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!

HOMEMADE ENGLISH MUFFINS

We are an english muffin eatin' kind of family. Frankly, I'd rather have muffins over toast any day. My son likes them with melted cheese inside and calls it a "cheese muffin". I use the muffin rings to cook eggs then add them to the muffin with sausage or bacon and cheese for an incredible breakfast sandwich!
I've always loved them and now that I make my own, I can't see why I'd ever buy them again, these taste so much better. 

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH CHICKEN APPLE SAUSAGE

Fall weather is here and soup is calling!! I've been wanting to make this soup for a long time and finally got around to it the other day. I don't handle salt well and therefore, don't buy soups from the supermarket. I wanted to make a flavorful soup that tasted great, without all the salt. It was a success! I hope you enjoy this yummy soup. What I also love about it is that you can throw it all in the crock pot and when you get home, soups on!

CHICKEN FRIED RICE

I've been making this for nearly 20 years. My whole family and I love fried rice, it's one of the first boxes of take-out to be emptied out when we order chinese food. This is a simple straight-forward recipe and it turns out great every time! You can change the protein to beef, pork or lamb and keep the rest the same. It's a staple for any chinese food night in!

PEANUT BUTTER AND MAPLE CHOCOLATE BALLS

I guess I'm revisiting my childhood lately. I've made Snickerdoodles and now these peanut butter balls. I started making these when I was in middle school in a 7th grade cooking class. I've tweaked it over the years and added a few things. I think now they are absolutely yummy. My husband says they taste just like Reese's peanut butter cups with a little crunch. Dipping in chocolate does take a little time, but you don't have to do all of them at once. Also, they can be frozen after they are done so you can save some for later!

RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

I've been looking for a great raspberry dressing for my spinach salad. Haven't been able to find anything I totally love, so I made up my own. I think it's the best of course, I hope you like it too. It's super simple and will keep for up to a week.