Davey Dad’s Thanksgiving Dressing

About 10-12 cups dried bread cubes or stuffing mix (I use homemade bread, cubed and dried in the oven or 2 bags of 365 Organic traditional stuffing mix)

6 ribs of celery, chopped

1-2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 pound hot Italian sausage or sage sausage, cooked and drained

1 large or two small apples (tart is best), peeled and chopped

Fresh sage leaves (large handful), chopped or dried sage if you  don’t have fresh

Big bunch of fresh parsley (chopped)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Large pinch red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy)

Salt and pepper (adjust once it’s finished)

Fresh thyme leaves (small handful), can substitute 1tsp dried

1 1/2 sticks butter - more if you need it for frying the veggies 

4-6 cups unsalted or low sodium or homemade chicken broth (more if needed)

Melt butter in a large stock pot. Add celery, onion, and apple. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Add herbs, cooked sausage, spices and stir well. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Now add bread cubes or stuffing mix. Mix until combined. Add more broth to completely soak the bread (you may need more broth than recipe calls for). Stuffing should be moist and a bit mushy. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes off the heat. Uncover and adjust salt and pepper. If dry, add more broth. 

Heavily butter or spray a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour stuffing evenly into the pan. Cover with foil and bake in 350 oven (or lower) for at least 30-45 minutes. Uncover and move to top rack of the oven. Cook in a hotter oven if you can until stuffing is crispy and brown. 

This makes enough for a large family gathering (10-15 servings). Makes great leftovers. Serve with gravy on top. 

Note: ingredient measurements are flexible. Use as much herbs and spice as you like. You can leave some out or add different herbs like rosemary and marjoram. You can add chopped pecans, walnuts, or roasted chestnuts to make it nuttier. You can use hamburger instead of sausage or leave out meat for a meatless dressing. Cut it in half for a smaller crowd. This is a staple for Thanksgiving and Dave always adds tons of celery so don’t hold back on that ingredient! 

Shrimp and Scallop Bisque

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 c chopped onion

1/2 c chopped carrots

1 c chopped celery

1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper 

2 oz dry sherry

14.5 oz can low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning 

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 pint (2 cups) half and half

12 oz peeled and deveined shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 pound bay scallops, cut larger scallops into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large stock pot. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until vegetable are tender (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

2. Add flour and salt and pepper. The add the sherry and scrape up any brown bits from the pan,

3. Slowly add the chicken broth to flour and veggies, stirring to make a thick sauce.

4. Add sugar, Old Bay, and nutmeg and stir. Then add the half and half and stir until just heated.

5. Mix in the raw shrimp and scallops and cook until seafood is cooked through, stirring so mixture doesn't stick to the pan or boil too hard (use low heat).

6. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve with additional Old Bay sprinkled on top. Add chopped parsley, if desired.

This makes 4 generous bowls of soup. (Approximately 500 calories per serving)
Serve with a crispy salad on the side and some toasty bread, if desired.

Scrumptious Crab Cakes

 

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat (important you get this kind)

1/2 c mayonaise

1 T dijon mustard

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 - 2 tsp hot sauce

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp lemon zest, plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/8 cup)

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (or more, if needed)

Oil for frying

Combine mayo, mustard, worcestershire sauce, hot suace, egg, lemon zest and juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Carefully fold in the crab meat, but don't break up the crab. Then fold in bread crumbs to make a firm, but not stiff crab mixture. 

Using 1/3 cup measuring cup, form 8-9 crab cakes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill for at least 20 minutes or until they are firm and cold.

Heat oil in a large pan and add the crab cakes - cooking over medium heat. Do not disturb them so they get brown and crispy, but not burnt. It should take 3-4 minutes. Then turn crabcakes carefully and brown on the other side (you may need to add more oil) until they are hot through and crispy, but not burnt. This should take another 3-4 minutes.

Place on a serving platter and eat with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. Can be eaten alone or as a crab cake sandwich. 

 

 

I made these for Christmas 2023 and we enjoyed them very much. Leftovers, reheated are good, but eat within a day or two or freeze them.

Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened 
1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, room temperature

1.5 cups flour (APF, not cake flour)

1.75 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp table salt 

3/4 c milk, room temperature 

Heat oven to 350*. Butter and flour 9 inch cake pan or line cupcake tins with paper and spray inside with cooking spray (about 18 or more).

With a hand mixer, beat butter until soft and fluffy. Add sugar and mix until sugar is almost dissolved (about 3-5 minutes). Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Next add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate into butter-sugar mixture. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour half the flour into the butter- sugar-egg mixture, beat until smooth, add half the milk, beat until smooth, add the rest of the flour and mix, then add the rest of the milk. Beat batter about 1-2 minutes, scraping bowl with a rubber spatula until batter is smooth and completely mixed and fluffy. 

