this blog is moving!!

http://jennamariescrafts.blogspot.com/ is going to be the new one.. well it is already going for a month now but i hardly cook anymore and if I do it will be on this blog :D

Turkey Pie

I know this comes after Thanksgiving but I just had to share these Fabulous recipes. {Sorry the pics aren't that great- I had to hurry and take them before they got eaten!}

This years Turkey was the best one I've ever had. It was tender & juicy. I usually like eating the dark meat because it is more tender & moist than the white meat. This year is the changing point. I was inspired by Martha Stewart & Alton Brown but I found one here. I will not cook another turkey any other way but this one. You put it in a BRINE for 24 hours before cooking it.

Brine Recipe I did:
1 gallon chicken broth + 1 jug beef broth
1 1/2 cup Kosher salt
1 Tablesppon dried Rosemary
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
2 Tablespoons peppersorns
Put all this in a pot to boil then let cool.
Put turkey in a large bucket [sprig of basil -in cavity]. Then pour the brine over the Turkey. Fill the rest of the bucket up with ice water until the turkey is totally covered. Put it in the frig for 24 hours before cooking. Discard brine after use. My turkey was a 24 lb. & I cooked it for 3 1/2 hours at 350.
FYI: There will be a little discolorization because of the Brine.
{I think the next time I try it, I might add a few more seasonings for extra flavor}


Chiffon Pumkin Pie Recipe ( handed down from my Grandma):
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
3 egg yolks (keep whites)
3/4 cup canned/cooked pumpkin

Put all ingredients in a double boiler on med-high heat. Stir often for about 10 mins. Let cool. In a seperate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff then mix in 1/4 cup sugar. Fold in the egg whites to pumpkin mixture. Pour into a baked pie crust. Put in frig to set. Best tasting if made the day before needing it.

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients: (P.S. – I don’t measure so this is just an estimate.)

- 2 Onions

- 1 Clove of Garlic

- 2 l.b. Boston Butt Pork Roast

- Tony’s Creole Seasoning

- Salt and Pepper

- Splash of Liquid

- Favorite B.B.Q. Sauce

- Hamburger Buns

Directions:

Place 1 onion sliced at bottom of slow cooker.  Stud pork with garlic cloves and cover with Tony’s Creole Seasoning, Salt, and Pepper. Place roast in cooker and place onions on top.  Add enough water to fill cooker 2/3 of the way.  Add liquid smoke and cook for 6 to 8 hours.

Remove roast.  Remove and Discard cloves, bone, fat, as well as water, onions, and remaining grease in your pot.  Shred pork.  Return pork to slow cooker and mix in B.B.Q. and cover on med. heat for 1 hour.

Bon-Apetit Ya’ll

YUMMY YUM

wanted to share with you one of my all time favorite recipes. I’ve used this recipe for years now and it’s so versatile and easy to make. Anyone who tries it loves it and I’ve given out the recipe more times than I can count. Even if you’re not a fan of meatloaf, my Italian Meatloaf will bowl you over. I promise. It’s just that good. This recipe can also be used to make some of the best meatballs around. Now, I’m not Italian; however, this recipe came from a true Italian cook so I assure you it’s authentic and worth making.

I’ve kinda put off doing a cooking post because I don’t really cook using a recipe. I have a tendency to make it up as I go and measuring cups (unless I’m baking) are rarely used. So I’m hoping the pictures will help you all in this case but also encourage you to be a little more creative in the kitchen. Take a recipe and make it your own. Why not give you the recipe I was given, you say? Well, because the recipe I was given is basically a list of ingredients which is exactly what I’m passing to you. My recipe does not have any measurements either. 

Start with a pound of ground beef. Do your heart and your cardiologist a favor and get the leanest meat available.

Next up, chop some onions. Tip: put it in the freezer about 10 minutes before chopping and the fumes will not get to you. Chop half a medium onion or so. Adjust accordingly to your personal preference.

Garlic. I LOVE garlic. I prefer fresh but garlic powder would also be fine. I usually use about 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.

Combine ingredients into a large bowl. So far so good.

To your bowl, add about 1/2 -3/4 cup of parmesan cheese.

Now add about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of Italian style breadcrumbs.

Here’s where you can change it up a bit, if you so desire. You can add a half a jar of pre-made tomato sauce or add plain tomato sauce which is what I do so that I can control the ingredients. I, personally, don’t like the added sugar and sodium found in jarred sauces. But if you have a favorite jarred sauce or just want to make it easy on yourself, feel free. But only half. Reserve the rest for later.

Now you’ll want to season up the mix a bit – if you are using plain tomato sauce. You might not want to add too much if you are using jarred sauce. Also, keep in mind that you used Italian breadcrumbs so there’s a bit of seasoning already going on here. Again, forgive me for not measuring. But you’ll want a palm full of salt. Probably not quite a tablespoon. Same goes for black pepper, oregano, and basil. I recommend fresh herbs, but dried is fine as well. Just use less dried herbs. Keep in mind too that dried herbs only last for about six months before losing their potency. Adjust seasonings according to your preference. If you like salty, add a lot of salt.

You knew it was coming. Time to get messy.

