Thanksgiving Blessings

I love Thanksgiving for the time spent with loved ones and the time in the kitchen but I'm going to go ahead and open this blog post with a confession, I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving food but it is Thanksgiving so I do enjoy the traditional dishes each year.  This year I was thankful that I was able to host a small Thanksgiving meal for my mom and aunt. It was a wonderful way to spend the day and I hope that each of you were able to spend the day with your family and friends!

Now on to the prep of Thanksgiving- if you have ever hosted Thanksgiving you know it is not something you can throw together in an hour (and if it is, I want to know your secret).  I know I still have lots to learn about hosting the perfect Thanksgiving but each year I learn something new!  Thanksgiving prep begins days before Thanksgiving with making the menu, grocery shopping, cleaning, and prepping some of the dishes the night before. Thankfully if your mom comes into town for Thanksgiving you may just be able to convince her to do the grocery shopping! After we had all the ingredients I made the desserts the night before Thanksgiving and prepped the Cornbread for the dressing and made my time schedule for Thursday! My time schedule included anything and everything, even if I thought it was a given it went down on the schedule and am I thankful it did!  Okay, enough babbling about my routine for Thanksgiving this year let's get straight to the menu!

Menu

Honey-Garlic Infused Turkey

Creamed Corn

Sweet Potato Casserole

Cornbread Dressing

Sautéed Spinach

Cranberry Sauce

 

Desserts

Hummingbird Cake

Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles

I won't go into much detail about the turkey, corn, or cranberry sauce but will give the recipes for everything else! In the past we have brined the turkey and this year we bought a honey-garlic seasoning that I injected into the turkey before putting it in the oven.  Creamed corn is my favorite, growing up we had my corn (creamed corn) and my siblings' corn (Corn pudding), while I've learned to like Corn Pudding it still isn't my first pick. I usually get the frozen creamed corn put a little butter in a pan on the stove and heat the corn through.  Finally, with the cranberry sauce we cheated and got the canned cranberry-it served the purpose!

Sweet Potato Casserole- recipe originally from Baked in Arizona 

Ingredients
3 1/2 to 4 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (I cheated and used canned sweet potatoes)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the topping:
1/3 cup flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, packed

Steps
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a casserole dish
2. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and butter in a medium bowl.
3. Pour into casserole dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.

If you would like to make this dish ahead, mix everything up, cover and put it in the fridge.  When ready take it out and bake uncovered, it can be made up to 2 days before.

While the casserole is baking make the topping.  Combine flour, pecans, butter and brown sugar in a small bowl.  When casserole is done baking remove from oven and evenly sprinkle topping over it.  Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.  The topping should be lightly browned and crunchy. Let it sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Cornbread Dressing - this is my GranMary's recipe
Ingredients
1 recipe of cornbread, baked and crumbled
6-8 slices of bread
Salt
Pepper
Celery Seed
Onion, chopped
Green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 eggs
Lots of turkey juice, use Chicken Broth if you do not have enough juice from the turkey - you want it as moist as possible before you bake it

Steps
1. Break up cornbread and bread into crumbs.
2. Add all other ingredients and stir well.
3. Bake at 400 until brown - about 45 minutes

Sautéed Spinach- found through Pinterest this is not a traditional Thanksgiving side for me but it was delicious and will definitely be repeated as an everyday side

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 bags spinach, rinsed
1 tablespoon lemon juice I was out of lemon juice so substituted lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Steps
1. Heat oil in saucepan on medium-high until hot, add garlic and cook 1 minute or until golden.
2. Add spinach, in 2 - 3 batches.  Cook 2 minutes or until all spinach is in the pot.  Cover and cook 2 to 3 more minutes stirring once. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and salt.

Finally, it is dessert time!!

Hummingbird Cake I have a difficult time explaining this recipe to friends but after several friends tried it and fell in love with it this week I don't think it needs much of a description...it is covered in Cream Cheese Frosting, enough said! This cake recipe is one of my favorites from my mom's cookbook compilation of our favorite recipes.

Cake Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
8 ounces crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chopped bananas

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, and oil.
4. Stir in pineapple, pecans, and bananas.
5. Pour mixture in greased cake pans.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  This recipe made 3 layers.

