Pumpkin Casserole, Catching Fire or Frozen, and Black Friday!

 These whopping big yams were in my Bountiful Baskets basket last week! Positively huge, and the sweetest yams I have ever tasted.mmmmmm.

So I put em on a cookie sheet lined with foil and baked them for about an hour and a half. That turned them into the soft delectable treats we all love.  I took one of them and sliced it and put butter, salt and a bit of cinnamon and cajun seasoning on them for lunch. YUM.

But, the rest went into the Ninja to be pureed.  They made about six, yep I said six, cups of beautiful puree.

It takes two cups to make the lovely souffle you see below, so the rest was frozen in 2 cup portions for a later date.

This recipe can be made with either pumpkin or sweet potato puree with equally delicious results.  I just couldn't resist sharing it with you even though Thanksgiving has already passed, it is equally delicious for any time of the year. It is much lighter than the usual sweet potato pudding served at Thanksgiving and has a smooth almost pudding-like texture to please even the most picky palate!

Here is the rather simple, one bowl recipe:

Oh, and by the way - It is equally delicious WARM or COLD!

2 cups pumpkin or sweet potato puree
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour
                                                         2 eggs
                                                         1 teaspoon vanilla extract
                                                         1/2 cup Melted Butter
                                                         2 pinches (or to taste) cinnamon
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and ground cinnamon to taste! (see - told ya it was easy)
3.  Spoon into casserole dish
4.  Bake at 305 degrees F for 1 hour!

188 Calories per serving (ten servings)!  So it is healthy, and low calorie! Amazing!

We went out to see "Catching Fire" yesterday on Black Friday.  It was actually an excellent movie (though I do confess if you don't like sitting on the EDGE of your seat for the entire movie, you won't like it!).  It wasn't the kind of movie I would usually watch for a Holiday thing, but boy was there a crowd there to see it!  It keeps selling out all over the place.  I actually want to see FROZEN, which is a sweet, funny movie which I am sure would be much more to my childlike tastes! My daughter and grandchildren have already seen it and given in RAVE reviews!

It might have been a mistake to try to get out of the house at all on BLACK FRIDAY!  The crowds everywhere were oppressive and the traffic horrible!  Even the movie theaters if not completely sold out, were so crowded that popcorn addict me refused to stand in a mile long line to get my favorite treat!  We managed to get out and back (only a mile away) without incident, but I decided right then and there that venturing out on Black Friday is just not my thing!  I can't believe any sane person goes out into that madness which causes people to act like animals fighting over the last piece of meat!  Aaaauuugggh!

The really strange part to me is that most of the items the people in the stores were fighting over were available on line, shipped free, for the same price!  So, what kind of sick mentality loves being pushed and shoved about as people shout obscenities and fight over parking places?  Believe me, I don't know!

Well, enough ranting.  If you like exciting adventurous movies, I recommend "Catching Fire,"  if however you enjoy more light-hearted sentimental fare, see "Frozen!"

Happy Holidays!

PEACE - LOVE & JOY!!!

Linda

Roasting Chicken and Being Thankful

It's Sunday afternoon, and what is a more appropriate meal than a beautifully roasted chicken for Sunday Dinner? This lovely bird just exited my oven, and is cooling on top the stove. Here are some quick tips for making your own Roasted Chicken really special:

1. Choose a really GOOD QUALITY chicken. Yep, it might be a little more expensive, but it is definitely worth it. I love Perdue's Oven Stuffer Roaster...meaty and tender every time. Also, rinse and dry your bird before proceeding.

2. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees...Yep I said 500 degrees....and

3. Place some fresh herbs such as basil, thyme and rosemary in the cavity of the chicken before placing in the oven...you may also add an onion or apple..which will add moisture and flavor to the bird as well as the juices...which by the way make great Gravy! Salt and Pepper the interior and exterior of your hen.

