Herb Roasted Turkey

It seems kind of crazy to be having turkey this soon after Thanksgiving, but we had a fried turkey for the holiday (YUM!) and it was so good, there were no leftovers. I had a couple dishes I wanted to try with left over turkey, and we had lots of sides left, so we decided to just do a small turkey breast for dinner last night. It turned out really great!


INGREDIENTS:
1 turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup dry white wine


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.

Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole

I have long been on the search for a version of this recipe that I love- and my Aunt Mary gave it to me with her Thanksgiving recipes! I was excited to try it, and the kids loved it!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons of butter
5 ribs celery, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced (I left these out because my husband is 'allergic' to mushrooms...)
1 10 oz bag of frozen broccoli
1 8oz cheese whiz
1 101/2 oz cream of chicken soup
1 cup minute rice (I used brown)
Shredded Cheese for a topping (I used cheddar).

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Cook broccoli according to package directions, then drain. Saute in a skillet (with the butter) celery, onion and mushrooms. Put the broccoli in a casserole dish and add minute rice (uncooked), cheese whiz, soup, salt and pepper and enough water to moisten (if necessary). Add the celery,onion, mushroom mixture and mix well. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and cook for 1/2 an hour.

Christmas Traditions

Well, it's that time of year! Thanksgiving has passed, and so we are all gearing up for Christmas. I know everyone has a different level of activity when it comes to Christmas- but my family is deep-rooted in Christmas traditions. Without them, it just doesn't feel like Christmas. Here are some of ours- some are unique, others are common. None-the-less we have A LOT. It's hard to keep up... and I might be forgetting some, so I'll continue to add to this post as the month goes on. What are your traditions?!


Decorating the Inside of our House: We've been slowly accumulating things over the years (after Christmas sales!) and thanks to my Mom's awesome craftiness and sewing skills- we have a beautiful table setting this year!

Maybe one day I'll have Christmas dishes and a dining table to display them! :)


I LOVE these- my Mom sprayed the little wooden rings with chalkboard paint and so we can write with chalk a different name on them. She also made the napkins!

We have personal stockings, too- they are personalized and each with a different scene. Growing up, my family hung stockings, but we never actually had 'stocking stuffers' nor did we do St. Nick's Day or anything. My husband's family did the stuffers- so we are starting to for our kids as well! What do you do?

Advent Calendar: Another super cute project my Mom made! She made these little envelopes and I printed off the bible story into 25 different days. We hung them from a garland strand across our kitchen window- easy access to do the envelopes each night after dinner! I also have a "Berry Merry Christmas" advent calendar where the little bear moves every night to search for Christmas. It was from my childhood, so kind of neat.




I love this, because it is so easy to get distracted from the real meaning of the season. We have to tailor the story to be adaptable for our young children's ages, but they also have a little Fisher Price Nativity Set in their room- set up on a special table that they can play with and we talk about the story of Baby Jesus' birth.


We have done the "Elf on a Shelf" although not the official one. I have an elf figurine that my brother gave me when I was little that we're using instead. I love the idea and it's helping SO much for behavior reminders... not to mention pretty fun to hide each day! My favorite decoration is our mistletoe...even my one year old stops under neath it and says "KISS"!!

Tree decorations: Two traditions from my childhood....

Ribbon Garland. Each year the kids get to pick out two ribbon colors and we cut sections and add to the garland. This is the first thing we put on the tree, and each year we'll add to it. (The first year it started so small, it looked funny!). I remember being so excited to get to pick out ribbon and add to our garland- and the one at my Mom's house is still one of my favorite parts of her decorations!

Hallmark Ornaments: Each year, my Mom and Dad picked out a Hallmark Ornament that best fit what I was up to that year (one was a telephone, one was a barbie, etc.) and then would write a little paragraph about why they picked that ornament. They did this until I got married- and then I was presented with the entire box and papers of the past 24 years. It was pretty neat to have ornaments for our first tree married, and to also look back on all those memories through my parents' eyes. We started this for our children, too!

Our kids each have a mini-tree in their room, too. It's so easy to put those out and they LOVE having their own personal tree.

Christmas Card Garland:

Another super cute idea my Mom did! She took our Christmas cards and modge podged them onto wooden slats, and tied with a ribbon. Right now since we only have 2, they are just hanging up on our candle deco, but eventually, they'll hang from garland (hopefully if we have a home with a staircase, going up the steps!).

We always take the kids to visit Santa, make Christmas cookies (chocolate chip, sugar and Ultimate Chocolate Dipped Cookies and Reese's Cookies) and do a tour of driving around to all the Christmas lights while singing Christmas carols and drinking hot coffee or hot chocolate. Not to mention decorating our own house with lights:


Christmas Eve, we go to Mass, and come home to get our first presents- Christmas Pajamas and Christmas Books (we read the books before bedtime!) and on Christmas morning, we discover that Santa has visited us throughout the night (that is, if our Elf on the Shelf has given Santa a good report!).

