Thanksgiving 2010

Turkey/Stuffing: (5 hours 15 minutes prep/cook time)
4 cups tart apples - peeled, cored and chopped (Granny Smith)
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
12 cups cubed whole wheat bread
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 (16 pound) turkey
1 1/2 cups water

1. In a large skillet, saute apples, walnuts, onion and celery in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in salt, cinnamon and poultry seasoning.
2. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, raisins and apple mixture. Add cider and egg substitute; toss to mix. Just before baking, loosely stuff turkey with half of the stuffing. Place remaining stuffing in a greased 2-qt. baking dish; refrigerate until ready to bake. Skewer turkey opening; tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour water into pan.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 4-1/2 to 5 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees F for the turkey and 165 degrees F for the stuffing, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.)
4. Bake additional stuffing, covered, for 30-40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cover turkey and let stand for 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.

Ham: (20 minutes per pound)

Sweet Potato Casserole: (45 minutes prep/cook time)
4 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix together mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Spread sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes.
3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Brandied Cranberry Orange Sauce: (25 minutes prep/cook time)
2/3 cup orange zest
2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups cranberries
1 tablespoon brandy

1. In a small pan over medium heat, combine the orange zest and water. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving zest and 1/3 cup liquid.
2. To the reserved liquid, add the sugar, orange juice and lemon juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes uncovered, stirring often.
3. Add cranberries; increase heat to medium-high and boil for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries have popped and a small spoonful of sauce sets on a cold plate.
4. Remove from heat, stir in brandy. Pour into 4 1/2 pint jars leaving 1/2 inch space from top. Place lids onto jars, and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Oatmeal Pie: (1 hour 5 minutes prep/cook time)
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. light Karo syrup
¾ c. instant oats
4 T. unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 frozen deep dish pie crust

1. Mix ingredients and pour into pie crust.
2. Cover edge of crust with tinfoil and bake @ 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie: (1 hour 5 minutes prep/cook time)
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, egg yolk, white sugar and brown sugar. Add salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Gradually stir in milk and cream. Stir in pumpkin. Pour filling into pie shell.
3. Bake for ten minutes in preheated oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes, or until filling is set.

Deviled Eggs: (30 minutes prep/cook time)
12 eggs
Light mayonnaise (according to taste)
Yellow mustard (according to taste)
Paprika (according to taste)

1. Place eggs in 2 qts. of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes.
2. Rinse in cool water. Peel eggs, slice in half, and remove yolks.
3. Mix egg yolks, mayonnaise, and mustard until preferred taste. Fill eggs. Sprinkle with paprika.

Corn
Broccoli/Cauliflower mix
Rolls
Mashed Potatoes/Gravy
Wine

Taking a Break

I really wanted to get into blog posting again, but it doesn't seem to be working out. The only wife/mom that's reading this isn't even a wife or mom, but a guy! So, it seems a waste of time to continue this blog. If I suddenly become inspired to write something, I will, but for now I'm just going to say I'm done with the blogging.

Bon Appetit on a Budget

Everyone has a week here or there where they need to trim their budget. Or some of us live frugally as a way of life. Either way, sometimes it's difficult to figure out where to cut costs. The most obvious place to "trim the fat" is with the food portion of our budget.

Rule Number One: Skip the dining out.

I know, it's hard - especially if we're the only one cooking. We look forward to that break out where we can sit down, be served, and (possibly) enjoy a hot meal. But when you look at how much it costs in comparison to how much it would cost you to make it, you think twice. If you absolutely cannot do without your break from cooking, consider making double of a meal (casseroles and soups are great for this) ahead of time and freeze it for that "night off."

Rule Number Two: Shop sales and stock up.

Having an extra freezer is a blessing for this way of saving. We currently only have a very small freezer and can't do this well, but you'd better believe this is going on my Christmas list! Often times you can come across unpublished deals on meat that can really save you several dollars per item at a time. Better yet, is when you get the BOGO (buy one, get one) deals! You usually don't want to cook so much of one item at a time, so freezing is the perfect alternative. Coupons are also amazing ways to save (for some great tips on couponing - check out my previous post from Coupon Queen - Deborah Devine).

Rule Number Three: Don't rule out substitutions.

Yes, we all have our favorite brands of foods, but sometimes you can save a lot by trying a new brand. It may be on sale, you may have a coupon for it, or it may be a generic brand. Honestly, there are some generic foods/items that I prefer over the name brands. It really just has to do with your taste and willingness to try new things. For example, our local "big name" for milk is Mayfield and it generally runs around $4.50 a gallon. Now, my family drinks a lot of milk, at least three gallons a week, so milk is actually a portion of our grocery budget. We typically buy Kroger brand milk, though, which is about $2.50 a gallon - the savings run about $6 a week just by shopping generic.

Rule Number Four: Pile on the fillers.

