Sweet Potato Cornbread

Sweet Potato Cornbread 

 Ingredients 

1 c. flour 

1 c. cornmeal 

1/2 c. sugar 

1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

1 c. whole milk 

2 c. mashed sweet potatoes 

1/2 c. melted butter 

1/3 c. honey

Honey Butter: (optional) 

1/2 c. butter softened 

1/2 c. honey 

 Instructions

 Grease an 9” round baking pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Microwave sweet potatoes, then peel and mash. 

Blend together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the eggs, melted butter and honey. Then add the milk and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 33 – 40 minutes. Use a toothpick to make sure the middle is done. Beat the softened butter with the honey and serve with the warm cornbread.

Cider Brined Turkey

Cider Brined Turkey

Ingredients

• 7 lb. turkey breast

• 4 c. apple cider

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1/3 c. brown sugar

• 1 T. whole allspice

• 1/3 c. kosher salt

• 4 bay leaves

• 2 T. butter

Instructions

2. Smash and peel the garlic cloves. Combine the apple cider, garlic cloves, brown sugar, allspice, salt and bay leaves in a large pot. Simmer on the stove top for 5 minutes, stirring often.

3. Take the brine off the stove top and add 4 cups ice water. Place the turkey breast in a 2 gallon zip lock bag. Add the brine to the bag adding water if needed to submerge the turkey. Close the bag and place in a pan. Refrigerate overnight.

4. After the turkey has brined overnight, drain the turkey and rinse. Take the softened butter and smear it under the skin of the turkey breast. Dry the turkey with paper towels. Season the turkey with salt and pepper.

5. Cook on the grill or in an oven at 325 degrees until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 2 1/2 hours.

6. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes, slice and serve.

Thanksgiving Timeline 2024

Thanksgiving Timeline

 4 weeks prior:

Invite people

3 weeks prior:

Confirm how many people will be attending.

Plan the menu.  Keep in mind oven space and temperatures needed.

If making pie crusts, make now, put in pie pans, cover with plastic wrap and freeze.

1 week prior:

Make a detailed grocery list.  Divide it into things you can buy now and things you will need to buy right before Thanksgiving.

Sunday before Thanksgiving: 

If using frozen turkey, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw.

If you don’t use the table you will be using for Thanksgiving, go ahead and decorate it and set out the place settings.

Tuesday before Thanksgiving:

Make everything that will be served chilled, like cranberry sauce.  Cover and refrigerate.

Clean, cut and chop vegetables for stuffing and other recipes.

Wednesday before Thanksgiving:

Brine the turkeys.

Cut up bread for stuffing.

Make and bake the pumpkin pies.  Refrigerate after cooling. 

Make any side dishes that can be done ahead of time.

Review remaining recipes and make sure you have all the ingredients needed like whipping cream, butter, etc.

If baking rolls from frozen dough, put them in a greased pan, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight.

Thanksgiving Day:  (Times are planning around eating at 2 pm using 7 lb. turkey breasts.  Adjust as needed to fit your schedule and turkey size.

9:00 AM

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let rise.

9:30 AM

Take the turkeys out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

Assemble the stuffing.

Peel potatoes and put in cold salted water.

10:00 AM

Bake rolls.

Cook the potatoes.

10:30 AM

Put turkeys in the oven.

Drain the potatoes and mash them.  Put in a buttered crock pot to keep warm.

11:00 AM

Assemble the stuffing and bake.

Make the green bean casserole.

1:00 PM

Remove the turkey from the oven.  Cover with foil and let rest.

Put green bean casserole and sweet potatoes in the oven to bake.

Make gravy then put in crock pot to keep warm.

1:30 PM

Greet your guests.

Carve the turkey.

Enjoy your wonderful dinner!

Halloween Goblin Head

 

Halloween Goblin Head

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. pkg. low-fat cream cheese

• 4 oz. shredded taco-flavored cheese

• 2 T. butter

• 1 T. milk

• 1 8 oz. pkg. low-fat cream cheese

• 1 pepperocini pepper

• 9 pimento-stuffed olives

• 1 carrot

• 1/4 green pepper

• 1 can whole beets

• Tortilla chips

• 8 arbol chiles

Instructions

1. Bring 1 package of cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Place 1 package of cream cheese, shredded cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Add the milk to the bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl and chill from 4 to 24 hours. Bring the second package of cream cheese to room temperature. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Form the refrigerated cheese mixture into a ball and place on a serving platter. Cover the ball with the softened cream cheese. Press in tortilla chips for ears. Drain the pepperocini, olives and 1 beet on paper towels. Place the pepperocini pepper in the middle of the cheese ball for a nose. Cut 1 pimento-stuffed olive and use for the eyes. Remove the pimentos from 8 of the olives and insert arbol Chile’s for the toes. Cut zigzag pieces of green pepper for eyebrows. Shred the beet to use for hair. Cut small pieces of carrot sticks to use for teeth. Serve with crackers.

Halloween Bat Bites

 

Halloween Bat Bites

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

• 4 oz. soft goat cheese

• 1/4 c. pesto

• 3 T. coarsely ground black pepper

• 3 T. poppy seeds

• 12 pitted black olives

• 48 pink peppercorns

• 48 triangular blue corn chips

Instructions

1. Soften the cream cheese and goat cheese to room temperature. Use an electric mixer to blend together the cream cheese, goat cheese and pesto. Chill the mixture for an hour. Shape the mixture into 24 balls, about 1 teaspoon each. Combine the poppy seeds and ground black pepper on a small plate. Roll each ball into the poppy seed and pepper mixture to cover. Cut the black olives in half. Press 2 olive slices into the balls for eyes and place a pink peppercorn in the center of the olive slice for the pupils. Insert a corn chip on either side of the ball for wings. Serve.

Halloween 7-layer Dip

 Halloween 7-layer Dip

1 can (15 oz.) refried beans

1 packet taco seasoning mix

1 c. sour cream

1 c. mild or medium chunky salsa

1 c. grated cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese

1/2 can (15 oz.) black olives, drained

1 c. prepared guacamole

1 T. milk

In a small bowl, mix the taco seasoning with the refried beans.  Spread this mixture on the bottom of a 10 inch pie plate.  Spread 3/4 cup of the sour cream on top of the beans.

Add the salsa on top of the sour cream and spread.  Spread the guacamole in the center of the dip.  Sprinkle the grated cheese around the edge of the plate.  

Thin the remaining sour cream with the milk.  Put it into a plastic bag and cut off one corner.  Squeeze the sour cream into a spider web pattern over the guacamole.

Make olive spiders by cutting a few of the olives lengthwise and then cut a few olives into small strips for the legs.  Place the halved olives on the spider web using the strips to make the spider legs.

Slice the remaining olives and spread around the outside of the plate.

Serve immediately with tortilla chips.  

                                                                                  

Corn and Poblanos

 

Corn and Poblanos

Ingredients

• 4 ears corn on the cob husks and silk removed

• 2 T. olive oil

• 2 poblano peppers seeded and diced

• 1 onion chopped

• 2 T. butter

Instructions

1. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the corn and cook until slightly charred. Reduce the heat to medium then add the poblano peppers and onion and continue to cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the butter to the skillet and simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors combine.

   
   

   If fresh corn is not available, you can use frozen corn.