I'm Thankful

So much in our lives we take for granted. Each and every day we have more than we could ever deserve, even on our worst day. Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I was blessed to spend it with family that I love. My parents, brother, husband, children, and for the first ever Thanksgiving.... my granddaughter! It was fun, even though Lucy was not the best sleeper, ahem. Some day we will remind her of how she kept us awake at night. :-) Love you Lucy!

Here's the recipe I used for sweet potatoes, or yams? They reminded me of a German chocolate cake!!

Praline Sweet-yam-tatoes

40 oz can yams

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*.

Place drained hams in a 2 qt. baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam.

Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over the top.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.

I was also thankful there was leftover pecan pie!!! AND Cool Whip!!! wink wink

Back to the Basics

I never grew up eating a variety of foods. My mom was a good, but basic cook. We had chicken - fried in bacon fat by the way. We had fried hamburgers, plenty of pot roasts on Sunday, frozen pizza when I got older, and eggs. Not all at once. I don't remember a lot of other meals, oh but I do remember cinnamon rolls and chocolate cake. But, I think I made the cake. Anyway....

I don't have a memory of mac and cheese. We probably had it, but I'm sure it was from a box. It wasn't until recently I cooked homemade mac and cheese. It was super easy, and I kind of liked it! I know it's not a healthy offering, but sometimes you just have to have a bowl of mac and cheese.

Velveeta's 75th Anniversary Recipe

Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups (8oz) elbow macaroni, uncooked

3/4 lb (12oz) Velveeta cheese product, cut up (pretty sure I used 1/2 lb)

1/3 cup milk

1/8 tsp pepper

Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain well and return to pan.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Cook on low heat until prepared cheese product is melted, stirring frequently.

Yup, that's it.

What would you like for your side?

Whenever we go out to eat my husband has a terrible time deciding what to order, he just has trouble making decisions. Once he has labored over the list of choices, then comes the dreaded next question: "What would you like with that???? soup, salad, potato, rice, sauteed veggies" etc.....

I always feel like I need to have a meat, potato, veggie, salad at most meals. Who do I think I am, June Cleaver? AND I like different colors to be represented! Nothing makes me more distressed than sitting down to a meal and realizing everything is a shade of beige/brown. Well, almost nothing makes me more distressed. I may be exaggerating a little.

Here's an offering for a salad that combines a couple of food groups. Maybe this will make suppertime a little easier. :-)

COTTAGE CHEESE SALAD

1 tub small curd cottage cheese

1 can Mandarin oranges, drained

1 small can crushed pineapple, drain very well

3 oz box orange or apricot Jell-O

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 small container Cool Whip

Mix all together and keep in refrigerator.

This salad will start to get watery in a couple of days, so eat it up!!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

December is hours away, and my mind is beginning to race for new appetizer ideas for Christmas. I was reviewing a few recipes on my iPad and found this pizza roll. I made it for a football game and it was pretty tasty. I think I found it on a blog, maybe Pioneer Woman?? Not sure.

Pizza Rolls

2 cans refrigerated pizza crust

garlic salt

Italian seasoning

1 cup sliced and chopped pepperoni

1 cup shredded cheese, whatever kind you like

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

spaghetti sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 425*.

Dust a large cutting board with flour and roll out each pizza crust.

Season each crust with garlic salt and Italian seasoning, as much as you like.

Top with cheese and meat.

Start with a short end and roll crust into a tight log.

Slice into 1" sections.

Place on lightly greased pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Serve with spaghetti sauce for dipping.