Merry Christmas- I hope you are embracing the season!

Cranberry Ring

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups of Cranberries, ground or finely chopped
1 1/2- 2 cups of sugar
1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple (well drained)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup heavy cream whipped (yes, whip it before putting it in- should take just a few minutes with a hand mixer to make soft peaks form)

DIRECTIONS:
Combine cranberries, sugar, pineapple and nuts. Stir and then gradually add cream cheese in. Mix well, and then fold in cream. Pour into a 6 1/2 ring mold and freeze. About an hour before serving, set out of the freezer and onto a serving plate. Really yummy!

Pumpkin Pecan Layer Pie

I'm going to be posting some of our Thanksgiving recipes- I realize it's too late for everyone to make for this year, but it's really more for me to have them handy for next year! We spend every holiday in different places and with different people- but I love making some of our families' favorites to bring "home" to wherever we are! This one is a pie Andy's Grandma Allen made the last Thanksgiving we had with her. She and Grandpa were so happy to make a copy of the recipe and share it- it makes me smile thinking of her when I make it!

INGREDIENTS:
15 oz. can of pumpkin
12 oz. can of evaporated milk
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
2 graham cracker crusts
18 oz. pkg of butter pecan cake mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 cup melted butter
Whipped Cream (I make my own using 2 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla and 6-8 TBL sugar- and just beat with a hand mixer until peaks form)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Stir together pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, spice and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Pour 1/2 the pumpkin mixture into each pie crust. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cake mix over each pie. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of pecans on each pie. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over each pie. Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil to keep from over-browning during baking. Bake for 40 minutes. Allow pies to cool before cutting. Serve with whipped cream!

Pumpkin Smoothies

We started our day with these smoothies that I saw on Pioneer Woman's cooking site. I added honey to ours- and they weren't a HUGE hit with us, but if you love pumpkin pie, you'll probably love this smoothie!

INGREDIENTS:
1 can of pumpkin
3 cups of milk
Cinnamon
Honey
1/2 cup of yogurt (I used vanilla, low-fat)
Cinnamon Graham Crackers

DIRECTIONS:
Freeze the can of pumpkin (in a different container) the day before using this recipe. Put the frozen block into the blender, adding milk and yogurt. Sprinkle in cinnamon, add honey to taste and top with crushed cinnamon graham crackers.

Corn Soufflé

One of my favorites from my Aunt Mary!


INGREDIENTS:
5 cans of corn drained
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 TBL of flour
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
2 eggs, well beaten

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter and stir in the sugar, gradually add flour and baking powder. Blend in milk and eggs, add corn and mix well.  The mixture should resemble pancake batter (not runny), pour into a greased baking dish and bake for 35 minutes or until done (all liquid gone). Remove from the oven and you can put melted butter on top, but I just serve it straight from the oven.

Sweet Potatoes

From my Aunt Mary


INGREDIENTS:
4 Whole Medium Sweet Potatoes
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Milk
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans (chopped)
1/2 cup flour
3/4 stick of butter

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. Wash sweet potatoes and bake for 30-35 minutes (until a fork easily goes through- bakings times will differ on size of potatoes!). Remove from oven and slice them open and scrap out flesh into a bowl. Turn oven up to 400. Add 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs and 1 tsp of vanilla and salt. With a masher, mash up potatoes and mix the mixture together. You don't want the potatoes to be perfectly smooth. In another bowl, add brown sugar, pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 3/4 stick of butter and mash together until combined. Put potato mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture on top. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Maple Glazed Carrots

This recipe is from my Aunt Mary- one of many she shared that really made me feel like I was at home this Thanksgiving. 


INGREDIENTS:
12 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths (half or quarter the thicker ends)
8 TBL butter
1/4 cup maple syrup (not pancake syrup- the REAL thing!)
Fresh Lemon Juice
Pepper/Salt
Fresh Thyme Leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-low heat and add carrots. Cover and braise, stirring occasionally until carrots are fork tender (about 20-30 minutes). Increase heat to medium and stir in syrup and a squeeze of lemon juice, cook for 2 minutes and season with salt, pepper and thyme. (I also added in a little brown sugar). Serve warm!

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

During the week, I get into a rut of feeding my kids instant breakfast- bars, oatmeal, fruit or yogurt. I saw the idea for a crock-pot casserole on pinterest, and tweaked this recipe for our tastes. I put it together before going to bed, and it was ready when we woke up- the kids loved it and I was happy to not have to cook breakfast! 


