SLOW COOKER TURKEY BREAST WITH GLUTEN FREE GRAVY

This year was all about side dishes. I was going to be very involved with all of my choices and knew I needed something simple, yet delicious for the turkey.

I wanted to try a slow cooker turkey. I do quite a lot of soups and pot roast in the slow cooker, so I'm very comfortable with it. 

We have a few family members that aren't big turkey fans, so we also cooked a pre-seasoned tri-tip roast from costco and a full-size turkey added to that would have been too much. The breast is really my favorite part anyway, so I chose a nice 7 pound breast with bones. 

This came out delicious!! I started it first thing in the morning, it cooked 7 hours and was so juicy and tender. Never has Thanksgiving turkey been so easy. 

SAUSAGE STUFFED JALAPENO POPPERS

I have made these jalapeño poppers for a number of different events. They are great to take to any party. They've been a hit at halloween, super bowl, thanksgiving appetizers, etc. You just can't go wrong with these delicious flavors. You can play with the sausage mixture to add more heat or lighten it up.

These are easy to make and always a big hit!!




Even those people that don't love Jalapeños, love these. They aren't as spicy when they are baked and really add a nice flavor.

BEST EVER DEEP DISH PECAN PIE

I gave my husband about 10 options for Thanksgiving dessert. He chooses pecan pie every time as he did this year. I have to admit, pecan pie is one of my favorites too, so I've always wanted to have a great pecan pie recipe. I also really like a pecan pie that is FULL of pecans.

That is why I usually make a deep dish pie so that I can pack it full of pecans. This recipe is sweet, delicious and loaded with pecans. Just what every good pecan pie should be.

HERICOTS VERTS WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND A SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

I was most looking forward to adding this new dish to our Thanksgiving menu this year. It was such a hit and will definitely be making it to the table at more holiday gatherings.

I really liked that I could make this ahead and it is served cold, so one less thing on the stove or the oven when it's time to serve the food.

Everyone loved it! A great/healthy alternative to the traditional green bean casserole.


This is a beautiful salad with lots of color. You're guests will be so impressed!!

CRANBERRY ORANGE AND KALE QUINOA SALAD

During our holiday meals, we usually try to have one light and refreshing dish. Either a fruit salad or cold bean salad and this year, it was a cranberry and orange quinoa salad!!

I did some traditional dishes, so my family wouldn't disown me, but I also like to add some out of the box/gourmet-ish dishes too, that nobody has ever tried. This was one of the non-traditional add-ons this year.

My family is new to Quinoa and it was well received. This recipe makes quite a bit and we had lots for people to take home for leftovers.

It's a lovely, fresh salad, that is slightly tart, but slightly sweet at the same time. I modified the recipe a little from the original Family Spice recipe by adding a little more fruit and honey. I also added a little extra mint. This is a great recipe that you can change to fit your family tastes. I hope you like it, our family did.

MAKE AHEAD MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE

Calling this a casserole is a bit of a stretch, but it is in a casserole dish...

This year I am really planning ahead and trying to make things in advance so that my Thanksgiving Day cooking doesn't leave me totally exhausted. Sometimes I'm so tired by the time we eat, I'm not even hungry. Not this year...

I've already done the menu planning, all the shopping, recipes are finalized, veggies are prepped and I'm starting to put together things that are either meant to be served cold or are intentionally made ahead to heat up again before dinner. 

This mashed potato casserole is one of those items. And they are delicious!!

CRANBERRY CURRANT AND WALNUT OATMEAL COOKIES

One of my favorite things about the holidays is having all the kids at home. My daughter is almost 20 and moved out more than a year ago. She is in school and I don't get to see her as much as I would like. This may be just fine for her..., but I miss her. She is home for 4 whole days!!

As she becomes more responsible and out on her own, she needs to eat. Well, she needs to eat something more than fast/student food. She is quickly finding out that she needs to learn to cook. She didn't have a lot of interest in cooking when she lived at home, but I'm soooo happy that she wants to learn now!

CANDIED SWEET POTATOES WITH PECANS

Sweet and saucy made-from-scratch sweet potatoes with a pecan crumble and marshmallow topping. What could be better than that!!

I make a basic whipped sweet potato back every single year and I have done so since my daughter was little, she's almost 20 now. As a rule, I try to avoid things in cans these days and wanted to change this up a bit. I may have to make the others too this year, just in case, but I think she is going to love these, I know I do!  and yes, I realize these have marshmallows. Baby steps people, baby steps. My daughter can only handle so much change at one time!! :-)

FRESH CRANBERRY SAUCE

So, I've made my menus, I've done all the shopping and now I'm ready to get this show on the road! Our family dinner is going to be Friday this year, so I've got an extra day to prepare/wait...

I decided to take a look at what was on my menu that I could make ahead and there are a few things that may even taste better come Turkey Day if I make them now. 

First on the list of things to make ahead... Cranberry Sauce!!

THANKSGIVING 2013 MENU - ALL LINKED UP

Wow, it's been a busy week/month/year... I can't believe the holidays are already here. 

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been putting together my Thanksgiving menu. Some items are tried and true, but I always like to throw a few new things into the mix. Who knows? We might find something that becomes our new family tradition. 

