Canned Turkey

Turkey gets real cheap the closer you are to Thanksgiving. Last year I got an extra turkey for $0.25 per pound so I could can it. I have not regret that I did it one bit. Today I hung out with my friend Shellee all day and there was no time to cook something that would take a long time so I pulled out a can of turkey and added frozen vegetables and kaboom! I have hot soup to serve my family. The other day I did the same thing except with cabbage. Delicious meal in less than 15 minutes. I love it. Check out my other great recipes.

Cute as a Bug T party

I flipped through an old magazine I got in college and saw this. Had to make it! So the idea for a tea party came to mind.
















For the cake I used a Pumpkin Pie Cake recipe. You can use any cake that goes with the season for which you will be making this. Easiest cake I've ever decorated!!

I opted for making these ladybugs rather than the ones in the magazine. It had cherry tomatoes on crackers with cream cheese and black olives for the head. I don't think any of the kids would've touched that. But these were a hit and this is my original idea so I was pretty happy.

Bettle Juice

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups white grape juice
1-1/2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon

Ladybug Appetizers
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon snipped chives
1/8 teaspoon minced parsley
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
Black paste food coloring
36 butter flavored crackers
18 cherry tomatoes, quartered
19 large pitted ripe olives
72 fresh chive pieces (about 1-1/2 inches long)


Butterfly sandwiches
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup mayo

New England Molasses Gingerbread cookies

Dough
6 cups (about) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 1/2teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 large egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
Water
Food coloring (optional)

Decorations (such as colored sugar crystals)
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

For dough:
Combine 5 1/4 cups flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend well. Using electric mixer, beat butter and shortening in large bowl to blend. Add 1 cup sugar, molasses, and lemon peel and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and buttermilk. Stir 2 teaspoons water and baking soda in small cup to blend; beat into butter mixture. Beat in flour mixture in 2 additions. Stir in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until slightly firm dough forms. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Shape each into disk. Wrap disks and chill until firm enough to roll, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften slightly before rolling out.)
Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 16x12-inch rectangle, occasionally lifting paper to smooth out wrinkles. Using 4- to 5-inch cutters, cut out boy and girl gingerbread people. Pull away excess dough around cutouts; flatten, wrap, and chill excess dough. Slide rimless baking sheet or inverted baking sheet under waxed paper with cutouts and chill until firm. Repeat with remaining dough disks, refrigerating cutouts on waxed paper on baking sheets. Roll out excess dough and make more cookies, using all of dough. (Cutout cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Using thin metal spatula, lift chilled cookies off waxed paper and transfer to baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until darker at edges and just firm to touch in center, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Bake remaining cookies, 1 sheet at a time.
For icing:
Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl. Mix in lemon juice and corn syrup. Mix in enough water by teaspoonfuls to form smooth icing soft enough to pipe but firm enough to hold shape. Divide into 3 or 4 portions and tint with food coloring, if desired.
Spoon icing into pastry bag (or bags if using more than 1 color) fitted with small (1/16- to 1/8-inch) plain tip. Arrange cookies on work surface. Pipe icing onto cookies in desired patterns. Apply decorations as desired. Let cookies stand until icing is dry. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store cookies airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/New-England-Molasses-Gingerbread-Cookies-107526#ixzz0nGbexDTq

Corn Maze and Salmon Fest

Fall is here and it is beautiful. The weather is still nice with more sunny days than rainy. We took advantage of one blue sky sunny day to go to a corn maze and pumpkin patch with cousin Dave, Kim, Damon and Melynn. We had a hay ride, roasted peach with ice cream (which was awesome!) and roasted corn. The kids got to ride on the famous cow train. Each ride was around 15 minutes long around the farm. It went for a whole lot longer than we thought it would go for only $3. Well worth it. We had so much fun that I ran out of time and couldn't get home on time to get changed for the RS Women's Broadcast and I showed up in jeans. Wow I felt like a convert but thankfully my friends made sure to tell me I looked cute and comfortable. The theme for RS broadcast was "for with what judgment ye judged ye shall be judged". Down the row my friends and I were winking at each other during President Monson's talk. That was great.
The week after RS Broadcast we anxiously anticipated General Conference. We watched it on our computer and made pancakes and egss and Seattle's Famous Trophy cupcakes to share with Dave and Kim and family. Reena had so much fun playing with her cousins while her mommy shows off her skills in hula hoop to everyone. I really didn't know I was that good. I went 3 minutes and only stopped because my hips were getting tired. Dan and Dave had a great time with new technologies, specifically Dan showing off her Kindle which he finally decided to buy after I got the iphone from Denny at the House of Hope. We also took advantage of the Salmon Fest and went to the Salmon Hatchery for the first time since we've been here. We didn't know it was such a huge thing with bands playing and booths and food! Next year we'll have to save up and spend on some goodies.

What The Pho? An excellent freezer meal

Have you ever had the craving for Pho but doesn't want to leave the comfort of your home to go get some? Well after trying about 10 different restaurants for Pho, I've finally decided share my favorite. This recipe is an excellent freezer meal.

When my hubby first met me and I introduced him to Pho (fuh), he immediately said "What the Pho?" to be funny. Well guess what?! When we first came to Seattle to check it out, we went to Bellevue and while driving around we saw a Viet restaurant with the name "What The Pho?" We laughed so hard and took lots of pictures. Well, now What The Pho is our favorite Vietnamese restaurant. But sometimes going there and spending $6.50 for a bowl of pho isn't satisfying. I want more the next day and the next day and the next day. So this is for all my pho lover friends who are just like me. Below you'll find an easy recipe for beef and chicken pho. Both can be used interchangeably. The key in good pho is the broth.

Ingredients
1 bunch of cilantro's stems
1 onions cut in half
1 nub of ginger cut thinly in slices
1 whole chicken, or beef bones if you prefer beef
IF YOU WANT BEEF PHO, ADD 1 lb of beef meat - chuck, rump, and beef shank
5- 6 quarts of water
1 package of Pho Spices or if you don't have Pho spice, use the following homemade spice 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tbsp of cinnamon powder, 1 tbl cloves, 1tbsp nutmeg, 1 whole star anise. It's ok to miss 1 spice if you don't have all of the ingredients. Cinnamon is a must.
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar

Garnish - cilantro, green onions, basil, limes, chili peppers, bean sprout, Hoisin sauce, Sriracha hot sauce.

Set oven on broil and place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over after five minutes. 10-15 minutes total.

Wash chicken, or beef bones, place in water and add charred onions and ginger. Boil for 1 hour. Scoop out foams and fat. Use a cheese cloth to strain out fat and foam. Use cheese cloth to wrap up spices and dip in water. Add fish sauce and cook for another 45 minutes. Now your soup is ready to serve! Freeze left overs for next time you want instant pho.

If you're just in the mood for chicken, shred the chicken breast and add it in!









Or if you're like me and like it meaty, add all of your favorite pho meat.