Slow Cooker Cornbread Dressing

At November 30, 2011
By Spiceblogger
In Chicken, MexiCajun Recipes, One Dish Meals, Recipes
6

As I promised yesterday, here is my Cornbread Dressing recipe. This is NOT my mother’s recipe. She would always make the best cornbread dressing every holiday. I remember waking up early on Christmas morning only to find my mother slaving away over a hot stove prepping all the ingredients before finally putting it in the oven. She would get up 2 or 3 hours before anyone else to begin cooking so that everything would be ready to go by the time we were loading the car for the trip to grandma’s house.

Turkey Pasta Salad

At November 29, 2011
By Spiceblogger
In MexiCajun Recipes, One Dish Meals, Pasta, Recipes
1

Still wondering what to do with those turkey leftovers? I have seen lots of wonderful recipes over the past couple of days with great ideas for that leftover bird. Turkey pot pie (yum!), turkey gumbo (had some last night), turkey sandwiches (always a favorite, easy go-to), turkey roll-ups.. Turkey! Turkey! Turkey!

LOL

I contemplated making a turkey gumbo, but I had so much to do (like shopping and rearranging furniture in preparation for Christmas decorations) that I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. (Plus, a friend invited us over to eat hers–which was delicious!) So instead I opted for an easier solution: a pasta salad. So quick and easy, and you can stretch your ingredients to feed a lot of people.

Coconut Caramel Rice Pudding

You know how when you spend days planning out the perfect event, thinking of every detail, meticulously prepping every item you plan to put to use? And then the day comes and something always goes wrong. Something was forgotten, or something went missing, or something just did not go to plan. Well, that happened to me Thanksgiving day.

Spicehubby spent hours Wednesday prepping and cooking briskets, turkeys and the most delicious pork roast for our big family feast the next day. Sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews began arriving around 10am Thursday morning. There was sooo much food! Dressing, peas, butter beans, macaroni salad and more plus mountains of desserts!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I think I’ve said before that I’m not a cheesecake fan. Spicehubby LOVES cheesecake so I will make them occasionally for him; but they hold no temptation for me. I do, however, like pumpkin–especially pumpkin desserts. So, this particular cheesecake is one that I will actually eat. It’s like the perfect marriage of pumpkin flavor and creamy goodness without the overpowering cream cheese flavor, which is what I dislike in a regular cheesecake. I’m odd; I know! I love cream cheese just as it is, but add sugar to sweeten it and that’s it for me. No thank you.

Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust

Ahhh, the holidays. I love everything about them! The decorations, the hustle and bustle around town, the smell of lit fireplaces mingling with crisp, fresh air… and the food. Mostly, I love the food! :) I love cooking holiday food. I love serving holiday food. And, of course, I love eating holiday food. Rich, comforting and nostalgic- the standard Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes conjure up childhood memories of family gatherings and good times. If for no other reason, this time of year gives us the opportunity to gather together to indulge in good company and good eating.

Savory Broccoli & Chicken Soup

Oddly, this week has found me chaffeuring dental patients to and from tooth-extraction appointments! {eeeeek!} Spicehubby had to have a pesky problem tooth surgically removed today and tomorrow a dear friend is having TWO wisdom teeth pulled! I don’t mind being the caretaker, I’m just glad I’m not the patient! :)

Because these two won’t be able to eat anything hard or solid for a few days, I started planning soft meals to carry us through this week. This first recipe is so super easy and makes several servings. It was Spicehubby’s first meal this afternoon once the numbness subsided, and there is plenty left for tomorrow as well as sharing a heaping bowl with Sara for her recovery time.

Sweet Potato & Pecan Muffins

Fall flavors continue to mesmerize and inspire me in the kitchen. This time I’ve moved on from pumpkin to sweet potatoes. {I’m not completely moving on from pumpkin, but Spicehubby has requested I give it a break for a while!} ;)

Since the time change this past weekend has made getting up early a little easier, we actually made a HUGE effort and put in a good 45 minute workout at the gym this morning. It was just what both of us needed after a weekend of tailgating and eating. A LOT of eating… {Side note: if you don’t already know, we had a pretty good football weekend in Louisiana. Our LSU Tigers beat Alabama in a much-anticipated shootout Saturday night. And our most beloved Saints pulled out a nice win over Tampa Bay Sunday afternoon.}

Pumpkin Mousse

It’s November!!! And that means the holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving is 3 weeks from today, so I’m prepping my menu for the big day and trying out recipes to see if they make the cut. We are hosting it at our house this year, and I couldn’t be more excited! (can’t you tell?) My husband comes from a big family, so they along with my family who live locally will add up to a house full of ~~guinea pigs~~ hungry people (hehehe).

Dia de los Muertos

At November 1, 2011
By Spiceblogger
In Chicken, Entertaining, MexiCajun Lagniappe, MexiCajun Recipes, Recipes
5

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican celebration that coincides with the Catholic holidays known as All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day that are better known here in the U.S. November 1-2 are recognized and celebrated as a time to remember and honor family and loved ones who have passed away. It’s a time of celebrating life and heritage and family.