FALL SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

The flavors of fall just call my name. I've been thinking about a new soup that I wanted to make that involved Garam Masala. Garam Masala is a traditional Indian seasoning blend that is used to make many Indian dishes including curry sauces, which I LOVE! Garam Masala is a spice blend mainly made up of Coriander, Black Pepper, Cumin, Cardamom and Cinnamon.

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CREAM CUPCAKES

I am very lucky in the food department. I don't have any allergies or sensitivity to any certain types of foods. However, I know that is not the case for many and a very good friend of mine suffers from Celiac. I had never even heard of this disease before. Now that I know about it, I am so glad there are so many options these days for gluten free diets. I have experimented with several recipes to try to make a delicious meal or desert for her so she doesn't miss her gluten and these are another winner.

SPICY BLACK EYED PEAS WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE

This is by far the tastiest batch of black eyed peas I've ever had. This dish is perfect for New Years' or anytime.  You can make it spicier by adding an addition 1/2 tsp of Cayenne or a Jalapeno. These flavors blend well together and even my picky son loves these! I hope you enjoy them too. They are easy to make and a crowd pleaser!

CHEESY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI BAKE

I was in the mood to make something warm and hearty for my family since it's so cold outside, so tonight we are having chicken spaghetti! I have an 8 year old that eats about 5 things and this had been added to the list making it 6! It's super yummy and easy to make. The recipe calls for items that are already diced or cooked, so you can do this in advance, even the day before to save time.

CHICKEN AND LIME TORTILLA SOUP

I LOVE soup! I'm so happy it's fall and it's soup season. I came across this recipe a while ago when a friend pinned it and I knew it was one of the first things I would make when fall arrived. Well, I shouldn't have waited! I think you can make this ANY time, it's that good. I love beans, so I added black beans at the end to the portions that I would be eating because my husband despises beans. They were yummy! 

I hope you like this as much as I did!

PINOT POT ROAST

I love slow cooked meat. I especially love slow cooked meat with wine! This pot roast when paired with Pinot Noir and seasonings is delish! It's great when served with a side salad or potatoes and a nice glass of Pinot! Summer or not, slow cooker meals are easy and yummy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

This soup is my all-time favorite soup! I love soups, I make them all the time, but something about this one reallly gets me. It's super healthy and I make it in huge batches so I can freeze it in single servings so I am able to enjoy it anytime.

YOGURT, PLUM, GRANOLA AND HONEY PARFAIT

I really love having greek yogurt for breakfast when it's hot outside. I am always looking for a different variety of ingredients to liven things up a bit. Things one seems to fall into the mix quite a bit. It's even more fun when you eat it out of a pretty glass! 

GREEK YOGURT GRANOLA BREAKFAST

 I am really trying to be good so I can make it to summer without putting on any extra pounds. I LOVE this greek yogurt for breakfast in the spring.

LUNCHMEAT LENTIL SOUP

It's a gloomy rainy June day here in Sunny California! Has me less than motivated. Great day for soup!! I just harvested and dried some basil from my garden and was looking for some inspiration from it. I glanced through the pantry and spotted the lentils. I love lentils. Here is an awesome soup I put together.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I hope the sun comes back out soon!

BACON, EGGS AND POTATO BREAKFAST BURRITOS

My husband loves breakfast burritos. They are the perfect portable breakfast. I keep them in the freezer so he can just grab one and take it to work with him. They are easy and yummy!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

In honor of National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day I decided to make my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's a unique recipe, using dark brown sugar and almond extract and the oatmeal gives it a chewy texture which is what I love so much! 

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!

HOMESTYLE MEATLOAF

 I love a good meatloaf! This is not your simple 5 ingredient meatloaf, but most of these ingredients you should have in your pantry. It's a few more steps, but well worth it! I love serving this with a cheesy polenta or mashed potatoes and asparagus or broccoli. A great homestyle recipe that your family will love! 

RUSTIC PEA SOUP

Wow, it's been quite a while since I last posted on my blog. Not since cupcakes took over my life. For those of you that don't know, I opened a cupcake bakery (Copper Lantern Cupcakes) and had cupcakes and buttercream coming out of my ears! I was living out a dream and took a hobby of mine into a full time retail space! Exciting! Well, it was also more than what I and my family bargained for. Lots and lots of time away from home and too much stress to run a family full time and a business full time. I know I'm great at multi-tasking, but somewhere in there I ran out of hours in the day to get it all done and ultimately decided to close the retail space and concentrate on what I really loved to do. Cooking and baking and blogging! Yay!!  So, I'm back to cooking, baking, blogging, cleaning, yardwork, kids, homework, sports, etc and I LOVE IT!! (Gosh, that list is long)

GLUTEN FREE MAPLE CINNAMON CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Still on my quest for the perfect gluten free chocolate chip cookies. I think my recipe that I posted a couple weeks ago is hands down the best standard chocolate chip recipe. I wanted to spice things up a bit, so I tweaked the recipe a little to give it a little kick with some cinnamon and maple syrup. I loved how these turned out. The flavor is yummy and because of the maple syrup, the texture is moise and chewy, just how I like it!