Cranberry, Nutmeg, and Vanilla Breakfast Cake (or Muffins)

Last year during a batch cooking escapade, I made these Cranberry Vanilla Muffins (from last November's Once a Month Mom menu). I liked them OK, but Mr. V really liked them, so I slid them away in my memory to play with at a later date.

I really wanted to try to sweeten up the cranberries, but even with letting mine sit in sugar for a little while, it didn't do anything. If you're serving these to kids or don't care for the very tart cranberry, you can sprinkle the top of the cake or muffins with some turbinado (raw) sugar. You could sub in dried cranberries for a sweeter flavor. Or just make Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake instead!

My pregnant tastebuds were a lot less receptive to the tart flavor than my non-pregnant ones are--possibly due to too much ice cream during David's incubation period. Maybe. I really enjoyed the combination of the cranberries with the nutmeg, and I hope you will, too!

source: kuljuls

Cranberry, Nutmeg, and Vanilla Breakfast Cake (and/or Muffins)

Adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup sugar
4 T melted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
10 oz. fresh cranberries (one bag), coarsely chopped*

Whisk together vanilla and sugar in a large bowl until completely incorporated. Add in butter, sour cream, and eggs, and stir well to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add to wet ingredients and stir. Pour in milk and stir until smooth and uniform.

*The only way I have found that I can efficiently get cranberries chopped is with my Kitchen Aid chopper. They roll away from a knife. A food processor or blender might work, but I find the chopper easier to clean.

Fold in chopped cranberries.

Pour into greased 8-inch cake pans or muffin tins. This recipe makes two 8-inch cakes, one cake and 8 muffins, or about 14 muffins.

With oven at 375F, bake muffins for 20 minutes and cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center is clean. Cool on wire racks.


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Thanksgiving Recipes

I shared these recipes on Vanderbilt Wife ... three years ago! They are still two of my favorite holiday recipes and make an appearance pretty much every Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cranberry chutney makes canned, jellied sauce seem laughable and can be cooling in the fridge in 15 minutes. The lattice crust on this pie seems fancy but is simple; and because it is served cold, you can make the pie a day or two ahead and have extra time - and oven space - for your holiday feasts!

From our kitchen to yours, enjoy.

Cranberry, Cherry, and Walnut Chutney

from Cooking Light, November 2005

1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1/2 c. port, sweet red wine, or 100% grape juice
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 c. dried tart cherries
1 pkg. fresh cranberries
2/3 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1/4 tsp. almond extract
orange rind strips, optional

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add cherries and cook 1 minute. Stir in cranberries; Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, until all cranberries pop.

Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts, rind, and extract. Garnish with orange rind strips if desired. Cover and chill.

[Combine leftovers with a can of mandarin oranges and pour over raw chicken, then bake in the crockpot on low 6-8 hours for an amazing dinner!]

Cherry Cheesecake Pie

from Woman's Day Magazine

1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts) (or homemade)
1/2 c. sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 (8 oz.) bricks Neufchatel cheese
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 can cherry pie filling
1 egg white, beaten

Heat oven to 350.

Fit 1 crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Cut other crust into 1-inch strips.

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add cream cheese; beat with mixer until smooth. On low speed, beat in egg and extract.

Spread batter evenly in crust; spoon pie filling on top.

Brush crust strips with egg white. Place strips over top in lattice pattern.

Bake 50-60 minutes, until crust is golden brown.


Linking up with:
Sweet Tooth Friday
Mouthwatering Monday
Tasty Tuesday

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Thanksgiving Links

In lieu of my normal Saturday linky love, or anything else until Monday, here are some fun Thanksgiving links for you!

Here's a post from last year on our Thanksgiving traditions.

Fun Thanksgiving crafts from Impress Your Kids

I love this toile Thanksgiving table runner Tiffany from The Nesting Project created!

Why It Is Good to Give Thanks at Bible Study Tools

Black Friday Tips from Simply Staci - all true! I will miss shopping this year, but it's NOT happening in my beached-whale-pregnant state.

Recipes from my family and others:

• Pumpkin risotto? Sign me up! (Who are we kidding? Right now I would eat just about anything. And lots of it.)
• Butter Pecan Pumpkin Pie from Taste of Home - this frozen pie is SO yummy!
• Cranberry, Cherry, and Walnut Chutney
• Oyster Dressing
• Cherry Cheesecake Pie
• Scalloped Corn
• Loaded Potato Potluck Favorite
• Cranberry Punch
• Deviled Egg Dip
• Uncle Richard's Sweet Potato Pie
• Skillet Carrots with Onion and Thyme

I could potentially list recipes forever, but I am already so hungry I am gnawing off my arm. (It's been three hours since dinner!) So instead, I will bid you adieu and the happiest of Thanksgivings. 

