La La La Leftovers!

I've been munching on Thanksgiving leftovers for the last 3 days and I think it's time to move on. I've made PB and cranberry-apple sandwiches, turkey salad, croquettes (fried mashed potatoes with ham) and today I'm finishing with turkey and kale soup. There is only so much one person can have. I say savor the memories and then start gearing up for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas; my lights are up, Christmas potpourri out and smelling "holiday-ish", tree "a-glowing" and fireplace decorated with empty stockings. What will Mr. Kris Kringle fill them with this year? My theme is nutcracker. There are nutcrackers everywhere! Now I'm in the mood to make cookies galore and gingerbread houses. Santa would only be so lucky if he got to eat cookies at my house. Look for holiday cookie recipes on here. You can cook along with me!

Poor Paula!

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/21699614/index.html

Above is a link of Paula Deen getting clobbered by a ham on a local television station in Atlanta. WOnder if she'll pass on ham this year at Thanksgiving dinner? Hmmm

When's the last time you had a root beer float?

I remember when I had my first root beer float. I was about 5 years old and my Mom made it for me. It was amazing to see how the root beer fizzled all over the vanilla ice cream and how delicious it all was melting in my mouth. I was obsessed with them for about a week, until my stomach started really hurting and I needed some sort of protein and/or vegetation.

The I remember how I tried to experiment with other ice cream flavors and other soda. None of them quite did the trick like the classic float. My favorite way to make it is with Hagen Daz and Barq's. Emmm! I haven't had one in years and was thinking about making one today!!!

Back to Basics. Bread.

I know they're only a handful of people left on God's green earth that will make everything for Thanksgiving from scratch. Most people are lucky if someone makes a homemade pie or stuffing from day old bread. Canned yams, canned cranberry sauce(the easiest thing to make from scratch) and other time-friendly solutions are not ones I'm remotely interested in trying. Thanksgiving is once a year people. Get it together! This should be a special time that you put some heart into your cooking.

Maybe it's all this fresh Austin air, but I believe people's energy goes into the dishes they make. In fact, Sarah Michelle Gellar(AKA:Buffy the Vampire Slayer) did a movie called Simply Irresistible and it was based on that entire idea.

Point is, bread is so basic. That's why today I decided to share a delicious dinner roll recipe for you to make for your loved ones this year. I promise it will be a hit. Sure, bread is cheap but that's no reason not to attempt making it yourself. The reward is so worth it. The hardest thing about making bread is getting the water the right temperature and blooming the yeast(making sure the yeast gets foamy), after that you are golden! Trust me. Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy are delicious on a hot, homemade dinner roll! Now get to baking =)


4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast -MAKE SUR EIT'S NOT OLD OR WON'T RISE!!!
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)-SUPER IMPORTANT
2 cups warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)-SUPER IMPORTANT
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
7 cups All-Purpose flour
Directions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and 3 cups flour

Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 7-8 minutes (dough will be a little sticky).

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a roll.

Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Personalized cookie place keepers. Ridiculous!

So this past week was exhausting! I catered an event called Art Behind Bars which helps Austin women get back on their feet when they get out of jail. Great cause. Amazing event! Afterwards, I swore that after making 9 various appetizers for 200 people, I would be on a cooking strike until Thanksgiving. Shaaaaa right! I got one day's rest and then started on my hefty menu. I've gotten half of my menu complete. Phew! I was feeling super organized about T-Day next week until I was perusing the internet and saw these cookie name place keepers. Had I forgotten something???

Apparently so, because now I'm obsessed with the idea of making these on my own. Silly me. When will I learn? Never?

Now on top of all my other things to do list, I've added this to my plate. Cookie place keepers!!! They are just too darn cute not to make. I won't rest until I make it happen. (Seriously, I'd be very sad if you weren't coming to my house for Thanksgiving. It will be one to remember.)

p.s. Did I mention I'm planning 3 Christmas parties on top of all this? Holidays will be a hot mess of kitchen frenzy madness and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Thanksgiving is in 3 weeks. WOWZAS!

My first time hosting Thanksgiving and I couldn't be more excited. A small, quaint and traditional holiday with some twists in the menu. I'm working on making menus for clients and decided to work on my own for a bit. I have narrowed it down to 13 dishes for the big day. Now whether or not I actually make all these will depend on how much I can get ahead of time. Preparation is the key to entertaining. Being stuck in the kitchen while your guests are sippin on their favorite beverage is no fun for anyone! Your guests want to watch football(eeek!), look through your hideous photo albums, catch up with you or secretly judge your ammatuer holiday decorating skills. They don't want to see you sweating over which dish will be done first and rushing people to the table to get it while it's hot.

Being calm is the key to a successful and relaxing holiday. How? Start prepping way ahead of time. Like start today! That's what I'm doing. Sounds crazy, but it's actually super smart. If you make 1-2 dishes a week from now until Turkey day you will be golden. All you should have to make is the turkey and mashed potatoes. Pies, cobblers, stuffing, cranberry sauce and other sides can be made and frozen 2-3 weeks ahead of time without compromising taste.

My Schedule:

3 weeks before T-day> making 3 dishes
2 weeks before T-day>making desserts
1 weeks before T-day>finish making any side dishes
4 days before T-day-defrost turkey and buy the last of supplies!
2-3 days before T-day-defrost sides, desserts, etc.
DAY OF GOBBLE DAY-MAKE TURKEY, GRAVY AND MASHED POTATOES! THEN, CHILLAX!

I hope sharing my schedule helps some of you. Schedules in general help. Buying pre-made anything will not cut it. It simply won't happen in my house. From scratch or bust!!!
THE DAY OFF

My Menu:
(Attempt to duplicate at your own risk!)

Rotisserie turkey with lemon-sage relish
Honey-citrus baked ham
Balsamic-glazed oranges and cranberry sauce
Lemon-thyme rolls with parsley butter
Chestnut & raisin stuffing
Cream cheese & chive mashed potatoes
Fennel salad with cinnamon vinaigrette
Maple-ginger carrots with toasted almonds
Broccoli and Jasmine rice casserole with bacon croutons
Green bean casserole with fried shallots
Caramel candied yams
Pumpkin pie creme brule
Toasted pecan pie bars