East versus West

I'm from Alabama and 25 years ago (yikes) I married a California boy. Since then I've birthed two California kids, so I'm probably here to stay. Anyway, in the southeast we eat sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. They are whipped with lots of butter and sugar, and on top of them we put baby marshmallows.

On my first Thanksgiving with my husband's family it came to my attention that we were going to have mashed potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. I was appalled! My mouth literally hung open. I called my Mama in Birmingham, AL and asked her for the sweet potato recipe. (Calling her on Thanksgiving to get the recipe has become a little tradition of ours.) Of course I showed up at my in-laws house armed with my sweet potatoes. They now request them every year.

All of the recipes I'm sharing are loaded with calories, but hey it's Thanksgiving, right? Also all the recipes have only 4 ingredients!

Below is the classic sweet potato recipe from my Mama in Birmingham, AL.

Classic Sweet Potatoes

In the South, we serve yams and call them sweet potatoes. (Sweet potatoes have gotten the shaft because their cousin Mr. Yam is more colorful.)

This is the classic sweet potato recipe from my Mama in Birmingham, AL. Here's what you'll need:

4 large yams

1/2 cup of brown sugar

3/4 stick of salted butter (softened)

Baby marshmallows

Put whole sweet potatoes on a sprayed cookie sheet and roast at 400 for 45 min. (until potatoes are soft.) Let potatoes cool then peel skins off.  Put potatoes and rest of ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, blend on high until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.  

Next put mixture into  baking dish and bake un-covered for 30 min. at 350. Finally cover the top with marshmallows and bake uncovered  for an additional 10 min. or until marshmallows are browned on top. (Serves approx. 10)

*You can also make a mixture of 1/4 cup of all purpose flour, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of salted butter and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans and add it to the top of all or part of the yams before baking.

Classic Mashed Potatoes.

(A recipe from our Mimi Pickett for classic mashed potatoes. They are truly awesome!!!!)

You'll need:

4 large russet potatoes

4 oz. (1/2 pkg.) of cream cheese

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 teaspoons of of garlic salt

Dash of pepper

Peel Potatoes and cut into large chunks. Put in large pot filled with water about half way to the top. Put potatoes in and bring to a boil. Turn down and cook on a slow boil till fork goes through potatoes easily. Pour into strainer and then pour potatoes into large mixing bowl. Put the rest of ingredients in the mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer blend until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Spoon into large baking dish. Before serving, bake at 400 for 50 min. or until potatoes are heated through. You can also put the mashed potatoes in a crock pot on low  for the whole day. (That saves oven space.) Serves 10-12

Gourmet Sweet Potatoes

Below is a gourmet sweet potato recipe adapted from a restaurant called "The Smoke House".  So, so good!

You'll need:

4  sweet potatoes or yams. (I don't know if you've noticed, but there are all kinds of purple things in the produce section of the grocery store these days. There are purple cabbages, purple asparagus and purple carrots to name a few. Recently my friend, Toni, told me there were purple sweet potatoes at Trader Joe's. I thought, what the heck I'll jump on the purple band wagon.)

1/3 cup of brown sugar

1 stick of salted butter (softened)

Crumbled blue cheese

Bake the sweet potatoes at 400 for 45 min. Let cool. Cut the sweet potatoes longwise where they are 2/3 on one side and 1/3 on the other. (You are making a boat for the potatoes.) Carefully scoop out the insides of the potatoes and put in a mixing bowl. Throw away the smaller skin. Put rest of ingredients in the mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, blend until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Spoon potato mixture into the little boat. Before serving, put boats on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Finally, cover sweet potatoes with blue cheese crumbles. 

Pesto Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

This is a gourmet mashed potatoes recipe that I  got from my friend Lara Lanfried, Newport Beach, CA.

You'll need:

4 very large russet potatoes

2/3 cup of Parmesan

2/3 cup of sour cream

1/4 cup of pesto (We like Trader Joe's.)

Peel Potatoes and cut into large chunks. Put in large pot filled with water about half way to the top. Put potatoes in and bring to a boil. Turn down and cook on a slow boil till fork goes through potatoes easily. Pour potatoes into strainer and then pour them into a large mixing bowl. Put rest of ingredients in the mixing bowl (along with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt.) Using a hand mixer, blend until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.  Put into a medium sized baking dish. Before serving bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 min. or until potatoes are heated through. Serves 6- 8

Try 'Em You'll Love 'Em!

Ritzy Creamed Corn

My sister-in-law, Chris Steckel, from Nashville has been making this melt-in-your-mouth creamed corn recipe for years. It's a dish the family always looks forward to every Thanksgiving. The other day I was at T J Maxx talking  to one of the cashiers about "creamed corn".  (You have probably figured out that I get most of my ideas and stories from the cashiers at my favorite stores.) Anyway, I told Gayle that I was trying out a creamed corn recipe and she said that I had to check out the recipe from the Ritz Carlton. I went online and low and behold they had stolen Chris's recipe!

The first step in making creamed corn is to make a "roux".  A "roux" is something everyone who cooks should know how to make. I learned this technique back at Auburn in Food Prep. class and have used it ever since. This magical paste can be used to thicken sauces, soups, gravies etc.

I'm not going to be counting the roux as one of our 4 ingredients because I want us to view a roux as something as basic as cooking oil. Something we make  hardly without a thought. Here's how you make a roux: 

Step 1. In a skillet, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter

Step 2. Add 3 Tablespoons of white flour and using a wooden spoon make a paste, smushing all the lumps as you stir with the back of the spoon. Stir the mixture for at least 2 minutes.

Step 3. Turn the heat down to low. While stirring, slowly add about half of the recipe's liquid making sure, again, that you smush any lumps that form. You then add the rest of the liquid  in the recipe. The liquid should thicken after about 5 minutes of stirring. (If it does not, you can take about 1/2 a cup of the liquid and add another tablespoon of flour. You then whisk it until there are no lumps and add it back to the pan.  Here's what you'll need for our first dish using a roux:

*Make this amount of roux for every 2 cups of liquid in a recipe

Creamed Corn

2 pkgs. of frozen corn (32 oz.)

8 oz. whipping cream

8 oz. of whole milk

6 tsp. of sugar (I like to use dark brown sugar.)

Opt. 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

After making a roux with flour and butter, slowly add the whipping cream, milk and sugar smushing any lumps that form, and stir until sauce has thickened a bit. You then stir in frozen corn, 1 level teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper. Next bring to a boil and simmer for 5 min. Optional: Add corn to a baking dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and place under a broiler till golden brown. Totally delectable! (I'm trying to come up with words besides yummy.)