Bigger families know all about this trick, but sometimes it's something we overlook. Potatoes are a cheap filler and can be cooked in a million different ways. Rice, beans, and pastas are some other great fillers. These aren't necessarily the healthiest of foods to fill up on (it all depends on what type and how you cook/serve them), so another, better, alternative is vegetables. Fresh veggies can add up quickly, but when you consider the alternative - frozen veggies - you can save a lot (especially if you get them on sale or buy generic). Frozen vegetables are just as healthy as fresh veggies, because they're actually frozen soon after picking, which means they weren't picked prematurely or that they weren't sitting on a truck getting overly ripe. Canned vegetables are cheap, too, but are usually loaded with salt. We do keep a supply of canned vegetables for emergencies, but frozen veggies are our first choice.

Rule Number Five: Get Creative!

Change ingredients in your recipes and you can shave the cost. My biggest way to save money on main courses is using ground turkey in place of ground beef - and the best part is that it is healthier and much less greasy. I have yet to find a recipe that seems to suffer from this substitution and we typically prefer the turkey anyway. Having a "leftover" night with several items from the week can be really helpful, especially with multiple family members who have different favorites.

There are dozens of "cheap eat" meals, but I thought I'd include a few of our favorites (in no particular order):

Brinner (Breakfast for dinner) - pancakes are the ultimate cheap eat! There is virtually no cost to these - a dollar for a four-member family would even be pushing it, and that probably includes the cost of syrup. Eggs are another great choice, equaling about 18 cents each. You can throw in some cheese, chopped veggies, salsa - whatever you choose - and it will only bring up the cost slightly. Toast, hashbrowns, and biscuits and gravy are some other great, cheap brinner ideas. My husband likes to have meat with his meals usually, so I also make some turkey bacon. The great thing is that if you're making several items, you only really need a few slices of bacon to be satisfying, so I separate the package into individual servings and freeze them for later. Pancakes also freeze great!

Spaghetti and meatballs - I have to admit this was not one of my husband's favorite meals and used to end up going over to my mother's house more often than not so as not to waste it. However, quite by accident, I found a way to prepare it that really appeals to him now. One day, when I was in a pinch for time, I bought frozen meatballs, took out half of the bag and threw them in the crockpot with some spaghetti sauce. I cooked them for about eight hours on low and cooked the spaghetti separately and added it into the crockpot for the last hour of cooking. It came out super tender and the meatballs apparently developed a great taste. I serve this with some sliced toasted Italian bread sprinkled with butter, garlic, and Parmesan (sometimes I make bruschetta) and it's a cheap hit. The total cost is about $6 (because I only use half the meatballs) for about five servings. Of course, pasta is a cheap food and pretty much any variety of pasta will be cheap, assuming you don't indulge on a lot of meat or cheese.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup - This is one of the obvious recipes I don't have to go into detail about - everyone's made it at some time. The entire cost is probably less than $3. However, don't be afraid to dress it up some. I prefer my sandwiches plain, but you can change the bread or the cheese for a different flavor or add bacon, tomato, or a slice of ham to dress it up. The soup can be changed by getting or making it with chunks of tomato or by adding spices. Spices can make a huge difference! This is probably the cheapest choice of soup and sandwich, but making your own chicken noodle soup can be fairly inexpensive, as well.

Hillbilly Fixin's - As my mom says, "That's what I call it!" This meal is made up of some traditional southern foods: pinto beans, cornbread, ham, fried potatoes, and some kind of veggie (corn, green beans, greens, or okra). This is a meal that we make only several times a year, because it seems to make so much we can't handle it more often than that. The ham is the most expensive part of the meal, so I buy one of those small, presliced 1/4 hams. With all of the other foods, you don't need a lot. All of the ingredients combined may total about $10, but it probably makes 12 servings, if not more.

Sloppy Joes - Again this is a super common recipe, so I really don't need to go into much detail. However, I would like to add that homemade sloppy joes taste 10 times better than anything you get in a package or can and it's cheaper, too. There are some variations to the recipe, but ultimately if you have ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and ground meat (I use turkey), you have the ingredients for a good sloppy joe.

Anyway, I hope this post gives you some ideas for meal planning, and if you have any "cheap eat" recipes you'd like to share, please feel free! I would LOVE to hear your suggestions and I'm sure others would, too!

Life in the Right Order

Anyone who knows me would tell you I am a HUGE fan of Gone With the Wind - both the book and the movie. I can appreciate the complexities of the characters' personalities and sometimes see myself in this person or that. Unfortunately, I'm probably more like Scarlett than Melanie, but I'm working on that.

Last night, as I was lying in bed tossing and turning and trying to get to sleep, I thought of another scene in the movie that felt very relevant in my life right now. I understand that this movie is older and may not be a generational favorite, so I'll sum it up.

