Santa Has A New Elfa

Sometimes it is a wine sort of night. Other times one might like a martini. And for dessert, a Velvet Hammer (see "Grown Folks Milkshake" from September 2012). And then there is the Banana Sheet Cake from The Cake Mix Doctor Cookbook which is enhanced with a little banana liqueur. Suffice it to say, we enjoy quite a wide assortment of spirits at our house. A recent trip to the Container Store was in order to address the organization dilemma. 

Problem: 1) too many bottles but can't part with any of them, 2) inventory check very difficult, 3) trying to reach something in the very back not easy, and 4) since these items have rather long shelf lives, the bottles don't disappear very quickly. 

Solution: Santa's Elfa! At the suggestion of "Tammy" at the Container Store, I removed the liqueurs and mixers from this cabinet to reduce the volume of bottles. Two Elfa pullouts took care of the rest of the bottles. Tammy suggested that the liqueurs be moved to another Elfa unit for the inside of my pantry door. I designated one basket-shelf for mixers. I installed the pantry door unit all by myself! No drill involved nor any extra tools. The allen wrench needed is included in the installment kit. With a couple of the basket-shelves still empty, it will be a pleasure decluttering some other to-be-determined area. 

There might be a Christmas Elfa lurking around the corner to help you. Jot down your measurements and set a goal to straighten up a cabinet in the New Year. Perhaps a little giftcard from The Container Store in your stocking? Merry Christmas, faithful readers!

A Honey Hint For The SOS

When a family grows like mine has, some Stuffers Of Stockings (SOS) eliminate the adult stockings and just do the little people. Other SOS eliminate the stockings altogether. But since I enjoy every single part of Christmas, this SOS is preparing 15 stockings again this year, including my husband's mother and my brother. The biggest issue for me is keeping inventory of what is to go in each one. The endless written lists of groceries and gifts works for awhile, but the stocking items seem harder to track. Stuffing stockings for ages 6 months to nearly 83 years makes for an impossible mental inventory for this brain. So, I am offering my solution to you: liquor boxes, specifically 6-slot like the LARGE bottles of wine come in. I reuse the boxes every year so that I don't have to rewrite names. Then I can peer down in each slot to see whose stocking is lacking. No putting all items on my bed on Christmas Eve to stuff and discover that somebody is WAAAAYYY short. Merry Christmas to all SOS readers!

Stewing A Turkey Carcass

You know the soup must have been good if the grandson finishes off his bowl by drinking the last of it through a straw. If you are a blog follower of mine, you may remember last year's November blog on "The Turkey That Doesn't Quit." Stew your turkey carcass in a quart or two of water for 20-30 minutes, then pour all through a colander, defat the broth again, pour broth back into stewing pot. Once the turkey bones are cooled enough to handle, pull off any meat and chop it fine. This will be added last to your soup. As well as my husband carves a turkey, I still had ample meat for the soup. Bring broth back to a boil, adding any leftover gravy from your Thanksgiving Day feast and the demi-glace to the broth. The demi-glace is the goo in the bottom of the roasting pan which you may have thrown away. No worries, just remember next time to cool the demi-glace, defat it, and freeze it in a labeled baggie for soup. It is truly the essence of the herb-roasted turkey... all of the delicious herbs and flavor minus the fat. Also add leftover chicken broth and water to make 3-4 qts. of liquid. Once boiling, stir in 1.5 cups of regular rice (not the instant), cover pot, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes, then return heat to high and add a couple of pkgs. of frozen mixed vegetables. I also threw in leftover lady peas here. Reduce heat to simmer again and let her rip for 15 more minutes or so. Check broth for seasonings. The rice will absorb much of your liquid. Thin with more water/chicken broth to your preference. Remove from heat and add chopped turkey. Serve with iron skillet cornbread for sopping up the broth... or expect a request for a straw.

Foolproof Gravy

The Barefoot Contessa helped me out with this never-fail gravy. I have done mine ahead except for the addition of the brandy, wine, and cream. All will go from the skillet shown here into my large batter bowl with a lid (Pampered Chef), and it will be reheated on reduced power in the microwave. One less thing on the stovetop, and all of the prep tools are washed and put away. Once gravy is hot enough, add the brandy, wine, and cream, then serve. If it needs thinning, just add more chicken broth.