INGREDIENTS:
Shredded Hashbrown Potatoes, Frozen
Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles (these are found in the lunchmeat section- they are pre-cooked)
Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
Diced Tomatoes
Green Onions, Sliced
Salt and Pepper
6 eggs
Milk

DIRECTIONS:
Layer the bottom of the crock pot with shredded hashbrowns (I used about 10 oz.) and then in layers, sprinkle in sausage, cheese, tomatoes and green onions. In a bowl, whisk eggs with milk and salt and pepper. Pour into the crock pot and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Parmesan Bake

I got this idea off Pinterest. HERE is the original link (with demonstration video), and below is my version. It was a major hit- everyone loved it and it was really easy to put together!


INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp olive oil 
2 cloves garlic, crushed 
hot red pepper flakes, to taste 
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 5 and marinated mine in Italian dressing before cooking) 
2 cups marinara sauce 
1/4 cup chopped basil 
8 oz mozzarella, shredded 
4 oz Parmesan, grated 
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons (I used salt and pepper flavor)


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole pan, spread out the olive oil and crushed garlic. Sprinkle red pepper flakes over that. Then set the chicken breasts on top of that. Pour the marinara sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle on the basil. Top with 1/2 of each cheese. Then pour croutons on top. Finish with the rest of the cheese. Bake for about 30-45 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through!). Enjoy! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

From Hillary

INGREDIENTS:
1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
sprinke of salt
2 large eggs
1 (16 oz) can plain pumpkin
1 stick butter (melted)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pan. Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. In another bowl break eggs, add pumpkin, add butter and whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool. Makes 18 full size muffins. (I made mine in mini-muffin pans because I like the smaller ones for the kids!)

Thanksgiving Traditions

While this time of year- so much focus for us is already towards Christmas (not to mention 2 of the 4 birthdays we have in the family are celebrated in December!), I wanted to take a second to share a few traditions we do- they don't take much time, but they are special!



A Thanksgiving Tablecloth! This is the first year we're going to be doing this. My mom took a king sized white sheet, and embroidered around the edges and put 4 turkeys in the corner with fabrics (which, also are neat because they are scraps from all the clothes she's made for the kids over the year!). We are going to take Fabric Markers and each Thanksgiving Meal, whomever we share our holiday with gets to sign their name around the year. It will be fun when it's full to look back and remember each holiday- especially because we are military and spend most of our holidays away from family, but with our military friends (aka our family away from home!)




Thankful Wreaths. I take 2 paper plates, cut out the center and then stencil my leaf cookie cutters and cut those out of construction paper (when the kids get older, they'll do that step!) and each night at dinner, the kids name something they are thankful for, and why. I've seen people do this as a giant tree on their wall or with hand prints cut out as the leaves- all cool ideas; this just works the best for us with the space and time we have.


Last: On Thanksgiving, we always go around the table and say the "ABC's" of thanks. The first person gets the letter "A" and has to say something they are thankful for that starts with A. This can be pretty funny, insightful and sweet. We sometimes do the alphabet multiple times, and I'll never forget the year my step-dad got the letter "M" (my Mom's name starts with an "M") and he yelled right away he was thankful for his "MOTHER"... over his wife. He has never lived that down. Good times, for sure!!

What are your Thanksgiving Traditions!?

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I used Pioneer Woman's Recipe for Dr. Pepper Pork with a Boston Butt Pork to make my Pulled Pork! It was SO good- really spicy, so I think I'll use half the can of chiles next time, but really good!

INGREDIENTS:
1 Boston Butt Pork Roast
1 onion, sliced
Salt and Pepper
1 can Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce (ONLY half the can or it will be really spicy!)
2 cans Dr. Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Place roast in a crock pot, coat in salt and pepper and add onion. Pour chilies (with sauce) and Dr. Pepper over meat. Let cook on low for 5-7 hours. Pull meat apart and serve on buns with hamburger pickles and your choice of barbeque sauce!

Hairbows for Sale

I am always buying hair bows for my daughter- and it seems you can never have enough (they get lost, broken, you need lots to coordinate outfits!) and they are EXPENSIVE when you buy them from most shops! I thought I'd give it a try making my own- they are no where near professional, but they are cute and I have a lot of extras. I'm selling them for $1 a piece. Email me for more information: davisfamilydining@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Grilled Cheese with Avocado

I got this idea from a pinterest photo- although I just used regular American cheese, where the original idea used mozzerella and pepperoni. It was SO yummy, definitely a fun way to spruce up a traditional grilled cheese. I think it would be yummy with any cheese- pepper jack comes to mind- but our local grocery store has the most amazing fresh five grain italian bread... I don't think this sandwich could be pulled off as well with an ordinary slice of bread!

INGREDIENTS:
Bread
Butter
Cheese
Avocado
(Tomato, Pepperoni or Bacon Optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Butter the bread and place down in a warm skillet. Add sliced avocado and cheese, and top with another piece of buttered bread. Flip once toasted. When the cheese is melted- remove from heat and ENJOY!

