A Typical Thanksgiving Dinner at my House

Contribution by Hershel Vinson


We always have Thanksgiving dinner at home, with only very immediate family. This includes my two young kids, my mother and elderly father, and my brother and his wife. We like to keep the gathering simple and informal, although from time to time we do include other family members if they do not have anywhere to go. We eat a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, including the turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, potato salad, green beans, yams, rolls and various side dishes. For desert my mom always makes the regular pumpkin pie, along with some variety of cheesecake, and also a wonderful dish called pretzel jello salad. I do believe that is my favorite! It is a combination of jello, pretzels, whipped cream, strawberries, and sugar, and it is quite delicious. We pull out the good china and decorate the table for the occasion, as we like to make the room as decorative a possible for the festivities.

It would not be Thanksgiving without retiring to the living room to watch BestChoiceTV after such a big meal. We flip through the channels, usually arguing good-naturally over what to watch, although the channel usually stops on a football game. Which is usually just fine because many of my family take a short nap after such a full meal! Thanksgiving is very typical at my house sometimes!

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Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Ingredients
7 Manicotti shells
mozarella shredded cheese

Cheese Mixture
8 oz sausage cooked and crumbled1 tub cottage cheese or ricotta
3 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian Parsley
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Sauce (adapted from Progresso)
2 cans Diced Tomatoes 14.5 oz
medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
2 tsp sugar (to taste)
salt/pepper
3 tbsp olive oil

Garnish
Chopped fresh Italian Parsley


Directions
Preheat oven to 350.  In a pot cook your pasta according to box directions.  In a medium sauce pot or pan sautee your onion and garlic in the olive oil just until soft.  Add your tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then simmer for a few minutes.  When done put half of your sauce in a casserole dish (I used a 2.75 quart rectangular dish).  

Combine your cheese mixture in a bowl until well mixed.  In a quart size ziploc bag (or pastry bag) place your cheese mixture inside.  Cut a slit at one corner to allow you to stuff the shells easier.  It's okay if these tear just a bit when they cook they still come out tasting great!  I squeeze in the cheese mixture on one side then use my finger to push it toward the middle of the Manicotti and continue until stuffed well.  Place these on your sauce in the casserole dish.

Next pour remainder of sauce over Manicotti and about 1 cup of mozarella cheese over the Manicotti.  Cover and bake for about 40 minutes until the cheese is nice and melted.  Garnish with Italian Parsley if desired.

Recipe makes 7 stuffed Manicotti which can be doubled.  I made this for "date night" for hubs and I.  It's great alone, with wine, salad or garlic bread too.  The leftovers are just as delicious!

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Kitchen Items at Newegg!

Ever heard of Newegg?  It’s a really cool electronic site that my husband literally stalks.  He’s bought a couple of great items from there when the price is just right!  One was a flat screen monitor and the other was PC components so he could upgrade his PC for gaming.  However, I never knew that they sold kitchen items as well!

 

Newegg lists a ton of discount coupons, promotion codes and deals for many online stores and services.  With the Holidays fast approaching keep Newegg promo codes in mind for any electronic lover.  You can check out the current coupon codes daily or sign up for their email list.

When most people think electonics they don't always think of kitchen items.  Surprisingly with Newegg you can purchase crock pots, and other nifty items for the Holidays.  They have a cool selection of home items that I may even put some on my list this year.  The purchasing process is easy, shipping is great and you can even pay with paypal if you wish.  So whether you are searching for office deals, Newegg promo code, or best online coupons for electronics give Newegg a whirl! 

 Be sure to check out the latest Newegg consumer reviews with each product to determine you are indeed getting the best!  In addition with Newegg coupons there are frequent free shipping offers and clearance deals as well.  We couldn’t be more happier with Newegg and we are a loyal shopper.  It’s definitely an awesome site for anything electronic.

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Smiley Cookie Review

Custom Smiley Cookies make great favors for Holiday parties, baby showers, Thanksgiving get to-gethers and more!  You can match your Smiley Cookie colors to your event theme using the create your own feature.  These are perfect to bring a smile to any occasion even a get well!

These are available nationwide sent right to your doorstep.  Smiley Cookies bakes your cookies, ices them by hand, and then ships them the very same day for absolute freshness!  If you like that fresh baked oven feel then just pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds.  They will even come with a personal greeting!

