The Jolly Kitchen

I have to admit I have a bad sweet tooth! I never buy anything sweet for our home because I will devour it in 1.2 seconds! During the holidays, though, I totally indulge on Thanksgiving Day, the day after, Christmas, and the day after! One of my favorite desserts is pie. Any type of pie. I love pie! Here are some links to recipes from various websites that I have used before and I know are delicious! I do want to note though, that at Thanksgiving I don't bother with making crusts. I just buy the rolled Pillsbury crusts instead. There is way too much to bake and cook to bother with making crusts.

Classic Pumpkin Pie


















French Apple Tart
I make this tart for my family ALL of the time! It is delicious, but a bit time consuming to make. I always cringe a little when I get requests for it at times other than the Holidays.

There's nothing like creamy mashed potatoes. When you make mashed potatoes, never ever use a hand mixer or food processor. You will get glue. Instead, use a potato masher, ricer, or food mill. I like my mashed potatoes lumpy, but if you don't just keep mashing until you reach the consistency you like.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt
1 8oz container of sour cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish

Directions
Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain; return potatoes to pot.
Stir potatoes over medium heat until dry (a film of starch will form on bottom of pot), about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Add butter to mash potatoes and mash just until smooth. Add sour cream and stir until combined. Stir in parsley and chives; season with salt. Garnish with more herbs.

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This is number 2 in The Jolly Kitchen's Thanksgiving Series. Today, I will be offering tips and instructions on how to roast and carve your turkey!

Roasting Your Turkey:
1. Place turkey, breast side up on a shallow roasting pan and brush with melted butter or oil. I suggest that you use an oven proof thermometer. If you do, insert it into the thickest part of the thigh and make sure it is not touching the bone.
2. About 2/3’s of the way through cooking time, make sure to untie the drumsticks so that the inner thighs cook through.
3. Start checking doneness about an hour before the end of recommended roasting time. Your bird will be done when the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees and juices run clear. If you stuffed your bird, then the stuffing should reach 165 degrees. If your turkey is already golden brown, but it is not done yet, then loosely place an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
4. When the turkey is done, transfer it to a carving board and cover with aluminum foil. Let the bird rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. This is a very important step in ensuring that your turkey is moist and easily carved.

Roasting Turkey Timetable:



Carving Your Bird:

It’s almost Turkey Time and many of us are starting to prepare our menus for the Big Day. We hosted our first Thanksgiving last year and we were really nervous. It feels so overwhelming and intimidating to host such a special dinner for a lot of people. If you take it a step at a time and plan ahead, it really is not bad. We will be hosting Thanksgiving at our home again this year. I have to admit that I am still nervous about it so I am posting this series to help you and me too! Let’s get started!

The turkey is really the main event at Thanksgiving and deserves and requires the most attention.

Selecting the Perfect Turkey:
To have enough for your Thanksgiving feast and enough for the ever popular leftovers, allow 1 pound of turkey for every person. Make sure that the turkey you choose is plump and meaty with smooth, moist skin. The cut ends of the bone should be pink to red in color. If you decide on buying a fresh turkey, make sure that you will be cooking 1 to 2 days after buying and store it in the refrigerator. If you buy a frozen bird, it will keep for up to 6 months and follow the thawing instructions offered below.

Thawing: There are three safe ways to thaw your turkey.

1. Slowly thaw in the refrigerator. Place your turkey (keep in packaging) on a platter to catch juices. You should allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds of whole turkey. So, an 8-12 pound turkey will take about 2 days to completely thaw.
2. Slowly thaw in cold water. If you need to quickly thaw a turkey, then place the turkey still in its original packaging in your sink or container filled with cold water. Make sure to change out the water often. Allow 30 minutes for every 5 pounds of turkey. So, an 8-12 pound turkey will take about 5 hours to thaw.
3. Microwave. I don’t recommend this method, but it can be done in a pinch if you need to thaw the turkey very quickly. Remove the turkey from its packaging and follow your microwaves thawing directions.

