A Christmas Feast

 

Before the year ends, I thought I would share our Christmas feast with you. 

We have Christmas Eve dinner at our house with my husband’s family.  The above picture shows the turkey and gravy, rolls, cranberry salad, mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, ham, Nuts ‘N’ Bolts and Holiday M&Ms. 

AHH! I forgot to take a picture of the cranberry salad.  It’s really pretty.  It’s basically Paula Deen’s recipe with a Nana twist.  Here is Paula’s recipe.  Nana adds a larger can of crushed pineapple.  It’s probably about 15 oz. or so.  I don’t know if doing it this way will work in a mold, but it looks lovely in a crystal dish. 

I couldn’t get a good picture of my turkey, but it looked almost as good as Nigella’s from her book Nigella Christmas.

My husband’s family is more of a ham family, but this turkey went over extremely well.  I used Nigella Lawson’s recipe for Super Juicy and Spiced Turkey.  I don’t think I will ever use another recipe.  Brining the turkey really does make all the difference.  The turkey was sooo moist and flavorful.  It got rave reviews from my Father-In-Law, who doesn’t really like turkey.  So thank you Nigella. 

I also made Nigella’s All Spice Gravy.  I actually boiled a turkey neck.  It looked so disgusting, but smelled heavenly.  The gravy was good, but I think it was barely used because the turkey was so moist, the dressing was so flavorful and the potatoes were so buttery.  Oh, well, there’s always leftovers to drown in gravy.

Pioneer Woman’s Mashed Potatoes were also a hit.  “These mashed potatoes are so creamy.”  So good!      

 

This recipe for dressing is made in the crock-pot.  I finished mine off in the microwave just to get rid of some of the moisture that was left.  Don’t worry, it was still incredibly moist.  I think I could eat this all year long.  I think I may just do that. 

Crock-Pot Dressing

3-4 cups shredded turkey or chicken (optional)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 quarts corn bread, crumbled

2 tablespoons dried sage

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 cup melted margarine

3-4 cups turkey or chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients in the bowl of a 6 quart crock-pot.  Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

We also had a nice display of sweets.  No pictures though, sorry.  It’s really hard to take pictures when everyone, including the photographer/cook is starving.  But here’s what we had: Nigella’s Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake, Banana Pudding, Pumpkin Pie, fruit cake, and Mocha Punch.

Mocha Punch is a Christmas necessity.  It is requested every year.  Bring this out for your next special occasion and you will be praised.  Again, no pictures of it, but imagine a slightly melted milk shake.  You’ll love it!

Thanks to Nigella’s fantastic turkey recipe, I’m taking part in this month’s Forever Nigella, Christmas Presence, hosted this month by Sarah of Maison Cupcake. 

A reminder of the rules:

Forever Nigella #10 ”Christmas Presence”

Challenge: To prepare and blog any Nigella recipe during the Christmas period. Ideally it will be Christmassy but I’m not fussy.
Deadline: December 31st 2011 at midnight wherever you are.
Winner announcement: Within a week, to be added to the Forever Nigella page.

There are:
No rules about how often you must take part
No rules about stuff being secret until certain dates
No rules that everyone cook exactly the same thing
No rules about not being able to submit to any other blog events – just check it doesn’t contravene the other guys’ rules

But there are 3 rules:
1. Blog your entry by the deadline including:
a) the current Forever Nigella badge
b) a link to the current host (ME)
c) a link to the official Forever Nigella page at Maison Cupcake: http://blog.maisoncupcake.com/forever-nigella

2. So not to breach Nigella’s copyright you must NOT reproduce recipes verbatim as shown in her books. If using an original Nigella recipe, tell us which book it is from and/or where we find it online (see most likely sites below). If you’ve adapted the recipe in some way i.e. changed at least two ingredients or amended the method then it’s ok to publish the a recipe in your post but you MUST write the directions in your own words.

3. Tell us about your post by adding it to the Linky Tool below! I have made this into a Blog Hop so feel free to post the script at the bottom of your post to encourage your readers to visit the other entries. If you can’t see the linky below it’s because I’ve never done one before and I’ve stuffed it up. Nag me and I’ll sort it out.

