Twelve Treats of Christmas

Three Thanksgiving dinners and at least 7 pounds later, I am finally back in Tennessee and ready to move on to Christmas! The next few weeks I'll be focusing on twelve truly delicious Christmastime treats.

I can hardly wait to start baking!

But first, I must deal with the rotted pumpkin on my front stoop. Yeah, leaving it there for three weeks while we were out of town was perhaps not the best move I've ever made!

OH, and if you are making Vanilla Extract, it's time to order your bottles!

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Sweet Potato Casserole

Just a quick post today, in case anyone is looking for a fabby Sweet Potato Casserole recipe for Thanksgiving.

Be liberal with the butter, cream, pecans and vanilla extract!!

Click Here for the Recipe

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Bakerella’s Cake Pops Winner!

Congratulations to Corri, on your new Cake Pops book! Send me your mailing address to mypotboilethover@yahoo.com. I'll get your book out in the mail next week (it's in TN and I am visiting my folks in WV right now)!

Thanks to everyone for entering! I'm with Jeanette, my favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the STUFFING!

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Friday Favorite – Bakerella’s Cookbook

Remember a couple weeks ago when Quint gassed out Bakerella? That was the day we went for a cookbook signing, and Guess What? I had her sign not only my copy of the book, but a copy for a Giveaway!

The book is called Cake Pops, and it has wonderful pictures and tons of Cake Pop ideas.

Yesterday, my little helpers and I made these little turkeys. So much fun and the kids loved it!

To enter the giveaway, comment on this post with your favorite part of Thanksgiving. One comment per person please. If you are a blog follower, mention that in your comment to be entered twice. Facebook fans, mention that and you will be entered yet again. (Note that to become a Facebook fan, you have to click this link and click Like. Just clicking Like on this post will not make you a fan).

All entries must be received by Sunday at 8pm Eastern.  As always, I'll never share your email address.

Good Luck!

(And remember, when we get to 1000 Facebook Fans, I'll have a Le Creuset Dutch Oven giveaway!)

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Sausage Balls

November 1st marks the beginning of Sausage Ball season at our house. My husband loves, and I do mean Loves a good sausage ball. Over the years I have tweaked the standard recipe to take it up a notch or so.


Our first complaint with the old recipe was that they were always a little dry tasting. Fixed that problem right up by upping the sausage to Bisquick ratio.

Second complaint was all the hand mixing required to put together such a simple little thing. Fixed that one too, with my handy KitchenAid stand mixer.

Ingredients:

1 lb Hot Breakfast Sausage
10 oz. Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 ¾ C Bisquick
1 t Garlic Powder
1 t Onion Powder

These are SO easy and SO good!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

First things first, you need to shred the Cheddar. Please, PLEASE shred your own cheese. I swear it makes a huge difference compared to that pre packaged stuff. I like to use half yellow and half white cheddar, and I like to shred it two different sizes (see picture below).

Once the shredding is done, just plop all the ingredients in the bowl of your KitchenAid Stand Mixer, and turn it on with the bread dough hook. Walk away for a few minutes, and when you come back, all is magically mixed!

If you don’t have a KitchenAid, you really do need to go buy one! Of course, you can always use your hands to mix these, but the mixer makes it so much easier!

Now just roll them into little balls and bake for 15-18 minutes. I prefer 18 because I like them a little brown on top!

YUM! Make these sometime this Holiday Season!

Click Here for the Printable!

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Cooking with My Dad

I'm using my maternity leave to its full potential, enjoying two weeks at my parents' house in WV.

Today, I spent five hours in the kitchen with my Dad. It's sort of a tradition with us, we're always trying new recipes and tearing the kitchen all to heck. Today, we made Jamie Oliver's English Onion Soup.

Five hours later, we ended up with this.

And the kitchen looked like this.

Thank God Mama is our sous chef and cleaned up the mess for us!

Oh, and the verdict? So-so. I still prefer French Onion Soup. If Mama's Dutch Oven ever comes clean, I'll make up a pot and share the recipe!

