Tis the Season

I love Christmas.  It gives you a reason to sup with friends.  Monday night I had the privilege of having dinner with some dear friends and guess what---the hubby did all the cooking.  I know--Wow!!  The highlight of the evening was an appetizer.  It was a duck breast, yes a Teal that had been flying the friendly skies only 48 hours prior to this meal.  These delectable little birds were shot out of the sky by the cook and they were fantastic.  After marinating in an unknown concoction, the chef/hunter made a slit in each breast and stuffed it with cream cheese and thin strips of jalapeno pepper.  He then wrapped each breast in proscuitto and then grilled for about 8 minutes.  They were delicious, tender and just down right good.  I wish I had the marinade recipe to share.  I only know that there was cinnamon somewhere in this recipe.  I know you are thinking, Yuk--cinnamon and duck???  I promise it was great.  

This photo may look a bit rare, but it was perfect!!

This photo is making my mouth water.

After the appetizer and a few cocktails, we all enjoyed his seafood gumbo.  Shrimp, Crab, Oysters--how can you go wrong with that combination?

What a great meal.  Did I mention that I love Christmas?  

This week in the kitchen

I don't know about you, but I have been sooo busy. Even though this has been a busy Christmas season,  I have managed to find time to cook.  I have been baking and cooking some of the foods that I will be giving for gifts.  I just love giving food for gifts.

Chocolate-Pecan Pie Bars

Coconut Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing

In addition to the pictures above, I am also baking Cinnamon Rolls and a cookie called No Bake Cookies(real original huh).  I make these cinnamon rolls every year for my family--one of our Christmas morning traditions.  They are wonderful!!!  It is worth sabotaging your diet for these little jewels.  I also like to give these as gifts.  The No Bake Cookies are one of my favorites.  I received this recipe many years ago--actually when I was in my 20's. That was a very very long time ago.  I don't make them very often but I decided this year it was a good time to resurrect some of my old favorites plus they are incredibly easy.  I will post on the cinnamon rolls later and let you know about the other recipes.  I can't wait to tell you about my plans for next week.  Lots of ideas for Christmas.


Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing--Results:  These were very good and easy to make.  I confess that  I changed one ingredient.  I thought I had some Amaretto(almond liqueur), but I didn't so I substituted Frangelico.  Frangelico is a hazelnut liqueur.  Hey it is a nut too. I think I will try this recipe again and use dried cranberries.  


Coconut Chocolate Almond Biscotti--Results:  MmmmGOOD.  Loved!!   I love coconut and chocolate and this makes a great snack, breakfast or gift.  They are so good you will not want to give away.


Jumbo Overnight Cinnamon Roll-- Results:  As I mentioned above, I have been making these for years and they are wonderful.  They freeze great.  Did I mention just how good these rolls are??


No Bake Cookies--Results: I have had this recipe for over 30 years and I still love it.  I suppose I love anything with chocolate and peanut butter. 


Chocolate-Pecan Pie Bars--Confession:  I did not have time to try this recipe.  I will get around to it after Christmas.

Soups On

Fiesta Chowder

This is what I am cooking this week.  You might wonder why so much soup in one week.  I went to the grocery store with my Southern Living Christmas Cookbook in hand (no time to make a list). I went with the intention of making the Cheesy Vegetable Chowder only.  I was planning to make this for a friend who is very ill and I was also going to share with another dear friend.  As I entered the grocery store I saw yet another friend who informed me that one of our mutual friends was having surgery tomorrow.  Thank goodness I had my cookbook in hand and had not made that list. Sometimes it works being so unorganized.  After looking through the soup section of this handy cookbook, I decided to make three soups.  I have lots of people to share with this week.  In addition to the two soups pictured, I am also going to make Southwestern Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Tortilla Strips. To have a little dessert I am going to try Cappuccino Crinkle Cookies.  I found this recipe
in Southern Lady's Holiday magazine.  It looks so good. Maybe it's just that I am craving chocolate. Check back and I will let you know how they turn out.

 

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

                                                                                  

  

UPDATE ON THIS WEEK'S RECIPES

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder--This was very bland.  I would not make this again.  

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup--This was very tasty.  I would definitely make this again.  I substituted brown rice for the white in an effort to make this even more healthy.  You can control some of the heat with less jalapeno but why would you want to do that.

Fiesta Chowder--Mmmmm.  Sooo good.  What else can I say.

Cappuccino Crackle Cookies--These were ok, but not great.  