Cake Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup margarine, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 ounces powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps for Frosting
1. Cream margarine and cream cheese together.
2. Blend in sugar and vanilla.
3. Frost on the cake.

Hummingbird cake is best each day after baking and the cake needs to be refrigerated after baking but served closer to room temperature.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles - I told you it was my new favorite fall dessert and in case you didn't make it after the first blog post I'm reposting the recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
1/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of fine salt
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups white chocolate almond bark I used 3 cubes

Steps
1. Melt the 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips, stir often to avoiding burning.  Transfer to mixing bowl.
2. Add gingersnap crumbs, pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, zest, cinnamon, salt and cream cheese and beat with electric mixer until smooth.
3. Cover and chill in fridge for about 2 hours or until solid enough to roll into balls.
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and work on rolling mixture into balls (about 1 teaspoon).  I then put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
5. Melt almond bark, at no more than 30 second intervals, stirring often until melted. Dip truffle in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet and refrigerate until completely set, about 1 hour.
6. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and ENJOY!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and maybe next year can add some of these recipes to your table!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles

Have I mentioned I really love all things pumpkin? Add in cream cheese and white chocolate (and a few other ingredients) and I'm 100% certain you have my new favorite fall dessert! A few days ago, I pinned a pumpkin cream cheese cake ball recipe which connected me to this recipe for pumpkin cream cheese truffles and I decided this weekend was the perfect time to test it out. I find Pinterest to be a blessing and a curse, blessing-I find so many new recipes to try, curse- finding the time to make all of these new recipes. Let's just say, this recipe was a hit and I'm officially obsessed!

I suggest making this recipe a day before you need it, so that you are not rushed for time, it is an easy recipe but not one that can be done in a pinch.  The "dough" needs to set before you roll it into balls and before you dip it in the chocolate.

Ingredients
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
1/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of fine salt
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups white chocolate almond bark I used 3 cubes

Steps
1. Melt the 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips, stir often to avoiding burning.  Transfer to mixing bowl.
2. Add gingersnap crumbs, pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, zest, cinnamon, salt and cream cheese and beat with electric mixer until smooth.
3. Cover and chill in fridge for about 2 hours or until solid enough to roll into balls.
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and work on rolling mixture into balls (about 1 teaspoon).  I then put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
5. Melt almond bark, at no more than 30 second intervals, stirring often until melted. Dip truffle in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet and refrigerate until completely set, about 1 hour.
6. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and ENJOY!

Happy Fall Baking!

Football games call for Dessert - Crimson Velvet vs Mississippi (State) Mud

For the Alabama game this weekend I made themed dessert! Crimson Velvet cupcakes and Mississippi (State) Mud! Red Velvet is one of my most requested flavors to bake for my friends- it is definitely a frequent repeat.  And lately I've really been wanting to make Mississippi Mud so what better reason than a football game that I can cleverly word the teams' names into my dessert!

Red Velvet
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. Combine cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.
4. With electric mixer, combine eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
5. Mix in dry ingredients on low and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
6. Divide batter evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Steps for Frosting
1. Combine cream cheese and butter with electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Gradually best in powdered sugar. Increase speed and beat until smooth.
2. If using an icing tip for the cupcakes, make 1.5 to 2x the original recipe above!

 

 

Mississippi Mud

 

Ingredients



1 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup flour
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Miniature marshmallows

Ingredients for Chocolate Frosting
16 ounces powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cocoa
4 tablespoons butter, softened
Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth!

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt butter and cocoa. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs - mix well.
3. Add flour, salt, pecans, vanilla and mix well.
4. Spoon batter into greased 13 x 9 pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.
5. Sprinkle Marshmallows on warm cake and cover with chocolate frosting.

Tear into the Mississippi (State) Mud and Celebrate with the Crimson Velvet!

 

If you frosting melts like this- add more powdered sugar.

 

 

Happy Baking!

