Thanksgiving Mania

5 BIG food shoppings so far for Thanksgiving... You might think I'm disorganized or indecisive about what to make for my Thanksgiving feast, but for one, things are evolving as far as the menu goes and every time I see a great recipe I think maybe THAT one!... but the biggest problem I have is that every time I food shop for this epic meal I come home stuffing the refrigerator, posting a big warning for my kids not to eat or drink this or that... Well, "OOPS Mom I forgot", is the phrase I keep hearing as I return to the market for more of this and that...  If only I could turn off these pubescent eating machines until Thanksgiving is over!
STOP PLEASE STOP!!!... Tonight is take-out for sure!

My Recipes for Thanksgiving as of this moment...

- Turkey with Herbs de Provence and Citrus (Giada De Laurentiis)
- Sausage and Herb Stuffing (Ina Garten)
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel (a combo of 2 recipes/Paula Deen & Tyler      Florence)
- Maple-Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts (Coscarelli)
- Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic (Neelys)
- Caramelized Butternut Squash with Apple and Bacon (combo Barefoot Contessa & Francesco Tonelli)

Dessert pies are coming with guests and I made Graham Crackers half dipped in Dark Chocolate and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce.

I still feel after years of making Thanksgiving that the timing is the hardest part... maybe because I only have one full convection oven and one small convection/microwave.  The brussel sprouts and green beans are made on the stovetop so that will help.

What is the hardest part for you?... and don't say "staying awake" after the meal.

For those who panic at the thought of so many recipes here's one for you, and this cracks me up... the notorious all in one meal-in-a-cake...

Thanksgiving Turkey Cake from Chow.com

A Sunny Holiday Kitchen

It's not too early to start planning for Thanksgiving if you're the host... I mean as far as your kitchen tools, dishes, etc....  or if you're a guest invited to a Thanksgiving feast, what will you bring your host?
Don't wait until the last minute and putting thought into a gift really shows you care...  Here are some ideas of things I liked at one of my favorite sites, Anthropologie... I love yellow, so here are some great gifts with a sunny theme... 

Oh, and the price is right too!

This reminds me of my something my grandmother had in her collection...

Milkmaid Butter Dish, $28

You can use this to limit the kids TV time too...

Magnetic Timer, $12

This is great for everyday cooking... I have so many tops with oil splatter stains...

Jitterbug Apron, $32

If there are young kids around, these illustrations by Charley Harper are unique...

Flash Cards and Puzzle, $14.95

Italian Cooking is my favorite and this book gives you a glimpse into the folk culture also...

Cookbook, $45

I'll be keeping you posted on my Thanksgiving menu plans.

Share your ideas with us by leaving a comment.

Another Cool Whip Thing

Ode to Cool Whip... that sweet, light, pillowy thing that doesn't try to be anything else... no nothing like real whipped cream at all... I love you, not you Cool Whip, but your Lite sibling Cool Whip Lite... shhhh don't tell your foodie friends... wait... tell your foodie friends and if they're not foodie snobs they probably like it too!

So I've written about Cool Whip before, why not, I always have the big tub on hand for a frothy cup-o-joe, to a dessert topping, to lemonade pie, etc... so when i saw this recipe for Chocolate Almond Frozen Mousse from the Pioneer Woman I just could'nt resist passing it on to you for a quick and easy dessert in a pinch.

Let's Eat Pumpkin Cake!

Bring it on... I know it's hard to believe we're in October already, but believe it... and October means pumpkin bread, specifically Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix, shhhhh... don't your guests they're from a mix because they won't believe it anyway... it's that good!  Oh, just be careful, it's hard to stop eating and the calories are plentiful... 250 calories per serving!  I've made it both ways, the bread and muffins and I prefer the bread... My kids plow through it leaving only crumbs... better for my waistline anyway...

If you're a little more ambitious, which I may be this weekend, I'm going to try these outrageous cupcakes I spotted in my recent issue of House Beautiful from my favorite chef, Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa...

They look so delicious...

 House Beautiful, Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Happy Friday and please let me know if you're enjoying my blog by leaving a short comment... your feedback is what keeps me going, thanks.

Easy Turkey Chili

Longer than 30 minutes is what I would call this recipe from the 'Food Network'... Don't get me wrong it turned out to be quite delicious with a few tweaks here and there, it's just that simmering it longer thickens it and intensifies the flavor.  I simmered for about 3/4 of an hour.  Turned off the heat because I had to take my son to a music lesson and then I came home and warmed it back up again... it was very tasty.

I changed a few things... for instance I didn't have chipotle chili en adobo with sauce, so I used a 1/3 of a poblano chile pepper and added a green bell pepper for a mild heat and some crunch.  The beer adds great flavor and the garnishes give it a freshness... it's my kids favorite part.  They feel like they're part of the cooking process.  That's why they like taco and burrito dinners because they put the amount of what they like together. 