Pour into prepared pan or cupcake tins. Bake for 15 minutes, then move cake for even browsing. Continue baking in 3-5 minute intervals until cake is just done (test with cake tester or toothpick). Cake should spring back when touched lightly. Do not overtake or cake will be dry. Remove from oven and cook on a cooling rack. If desired remove cake to a cake plate or just frost when cake is completely cooled. Cupcakes can be taken out of tins to finish cooling. 

Frost with buttercream frosting when cake is cooled. 

Buttercream Frosting

1/3 cup softened butter

1.5 tsp vanilla 

3 cups powdered sugar 

2 + Tbsp milk

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and vanilla. Add sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing between. Add just enough milk to make frosting the desired consistency. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. 

Cranberry Compote

This is so easy and tastes so good. Best to make a day in advance so it gets very cold and jellied. If you want a a clear cranberry jelly, directions are below as well.

1 bag (12 oz) whole cranberries, rinsed and sorted (pick firm, ripe ones)
3/4 cup sugar (more or less, per taste)
1 cup water
pinch of salt

After washing and sorting the cranberries, set them aside.

Place water and sugar into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until about half the cranberries are popped and it feels mushy and it coats the back of a spoon. Stir a few times so they don't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

Taste for sweetness. If you don't want them too tart, you can add more sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and cool on the stove. Once cool to the touch, pour into a glass bowl or a glass jar, cover and refrigerate. It will solidify as it cools. Eat hot or cold. Makes about 2 cups of cranberry sauce.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Follow the directions above except increase sugar  to 1 cup. Once cooked, strain through a small mesh sieve into a glass dish, pressing with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is squeezed out and all that is left are seeds and pulp.

Transfer jellied cranberries to a small jar in the refrigerator until completely cooled. Turn out on a plate (may take a little warm water to loosen the sides). You can also put it directly into a glass dish and refrigerate. Serve with a spoon. Makes about 1 cup of jellied sauce.

NOTE: if you want, you can add some orange zest to the pan when you cook it or replace some of the water with freshly squeezed orange juice. You can also add pecans (chopped), cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice to the mix. Be sure to start with only a small amount of spice since you can always add more. You want it to taste like cranberries, not spices.

Bachelor Button Cookies

As a young child, we made these cookies any time of the year, but I especially remember eating them around Christmas. They are slightly spiced with lots of nuts and are slightly soft with a crispy edge. I highly recommend making them small so they look even more like buttons when they are baked. 

3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup chopped walnuts
white sugar (about 1/4 cup)

Cream butter,  brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat well (I use a mixer). Combine flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture a little at a time. Stir in walnuts. Refrigerate about an hour. Shape dough into tiny balls (1/2 inch diameter), dip top into white sugar and press down with a fork. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 375 for 8-10 minutes, until lightly brown. If you bake two pans at a time, be sure to move the pans halfway through the baking so they bake evenly.

Cool slightly on pan and remove to cooling racks. Makes 60 cookies.

Colorful Brown Rice and Chicken With Fall Vegetables

A captivating chicken, brown rice, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, dried cranberry casserole is topped with sliced almonds. It’s flavored with thyme and a touch of cayenne pepper to enhance your taste buds. It reminds me a bit of Thanksgiving stuffing with a nutty flavor and packed with lots of color. It’s what’s for dinner when you don’t know what else to make and you have all of these items in your pantry and fridge just waiting to be used. If you need to make a gluten-free dish, this is one you will want to try. You could even make it your Thanksgiving stuffing or is that called dressing? In any case, try it, you'll like it!

1 cup of raw brown rice, cooked

1/2 medium onion (1 cup), chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

16 oz package of fresh Brussels Sprouts, ends trimmed and quartered

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1-2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp dried thyme leaves (or 3 tsp fresh thyme)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2to 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup sliced and toasted almonds

Cook the brown rice and set aside. 1 cup of raw brown rice will make about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of rice. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute' onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil until tender in a frying pan with high sides. Add butter to pan and swirl it around the pan to coat. Add the fresh Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes and fry until brown. If you caramelize the sprouts and onions, it will add a rich flavor to your dish. Add cut-up chicken and brown on all sides, pushing vegetables to the sides and top. 

Add salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper and paprika and stir well Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn burner to simmer and cover pan, cooking the chicken to doneness and veggies so they are soft enough to eat. This will take about 10-12 minutes.

Add the rice and stir well. You may need a little more chicken stock, but it should not be "soupy, only moist. Add the cranberries and stir well to distribute them.