Looking Back

Every Thanksgiving table needs potatoes. We actually have sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes out here in California because this Alabama girl would join Henny Penny in thinking the sky is falling without her sweet potatoes! You can find four super tasty (4 ingredient) potato recipes in last Thanksgiving's post ranging from the traditional to the fancy.

For years our Mimi asked me to do the centerpieces for our Thanksgiving table. It is always super fun because of the extras I have learned to put in them. If you want some easy but festive ideas check out last Thanksgiving's post.

Cool Coasters

I don't know about you but I love coasters. There are so many different types and patterns and colors in the coaster world! I planned on focusing just on fall coasters cause the last time I checked we were still in fall. I looked at Michael's however and there wasn't a fall leaf to be found. I can't very well tell you to go there and get fall leaves now, can I? So, we are going to cover all the bases and make both fall and Christmas ones.

Here's what you'll need:

Thin cardboard, scissors, gold spray paint, an object you can use to trace a circle 4 & 1/2 inches in diameter, a hot glue gun and sticks, and artificial leaves (or poinsettias, gold glitter and spray sealant.

The first thing you do is take a piece of very thin cardboard (all the legal pads in our house are now backless) and spray it with gold spray paint. You then trace a round circle on the cardboard using an object 4 &1/2 inches in diameter. 

Next peel the plastic veins off the backs of the leaves or poinsettia petals. (Oh yeah, dismantle the poinsettia first.) You then apply hot glue sparingly to the underside of one leaf (or petal) at a time and press them down over the gold card board circle. For the poinsettias, once you have glued down all the petals put multiple dots of hot glue (or regular glue) in the centers and cover the dots with gold glitter. Shake off the glitter, spray the coasters with a sealant and you have some fun and festive coasters!

Hope You Have a Happy and Meaningful Thanksgiving!

Adorn Your Door

I have always loved a challenge.  Last spring I was at Pier 1 and saw a beautiful wreath. I looked at the price tag and it was $80. I thought to myself, I can do that for a whole lot less than eighty bucks!  In the beginning I had a few false starts, as a matter of fact my first wreath came out just plain ugly. Finally I came up with a design that I was proud to hang on my door. Below shows a couple of wreaths from different stores to give you an idea of what's out there and how much different wreaths cost.

This not so pretty (tacky) wreath from Michael's costs $60.

This wreath from a place called Roger's gardens costs $150.

It's time for you to make a wreath that would make your Mama proud for only about $30!

You'll need: 

A Grapevine wreath

Artificial flowers and foliage - It's very important to take your time picking out the flowers, foliage, etc. so you can get the perfect ones for your wreath. (I often go to a place like Pier 1 to get ideas.) When looking for adornments, I usually don't see what I really like till I have looked for quite a while. In my humble opinion, Ha-ha, foliage and flowers with small buds look a lot better on a wreath than larger ones. As with the Rogers Garden's one above, the most attractive ones have a lot of foliage and/or flowers on them. (In this case more is more:) 

Garden Clippers or Sharp Scissors

A Glue Gun-( No home should be glue gunless:) You can access Michaels 40% off coupons on your phone anytime. I'm the least tech savvy person I know (under 80), and even I can find this coupon.

Hot Glue Sticks-Get lots of glue sticks cuz you'll use a ton for this project. 

Step 1 Clip a few of the flowers and/or foliage stems to 1-2 inches.

Step 2 Place some of them on the wreath to get a feel for the design you want. (see ex. below)

Step 3 Using your glue gun secure the flowers and/or foliage on the wreath. Be careful cuz the glue gets super hot. (Don't be like me. I probably burn my fingers at least once a wreath:) With a grapevine wreath, you can also tuck the stems between the vines which hides them and secures the foliage even more.

Step 4. You will probably have to make lots of adjustments before you're happy with your work. In the end you will have a beautiful autumn wreath for your door, wall or table!

Another option is using an already put together bunch of foliage.  I trimmed a lot off of the one below and glued it on a wreath. I then added a colorful autumn bow. (See wreath to your right.)

Also I'm not above buying an existing wreath and changing it or adding to it. Hold on to your hat. I got the wreath on your left from my local drugstore, CVS, and it only costed $15!  I simply embellished it with some beautiful orange-red berries!

I have a good friend named Jill Hubbard and she loves color especially orange and kind of an olive green! She even has an orange door. Anyway I had a large "hairy" grapevine wreath and some brightly colored flowers, so I made this! My friends are lucky cuz they get all kinds of cool crafts from me!

Lisa's Lime Chicken

All of us who cook need basic “go to recipes,” and Lisa’s Lime Chicken is definitely one of those for me! My very close friend, Lisa Taylor, often has delicious and doable recipes partly because she had to cook nightly for four strapping boys and her hubby, Jay, and partly because she is just a great cook! Here’s what you’ll need:

1 & 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 lb. of chicken breasts

1/4 cup of fresh lime juice

2/3 cup of chicken broth

Opt., rounded 1/8 of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Step 1. Combine dried thyme with 1 & 1/4 level teaspoons of garlic salt, 4 cranks of black pepper (and cayenne pepper, if desired)

Step 2. Wash chicken breasts (or chicken breast tenders) and completely dry with paper towels. Using a bit of olive oil in a frying pan, brown bottom side of chicken breasts on medium high heat.

Step 3. While chicken is cooking sprinkle half the mixture on top of the breasts. Turn chicken over and sprinkle other half of chicken on top and continue to cook.

Step 4. Once chicken has browned on both sides, add lime juice and chicken broth all around sides of chicken. Turn heat on very low and cover until ready to serve.

Brie and Raspberry Salad

The salad above is made with baby kale and/or spinach, brie cheese, raspberries and pecans. The dressing is Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette. Simply Delectable!

Roasted Vegetables with Italian Dressing

There is a great restaurant near us called Garduno’s that brushes their grilled eggplant with their homemade Italian dressing. We often buy a pint of their dressing and use it to brush on our eggplant, bell pepper, red onion etc., before we grill or roast them. When we don’t have their dressing, we have used Ken’s Steak House Aged Romano Italian or Bernstein’s Italian with extra shredded parmesan and fresh finely minced garlic. Superb!

Looking back

It’s the time of year for yummy pumpkin desserts, so I thought we would glance back at last fall’s Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bars. They are scrumptious and of course just four ingredients!

