Tart and Creamy?

My traditional dessert every year for thanksgiving is pumpkin pie, made from pumpkin that I cut up, roast and puree myself. Due to being in a really small apartment, getting married and lots of travel this year, I did not get around to purchasing and roasting a pumpkin...........guess I will have to wait until next year to share that recipe and process!! Our friends hosting thanksgiving this year took on the task of the pumpkin pie this year, so I used this as a great opportunity to try something new and different. I was paging through my Real Simple magazine and came across a recipe for Cranberry Cream Pie. Huh? I had never heard of such a thing, but it sounded good, so I thought I would give it a try!

It was ok........it was an interesting combination of flavors. I got mixed reviews........some loved it, others were not that impressed. I do not think I will make it again, but I am glad I tried something different.


Cranberry Cream Pie
(Source: Real Simple)

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup sugar
5 ounces shortbread cookies
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) roasted almonds
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 8-ounce package frozen cranberries, thawed
1 1/4-ounce packet unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
Warm the orange juice and sugar in a small pot over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate until just cool, about 30 minutes.
Pulse the cookies and almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Press the cookie mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.


Clean the food processor, then add the cranberries and 1/4 cup of the cooled juice and puree.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining juice and let stand for 1 minute. Stir until the gelatin dissolves. Add the pureed cranberries and stir to combine.


Beat the cream in a medium bowl using a whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cranberry mixture until well combined. Pour the cranberry cream into the crust. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours



Beat the cream in a medium bowl using a whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cranberry mixture until well combined. Pour the cranberry cream into the crust. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.
Makes 8 servings

Sweet Potatoes

I am a nurse, and one of my patients asked me what dish do I have to have, in order for my thanksgiving to be complete. My answer................sweet potatoes! I love them mashed with butter, maple syrup and cream......nice and fattening! This is one of my favorite recipes, and a good ole' tried and true favorite! I found this new version on allrecipes.com. Here it is, with my alterations!

Oh, and please forgive some of the pictures for being so dark.......they are my rookie blog pics :-)



Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes(adapted from allrecipes.com)

4 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place sweet potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet, and bake for about 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before peeling and placing into a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.

Mash the warm potatoes along with butter, cream, vanilla extract, brown sugar, salt, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 cup chopped pecans, and eggs. Spread mashed sweet potato into the prepared baking dish.
Mix together 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine, pecans, brown sugar, and flour. Crumble on top of sweet potato mixture.

Bake sweet potatoes in preheated oven until thoroughly hot, 30 to 35 minutes.

Corn Puddin'

Being from the North, I had never heard of this until I moved to North Carolina. I am soooo glad and upset to have been introduced to this dish.................glad because it is so good, and upset for the effect this super yummy dish will have on my waist line :-) This dish was more like corn bread, but I am sure it was over-cooked. We had a ton of dishes to be cooked in the oven, and this was one we cooked first and then had to reheat it. Many of the reviews on allrecipes.com say that it does come put more like pudding, so I will have to try it again and update.


Easy Corn Pudding
(Source: Allrecipes.com)

1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1/4 pound butter, softened
1 (8.5 ounce) package corn bread mix1 (8 ounce) container sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in 2 quart casserole dish, and place dish in oven until melted.

Remove casserole dish and add creamed corn, kernel corn, corn muffin mix and sour cream. Mix well, and bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes.

A "Friend"-ly Thanksgiving!

I am sooooo behind on bogging already, and I just started :-) These are recipes from thanksgiving...........

DH and I are from Boston, currently living in North Carolina. If anyone knows the triangle area of North Carolina, they know that it has been currently invaded by northerners!! Not some I am sure the natives are a fan of, but that is how it is!! We have 4 close friends here, 2 other couples, and 2 are from Boston, 2 from Tennessee. Like us, the chose to stay local for Thanksgiving, so we all decided to have thanksgiving together!! It was a blast! Our friends Dustin and Kristy hosted and made the main dishes. The rest of us made a bunch of side dishes and desserts.

DH is lactose intolerant............severely lactose intolerant! The hosts of thanksgiving made a turkey basted in butter, so I was sure to make one for DH, lactose free, for his plate.


I did brine my turkey this year, for the first time! It came out great!

Out of this World Turkey Brine
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

2 gallons water
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a 16 quart stock pot, mix all above ingredients. Carefully place turkey in pot and cover. Store in refrigerator and soak turkey for 24 hours.

24 hours later, remove turkey from stock pot and rinse thoroughly. Place in roasting dish and prepare accordingly.

Melissa's Traditional Roasted Turkey

1- 12lb turkey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove all items from inside turkey and rinse well. Mix all ingredients above in a bowl. Carefully separate the turkey's skin from the breast and leg meat. Use hands to spread seasoned oil mixture between skin and meat. Be sure to season the outside of the turkey skin. Cover with aluminum foil and cook about 3-4 hours. Remove foil 1 hour before roasting complete, to brown the skin. Remove turkey from oven when meat thermometer reads 180 degrees when placed in the center of the breast meat, away from any bone.
Let turkey set 20-30 minutes before carving.
Enjoy!

A New Adventure!!

Ok, so I decided to jump on the band wagon and start a blog. I LOVE to eat, cook, bake, and smell food (and anything else one can think of doing with/to food)!! I thought this would be a great way to keep track of my recipes, and help me remember which dishes we enjoyed, and which ones we didn't. I am excited to share some of my staple recipes with everyone and make some of the really yummy things I have seen in other blogs! I am also excited to take risks and make things I have never dared attempt, but have always wanted to try!

So, I hope you enjoy the adventure with me! I look forward to cooking, blogging and nesting with you!