Giveaway!

This is a cookbook which is perhaps unlike any other you have ever read. It almost has a plot!  It reads like fiction.  It's full of mouthiness, according to the author, Stephen Crout of the The Obsessive Chef blog, and he likes to think of it as wit. You may not agree with everything, Stephen, has put in the book, but if you love to read cookbooks, then you will enjoy this book.  Mixed in with the stories, are helpful cooking tips, and delicious creative recipes.

Stephen's, goal with this cookbook is to inspire you to think out of the box, and get creative in the kitchen.  Along with his incredible recipes, are lists of ingredients without the exact amount needed, so you can experiment and create a recipe that is fitting to your taste, not his.

He has been advocating in recent years: don't be a slave to anything in the kitchen. Use what you have and make what you want. It's no big deal!

If you would like to purchase a copy of Stephen's cookbook,
click this link: https://www.createspace.com/3695950

Giveaway Details

It is easy to have a chance to win a copy of Stephen's cookbook.

1. Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (The box is on the right side of the blog, click the "Follow" button) or "Like" my Facebook page.

2. Leave a comment on this post.  

The winner will be picked randomly and announced on Monday, November 28th.

Stephen told me to take one of his recipes and recreate it, so for Friday's recipe that is just what I did.

Check back on Friday

for my version of one of Stephen's recipes.

Turkey on Biscuits,

it is a great after Thanksgiving leftover recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Cranberry Turkey Casserole

Cranberry Turkey or Chicken Casserole

4 cups cooked  bow-tie pasta
2 cups cooked diced turkey or chicken
2 (15 ounce) jars Alfredo sauce
1 cup dried cranberries, plus extra for garnish
2/3 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, plus extra for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a baking dish, combine all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well.  Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with dried cranberries and pine nuts or slivered almonds.

My friend, Deana, entered this recipe in one of my contests at the Iowa State Fair.  When I saw the cranberries, I knew it would be perfect for an after Thanksgiving recipe.  Deana used chicken in her original recipe; I changed it to turkey.

I love Thanksgiving leftovers, but after a couple of meals of the same thing, it is time to change it up.  Cranberry Turkey Casserole, is a delicious way to do that.  The cranberries add a sweet contrast to the savory ingredients in the recipe.

I also swap turkey for chicken in my most popular recipe, Green Chile Chicken Pasta. 

Another recipe that I like to make with leftover turkey is my Layered Turkey Enchilada recipe.

 Below are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Apple Stuffing

No Bake Pumpkin Pie

Frozen Harvest Pie

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes

Pumpkin Pancakes

Check back on Tuesday for details

about a new Giveaway!

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Thanksgiving Tips to Make Your Day Easier

Frozen Harvest Pie 

I love Thanksgiving!  A whole day centered around being thankful for all the blessings in our lives.  Being surrounded by family and friends, as we all stuff our faces with yummy comfort food. 

I use the tips below to help me spend more time with family and friends, instead of being stuck in the kitchen, missing all of the fun.

Thanksgiving Tips to Make Your Day Easier

1. Shop Early.  Stores already have the items you need for a great Thanksgiving meal on the shelves and they are typically on sale.

2. Start cooking now.  Cook and freeze as many of the desserts and side dishes as you can.  If a dish cannot be frozen, prepare as much as you can a day or two ahead of time.

3. Use disposable pans.  There is no shame in using pans that you can cook in, then toss in the trash for easier clean up.  You can transfer the cooked food into pretty dishes for serving if you prefer.

4. Use your slow cooker.  A lot of dishes can be cooked in the slow cooker.  By using it, you will free up space on the stove top or in the oven.

Sweet Potatoes Two Ways 

5. Spread the load.  Ask your guests to bring a dish.  Be specific about what you want them to bring.  If you do not assign a dish for them to bring, you could end up with 5 trays of cut up vegetables.  

6. Set the table the night before.  Get your kids and spouse to help with this one.  Many hands make light work.

7.  Keep the kids occupied.  Cover the table with paper and have crayons on the table for the kids to get creative with.  One year, I forgot to get paper to cover the kids table with, so instead I took birthday wrapping paper and turned it over so the white backing was showing, then I taped it to the table.  It worked great!

Italian Pinwheels

8. Have appetizers ready for the early birds.  No matter how often you stress the time for people to be there, you know someone is going to show up early.  Have a few light and easy snacks to hold them over.  Fresh fruit, veggie tray, cheese and crackers, etc.

