Almond Joy Martini

Did everyone have a happy Thanksgiving? Mine was very hectic but filled with yummy food.  I was so busy working on  Thanksgiving recipes last week I completely missed my blogerversary.  My blog turned 1 on November 17, 2011. I decided to start a blog as an easy way to share my recipes with my family and friends. My early recipes are just short, simple and straight to the point.  The very first recipe I posted was for my Seafood Pasta Salad.  One year later and my blog is followed by people I have never met.  I feel very fortunate and thankful for everyone who reads my stories and recipes.

I thought I would celebrate by having a cocktail.  I first have to confess that I am an impulse buyer.  I have a terrible habit of buying things I don't need just because it looks delicious or cute!  The other day I was at the grocery store shopping for my weekly groceries and I came across Almond Joy coffee creamer and it wound up in my shopping cart. I don't know why, I don't drink coffee, we don't even  own a coffee maker.  So it sat in the refrigerator for a week and every time I opened the refrigerator I would look at it and feel guilty.  I finally decided to make a cocktail.  This is very similar to a White Russian and very yummy!  This recipe makes 1 big girl martini or 2 little girl martinis.



Ingredients
2 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
2 oz Amaretto
2 oz Almond Joy Coffee Creamer
Coconut for garnish



Add coconut to a skillet and warm over medium heat.



Toast until golden brown.



I realized I didn't have a way to garnish the glass with the coconut, so I melted some Hersey kisses and dipped the glass in it.



Dip the glass in the toasted coconut.



Add amaretto, Almonds Joy Coffee Creamer and chocolate liqueur to a a cocktail shaker filled with ice.



Shake and pour into your garnished glass.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Godiva Cake

I guess you could say I saved my best Thanksgiving recipe for last, my Chocolate Godiva cake. A  holiday menu without a chocolate dessert is like a day without sunshine. It is really just too sad to think about. I must think happy thoughts now. Unicorns, Rainbows and Shoes.  OK, I am better now.  I have been making this cake for a few years and I tweak it every time, but I think I have it perfected now.  This can be made the night before.



Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 1/3 cups of Chocolate Godiva Liqueur (this replaces the water the cake box calls for)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 box JELL-O chocolate fudge instant pudding
12 oz chocolate morsels
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp Chocolate Godiva Liqueur

Directions
Preheat oven according to package directions.

Add cake mix, Chocolate Godiva Liqueur, oil and eggs to a large bowl.



Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes.



Am I the only who likes to walk away from the Kitchen Aid mixer and pretend that I am using the force to mix the batter?



Pour into Bundt pan.



Bake according to package directions, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool Completely before adding ganache.

To make ganache.

Place chocolate and butter in a large bowl.



Bring heavy cream to a boil over medium high heat.



Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted melted and the mixture is glossy. Add liqueur.







Allow ganache to cool before pouring over cake. The longer it cools, the thicker it will become. Add ganache to cake.



What is your favorite dessert for Thanksgiving?

Parmesan Creamed Spinach

Most kids do not like spinach, but I have always loved eating it.  Maybe it comes from watching Popeye.  I love eating it raw or cooked.  It can be very filling and has very little calories.  It is also full of vitamins.  Spinach can be a very healthy dish, but not today. We're adding cream and cheese to turn it into a dish that even the pickiest eater will enjoy. The Parmesan cheese gives the dish an extra layer flavor that is missing from most versions of creamed spinach.



Ingredients
4 9 oz bags of fresh spinach
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 -2 finely chopped or grated shallots
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper



Directions

Place one bag of spinach in a large pot over medium-high heat.



Cover and cook for 5 minutes stirring once. You will want to cook until the spinach is wilted.



Stir in another bag of spinach and cook until wilted. Repeat with remaining bags.




Drain and rinse under cold water. Remove excess water from the spinach. I usually use my salad spinner. Chop spinach.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shalott and cook until translucent and soft. This will take about 10 minutes.



Add cream and nutmeg and cook for about 3 minutes, until cream reduces and thickens a litle bit.
Stir in spinach and simmer until cream has been absorbed into the spinach, about 15 to 20 minutes.



Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.



Enjoy!

Corn Pudding

Remember a while ago when I told you that my favorite dish that my mom makes is lasagna? It's true and I am looking forward to eating it in about a month for my birthday.  But, there is another dish that my mom makes during the holidays that I looooove.  I will just call it my favorite holiday dish, and it is her Corn Pudding. Mom would only make the dish during the holidays and I would easily finish off seconds and thirds. I am not sure if this dish is just regional to South Boston, Virginia the area she grew up in because besides my mom the only other people I knew who make it are my aunts and grandmother on my dad's side.  Most people haven't heard of it and when I do a search on the web I find mostly savory versions of corn pudding.

