Festive Fun Treat

Here is a fun treat to make ahead and have on hand for entertaining. Print up the Harvest Blessing and put beside the mix on a table in a pretty fall bowl or attach it to bag with some colorful ribbon to give as a fun treat to teachers, friends or someone who needs a little lift. The sweet and salty flavors are such a yummy combination together!

Harvest Blessing Mix

The Bugles are a symbol of the Cornucopia, a horn of plenty.

The Pretzels represent arms folded in thanks and prayer.

The Candy Corn reminds us that during the first winter, the pilgrims were allowed only five kernels of corn per day because food was so scarce.

The Fruit is a reminder that Thanksgiving is the celebration of the harvest.

The Peanuts represent seeds, the potential of the bounteous harvest for the next season if they are planted and well-tended.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember the daily blessings that are all around you!

Every year I decorate my front porch for Fall. I start with some basic components the first of October, Pumpkins of many varieties, scarecrows, and mums. In mid-October, I throw in a couple of Halloween items and carve a pumpkin or two. When the first of November rolls around, I take out the carved pumpkins and the other Halloween accents and add my “pumpkin pics” to turn my pumpkin into a turkey. It is so stinking cute!!!! I also add my giant turkey flag to my flag post hanger. I always try to repurpose items because it saves me time and money.

I love the fall…cooler days and nights, beautiful fall color in the trees. It’s the time of year that I enjoying cooking warm, hearty meals. I need my meals to be quick and tasty because I get home later from work and the last thing I want to do is stand another hour over the stove cooking. This meal is a Fall favorite of my husband’s. I have shared this recipe with many friends and they love the simplicity and ease of preparation and it’s just sooooo good for you! I call this my “dump & go” soup!

Taco Soup & Buttermilk Cornbread

1 32 OZ box of chicken stock, 1 28 OZ can tomato sauce, 1 15 OZ can black beans, 1 15 OZ can corn, ¾ cup uncooked rice, 1 LB ground chicken, 1 package dry taco seasonings – If you want a Spicer soup add 2 pkgs, 1 package dry ranch dressing, Cornbread: 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix, 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk or buttermilk, Cooking Spray

INSTRUCTIONS: Fill the 3 qt saucepan with about 2″ of water. Place the colander in the pan and the chicken in the colander. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, give it a stir and replace the lid. Close the vent and cook for 10-12 more minutes or until cooked through. In the 6 quart, open and dump in the remaining ingredients, do not drain the veggies. When the chicken is done, add to the rest of the soup, place the lid on, vent open (you don’t close the vent for this.) You will cook this on medium low heat until it whistles then turn down to low. Cook on low for an additional 20 -25 minutes. You will want to stir this a few times. The rice tends to sink to the bottom, so, it just needs to have a good stir every so often.

Once you have the soup cooking, prepare your cornbread. Follow directions on the box. I like Jiffy, 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk…I use buttermilk - I like the texture and the flavor better. The thing I adore about this is that I can cook my cornbread on top of the stove. This saves on my electric bill not turning on the oven plus I don’t overheat b/c my kitchen doesn’t get unbearably hot! Spray a small skillet generously with cooking spray so your cornbread will come out easy. Pour the cornbread mixture into your skillet, put lid on with vent closed on medium  heat, between 3 and 5 on most stoves. Cook 10 -12 minutes. When you stick a knife in the middle and it comes out clean you know it’s done!

This makes a wonderfully delicious Fall meal and the left overs are even better the next day. This will easily feed 4 people with hearty appetites! Enjoy and let me know what you think of this dish!

Your choices are unlimited when it comes to your wedding and reception. Each choice and decision you make speaks of your individual taste. Guests love to see those unique individual touches as they unfold throughout the wedding. They are what make each wedding and couple unique! Could you imagine if all weddings were a cookie cutter of the previous one….snore, snore, boring!

If you choose to ride to the ceremony in a limo with your bridal party, you are not limited to leaving the reception in the same limo you arrived in. Be creative and put your final signature on the big departure as husband and wife. This is the beginning of your new life together, so make a statement and make it yours! There are so many choices! Vintage car, hot air balloon, helicopter, horse and carriage, boat, trolley, sleigh in the winter, dog sled, snowmobile, golf cart, motorcycle, scooter, tractor, or even a 4-wheeler.