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Menu Plan Monday: Thanksgiving Week

My only goal for this week is to not to go to the grocery store--except to buy pears, sugar, and caramels so I can make this Fresh Winter Fruit Cake to take to one of our Thanksgiving celebrations. (My daddy will LOVE it.)

I do solemnly swear I am not going to buy anything else. We are working on cleaning out the fridge since we will be gone several days.

Mr. V will also be home this week, so we'll have three meals a day to eat for a few days. Here's what I'm planning on.

Breakfasts: Omelets, toast, granola, hash browns
Lunches: Cheese quesadillas, canned soup, leftovers
Dinners: Pasta with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, pancakes

Probably not the most healthful things you can think of, but it fits my goal of fridge-cleaning!

And oh my, how I am looking forward to devouring turkey and stuffing, scalloped corn, pickled beets, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, layered salad ... and, well, looking at the oyster dressing.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving recipe?

Added to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

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Thanksgiving Dinner Turkey Burgers

I have not felt super inspired lately when it comes to cooking. I've been using old standbys a lot more than I usually do; which is fine, and probably makes my husband happy. But nearly every morning I sit and look at the entire bed of sage at my neighbor's house that we planted together. I love sage.

So this week I decided to try a simple recipe creation and go for it! These burgers turned out delicious. To me, they taste just like turkey and stuffing (and by stuffing, I mean my Grandma's, not that nasty wet cornbread stuff they eat in Tennessee).

Thanksgiving Dinner Turkey Burgers

a Vanderbilt Wife original

3 stalks celery, chopped fine
2 Tablespoons finely diced yellow onion (I used half of a very small onion)
10 leaves fresh sage, sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 egg
1 lb. ground turkey
.5 teaspoon poultry seasoning
.5 cup bread crumbs (Italian is fine if that's what you have on hand)
Hamburger buns (I prefer to make these Whole Wheat Buns from scratch)
Optional: Cranberry sauce, heated slightly to thin it out

Dice celery, onion, and sage. Yes, having a copy of Hook in the background will help you concentrate. (P.S. I LOVE my Henckels Signature knives. Please send more, Santa.)

Warm 1T olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute celery, onions, and sage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let cook until onions are translucent and just starting to turn brown.

Beat one egg in a medium mixing bowl. Combine with turkey. Add in vegetables, poultry seasoning, and bread crumbs until just incorporated. Make into four even patties.

Heat 1T olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook until done through, about 5-6 minutes per side. Turn down heat if they start to get too brown or burn.

If you are using cranberry sauce, brush it on the patties when they are close to being finished.

Serve on buns with desired condiments. I just used mayonnaise, but I think mayo/cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce/ketchup, or grainy mustard would all be delicious. Or hey, just slap some mashed potatoes on there too. (I'm pregnant. I can't help it.)

And for that real Thanksgiving dinner, may I suggest a great tool? My cousin Tricia just released her first e-cookbook! It's a freezer menu for a complete holiday meal for 8 or 16 people. So you could make all the recipes NOW, and then kick back and relax in November while everyone else scurries about!

The cookbook is super-beautiful and includes 11 recipes for appetizers, sides, entrees, and dessert, as well as instructions and a grocery list to keep you organized. I am a big fan of freezer cooking and Tricia's methods make everything much simpler.

The ebook is $9.99, but if you order it before November 1, you can use the code OAMM40 to get it for $5.99--40% off!

So have your turkey burgers now, and your turkey ready to go for the Big Turkey Day in one fell swoop with this post. :)

E-book links are affiliate links.

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Still Not Sure What to Make for Christmas Dinner?

My mother-in-law will be doing all the cooking this year, so I won't get to experiment with any holiday recipes. But maybe you will! Here's a menu that will satisfy many tummies.

Turkey
Easiest Way to Cook a Turkey -- Heavenly Homemakers

Bread
Holiday Dinner Rolls -- The Finer Things in Life
Grandma Ruth's Stuffing -- AllRecipes (the picture is awful, but I've made this and it was delicious!)

