Holidays
This recipe comes from the New York Times and I am thrilled to have found it! These little bites are so tasty! These would be perfect after your holiday dinner or great as a gift to your neighbor, teachers, family and friends! The recipe calls for bourbon, but I used orange juice! These have become a quick favorite of my “taste tester” Dad! I know what he will be having at the holiday!
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup bourbon or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 ounces dark chocolate
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl stir together pecans, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Add maple syrup, bourbon/oj and vanilla stirring until well incorporated. Form mixture into walnut sized balls and place on a cookie sheet to freeze for two hours. After the two hours, in the top of a double boiler or in a medium stainless steel bowl set over a pot of gently boiling water, melt chocolate. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip frozen balls into the melted chocolate and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Let sit for 15 minutes or until firm.
Enjoy!
I have given you some holiday appetizers, desserts and day after recipes but here are my tried and true recipes that I go to each year! I always add or rotate recipes but this will give you some more great ideas.
Citrus Dry Brine
http://momcanyoumake.com/2014/11/citrus-dry-brine-for-turkey/
Sausage Apple Stuffing
http://momcanyoumake.com/2014/11/sausage-and-apple-stuffing/
Mashed Potatoes
http://momcanyoumake.com/2014/11/mashed-potatoes/
Cranberry Sauce
http://momcanyoumake.com/2014/11/cranberry-sauce/
Turkey Gravy
http://momcanyoumake.com/2014/11/easy-turkey-
Caramel Apple Pie
http://momcanyoumake.com/2014/02/welcome-to-mom-can-you-make/
Enjoy!
Hosting a holiday dinner can be overwhelming so I have a few tips and tricks that I use for every holiday.
First thing is to be organized. Know your menu, make a grocery list and make a timeline of what food needs to go in the oven for how long and at what temp. This will help, in having everything warmed through all at the same time.
Clean your fridge!! Space is important when cooking a large dinner! I need all the space I can get in the fridge!
Make sides in advance, I do the bulk of my cooking the day before, making the day of my gathering much easier and organized. Think about your menu and what appliances you are using or could use. I put my toaster oven to work for appetizers as well as my grill! How about your slow cooker? I use my slow cooker to warm my mashed potatoes! I also make my gravy the day before and yup, you guessed it that is heated through in my microwave!
My favorite tip and the one I ALWAYS use is keeping a small pot of turkey stock warm on my stove top. This can help you baste your turkey during cooking times but also after you let your turkey rest and then carve it, adding some hot broth on top of the turkey keeps it moist and warm!!
Turkey Myth – you should always rinse your turkey in cool water…FALSE, no need to do it, this can spread salmonella on your sink, countertop and anywhere else you have the turkey.
Crispy skin – I like a good crispy skin and that is not an easy task. So…you can use just salt or a dry brine mixture as seen on my citrus brine recipe. If you salt your turkey and leave the bird uncovered in your fridge for two days allowing the skin to dry, this will help ensure a crispy skin. Keep the raw bird away from ready to eat items that are not in a sealed package.
POP UP TIMERS – no, just no! Pop up timers will give you an over cooked bird. You want an internal temp of 165 degrees.
DEFROSTING – you will need 24 hours of defrosting time for every 5 pounds of turkey.
LEFTOVERS – left overs should be eaten within 3-4 days .
Enjoy!
I can’t believe it is that time of year again! Those holidays sneak up every year! With that being said it’s also time for appetizers, small Thanksgiving options and tips and tricks to just name a few things!
I made these appetizers for a small dinner party and we all loved them! Super easy to make and you can mix the tomato part of the recipe in advance to save some time later. I put these in my family favorite as these will be appearing on my table over the holidays this year. Thank you Taste of Home Magazine for another great recipe!
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, minced
1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
24 slices French bread (1/4 inch thick)
2 cups (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder until blended. Stir in tomatoes, onion and minced basil. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over each bread slice and place bread slices on a greased baking sheet. Top with tomato mixture and sprinkle with shredded fresh mozzarella cheese. Bake 7-8 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Halloween is upon us so if you are like us we are going to get-togethers as well as hosting them! I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it for two gatherings that we went to over the weekend. This recipe is very simple, makes a ton and stays well overnight! This is great to serve at your parties or also to give to your next party host/hostess. Salty, sweet and crunchy all things I love!!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 bag of pretzel sticks (from a ten ounce bag)
2 1/2 cups honey nut Cheerios
2 1/2 cups corn Chex
1 cup peanuts
1 (12 ounce) package of candy corn M&M’s
2 cups candy corn
1 package Ghiardelli white chocolate melting chips (12 ounces)
DIRECTIONS
In a very large bowl combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the chocolate and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl add the melting chips and melt according to package directions. Pour melted chocolate over the cereal mix, stirring well until your mixture is evenly coated with chocolate. Spread mixture on two large cookie sheets lined with wax paper to cool. Once completely cooled break into pieces and serve. If you are going to store this be sure to store this in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
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