I had the opportunity to review the Original Smiley Cookie  and I couldn't keep my family from gobbling them up.  They went fast!  They shipped fast and not one single cookie was broken!  With the Holidays fast approaching these would be a great gift idea or pick me up for that someone special. 

Black Friday Promotion: Valid from November 26-28
Save 25% on your SmileyCookie. com Order with Coupon Code 'BlackFriday25'.

Cyber Monday Promotion: Valid from November 29 - December 29
Buy 2 Dozen Smiley Cookies and Get 1 Dozen Free! Use Coupon Code 'Cyber2'.



There was no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not swayed by the items mentioned above.

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Pot - A - Cakes W/ Blueberry!

Another thing I love about the Fall/Winter season are all the spectacular Warm and Gooey desserts and or breakfasts!!  One of my personal downfalls is blueberry so I knew when I received Lucky Leaf's pie filling in the mail and was asked to try their award winning recipes that the Pot-A-Cakes made none other than with Blueberry pie filling, was going to be comfort all the way for me!


This recipe is set for individual servings in Ramekins which you can see and print here however I used the one dish version which I will share with you.  This recipe is way easier than it seems and doesn't take long at all to get it ready to bake!

Ingredients

1 21 ounce can Lucky Leaf Premium Blueberry Pie Filling
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 4 serving size  (3.4 ounces) of French vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/3 cup whipping cream
1 17.4 to 18.3 ounce package cinnamon streusel quick bread mix
2/3 cup water
2 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spread pie filling in a 3 quart rectangular baking dish.  I used a casserole size dish like you would for lasagna. 
2. In a large bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Beat in pudding mix.  Gradually beat in whipping cream until well combined (mixture will be thick). Spoon evenly over pie filling.
3. In another large bowl combine quick bread mix, water, eggs, and oil. Stir until combined but slightly lumpy.  Spoon 1/2 the batter into your dish and sprinkle with half of streusel or all but 1/4 cup.  Spoon remaining batter and sprinkle with the rest of the streusel.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Cool slightly and drizzle with icing (recipe below).

Icing - If you quick bread does not contain an icing packer (mine didn't), in a small bowl combine 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.  If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make drizzling consistency.

Serves 8

Keep this in mind around the Holidays!  I'm thinking this would make a great dish for when you have company coming over.   This recipe is easy to bake, warm and gooey. You've got to try it!

Have a lovely recipe you want to show off?  You too can enter the 2nd annual Made with Love Recipe contest!  Contest begins Nov 2, 2010 and ends February 28, 2011.  So get baking!



I received Lucky Leaf Pie Filling to try award winning recipes using the brands pie filling.  The opinions expressed are100%  my own.

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Menu Plan Monday

Sneak Peak at last week's menu plan - Kielbasa Sausage with Peppers and Onions..yum!

Monday - Tacos

Tuesday - Quick Mac n cheese (box) with peas and tuna

Wednesday - Something Easy....Macaroni Grill box Chicken Dinner maybe....

Thursday - THANKSGIVING!! 


Line Up:
Oven Turkey in a bag
Homemade Mac n Cheese
Homeade Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Corn
Stuffing
Deviled Eggs
Broccoli Casserole
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
Turkey Gravy


Dessert
Apple Pie (my fav)
Chocolate Pie


(Not enough of us eat pumpkin or pecan pie around here)

Friday- Leftover Buffet ;)

Saturday - Sausage Quiche

Sunday - open

What about you, what's on your menu?!

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Mr. Food Thanksgiving Feast eCookbook FREE!

Sign up for the Mr. Food Recipe eNewsletter and receive "Mr. Food Thanksgiving Feasts" eCookbook free featuring 47 pages of favorite Thanksgiving recipes. 

I grew up watching him as a kid!  No doubt he comes up with some great looking recipes.  The ones in the ebook are quick and easy, no-fuss recipes to make your Thanksgiving day feast special.  From meal starters to desserts and leftovers and everything in between!

In addition it has stunning colorful pictures and step-by-step instructions for easy recipes like Sweet Potato Biscuits (page 13), Classic Roast Turkey (page 20), Turkey Frame Soup (page 37), and lots more.

As Mr. Food says everyday on TV...
Ooh It's So Good!!

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Show Your Helping Hand + Giveaway

To raise awareness about the national issue of hunger, Hamburger Helper is partnering with GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and actor Tim McGraw to help Feeding America deliver millions of meals to local food banks through the Show Your Helping HandTM campaign.

Support the campaign by submitting codes from specially marked boxes of Hamburger Helper at www.showyourhelpinghand.com  or by logging on to make a donation.