Grease a 9X12 inch glass baking dish  and scoop rice, chicken and veggie mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until casserole is hot. You don't want to overbake or it will become dry. You can cover the dish with foil if you need to.

Remove from oven and serve with a salad. 

This makes at least 8 servings. You can keep this for leftovers the next day. Reheat with a  splash of broth to keep it moist.

ANOTHER IDEA: To make this a vegetarian dish, use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock and leave out the chicken. 

YET ANOTHER IDEA: You could make this as a side-dish for Thanksgiving and it's gluten-free! It would make a delicious Thanksgiving dressing or stuffing.

To make this even nuttier -- throw in some cooked wild rice. Add some celery and garlic. Increase the heat level by adding more cayenne pepper. This recipe has a wonderful flavor!

Black Bean 7-layer Dip

This is a great appetizer or even works as a light meal on a Sunday night. We've been making this dip for years, but I finally decided to put it on here because it's just that good!

1 or 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2-4 Tbsp. salsa (add extra hot sauce to make it spicier)

1/2 cup - 1 cup sour cream

1-2 cups Guacamole (use homemade without tomato)

1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded

1/2 cup - 1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup black olives, sliced

3 green onions, sliced, including green tops

Mix salsa with black beans and spread on a large flat plate. Spread sour cream on top of black beans leaving a small edge of black beans showing. Next, layer on the guacamole, leaving a slight amount of sour cream showing.

Sprinkle on the cheese to cover everything below. Then top with tomatoes, olives and green onions in layers. 

Serve immediately with tortilla chips or you can cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. This tastes best when served the same day because the guacamole will turn brown. However, it still tastes good the next day (even though it might be a little watery).

This dip is so versatile and many substitutions (or additions) can be made to this. It's a great party dip and fun to bring to a party when asked to bring something to share.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze

I made these and they were very tasty -- not too sweet, but satisfied my hunger for a hearty harvest scone. I have never made scones before, so this was a first! There are a lot of recipes out there like this, but this one doesn't have the extra powdered sugar glaze which means it isn't overly sweet. I do recommend you eat them all up in one sitting or within a day or try one for dessert with pumpkin ice cream!

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. sugar (I use evaporated cane sugar)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (I freshly grate this)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes about 1/2 inch each
1/2 cup canned organic pumpkin puree
3 Tbsp buttermilk or half and half (might need a smidgen more if your egg isn't big)
1 large (extra large is better) egg, beaten

Spiced Glaze
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp whole milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and flour lightly with a small amount of whole wheat flour. Set aside

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Add butter and cost it with the flour mixture. With a pastry blender (or your hands) mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse corn meal. Butter should be no larger than a petite pea.

In another bowl, mix wet ingredients: pumpkin, buttermilk or half and half and the beaten egg Stir until well blended, then add to the dry ingredients to form a ball. It should resemble biscuit dough. If too wet, knead a little on a floured surface. If too dry, try adding a touch more of buttermilk. The key is not to over mix the dough or your scones won't be light and fluffy.

Pat the dough onto the floured parchment paper into a 1-inch thick rectangle approximately 4 inches wide by 12 inches long (use a ruler, I did!).

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3 equal portions (about 4X4 inch squares). Then cut each square into an "X" pattern so you end up with 12 triangular pieces of dough. Separate the triangles slightly or leave together if you want the scones to be less "crisp" around the edges.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until lightly brown and when touched they spring back.

While the scones are baking, make the glaze.  Drizzle the glaze onto each scone in a zigzag pattern. Save about half of it to glaze again as the scones cool. You can cool the scones on a wire rack and wait to eat for an hour -- or serve warm with more of the glaze. Use up the glaze on the scones, but if you don't want them too sweet, you can allow the eaters to put more glaze on, depending upon personal preference.

Store any uneaten scone in a tightly sealed container. They taste best out of the oven or if eaten the same day they are baked. If you know you won't eat all of the scones, you can freeze the unbaked scones and then thaw and bake as directed above, maybe adding a few extra minutes if they are cold when you place them in the oven.

They are very filling and have a nice nutty flavor. Feel free to add pecans to the mix or put a few raw pumpkin seeds on top of them after you glaze them (that's what I will do the next time I make these).

The Best Cornbread in the World

Who doesn't love warm cornbread right out of the oven? It's easy to prepare and takes only a little time to make. Mix and bake it after you get that pot of chili (chicken or beef) simmering. Serve warm for optimal enjoyment. This will serve 4-8 people, but if you're like me, you could eat the entire pan in one sitting.

1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. vegetable oil (not olive oil)
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. whole milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish.