Pumpkin Fest 2.0

If you know me at all or if you've read the blog for a while you've probably heard once or twice that I LOVE Pumpkin! All things pumpkin! Last year my friends and I gathered to share our love of pumpkin and coined our dinner party "Pumpkin Fest".  We decided it would be an annual event and starting planning this year's Pumpkin Fest (aka Pumpkin Fest 2.0) at the beginning of September, it was that important we could not miss it this year and finally set the date for this past Saturday, October 11th.  I truly believe this year was an even bigger hit.  We had an amazing menu that could not have been possible without the help of everyone!

Menu

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good recipe included

Biscuits and Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Sausage Pasta recipe included

Pumpkin Bourbon Sangria recipe included

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel recipe included

Sweet Pumpkin dip with graham crackers

Coffee with Pumpkin Creamer

Enough blabbering, on to the recipes!

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good -Daly made this dish and it was absolutely FANTASTIC! She got the recipe originally from Epicurious, she made two pumpkins - one with bacon and one without - you can't go wrong! Since I didn't make this dish I am going based off the directions on the blog, no worries I will be making this SOON and can update any notes as needed but I think this will cover you completely.

Ingredients

1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2–4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped

4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped

About 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

About 1/3 cup heavy cream

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

 

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin, clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and inside of the pumpkin.

4. Season inside of pumpkin with salt and pepper and put it on the baking sheet.

5. Toss the bread, cheese, bacon and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper and pack into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled.

6. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour into the pumpkin.  You want the ingredients nicely moistened but not swimming in the cream.

7. Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours - check after 90 minutes - until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced with the tip of a knife.

8. Remove the cap during the last 20 minutes of baking and let the liquid bake away and the stuffing brown a little.

9. Transfer very carefully to a platter for presentation.

 

You can either spoon out portions of the filling or cut it in slices so everyone will get ample amounts of pumpkin. We were a little nervous about slicing Saturday night but it worked out perfectly. It is best served as soon as it is ready.

 

Thank you Daly for this great new pumpkin recipe! I can't wait to make it sometime this fall.

 

Pumpkin Sausage Pasta - If you've been reading my blog lately you know that this is my new go-to fall recipe! I mixed it up a little this weekend and made it with Turkey Sausage. Just as a reminder I originally got this recipe from Mix and Match Mama.

Ingredients
1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
1 pound sausage (I used turkey sausage this time- yum!)
3 garlic cloves, chopped (I used 1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup of pumpkin
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste (I actually didn't add either of these, I don't think it needed it but that could be your choice)

Steps
1. Bring one large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta until cooked completely.
2. In another large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown and crumble the sausage.
3. After the sausage has browned, add in onion and garlic and sauté 4-5 minutes.
4. Once sausage and onion mixture is sautéed, add in the chicken broth, lower heat to low and let chicken broth simmer 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in pumpkin and heat through about 3 minutes.
6. Drain your pasta and add to the sausage pan.
7. Stir in cheese and enjoy!

Pumpkin Bourbon Sangria - A little background on why I chose this drink choice to include in our Pumpkin Fest, October 11th was 18 years since my dad passed away and usually on his birthday and the day he passed my sister and I like to do things that remind us of him - donuts are a MUST and usually pizza and bourbon in his honor. So I wanted to incorporate a bourbon drink into our Pumpkin Fest and found Pumpkin Bourbon Sangria - It won my vote by a landslide!  I highly recommend actually making this 24 hours before serving it (a step I missed), but that gives it plenty of time to chill and the flavors to set. I found this recipe off the one and only Pinterest from Kiran Tarun.

Ingredients

2 small honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced

1 orange, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

2 tbsp pumpkin butter or puree

1 cup apple or pumpkin flavored bourbon (I went with straight bourbon- had an impossible time finding pumpkin bourbon!)

2 cups apple cider

1 bottle of pink rosé wine

Steps
1. Add all ingredients into a tall large pitcher. Stir to combine and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. If you are reading this with only 6 hours until your event, do not worry, you can still make this drink!
2. Serve over ice! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting - another fall favorite! I kept saying I was going to try a different pumpkin recipe but when you find a tried and true one it is hard to stray from it! I originally got this recipe from Made in Melissa's Kitchen and it has been a few years since I posted it so we could all use a refresher!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line cupcake pans and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; set aside.
3. In another bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until smooth.  Fold in the pumpkin puree.
4. Fill each cupcake liner about halfway and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotate the pans once halfway through baking.  Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.