Salad
Cornbread Salad -- The MawMaw (or)
Layered Salad -- VW

Side Dishes
Crockpot Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Sour Cream -- A Year of Slow Cooking
Bacon-Wrapped Green Bean Bundles -- The Finer Things in Life
Broccoli and Rice Casserole -- Giving Up on Perfect
Simple Sweet Potato Casserole -- Happy Housewife
Scalloped Corn -- VW

Cranberry Sauce
Crockpot Homemade Cranberry Sauce -- A Year of Slow Cooking (or)
Cranberry, Cherry, and Walnut Chutney -- VW

Dessert
Molasses Cut-out Cookies -- Musings of a Housewife
Cake Balls -- Busy Girl Blog
Cherry Cheesecake Pie -- VW


For more delicious recipes, visit Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

[P.S. For a while, the most-searched for phrase on this blog was "broccoli cheese dip." I do NOT have a recipe for that on the blog, but I ran across this one on Kraft foods the other day: Hot Broccoli Dip. So there ya go. Now all those who are dying for some broccoli cheese dip can make it!]

Break Out Your Punch Bowl, It's Time to Party!

As soon as there's a nip in the air, I start to beg my co-worker and friend Joyce to bring in her cranberry punch to work. It's warm, soothing, cinnamon-y, and works wonders for a scratchy throat. I've been having fantasies of hosting a New Year's Brunch despite the fact we're probably moving out the week after New Year's--but if I did, I would totally serve this hot (non-alcoholic) beverage along with coffee.



(I didn't ask Joyce for her recipe, but I found this one online and I think it's at least very similar.)

Cranberry Punch

4 tsp whole allspice berries
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
4 tsp whole cloves
4 cups cranberry juice
5 cups pineapple juice
1 cup water

Place first four ingredients in cheesecloth and tie closed. Put in a large pot and pour liquids over the top. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes. Remove your spice pouch and serve hot.

12 servings



See more holiday beverages at Parenting the Tiniest of Miracles, and see the whole progressive dinner schedule at Amy's Finer Things.

Grateful

Give thanks

With a grateful heart

Give thanks

To the Holy One

Give thanks

Because He's given

Jesus Christ, His Son

For nature and nurture, for family and friends, for food on the table and a house that won't sell, for a sweet, healthy daughter and employed loving husband, for a job until January and especially for my Lord forever, I give thanks.

Thankfulness around the Blogosphere:

20 Little Gratitude Attitudes / InCourage
Thanksgiving Week / NanaHood
Embracing the Strong Will of My Child / We are THAT Family
I Am Thankful / Jason Boyett
The Ultimate Feast / Kitchen Stewardship
A Month of Giving Thanks / SugarMama Baking Company
Permission to Hope / Bring the Rain

This will also be posted at The Gypsy Road, where you can find me each Thursday.

Use Up Your Extra Turkey and Make Turkey Soup!

I love soups unreasonably, as my comment on Stephanie's soup post the other day reminded me (I linked to no fewer than FOUR soups!).

One of my very favorites to make--and something my sister Ashley begs me to make when she comes--is Turkey and Tortellini Soup. The original recipe is from Epicurious and I've deviated only slightly from it. It really is a wonderful way to make your leftover turkey fresh, and the flavors in the soup are so wonderfully developed in a short amount of time.

If you have the time, simmering your turkey bones to make homemade stock as a base is not only frugal but also incredibly delicious and healthful!

Throw this together for a day-after-Thanksgiving feast (perhaps after a day of Black Friday shopping?) and your family will thank you for not just pulling out leftover stuffing and potatoes.

Turkey and Tortellini Soup
Adapted from Epicurious.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, chopped or crushed slightly
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
6 cups chicken or turkey stock or broth
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 package of tortellini (refrigerated or dried)
1 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add green pepper, onion, garlic, basil, fennel, and red pepper, and saute for 10 minutes or until soft.

Add stock; cover and simmer for 10 minutes more.

Add in zucchini and carrot; cover and simmer about 5 minutes or until veggies are almost tender.

Uncover and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and boil until done (check package directions). Reduce heat to low and stir in turkey; let cook about 1-2 minutes, just to warm turkey. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with crackers and Parmesan cheese.

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This Monday recipe is linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Tasty Tuesdays, Crafty Mamas Monday, and Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes at Real Life Blog.

A Grateful Heart and a Stack of Coats

Most of the time now, I feel poor.