Fall is also a fun time for crafts! Above are some Fall Leaf Napkin Rings that I have loved making and using!

Funny Sighting

I was at Trader Joe’s the other day and saw these lovelies among the pumpkins! I wish I could set up a candid camera to see who on earth would buy one of them. I dare you to put one of these on your doorstep:) Perfect for Halloween ‘cause they look kinda scary!

And More Pumpkins

I love baby pumpkins. As a matter of fact I love miniature anything. The other day I saw a bunch of miniature bananas. I had to take a picture and send it to my friend, Toni, who is also miniature crazy. Well back to the baby pumpkins. I have seen pictures of really fun flower arrangements in pumpkins, so I thought why not use miniature pumpkins as a vase. Here's how.

You'll need:

A baby Pumpkin 

A vegetable peeler. (The old kind)

A small orange pill bottle (My pharmacist, Tony, and I are on a first name basis, so I had no problem getting a few pill bottles.)

Flowers (Daisies and mums are really cute.)

Using the vegetable peeler carve around the stem of the tiny pumpkin. Don't worry if you break through to the bottom. Next use the peeler to totally clean out the icky in the pumpkin. Also you'll want to make the hole big enough so that a small pill bottle fits snugly.

Once you've cleaned out the baby pumpkins, thoroughly spray them with shellac inside and out. (This will lengthen the their life.)

Insert a pill bottle bottle into a little pumpkin. Tie a ribbon around the top to make it extra cute.

Lastly arrange some little flowers in the bottle and add water to make a precious fall arrangement!

You can also make an arrangement with a bit larger pumpkin and use a large pill bottle.

As with any pumpkin that is cut, the little pumpkins won't last past 4 days or so before they get all mushy. If you are using them as decorations or party favors, make sure you cut the pumpkins as late as possible. Make sure you put them on a non-porous surface, so they don't get stain anything once they have started to decay.  

Pumpkin Mishap

The other day I was picking out a good ole orange pumpkin. There was a big stack of them in front of the grocery store. You guessed it, I caused a pumpkin avalanche. It was pumpkin mayhem!!!! Pumpkins were rolling everywhere even into the parking lot. Thankfully we (the pumpkins and I) didn't get smashed into the pavement. I had a good laugh at myself. Too bad the whole thing wasn't caught on video.

Nutter Butter Cookies x 3

Who doesn't like fresh baked cookies? Here is a way to make them extra, extra good. The first secret is using browned butter. (The other night we had some cookies made by a friend named Jenni Rouanzoin. She used browned butter and they were just that—extra, extra good.) And who doesn’t like nuts in their cookies? I love nuts cause they make cookies crunchy and not so sweet. The second secret that makes these cookies so good is caramelizing the nuts. This gives the cookies a sort of toasty, buttery taste. Here's what you'll need:

A package of either Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal or Peanut Butter cookie mix (can be gluten-free)

A  stick of salted butter + 2 tablespoons

1 & 1/2 cups of chopped nuts. (pecans for Chocolate Chip, walnuts for Oatmeal, and honey roasted peanuts for Peanut Butter)

1 egg

Optional: 1/2 cup of chopped raisins for Oatmeal and a 1/2 cup of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips for Peanut Butter

Optional: Maldon Salt Flakes

Preheat the oven to 350

Step 1. Brown the butter. (Melt a stick of butter in a small sauce pan on medium high. Next swish butter around in the pan till it is past the super frothy stage and is deep golden brown. You then pour the browned butter into a small container and put it in the freezer.

Step 2. Wipe any browned butter residue out of small sauce pan and melt 2 more tablespoons of butter on medium. Next using a wooden spoon stir in 3 tablespoons of cookie mix. (Try to avoid any chocolate chips when you are using a choc. chip cookies mix.) You then stir in 1 & 1/2 cups of the nuts suggested for each mix until nuts are caramelized and golden brown. (**You don’t need to caramelize the peanuts because they are already honey roasted.) Cool mixture in freezer.

Step. 3 Once browned butter and caramelized nuts are cooled, mix them throughly in a bowl with an egg and rest of cookie mix.

Step 4. Follow baking directions on the package. (It does help the cookies hold together if you roll each cookie into a smooth ball of dough and use a spatula to flatten them.)

*If you are a major salt person like I am, you can sprinkle your cookies with just a bit of Maldon Sea Salt Flakes right when they come out of the oven. Beyond Delicious!

**Of course nothing goes better with warm fresh-baked cookies than a glass of milk! My Daddy used to always put the glass of milk right in the freezer to get ice cold. The best!

Looking Back

When I was at Auburn back in the dark ages, let’s just say the name Bo Jackson, a friend of mine taught me how to make “Mr Mike’s” cookies. They are much healthier than regular cookies and super scrumptious! Check ‘Em Out!

A Must “C” Appetizer: Cream Cheese, Curry, Chutney and Cashews

It’s been so fun this summer whipping up yummy recipes for our extended family and friends and I love doing them because I only make things with 4 INGREDIENTS! So easy!

It’s almost Labor Day weekend, so I thought I would share a great appetizer for end of the summer gatherings! I got the idea for this recipe when our close friend, Debbie Hogan, brought it to one of our Balboa Island gatherings. This recipe has mango chutney and there is barely anything better than that! (BTW, If you have never had mango chutney with vegetable samosas, you have to try them together at your local Indian restaurant. But you’ll have to ask for the mango chutney!) Here’s what you’ll need for this sweet and savory appetizer:

1 (8 oz) pkg. Cream Cheese

1 & 1/2 tsp. of Curry Powder

1/4 cup of Mango Chutney (Sharwood’s or Major Grey’s are unbelievably delicious!)

1/2 cup of Salted Cashews

Step 1. Combine room temperature cream cheese, curry powder and a level 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt until mixed well, and put in fridge to harden.

Step 2. Once firm, shape and flatten the mixture on a plate so that it is just a little over an inch thick. You then spoon a thin layer of Mango Chutney on top. (You may want to chop up any chunks of mango.)

Step 3. Put cashews in a plastic bag and crush them with a mallet, rolling pin etc., until they are in tiny pieces. You then spoon them onto the chutney. Serve with small crackers.

