Cranberry Sangria

Ingredients:

64 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
1 bottle red wine (your choice, the sweeter the better)
1 bottle champagne
1 cup orange juice
1 bag uncooked cranberries
2 oranges, sliced

Directions:

Fill muffin tins with cranberries and fill tot the top with water, freeze overnight.  Combine all ingredients and serve.


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Tom the Veggie Turkey

Arrange your favorite veggies for your guests, just because Thanksgiving is about gluttony doesn't mean you can't fill up on the good stuff!

I used black peppercorns for his eyes :)

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Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is slightly different than the traditional Libby's mix because the fresh pumpkin is has a higher water content.  You can let the pumpkin sit and drain off the water, or place it in cheesecloth overnight and let the water drain off the bottom.

This will be enough for TWO pies!

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
**if you do not have cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger, you can substitute 3 teaspoons of "pumpkin pie spice".
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
4 large eggs
3 cups pumpkin sieved, cooked pumpkin
1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk
2 pie crusts, 9', grahm or fresh dough, it's your preference!


Directions

Combine all ingredients, make sure they are well mixed.  Pour the pie into pie crusts and bake at 425 F  for the first 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F and bake another 45 to 60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Buon appetito!!
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Carmel Apple Jello Shots

Ingredients

(makes about 40 slices/shots)
10 small granny smith apples
1 envelope knox gelatin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 drops yellow food coloring
1 envelope caramel hot chocolate (Regular would do just fine if you can't find caramel)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butterscotch schnapps
lemon juice

Directions

1. Half and hollow out  apples cutting them from the stem down. I used a melon baller to hollow the apples and it worked well. After hollowing them squeeze some lemon juice on top to reduce browning.

2. Mix your 1/2 cup water with your envelope of hot chocolate in a medium sized sauce pan. Whisk it to make sure all the chocolate is combined. Add the 1/2 cup of coconut milk, whisk again.

3. Sprinkle your gelatin on top and let it sit a few minutes. Turn on low/medium heat and mix the gelatin until all is combined.

4. Add 1/4 cup sugar and simmer slightly until sugar is combined. Add your food coloring until you get the caramel color desired. I used two drops. Let mixture cool to warm. Pour in your 1/2 cup of butterscotch schnapps.

5. With your apples arranged so they fit tightly and secure on a cookie sheet, pour your caramel jello mixture into your apples. Refrigerate overnight.

6. Cut halves in quarters and those quarters in half again. Serve immediately. (The lemon juice can only prevent the browning for so long). Trim off the sides of the apples that have browned too much!

Adapted from That's So Michelle  Buon appetito!!

Valentine's Day Cooking for Boys

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, using pizza is the express train.  This is just a special treat I put together for my boys (3 & 4.5 & 30) on Valentine's Day!

Ingrediants:

Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce
Mozerella Cheese
Peperoni


Technique:

Spread the Dough on your pizza pan or pizza stone.  Spread sauce and cheese on the dough.  Arrange peperoni in a heart shape.  As an added adult treat I like to cover the crust in olive oil and fresh ground Italian seasonings.

Have some cupcakes for dessert and you've got LOVE!


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Orange Pound Cake and Raspberry Jam Trifle

I love a good trifle, and this is definitely a good trifle! It takes a decent amount of work as you make your own cake, pastry cream and whipped cream, but it's worth it. I made it for my family as a Christmas dessert and I found that it could easily serve 10 people. If you plan on doing this, give yourself a couple of hours, but, again, it's worth it!

Ingredients:

1 orange pound cake (recipe follows)

1 jar of seedless raspberry jam

2 half-pints of fresh raspberries

Orange pastry cream (recipe follows)

1 c. cold heavy cream

2 T. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla extract

How:

Cut the pund cake into slices and spread each slice on one side with raspberry jam. Set aside.

Place a layer of cake, jam side up, in the bottom of a trifle bowl or a 2.5-3 quart serving bowl, cutting the pieces to fit. Top with a layer of raspberries and orange cream. Repeat and then end with a third layer of cake, jam side down and then raspberries.

Whip the cream in with an electric mixer using the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks. Put on top of trifle. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

ORANGE POUND CAKE

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2.5 cups sugar, divided

4 extra large eggs, room temperature

1/3 g. grated orange zest

3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

3/4 c. orange juice, divided

3/4 c. buttermilk, room temperature

1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat to 350. Grease and flour to 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper

Cream the butter and 2 c. of the sugar with an electric mixer with the paddle for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. On medium speed, beat in eggs one at a time and the orange zest.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine 1/4 c. of the orange juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake between 45 minutes and an hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cook the remaining 1/2 c. of sugar with the 1/2 c. of orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Remove them from the pans and put them on a cooling rack over a baking tray. Spoon the orange syrup over the cakes and allow the cakes to cool.

Enjoy one cake, and save the other for the trifle.

ORANGE PASTRY CREAM

1.5 c. milk

1 t. orange zest

5 extra large egg yolks, room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 t. Grand Marnier or Triple Sec

1 T. unsalted butter

1 T. heavy cream

Combine the milk and orange zest in a medium saucepan over medium and bring almost to a boil, then remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with the paddle until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, sprinkle on the cornstarch. Beat on medium-low until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes. KEEP STIRRING! When it starts to look thick on the bottom of your stirring utensil keep going a little longer until the mixture itself is actually thicker.

Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec, butter and heavy cream. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold.

~Original recipe can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/raspberry-orange-trifle-recipe/index.html

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Stuffing

This is an old fashioned traditional stuffing recipe that has been handed down through generations.



1/2 c. margarine

1 1/2 c. chopped onions

1 1/2 c. chopped celery

10 cups homestyle bread, toasted and cubed

salt and pepper

1 t. poultry seasoning

1/2 t. sage

1/2-3/4 c. chicken broth

2 eggs, well beaten





Saute onion and celery in margarine until tender. Add mixture to bread cubes. Combine seasoning and eggs and beat. Pour broth and egg mixture over stuffing. Toss to mix.



Will stuff a 12 - 14 lb. turkey



This can also be made in a crockpot. Place mixture in crockpot, set on high for 45 minutes, then on low for 3 to 4 hours.


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Jack-o-Lantern English Muffin Pizzas

My husband’s childhood favorite, I jazzed it up for Halloween.












Ingredients
1 (6 count) package Thomas’ English Muffins
1 (15oz) can pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package pepperoni
Other veggies if you like!

Technique
Split English muffins and lay on cookie sheet. Spread about one tablespoon of pizza sauce on each muffin half. Sprinkle cheese on top of sauce. Cut pepperoni into triangle shapes and arrange to look like a jack-o-lantern. Low-broil on the top rack until cheese is melted, about 3 min.

**Mom likes to make hers without pizza sauce subbing olive oil and some Italian spices.

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