For garnishes (or condiments), I used a mix of mexican cheeses pre-packaged by Sorrento, fresh cilantro (my favorite), scallion (green onion), and these dried Jalapeno Pepper Flakes from "Victoria Gourmet", which I purchased on one of my trips to TJ Maxx, where they have great bargains on gourmet food.  I know, most Moms go there for the clothes...

30-Minute Turkey Chili

Victoria Gourmet

What's your favorite Chili recipe?

Mint Memories

Mint grows like a weed, once it starts, one needs to take control or it will... I learned this from growing up with a father who has a green thumb.  This is also the reason I love mint, for the taste and the childhood memories.  As a kid we would pick the leaves and just suck on them.  Mint tea was plentiful, but in those days there weren't too many recipes using mint, not like today.  So when I saw this Thai inspired slaw recipe with cashews and mint from my favorite cooking blog,  Smitten Kitchen,  I knew it was for me and I hope for you...
Click below for the link to the recipe...

Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint

Gorgeous photo by Smitten Kitchen

These photos are like Renaissance paintings

A Local News Forum

Simply called Patch... "a local source for news, events, business listings, and discussion"... I heard about it through a friend, writer and teacher extraordinaire... Today was the launch of my local Patch in Dix Hills, NY, with editor Karen Forman.
I'm excited to be a contributor, writing articles with the 'Mom' audience in mind... about the spicy rumblings going on in my backyard...  especially when it comes to FOOD, where to get it, how to cook it, how other people cook it, how to eat it... fresh and healthy, one meal at a time!

Check out 'Patch' in your community, if you don't have one yet, maybe you can get one started!

Thanks Rissa and Sharon for turning me on to Patch!

An Obsession

This is what I'm obsessed with... and what you don't see is what I'm really obsessed with...

Never refrigerate your tomatoes or avocados!

... for the last three days especially, for a late breakfast, lunch and dinner I've eaten local Beefsteak Tomatoes... the biggest, firmest, sweetest I could find at a local farm stand, White Post Farm.

The heirloom tomatoes here, or what's left of them I buy from TJs or Fairway... wish I had the time to travel into the city to the Union Square Greenmarket for the best.

photographed this morning in natural light

... for lunch I eat them on crostini (small toasted bread from Fairway) sliced with some kind of wonderful sheeps milk cheese... for dinner I serve them as a side, the Beefsteaks sliced thick with red onions, and sometimes (for the kids especially) with mozzerella, and fresh basil when I have it... dressed with good olive oil and good balsamic vinegar... "ingredients, ingredients, ingredients"!

Actually there's a great quote about ingredients I heard last night while watching a must-see episode of the Travel Channels show, Anthony Bourdains: No Reservations, "Next Up: Rome", ... you'll be thoroughly entertained and understand the "mindset of the Roman people"... simple life... fresh ingredients!

A tomato rule to follow... firm (even hard) for slicing... soft for cooking.

This issue of New York Magazines' article "The Great Tomato Hunt", rates the top 15 heirloom tomatoes and the farms they come from... 

These are the top 4 heirlooms 

Blood Orange Anything!

I just love the color... what could be bad about a drink made with Blood Orange anything!
I'm hearing about drinks made with Blood Orange Soda from Trader Joes or Blood Orange Juice Mojitos... they're enticing... just looking at these photos... I'm running out today to TJs... I thought I knew everything about them, everything worth eating or drinking from that store... but I've never tried this soda ...  I love their Pomegranate Limeade to mix with fresh lime juice, rum and mint for Mojitos, but these look great...

This recipe comes straight from Sardinia and is made with either the juice or soda...

Sardinian Blood Orange Mojito from Design Sponge

A gin concoction made with Blood Orange Soda from Cupcakes and Cashmere

Happy End-O-Summer almost... Enjoy!

Pie for the Party

Want a quick, delicious and refreshing summer pie recipe... a hit for adults and kids alike!!!  This Lemonade Pie from the Neelys, (the cutest cooking couple) is perfect to bring to the next barbecue or just make it for your family one night before the summer draws to a close, which by the way is sadly happening...
When I made this recipe it was enough for two pies... maybe my pie tins were small, but I was happy... one for you and one for me!

                                                 photo from The Food Network

Also I had trouble finding the candied lemon peel to garnish the pie so I just grated some lemon zest on the top and Voila'!
Another idea (from my sister) would be to make it with frozen limeade instead of lemonade more like a key lime pie.

Let them eat pie!

Raw Corn Salad

As I mentioned last week, I had a 'Girls Night' cocktail party August 4th, inviting old and new friends (they mixed a little), and everyone had a really GREAT time.  Tomorrow I'll give you the whole menu, but one dish that was clearly a hit, was a version of a salad my sister recommended that my nephew made with raw corn... so delicious, fresh and crunchy!
This means the corn needs to be really fresh...  buy it that day and preferrably from a local farm stand, but the supermarket will do too.  This salad has three basic ingredients , raw corn, red onion, and avocado, but for this party I added chopped steamed shrimp to make it more of a main attraction at the cocktail party... and boy was it!  It's a great side dish without the shrimp to accompany any summer meal.
So here it is...  Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad... oh, one other thing... I had used all my limes for the Mojitos, so I used lemon juice, either works or both for that matter...