Looking Back

Speaking of appetizers and mango, another end of the summer appetizer that is totally refreshing and of course delicious is our Mango Salsa! (This post even includes a quick tutorial on how to cut a mango:)

Candles For All Occasions

I don’t know about you, but I always wondered if I should put out Red, White and Blue decorations for Labor Day, so I googled it. Yes, put out your flags, and use your left over 4th of July plates and napkins! I made the red, white and blue floating candles below earlier this summer, and I’m bringing them out again this weekend! As you can see, you can make them for any occasion as in the picture below when we made them for a friend’s wedding or as in the final picture when we layered sand and tiny shells just because it was summer. Here’s what you’ll need:

Mason jars

Items for the inside: foil confetti, tiny flower petals, shells, etc

Floating candles (Michael’s or Amazon has these)

Water

Step 1. Simply fill a mason jar half way with whatever festive item you want. (Fresh items like sand/shells or tiny flower petals look best if they are made just before an occasion.)

Step 2. Fill water up to just below the bottom line where the lid screws on.

Step 3. Carefully drop floating candle in the water, light and enjoy!

Hail Caesar!

The four of us are in Italy for a family vacation and we have had some delicious dishes! Of course we are all vowing to not eat bread and pasta again for a year! Believe it or not, my favorite thing so far (besides the Prosecco:) has been the Caesar salad that we had our first night in Rome.

Caesar salad was created in 1924 in Mexico by an Italian immigrant named Caesar Cardini. One evening when a huge and unexpected crowd showed up at his restaurant, Cardini had to get creative with his ingredients and made the first “Caesar Salad” creating it at tableside for extra flare. It was made with romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese and a dressing which included olive oil, egg, garlic, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper but interestingly enough no anchovies.

The typical salads in Italy are very simple and come with no dressing! Olive oil and balsamic are the only option. But as I said, on our first night I had the best Caesar that I had ever had. Here’s what you’ll need:

A large bag of (chilled) Romaine lettuce

A small block of hard Parmesan cheese

Half a loaf of Italian or French bread

Caesar dressing of your choice - the creamy ones in your store’s refrigerated section taste best. (We like Marie’s but I’ve heard that Ken’s Steakhouse Creamy Caesar is excellent! If you want an anchovy taste, try Marzetti’s Caesar Supreme.)

Opt. 6 strips of thick cut bacon

Preheat oven to 350

Step 1. Cut the bread into large 1 &1/2 inch chunks, (Opt. Brush them with a bit of olive oil and garlic salt) and toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes (until they begin to turn a very light golden brown.)

Step 2. Take a very sharp knife or a cheese slicer and carefully cut paper thin slices of the parmesan.

Step 3. Cook the 6 strips of bacon and tear into large bite sized chunks. - We have been making lots of uncured (nitrate free) bacon with a device for the microwave called the “Bacon Wave”—super easy to use with hardly any cleanup involved.

Step 4. Chop the lettuce and toss with dressing, some coarse sea salt and a few cranks of cracked pepper. Arrange the croutons, slices of parmesan and bacon in whatever design you choose. Finally top with about 5 more cranks of black pepper.

* Serve on chilled plates. Nice restaurants often serve their salads on chilled plates and it makes all the difference!)

Looking Back

Two other wonderful and super fresh Italian appetizers that we have featured are: Burrata Cheese and Caprese. Both of these “Antipasti” are made with forms of Fresh Mozzarella (either cow or buffalo milk.) “Buffalo” doesn’t refer to the American bison. Instead, it is a water buffalo, a cow-like creature which won’t crush you to death when you try to milk it! Burrata Cheese is a mixture of fresh mozzarella and cream! Beyond yum!

Fun Saying

The Italians of course have lots of colorful sayings. I love the one: “Porca miseria!” which literally means, “Pig’s misery” or DAMNIT! (What more can I say:)

May Days

Don’t you just love May! Everything is green and blooming and it’s not too hot! I’m so excited to get the call any day now from my friend Toni telling me it’s time to gather wild sweet peas from a special hill in South Orange County. (Don’t worry we aren’t breaking the law. At least I think we aren’t:) May also has Cinco de Mayo which is fun especially if you love Mexican food and drink! Below is a simple, very colorful (4 ingredient) salad that will be perfect to serve on May 5th (or any fun occasion really)! Here’s what you’ll need for this CINCO DE MAYO SALAD:

2 bags of Spring Mix lettuce

Mini tri-color peppers (about 9)

2 medium avocados

2/3 cup of pepitas (Mexican name for pumpkin seeds)

opt. Tortilla strips

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the pepitas in a teaspoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt, then roast the pepitas for about 13 min. (or until golden) on a lined baking sheet, stirring the pepitas half way through.

Step 2. Chop the avocado and tri-colored peppers into bite sized pieces then create whatever fun design you want.

Step 3. Serve with a cilantro dressing. I had my designated taste testers try three different ones. Brianna’s, El Torito’s and Trader Joe’s. Brianna’s was by far the favorite probably because of it’s creaminess. If you want an even yummier creamy effect, mix equal parts of cilantro dressing with homemade Hidden Valley Ranch!

Looking Back

In California we love Mangos! A couple of summers ago Pickett’s Pearls posted about this delicious (4 ingredient) Mango Salsa which included a video on how to slice mangos! Check it out!

Not More Succulents!

I can’t help it! Succulents are so fun to work with and so hard to kill! These little treasures would be perfect for Spring and Summer gifts (like Mother’s Day:) or party favors! All you need are small containers like these tiny soft boiled egg cups or petite demitasse cups with tea cup stands (Amazon), miniature succulents (plants or clippings) and cactus soil mix. (Cactus soil is very grainy, so it provides good drainage. The word on the street is that succulents don’t care for wet roots:)

*The cool thing about succulents is that you can simply stick a clipping in the cactus soil, water it, and it will take root in a couple of weeks.

**Surprisingly succulents seem to love water (especially if they have good drainage). Our outside potted succulents got a lot of rain this season and flourished more than ever. Water them any time they seem dry.

Fun Saying

I love the saying “ I will be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail”! That, my friend, means pretty damn quickly. If you don’t believe it, watch this darling video of little lambkins shaking their booties like mad!

HAPPY MAY DAYS!

‘Cluck’ or ‘Moo’: It’s Up To You!

Why is it a bit intimidating to make a whole roast chicken or a pot roast? It seems like a lot of work, but I found that it can be quite easy and the results are a savory roast chicken or succulent pot roast filling your home with wonderful smells! Here are twin recipes with 4 ingredients each:

Roast Chicken w/ White Wine & Rosemary

A Whole Chicken

1 & 1/2 cups of warm water mixed with a level Tablespoon of Reduced Sodium Better Than Bouillon (Chicken)

2/3 cups of white wine

Sprigs of fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 400

Step 1. Remove neck and giblets from inside of chicken and discard. Then rinse and pat dry. Next, place chicken in a large pot (dutch oven), breasts facing down.