Hot Raisin Scones

I found this recipe last night in an older Southern Living Christmas Cookbook.  I'm not sure why this recipe appealed to me.  Probably because I had all the ingredients and it was something I could whip up this morning and take to the other gals at work.  So that is what I did.

Hot Raisin Scones:

 These are the ingredients you will need

 Combine all the dry ingredients and then add the lemon zest

 Add cold sliced butter to the dry ingredients

 With the pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly

 Add raisins and toss lightly

 Add buttermilk and stir until dry ingredients are moistened

 Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly 6 times.  This little puddle of dough looks like a bear face.  Don't you think??    I gave him some eyes and a nose.  Use your imagination.

 Divide dough in half

 Shape each portion into a 7-inch circle.

 Put each portion on a baking sheet or parchment paper and cut into 6 wedges

 Since I keep a pizza stone in my larger oven, I decided to put each dough portion on parchment paper.  I then used a pizza peel to help put it on the pizza stone.

 It worked.  Slid right onto the stone

Wow!!!   Isn't that pretty?

 My house smells sooo good and my mouth is watering

 I think I will put one of the portions
 on this cute little plate and take to work(Pizazz!)

This is Lindsey, just before she ate one of the scones I brought to Pizazz!

They were enjoyed by Charleigh and Lillajo as well.

Patti notes:  These are very good.  Not very sweet like some scones.  They would be good with butter 

                      and  your favorite jam/jelly.  A great addition to any breakfast or brunch.

Rosemary-Pecan Cheese Rounds

Well let's get started. I tried this recipe because I wanted something for all the fam to munch on while we were cooking and waiting to eat our Thanksgiving Feast. I also wanted something to take to the Copeland's house (Bailey's in-laws) while we watched the Iron Bowl.  Way to go Auburn.  War Eagle!!!  I got this recipe from Taste of the South's Christmas Cooking Magazine.  There are so many recipes I want to try in this issue.

Get all your ingredients together.  Is that not the prettiest Rosemary?  Straight out of my garden.  Love that garden!

I started by toasting my pecans.

Then I neglected my pecans and burned them, so I had to throw them in the trash.  This I would not recommend.

After I toasted another batch of pecans, I mixed all the ingredients with a mixer.  Then I formed the dough into a ball and wrapped it in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 2 hours.

I confess I lied, I refrigerated my dough overnight. The recipe said 2 hours but I was tired and decided to go to bed and tackle the rest of the recipe the next day.   Chip off a spoonful of dough and form into a 1 inch ball.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place dough balls about 3 inches apart.

Flatten with the bottom of a glass and bake until golden brown.

They smell so good baking.

Let cool completely on wire racks.

Here they are all packaged and ready to go to the Copeland's

Patti notes:  These little gems were great.  Very tasty!!  I would definitely make again.  I froze about a 

                     dozen to test.  I will let you know later if taste and texture is altered by the freeze.

                    Click here for Printer Friendly Recipe

Thanksgiving 2010

As I was driving to my Thanksgiving destination this past Wednesday afternoon(Curry, AL), I could not help but notice what a beautiful fall landscape that God had painted.  The trees were so beautiful with magnificent fall colors.  It reminded me of all the things that I am grateful for.  So in that spirit I am sharing my Thanksgiving with you.  Yes you get to meet the family which I am extremely grateful for.  My sister and most of her family(we missed you Brian and Katie) traveled all the way from Arkansas to Alabama to share Thanksgiving with me.  My Mother traveled from Tupelo, MS and my son from Nashville.  We all brought food and although most of the major cooking was done prior to leaving our homes, we still all gathered in the kitchen Thanksgiving morn to cook.  What fun!!!  After all the cooking was done, we packed up our food and drove about an hour north and enjoyed our Thanksgiving food at my daughters home.  Our Thanksgiving Menu included:

Rosemary Pecan Cheese Rounds
Cranberry Glazed Turkey
Ham
Cornbread Dressing
Mashed Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Squash Casserole

Asparagus/English Pea Casserole
Sweet Potato Souffle
Green Beans Supreme
Deviled Eggs
Garlic Cheese Grits
Caramel Cake
Banana Pudding
Fall Fruit Pie
Sweet Potato Gingerbread with Maple Pecan Butter Sauce
Pecan Pie

Is this going to be a carb overload or what???