Homemade Gravy

1/4 # (1 stick) unsalted butter           1 Tbsp. Cognac or brandy                                   

1 1/2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)  1 Tbsp. white wine, opt.

1/4 c. flour                                      1 Tbsp. heavy cream, opt.

1 tsp. kosher salt, pepper

defatted turkey drippings + chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated

1. In lg. saute pan (12"), cook butter & onions over med-high heat 12-15 min. until onions lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes a difference when onions are well-cooked.

2. Sprinkle flour into pan, whisk in, then salt & pepper. Cook 3 min. Add hot chicken stock mixture & Cognac & cook uncovered 4-5 min. until thickened. Add wine & cream, if desired. Season to taste. Makes 3 cups gravy. 

Layered Chocolate Pound Cake with Caramel Frosting

 Chocolate and caramel... is there a better combination in the cooking world? A festive option from the pumpkin pies and pecan pies, this cake satisfies my inner craving for dense, old-fashioned southern cake. The presentation is so pretty. A cookfriend shared this recipe and idea with me along with the recommendation to use the easy icing from The Cake Mix Doctor. The cake is baked in 2-half bundt pans with the one recipe of cake batter. The half bundt pans are nice to have when baking a full cake for a smaller family is too much cake. Have a cake at home and a cake to give away. In this case, however, both small bundts will be used. The bottom layer is placed on the platter with curved side down. Slice across cake a bit to level surface for layering. (Enjoy this cake remnant with coffee). Pour frosting on this flat part, place other bundt on top with the curved side up. Frost all with caramel icing. Garnish with a crumbled & twisted piece of brown paper for the stem. Hope I can wait another day to slice a piece.

Chocolate Pound Cake

Cream thoroughly: 3 sticks butter, 3 cups sugar

Add: 6 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together: 3 cups flour, ½ tsp. baking powder, ½ cup cocoa, ½ tsp. salt

Add sifted ingredients alternately with 1 ¼ cups milk to creamed mixture.

Bake 350 for an hour. Try not to overbake… if anything, slightly underbake, if possible!

Frost with Quick Caramel Frosting from The Cake Mix Doctor (tinted with orange food color, opt.). Garnish with pecan halves.            


Quick Caramel Icing
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place butter and brown sugar in medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stori and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and bring mixture back to boil, then remove pan from heat. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with wooden spoon or electric mixer to make it especially smooth. Use immediately (while still warm) to frost cake, or else it will harden. If it does harden while you are frosting cake, simply place the pan back over low heat and stir until the frosting softens up.

Keeping Christ in Christmas

"Come and sit with Me for awhile. I want you to think about who I really am. I am the only Son of God. I was born completely human and yet I am completely God--all at the same time. This is a mystery that is beyond your understanding. Rather than trying to figure it out, do as the wise men did. They followed a spectacular star, and then they fell down in humble worship when they found me." from Jesus Calling, 365 Devotions For Kids

A cookfriend told me about this Fisher-Price nativity set some years ago. I immediately purchased one for my first grandchild. Now another of my children has a child old enough to begin the dialogue of wonderment of the Baby who came to save us and die for us. I purchased mine through Amazon Prime, and it was here in 2 days. Now it comes with music and lights! This little fellow was quite taken with his gift when he was here for a visit recently. Don't wait until Christmas to order yours for the wee people in your life. Get it now and put it in their little hands so that they can begin to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ who is the Reason for the Season.

