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Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

The You've Got Supper Girls are back again sharing some fun twists on Thanksgiving side dishes with these really simple recipes. Don't forget to sign up for their free menus that arrive weekly, complete with a shopping list! They even have a new app for the i-phone.


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YGS Supper Girls Cook up…

The Turkey’s Supporting Cast

1. Sausage and Apricot Stuffing

Brown 2 pounds of original sausage in a skillet. Add 2 cups each: chopped celery, chopped yellow onion. Cook until tender. Remove from heat. Add 24 oz can of apricot halves (drained and chopped, reserving juice). Add 6 cups of whole wheat bread cubes, 1 tbsp apple juice, and 1 tbsp poultry seasoning. Add reserved apricot juice if needed. Place in a greased baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 30 to 45 minutes. Serves 10.

2. Sauteed Green Beans with Pecans

Cook 12 oz green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge in ice water. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high. Add green beans, ¼ cup chopped shallots and ¼ cup chopped pecans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute or until heated. Serves 4.

3. Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Prick 3 pounds of sweet potatoes twice with a fork and bake at 400ºF in a foil-lined baking pan in the lower third of oven until tender, about 1 hour. Remove and let cool slightly. Halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out warm flesh into a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or electric mixer. Stir in ½ stick soft, unsalted butter, ¼ cup warm heavy whipping cream (or milk), and 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4 to 6.

4. Squash Apple Bake

Peel and cut 2 small butternut squash and 6 apples into ½ inch cubes. Place squash in ungreased, glass baking pan. Top with apples. Mix ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour, and ½ tsp nutmeg. Sprinkle on top. Melt ¼ cup butter and drizzle on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350ºF for about an hour or until squash is tender. Serves 8.

5. Savory Cranberry Chutney

In a large saute pan, combine 12 oz package cranberries, 1 orange cut into bite size pieces, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp minced shallots, 1 tsp ginger powder, ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp cayenne, 1 tsp lightly crushed mustard seeds and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a gentle boil. Stir until sugar dissolves and cranberries begin to pop open. Remove from heat and let cool. Option: Fold in ½ cup chopped pistachios and ½ cup chopped dried figs or raisins. Yields 2 cups. Make up to 2 days ahead.

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If you are trying to make your plans for Thanksgiving check out  these ideas.

You might also enjoy these yummy sweet potatoes that can be made now and frozen.

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Don't forget  about the kids and how to keep them busy. Last year I made finger puppets and crayon pouches.

TurkeyFingerPuppetsandCrayonPouches

This year, these free printables I contributed at AlphaMom will keep them busy (hopefully). Bella has been coloring everyday and will deliver some of the placemats to a few of the shut-ins from our church.

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Thanks for stopping by today!

Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur

Here is another really yummy treat, Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur! I love it added to a cup of coffee!

HomemadeIrishCream

Irish Cream Liqueur

from Bon Appetit

1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup Irish whiskey

1 tablespoon chocolate syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut) My can was solid at the top, so I placed about 2 inches of water in a skillet and heated until the cream of coconut was liquid)

Combine first 5 ingredients in blender; blend until coffee crystals dissolve, about 1 minute.  Add whipping cream and cream of coconut to mixture and blend 10 seconds.  Pour  into glass bottles, add a tag and you have a perfect gift.  On the back on the tag include instructions to keep refrigerated and that it should last two weeks.

You can pour chilled mixture over ice cubes, pour over chocolate or coffee ice cream too. This recipe make about three cups with just a enough to leftover to have a nice cup of coffee (or two)!

I used  8oz tall skinny bottles from Germany (sorry). I have tried to find them online with no luck, they were not expensive about $1.00 or so each. I did think these Round Ball Reed Diffuser Bottles would also make a beautiful presentation. They are 8.5 ounce, so if you forgo your cup of coffee it might work -- or you could add and extra 1/4 cup of cream and I don't think it would alter the recipe too much. There are many bottle supply companies online where you can find 8 oz bottles. You might also try World Market or the Dollar Store.