 This is my niece Allison making her first contribution to Thanksgiving.  She just got married about 6 weeks ago and like any good southern wife and woman she is cooking for Thanksgiving and cook she did.  She made the Green Bean Casserole.  Delish!!!  She used a Paula Dean recipe.  Thank you  Allison.  It was great but most of all it was so much fun having you cook your first Thanksgiving contribution in my kitchen while I got to observe.

 Now this is my mother, better known as Grandmother(original huh).  She is probably wanting to give Allison some advice.  Grandmother made the heavenly Garlic Cheese Grits, that is a must at every Thanksgiving meal, deviled eggs and the one and only best Banana Pudding in the world.

 My sister, Debbie, is slaving over the stove making Asparagus/English Pea Casserole. This recipe came from her Mother-in-law, Nancy who was a wonderful cook.  It was nice having one of Nancy's recipes at our Thanksgiving.  She would have liked knowing we were discussing her recipe.  Thanks Nancy, Debbie did your recipe proud.

Grandmother/Mother putting the finishing touches on her heavenly Garlic Cheese Grits.  Those are my Rosemary-Pecan Cheese Rounds sitting on the cutting board with the garlic cheese grits.  They were very good.  I will definitely be making those again.

 What would a family gathering be without all the animals.  Meet Nash.  This great lab belongs to
Allison and her new husband Dusty.  What a great dog!!!!!  This is without a doubt the most well trained and behaved dog I have had the privilege of being around.

 This is Nash trying not to be annoyed by my dog Chloe, the most precious Yorkie you have ever seen.

Okay Nash, now that you are comfortable, it is time to pack up and head north to Bailey's house where we will all share our food.

 We are at Bailey's house.  Meet Dusty, Allison's new hubby, Barry, Debbie's hubby and my brother-in-law, Harrison, my precious son, and Sage, my son-in-law and Bailey's sweet hubby.  Somethings are even more important than food---you are wrong- I was thinking of Football.

 Bailey's beautiful table.  This is Bailey and Sage's first Thanksgiving in their new home.  They have worked so hard on their first home.  It was a home that needed some tender loving care and boy have they done a great job!!!  Thanks Bailey and Sage for sharing your home with us for Thanksgiving.

Meet my daughter Bailey, making sure we all have tea or water.

Just a photograph of Bailey and Sage's little bar.  Isn't it cute.

Well it is time to eat and this is some of the food we enjoyed.  I will post on a few of the recipes later.

Squash Casserole

Cornbread Dressing

Asparagus/English Pea Casserole

Sweet Potato Souffle

Green Beans Supreme

Garlic Cheese Grits

Green Bean Casserole

Mashed Potato Casserole

Deviled Eggs

Rosemary-Pecan Cheese Rounds

Sage thanked God for all of our blessings (and there are many), the food, the safe travel and the opportunity to be together on this Thanksgiving Day.

 Time to dig in to this Thanksgiving Feast (as Bailey calls it).

We are not a bashful bunch. Everything was absolutely delicious.  I don't think there was anything that I would not like to have again.

 Here's Barry--always the last in line and I now know why.  He does not want anyone to notice just how much food he puts on his plate.  That's ok Barry--it's Thanksgiving!!!

 As you can see, this meal was enjoyed by all.

 More important than the food, we had fun and enjoyed being together.

I did not spend much time photographing the desserts, but here is a few.

Fall Fruit Pie

Caramel Cake

Banana Pudding

Sweet Potato Gingerbread with Maple Pecan Butter

What would any family gathering be without a few posed photographs.  

 Meet Avery.  This is Bailey and Sage's dog.

 This is three generations.  Grandmother in the middle, Debbie and her daughter, Allison on your right, and me and my daughter, Bailey, on your left.

 Grandmother with her two grandaughters, their husbands, Avery and Nash.

Trying to contain Avery is a bit difficult, but she is a sweet dog--just full of herself.  Whew!!!!

Harrison, Bailey, Grandmother, and Allison(we miss you Brian)

 My sister Debbie and her precious family.

 My great family!!!

 Oh sorry Avery, How could I have included a family photo without you.  Now it is complete--this is my great family.

 Now time for the animal cousins to get to know each other.

 Now aren't we just adorable

 Time to rest.  Just the way we all felt after filling out bellies with that wonderful Thanksgiving Feast.  Thank you Lord for allowing us to be together, it was truly heavenly.  We laughed, we made fun of our daughters, we fussed over the dogs, we cooked, we gave advice, we drank wine, we missed our exit (well some of us did), we bossed Bailey around in her kitchen, we watched football, and we loved being together.  What a wonderful Thanksgiving!!