Rhett and Scarlett have had a baby girl and although both characters love little Bonnie, Rhett is the planner. One day the two of them take her for a walk. Scarlett questions why they have to parade down the sidewalk when they have servants that should be doing this. Rhett's answer is simple: they're no longer living their lives for them anymore; it's all for Bonnie. He is determined to get the neighborhood to like them (through charitable contributions, friendly conversations, etc) because he wants them to like Bonnie. He realizes that the way they treat her depends upon how they view Scarlett and him. So he does everything he can to get her started on the right path.

That being said, and with the background knowledge that I moved every couple of years of my life, one can understand my desperate desire that my boys grow up in a neighborhood where they have friends and happy memories. Last night it occurred to me (again) that this may not be the place to do that. We had already planned on moving out of this neighborhood in a few years, but we have also considered moving out of state.

I'm a Yankee and apparently have the personality of one. You know the type: talks a little faster, a little more to the point, avoids the all-too-commonly used (but not necessarily meant) phrases like "bless his heart", and calls people by title or name rather than "hun." Some people view us as abrasive or cold, but it seems more honest and natural to me. My husband (a Rebel) has the same personality, thankfully, and we mesh beautifully together in our little bubble world. The truth is, though, that we don't really fit in here - and he's lived here his whole life.

We've discussed this many times and with other "foreigners." His father, a New Englander, has lived here over thirty years and has yet to make any close connections. My entire maternal extended family (Yankees) live here now and none of them can name any comrades. Other, non-family members, have mentioned their difficulties with assimilating, as well. Perhaps it's our personalities, perhaps we don't try hard enough, I'm really not sure. But I want better for my sons.

My oldest son is two and has had a total of four playdates in his life. I am so grateful for the gym daycare, his new admittance to Mother's Day Out, and his monthly MOPs days, or else he'd never have the chance to play with anyone remotely close to his age. Sure, school will be here soon enough - except that I plan on homeschooling. I'm hoping to find a group for us to join, but I'm not going to count on it. So, I plan on enrolling them in as many activities as their hearts desire.

Back to the point - we're looking into places to move. I don't necessarily want to move back to the midwest, but wouldn't be opposed to it. We're mostly considering Texas, thinking we may fit in there. But then there's our family...I'm not sure I could leave them. It's a hard decision, but I've been considering it for six years. Maybe Tennessee was just a place for me to move to meet my husband and then move on again. Old habits die hard and I guess I have the vagabond spirit.

This post is all about me and my family, but the purpose behind it is universal: our decisions affect our children. The friends we have, the lifestyle choices we make, the goals we pursue - they all affect our children. As parents, we need to remember that it's not just about us anymore. As women, we need to remember that our decisions should firstly be based on if it is self-serving or desired by God. Then, as our second role as wife, if it is honorable to our husbands. Next, how it will affect our children. And then lastly, if it is what we want. Psychologists would argue this view because we put our desires last, but God is the Ultimate Counselor and He set up this order, so have no doubt that it is correct.

Life may be lived here or there, but it must be lived in the right order or it shall never be lived fully.

Smile - It's Hump Day!

Things you would never know without the movies

- During all police investigations, it will be necessary to visit a strip club at least once.

- When they are alone, all foreigners prefer to speak English to each other.

- If being chased through town, you can usually take cover in a passing St. Patrick's Day parade - at any time of year.

- All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets which reach up to the armpit level on a woman but only to the waist level on the man lying beside her.

- The Chief of Police will almost always suspend his star detective - or give him 48 hours to finish the job.

- All grocery bags contain at least one stick of French Bread.

- It's easy for anyone to land a plane providing there is someone to talk you down.

- The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place - noone will ever think of looking for you in there and you can travel to any other part of the building undetected.

- Police departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned to a partner who is their polar opposite.

- The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

- All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they are going to go off.

- If you need to reload your gun, you will always have more ammunition, even if you haven't been carrying any before now.

- You are very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

- Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language - a German accent will do.

- If your town is threatened by an imminent natural disaster or killer beast, the mayor's first concern will be the tourist trade or his forthcoming art exhibition.

- A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.

- When paying for a taxi, don't look at your wallet as you take out a bill; just grab one at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact fare.

- Kitchens don't have light switches. When entering a kitchen at night, you should open the fridge door and use that light instead.

- If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises in their most revealing underwear.

- Mothers routinely cook eggs, bacon and waffles for their family every morning even though their husband and children never have time to eat it.

- Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames.

- All telephone numbers in America begin with the digits 555.

- A single match will be sufficient to light up a room the size of RFK stadium.

- Medieval peasants had perfect teeth.

- Any person waking from a nightmare will sit bolt upright and pant.

- It is not necessary to say hello or goodbye when beginning or ending phone conversations.

- Even when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the wheel vigorously from left to right every few moments.

- It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting.