You can also enter a giveaway for a Helping Hand Prize Pack HERE in which $10 will be donated on your behalf!

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Karo Holiday Cookie Exchange

The holidays are a time for whipping up treasured recipes to share with our friends and family and indulging in all of our favorite confections. With the happiest time of the year closing near it's even on Santa's wishlist! Whether you bond with your family over a batch of gingerbread men or gift all of your goodies, cookies are the sweetest way to ring in the season. 

That's why Karo is giving baking enthusiasts everywhere the chance to share their best cookie and cookie bar recipes with their new Cookie Exchange Application on Facebook. The app allows you to submit your own recipe, let your friends know you've entered and vote and comment on your favorites.  It will be up until January 4th to give you plenty of time to get your recipes in.

By participating, you create a "living cookbook" to encourage baking and cookie exchanging all year long. Plus, you could win amazing prizes from Cadco, KitchenAid, Williams-Sonoma, Vollrath® and CookieCutter.com!

Hoping your holidays are sweet and delicious, just like your favorite cookie recipe!





* Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win an ACH prize package in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.

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Menu Plan Monday

I usually get away with not cooking much on the weekends.  My MIL usually cooks up something (in large amounts) so we normally just end up eating at her place.  So I get a nice break on the weekends.  She made yummy Vegetable Soup from scratch and a Fruit salad with grapes, pineapple, and cream cheese.
 

Monday - Kielbasa Sausage with Green Beans and Cornbread

Tuesday - Cincinnati Chili

Wednesday - Stuffed Manicotti with Sausage and Cheese

Thursday -Baked Salmon with Dill and Lemon

Friday- In the Air

Saturday - MIL usually makes dinner

Sunday - Taco Salad for Football

What about you, what's on your menu?!

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Fruit Salad (Home Ec Style)

My "tweenie" has been taking home ec for the first time and has not only come home with mad skills in sewing (thanks to Grandma) and frying eggs but is also excited about it!

Anyway, I was very impressed with some of the things they were making and bringing home.  From breads to what my post is about fruit salad.

Last night hubs decided he wanted a dessert and well I didn't feel up to it at that point since I had just finished eating dinner and had a full belly.  But, tweenie who is always up for dessert decided to take matters into her own hands.  Tweenie whipped up a yummy fruit salad (from home ec class) only  didn't measure, and improvised on the fruit based on what we had on hand and it was such a hit.

Here's the low down on what went in the fruit salad.

Honey Crisp Apples cored and chopped
Sweet seedless red grapes
Dole Mandarin Oranges (cups or can)
Sweet Tangerines + the Juice

Lemon Juice (eyeballed)

Doesn't that look pretty darn refreshing?!

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Swiss Green Beans

I first had this dish at a church function and loved it to pieces.  It reminds me of Green Bean Casserole (the one with Campbells soup and French's Onions).   After asking how she did it, I tired recreating it.  Of course it's not exactly like hers was but it's still good and I've even added mushrooms to it. I also love extra crunch so I don't skimp on the corn flakes!

Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp butter
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 (15oz)cans green beans, drained
1 tsp sugar
2-3 tbs flour
2-3 tsp grated onion (I use a cheese grater)
lots of salt and pepper

8 oz Swiss cheese shredded

Cornflake mixture
2 cups cornflake cereal crumbs
2-3 tbs melted butter


Directions
Preheat oven to 400.  On low in a medium pot saute your mushrooms and onion in 2 tsp butter until softened.

Then mix in your flour, sour cream and stir until thickened.  Add lots of salt and pepper to taste.  Next stir in your green beans coating them well.

Pour your mixture into a casserole dish and top with cheese then cornflake mixture.  Bake for about 20-30 minuted until golden brown.

 

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Picnic Anyone?

Do you go on picnics and take your picnic basket?  I admit that I love to picnic but seems like every time I do I forget that I even own a picnic basket or picnic backpack.

I received a very special gift from my friend when I got married that was a very nice picnic satchel so to speak.  It has everything you could imagine from the silverware, to plastic wine glasses to a cutting board for cheese.  It has everything for a romantic picnic.

I haven't taken my picnic satchel out other than a paper bag or a cooler is because it's too of a nice set.  Also because we normally just run down to the park so it's not like the beach that has some romantic appeal or anything.  I guess I should really get to using it!

I'd really like to make an effort and enjoy things like that.  Do you picnic a lot?  If you are planning a special one, what are some of your favorite foods/drinks to take?