Rolls For Royalty

"Bread is the king of the table, and all else is merely the court that surrounds the king. The countries are the soup, the meat, the vegetables, the salad... but bread is king." -- Louis Bromfield

The hardest concept about roll making is that it does take a bit of time, and we are busy people. However, the older I have gotten and the more I have deprived myself of "bread at dinner," I have come to the conclusion that when I am going to eat bread, I want it to be really worth it. So, it is worth it to me to put the time and effort into this delicacy. I will do shortcuts & timesavers in other parts of my meal whenever I can. This recipe was shared with me many years ago from a cookfriend, and the particular "loveknot" shape is from another cookfriend whose own rolls were the prettiest I have ever seen in my life. Ingredient check: leftover mashed potatoes work very well. You can premeasure any leftover mashed potatoes in 1 cup mounds, placing them on a cookie sheet and freezing until solid. Then place potato mounds in gallon zip bag. Make that freezer work! There, one step done. Secondly, don't use cheap honey. I buy local honey at the Farmers' Market. The national stuff is really just colored corn syrup. Not going in my rolls. Procedure check: if you want to do fresh rolls for your event, refrigerate dough after the kneading step covered with plastic wrap and a towel. Can sit here several days. Several hours before your serving time, set out dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour or so. Then proceed with shaping rolls and allowing to rise again as stated below. 
I am ROLLING out the red carpet for my precious family who is my royalty. Plenty of rolls for Thanksgiving. Start planning now to try these for your Christmas dinner. 

Potato Rolls

2 med. potatoes, peeled & quartered   ½ cup butter, melted           2 eggs, beaten           

2 pkgs. dry yeast                              1/4 cup shortening, melted   2 tsp. salt                       

1 tsp. sugar                                      ½ cup GOOD honey           about 6 ½ cups flour

                                                             

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup water; set potatoes aside. Cool water to 105°-115°. Stir yeast & sugar into water; let stand 5 min.

2.Mash enough potatoes to measure 1  cup; place in large mixing bowl.  Add butter, shortening, honey, eggs, salt, yeast mixture, & 2 ½ cups flour. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes.Change beater to dough hook, then gradually add remaining flour.

3.With dough hook in place, allow mixer to knead batter 8-10 min. Place in well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover & let rise in warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour until doubled in bulk.

4.Punch down dough. Divide into thirds. Shape each third into 15 balls. Place in 3 greased 9” round cakepans. Cover & let rise in warm place, free from drafts, 40-50 min. or until doubled. Bake 400° for 20-25 min. Yield: 45 rolls.

Note: Potato Rolls may be wrapped in alum. foil, then placed in freezer bag, & frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, let thaw almost to room temperature, place in cakepans, cover with foil, & bake 400° for 10 min. or until thoroughly heated.

To make Libby's Loveknots:  divide dough in half, get 16 pieces (about pingpong ball size) out of each half. Roll out each piece like a skinny hot dog & tie into knot. One roll recipe will yield 32 nice-size rolls. Brush generously with melted butter when removing from oven. To freeze, place 4 cooled rolls on foil and wrap it well to cover. Freeze in gallon zip bags. All foil and bags can be reused.

Big Breakfast

It happens every time our family is together... we eat. A long-standing tradition is Big Breakfast. Though the dishes served vary from event to event, there are a few staples. Cheese grits, biscuits, sausage gravy, and Bloody Marys. I had a recent request for my Bloody Mary recipe, so someone else must be having in a breakfast bunch over the Thanksgiving weekend. Mimosas will also be available here, but for the "tailgate" types, here is my concoction. It really morphs into a mini-salad with all of the vitamin A and antioxidants packed into it with the tomato juice, citrus juice, and veggies. Any leftover can go right into your next pot of soup. For the virginal types, just leave out the vodka and enjoy the nutrition. Nevermind if we have all the fun.

Tailgate Bloody Marys 

from Birmingham Jr. League

1-46 oz. tomato juice                                                            

1 tsp. salt                                    

5 Tbsp. Worcestershire

1-46 oz. can V-8 juice (Zing Zang is my favorite)                                                          

1 tsp. black pepper                        

8-10 drops Tabasco (opt)

½ cup fresh lemon juice                                                            

2 tsp. celery seed                                    

vodka to taste (opt)

¼ cup fresh lime juice                                                            

1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish            

Garnishes: Celery stalks with leaves, marinated green beans, marinated carrots (Kroger or Harris Teeter), lemon and lime wedges, large green olives

 

Combine first nine ingredients. Add Tabasco, if desired. Refrigerate up to 48 hrs.

Just before serving, pour vodka into individual glasses and add mix.  