Ingredients for Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups powdered sugar

Steps
1. In a saucepan stir granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes (but watch it closely and don't just go by the time, it can burn easily). Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until smooth.  Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes until it is just barely warm and still pourable.
2. In a medium bowl, beat butter and salt together until light and fluffy. Reduce to low speed and add powdered sugar. Mix until well combined.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add caramel.  Beat on medium speed until light and airy and completely mixed, about 2 minutes.  You should be ready to frost your cupcakes! If the caramel was too warm when you added it, your icing will be runny and should refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

I hope you all enjoyed this review of Pumpkin Fest 2.0, I'm sure it will not be the last pumpkin related post for the fall season but it is the most pumpkin packed! Happy Fall!

It's Fall Y'all

We welcomed the first day of fall this week and that means cooler weather, football, boots, and of course PUMPKIN! I love fall! So tonight I'm writing this entry with an Autumn Harvest candle burning and a delicious fall recipe to share. If you look back at past entries (and I'm sure there will be more in the future) you know that I love pumpkin - pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin stuffed shells, pumpkin beer, and of course pumpkin cupcakes!

In anticipation of fall I started searching Pinterest weeks ago for some new pumpkin recipes and stumbled across this Pumpkin-Sausage Pasta recipe, some of my favorite things in one recipe how could I not try it?! I have  to say, this recipe is so simple to make and will definitely be repeated lots this fall. Okay, I've rambled enough about my love for fall and my love for this new dish let me get to the recipe!  Enjoy!!

Pumpkin-Sausage Pasta (originally from Mix and Match Mama)

Ingredients
1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
1 pound sausage (I used pork but you can use chicken or turkey-will try with turkey next time)
3 garlic cloves, chopped (I used 1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic)
1 onion, chopped (make this easy on yourself and get the pre-chopped onion)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, I used canned Libby's pumpkin)
Freshly Grated Parmesan cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste (I actually didn't add either of these, don't think it needed it)

Steps
1. Bring one large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta until cooked completely.
2. In another large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown and crumble the sausage.
3. After sausage has browned, add in onion and garlic and sauté 4-5 minutes.
4. Once sausage and onion mixture is sautéed add in chicken broth, lower heat to low and let chicken broth simmer 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in pumpkin and heat through about 3 minutes.
6. Drain your pasta and add to the sausage pan.
7. Stir in cheese and enjoy!!

Happy Fall Y'all!

 

 

 



Dinner's Ready...for weeks!

I think we can all agree if dinner isn't prepped it is far too easy to make an excuse not to eat at home.  I'm trying to be better about cooking and prepping my meals ahead of time, so today I took a few hours (really less than 2), and prepped some freezer meals for the coming weeks! Also helps if you get together with friends, it makes the meal prep more fun and go by in no time.  Nancy and I got together today as she prepped her meals to have ready when her baby girl arrives in a month.  We had such success today we are definitely thinking of making it a regular thing and I have even heard of a "Freezer Meal Club", where 4-5 friends get together and everyone brings a copy of one dish for everyone so you walk away with 5 different meals!

I focused on a lot of Crockpot recipes and walked away with 7 different recipes and multiple batches! Especially since the recipes are meant for families I will have plenty to eat off of but I don't mind, it will make it last longer.  So I did a lot of Pinterest searching and narrowed down the recipes I wanted to try, made my grocery list, got all the ingredients and labeled my Ziploc bags with the recipe names and cooking instructions, all was set for our preparation today.  I did make one recipe that is not intended for the crockpot but still a great freezer meal.  On to the recipes!