Preparing Your Turkey: If you have decided to stuff your bird, make sure to do it right before cooking to avoid bacterial contamination. Make sure you never prestuff a turkey and then store in the refrigerator or freezer.








1. Take your turkey out of the packaging and make sure to remove the package of giblets. Seriously, make sure to remove the giblets-lol! My mom has forgotten before…not pretty. If you are making gravy from the giblets, then set aside. If not, then discard the giblets.
2. Wash out the neck and cavity of the bird with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the skin and cavity of the bird with salt. However, if you are stuffing the turkey, do not salt the cavity.
3. Stuff turkey if you would like. I honestly prefer not to because it is more difficult to get a juicy bird. If you decide to though, make sure you pack the stuffing lightly since the stuffing will expand as it cooks. Using skewers, attach the neck skin to the back and fold wings across the back with wings touching. Finally, tie the drumsticks together or tuck under the band of skin at tail.
4. If you are not stuffing your turkey, then fill cavities with various fruits like lemons, oranges, or apples or season with herbs. Then, close up the cavities as described in step 3.

I hope that these tips are helpful! Make sure to tune in tomorrow for the second installment in my Thanksgiving Series in which I offer directions and tips on roasting and carving the perfect turkey. See you then!

First, I must give credit to The Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog! I got this Apple Muffin recipe from their AMAZING blog that you must visit. Seriously, those girls can cook and their blog is beautifully done.

I did subsitute the white flour with white wheat flour (healthier option) and they were delicious! The husband and the toddler gobbled them up. I made them 2 days ago and there are only 3 left-we had 12! I have eaten 2-you do the math-LOL!

Now, for the recipe:
Apple Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup salad oil
1 cup coarsely grated apple
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or sub with white wheat flour)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
1. Beat egg. Stir in milk oil and apples.
2. Mix in remaining ingredients, just until flour is moistened. The batter should be lumpy.
3. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove from pan.

This week's menu is:

Dinner:
Oven Roasted Chicken with Roasted Vegetables
Bruschetta Chicken Bake
Apple Meatloaf and Couscous with Carrots and Cauliflower
Classic Chicken Pot Pie


For the munchkins lunch, I will be making spinach nuggets and mini tarts again because he loves them!

Breakfast:
Apple Muffins
Organic Whole Grain Waffles
Eggs and Toast
Various Fruits

It's getting chilly down here and I feel like hibernating! A wonderfully delicious way of warming up is with a good cup of hot cocoa. Here is a recipe I found a while ago that is really, really good. Perfect for chilly nights spent reading a good book by the fire. If you don't have time to make your own, then store bought is fine too. I always add half and half to store bought so that it is creamy and delicious.


Ingredients
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half
Cooking Instructions
Combine the cocoa, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch.
Stir in milk and heat until very hot (do not boil!) Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between four mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

My husband says this is the BEST meal ever! It really is great. The chicken has a tangy taste from the mustard. So good!

Chicken Dijon

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch. This is so they cook evenly and quickly.
2. In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the bread crumbs, flour, and paprika. In another shallow bowl or plate, combine the mustard, honey, water, salt, and pepper. Coat both sides of the chicken breasts with the mustard mixture, then the bread crumb mixture, and place them on the baking sheet.
3. Melt the butter in the microwave and drizzle it over the chicken breasts. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes or until the thickest part is no longer pink inside.

**Note** I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because it tastes a lot better and is harder to dry out. However, if you use chicken thighs, you will need to cook longer. I cooked them about 20-25 minutes.


Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes

Ingredients:

8 oz (2 cups dry) macaroni
1 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
2 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions and drain it.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the milk, salt, and mustard. Set it aside.
4. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the macaroni with the butter, the beaten egg, and 2 cups of cheese. Stir it thoroughly.
5. Place the macaroni mixture in the microwave on high for 2 minutes to melt the cheese more thoroughly. Mix well.
6. Add the milk mixture and tomatoes to the macaroni and toss it. Place it in the casserole dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the bread crumbs and bake it, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until set.