This is a very sweet dish so it is an acquired taste, Michael and Caleb won't even eat it. This works out well for me, because whenever I bring home leftovers they are all mine and I don't have to share.  This is the very first time I attempted the dish and not only did I receive my mom's approval, my sister and brother both went back for seconds. That is the best compliment I could receive. The measurements for the spices are just guesstimates.  My mom's recipe says it serves 8 - 10, I think it serves 6 - 8.



Ingredients
2 cans fresh cut corn
2 tbsp flour
1 -2 cups of sugar
1 cup of milk
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp melted butter
3 -4 eggs beaten
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 - 2 tsp vanilla

I used 3 eggs and 2 cups of sugar.







Mix flour and corn thoroughly by hand.



Add sugar, milk, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter. Mix well.



Add eggs and stir to blend. Pour into a greased casserole dish.



Place casserole dish in a pan of hot water. (I didn't have another pan big enough so I just placed the casserole dish in the oven and it turned out fine.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until firm. Once it was done baking I kept it warm in the slow cooker until it was time to eat. I didn't get a picture of the completed dish, but I did manage to capture a picture of the leftovers my family left for me.






Do you have a dish that you serve for Thanksgiving that is unique to your family?

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

Whenever I let my guests know what I have planned for Thanksgiving dinner they always say that it is too much food. It is true, sometimes I do overwhelm myself.  But is it worth it when everyone leaves the table happy. I do cheat sometimes and make quick and easy dishes like this one.  This one is so simple, it probably doesn't count as a recipe,  it can be made 5 minutes before you sit down to eat.

Ingredients
1 package Microwavable Frozen Broccoli
Butter
Garlic Powder
Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper



The cheese was feeling a little camera shy.

Directions

Cook broccoli according to package directions.



Add as much or as little butter as you like.



Add garlic powder and Parmesan cheese to taste.



Mix together and serve. The problem with making it right before serving is that the kitchen becomes hectic and I didn't get a chance to take a picture.

Roasted Turkey

Now the star of Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey, but it can also be the scariest part too. You always have to worry about overcooking it and drying it out. Or there is the danger of under cooking it and poisoning your guests.  The first time I made a turkey I had my mom come over and hold my hand the whole time. She told me the story about the first time she made a turkey and she forgot to take the innards out. I think the worse thing that happened to me while making the turkey was when I was moving the brine to the refrigerator and I spilled the entire batch on me and the kitchen floor.

For the past few years I have been using Alton Brown's Roasted Turkey recipe, it comes out perfect every time. If it isn't broke, don't try to fix it. You can click on the link to find the actual recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine all the brine ingredients except for the iced water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.




On the night before you plan to eat.

Combine the brine, water and ice. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. Refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.



Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine




Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.



Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage.



Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.




Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.



Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.




Any Thanksgiving disaster stories you would like to share?

Slow Cooker Stuffing

 I call this dish stuffing even though I don't stuff the turkey with it. I think it is a northern thing, but here in the south most people call it dressing.  But like Shakespeare said, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet".

For most of my life I didn't eat stuffing. The celery and onions turned me off.  But as I got older and wiser my palate has changed and it is now one of my favorite dishes during the holiday season. For some reason the dish intimidated me and I was afraid to try and make it myself, so I always ordered it from the Fresh Market. It turns out it is really easy to make, especially when you prepare it in the slow cooker.  This is a very basic recipe, you add whatever you like.
I suggest making the bread crumbs and chopping veggies the night before.




Ingredient
1 cup butter
4 cups chopped onion
4 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
12 cups dry bread cubes
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth, or as needed
2 eggs, beaten



Directions
Take a loaf of bread and cut into cubes, or you can just tear it like I do and call it "rustic". Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for about 10 minutes. I used a loaf of whole wheat bread this time.





Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.



Saute onion, celery, and parsley in butter until tender.




In the slow cooker spoon cooked veggies over bread cubes.





Add poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper.



Pour in enough broth to moisten, and mix in the eggs.



Cook on high for 45 minutes and then reduce heat and cook on low heat for 5 hours. You'll want to stire mixture about once an hour to keep from burning. I love using my Hamilton Beach Set 'n  Forget Programmable Slow Cooker for this recipe. Using the timer helped to remind when it was time to reduce the temperature.



You can keep on warm until you are ready to serve. If it starts to dry out just add some more broth.




What dish intimidates you most during the holidays?