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

I am always looking for more options on how to bring vegetables into our meals- Andy declared he did not like brussels sprouts, however when I saw THIS on Skinnytaste, I thought I'd try it out since she claimed her husband loved it even after being a brussels sprout hater. I thought they were great!
Here's my version:

Ingredients:

4 oz pancetta, minced
2 lb brussels sprouts (weight after outer leaves and stems removed)
1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or sliced thin
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

With a large sharp knife, finely shred the brussels sprouts after thoroughly washing.
In a deep heavy saute pan, sauté pancetta on medium-low heat until fat melts and pancetta becomes golden, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden. Add shredded brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to taste and sauté on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes until tender crisp.

Oven Baked Parmesan Fries

I have seen these flying around Pinterest, and had to make my own! Here's the original link... really good and easy to make... here's my tweaked version:


Ingredients:

1 pound of medium russet potatoes (approx 3 medium potatoes)
1 1/2 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning
2-3 TBSP of Kraft Parmesan Style Grated Cheese (I used reduced fat)

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 425.
*Wash and cut potatoes into 1/8ths.
*Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
*Mix all of the spices and the parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
*Place all of the potatoes into a gallon size freezer bag, add olive oil and the parmesan cheese/spice mixture to the bag.
*Seal the bag and shake until the potatoes are evenly coated.
*Once thoroughly coated dump onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread in a single layer.
* Bake 30-45 minutes or until tender and lightly golden brown. (Baking times will vary depending on the amount of fries that you make and the size that you cut them). For the ones shown in the picture they were baked at 425 for 45 minutes.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

This is more of a suggestion or easy meal than a recipe- but it is sure GOOD!


INGREDIENTS:
1 box of Steak-Eze Angus Steaks
Hoagie Buns
Provolone Cheese
Red, Green, Yellow Pepper
Onion
Mustard/Mayo
Lettuce, Tomato, Bacon (Optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Slice the pepper and onion and heat a skillet with a little olive oil. Put the peppers and onion in and cook until tender or caramelized. On the other side of the skillet, cook each steak (according to directions on box) 1-2 minutes each side, and then break the meat apart gently with the spatula. Mix all meat and vegetables- top with cheese to melt. Serve on hoagie buns (you can toast these in the oven) and serve with mustard and mayo. Lettuce, Tomato and Bacon are also good toppings!

Pumpkin Icebox Squares

From Josceline (shown without the whipped topping)

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:
2 cups graham crackers
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

for the filling:
29 oz. can pumpkin
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz evaporated milk
2 tsp grated orange zest
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water

For the topping:
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 TBL confectioner's sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
For the crust, heat the oven to 350. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the butter and stir until well-blended. Press the crumbs into the bottom and partially up the sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake until the crumbs have set, about 10 minutes. Let the crust cool on a wire rack.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium high speed to beat the pumpkin, cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth about 2 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine the evaporated milk and orange zest and bring to a simmer over medium heath, about 3 minutes. Put the gelatin in a small bowl and gradually add the boiling water, stirring until the gelatin completely dissolves and thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir the gelatin into the milk mixture until it is well blended. Simmer, stirring until the gelatin is absorbed completely, 1-2 minutes.
Slowly beat the milk mixture into the pumpkin mixture, on low speed, until they're blended together, about 1 minute.
Pour all of the filling onto the cooled crust. Let the filling cool, about 30 minutes, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dessert overnight to set it.
Just before serving, make the topping. Use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the whipping cream, confectioners' sugar, and cinnamon until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Cut the dessert into squares, then transfer them to serving plates. Top each with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

Cobb Salad

INGREDIENTS:
Bibb or Butter Lettuce
Bacon, crumbled
Chicken, cubed
Hard Boiled Egg, diced
Purple Onion, Sliced
Tomato, diced
Avocado, diced
Blue Cheese crumbles
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Croutons
Ranch Dressing (If you want to get real into it, PW has some awesome home-made ranch here!)

DIRECTIONS:
Assemble Salad. One of my favorites!

You can definietly make this salad a fast and easy meal by buying bagged lettuce, pre-cooked bacon or real bacon bits, pre-cooked and sliced chicken, and bagged hard boiled eggs (found in the deli section). Some warm, french bread is a nice side with this salad. Enjoy!

Halloween Food

I always make "THE CHILI" for Halloween, along with cornbread muffins in pumpkin shapes- but here is what we also had this year:

Mummy Dogs

(Hot Dogs wrapped in strips of crescent roll dough, baked in the oven)

Pumpkin Platter of Veggies

Witch Hat Cookies (the kids actually made these- they loved assembling them!)

(Keebler Stripped Cookies upside down with orange frosting as the glue for a Hershey Kiss) 

What fun foods did YOU make for Halloween?!