I know some of you have been asking me when I will post again. I have been so busy! I had grand visions of a Thanksgiving blog..with all the wonderful and yummy food. With pictures of people gathered stuffed to the hilt....sleepily lounging. Great and detailed pictures of the food and recipes. I have to say that it was so yummy and fun to prepare. A lot of work, but I enjoy it. Although my brain is pretty fried ( I call it Mommy brain). I still managed to to make the meal but forgot to take a lot of pictures. (remember Mommy brain?) So I decided that this blog entry will be an array of different things I have been cooking over the past few weeks including some of my Thanksgiving dishes. I recently watched Julie and Julia for the first time. I loved it so much. So many of the dishes she prepared I have made myself. I love french food!!! I remember as a child looking at my mothers copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I remember how I loved the blue and white cover. I also remember watching Julia Childs on PBS. I think she was on right after the guy who painted...you know the one with the big afro!! Anyway, the movie was so inspiring and Julia Childs was so ahead of her time! I plan on making Beef Bourguignon this week for our game night...can't wait!!

Thanksgiving Menu

Sage Butter Roasted Turkey with Cider Gravy

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sage-Butter-Roasted-Turkey-with-Cider-Gravy-355753

Country Ham and Cornbread Dressing

This dresing is the best!!! I made it last year too and craved it all year. I love all the flavors!

Makes 10 cups

Soak; Saute in 1T. Olive oil; add:

4 cups French bread, cubed, staled

4 cups cornbread, cubed, staled

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 lb. country ham, cubed

1 T. chopped fresh rosemary

Sweat in 1 stick unsalted butter:

2 cups onion, diced

2 cups celery, diced

Stir in:

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 eggs, beaten until frothy

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray. Soak both breads in milk in a bowl while preparing other ingrediants. Saute ham in oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes. Sweat onion and celery in butter in the same skiollet over medium heat until soft, 6-8 minutes. Stir broth, onion mixture, and herbs into bread mixture. Gently stir in eggs, salt and pepper, then pour into prepared dish. Bake for 1 hour, or until center is set.

Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Hazelnuts

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/roasted-green-beans-with-shallots-and-hazelnuts-recipe/index.html

Creamy mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/creamy_mashed_potatoes.aspx

I has a lot of other additions to my table too. My Mom made some great desserts, cranberry sauce and sautéed carrots and parsnips. Keri, may sister in law, made more mashed potaotes, creamed corn and an awesome pumpkin crunch dessert. (By the way....I need that recipie!) My brother Jeff smoked a turkey on his traeger grill. It was so delicious!! What a great spread and great company!!

Special Breakfast

After Dave and I watched Julie and Julia of course we wanted to eat. He suggested eggs benedict for the morning breakfast. Eggs benedict is one of my favorite indulgences. I do not really make it much anymore and only have it at a restaurant if it is a really special occasion. Plus the restaurant has to be a good one. I will not stand for fake hollandaise sauce! The scene when the where trying to poach the eggs was so funny! It does take some practice to get the water just the right boil and the eggs poured in correctly. But once you've got it down there is nothing better than a poached egg. Some people think hollandaise sauce is to hard and time consuming to even prepare. I make mine in the blender and it takes less than five minutes. Do not even think about getting the powdered mix packet...GROSS!!!

Here is my recipe for Eggs Benedict:

Eggs

pepper crusted canadian bacon (or regular canadian bacon)

butter

fresh lemon juice

english muffins

paprika

salt and pepper

Poached Eggs

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/poached-eggs-recipe/index.html

Prepare Hollandiase sauce first and then keep warm in a dish set into a larger dish with hot water in it.

Hollandaise Sauce:

1 stick of butter

3 egg yolks

1/2 t. salt

pinch dry mustard or cayenne

1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Melt butter in microwave in a liquid measuring cup. Combine all other ingredients in blender and turn machine on. Slowly drizzle the melted butter into the machine. The mixture will thicken. Keep warm in water bath.

After your hollandaise is all prepared get ready to poach your eggs. As eggs are poaching, warm Canadian bacon and toast english muffin. Assemble by buttering english muffin, place ham on muffin, top with poached egg and a generous drizzle of hollandaise. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika! Enjoy!!

Quick and Healthy dinner

We recently started getting the paper again. We canceled it a couple months back because we would never read it. I always read Tuesday's food day section though. There is always great recipies in there. Here is one I tried last week. Very good and healthy!!

Kielbasa, kale and barley soup

http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2008/06/recipe_detail.html?id=7119