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Friday Favorite – For the Serious Cook

If you have a couple hundred bucks to spend, and a desire to really wow your gift recipient who loves to cook, there is only one place to go.


Le Creuset. Dutch Oven.

Available in a multitude of colors and SO versatile in the kitchen. I use mine for everything from Soups, to Stews, to Roasts, you name it. Stove, Oven to Table. So versatile and I PROMISE it will be a hit on Christmas morning!

If and when I ever get 1000 fans on Facebook, I’ll be giving one of these babies away! Invite all your friends to the Facebook page, maybe we can get there before Christmas!

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Happy Veterans Day!

I so love that my home town had a parade today to honor our Veterans. To all of them, I say Thank You for your sacrifice to our great Country!

Just so happens both of my favorite Veterans were in today's parade!

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Bakerella!

*Sigh*

Why me?! For the first hour we waited in line, my children behaved as if they are trying out for Angel in the Christmas pageant. Still absolute angels for the additional 30 minutes during Bakerella's Cake Pop demonstration. STILL angels for the 30 minutes we wait in line for the cookbook signing.

No lie, the SECOND we move up to meet Bakerella herself, Quint lets off a Silent But Deadly that I swear would make the hair raise on your head. You Moms know what I'm talking about. Gas that only a baby who hasn't pooped in 48 hours can produce. Yes, my son gassed out Bakerella.

In retrospect, I suppose I should have made a little joke to let her know that a)I don't stink and b)no, I'm not letting my baby sit in a diaper full of poop. In the moment, however, I was so mortified I just pretended like it didn't happen. Lord.Have.Mercy

At any rate, here are a few pictures from the book signing, stinky britches and all:

Quint was in charge of holding the Petit Fours we took to her as a gift. I SO hope she will teach us how to make them, because I'm going broke buying them from Puffy Muffin!

Some nice people we were in line with.

Bakerella's Demonstration.

Clara starts to wear down.

Clara talks the Williams-Sonoma guy out of a Cake Pop.

And finally, the moment we gassed out Bakerella.

Clara delivers the Petit Fours while I break Quint's neck.

She's totally thinking 'These people stink!'.

And here, my goal is not to show you my newly expanded hips (thank you Quint), or to admit that I am one of those Mothers that drag their over tired children about the mall (exhibit A: Clara laying her head on Bakerella's table), but to show you that she is signing a GIVEAWAY cookbook! Stay tuned to the blog for a giveaway soon!

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Winner – Starbucks Gift Card!

Congratulations, Ashley, comment #32 on your Starbucks gift card! Enjoy a Gingerbread Latte or two!

Ashley, send your mailing address to mypotboilethover@yahoo.com and I'll get your Gift Card right out!

Thanks to everyone else for entering. I have some Awesome giveaways coming up, including an autographed Bakerella cookbook!

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Friday Favorite – Starbucks Gift Cards (and another Giveaway!)!

Are there things that just make you happy, or at least bring a smile to your face, no matter your mood? Going to Starbucks is that way for me (hearing Kool and the Gang's Celebration does it for me too, but we'll keep that just between us). I just love the little indulgence of a flavored coffee drink, and I Love LOVE LOVE it when I don't have to pay for it! I know some of you are probably in the "gift cards make terrible impersonal gifts" camp, and I'll just have to respectfully disagree. Few things make me happier than my annual Starbucks gift card. One year for Christmas, my Mother in Law got me a $100 one! Boy, that was fabulous and I enjoyed that gift all the way until June that year! The other plus side to a Starbucks Gift Card is that it makes a great gift, even if you are on a budget. If you have 5 bucks to spend, that's a coffee break. $10? Even better, TWO coffee breaks!

Today, you can win two coffee breaks on me! I'm giving away a $10 Starbucks Gift Card to a random commenter on this post.

To enter, just comment below, letting me know your stance on gift cards as gifts. Yay or Nay? If you are a blog follower, you can comment twice for two entries. Facebook fans, you can comment again too. So, someone who follows the blog AND is a Facebook fan can get three entries.

As always, I will not share your email address with another soul. All entries must be received by 9 pm Eastern time Saturday. Winner announced Sunday!