No matter what your choice, you can bet when you put your unique signature on your departure, you will leave a lasting impression that your guests will talk about. Have fun exploring all the possibilities!

I was reading my Rachael Ray magazine this weekend and got several great ideas! Here are 3 websites that need to be added to your favorites, they will help demystify cooking. Are you stumped on a cooking term, don’t know how to use a gadget; then check out foodsubs.com. This website is the mac daddy for help. Kaulustyans.com is the site that will bring those hard to find cooking ingredients out of hiding ounce and for all. Next add chowhound.com this is a fun site as well

Got a jar that you can’t seem to get open….even after tapping the lid on the counter, try putting a rubber band around the lid and open! The rubber band gives you that extra leverage and grip you need to get that jar open.

These were just a few of the great tips I got from my weekend reading.

I made the yummiest breakfast Saturday morning and I want to share a little tip that put it over the top and was so simple! I was watching The Barefoot Contessa and she made a special breakfast brunch with maple glazed bacon. One of the things I loved was that I didn’t have to stand over the stove and watch and flip the bacon. My husband loved, loved, loved the maple bacon. As you read the recipe below note that I didn’t use thick cut bacon and I turned my oven on 350 degrees. You have to try this! It was fantastic and of course we dined outside on our deck, my favorite place to eat. It was a beautiful morning!

After a Iong day at work, all I wanted to do was enjoy a wonderful home-cooked meal outside on my back deck. I love to dine outside!! So, I looked in my pantry to see what I could cook quickly and then spend the evening outside. I settled on making Angelino’s Gourmet cheese and bacon stuffed ravioli using my 3 qt sauce pan. To get started, I filled the pot ¾ full with water and let it boil on medium high heat. I simply dumped in my pasta, put the lid on (whistle closed), turned the burner off, and let it stand for 12 mins. It was perfect al dente finished.

While the pasta was cooking, I made my sauce. I poured 1 jar of Ragu into my 2 quart saucepan, half a container of Buitoni Pesto Basil paste, and 1 cup grated parmesan cheese. I let that warm on medium low, stirring occasionally, while the pasta cooked. This dish is so yummy if you grate the parmesan cheese fresh but you can use canned if you like. Also, you can use any sauce you want because you enhance the flavor with your additions. To top the meal off, I made a salad with fresh mixed greens, fresh raspberries, and a sprinkle of pine nuts with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  To drink, I decided some fresh lemonade to wash it all down would be the perfect addition. And…Viola! I had a fast, easy, and fabulous dinner that allowed me to get outside quickly and enjoy some special quality time and great conversation with my oh so cute hubby!

Dining, going to dinner, brunch, let’s do lunch, barbeque, sharing a meal with family and friends; however you want to say it, it is simply a time to slow down and enjoy the company of family and friends. In today’s rushed schedules, it’s nice and relaxing to take time to slow down and enjoy the company of others. Dining gives us that opportunity. Dining doesn’t have to be a formal setting with white table cloths - it a can be anything where two or more are enjoying each other’s company over a meal. It can be as casual as eating outside on a patio, dining at a fine resteraunt, a picnic in the park, or simply sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by family. It is anytime two or more people are enjoying each other’s company and spending more than a quick few minutes over a meal and are creating memories.

There are some key elements in successful dining. Allow time to engage in conversation so it flows and it’s not forced but happens naturally. Knowing the right combination of people to dine with will make the dining experience a fun and enjoyable time for all involved. Even with family and extended family one may need to be selective when deciding who to invite.  Where to dine will have an impact on the overall experience. If you wish to make an evening of it and you choose a semi fast restaurant that is used to turning their tables quickly, you will be interrupted multiple times as your waiter is trying to get you to move along so they can turn the table, this will most definitely impede the natural flow of the conversation.  Another key factor can be the weather. If you are planning to dine outside, you always need to have a back up strategy in case the weather is not suitable for outdoor dining. Keeping these simple guide lines in mind will make your dining experience successful and one which everyone enjoys and will leave friends and family wanting more.

Remember, time is one of our most precious gifts we can give to another, once the time is gone we can’t get it back. Giving of one’s personal time communicates to the receiver our delight and joy at having that person in our lives.