Category Archives: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I’m starting to plan my menu.  Do you feel prepared?  I think most families have a list of recipes they make every year and traditionally serve and aren’t necessarily looking for new recipes.  For example, my mom makes 2 turkeys every year.  One goes on the grill, and one goes in the oven.  Both are delicious and there is always a ton of meat to go around.  Everyone (and I mean immediate family, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.) looks forward to her cooking every year.  My point is that she isn’t looking for a new turkey recipe.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  Or in this case, if no one is complaining about the food, why make something else? 😊 BUT…there is always room for more sides or different sides.  Are you assigned to bring something this year?  Perhaps you are hosting Friendsgiving and aren’t sure what to make.  Or you simply want to change things up a … Continue reading

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It’s my favorite time of year!  The weather is starting to cool down, the leaves are starting to change, and you can find pumpkin spice at just about any store.  That’s what I’m talking about when I say my favorite time of year…. all things pumpkin spice.  I love the flavor, but I also love that it’s available for a limited time, so it’s something I look forward to enjoying. I like to create a few new recipes each year that are pumpkin spice themed.  Most are breakfast or dessert themed but that’s OK with me!  Pumpkin spice is a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger.  It’s sweet, spicy, warm, and cozy.  Yes…cozy.  Think of the feeling you get when you drink a hot cup of apple cider on a cool day.  That’s a feeling I get when enjoying pumpkin spice food.  Even better, the pumpkin spice recipes I’m going to share with you today are hearty and filling, … Continue reading

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Cake Pops are a fun phenomenon and something I had to try.  When I think of a Cake Pop, I think of cake that is coated in melted chocolate, skewered on a stick, and served as a bite sized treat.  They can be made in most cake flavors and decorated as simple or elaborate as you want.  They are very similar to truffles but are often a little lighter and truffles aren’t served on a stick. I started my Cake Pop venture before the 4th of July (can you see I’m a bit behind on writing this? :)) but thought these are great treat for any time of year!  You could make some to celebrate Labor Day, the end of summer and kids going back to school, dessert at a BBQ, or just make them because you love cake 🙂 I purchased this fancy Cake Pop maker (little countertop appliance … Continue reading

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Okay, hear me out!  We’ve been seeing this one pop up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for a few years now and decided we need to finally check this out for ourselves: Flamin’ Hot Cheeto® Oven Roasted Turkey Dinner (click this link to go directly to the recipe page).   A more unique spin on your traditional Thanksgiving dinner!  Is this just some crazy gimmick or is this a recipe worth trying?  Continue on to find out! (Spoiler alert: it was great!) The ingredient list isn’t very big, here’s what you need: 12- 15 lbs Whole Turkey, thawed 3 lbs Klondike Goldust Potatoes 32 oz Cheddar Cheese Block 1 8.5 oz Bag Flaming Hot Cheetos 1 Stick Butter, melted Salt and Pepper, to taste Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Remove the neck and package found inside the turkey.  Rinse the turkey, … Continue reading

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Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here?  It’s been an interesting year (to say the least), so I’m looking forward to the holidays.  Although, the holidays might look a little different this year.  We still plan on seeing our immediate families for a nice Thanksgiving meal but will keep our gathering to 4-6 people.  We will miss traveling, seeing extended family, participating in some Black Friday shopping, and more this Thanksgiving, but will savor the time we do have with the few we choose to celebrate with…socially distanced with some delicious food 🙂 We are going to start our day with a nice fall-themed charcuterie board.  You need something to snack on while you cook, right?  If you’ve never made a charcuterie board before, you are in for a treat.  They are very simple to make, can include as many or as few ingredients as you choose, and make a … Continue reading

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Pumpkin Spice Season is upon us.  It symbolizes the end of summer and the start of fall.  I know summer isn’t officially over, and to be honest, I’m not ready to say goodbye to warmer weather, but I am going to enjoy some delicious pumpkin treats either way 🙂 I have a few go-to recipes to share with you today.  All are themed around, you guessed it, pumpkin spice.  It’s hard to say which recipe is my favorite because they are all delicious in their own way.  Luckily, because it’s still technically summer and not fall, I have even more time to enjoy them all! First up is Individual Pumpkin Pie Pops.  These are miniature pumpkin pies on lollipop sticks, so you eat them like a candy sucker.  It combines all your favorite pumpkin pie flavors in an individual size, grab and go treat. The recipe can be found here. … Continue reading

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One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions from my childhood was getting up early to help my mom prepare all the food.  We’d spend hours in the kitchen chopping vegetables, assembling casseroles, prepping the turkey (one in the oven and one on the grill), and baking pies.  We would clean up and get ready for the day while everything was baking in the oven, then we’d wait for company to arrive.  It was the best! This year, I’m thinking of changing the plan.  Why not do something a little simpler and less time consuming so we can enjoy each other’s company and spend the day with family?  The holidays are busy enough without spending hours in the kitchen, so I want to create a menu that is delicious but also fairly quick to put together.  At least that’s what I want my thought process to be going into the holiday season!  … Continue reading

Posted in Dessert, Holidays, Poultry, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Terrific Turkey Dinner

With the temperatures starting to drop I’ve been craving something warm and hearty for dinner.  My criteria is the dish has to be hot, filling, seasonal, and something good enough (and big enough) to have leftovers.  I ended up with the following: Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Apple Cheese and Beer Soup Banana Cookies with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting   The Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are homemade.  Sure, you can buy store-bought rolls if you prefer but there is something about the smell of bread baking in the oven that gets me every time.  The bread is fresh (literally right out of the oven), warm and so easy to pull apart to eat. I recommend using a stand mixer to make these rolls but it’s OK to mix by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer – you’ll just get quite the arm workout! Heat the milk in a microwave safe … Continue reading

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For many years I thought the word “slider” meant a tiny hamburger, but boy was I wrong!  Sliders are small sandwiches made with slider rolls that come in a variety of flavors, and they are all the rage.  Think meat and cheese melted together in the oven on a crisp roll – yum! I can attest that all the recipes I’m about to share with you are not only delicious but easy to make.  You can even customize for various occasions – Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders for a Kentucky Derby Party, Apple Turkey Cheddar Sliders using the apples you purchased at the Apple Orchard, Chicken and Waffle Sliders when hosting brunch, etc.  You get the idea 🙂 Ham and Swiss Sliders are probably the most common slider (in my world at least).  These are filled with juicy ham and Swiss cheese nestled in a Kings Hawaiian Roll.  The tops of … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Christmas, Halloween, Holidays, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Poultry, Super Bowl, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sliders

Is anyone else still full from Thanksgiving?  I for sure am…but it was worth every bite!  Depending on your point of view, Thanksgiving leftovers are either a good thing or a bad thing.  In my opinion, they are a great thing! You can enjoy the same delicious meal a second time around, or third, or forth…you get the picture.  Or, you can put those leftovers to good use and create something new.  Think of Thanksgiving as the holiday that keeps on giving.  If you use the leftovers wisely, you can have a different meal each day of “leftover week”. I have three different recipes to share with you today.  I still had plenty of leftovers in addition to these recipes, so I filled in the meal by also using the leftovers as a side dish.  So, the meal included a “new” leftover creation with a side of “traditional” leftovers (aka … Continue reading

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