Step 2. Mix the warm water with a level Tablespoon of the RS Boullion, 1 teaspoon of garlic salt and 8 cranks of pepper. Next pour this mixture along with 2/3 cup of white wine over the chicken. You then place four rosemary sprigs in the liquid.

Step 3. Roast the chicken for 30 min. then flip the chicken over and roast for 45 more minutes or until a meat thermometer placed in a thigh reads 165 degrees.

*To thicken the gravy you can remove about a cup of the liquid and whisk in 2 Tablespoons of flour. You then microwave this combo for 1 min., whisk it some more, then stir it back into the pot.

*Serve with rice and roasted vegetables or whatever you like and garnish with more fresh rosemary sprigs.

Pot Roast w/ Red Wine & Thyme

This mouth watering pot roast recipe was adapted from one I got from my dear friend Margy Coleman in Chicago. Here’s what you’ll need:

2-3 lb boneless chuck roast

1 & 1/2 cups of warm water mixed with a level Tablespoon of Reduced Sodium Better Than Bouillon (Beef)

2/3 cups of red wine (Chef Margy says the better the wine the better the results:)

Fresh thyme sprigs

Optional: 1-2 lbs of small potatoes and a bag of baby carrots

Preheat oven to 350

Step 1. In a dutch oven heat a tablespoon of oil over med-high heat. Add roast to a large pot (dutch oven) and brown for about 5 min. on each side sprinkling generously as you go with garlic salt and pepper.

Step 2. Stir in broth mixture, wine and 4 thyme sprigs. Cover pot and roast at 350° for 1 & 1/2 hours.

Step 3. Turn roast over, stir liquid, then add carrots and potatoes, (opt.) and roast covered for 1 more hour.

*Garnish with more fresh thyme leaves (after discarding original sprigs) and serve with lots of french bread to soak up the delicious juice!

My husband wants a salad every night! (I swear I live with a bunch of rabbits!) Anyway this delectable Sweet and Blue Spinach Salad is a perfect complement to either the roast chicken or the pot roast.

A Little Known Fact about Depression/Anxiety and Cooking!!!

According to Behavioral Neuroscientist Dr. Kelly Lambert of the University of Richmond, regularly making or doing things with our hands (cooking, gardening, creating an art piece, etc.) ignites the “Effort-Driven Rewards Circuit” in our brains, which in turn significantly reduces depression and anxiety! We are doing less and less of these types of things in our instant society today so let’s reverse the trend: get cooking and be happier people!

Check out Dr. Lambert’s podcast : mikemahler.com/podcast/episode-17-lifting-depression-author-kelly-lambert-phd

Colorful Sayings

“Your goose is cooked,” “You’re a dead duck,” “You’re in hot water,” and my personal favorite, “You’re up $%#&* creek without a paddle”—these are all colorful ways of saying, “You’re in big trouble sister!” Gotta love it!

It's Greek to You

It’s time for another awesome (4 ingredient) appetizer! Whenever I need a great recipe, I have a few “Go To People” and Debbie Hogan is one of those. Everyone knows Debbie is an excellent cook, and she is always trying new recipes! Here’s what you’ll need for this gorgeous Greek dip!

4 Layer Greek Dip

1 (8 oz.) container of cream cheese with chives and onions

1 (8 oz.) container of hummus (I use red pepper hummus for color)

1/2 cup of greek olive tapenade

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (plain or Mediterranean style)

Fill the bottom of a glass dish with a layer of the cream cheese. Next carefully spoon on a layer of the hummus then the olive tapenade. Finally add a layer of the crumbled feta. Serve with pita chips and fresh veggies.

Homemade Pita Chips

Store bought pita chips are really good, but it’s hard to beat homemade! The problem is trying to stop from eating the whole batch right out of the oven!

2 rounds of pita bread (pocket style vs. flat)

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 frozen cube or teaspoon of crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs

Preheat oven to 275

Step 1. Combine oil, garlic and herbs in a small bowl.

Step 1. Using kitchen scissors cut each round in half then cut along the outer edges so that you end up with 4 semicircular pieces. You then cut each piece in half then half again until you have 32 wedges.

Step 3. Using a pastry brush cover both sides of each wedge with the oil mixture and lay them rough side down on a cookie sheet.

Step 4. Salt and pepper the top sides and bake for 4 min. Then turn each wedge over, salt and pepper again and bake for 4 more min.

Looking Back

Of all the Pickett’s Pearls (4 ingredient) recipes these Mediterranean Meatballs are definitely among the favorites! Made with zucchini, cumin and mint they have a very distinctive and delicious flavor!

Funny Saying

This saying has nothing to do with Greece or the Mediterranean, by the way. The other day Todd said “Roger that” then he immediately said who decided on the name Roger? Why not “Fred that” or “Jimmy that”? I love that I’m not the only one in our house now that notices the random things that “spill” out of our mouths.

Curry in a Hurry

Did you know that curry powder is actually a blend 8 or 9 different spices? (I know I didn’t!) So glad someone thought of combining everything for us! You can make so many delicious dishes with curry like this savory 4 ingredient Curry Chicken! I adapted this recipe from one I got from my very good friend Debbie Hunter. She is a superb cook! Here’s what you’ll need:

Curry Chicken

2 lbs. of chicken breasts (I like thin sliced.)

3/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth (or 3/4 cup of warm water mixed with 1&1/2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon (Chicken- Reduced Sodium)

1 can of coconut cream (Thai Kitchen)

2 level teaspoons of curry powder

Step 1. In a sauce pan on medium-low heat, combine broth, coconut cream and curry along with 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt and 4 cranks of cracked pepper. Let the sauce cook down (thicken) stirring occasionally. (If you can only find canned coconut “milk”, you will need to let the sauce cook down for quite a bit longer.)

Step 2. After the sauce has thickened, set it aside leaving a bit in the pan. Next add a thin film of oil to the pan. Using kitchen scissors, cut chicken breasts into small pieces, place in sauce pan and brown/cook on medium high.