This is a little trick I learned. If you don’t want to wait the full hour or so, make mini loaves instead of one big loaf. However, if you don’t like your onions to have a little crunch, you may want to grate the onion or saute them first to give them a head start since they will not be cooking as long.

Time for the oven. If you’re cooking one big loaf, that big guy is going to bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour or so. Of course, this all depends on your oven. If you’re cooking the mini loaves, these little guys only take about 20 minutes. Remember that you have tomato sauce inside the meat so the meat is going to look a little pink even after it’s done.

After baking accordingly, pour your remaining sauce over the top of your meatloaf/loaves and return it/them back to the oven for an additional half an hour for the one loaf – another 15-20 minutes for the mini loaves. I should add that I usually season up the leftover sauce before adding it to the top of the meatloaf – just a dash of salt, pepper and basil.

Will ya take a look at this? YUMMO!

Even my kids love this dish. Not a crumb left on the plate.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I hope I was able to convey my method for cooking it somewhat clearly. COOK, EAT, ENJOY Y’ALL!

Feel free to print or save this recipe!

Please take the time to stop over at One Mom’s Perfect Imperfections!

THANKSGIVING from "Dating Divas"

Who doesn't just love Thanksgiving? All of that yummy food...eating until you want to burst...pulling out those pregnant stretchy pants just like Joey did on that "Friends" episode - just so you can eat that much more. Lol. Okay, maybe we don't take it as seriously as Joey, but Thanksgiving is always memorable at my house. One thing is for certain, you can always count on my mom making an amazing meal. Ever since I have been married, me and the rest of the women in my family like to mix it up when it comes to the side dishes. A little something new every year. So here are a couple of recipes to try this Thanksgiving that are sure to give your man a tasty surprise.

Olive Curry Rolls

1 can chopped olives

1 c. grated cheddar

3 green onions, chopped fine

1/4 tsp. curry

Mix together above ingredients. Spread on slices of french rolls and broil.

Cauliflower Fritters

1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and chopped

1/2 cup flour

1 large egg, beaten

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 10-oz bag salad greens

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Extra-virgin olive oil

Steam the cauliflower until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, mash and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and egg, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll 1/4 cupfuls into balls, then flatten into patties, to make a total of 12 to 14. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the patties until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve with the salad greens tossed in olive oil and the lemon juice.

Coconut Candied Yams

Source: Lisa M., Fellow Diva


Prep: 10 min.  Cook: 30 min.  Serves: 6
29 oz. can of yams; drained and mashed
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
6 oz. crushed pineapple; drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the ingredients above and spoon into a greased baking dish.

Topping:
3/4 c. coconut
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. melted butter
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Combine the topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of the yam mixture.

Cook yams at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Eat and enjoy!

Easy-Peezy Pumpkin Pie

Okay, now I know that the majority of us LOVE our pumpkin pie to finish off an amazing Thanksgiving meal. I look forward to it all year long. Growing up, my mom and grandmother would have a "pie day" where we would make anywhere from 17 to 30 pies in one day - most of them pumpkin. And yes, we would be eating pie for a week solid. Now, these aren't your ordinary pies. These are pies that taste straight off the farm (these are the best in my opinion because if you've been raised on a farm, you know how to make everything from scratch,including the pie crust). This is a true statement because my grandmother was raised on a farm and her pies are out of this world!

To the point...I have a much quicker way to make your pies taste just like my grandmother's - without all the work. Are you ready for my secret? Remember, I learned how to make pies the old fashioned way and if my grandmother ever knew about this shortcut she would be sorely disappointed in me. That's why last year, when I made her MY pumpkin pie, she complimented me on my "amazing" crust and how I make it just like her. Teehee...don't tell her the truth! The truth is that I BUY my crust in the freezer section. That's right. I totally cheat! And no one knows! My mom actually got me hooked on these crusts because they taste EXACTLY like my grandma's crusts (maybe not quite as flaky as hers). Without all the mess and without all the work. You have to buy a specific brand though. The other brands just don't stand up to the Marie Calendar's pie crusts. You can find them on the freezer isle with all the desserts. SO there is my big secret. For those of you really looking to have the real old fashioned pie crust, click HERE for my grandmother's recipe. Keep in mind that it will take you a few tries to get it right and probably years to perfect it. It's worth it....but just so you know there is some work involved.

Now that you have your pie crust, simply buy the Libby's Pumpkin Pie mix, follow the instructions on the back and cook your pie! Voila! It will taste like you have slaved all day in the kitchen when really...you've been cuddling with your man while your pie cooks in the oven!

Don't forget to top it off with the real whipped cream. Oh, yum!

I want to give Lisa M. a HUGE thank you for helping out with this post! She contributed the Coconut Candied Yams recipe. I'm not a yam fan, but this one I will definitely try! It looks Divine! Thanks Lisa M.!

YUMMY CALOZONES* sp

Pumpkin Passion

1 white cake mix

1/2 c. butter

14 oz. can pumpkin

1tsp. cinnamon

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

Mix cake mix and butter; press into bottom of 9 x 13 pan, reserving 1 cup.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over crust. Sprinkle top w/reserved mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve with cool whip, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.