Don’t forget to tweet your post with the hashtag #forevernigella – I will retweet all those I see!

Enjoy your Nigella Christmas presence!

Merry Christmas!

 

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

 

These are so yummy.  But if you like these…

Then you’ll really like this…

If you like this…

You’ll love this…

especially mixed into your hot chocolate.  It will definitely bring you joy!

And finally, this one little candy can put me into the Christmas spirit.

You are welcome.

One Year Olds ROCK!!

 

Last Saturday we celebrated my nephew’s first birthday. 

My nephew, Logan, ROCKS!!

I made the cupcakes for the party.  They were so good they made you wanna smash your guitar. 

To make the really cool, almost tie-died icing, just fill your decorator’s bag with two colors of icing, keeping them separated, each color taking up half the bag.  Pipe your swirls as usual.

Decorating for the party was fun.  Among the decorations were microwaved CDs. 

Here’s a random YouTube video that shows how:

When you party like a Rock Star, you usually end up destroying things.

Every Rocker needs some cool shades right?

The cupcakes were a smash…in the face.  “What was that for, Mom?”

Logan had his first real taste of sugar.  He ate almost the whole cupcake. 

Has everyone made these by now?  If not, what’s taking you so long?  These are THE BEST CUPCAKES EVER!!!

I couldn’t leave without showing you my cute little one year old.  Liam is learning to use a spoon and is so proud of himself.

Happy Bundt Day

 

Today is National Bundt Day! Mary, The Food Librarian has been celebrating with Bundt cakes for the last 30 days! That's a lot of cake! Be sure to take a look at her post today with the round-up of this year's Bundts.

To help her celebrate, I made this Coconut Pecan Bundt; a recipe given to me by my friend Brenda.  It’s super easy, moist, and has a vintage feel to it.  It’s really sweet, so don’t even think about glazing this baby.

Coconut Pecan Bundt Serves 10

1 15.25 oz. Box Butter Pecan Cake Mix

1 cup water (per box instructions)

1/2 cup vegetable oil (per box instructions)

3 eggs (per box instructions)

1 15 oz. can of Coconut Pecan frosting

Prepare the cake batter according to the box’s instructions.  Add the frosting to the batter and stir well to combine.  Pour into your greased and floured Bundt pan.  Bake according to the Bundt cooking time on your box.  It’s around 35 minutes at 350 degrees.  Allow to cool completely before attempting to turn this onto a plate.

Enjoy!  Happy Bundt Day!

A Hoppin’ Party

 

This post has been a long time coming.  It is the final post for Liam’s first birthday party.  I thought this day would never come!  You’re probably sick of seeing little froggies by now, but there’s still a little cuteness left.  But just in case you can’t get enough, I’ve added a few reminders of what I’ve already shown you. Just click on the links to view the original posts.

The Invitations

 

The Decorations:

Lily Pads

 

Decorating with Frames

 

Decorating with Albums

 

The Meal: Baked Spaghetti, Fettuccini Alfredeaux, Bread and Salad

 

The Dessert Table

First of all, that’s a lot of cupcakes!

I already had the two cupcake holders, but I needed something to hold the rest of them and add height and a focal point for the table.  I pulled out all my glass/crystal cake stands and fiddled with them until I came up with this tower of breakables.  The tiny cake stand up top came from Hobby Lobby and I love it!

The cupcakes are my favorite cupcakes topped with frogs made from candy melts.

To the left we had Tiny Crispy Rice Squares, Oreo Truffles and small frogs and L’s made with more candy melts.  Hours of fun, those candy melts were!

On the right were more Crispy Rice Squares (this time dipped in vanilla bark), green mints and Gummi Frogs!

So, it was time for the Birthday Boy to dive into the cake.  We sang “Happy Birthday.”  And this happened…

  I guess he didn’t know what was going on. Everyone was looking at him and singing.  Scary!

