Green Bean Casserole. The mushroom sauce was killer. We think we might need to make some and just eat it as SOUP.
Double Bread Stuffing with Brown Butter, Bacon and Sage. You just can't go wrong with my favorite breads- cornbread and sourdough... Mmmmmmmm. And hello? BACON!
I didn't get a picture of Laura's squash. It's pictured on my plate above!
Simple cranberry sauce.
Roger and Linda brought Wild Rice Soup.
They also brought dessert- apple pie and pumpkin trifle (layered with gingerbread, pumpkin pudding, cool whip).
Again, I didn't get many pictures with family but here is James saying goodbye to Grandma Laura. He was pretty cranky towards the end so I'm glad she got a hug :)
We are thankful for so much! Thank you Familia :)
Click here for the stolen recipe for Thanksgiving Pioneer-Style Herb Roasted Turkey with Sage Gravy.
Click here for the stolen recipe for Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes. I didn't end up baking the potatoes but while they were still hot I put them in the crockpot to keep warm.
We also served Ginger Tea Lemonade. Yum. Click here for the stolen recipe for Ginger Tea Lemonade. Jim is becoming the Master of GTL!
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