I Need To Look Only!

I need to look only this morning because I can't think much at all, better yet I can hardly move from sheer exhaustion... I threw a 'Girls Night' cocktail party last night... worked my buns off preparing for a week and did the hard labor all day yesterday!  No pity here, it was worth it and I enjoyed the company of old friends and new... it's just that I'll have to show you all the fabulous food including recipes next week, my head is pounding too much, even the sound of my iMac keyboard hurts... maybe it was those pomegranate mojitos that did me in... or the lemonade pie... or too much corn and shrimp salad... or picking at the peach and tomato salad after everyone left... or that last sip of Proseco...

Such a tease... is your mouth watering yet?

That's it... my left hand is so sore from SQUEEZING about 30 limes which is 60 halves... and chopping a shopping cart full of fresh produce!!!

Stay out of this heat today (NY) and cool off with some fresh fruit.

The Last Hurrah!

Summer keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into...

With the days getting shorter and the TV playing ADs for back to school, I'm getting nervous that SUMMER will escape me without enough heavenly mojitos, pool parties, late afternoon beach jaunts, outdoor music concerts... 


Here are some things that say summer...

Freeze the scooped out orange and slice off a bit of the bottom for a refreshing bowl with scoop of ice cream, you can also add fruit and drizzle a balsamic and sugar reduction on top!

 Great idea from MSN today... your ice will last longer

Orange is my favorite summer color... great next to a tan... and flattering to most skin types...

Cynthia Rowley for Roxy, was $115 now $56.99

Loving this summer color...

Urban Outfitters, Paul & Joe Summer Nail Enamel, $14

I'm going to start planning a summer party today... hope you savor every minute of your summer too!

Hot & Frozen Delights

Yesterday afternoon we waited out a nasty rain squall, standing in the MIDDLE of my kitchen fearing a 70 foot tree would land on my house, before heading over to my girlfriends' poolside barbecue with 8 other families.  I made a dish of delicious medium hot buffalo wings with a sauce I picked up at Fairway last week... "Wing-Time", it comes in mild, medium and hot.  The blue cheese-yogurt dipping sauce was a recipe from Bobby Flay...

We were so late for the party due to the storm that I didn't get a photo of my wings which were juicy from grilling with a little olive oil, kosher salt and pepper,  then coated with the spicy orange buffalo sauce...

Speaking of yogurt in the sauce... someone brought delicious frozen yogurt from the South Korean originated chain, Red Mango...

100 calories for half a cup without toppings

Tanger Outlet, one of two locations nearby

I really liked the 'Tangomonium' flavor, which was invented by the company's President and CEO Daniel Kim.  The yogurt is not too sweet and a little sour... unlike Pinkberry, which is a little too sour for my taste... are you a Red Mango or Pinkberry fan... the lines have been drawn!

You'll have to go into NYC for Pinkberry... please share your preference in the yogurt wars!

2 of My Favs!

As you may have noticed I'm clearly in a summer schedule, what with no school for the kids, one off to sleep-away camp, the other kid, a teen and night owl sleeping until 11ish (that's a big 'ISH' too), I've been sleeping late, late, late... I will get back to an earlier schedule but it may take a few days of enjoying this resbite.
Today I wanted to give you some insight into 2 of my favorite bloggers... not mommy bloggers... just bloggers with great style in fashion, home, cooking and design... I'm such a big fan!  I read them regularly...

Oh Joy!

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Thank you ladies for providing so much pleasure in your  'jewels on the web'.

Baseball and Tacos

Last night my 12 year old had his second to last Little League playoff night game which started at 7:45pm.  My husband was running late so I fed the kids dinner and then packed up our dinner for a picnic (of sorts) at the ball field... fish tacos one of our favorite meals, tacos with chicken or pork too for that matter... I adapt to whatever I have around, but there are my basics (which I usually keep in stock)...  soft tortillas, cherry or grape tomatoes, romaine lettuce or cabbage, onion (red or green), salsa (Green Mountain), cilantro, lime, Helmann's Mayo and Cholula Sauce (a staple for us).  If I have a ripe avocado and pico de gallo (instead of salsa) that's great but not necessary...  I marinated the fish (a flaky one) in lime and garlic for 30 minutes, pan fried it, then in a small bowl I mixed mostly mayo, a dollop (love that word) of greek yogurt, a little Cholula (hot sauce), and fresh lime juice to taste... combine a little of the above ingredients together in a warm corn or flour tortilla, add a spoonful of the dressing and you have a perfect meal!

If you prefer to follow a recipe, this one from Food Network is a little different but simple and easy...

  
My mayo dressing with Cholula sauce, yogurt, and lime is a real winner and you'll want to eat it on everything!
I wrapped the tacos in foil, sliced up some lime, packed some fruit and something slightly sweet and crunchy that I can't live without lately and I eat for breakfast, snack, and dessert almost everyday (Trader Joe's or online) ...

Almondina

  It was a beautiful night for a ball game!