You could dress the bottles up even more with a hand painted bottle stopper!  Another festive and delicious drink you can make for gift giving is a bucket of Frozen Tumbleweeds.

Enjoy!

Praline Ice Cream Sauce

I found this recipe years ago (in a magazine but can't remember which one)  and I must warn you it is so yummy and addictive! The best part about this sauce is that it is made in the microwave, so it is fast and simple.

Praline Ice Cream Sauce

1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

7 Tablespoons butter (divided)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

3/4 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup evaporated milk

Makes 3 cups of sauce.

Place chopped pecans in a microwave dish with 3 Tablespoons butter. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring twice. Watch the pecans closely to not burn them.

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In another microwave safe bowl (I use a glass batter bowl because it has a lip for pouring) place remaining butter and heat until melted.  Whisk in brown sugar, flour, and light corn syrup until blended.  Cook on high 6-8 minutes, stirring twice, until the sugar is dissolved.

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Add in 2/3 cup evaporated milk and the pecans, stir well.

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Pour into jars.

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Add a tag and bow and  you have made some sweet little gifts! Consider packaging with a cool ice cream scoop to make it extra special. Put  instructions on the back of the tag to keep sauce refrigerated and to reheat slightly in microwave to pour over ice cream.

PralineSauceYUM!

Easy OREO Truffles for Kids

This week I am going to highlight some yummy gifts.

We are extra lucky to have Sandy, from the Reluctant Entertainer,   here  sharing a delicious recipe for Oreo Truffles. You will want to check out her new site.  It has been totally re-done and looks fabulous. Also, if you are a subscriber or want to subscribe she has a new feed.


Sandy writes....

I Love Oreo Truffles. They're so easy for kids to get into the kitchen and to help make!


Kids can use their own creativity by adding different flavors and decorations – to make their very own truffles! My daughter, Abby, just whipped up a batch this past weekend and had a ball decorating them herself. I think she has the recipe memorized now!

Remember it's not about perfection


I didn't stand over my daughter making sure these truffles turned out perfectly round, or that they were dipped exactly right. She had success in making them her own, and I will say it got a little messy!


What a delicious tasty treat to give away to teachers, grandparents or even neighbors!


OREO Truffles

18 oz. package of OREO Cookies

8 oz. package of Cream Cheese, softened

16 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

(I doubled the recipe using ½ fat-free and ½ regular cream cheese. I also used dark chocolate, which I bought in the bulk section at Winco grocery store.)


Mix cream cheese and crushed (fine crumbs) Oreo cookies together


Roll dough into 1 inch balls, putting on wax or parchment paper

Refrigerate for 30 minutes

Dip balls, using toothpicks or a spoon, into melted chocolate (use double broiler or microwave on 50%)

Refrigerate another 30 minutes until chocolate hardens

Anyway we can help our kids to be successful in giving it is encouraged in my home - and it usually is centered on food!


Decorate and Devour! Or package them up and give them away!

You might be interested in these other edible gifts ideas.



Fabric Notebook Cover

These fabric covers for steno pads make great gifts for teachers, friends, co-workers... really anyone who might like to jot down notes in style.

They can be made totally reversible. They have a handy spot on the cover for a pen or pencil and an elastic closure.

I think these would make great little gifts when you just need a little something.  They are quick and easy!  If you would like a pattern for these I have a PDF you may download for $1.99.

It is an immediate download so you can have your pattern and be sewing right away! Yes, you could figure out how to make these, but if you don't want to waste the time figuring out all of the measurements simply download three pages of detailed instructions. If you are interested visit the shop!

*3/8 yard each  of two different fabrics will make four covers

*You can find steno pads at Wal-Mart for just under a $1.00

You might also be interested in this tutorial for a colored pencil and drawing pad holder, or instructions for making a crayon roll.

Max Moms

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