The cake, by the way, was made by stacking 3 small cakes I baked in ramekins.  I used a flat piping tip (the other side of a basket weave tip) and made vertical lines.  They were a little wavy and had the look of water.  Some little swirls decorated the top.

Again, I used candy melts to make a large frog on a wooden skewer.  He was so adorable!

Bluebeard got mad again toward the end.  I blame it on the sugar high.

Thanks for enduring all these posts.  But a bigger thank you goes to everyone who helped celebrate my baby’s birthday.

 

A Hoppin’ Party: Oreo Truffles

 

I didn’t mean to, but I’ve had a nice little break from blogging.  I kept saying, I’ll write that post tomorrow.  And then I would forget and say, I’ll write that post tomorrow.  Now it’s a few tomorrows later, and here I am again.  I’ve a couple more posts about Liam’s birthday party to share with you.  Today’s is Oreo Truffles.

I thought everyone had heard of these little sweets.  They made the rounds a few years ago and I guess they are still popular.  They should be popular because they are so very, very good.  If you like Oreos, then this will be a recipe you should try if you haven’t already.  It is so easy. 

Oreo Truffles Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients: 1 package Oreos, cubed 1 8 oz block of cream cheese White Chocolate Bark or Candy Melts Toppings-optional

In a food processor, blitz the Oreos until they are fine crumbs.  Add the cream cheese and pulse until it becomes a nice gooey mixture.  Refrigerate until nice and cold.

Roll the mixture into about 1 inch sized balls and place on waxed paper.  If the balls become mushy, return to the fridge until more stable. 

Melt half of the white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave according to the package directions.  I find that using the double boiler works better because it keeps the chocolate warm.  Using dipping tools or a fork, dip each ball in the chocolate and allow to dry on the waxed paper.  This is the “crumb coat”. 

Once all the truffles have dried, use the rest of the chocolate and dip them once more for a more even coat.  Sprinkle the top with more crushed Oreos, Sparkling sugar crystals or Sprinkles.  Keep refrigerated before serving.

I’m not particularly good at dipping candy.  That may be because I couldn’t find my dipping tools and just used a fork.  Some of my truffles were down right ugly.  But they tasted sooooooo fantastic.  They are incredibly rich.  My favorite thing is that if you let them set out just a bit, the inside softens a little.  You bite through the solid wall of chocolate to a creamy Oreo inside. 

If you haven’t had these before, go out right now and buy the ingredients.  You must make these A.S.A.P.!

Bakerella has a nice little tutorial for those who need a visual.

Linked to Polly Want A Crafter and Get Your Craft On.

Forever Nigella: Picnic Pleasure

When I saw the theme for this month’s Forever Nigella, (host by Fuss Free Flavours), was picnic food, I was excited.  Picnics are so much fun!  Sophie really loves them too.  One time we went to the zoo, but I think Sophie was more excited about the picnic we had afterward than seeing all the animals.  Last week we were out running errands and needed a bite to eat.  We went through a drive-thru and took our food to the nearby Chickamauga Battlefield Park.  There was no playground, just a shady spot with a picnic table.  Fortunately, we had a blanket in the car to spread over the table.  We sat there and had a little impromptu picnic.  It was peaceful and we were spending time together as a family.   

I think a picnic calls for simplicity.  It’s not something you should be fretting over.  It doesn’t need to be an elaborate affair.  It wouldn’t be enjoyable if you had a lot to do in order to relax.  That being said, picnic food should be easy and quick to make.  It should also be able to stand up to travel and warm temperatures.  While looking through Nigella’s recipes, I found something that would be perfect to take on a picnic.  Marshmallow Crispy Squares (or Rice Krispy Treats as they are popularly called).  They are so easy, tasty and it just so happens that I was already planning on making some for Liam’s birthday.

Now I know that this recipe is not new to most people.  But that’s Nigella for you.  She’s just as eager to share something ordinary and comforting as she is the exotic.  There isn’t much you can do to change the basic recipe for these treats. It uses just 3 ingredients after all.  But Nigella offers a lovely way of displaying these squares by creating a gleaming mountain of candle studded squares.