Chicken Teriyaki (found on Mommy's Fabulous Finds obviously from a Pinterest search)
Ingredients
Large bag of baby carrots
Red Onion sliced into large chunks
2 cans (20 oz each) Crushed Pineapple (un-drained)
4 garlic cloves (I used 2 tsp. of minced garlic)
4-6 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Teriyaki sauce

Directions
Split ingredients in half, place all ingredients in 2 resealable gallon Ziploc bags, mix together and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge overnight.  Cook in crockpot on Low for 6-7 hours.
Serve over rice.
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Cilantro Lime Chicken (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
1.5 lbs chicken breasts
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon Ziploc bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.
When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Cook in the crockpot, on High for 4 hours, Low for 8 hours.
Serve with tortillas and toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and cheese.
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Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Maple syrup
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon sized Ziploc bag.  Mix together and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Cook in the crockpot on high for 4 hours, low for 8.  Sprinkle with fresh or dried rosemary.
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BBQ Cranberry Chicken (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breasts
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 (16 oz.) can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup barbeque sauce

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a resealable gallon size Ziploc bag and zip closed, air tight and freeze.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours.  Cook in the crockpot on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-7 hours.
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Honey Lime Chicken (found on Claire's Healthy Home)
Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
6 chicken breasts

Directions
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge overnight.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Can be served with baked sweet potatoes and vegetables.
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Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs pork chops, boneless (about 4-6, thick sliced)
6-8 medium potatoes, chopped into large pieces
2 (10.75 oz each) cans Cream of Chicken soup
2 (1 oz each) dry Ranch dressing mix
1 cup milk (I used Almond milk)
Dried parsley to sprinkle on top (optional)

Directions
In a bowl mix together soups, milk and ranch dressing mixes and pour into a resealable gallon Ziploc bag. Combine all ingredients and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the crockpot on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-7 hours.
Use the extra sauce in the crockpot as a gravy for the potatoes and pork chops. Sprinkle with dried parsley if you want.
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Pineapple Glazed Ham (found on Six Sisters' Stuff)
Ingredients
4 thick slices of ham, fully cooked
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard (optional)

Directions
Mix together brown sugar, pineapple and mustard in a resealable gallon-sized Ziploc bag.  Place ham slices inside bag and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the Crockpot on High for 3 hours or Low for 5-6 hours.

Ziploc Bag Preparation (remember to write cooking instructions on each bag)

 

A little action shot of preparation

 

 

 

Meals prepped and ready to be stored in the freezer!

Eliminate a lot of stress about what's for dinner by setting aside a few hours on the weekend to get things ready for the weeks ahead!  Happy Meal Planning!

Chile and Lime Roasted Salmon

Salmon! I love it, it is so easy to make and healthy for you in a number of ways. I keep a big bag of frozen salmon in the freezer and that way I can take a few fillets out in the morning and whip up a seasoning before putting it in the oven for a little bit. 

So, my most recent salmon recipe try was  Chile and Lime Roasted Salmon served with Blueberry Corn and Basil Salsa, yum! I was originally directed to this recipe from Sweet Little Bluebird's blog (can we pause and just say how this blog was meant for me?!?!) On Sweet Little Bluebird, she mentioned this entire receipt combo and directed me to Heather Christo's blog for the recipes! Before I dive into the recipes let me just say, this was so easy to put together and delicious.  I played around with the ingredients a bit since my salmon fillets weren't quite as big as Heather's portions. Below are the recipes for the Chile and Lime Roasted Salmon and Blueberry Corn and Basil Salsa, recipes are as is, not with my modifications!  Enjoy!


Chile and Lime Roasted Salmon (originally from Heather Christo's blog)

Ingredients

• 1 side of salmon, about 3.5 pounds (I used a couple of fillets)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 limes, zested
• 1 jalapeno
• kosher salt to taste

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2. Place salmon on baking sheet.

3. Drizzle salmon with 2 tablespoons of olive oil then sprinkle with lime zest.  Finely grate the jalapeno over the salmon. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the fish and season with kosher salt.

4. Once the oven is hot, place the salmon in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. 

5. Serve salmon hot with the Blueberry Corn Salsa.

 

Blueberry Corn and Basil Salsa (also from Heather Christo's blog)

 

Ingredients

• 1 ear fresh raw corn, cut off the cob
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 red chili, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup basil, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lime zested and juiced
• kosher salt to taste

Steps

1. In a Medium bowl, toss together the corn, blueberries, onion, chili and basil.  Drizzle with olive oil and add the lime zest and juice.  Salt to taste.   

 

Chili and Lime Roasted Salmon with Blueberry Corn and Basil Salsa

 

 

 

I served with a side salad and loved it. Happy Cooking!