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix oil, butter, honey, eggs and whole milk in another bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well mixed (but don't over mix). Let it sit for a few minutes and the batter will thicken a bit.

Pour the batter into the greased dish and bake 35 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't over-cook. The top will be brown and crispy and a few cracks will appear on the top. Check with a toothpick, which should come out clean. Do not overbake!

Allow to cool a few minutes, cut and serve warm with butter and extra honey. Or just eat it without anything on it -- it tastes great with chili or with ham and beans.

This is the most moist, sweet, and fluffy cornbread you'll ever eat!

Cheesy (no soup) Hash Brown Potato Casserole

2-3 Tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
12 oz chicken broth
1 cup milk
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
20 oz pkg Trader Joe's shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp butter
1-2 cups Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large pot. Cook onion until soft. Add salt, pepper and Thyme and then slowly stir in the flour until fully incorporated. Add broth and bring to a boil and stir until mixture is thickened. Add milk and stir thoroughly. Remove from burner and stir in the cheese until cheese is melted. Add shredded potatoes and mix well. Then stir in the sour cream until incorporated.

Spray a 9x11 inch glass pan with nonstick spray. Pour the potatoes into the pan and bake about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter and stir in panko breadcrumbs. Add crumbs to the top of the potatoes and continue baking until crumbs are browned and potatoes are bubbling (about 15 minutes). You might need to increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Check to make sure potatoes are tender. Allow potatoes to rest about 10 minutes and serve warm.

This dish goes well with ham. You can also reheat the potatoes adding leftover ham to make a delicious second meal.

These potatoes are very forgiving. You can add more shredded potatoes--up to 28 oz and they will still be moist. Just make sure you have enough sauce to keep them moist!

Rolo Turtle Cookies

Butter pretzels (I use waffles or small twist)
Rolo candy
Half pecans

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place pretzels on parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Place an unwrapped rolo candy on top of each pretzel.

Place in oven for 3 minutes or just until the rolo candy is soft. Remove from oven and place a half pecan on top and press down. You can also top with another pretzel instead of the pecan.

Cool in refrigerator or in a cold place until chocolate hardens. Makes about 3 dozen pretzel cookies. Salt in the pretzels will break down the chocolate, so eat them quickly!

Shortbread Bites

1/2 c. butter
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp. red, green and white nonpareils

In a food processor, combine all except the nonpareils. Process until mixed well. Remove dough and need until it comes together. Mix in the nonpareils to spread throughout the dough.

Flatten dough into a square about a half inch thick on a piece of wax paper. Wrap in wax paper to cover and freeze for 15 minutes.

Score dough into half-inch squares and then cut. Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet, separating squares into tiny cookies

Bake in the middle of the oven at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until bottoms are just browned. Watch carefully so they don't burn.

Remove to a cooling rack and enjoy!

Sausage Stuffing in an Acorn Squash Container

2 whole acorn squash
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup butter
1/2 large onion (about a cup), chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced 
1-2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1 large red apple, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop a small slice off each end of the acorn squash, then cut them in half and take out the seeds. Stand the acorn squash on the flat side on a low-sided baking dish. Rub olive oil over the cut side of the squash and salt and pepper each half. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes (depending on the size of the squash), just until tender crisp.

While squash is baking, brown the pork sausage in a large frying pan. Add red pepper flakes while it is frying unless you already are using a spicy sausage. Fry until pink is gone and drain sausage on paper towel to remove most of the grease.

Add butter to the pan and cook onion and celery until soft. Add the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper until fragrant. Add back the sausage, then add the apple and pecans and stir well. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top until mixed into the sausage. The mixture should begin to look like stuffing and begin to crisp up a bit. Add more butter or oil if it looks too dry. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, reserving the rest.

Divide the sausage mixture equally into the 4 halves of the squash, mounding on top if necessary. Place back into the oven for  10-

15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the squash-sausage and heat for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted and top is browned and squash is soft.

Total baking time is between 50-60 minutes. You can pre-cook the squash in the microwave oven to shorten the baking time.

Swedish Meatballs

To make these authentic, make the meatballs with allspice and nutmeg, but if you're like me you like to make "all-purpose" meatballs. This recipe puts the allspice and nutmeg in the gravy. Quite yummy!