If I sit back, it feels silly. We have enough money to pay a mortgage and a rent, drive back and forth to Chattanooga, pay a baby-sitter, all of our utilities, for groceries, and for a little fun. We eat out every Sunday after church--that's built into our budget.

I've seen true poverty. In 1999, I took my very first plane trip ever at the age of 17 to the Dominic Republic for a mission trip. There, as a part of World Changers, my group helped construct the second story of a small green church with cinderblocks and cement. We walked through the neighborhood, feeling the desperation. We saw the slums, houses made of tin caked together with mud. I saw a Haitian family of 10 living in a hut with pigs and chickens.

Since then, I've been to Thailand, where I saw the aftermath of a terrible tsunami. I saw where five people slept on one bed and had to pee in a hole in the ground. I've been to rural China, where there are no lights after dark and I slept on the guest bed--made of logs and bags of rice. I've seen hungry children in Nashville who just want to find the safe place their home isn't.



Considering all these things, feeling poor is almost indulgent.

One of my friends gave me a coat for Libbie yesterday. I sat there, staring at it, thinking about how she would have five coats by Christmas (I know my parents have purchased one for her)--including a boutique one, one from Mini Boden, and two from Gymboree. There are little girls out there Libbie's age who don't have one coat.

I am so thankful for the abundance we have been given. I am learning more and more to embrace simplicity and let God plan our lives. And I want to share what we have been given. That's why we sponsor a child with Compassion. And that's why I hope you'll give me some ideas as to where I could donate a few precious little girl's coats.

Mary is hosting a carnival each Thursday through Thanksgiving on giving thanks. I hope you'll consider going and reading her post on Compassion today.

Show Us Your Life: Thanksgiving Traditions

In my immediate family, we are pretty tradition-heavy. My family of 4--Dad, Mom, my sister, and I--had the Christmas traditions down to a T: we would go to Christmas Eve service, go out to dinner with the same people, come home, read the story from the Bible, read the Night Before Christmas pop-up book, bring down our presents ONE AT A TIME WHILE RINGING THE BELLS AND YOU BETTER NOT BRING THEM DOWN BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE, leave cookies for Santa, and go to bed. In these post-marriage years for me, the traditions have relented a lot, by force more than choice. But it's good to establish our own traditions, too.

Anyway, Kelly's "Show Us Your Life" carnival theme this week is Thanksgiving Traditions. There have been a few years we've had to divert from the norm and host Thanksgiving in Tennessee--like last year, when we had a one-month-old--but for the most part our Thanksgiving holidays have a good rhythm.

We go to Ohio, where my grandparents and a lot of my extended family still live. On Thursday we have Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family. The menu differs very little from year to year, and there's comfort in eating those same foods that we've had since I was a little girl: turkey, sweet potato casserole, scalloped corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing (and not that nasty cornbread dressing stuff they have in the South), deviled eggs, relishes, Grandma's layered salad, rolls, green bean casserole, pickled beets and eggs …

Did I mention we usually have 30+ people for this gathering? I have 13 first cousins on that side, many of whom are married and have kids. So all that food is not as unreasonable as it sounds! (And I didn't even start on dessert!)

We even have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner--leftovers from the lunch feast, plus baked beans, sandwich fixings, potato chips, and as much pie as you can get down.

The VERY NEXT DAY, we go to my dad's side of the family for our "Thanksmas." There our menu consists of turkey, fruit salad, green salad, the icky oyster dressing, green beans, sweet potatoes, Uncle Steve's special potato casserole, and lots of appetizers. Dad's side consumes olives like they're going out of style (ick). After we manage to let our stomachs deflate, we open Christmas presents and sing Christmas carols.

It sounds quite crazy--and it is. But the memories are so precious. This will be the first holiday without my grandpa, and I do fear the gathering a little. It's so easy to not think about the lack of his presence when we're not somewhere he's supposed to be. I'll be missing his strange questions, his demands for more cheese and pickles, and his adoration of my sweet little girl.

Do you have any quirky Thanksgiving traditions or strange foods your family eats? Maybe a favorite recipe? Let me know! Link to it in the comments if you have a post about it and I'll add the links to this post. And don't forget to visit Kelly's Korner for hundreds more posts on tradition.

Also added to Your Life, Your Blog.

The Carnation Challenge: Part 1

I was really excited when the One 2 One Network asked me to cook a few dishes using Carnation Evaporated Milk. Well, because it makes me feel a little like a food blogger! And because I get to share recipes AND a great little recipe booklet with you. I love to try new things and this was a great way to do it!