Step 3. Serve the chicken over white rice, pouring the sauce on top. We also love to add chopped cranberries, sweetened/shredded coconut and sliced almonds for sweetness and texture. If you want sweetness and don’t want to deal with the toppings, you can stir in a teaspoon or so of sugar. (Serves 6 to 8)

*Take my word for it: DON’T USE RED CURRY!! it’s “too hot,” just like my husband’s favorite movie clip!

Looking Back

A couple of springs ago, Pickett’s Pearls had a delicious 4 ingredient Currry Chicken Salad! Perfect for a special lunch! I drizzle balsamic dressing on the bed of lettuce and serve the salad with Parmesan Crisps!

CHOCOLATE CITY

Being a chocolate lover (who isn’t?) I really perked up when some family friends, Jack and Karen, told me about Chocolate Martinis! With New Year’s coming up I had to get their recipe! Here’s what you’ll need:

1 to 1 & 1/2 oz of vanilla vodka (Regular works too)

1 & 1/2 to 2 oz . of Chocolate Liqueur (Godiva makes 1/2 bottles as well.)

1 & 1/2 oz. of half and half (you can also use vanilla almond milk.)

Chocolate syrup in a squeeze bottle (Smucker’s is nice and thick.)

Step 1. Chill the martini glasses and chocolate syrup bottle in the freezer for 10 or so mins.

Step 2. Pour the first three ingredients into a martini shaker, filled half way with ice, and shake vigorously.

Step 3. Swirl the Martini glass with a generous amount of chocolate syrup, pour in the drink and serve immediately.

As If That’s Not Enough Chocolate….

The Pickett’s love chocolate fountains! As a matter of fact we own two! They are totally fun to have at kid and adult parties! The good news is that you can get a decent one for around $40 and the large packages of chocolate are pretty easy to find. We love to dip strawberries, banana slices, Famous Amos cookies, Nutter Butters and even cheesecake bites!

One word of advice though: make sure you screw the tower on correctly. One New Year’s Eve at the house of our friends, Jay and Lisa, I DID NOT! When I turned the switch on the thing went spinning out of control and the chocolate hit all four walls. Thankfully Lisa just laughed. (She is my kind of gal!)

Funny Snowmen Story

Years ago at my birthday party, I got all snowman gifts: cute little snowmen hand towels, candles and even salt and pepper shakers! I said to my friends, “Why all the snowmen gifts?” My close friend Jill said, “You collect snowmen, right?!” I said “not that I know of.” We had a good laugh and to this day, I have random snowmen everywhere in my house come wintertime. I have even added a few to “my collection”!

Speaking of snowmen my good friend and fellow therapist, Peggy, shared this hilarious cartoon with me!

Happy New Year!

Classic Gingerbread with a Twist!

I was racking my brain (that's a nice image!) for a classic Christmas dessert and I thought, "oh yeah, gingerbread!" I  get asked about gluten-free recipes, so I decided to deliver. Plus there weren't any gluten-free gingerbread mixes out there or any gingerbread recipes with just 4 ingredients!  So, of course I made one up. What else is new?

Have you ever thought about what makes that  gingerbread taste? It turns out that besides ginger spice, it's molasses! Molasses is what makes it dark, not the ginger! Here's what you'll need:

A box of Gluten-Free Spice Cake Mix. (Namaste makes a very good double recipe one.)

4 eggs (Or the eggs required for the cake mix you are using.)

2/3 cup of water (or the water required for the cake mix you are using)

2/3 cup of molasses (you will be substituting molasses for the oil in the recipe.)

2 teaspoons of ground ginger for Namaste mix (For regular sized spiced cake mix-1 &1/2 teaspoons of ginger) 

Then you simply follow the directions on the cake box. (If your oven runs hot, bake closer to the minimum time and visa-versa.) Make sure you slowly open your oven door  at the end of the baking time to help prevent the gingerbread from sinking in the middle. The gingerbread comes out really scrumptious! A bit spongy perhaps, but hey, it's gluten-free.

*If you don't want to go the gluten-free route, just use any spiced cake mix, substitute molasses for the oil and add the ginger.

Cooking Tidbit: How does ""Black Strap Molasses" differ from regular "molasses"? Regular molasses is made by boiling down cane juice twice, and Black Strap is a result of a third boiling. As a result, Black Strap is more concentrated, darker in color and more bitter. So, making "Black Strap Molasses" has nothing to do with a black strap at all. (How boring!)

Looking Back

When we think of Gingerbread we think of gingerbread houses! My daughter, Abbey, who is a gingerbread house expert, shared some of the tricks of the trade in a blog post last Christmas called: "Christmas Crafts and Other Stuff". Check it out!

 

Dress up your Christmas table with these elegant Christmas napkins and napkin rings!

If you want to know the steps for making these napkin rings and how to fold napkins this way, check out the Thanksgiving blog post from a few weeks back called "Goat and Blue".

* World Market is a great place to buy very affordable, solid colored napkins and TJMaxx has good deals on printed napkins. I pulled out my Christmas stuff this year and realized I had like 30 red and green napkins. Oops! I guess I need to have a big party!

Back By Popular Demand!

People LOVED the Christmas Tree napkin fold  last year, so I decided to feature it again. This napkin fold is very easy to do and the post actually comes with a "How To" video starring Yours Truly. Check it Out!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Crescent Trees

At Christmas time it’s fun to make food that looks like Christmas decorations! I’m not afraid to admit that I like making things people ooh and aah over. So if you want to get your own oohs and aahs, make one of these babies! There are lots of steps to these amazing trees but the end result is worth it! I got this idea from my sister-in-law who got it from a website called “It’s Always Autumn”, but of course as always I tweaked it quite a bit and made them with 4 ingredients. Here’s what you will need:

A tube of Pillsbury Crescent Dough (Butter Flake)

For Cranberry Tree:

An 8 oz wedge of brie (or moreo

1/2 cup of fresh cranberries

1/3 cup of brown sugar

Opt. 1/3 cup of chopped pecans

For Green Tree:

A cup of frozen chopped spinach

4 oz. of regular cream cheese

1 heaping Tablespoon of Knorr’s vegetable soup mix (anyone from the south knows all about Knorr’s!)

Opt. 2/3 cup of chopped artichoke hearts

Step 1. Pop open and unroll the dough then put it in the freezer for about 10 min.between 2 pieces of parchment paper. (I used wax paper and found out later that I could have burnt the house down! Whew!)

Step 2. While you are chilling the dough make the mixture for the filling.

(For the Cranberry Tree: pulse the cranberries and brown sugar in a food processor until the cranberries are in very small pieces then add the pecan pieces and pulse a tiny bit more.)