1 1/2 pounds homemade frozen meatballs (about 1 inch or less in diameter), not thawed
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp allspice (I use whole and grind in a mortar & pesel)
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1-2 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce
28 oz. low-sodium beef broth (homemade or canned)
1/2 c. half-and-half
Extra flour (if needed)

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Sift flour into butter one-quarter cup at a time. Whisk flour to make a roux. Add salt, pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Stir constantly allowing the flour/butter and spices to get a dark, rich brown, but not burnt. Whisk in beef broth until flour is incorporated. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Add browning sauce and stir. Place meatballs (I use frozen) into the gravy and turn to low heat. Cover and simmer until meatballs are heated through (about 10-15 minutes), stirring so that the gravy doesn't stick to the bottom. Uncover and add half-and-half. If you feel the gravy is too thin, whisk 1-2 Tbsp of flour into the half and half until dissolved and then slowly incorporate the half-and-half into the brown gravy. Heat to boiling and allow gravy to simmer another minute or so until thickened and smooth, stirring gently so as not to break up the meatballs, but to keep the gravy from burning. Adjust seasoning as desired.

Serve meatballs over mashed potatoes, wide noodles or even rice. We love it with homemade buttery mashed potatoes. Add a side salad or roasted carrots or rutabaga and enjoy this comfort food on a cold, winter's night!

Thanksgiving 2014

Two of the three Cantwell men...making good gravy!

Smoked cheddar and bleu cheese ball w/crackers

Bacon-wrapped Cornish Hens

Sourdough, sausage and roasted chestnut dressing

Parmesan-mascarpone mashed potatoes

Sweet potato casserole

Green bean salad with walnuts, fennel and goat cheese

Cranberry Compote

Pickles, olives, pickled beet tray

Pecan Pie

This year, Nathaniel, Joshua, David and I spent Thanksgiving Day together gathered around the bountiful blessings of God. The best part of Thanksgiving was realizing just how blessed I am to have a wonderful family and that we can all be together in a beautiful house we call home! We have so much to be thankful for! Most of all, I am thankful for Jesus, who not only has given me access to Him on a daily basis, but also who loves to bless me and my family with good things! Food, family, faith, fun -- all because Christ loves us! I must admit, I miss spending this day with my extended family like we used to do. Each of my siblings now celebrate amongst themselves - no more big gatherings like we used to do. "For everything there is a season....and a time for every purpose under heaven." Seasons come, seasons go, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

Mom Stefan's Zucchini Bread

My mom was the best cook - she could make anything smell and taste delicious. Zucchini bread was one of my favorites because she made it often when her garden yielded a multitude of zucchini (which was often). This recipe makes two loaves which is perfect for making one to eat now and freezing another to eat later. It freezes well. You can also make a few in mini-loaf size to give away to friends in place of one of the loaves. In any case, it's a favorite family recipe that needs to be handed down to many generations of the Stefan Clan. So without further ado -- here's to you mom!

Nathaniel made this!

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 c. oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. unpeeled and grated (and drained) zucchini (about 3 medium)
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 c. raisins (I used golden)
1 c. chopped walnuts

Beat eggs slightly in large bowl. Stir in oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into egg mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts. Put into two (2) well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Cool in pans 10 minutes and then on a rack until cooled completely. Wrap in plastic and keep in the refrigerator or put into a freezer bag and let all the air out to avoid getting ice crystals on it.

For best flavor, make the day before eating -- delicious with cream cheese!

Smokey Blue Cheese Ball

2-8 oz. softened cream cheese
4 oz. Danish Blue Cheese, softened
4 oz. Smokey cheddar or Swiss cheese, grated
1/4 c. finely minced or grated white onion
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
chopped pecans, walnuts or parsley

Mix all ingredients except the pecans, walnuts or parsley together until well-blended. Mixture will be quite soft. Put in refrigerator until you can handle it and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap until firm. Before serving, roll in nuts or parsley and allow to come to room temperature for optimum flavor. Serve with wheat crackers.

Make ahead and refrigerate for up to a week before serving. This cheese ball will easily last for 2 weeks, but it is unlikely it will last that long.

Variation on Recipe: Mix 1/2 cup of chopped pimento-stuffed green olives into the cheese ball at Christmas to make it red and green!

Another Variation: Use extra sharp cheddar cheese in place of the smoked cheddar or Swiss cheese for a less-smokey flavor.

Christmas 2012 Menus

Christmas Eve Day

Breakfast

Eggs with veggies

Bran muffins

 Dinner

Mini meatballs

Cheese Ball

Smoked Salmon with capers, onions and dill

Crostini

Brie Cheese with Pam’s jalapeno jelly

Assorted Crackers

Christmas Day

Breakfast

Eggnog waffles

Nutmeg Whipped Cream

Bacon

Orange Juice

 Dinner

Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Horseradish sauce

Kale Mashed potatoes

 Green Bean/goat cheese/walnut salad

Pomegranate

Strawberries

Veggies/dip
Pea pods
Carrots
Celery
Cucumber

Broccoli

Peppers