Visit to Gramp's House

Day 1 Dinner: Ikea Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Cooked Carrots

Day 2 Breakfast: Elsie & Cereal

Lunch: Grilled Ham & Cheese, Pears, Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice-Cream

Dinner: Mustard Chicken, Steamed Red Potatoes, Zucchini, Applesauce, & Cookies

Baking: Peanut Butter Cookies

Day 3 Breakfast: Elsie & Cereal

Lunch: Tortilla Soup, Tortilla Chips & Cheese, Skinny Cow Ice-Cream

Dinner: Gram's Cheddar Meatloaf, Campbell's Rice-n-Roni, Green Beans

Day 4 Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls, Eggs & Sausage

Lunch: Deli Sandwiches

Dinner: Chicken Kisses & Salad. Raspberry Pie

(Gramp couldn't eat the crescent roll, so I made a bit of the chicken mix in a ramekin with mashed potatoes topping it like a shepherd's pie. This was a hit.)

Baking: Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Day 5 (Turkey Day) Breakfast: English Muffins

Lunch: Crackers & Cheese & Deli Meat & Apples & Grapes

Turkey Dinner!!!

Day 6 Breakfast: Elsie & Cereal

Lunch: Bean Burritos

Dinner: Thanksgiving Left-Overs

Baking: Nanny B's & Cut-Outs

Day 7: Breakfast: Make Ahead Breakfast

Lunch: Deli Sandwiches

Dinner: Ham & Steamed Red Potatoes & Carrots

Baking: Banana Bread & Persimmon Cookies

Day 8: Breakfast for the Road: Uncle Dan Sandwiches...that's what my kids call "egg mc muffin's"

***Extras: We didn't get around to making the Turkey Cobbler, so I've left the chunk turkey in the deep freeze for our next visit. We were able to mail a box to Uncle Roy with 3 mini loaves of banana bread, Nanny B's, Peanut Butter Cookies, Cut Outs, and the Koolhaas hat.

Thanksgiving Menu 2009

Turkey (rubbed with Bell's Poultry Seasoning)

Gravy

Rolls

Mashed potatoes

Stuffing 1 & Stuffing 2

Jello (raspberry jello with raspberry juice and pears, lime with purred pineapple)

Yams with marshmallows

Applesauce

Cranberry Sauce

Tossed salad with candied walnuts and pomegranates

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Pumpkin Dessert

1 lg. can pumpkin

1 c. sugar

1 13 oz can evaporated milk

3 eggs

4 t. pumpkin spice

1/2 t. salt

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 c. walnuts

1 1/2 stick melted butter

Mix all but last 3 ingredients.

Pour into a 9 x 13.

Sprinkle with cake mix.

Dribble with butter.

Sprinkle nuts. Bake at 350 for 45-50 min.

In search of the perfect cole slaw...

Tonight I tried the Neelys Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw. I subbed 1/2 chili powder and 1/2 paprika for the cayenne because that's what I had. I also used white wine vinegar. Go figure, I have red wine, white wine, balsamic, and rice wine vinegar but no apple cider. The mustard didn't specify so I used dijon. We're having Brisket on Whole Wheat French Rolls and M wanted to try some new cole slaws. We'll see if this recipe is a keeper, or if we're still in search of the perfect coleslaw. There were some other recipes I wanted to try. Blue Cheese Cole Slaw. And Cole Slaw with Pecans and Spicy dressing (this one has Granny Smith apples).

Criss Cross Applesauce

This summer, our family went to the Gravenstein Apple Fair. Gravenstein apples taste like my Grandma's applesauce. In Daily City, and again in Napa, the trees in their backyard were Gravenstein. We just had to buy 2 bushels. That's roughly 160 apples.

We drove home in a car that smelled like apples. Quickly, I tried to see how many would fit in my fridge. The rest became applesauce right away. Gravensteins have a short shelf life.

1/8 the apples, fill a pot, add a little water at the bottom of the pan, bring to a boil, stir and simmer until you have applesauce.

Here's what you'll have after cooking. Now all you need is a foley food mill.

I don't have an after photo, but the food mill takes out the seeds, stems, and peels leaving you with smooth applesauce that tastes just like my Gram's. YUM!

Sunflower Slaw

It's been awhile since I've made this, but it always gets rave reviews at potlucks and parties. It's from a Taste 0f Home cookbook. This potluck favorite recipe calls for 10# of shredded cabbage. Here's my modified recipe for a smaller group.

2 packages of Ramen noodles (3 oz each)
1 package of slivered almonds (2-1/4 oz)
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
2 T butter or margarine (melted)
1 cup oil
2/3 cup vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 T plus 2 t. cup soy sauce
1 t. salt
2-3 # of cabbage shredded (for me this is a smallish head, and I shred it using a box grater with large holes. I'm sure a food processor would be nice but I don't have one.)

Break the noodles into small pieces (save the seasoning envelope for another use). Place noodles almonds, and sunflower kernels on a 15 x 10 x 1 pan, drizzle with butter, mix well, bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes (or lightly browned) stirring several times. Set the noodle mix aside. Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and salt. Toss with cabbage. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Stir in noodle mix just before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon. This makes 22 (3/4 c.) servings.

Potato Soup

This is something I modified from a crock pot recipe.  Last year sometime I had this soup going in my crock pot when it decided to quit working.  I dumped it in a soup pot and realized how quick this was on the stove top.  This is my go-to soup.  I really don't measure.  

In my soup pot (I think it's 8 qt) I add 7-8 pounds of potatoes peeled and diced.  Sprinkle with parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Add 1 box of TJ's chicken broth or 3 heaping teaspoons of chicken bouillon (depending on what I have) then fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes.  Bring to a boil then simmer until the potatoes are cooked (about 20 min.).  Here's where I cheat.  I thicken the soup with a bit of instant mashed potatoes.  Since the soup is already hot, I just pour in somewhere between 1/2c. and 1c. from the box.  Add a can of condensed milk to make it creamy.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with bacon and shredded cheese.  YUM!  

***As a rule at our house, things are seasoned pretty mild.  With kids, I know they can be picky.  And if it's 'spicy' they're quicker to complain.  I can always add spice to my bowl but I can't take it out of theirs.