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Menu Plan Monday

Last week some unexpected events came about so most of my menu plan was a washout. Hopefully this week is less stressful and groovy!


Monday - Hamburger...W/noodles and tomato sauce

Tuesday - 5 Ingredient Pork Roast (didn't get to last week) with Red Potatoes and Onions

Wednesday - Breakfast For Dinner

Thursday - Tuna Noodle Casserole

Friday-  Undecided...

Saturday - Beef Chuck Roast in Crockpot

Sunday - open

What about you, what's on your menu?!

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Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook Review

Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook

DeDe Lahman & Neil Kleinberg

Little Brown Publishing


The Clinton St. Baking Company is one of the hottest brunch spots in a city obsessed with brunch. A tiny thirty-two-seat eatery on Manhattan's trendy Lower East Side, the restaurant draws long lines of customers who come from far and wide to sample fresh-baked goods, hearty omelets, sugar-cured bacon, and light-as-air pancakes with maple butter.

In the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook, owners DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg share more than 100 treasured recipes that have made their restaurant a sensation. Learn the secret to their house-made buttermilk biscuits and tomato jam, irresistible muffins and scones, delicious soups and sandwiches, and their decadent, eye-catching desserts. Helpful techniques, like Neil's
patented omelet "flip and tuck," and gorgeous color photographs throughout will have readers cooking like pros in no time, and sharing the delicious results. 

I recently had the opportunity to review this cookbook and WOW, it was good!  The recipes not only look delicious and gourmet like but they were super easy for an average person like myself to do.  I started out trying two breakfast recipes.  The first one was Eggs Benedict which turned out quite nice.  My husband loved it.  It's made with home made hollandaise sauce.  Mine of course don't look exactly like the picture in the cookbook but we weren't complaining! 

The second recipe I tried was for home made biscuits.  I will admit that when it comes to "baking" and "exact measurements" I tend to shy away.    However, after trying this recipe I have new glory in the biscuit area.  These were yummy and turned out quite well.  The only thing with mine is that they didn't brown very well but that was most likely my oven's fault. They were perfect on the inside and not burnt on the bottom, a major plus!  I will definitely tackle this recipe again. 


If you like trying new things and throwing a hand into gourmet cooking then this would be a great book to get started with!  Nothing like restaurant style food right on your table.  I totally recommend this book for any kitchen.  One major thing that I like about this book are the photos.  I love when cookbooks have big detailed photos and not just recipes.  Just looking at the photos will make your stomach grumble.  Keep this in mind around the holidays as a gift giver!








I received this book free from Hachette Book Group as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Tomato, Feta, and Olive Linguine

This is fast and easy to make.  This is a great little Summer side to take to cook outs, BBQ's etc. 

Ingredients
8 oz box linguine cooked
4 tbs olive oil
2.25 oz can sliced black olives
4 tbs feta cheese crumbled
Chopped Tomatoes

Directions
Mix all your ingredients together. Serve as is or refrigerate until chilled. 

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Menu Plan Monday

I cheated!  Oh boy did I cheat last week out of a menu plan.  You see we have been doing some slight remodeling in various baby steps.  Every time a new phase is attempted the constructive mess it leaves behind can be overwhelming!  Not only that when you factor in extra errands and even Halloween into the mix it creates a hungry belly.  And what's more temping when you are hungry than FAST food!  Yep, we actually ate out a couple of times this week just for time sake. 

We ordered a family favorite that one of these days in the future I'm going to try to throw together myself and see how the family likes it but it's called a foldover pizza from a local pizzaria.  This one is the cheese burger foldover and has all the goodies you'd find on a cheeseburger except the bottom and top is a pizza dough crust. 

We went to my Mother In Laws for a chili dinner on Sunday and I brought over this Oreo Pie!  Yum!  I made it (quickly) with a store bought Oreo pie crust, Jello Oreo pudding, and of course Oreos!!  Time to put together was like - 5 minutes.....time to eat it....well.....

So, if all goes well here is my attempt at a menu plan this week. 

Monday - Semi Homemade Corn Dogs

Tuesday - 5 Ingredient Pork Roast (didn't get to last week) with Red Potatoes and Onions

Wednesday -  Ole El Paso Creamy Chicken N Chile Enchilada's (recipe from can)

Thursday - Chicken Parmesean

Friday - Pizza on the House

Saturday - open

Sunday - open

What about you, what's on your menu?!

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