Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries

I always use the same stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas, you know...tradition. But I thought I'd try this one out in a small 3 lb chicken. If using for a turkey this recipe would have to be doubled or tripled depending on the size of your bird.

While I really enjoyed this stuffing I'll still go with my old standby for special occasions. The link to that one is at the end of this post.

1 mild Italian sausage, casing removed
1 tart apple, cubed
1 small onion, diced
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp white wine (or white wine vinegar)
1 tbsp melted butter
2 heels from a loaf of bread, I used 1 white/1 brown
1-2 tsps dry sage
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp parsley
3 lb chicken

Brown sausage meat in a fry pan, breaking it up as you go, along with the onion and celery. Add the apple, cranberries and seasonings. Stir for 1 minute then remove from heat.

Add the stock, wine and butter then stir in the bread cubes. 

You can make the stuffing ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to stuff and cook. Or stuff the bird right away and roast in a 350 F oven for 1 hr and 10-15 minutes or until beautifully golden!

Here's the link to The Best Turkey Stuffing (with cooking directions for roast turkey):
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-best-turkey-stuffing-with-cooking.html

Lemon and Thyme Jell-O Sugar Cookies

With this Jell-O sugar cookie recipe you can make any jello flavour cookie you like. This time I chose Lemon and Thyme because they just go so well together.

Ingredients: 

1  3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 pkgs (85 g each) lemon Jell-O powder
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp fresh thyme

Mix the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Beat butter in a large bowl then add the sugar and one jello package. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then add the flour/baking powder in gradually, and finally the thyme.

Shape into 1" balls and roll in the jello powder from the second box.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet 2" apart and flatten with the bottom of a glass.

Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes. I baked mine for 8 minutes and they had a nice golden bottom.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Spaghetti Squash Two Ways

Bolognese and Chicken Lemon Thyme...for when you can't decide exactly what you want.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

1/4 cup water

fresh thyme

For the Chicken half:

3/4 cup cooked chicken

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 lemon, juice and zest

1/2 cup chopped spinach/kale

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp fresh parsley

2 tbsps parmesan cheese

For the Bolognese half:

1  1/2 cups bolognese sauce (well that's easy enough eh?)

You can use store bought bolognese or use my Classic Bolognese Sauce recipe at the end of this post.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, clean it out and lay it cut side down in a baking dish with 1/4 cup water. If you have fresh thyme throw a sprig under each half while cooking.

Place in a 400 F oven for 45 minutes.

Once cooked and cooled enough to handle use a fork to bring the flesh away from the peel creating the "spaghetti". 

For the chicken half sauté the mushrooms in a little oil then mix in the chicken, lemon juice and zest and spinach and/or kale. Remove from heat and add the garlic and parsley. Stir together with the "spaghetti".

For the bolognese half simply mix bolognese sauce with the spaghetti squash.

Fill each half shell with the mixtures and top with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. 

Here's the link to my Classic Bolognese Sauce
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2017/02/classic-bolognese-sauce.html

Creamy Impossible Coconut Rum Pie

Searching for the easiest pie ever? Impossible pies make their own crust...can't get easier than that!

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix (or homemade see note below)
4 eggs
1/4 cup butter
2 tsps rum extract
1 cup shredded coconut

Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and process for 3 minutes.

Pour into a buttered 9" pie plate.

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.
Oops, this shot was a little overexposed! 

Stand 5-10 minutes before slicing, but I like to let it come to room temperature before serving. And always refrigerate any leftovers.

Here's a link to a great Homemade Bisquick Baking Mix. I always try to keep some on hand in the fridge. It doesn't have that funny taste I find Bisquick to have.

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2016/03/homemade-bisquick-baking-mix.html

Sweet and Spicy Acorn Squash

Loving all the different squash available this time of year!

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tbsps olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
some of the squash seeds


Mix the sweet chili sauce, olive oil and garlic together.

Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and strings and rinse off a hand full of seeds. Cut the squash into 7 or 8 wedges.

Toss the squash and seeds with the sauce mixture. I used a bag so everything got evenly coated. 

Place the wedges on a foil lined pan, sprinkle the seeds on top and salt and pepper them to taste. Bake in a 425 F oven for 35-45 minutes.

The foil made for an easy cleanup!

Decorative Christmas Urn

In full holiday mode now!
Here are some basics for this DIY decorative Christmas holiday urn.

What you'll need:

a tall planter
a large pail
a few firelogs
some tall branches
a pot of dirt and/or florist sponge
ribbon or deco mesh
2 old moss hanging baskets 
spray paint
mini lights
decorative garland or sprigs
fresh greenery

Some will say to just remove the plants from a summer planter and stick the branches you're using right in the dirt. Great if you are not having to move the plant, but too heavy to lug around. I was working in the garage so this needed to be transportable.

I started with this tall planter and stood a large pail upside-down in it as a space filler. Next I placed a couple of firelogs and random pieces of wood in for some weight and stability of the branches. You want some weight so when it's finished it can't be blown over in a wind. (This sucker isn't going anywhere!)

We had a tree trimmed this past summer but it wasn't a birch which would have looked great for this project. My husband just gave these old branches a whitewash and I think they look pretty good. I stuck them in trying to fit them snugly so they don't wobble around. Use cutoff pieces of wood as wedges for support if you need to.  