- A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

- It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts - your enemies will patiently attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

- When a person is knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, they will never suffer a concussion or brain damage.

- No-one ever involved in a car chase, hijacking, explosion, volcanic eruption or alien invasion will ever go into shock.

- Once applied, lipstick will never rub off - even while scuba diving.

- You can always find a chainsaw when you need one.

- Any lock can be picked by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds - unless it's the door to a burning building with a child trapped inside.

- Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects you personally at the precise moment that it is aired.

http://www.allcleanhumor.com/jokesarchive/arc46.shtml

Well, it is officially allergy season in Tennessee. The ragweed is rampant and our noses are all the evidence we need. So, I thought today would be a good day for some comforting, home-made chicken noodle soup.

Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups water
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken meat
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried thyme
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 white onion
4 carrots, sliced
1 package egg noodles
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients, minus the noodles and carrots, into a crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.
2. Add carrots and cooked noodles and cook on low for one more hour.

I made this last night. I'm not a huge chicken noodle soup fan, so I'm not the best judge (and Michael's sick and can't taste much), but it came out slightly above average. I would choose this over a can of soup, but I wouldn't serve it to impress people.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rosemary-Chicken-Noodle-Soup/Detail.aspx

MOPs: A Time and Place for Moms

First of all, I have to admit that although I now have some feminine hobbies and interests, I have not always been that way. In fact, I really can't say I had very many female friends throughout my life. And the ones I did have, well it's safe to say they weren't all that feminine, either.

But, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage. And that leads to change.

In the time span of a few years I suddenly developed urges to get into "arts and crafts," to learn new recipes, and to really enjoy the companionship of other women. Don't get me wrong! Talking to my husband is wonderful and a time I look forward to daily. However, one can only talk about the office, video games, and cheesy jokes for so long (just as my stories that fill my day must bore him to tears). And it is then that I really need someone with similar experiences to confide in. But once you figure in household chores, errands around town, appointments, and whatever else fills your day, you find that Girls Night Out (or morning or afternoon) just isn't that possible. And here is where MOPs comes in.

If you're anything like me, you're saying, "Ok, what is MOPs?" No one had ever mentioned this group to me and I only happened upon it by reading my church's webpage. It turns out that MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) is a faith-based group of mothers who come together monthly to, firstly, give praise to God and bring glory to His name, and secondly, to be a support system for one another in similar paths of their lives. We have guest speakers who teach us how to be better moms and fellowship to bring us closer to one another. I've been involved in my group for one year and now, in my second year, I've taken on a leadership position. This gives me even more time to spend with other women each month. Oh, did I leave out the best part? Yes - children spend the meetings in daycare! That gives you, Mom, 2 1/2 hours of adult conversation and peace from someone pulling on your sleeve for this or that. All in all, it's a great deal for everyone all around. You get to learn and make new friends, the kids get to play, and Dad doesn't have to hear quite so much about your "motherly duties."

That being said, I would like to encourage all of you ladies, from preggies to those with children in preschool, to check out your local MOPs group. The first meeting is always free and the tuition is really very reasonable (ours is $65 - $25 for the national membership which gives you emails, a magazine subscription, and other goodies and then $40 to cover your group's cost, which include daycare, guest speakers, crafts, food, etc). You can decide how involved you would like to be, as there are typically two outside get-togethers a month, but I really recommend jumping in with both feet. It's a great place to make friends, learn, borrow a sympathetic ear, and find yet another outlet to spend worshipping our Lord.

www.mops.org

Food for Thought

Apple Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients :
1 (6 ounce) package chicken-flavor stuffing mix
1 (3 1/2) pound broiler-fryer
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped, peeled apple
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
GLAZE:
1/2 cup apple jelly
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
1.Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Meanwhile, sprinkle inside of chicken with salt and pepper; rub outside with oil.

2.In a large bowl, mix stuffing with the apple, celery, nuts, raisins and lemon peel. Lightly stuff chicken. Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

3.In a saucepan, combine the glaze ingredients. Bring to a simmer; heat, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Brush over chicken. Bake 20-30 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear, brushing occasionally with glaze. Cover with foil and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Remove stuffing, then carve chicken.



Apple Walnut Bread

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups peeled, cored and cubed apples
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.

2.In a large bowl, stir together oil, applesauce, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, sift together flour cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir flour mixture into wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Fold in apples and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3.Bake in preheated oven for 70 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.

I can definitely recommend the Apple Stuffed Chicken. We've had it several times; it's easy to cook and always turns out yummy. I have not tried the Apple Walnut Bread yet, but I'm going to tonight, so I'll let you know how it turns out. And, if time permits, I'll be adding another post. With the return of school, schedules get kicked back into high gear and I've been slacking. I hope you enjoy these recipes, though!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Stuffed-Chicken/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Walnut-Bread/Detail.aspx