(Source)

Her other idea, the one I used, was to cut these into tiny squares, perfect for a party too.

I sprinkled the pan with sparkling blue sugar crystals while it was still warm.  I loved the look of them piled high upon a cake stand. 

I dipped some of them in vanilla almond bark and sprinkled the sugar over the top.  It gave a different flavor and texture to the treats. 

You can find Nigella’s recipe here:

MARSHMALLOW CRISPY SQUARES

For those who need a translation, in this case:

45g would equal about 3 tbsps.

300g would equal about 10.5 oz.

180g would equal about 6 cups

Now go have a picnic!

Are you interested in participating in Forever Nigella?  Here are the rules:

Forever Nigella #8
Challenge: To prepare and blog any Nigella recipe that is suitable to take on a picnic.  Proper picnic food please.
Deadline: Sunday 28th August, midnight wherever you are.
Round up: By the next weekend.

There are:

• No rules about how often you must take part
• No rules about stuff being secret until certain dates
• No rules that everyone cook exactly the same thing
• No rules about not being able to submit to any other blog events – just check it doesn’t contravene the other guys’ rules

But there are 3 rules:
1. Blog your entry by the deadline including:
a) the current Forever Nigella badge
b) a link to this page
c) a link to the official Forever Nigella page at Maison Cupcake: http://blog.maisoncupcake.com/forever-nigella

2. So not to breach Nigella’s copyright you must NOT reproduce recipes verbatim as shown in her books. If using an original Nigella recipe, tell us which book it is from and/or where we find it online (see most likely sites below). If you’ve adapted the recipe in some way i.e. changed at least two ingredients or amended the method then it’s ok to publish the a recipe in your post but you MUST write the directions in your own words.

3. Tell us about your post by emailing me “helen AT fussfreeflavours DOT com”  and c.c. to “sarah AT maisoncupcake DOT com” with:
a) your name
b) URL of your post
c) a photo no more than 300 pixels wide.

Don’t forget to tweet your post with the hashtag #forevernigella – I will retweet all those I see!

N.B. Your entry must have been published since the announcement post. You may only submit something from your archives if you republish it as a new post.

A Hoppin’ Party: Lily Pads

 

If you remember my post about Sophie’s birthday party, you may remember these coffee filter flowers I made. These inspired me to make some lily pads with water lilies for Liam’s froggy birthday party.

Coffee Filter Water Lilies and Lily Pads

Supplies:

Five white coffee filters for each lily/lily pad

1 white mini muffin baking cup for each

Washable markers in green, pink, yellow and purple.

Twist ties or 2 inch bits of pipe cleaner

Hot glue and glue gun

Scissors

First, decide how many lily pads you want and count out that many coffee filters.  Take a green washable marker and scribble all over the filter.  It’s ok to have some blank spots.  Next, spread the filters out over a cookie sheet.  Spray with water from a spray bottle until the filters are soaked.  Put them somewhere they can dry.  I put mine in the oven on the lowest setting until dry.  Set them aside for later.  Do the same with the mini muffin cups using a yellow marker.

Next multiply the number of lilies you need by four.  Decide how many you want of each color.  I did some in white, yellow, pink and purple.  For the ones with color, follow the same directions above using the colors you want, using four filters for each flower.

Once dry, take four of the same color and make a stack.

Next, scrunch them in the middle and tie with a twist tie or bit of pipe cleaner.

Separate the layers, below is what one side will look like.

Here’s what both sides looks like.

Take each baking cup and make little snips all around, following the folds already in the cup.  It is also helpful to make a few longer cuts that go almost to the middle.  These will make it easier to put them in the flower.

Now you are ready to put the lily pads together.

Glue the yellow baking cup into the middle of the flower and fluff.

Finally, position the lily onto the lily pad at a bit of an angle and close to the edge so it looks as if it is coming up from the water below and resting on the pad.  Make a small triangular cut in the lily pad to finish it off.

Placing the lily pads on a blue tablecloth looks nice.

Some were placed on green tablecloths.  Here we find a little froggy resting on the lily pad. 

This was a super easy project and would be great to do with kids!