I hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving!! I know I sure did, and I didn't even get to eat very much. I wasn't feeling so great and so I wasn't hungry. But what I did have was so good!! My mom's versions are always so much tastier than my own!

I finally got feeling better and now I'm sick again! And with only 2 weeks left to get ready for Christmas! I have so much to do!!! You may not hear from me much until after Christmas, but I will be sure to post a delicious recipe for a DELICIOUS Christmas dinner. And then once it gets closer to New Years, I'll post some really yummy New Year's party snack ideas.

This is my favorite time of year!! And none of that Happy Holidays bologna here.... it's MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! For without Christ, we wouldn't have a holiday to celebrate. He gave us our greatest gift.

Day #10 of Thanksgiving Posts: The Grande Finale!

And now for the piece de resistance! Cran-Apple Crisp!!

You know what's great about this dish? You can serve it up hot with ice cream or whipped cream for a dessert. Or serve it warm/hot with plain or vanilla yogurt for breakfast. I couldn't wait any longer, so I took a bite straight out of the oven... OUCH! Yeah, word to the wise, let it cool a little before tasting! Even though it burned all the way down, it was DELICIOUS!!!

**The recipe calls for 5-6C apples and 1C cranberries. I only used 3 apples, not sure how many cups that made; and I used a whole 12oz bag of cranberries. Do what you need. It will all work out in the end! :)

Ingredients:

1/3 to 1/2C sugar
3TBS corn starch
1tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
5-6C peeled, cubed tart apples
1C fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2C light corn syrup
1tsp grated orange peel

Topping:
1/2C chopped walnuts or uncooked oats
1/3C packed brown sugar
1/4C all-purpose flour
1/4C (1/2stick) butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, corn starch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apples, cranberries, corn syrup and orange peel; toss to mix well. Spoon into shallow 2qt baking dish.
3. For topping, combine nuts, brown sugar and flour. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in margarine until mixture resembles very course crumbs. Sprinkle over cranberry mixture.
4. Bake 50 minutes or until apples are tender and juices that bubble up in the center are shiny and clear. Cool slightly; serve warm.

I hope everyone has a safe and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
I'm thankful for my family, friends, and all of you wonderful readers!!

Day #9 of Thanksgiving Posts: Mississippi Mud Cake

This just looks so good, I had to add it!! I've only had this type of pie once, and it was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S!!!

Ingredients:

1pkg. chocolate fudge or Devil's Food cake mix
1C chopped pecans
3C miniature marshmallows
1C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 13x9in baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Prepare cake according to package directions. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40min. Take cake out of oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Return pan to oven and bake 5 minutes longer; place on wire rack.
4. Place chocolate chips in resealable bag. Microwave on high at 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Snip off a small corner of the bag with scissors. Drizzle chocolate over cake.

Day #8 of Thanksgiving Posts: Coconut Cream Pie

One of my most favorite pies... and my VERY favorite cream pie.... COCONUT CREAM. Bet you're surprised there, eh?! I LOVE coconuts!!! "Put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up..."
And the best thing? This recipe calls for 5 ingredients!!

Ingredients:

1pkg. Instant Vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 C cold milk
1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
3/4 to 1C flaked coconut, toasted, divided
1 crust (pastry shell, baked or graham cracker)

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, beat pudding and milk on low speed for 2 min. Fold in half of the whipped topping and 1/2 to 3/4C of coconut. Pour into crust. Spread with remaining whipped topping, sprinkle with remaining coconut. Chill.

Day #7 of Thanksgiving Posts: Pumpkin Pie!!

Mmmm... my mouth is watering. I cannot wait for a slice of pumpkin pie. Pumpkin, to me, is like coconut, but in the winter-time. I love everything Pumpkin, in the fall. In the warmer months, I love everything coconut. Mmmm... I thought for sure I'd have a dang delicious Pumpkin Pie recipe on hand... but alas, I had to go searching for one. I just love the site Simply Recipes. And today's recipe comes from there.
If you end up making it, let me know how it is, would ya? I will be pretty busy the next 3 days making cookies and my surprise for Day #10 I won't be making any other desserts before the big day. I'd love to hear of any of your favorite Turkey Day recipes as well... so please, send me your stories/recipes/blunders/mishaps... really anything you want to share! My email is stacilee84@gmail.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups of pumpkin pulp purée from a sugar pumpkin* or from canned pumpkin purée
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 good crust

* To make pumpkin purée from a sugar pumpkin: start with a small-medium sugar pumpkin, cut out the stem and scrape out the insides, discard. Cut into sections and steam in a saucepan with a couple inches of water at the bottom, until soft. Scoop out the pulp from the skin. Or you can bake whole or halved in a 350°F oven until fork tender. Optional - put pulp through a food mill or chinois to make extra smooth.

Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F.

2 Mix sugars, salt, and spices, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Stir in cream. Whisk all together until well incorporated.

3 Pour into pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

4 Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.

Serve with whipped cream. Serves 8.

Day #6 of Thanksgiving Posts: Apple Pie

Mmm... I love pie. Especially when it's apple with a BIG dollop of whip cream! Yum!

Ingredients:

1pkg. refrigerated pie crust
6C peeled, cored and sliced apples
3/4C plus 1TBS sugar, divided
2TBS all-purpose flour
1 1/2tsp apple-pie spice
1/4tsp salt
2TBS butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 1/2TBS milk or cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Fit 1 pie crust into a 9in pie dish.
2. Mix apples, 3/4C sugar, flour, apple pie spice and salt in large mixing bowl until apples are coated.
3. Turn apple mixture into pastry-lined pie dish; spread evenly. Scatter butter pieces over top of mixture.
4. Fit top crust over apple mixture. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust around edges. Press edges together to seal; flute.
5. Brush top crust with milk. Make slits in top crust with knife to create steam vents. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake pie until golden, 40-45minutes.

If you don't have apple pie spice, you can mix together:
1tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1/8tsp ground allspice
and 1/8tsp ground cloves

Day #5 of Thanksgiving Posts: The Bird

I've heard some families have a Turkey for Thanksgiving and Ham or Prime Rib or something different and special for Christmas. Not us, all growing up we had turkey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I loved it! My favorite Christmas tradition is driving around town looking at the lights on Christmas Eve and then coming home and breaking apart the bread for the stuffing. That was always my job (still is when I'm home! lol). And I love it. This is my mom's recipe and it's the same one I made last year. My first time ever making my own turkey, without any help, and it was just like being back home! Delicious!
Don't get lazy and not grate the carrots and potatoes. That's what makes the stuffing... I hope you can try this out and enjoy it as much as I have all these years!!

And TOMORROW starts the desserts! Y-U-M!!



Ingredients:

Whole turkey (with innards)
Poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
1C butter and 2TBS
Bag of bread, old
Carrots, peeled and grated
Potatoes, peeled and grated
Onion, diced
Celery, diced

Instructions:

1. Take a loaf of old bread and break each piece up into bite-size pieces into a large bowl.
2. Boil innards, until done, about 30 min over a medium boil.
3. Meanwhile place 2TBS butter in large saute pan or skillet with onion and celery. Saute until browned and softened. Add grated carrots and potatoes. Pour water from innards, simmer 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
4. Pour over bread, mix well and refrigerate (preferably overnight).
5. Stuff turkey with stuffing, rub outside with 1C butter (more if needed) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Heat oven to 350, tent turkey with foil and cook until done. Take off foil and let brown for 10 minutes.