4. Place the bird in the oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes only, then reduce the temperature to 350 for the balance of the cooking time...this will vary according to the weight of your bird....but the outside should look nicely brown, and the juices should run CLEAR (this happens at about 165 degrees internal temperature).

Let the bird cool before slicing for easier slicing...

Served up with some delicious mashed potatoes or rice and gravy and some biscuits, and green beans and you have a fabulous Sunday Dinner!

With Thanksgiving approaching I am thankful for so many things, not the least of which is my health. We so take for granted being able to get up and go every day. The human body is a complicated piece of machinery, and the fact that most of the time it runs smoothly is absolutely amazing.

I am thankful for Four healthy children and 8 healthy grandchildren, and 2 healthy great grandchildren. My family has been truly blessed to have so many babies who have never been seriously ill. I praise God for that!

I am thankful for my mental status as well. Taking care of my 95-year-old friend who is rapidly slipping deeper and deeper into dementia, makes me want to do everything possible to keep my mental health at peak also. Oh, we all lose some of our mental agility as we age, but it is important to maintain proper diet, exercise and "brain stimulating" activities going every day so that you hang on to as many of those good brain cells as possible. No one really knows what "causes" dementia, but there are activities that we can do to help stave it off.

I am thankful that my family has not been hit by layoff and job loss like so many others in this Country. I pray that things may turn around soon for those who have been so affected.

I am thankful that I can pray and worship in the way and time that I want any where that I want.

What are you thankful for today? Don't wait for one day of the year to be Thankful...be Thankful for your blessings every day!

A Non-Traditional Thanksgiving

Cute cupcakes aren't they?

Over the past three years, my hubby and I have opted for alternative Thanksgiving celebrations. For many years I was the typical Mom, preparing a huge feast of Turkey, ham, sweet potato pudding, corn pudding, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy and all the wonderful fixings that go with that particular feast. But, after one particularly difficult Thanksgiving, I decided that it was time for a change!

The first year our alternative Thanksgiving was a trip to the Imperial Fez, a Moroccan Restaurant in Atlanta. My husband's birthday falls during Thanksgiving week, and when I asked him what he would like to do, he wanted to go and see the belly dancers! Well, we went to the Fez with my son and a friend and had a marvelously wonderful time. We ate, laughed and were entertained by the dancers. It was a wonderfully different and fun time.

The belly dancers were exciting and the food was different but wonderful.

Last year we opted to spend Thanksgiving on Okaloosa Island, Florida. We walkedthe beach and had marvelous seafood for dinner! It was simple and beautiful and we had a wonderful time.

So began a new Thanksgiving tradition...Okaloosa Island and seafood. We are planning to be there for a few days this year and have a Low Country Boil for our non-traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. We will walk on the beach, and watch the dolphins play and be very thankful for our family, our health and the many blessings we share.

We will still share our family Christmas Traditions at home in Georgia, but my sweetheart and I have begun a new tradition for Thanksgiving, and we are thoroughly enjoying the change of routine.

So if you are tired of the same Thanksgiving Dinner, maybe it is time to make a change. Go to a restaurant, go out of town, have fish instead of turkey...shake it up! Have Fun!

A TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING RECIPE

Corn Pudding

* 3 cups frozen whole-kernel corn kernels, thawed and divided
* 1 cup half n half
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
* Dash of freshly ground nutmeg
* 2 large eggs
* 3 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
* Cooking spray
* 2 TBSP sugar
* 4 TBSP butter, melted

Preparation

* 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
* 2. Combine 1 cup corn, and 1/2 cup half-and-half in a blender; process until smooth. Combine remaining 1/2 cup half n half, salt, pepper, nutmeg, butter and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pureed corn mixture, remaining 2 cups corn, and cornmeal.
* 3. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Note: You can substitute store-bought frozen corn in this custardy baked side dish. When it's done, the edges should be a little crusty and the center still slightly soft. If time is an issue, make the dish ahead, refrigerate, and then reheat before serving.