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Your Grandma’s Potato Soup

(I wrote this last week during torrential downpours. We survived the storms!)

Hasn't it just been a thrilling few days in Middle TN? Torrential downpours, high winds, tornado warnings…I tell you, it's been a blast! (Especially given that my husband is an over the top weather freak. I don't even roll my eyes anymore when he starts in. I just put my shoes on and go on downstairs to his safe room. What I don't get is why the kids and I have to be safe downstairs ready for the house to fly apart, but he gets to go outside and stand in it? This makes no sense to me!)

Anyway, all this rain and wild weather have me in the mood for comfort food, so tonight I made good old Potato Soup. Now, this is not the potato soup available at every restaurant these days, loaded with cheese and bacon and such. I do have a fabby recipe for Baked Potato Soup, and I will share it someday soon, but today is not the day. This is the soup that your Grandma made. The one I remember fondly from my childhood.

You will need:
½ Large Onion, finely diced
2 stalks Celery, finely diced
2 T Bacon Grease (or Olive Oil/Butter)
32 oz Chicken Broth
3-4 Large Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 C Flour
3 C Half and Half (or Whole milk)

Heat your Bacon Grease in a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Friends, do not be afraid of a little bacon grease! If you don't have a little container of the stuff in the fridge, start saving it immediately! It will change your life! OK, maybe not change your life, but it will certainly flavor it, plus give you the added benefit of womanly hips! (If you just can't stomach the thought, use Olive Oil or Butter, I won't tell.)

Once it's nice and hot, add the onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes or so, until things start to go soft and translucent. I will admit that I have no celery in the house today, so I just used some celery salt instead. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Then, add the potatoes to the broth and allow them to cook until they are soft, at least 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the Flour and Half and Half. Here's another clue this is just like your Grandma made it. If this were a newfangled recipe, we would make a roux instead of just whisking the flour and milk. Do what you've gotta do, but I just whisk for this recipe.

Anyway, after the potatoes are soft, lower the heat and stir in the flour/milk mixture, along with salt and pepper, until your taste buds sing. Now, just continue to simmer the soup until you are ready to eat it.

We top ours with a little shredded cheddar, but it's delish just as it is!

Comfort food in a bowl, people. Comfort food in a bowl.

Click Here for the Printable.

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Pecan Pie

(Apologies in advance for the lack of pictures here. My life is crazy and I don't know if I will actually get around to making the pie today, but I wanted to get this recipe out ASAP! I'll add a picture when I get around to making it!)

Today is November 1^st, which in my book means it is officially "The Holidays". Woohoo! Is there a better eating time of the year than The Holidays? No? I didn't think so!

Quite possibly the most delicious, most fat and carb laden dessert in the whole world is a cornerstone Holiday eating. And today I'm going to share with you my very favorite recipe for it.

You guessed it, Pecan Pie. Ooh, how I LOVE Pecan Pie! So easy to make and it's so ooey and gooey and DELISH with some fresh whipped cream.

What? You don't know how to whip fresh cream? We'll do that soon, because really, you haven't lived until you've had a delicious Pecan Pie with freshly whipped cream.

You'll need these ingredients:
1 Pie Shell (Frozen, Refrigerated or get brave and make your own)
1 C White Corn Syrup
1 C packed Brown Sugar
Pinch Salt
1/3 C Butter, melted
3 Eggs, beaten
1 ½ t Vanilla Extract
1 C Chopped Pecans

First of all, I know I have some fabulous Baptist bakers reading this blog. Someone needs to teach me how to make pie pastry. Until then, I will continue to cheat and buy the refrigerated brand with all the processed ingredients.

Spray a pie pan (not the deep dish kind) and line it with your pastry of choice.

Then, and this is so simple it is ridiculous, mix well all the other ingredients except the pecans with an electric mixer.

Finally, stir in the pecans.

Now, pour it all in the pie shell and bake at 350 for about an hour (50-60 minutes).

I'm telling you, TRY this Pecan Pie. Delicious and easy, and I promise it will make you the rock star of Thanksgiving.

Click Here for the Printable Recipe!

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