They're trying to get the word out that evaporated milk is not just for baking, it's also great for savory recipes. You can substitute evaporated milk for regular milk in many of your holiday or everyday recipes to add a really creamy quality.

My "assignment" was to pick one recipe from their Holiday Booklet [PDF] and one recipe of my own. Today I'm going to share with you this delicious Loaded Potato Potluck Favorite. In all honesty, I would TOTALLY make this to take to a dinner with friends, for a holiday meal, or maybe a half-recipe for me and Mr. V. The potatoes were fantastic.

First, I diced up eight of these white potatoes. I only peel potatoes if they're the thick-skinned Idaho baking kind, and I enjoy potato peel in my smashed taters. You can use any kind of potato here. I scrubbed mine, cut them up, and dumped them in a pot with water to boil about 15 minutes or until fork-tender. (Do you know how to tell if they are fork-tender? When you try to stab one of them in the pot of hot water, it won't stay on your fork if you try to lift it out of the pot.)

While the potatoes cooked, I gathered the rest of my ingredients and measured them out: Carnation Evaporated Milk, sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced green onions, and 4 slices of bacon that I cooked in the microwave until crisp and then chopped up.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot pot. Add the evaporated milk, sour cream, and some salt and pepper, and then mash them. I just use a potato masher because I like my mashed potatoes a little chunky. If you like them smoother, though, you can use a hand mixer to whip them.

Next stir in all but 1/2 cup of cheese and half the bacon. Mix well. Taste to make sure you don't need more salt or pepper (I found it perfectly salted with 1 teaspoon, but I like things on the saltier side. I also really dislike pepper flavor so I just use a dash).

Spoon the mixture into a 70s casserole dish you found at Goodwill lovely 3-quart casserole (this one was a little small) and stick it in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese, bacon, and green onions, and bake an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This dish was creamy, delicious, and how can you go wrong with bacon, cheese, and potatoes? I served it with some ham steaks cooked in BBQ sauce and sliced peaches. Mmm, mmm, good.

For a printable version of this recipe with actual measurements, go here.

While I would have never thought to use evaporated milk in mashed potatoes, it was a real winner! Stayed tuned for Part II of the challenge, my own recipe for Banana Couscous.

The One2One Network provided me with a gift card to purchase my ingredients and coupons for free Carnation Milk. I was not compensated otherwise. What I have stated here is my honest opinion.

Family Recipe Fridays: Scalloped Corn

Tricia's post about holiday recipes today had my wheels churning and my mouth watering. (Have I mentioned Tricia, aka Once a Month Mom, is my cousin? Like once, or a hundred times?)

My favorite Thanksgiving side dish, by far, is our Grandma's scalloped corn.

I'm not sure if this terminology is an Ohio thing or what. (Pam?) I've never heard anyone else call this scalloped corn. Around these parts, they have corn pudding, but it's sweet. This is not, except for the sweetness of the corn itself.

When we've had holidays in Tennessee (rare, but a few times), I've insisted on having this corn and my mom's sweet potatoes. Those are really the only things I care about. Turkey, I can take it or leave it. I'd rather have candied sweet potatoes than pie (but NO marshmallows). But, oh, corn. Yummmm.

Is it Thanksgiving yet?

Scalloped Corn

1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 stick butter (4 T), melted
1 T sugar
salt and pepper
1 c. cracker crumbs (Ritz is best)
paprika

Mix together everything but the paprika. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika (lightly). Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 F.

P.S. Here are a few of my other favorite holiday recipes.

Want to join in the carnival? Write a post about a recipe that's been passed down through your family or a recipe your family just really loves. Share the permalink to your post here. If you don't have a blog, you're welcome to leave your recipe in the comments. Please link back to Family Recipe Friday in your post so everyone can see all the great yummyness here!

Family Recipe Fridays: My Family's Grossest Recipe

Why, you might ask, would I post what I consider my family's grossest recipe?

Well, because Sunday is my grandfather's funeral. And while we have a whole lot of family recipes on my mom's side, this is the only one we have on my dad's side that I can recall. I couldn't bring myself to post anything BUT this recipe.

Every year, most of the time on Thanksgiving but occasionally on Christmas, my dad's side of the family gathers at my uncle's house to celebrate "Thanksmas." Yes, friends, two holidays rolled into one. We exchange presents, sing carols, and eat. A lot.