(For the Green Tree: Defrost the frozen spinach in the microwave then using a paper towel squeeze it dry. Next soften the cream cheese in the microwave and mix it with the spinach and the Knorr’s.)

Step 3. Remove the dough from the freezer and using your fingers pinch the seams of the dough together. Using a pizza wheel cut the bottom four inches from the rectangle.

Step 4. Next cut out a triangle. This gives you one large triangle and two smaller ones. (See below) Next transfer the smaller triangles to a second piece of parchment paper, placing the straight edges together to make a second large triangle. You then press the two halves together in the middle. (This will be the underside of the tree.) Next use a bit of the extra dough to make a little trunk.

Step 5. Cover the bottom layer with the filling. (For the Cranberry Tree carefully slice off the skin of the brie and melt the brie in the microwave. (At this point you can also stir in a little salt.) Next spread all of the brie on top of the second triangle. You then spread the cranberry mixture on top of the brie layer.)

Step 6. Carefully add the first triangle on top and use a bit more of the extra dough to shape the top trunk.

Step 7. Using the pizza wheel cleanly cut horizontal lines across the tree forming sections about 1 inch thick. Finally twist each section starting from the center outward. (See below)

Step 8. Cover the edges of the tree with foil to prevent them from burning. (See below.)

Step 9. Bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 22 to 24 minutes removing the foil after 12 to 14 min. When tree is done, move the tree with the parchment paper to a large cutting board or large flat serving platter. Next very carefully slide the tree off the parchment paper. Serve hot.

Looking Back

If you want to do a yummy holiday appetizer but don’t want to go through the trouble of making a Christmas tree try, last year’s Cranberry and Brie!

Funny Story

About a year ago retail stores in California started charging 10 cents for bags. Lots of people put up a fuss about having to pay. When I asked one of the cashiers at Target about the wildest reaction she’d ever seen, she said one man refused to pay for a bag and instead took off his shirt and used it as a sling to hold his stuff. Was he cut? I said. She said, definitely not. He kinda looked like a shirtless Santa Claus.

Have a Merry, Merry!

GET TOASTY WITH THIS CHRISTMAS COLORED BURRATA

Burrata is a divine Italian cheese made from fresh mozzarella and cream. Last year’s “Bella Burrata” appetizer was more savory (made with Greek olives) where this one is drizzled with balsamic reduction, which gives it a sweeter taste. Here's what you'll need for this festive appetizer:

A baguette

Pesto

Three or four balls of burrata cheese. (They usually come like regular fresh mozzarella - floating in liquid in a clear plastic container.)

A basket of small grape tomatoes

Balsamic reduction (Rachel Ray makes a great one!)

Step 1. Slice the baguette into very thin slices (about 3/4 inch) and toast them in an oven at 400 for about 5 minutes till they are very slightly browned.

Step 2. Using a spoon, chop and lightly stir the burrata in a bowl.

Step 3. Chop the tomatoes into small chunks.

Step 4. Spread a dollop of pesto on each baguette slice, then add a dollop of chopped burrata and a dollop of chopped grape tomatoes.

Step 5. Finally CAREFULLY drizzle a bit of balsamic reduction on top and serve.

• This recipe has 5 ingredients instead of the usual 4:) Please don’t shoot me!

Tiny Trees

These tiny trees that I saw on Pinterest are super easy to make and turn out darling! Here’s what you’ll need:

Wood slices from Christmas tree bottoms. (You can get these from the guys cutting the ends off the trees at any Christmas tree lot.)

Pine cones (They often have these at tree lots as well.)

Small little gold stars (You can make them using very thin cardboard, glue stick and fine glitter.)

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Simply hot glue the bottom of each pine cone onto the top of a wood cutting then hot glue the star on top. (You can also lightly spray these with flocking spray, shellac or adhesive and sprinkle with glitter.)

Christmas Candles

These festive candles are super easy to make. First, fill a mason jar with Christmas tree pine cuttings, cranberries and water. You then add a floating candle. (You can get the floating candles and mason jars at Michael’s.)

*These can be made for every holiday. Simply change the filling in the jars.

Looking Back

Last Christmas we did these darling Christmas Crescent Trees. I’m definitely going to make the Brie and Cranberry one this year! (They look harder to make than they are:). Also, every year I have to mention the Christmas Tree Napkin Fold. (So fun and super easy!)

Have a Very, Very Merry Christmas!

Berries and Bows

Cranberries and Brie

The holidays come with the need for lots of tasty food, and sometimes we need inspiration. This Cranberry and Brie Appetizer is not only delectable, but it's red! How festive! (And who doesn't worship Brie?)

I got the idea for this marvelous relish from Judy Strobolakos of Southern California. The only difference is that she adds a whole naval orange to the mix.  She uses it on everything from cheese & crackers to turkey sandwiches. Here's what you'll need:

1/2 bag of fresh cranberries

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 cup of white (or brown sugar)

A round or wedge of Brie 

All you do is put the cranberries, pecans and sugar in a food processor and pulse very lightly so that the mixture is blended but still very chunky. You then cover the top of the brie with the cranberry relish and melt brie in a microwave just until it is hot but not too runny (2o to 40 seconds depending on the microwave). Serve with crackers. Totally addictive! Good luck trying to tear yourself away from this one!

Looking Back:

Cream cheese and hot pepper jelly, totally tasty! Every year at Christmas we had this classic, colorful appetizer, and you probably did too. It's still just as delicious and fun! Check out last Christmas' post: Christmas Memories. 

Elegant but Easy

My very first job was wrapping Christmas presents at a little boutique that sold beautiful glass ornaments. (I don't think I broke anything, but maybe I blocked it out.)  Anyway I loved wrapping gorgeous packages and have loved it ever since! Here is a simple, but elegant way to make bows so that your presents will look that much more special. (Of course, you probably don't want to wrap socks in a package like this.) 

Here's what you'll need:

A wired ribbon about 2 & 2/3 yards for large boxes, 2 & 1/3 yards for medium boxes and 1 & 1/2  yards for smaller boxes. (Better to have too much instead of too little.)

One or two pieces of wired ribbon (depending on whether you are doing a single or double bow), about 1 & 2/3 yards for larger bows and  1 & 1/2 yards for smaller bows. (I like the ribbons made of cloth.)

A measuring device such as a tape measure

A sharp pair of scissors

Scotch tape

Half of a pipe cleaner or very stiff wire about 5 inches long

Step 1 Take a wrapped present and measure a ribbon so that it goes around the box twice with about a foot and a few inches extra.

