A Thanksgiving Classic............

A year or so on facebook...the lovely Julie H. commented on a post of mine about making Thanksgiving dinner.   I mentioned that this stuff was a staple at our house.  I like it just because I can forget about it and worry about something else that needs to be baking.  I found the recipe in a Southern Living magazine and adopted it as mine.  Some might call it plagairism.  I call it MINE.  You decide..............




CROCK POT DRESSING...
Ona’s Slowcooker Cornbread Dressing

4 ½ cups cornbread crumbs (I typically make cornbread the day before.)
1 (16 oz) pkg herb stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farm)
2 (10 3/4) oz cans cream of chicken soup
2 (14 oz) cans low sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon rubbed sage  (sometimes I forget to buy this stuff..)
½ teaspoon salt – (I always use kosher sea salt)
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut up

Stir everything together in a LARGE bowl. Pour it into a large lightly greased crockpot & dot it with the butter.
Cook, covered, on low for about 4 hours or until cooked through & set.



so easy...so yummy...and it totally leaves the oven ready for something else!!!!!     Don't forget the slow-cooker liner and you will avoid clean-up too!!!!!   Oh yeah!

It might have been nicer if that picture of my crock pot showed the actual dressing.  I think I was just bored with a camera last year........  I  also think I should have washed the outside a little bit better.

• 

**** 11/27/2014 edit   This year I altered it just a bit and made the stuffing even more amazing.  I cooked a tube of Jimmy Dean sausage and added it to the stuffing along with about a half can of chicken broth.   No words can describe how remarkably amazing the stuffing is with this small change of BIG FLAVOR.

Would someone please make this for me?

Ok,  last week on GMT they had a girl on there making appetizers.  She made this and all the teens in the audience were going crazy for this stuff.  This stuff is all I have been thinking of when I am in the kitchen or grocery store.  I am avoiding it.  I think it might be amazing and I am afraid to go there.  Anything with BACON!!!!!

Here goes............

Get a brownie pan and layer this stuff in it.

1 brick of cream cheese....softened and spread out.
1 jar of pumpkin butter
crumbled bacon
green onions
toasted pecans

I saw a bag of "Stacy's Pita Chips" at Sams yesterday.  They were gingerbread flavored.  Would that work?
Wheat thins might also be a good one to dip into it.

Someone?  Please?  Make this and let me know!!



11/29/11....... Here is the official picture of that madness.  It was awesome.  It was different.

Broccoli-Cheese Chowder!

This is another one of those amazing comfort foods I crave when it starts getting cooler.   My kids love it.  Yes, they eat broccoli.  They also eat asparagus and mushrooms.  (Yes, I am bragging here!)

1/2 stick of butter 

1 onion, chopped

saute this together.  

Add about 6 small portabella mushrooms, chopped.  

Stir it around for a few minutes.

Add a can of chicken broth and heat.

chop a small package of velveeta and add.

Dump in a can of cream of mushroom.

Keep stirring occassionally.  

Cook a bag of "steamFresh Broccoli" and chop finely.

Add the broccoli to the soup stuff.  Add some 1/2 & 1/2 or maybe about a half cup of milk if you need some extra liquidy goodness.  Heat until serving time.

Top it with some chopped bacon.  Yum!

What I want to do............

This is what I want to do right now.  I don't want to sort those horrible socks.  I don't want to sweep for the umpteenth time today.  I don't want to be a big girl today.

Cinnamon Roll Birthday Pancakes!!

 

Can you say "YUMMO!!"  This past week little Mr. C.G. had his 12th birthday.  We were so overwhelmed with school, band, baseball games, homework and the world series that he didn't get to open presents until 2 days after the fact.  What does this say about our lifestyle?   Obviously, We need to hire a live-in housekeeper and chef.  I will find an "Alice" immediately!   (Brady Bunch reference there..)  Now taking applications.......

This morning, C.G. and his sister woke up and begged for Cinnamon Roll pancakes.  Beware of these babies.  They will cost you some major calories.  The good news is you will get major bonus points in the cool mom category.   We all know that those points don't come too easily.   These little babies are amazing.  These little babies are the next best thing to the cinnamon rolls I made last month.  Too many of these babies and you get to shop for new clothes in a bigger size........

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes........
1 1/2 c flour
3 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
1 T. cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
1 T. corn syrup
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 T. vanilla

Mix all that together and cook like pancakes on a griddle.  (someday, I might try these in the waffle press..... ???)

Combine this stuff and drizzle.....
butter, softened 1/4 cup
powder sugar, 1 cup
maple syrup, 1 T.
Milk   1/4 cup

Because lil C.G. is a syrup snob;  He won't use Aunt Jemima on his pancakes anymore.  He prefers the good stuff on top............  MAPLE SYRUP.  He drizzles some of that too.  Heaven Help Me NOW..... I have created a little monster.   Please forgive me future wife of his.  :)  He is pretty darn cute, tho!!!!!!

HAPPY HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY C.G. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(P.S.   Tiger loves you too. )

Peanut Butter Crisis...........

Just one bite.......?

The other night I heard on the news that the prices of peanut butter were going to triple at the end of the week.  This bothered me.   Immensely!   Yes, some people are concerned about national debt & the next election.   Others are concerned about preservatives in our food.  What got me was the simple fact that we were almost out of peanut butter........well, that and I needed to mail my daughter her retainer.  Immmediately, I drove over to  WallyWorld and bought 8 brand-spankin- new jars of Jif.  (Yeah, Choosy Mothers Choose Jif.)   Seriously, 8 jars.  One of them is still rolling around inside the mini-van.....  

I immediately whipped up a big batch of p.b. cookies for  Miss C.   We all know that college girls need fresh home-made cookies to share around the dorm.  I found this recipe online at another site and modified just a little.   Some people might say I  "kicked them up a notch."  These little babies are called....   "Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Madness".  The recipe makes an ever-lovin' ton of cookies....and they mailed really well after I wrapped them individually in saran wrap and laid inside an air filled ziplock bag.  Here is the recipe...........

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

2 sticks butter, room temp.

6 Tablespoons Milk

2 Tablespoons Vanilla

2 Whole eggs

1 bag of Dark Chocolate Chips

1/2 bag of Semi -sweet chips

Combine it all at bake at 375* for about 10 minutes if you are using a stone  like I do...Enjoy!!

But try to make them smaller...they are amazingly rich and it will help justify that second cookie.

Maybe I should make another peanut butter run?????

Taco Soup.....for you C.G.

Ok, baby...........

Go buy about a pound or two of hamburger meat....Brown it with a onion and a small amount of garlic if you have it.  Otherwise, don't worry.

Drain off all the greasy meat juice.  You can rinse the meat if you have a colander.

Put it back into the large stock pot  (pan).

Add :

2 cans of petite-diced tomatoes
1 can of mild Rotel tomatoes
2 cans of corn or hominy, drained
2 cans of beans.......(either ranch, red kidney or black)
1 small can of diced green chili's
1 can of beef broth

a package of taco seasoning....mild
1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning

Mix it all together and re-heat on low........serve with chips, cheese and sour cream.

*You can also add some water if it gets too thick while it is heating.

Invite over a lot of friends.  This makes a ton.