Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays!

~Froehliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches      Neues Jahr!

~Nollaig Shona Dhuit Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit

~Uwotlvdi Danisdoyohihv, Alihelisdi Itse Sudetiyvda

~Feliz Navidad Féliz Año Nuevo

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: 

the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other". 

~Burton Hillis

"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mini Pecan Pies

One of our favorite Holiday desserts, either for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is pecan pie! About 3 years ago I decided to use the same pecan pie recipe I always use, but with a twist: as mini or individual pies! Most years I use a ready made pie crust, (I’m all for ease and time saving methods), but this year I decided to make the crust from scratch.

Either way, these are delicious and much easier to wrap, store and freeze after all the guest have headed home. And the best part? I can just reheat one and add my favorite topping!

I like the Karo Syrup Classic Pecan Pie Recipe, but you can use your favorite recipe with similar results.

Tasty Cranberry Sauce

Well it's that time of year to dig though all my recipes, try to find the best ones to make for Thanksgiving Dinner!

I keep notes each year of recipes used and food prepared in the past.  I also pencil in tips to myself such as "fantastic" or "this was really yummy" or "not so good".

We have all the traditional food: Turkey, dressing, yams, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, etc. And I always have cranberries. But each year it seems many dinner guests do not like cranberries, and won't even try them!  So in recent years I have been experimenting with different Cranberry Sauce recipes and came across this one in 2007. It was a big hit that Thanksgiving and all the years to follow. I hope you enjoy it!

Thanksgiving On Friday?

Table set for Thanksgiving dinner

Thinking of the Holidays coming up, Thanksgiving in particular, and I am quite excited.

I love this time of year! We don't always, but often, share our Thanksgiving Dinner on a day other than the actual Thursday.

Why, you ask?

I am selfish!

We don’t like to share our family and friends with their other friends and relatives! Seems if I have our dinner on the actual day that has been set aside, I must share my guests, them staying only an hour or two, then off they run to visit someone else on their list.

If I have our dinner on the weekend before or even the Saturday after Thanksgiving, my guests can come early, help with the cooking or just sit and enjoy the aromas and conversations before dinner. There is also no need to run off so quickly after eating, and many times we have had our guests spend the entire evening with us or stay the night.

All of which I think is the real meaning of Holidays, spending time with our loved ones!

Day Of The Dead Bread

Day of the Dead Bread

So I get an email from my nephew-in-law Ben, saying he made "Day of the Dead" bread and had an extra loaf and would I like one.
Well as some of you may know, bread is my friend. I was super excited but hadn't opened the email until late in the day so had to wait an entire (eternity) day to pick it up.

Let me give you a little info on Ben: He is a wonderful cook, has his own cooking website and is a great photographer. I had, up until trying his home baked bread, only salivated over his dishes via his website.Anyway, I arrived at his and Jon's house to pick up the bread yesterday and upon entering his house immediately became brain dead.Yes that's right.
Upon viewing the wonderful little loaves of bread my hands began to shake and my mouth watered against my will.  Heaven!