Step 2. Cut the ribbon and tie it around the box crossing the ribbon at the bottom of the box. You then cross the tails of the ribbon on top instead of completely knotting them and tape them down.

Step 3. Take the second piece of ribbon. (See measurements above.) You then make 3 to 4 loops on each side. For larger bows you want each loop to measure about 3 &1/2 inches when flattened, for medium bows 3 inches and for smaller bows 2&1/2 inches.

Step 4. Take 1/2 of a pipe cleaner or 5 inches of wire and twist it tightly around the middle of the bow.

Step 5. Tie the bow tightly on top of the box using the tails from the other ribbon.

Step 6. Using sharp scissors cut the end of each tail in a straight line then fold the ends of the ribbon and cut a V. Voila, you have a beautiful present!

Finishing touch

Almost all wreaths need the finishing touch of a bow. Bows for wreaths are made much the same as the bows above  for presents except you need just one piece of ribbon instead of 2. You'll need about 2 yards & 8 inches for medium sized bows and about 3 yards for large bows. (I like the look and feel of wired ribbon that is made more of a soft cloth.)

Step 1. Take a ribbon with the measurements above. You then start with a 6 to 8 inch tail and above that begin forming loops just like you did with the bows above.

Step 2. Once you have 3 to 4 loops on each side, tie the center with a thick wire or full pipe cleaner.

Step 3. Fluff the bow by pulling the loops apart, then attach the bow to the wreath. (See second one below.)

Wreath Makeover

Many of us aren't creative visionaries in the sense that we come up with ideas in a vacuum. Creativity can also be about taking one thing and making it better. I bought the wreath below (left) at Michael's for $20 and all I did was remove the green, add a few more berries and a bow! Voila, a whole new wreath which I, at least, think is much better!

Fun Saying

I was at my office this past week and saw that one of my fellow therapists put this up in our hallway. I just had to share it!

Hope you have a fun and meaningful Christmas!

Oh Christmas Tree. O Christmas Tree. . .

I was looking for napkin folds and I came across this darling Christmas tree one! To make things even better, it's easy to do! It would really make your Christmas table super fun and special! (Am I excited or what?) 

Step 1. Take a pressed napkin and fold it from the top down, then fold it over again right to left making a square.

Step 2. Rotate the square so that the point with no folds is facing you.

Step 3. Fold the top layer up leaving an inch of the bottom layer showing. (You will want to smooth down each part as you go.)

Step 4. Repeat with other three layers. You also may need to adjust each layer a bit so it lines up with the other layers.

Step 5. Flip napkin over so that the sharpest point is at the top. Take the left hand corner and fold it over, so the point touches the right edge making a triangle at the top. 

Step 6. Repeat with the right hand point. 

Step 7. Flip the napkin over so that the sharpest corner is facing you. Fold the top layer up a little past the top corner.

Step 8. Fold each layer up and tuck the corner into the layer above. 

Step 9. Presto! You have a Christmas Tree.

(Opt.) Step 10. To add a finishing touch: place a tiny bow on top of the tree using a straight pin.

Christmas Memories

I was thinking of past Christmases and realized that we only have a few family traditions. This year I'm forcing our family to each come up with an activity that we can do  together. My activity is driving around the surrounding neighborhoods and looking at Christmas lights. (Something we talk about, but never do.) We will each pick out our favorite houses. (The only requirement for this activity is there is no arguing:) I don't know if you drove around looking at Christmas lights with your family, but I did and it was a highlight

Good 4 Alfredo

The story goes that Alfredo sauce got its name from Alfredo di Lelio, who in 1908 was trying to come up with a dish that would please his pregnant wife. I like this guy already! He brought it from Italy to America in 1914 when he opened a restaurant in New York City from which his fame (or that of his dish!) spread. How can you go wrong with chicken covered with a sauce made of cream, parmesan cheese and white wine? You can’t! Here’s what you’ll need for this divine, 4 ingredient version:

1 & 1/2 lbs. of chicken

1& 1/2 cup of heavy cream

2/3 cup of dry white wine

2 cups of grated or shredded parmesan

Step 1. Put a skillet on medium low heat and stir in the wine and cream.

Step 2. Very slowly stir in parmesan cheese until the cheese melts. (This takes a few min. of continuous stirring.)

Step 3. Finally stir in 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt and 6 cranks of pepper. (If the sauce won’t get smooth enough, you can put it in a blender or if it gets too thick, you can re-warm it. If it’s still too thick, add a little chicken broth.)

Step 3. Spoon the sauce into a small pitcher and set aside. (Don’t clean out the frying pan because you will use it along with the sauce residue to cook the chicken. This gives the chicken a little extra flavor.)

Step 4. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts and cut in large bite sized pieces .

Step. 5 Cover the bottom of the frying pan with a thin film of oil and cook the chicken pieces on medium high until done. (Once they are done on one side, turn them over so they will brown on both sides.)

*This Chicken Alfredo can be served over pasta and/or stir-fried vegetables (broccoli florets, chunks of red onion and pieces of bell peppers make a great combo for this dish!). If you are doing vegetables, start stir-frying the bell pepper first, then add the onion and finally the broccoli.

Harvest Candle Holder

Every time I go to Pier 1 I get ideas for crafts I want to do. Last time it was a Harvest Candle Holder. Totally easy to make! I will probably put it on our long Pickett family Thanksgiving table with flower arrangements on each side! Here’s what you’ll need:

A Hurricane candle holder (I get them from World Market for $4!)

Candle

Artificial leaves, berries, small pine cones etc.

Gold Spray paint

Cardboard

Glue gun and sticks

Step 1. Trace the base of the candle holder on the cardboard and cut the cardboard about 1 & 1/2 inches wider than the tracing.

Step 2. Spray the cardboard piece with gold spray paint and if you want, the pine cones.

Step 3. With the candle holder centered on top of the cardboard, begin gluing on the foliage in whatever design you want.

Step 4. When you are done, with your hand underneath, very carefully move the candle holder where you want it to place it. (Some of the foliage will be stuck to the candle holder. This is fine because it helps keep it in place.)

Step 5. Put the candle inside and enjoy! (Now, I’m excited to do one for Christmas!)

Looking Back

If you want ideas for other easy holiday crafts, check out some of last year’s posts on how to make Fall Napkin Rings, Christmas Napkin Rings and Holiday Coasters.