Being the eccentric family that we are, we can't have any normal stuffing. Not even that (BLEGH) Southern delicacy, cornbread dressing. We have oyster dressing.

This is the Christmas Carp, our annual centerpiece. Someone's gag gift from the Thanksmas exchange.

I think I used to at least have a bite or two of oyster dressing, but then I developed a severe intolerance for clams when I was in college. And I am too afraid to touch oysters or mussels or anything clam-like for fear of spewing out my guts.

Anyway, with that lovely thought, here is the (oh my word I never knew it had so much butter) recipe from my sweet Grandma, Libby the first. (Yes, with a Y. And my Libbie is with an IE. Don't ask. In fact, forget I brought it up.)

Grandma's Oyster Dressing

Four cans frozen or canned oysters
Four ribs finely chopped celery
Four cans mushrooms
One box saltines crushed
one pound butter pats
About two cups of milk

First spray a large pyrex dish, and then add a layer of crushed crackers. Begin layering the ingredients. After each cracker layer add some milk and the juice from the mushrooms and oyster cans. Bake at 350 for at least an hour until the texture is puffy like a souffle. It is okay to prepare it in advance and let the liquids sink in.

You should have about four layers of crackers and three of "goodies."

I am out-of-town for the funeral, so I probably won't be able to get your links up here until Monday or so. But please leave them in the comments, and I promise I will. Can't wait to get back and see those delicious recipes! I'd appreciate it if you'd link back to Family Recipe Fridays so others can see the whole recipe collection as well!

Oreo Truffles (The MawMaw)
Banana Muffins (Cook with Sara)
Banana Bread (Lattes and Life)

Holiday Cookin'

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving and all (and not just Libbie's 1-month "birthday"!) I thought I'd take five minutes to type in two of my favorite holiday recipes for you. I know it might be a little late for Thanksgiving prep ... but you could save them for Christmas. Or anytime!

I think if I show up for our big family Thanksgiving without the cheesecake pie ever again, I will be thrown out of the family. It always gets scarfed down. I am kind of sad to be missing the family Thanksgiving this year, but we were not about to travel with a newborn. My parents and sister are on their way here, and we will see the extended families at Christmas this year.

Cranberry, Cherry, and Walnut Chutney

from Cooking Light, November 2005

1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1/2 c. port, sweet red wine, or dark grape juice
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 c. dried tart cherries
1 pkg. fresh cranberries
2/3 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1/4 tsp. almond extract
orange rind strips, optional

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add cherries and cook 1 minute. Stir in cranberries; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until cranberries pop. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts, rind, and extract. Garnish with orange rind strips if desired. Cover and chill.

Cherry Cheesecake Pie

from Woman's Day Magazine

1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
1/2 c. sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 (8 oz.) bricks Neufchatel cheese
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 can cherry pie filling
1 egg white, beaten

Heat oven to 350.

Fit 1 crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Cut other crust into 1-inch strips.

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add cream cheese; beat with mixer until smooth. On low speed, beat in egg and extract.

Spread batter evenly in crust; spoon pie filling on top.

Brush crust strips with egg white. Place strips over top in lattice pattern.

Bake 50-60 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

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This delicious pie recipe submitted to Hoosier Homemade's Holiday Food Fest 2009!

Hiding Under the Covers

I am feeling less than prolific today in the words department. Which is unusual.

In good old December fashion, my calendar has once again been eaten by my Sharpie. For someone who really does not thrive on being busy, I seem to have an awful lot going on. I am ready to give up almost everything and just chill after the New Year. But unfortunately some of my commitments last longer than that. I don't feel healthy...I feel drug out tired and like an emotional wreck most of the time. Physically I just have some stuff going on that might make me a little psychotic. And 8 months off antidepressants, I still get to feeling pretty low sometimes. It's a fight a lot of days. Last night I was thinking about all the things I needed to do, and that just made me want to go hide under the covers and sleep for a long time. Is that a normal person's response? I have no idea.

It's Christmas! I want to enjoy everything and stay focused. Stressing myself out does not a happy Christmas make.

I would write about Thanksgiving but I have too many relatives with access to the Internet. ;) No, really, it was wonderful this year. Any year without major trauma is good in my book. I enjoyed myself and loved seeing my relatives. I can't believe my baby cousin is going to graduate high school this year (at 16, but still). That's insane. I guess it means we're all grown up. Sad. Some day when I am feeling like writing I will write about the insane extended family I have, but not today.

J