 Clean As You Go

9.  Clean as you go!  By doing this, you will have more time to spend with your guests.

10.  Have fun and remember what the day is really about!

On Friday, I will be posting a fantastic 

Thanksgiving leftover recipe called,

Cranberry Turkey Casserole.

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) packet taco seasoning
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans mild chili beans
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican style stewed tomatoes

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef.  Drain the grease.  Add to a 4 quart slow cooker.  

Add the remaining ingredients.  Add 1 cup of water.  Mix well.  

Cover with a lid.  Cook on low 4 to 6 hours.

On Wednesday nights, I experiment, I mean I cook, for the youth group at our church.  Last week one of the kids asked me to make Taco Soup, so that is what I did.  The kids all loved the soup, and said I am going to have a hard time topping the meal next week.

This soup is mild enough for your whole family to enjoy.  The corn gives the soup the flavor of a corn tortilla.  But to make it even more like a taco, I cut corn tortillas into strips.  You can skip this step and just leave the  corn tortilla strips off, or use store bought tortilla chips instead.

I fried the corn tortilla strips in a small amount of oil until they were golden brown.

 I drained the tortilla chips on paper towel.  The strips were light and crisp.

Next, I arranged the tortilla strips on top of my Taco Soup, and sprinkled cheese over the strips, and put a dollop of sour cream on top. 

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my 

Thanksgiving Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

My friends are taking some time off from blogging, but they have incredible recipes in their archives!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Soup Tips & Tricks

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

I love soup!  I eat it all year long.  But as the weather turns cooler, soup is on the menu more frequently at our house.  Below are a few tips for soup that my mom taught me, and I thought I would pass them on to you, just in case you are a soup lover too.

Soup Tips & Tricks

1.  With today's pop top style of soup cans, this tip is a little harder to use, but it is still a good tip to know.  When using condensed soup, shake the can, and then open it up from the bottom.  The soup will slide right out and you won't have to use a spoon to remove the soup from the can.

2. If you are out of cream for your soup or don't have enough,  substitute with milk and add a little flour to make it a thicker consistency.

3.  If your soup is too salty, add a couple of slices of apple or raw potato to your soup.  Let simmer for a few minutes, then discard the apple or potato slices. 

4.  If you add too much garlic to your soup, put dry parsley flakes in a teal ball and add it to the soup to soak up the extra garlic.  The garlic will be attracted to the parsley.  Discard the parsley after several minutes of being in the soup. 

5.  Never boil your soup.  Simmering keeps the flavors intact.

6.  If you are making a clear noodle soup, cook your noodles, then drain and rinse the noodles before adding them to your soup.  Starch in the noodles will make it cloudy if you add them to your soup with out draining and rinsing them first. 

7.  Soup is always better if it is made the day before you serve it.

What is your favorite soup?  Do you have any tips you could share?  

Congratulations to the Winner of the Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway,
Ashley of What Does a Songbird Sing!

On Friday, I will be posting my

Slow Cooker Taco Soup recipe.

 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Mini Lasagna

Mini Lasagna 

1 (16 ounce) box lasagna noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare lasagna noodles according to package direction.  Drain.  Set aside.

In large skillet, brown ground beef over medium high heat.  Drain grease from pan.  Add 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce to the ground beef.  Mix well.

Cut the curly edges off of the lasagna noodles.

Cut lasagna noodles in half.

 

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.  Spoon 1 tablespoon spaghetti sauce in bottom of muffin cup.

Arrange 2 lasagna noodle pieces in muffin cup forming an X.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of meat mixture in center of crossed noodles.

Spoon 1 teaspoon ricotta cheese over meat mixture.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese over ricotta cheese.

Fold the ends of the lasagna noodles over each other.  

Flip the lasagna noodle packet over, so the seams are on the bottom.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of spaghetti sauce over top of Mini Lasagna.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 18 Mini Lasagnas.

I have seen recipes for personal sizes lasagna on several blogs.  The recipes all contained ingredients that my husband would not like in his lasagna, so I decided to make up my own version.  This recipe has all of the traditional lasagna flavors wrapped up in a cute little package.  My husband loved the Mini Lasagnas, and as my official taste tester, he says the recipe is a keeper.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Don't forget to leave a comment on the

Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway post for your chance to win

Tate's Cookbook & Cookies!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!