These are the items we always have in our kitchen. As I run out of an item, I add it to the following week's grocery list. It is nice to have these staples on hand. Each household will have different must haves, but it is convenient to have items that are commonly used in many recipes.

Olive oil
Vegetable or Canola oil
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Nonstick cooking spray
Bread crumbs
Cornmeal
All Purpose flour
White wheat flour
Whole wheat flour
White and brown sugar
Honey
White and brown rice
Couscous
2 pkgs pasta
2-4 cans chicken broth
Bouillion cubes (beef and chicken)
1 jar good quality pasta sauce
1 can good quality diced tomatoes
1 can good quality tomato sauce
1 can good quality crushed tomoatoes
1 can good quality whole tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans
Lentils
Light soy sauce
Red wine vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Cocoa powder

Spices and Herbs

Basil
Bay leaves
Cinnamon
Dry mustard powder
Lemon Pepper
Sea salt
Oregano
Thyme
Pepper
Salt
Rosemary
Sage
Nutmeg
Pure vanilla extract

Refrigerator Staples

Dijon mustard
Horseradish
Maple syrup
Ketchup
Eggs
Butter
Milk
Low fat plain yogurt or sour cream
Chopped garlic
Light mayonaise
Natural peanut butter
Preserves or jam
Parmesan cheese
Half and Half
Frozen

Peas
Cauliflower
Spinach
Berries

So simple to make and very good! Also, this is much lighter than traditional Alfredo.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (16 oz) penne pasta
1/2 pound (1 head)broccoli florets
3/4 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until is 2 minutes short of being done, then add the broccoli for the final 2 minutes of cooking.
2. While the pasta cooks, use a blender or food processor to combine the ricotta, yogurt, butter, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, basil, pepper, and salt. Blend until it is smooth.
3. When the pasta and broccoli are cooked; drain then and toss them with the sauce. Serve pasta warm.

**Note** I ommitted the walnuts because my son is under 2 years old.**
***Note*** This recipe calls for 1 box of pasta. This made A LOT and the pasta seemed to need more sauce so the next time I make this, I will only use 1/2 box of pasta. If you are feeding a lot of people, use 1 box of pasta and double the ingredients for the sauce.***

I got another award! Woot! Thanks to Felicia at Go Graham Go! I love your blog too! If you're a mom looking to find out which baby products work, you should definitely visit Go Graham Go. Felica doesn't do the "typical" review. She provides videos and slideshows of the product in action.

Here are the rules for the award:
1. Slap this baby up on your blog. Don’t be shy.

2. Link to the giver - in this case The Jolly Kitchen!

3. Nominate up to seven other fab blogs.

4. Post links to those super fly blogs your nominating.

5. Leave messages for your recipients on their blogs…so they can feel as special as you.


7 Blogs I Love:

Sewing Mom
The Best of DIY
Ellen Sew Crafty
Embrace Simplicity
1 Blog 2 Sides
Winniel & The Laughing House
The Daily Dish

Thank you so much Nessa at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife for the Kreativ Blogger Award! I really love your blog too and I am honored that you thought of me. Here are the rules for the award:

1. List six things about yourself

2. Pass this award on to other bloggers

Ok, here goes!

1. I love to cook! It is peaceful and relaxing to me. Well, it is peaceful and relaxing when I don't have a toddler grabbing my pant leg begging me to pick him up ; )
2. I love cheesecake and I make many different types. At Thanksgiving, I usually make a pumpkin cheesecake with a chocolate crust and decorated with chocolate leaves. It is so delicious!
3. I hate buffet style restaurants!
4. I love to decorate and own way too many dishes, glasses, silverware, etc...
5. I am a total mess in the kitchen. When I am done cooking, the kitchen looks like a tornado has been through it.
6. Don't talk to me if I have not had my coffee in the morning. I'm not very pleasant!