You can then place a flower pot full of dirt in the top which will be what you'll be sticking your greenery into. You can also use florists sponge.

Wrap the top edge of the planter tightly with wide ribbon or deco mesh and create a bow in the front. My dog Karma was supervising!

I had these two old black and rusting moss hanging baskets that I asked my husband to wire together and paint. I think he did a pretty good job.

Once dry I slipped one of the branches through the globe and slid it down until it was sitting in the top of the urn.

I used a couple of decorative wire garlands from the dollar store and secured them to a couple of the branches. (There's that supervisor again!)

The next step is very important (and I forgot to take a pic!) but before using the fresh boughs always give them a good soak in water and a fresh stem cut. Also soak the florist sponge for 15 minutes and fill the pot of dirt with water as well.

Start sticking stems into the sponge and earth using the decorative ball for their support.

I bought cedar and pine branches and wired some pine cones into the arrangement too. Add the mini lights.

Once outside (thank goodness my husband was able to use a dolly to roll this out of the garage and up the stairs) I decided to cut some branches from a blue cedar and yew in the garden and added those here and there.

Well, there you have it. My first decorative Christmas urn.

Just in Thyme Pork Chops with Apples

I was at my daughter's where she was enhancing my wisdom highlights ; ) in my hair and I mentioned I didn't know what I was going to do with the pork chops I had defrosted for supper.

She said "Got any apples? Make an apple and onion stir fry" 
The wisdom doesn't fall far from the apple tree, these were pretty awesome!

Ingredients:

1-2 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tbsps fresh
1 tsp celery seed
pink himalayan salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
2 apples, cut in wedges
8 garlic cloves, divided
3 large pork chops
arugula

Heat the veg oil in a large frying pan and toss in the onions and apples. Season with thyme, celery seed and salt. Cook until lightly golden then toss in 4 minced garlic cloves and remove to a plate.

In the same frying pan brown the pork chops on both sides then sprinkle 4 sliced garlic cloves on top. Add more of the seasonings if you like. Can never have too much thyme! Return the onions and apples to the pan on top of the chops, cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your chops.

In the last 3 or 4 minutes flip them and top with arugula before serving.

Another one pot meal....gotta love it!

Christmas Table Centerpiece

My first attempt at a fresh bough centerpiece. I think it turned out pretty nice!

(This was last year's project that I finally got around to posting)

It can be made about 5-7 days ahead of time just drop an ice cube or two in on the foam block every other day to make sure it stays moist.

I picked up a wooden crate on sale when Sears was liquidating before closing up. I draped some cotton inside because of the open slats. Then sat two plastic containers from the dollar store inside (because I couldn't find just one the right size)

Got some floral foam blocks also from the dollar store and cut them to fit inside the plastic squares. Following the instructions on the foam package I soaked the foam with water for about 15 minutes.

Picked up these fresh boughs for just $2.99! Plenty to work with here!

I stood 2 candles in glass pillars (you don't want flame to get in contact with the boughs) and tied a strip of material around secured with a piece of twine. I had this one fake bough with red berries that I stuck in the foam between the candles.

Now for the fresh boughs...give them a fresh cut and a good rinse before sticking them in the foam. I laid them in the bathtub and added water enough to submerge them. Gave them a swish around then removed them to a large towel to dry.

I don't know if there is a right way to do it (there must be) but I started filling in from the middle out until the centerpiece was filled with boughs to my liking. After having done it I think it might have been better to start working on the outside of the foam block with longer boughs, working in to the center.
I went outside and snipped some holly and boxwood sprigs out of my garden for added texture. Just had to shake a little snow off them.

I tucked some pinecones in here and there along with a few brass bells I had around.  One glittering reindeer got to sit in the front and I added some extra colour and scent with these traditional spiced orange pomanders. See how to make them here:
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2017/12/traditional-spiced-orange-pomander.html

My plan was to use this centerpiece for the dining room table but once I finished it I realized it would take up to much space. So I sat it on the coffee table then proceeded to make this small display for the dinner table.

I used an empty jar from a 3 wick candle then used the same idea as the first piece for decorating. Sat it on a small tray with tall candlesticks on each side.

Pretty and economical. The most expense components were the 2 pillar candles in the large piece at $10.00 each. And I had boughs to spare once these were both finished.

Cake Mix Chocolate Biscotti with Cranberries

Tender inside, just the right amount of crunch on the outside. Perfect dippability! And easily adaptable to suit any flavour craving. Just use different cake mixes and add-ins to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

1 -432g 2-layer box cake mix
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 oz Baker's white chocolate
2 tsps shortening (Crisco)

Combine the cake mix,  flour, butter,  eggs and vanilla, then add the chocolate chips, cranberries and walnuts. The batter will be quite thick.

Divide the dough in half and turn out onto a floured countertop, or in this case use cocoa powder. Flour is ok for light coloured cake mixes. Form each half into a 12 X 2 X 1" log and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Leave space between for expansion.

Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. (See what I mean about expansion!) Remove from oven and cool on sheet 25-30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 F.

With a serrated knife cut 1" slices and lay them side by side on the baking sheet. They can be close now. Return to the 325 F oven for 10 minutes flipping over halfway through.

Once cooled completely melt white chocolate and shortening in the microwave using 20 second intervals until the chocolate can be stirred.

Drizzle over all and place in fridge to set.

Makes 28-30 biscotti.