I would like to pass this award to these great bloggers:
1. Go Graham Go
2. My Art and the Mom in Me
3. The Mom Buzz
4. Momma Cooks Cooking
5. World of Homemaking

These are definitely a little bit of work, but they are really good!

Ingredients:

10 green onions roots and ends trimmed
Olive oil for coating onions
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub a baking sheet with oil.
2. Lightly coat the onions with olive oil, place them on the baking sheet, ans season with salt. Roast for 5 to 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Chop into small dice.
3. Decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Grease the cups of the muffin tins with butter.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, buttermilk, and egg.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
6. In the bowl of the stand mixeer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on high speed until smooth. Continuing to beat on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk mixture until smooth. Add the cheese and green onions. Mix just to blend.
7. Use a small ice cream scoop to spoon batter into each cup. Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Let cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes before removing muffins from tin. Left over muffins can be refigerated for 2-3 days and frozen for 2-3 weeks.

Makes 18 regular sized muffins or 36 mini muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup low fat sour cream
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound cubed Angus stewing meat or beef tenderloin tips
2 Tbsp butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
3 large celery stalks finely chopped
1 tsp fresh dill or 3/4 tsp dried dill
1/8 cup red wine
1/8 cup light soy sauce

Instructions:

Remove the sour cream from the refrigerator so it warms slightly. Stir the mustard into the sour cream and set aside.

In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Sear the meat (cook without moving it) on all sides for about 1 minute until it is no longer pink on the outside. With a slotted spoon, tranfer the meat to a plate.

Using the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add butter. Add the mushrooms, celery, and dill and saute them for about 5 minutes until they are softened. Add the red wine and soy sauce and continue cooking the mixture for about 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are very tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the vegetables get too dry, add 1/4 cup water to the skillet.

Return the meat to the skillet and cook it for 2 to 3 more minutes until it is cooked through. Reduce the heat to low, let the temperature lower for a minute, and stir in the sour cream mixture until it is warmed through. Remove from heat and serve immediately over potatoes or egg noodles.

Menu For This Week: I'll post recipes and pictures as I make each meal.

Chicken Dijon
Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatos


Crunchy Chicken Fingers
Sweet Potato Fries


Bowties Alfredo with Broccoli
Salad
Cheddar Cheese Muffins

Beef & Mushrooms in Light Cream Sauce over Potatoes


Lunch for the Toddler:
Spinach Nuggets
Grilled Cheese
Whole Grain Crackers with Deli Meat & Cheese
Homemade Soup
Assorted Fruit: Pineapple, Blueberries, Grapes, Bananas
Organic Yogurt Mixed with Fresh Fruit

I got on award! Woo-hoo! Thank you to Jen at The Geek's Girl and Kimmi at Kimmis Krazy World. I love your blogs too!

As with all awards, here are the rules:

Here are the rules:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the persons you've nominated.

I would like to pass the award to these great bloggers:

1. Modern Mommy
2. Saving Grace
3. Tired Mama
4. Soccer Mom Says
5. Katee Dyd What
6. Housewife Mom
7. Feels Like Home

This is the best meatloaf I have ever had. The couscous is delicious and a total comfort food.

Apple Meatloaf

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 1/2 c. packaged stuffing mix
2 c. finely chopped Paula Red apples
3 eggs
2 t. salt
2 T. prepared mustard
1 large onion, minced
3 T. prepared horseradish
3/4 c. ketchup

Directions
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing well. Pack into a greased 8×5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 1 and 1/4 hours.

Couscous with Cauliflower and Carrots



Ingredients:

5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 head cauliflower (or 1 bag frozen florets)
1 pkg Near East Parmesan couscous
chicken broth
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Put cauliflower and carrots in a large pot with water and bring to a boil until vegetables are fork tender. Drain. Lightly mash cauliflower and carrots and set aside.
2. Cook couscous according to package directions BUT replace the water with the chicken broth.
3. Combine couscous and vegetables and stir to combine.Season with salt according to your taste.