Pumpkin Pie

You know it must be a good pie if the baby child of the family comes home with recipe-in-hand. Her best friend's grandmother makes this particular variation of pumpkin pie, and it has been adopted into our family tradition. It is nice to have the 3 pies to spread over the eat-a-thon which, at our house, spans at least a week. I keep the batter in the refrigerator and bake pies as needed over the course of the week since I really like my pumpkin pie warm and fresh. 

Nanny’s Pumpkin Pie

2 lg. cans Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Mix

4 cans Borden’s Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

6 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs, mix in remaining ingredients. Bake 45 min. or so. on 350. Will be slightly jiggly still when done. Allow to sit on counter an hour before slicing. Makes 3 pies.

                                                                                                                                   

A Surprise Ingredient

If you have never baked with Heath Brickle Bits, allow me to introduce you to a scrumptious little morsel. Found in the grocery aisle near the chocolate chips, they are little toffee crunchies that morph into something amazing in these Pecan Pie Bars. A delectable treat any time of the year, the bars are a nice variation for Thanksgiving with so many pies around (is that really ever a problem?)! Crust and filling mixed all in the same bowl, too. How much easier can that be? 

Pecan Pie Bars

2 cups flour

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup cold butter 

1-14 oz. Eagle Brand Condensed Milk

1-6oz. pkg. Hershey's Heath Brickle Bits

1 egg

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp. vanilla                       

                                   

In medium bowl, combine flour & sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into 13x9 pan. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes. In same bowl (no need to wash) combine Eagle Brand, egg & vanilla. Stir in brickle bits & pecans. Spread evenly over crust. Bake 25 min. until golden. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator or freeze for later.

Turkey Tips

Over the years I have gathered information from several sources and have settled on this recipe for our turkey. Simply put, there is no way to a better turkey. Not bragging, just honest. Ask my family.  After a soak in a brine, the turkey is to be outfitted with this fresh herb paste. Using disposable gloves, the herb paste will be worked under the skin as much as possible, then everywhere else on the turkey. See below. Not only is the color going to be spectacular, the taste... well, let's just say, it is worth the bit of extra effort. Unconventional slicing allows the herb paste to be shared by as many as would like some.  Think of the breastbone down center of turkey. My husband uses an electric knife. I have him take knife parallel to bone (on each side) and cut away the entire breast half from each side as whole as possible. Then on cutting board, turn that breast piece 90 degrees from how it came off turkey and cut slices that way. See photo, particularly on the right of the platter. The breast meat will also go a bit further sliced this way, but the main reason is to share the delicious herb paste. The rest of the turkey is sliced as you always have. I also prefer a fresh turkey. I order mine from Fresh Market. Don't  be overwhelmed by the length of this blogpost. Take your time and proceed. You will be Turkey Terrific by the end of the day. And remember to check my blog from November 2011... do not throw out this beautiful turkey carcass... read blog from a year ago to find out what to do with it if you need information.

Herb Roasted Turkey & Gravy

1 fresh turkey, 12-14#, rinsed thoroughly  
1½ cups canning  salt    
1/3 cup brown sugar            

¼ cup Worcestershire                              
3 Tbsp. garlic powder            
1 Tbsp. pepper

1. Brine: Dissolve salt in 2 gallons cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket or cooler. Add remaining brine ingredients. Add turkey & refrigerate 2 days (keep ice floating in cooler).

2. Remove turkey from brine & rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels inside & out, or place turkey breast side up on flat wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet & refrigerate, uncovered, 8-32 hours, depending on your time table. Before roasting, allow turkey to set on kitchen counter for 1-1 ½ hours.

3. Herb Paste: parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, green onion, fresh garlic (pressed through press), zest from 1 lemon, ¼ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, ¼ cup olive oil

Place herbs, onion, garlic, & lemon zest in Cuisinart & process until coarse paste, ten 2-second pulses. Add mustard & olive oil, processing until smooth paste. Transfer to small bowl.

4. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, heat oven to 400. Spray rack & pan with Pam. Wipe away any water collected on turkey which has been set on the counter for 1-1 ½ hrs; set turkey breast side up on baking sheet.

5. Using disposable gloves, carefully loosen skin from meat of breasts, thighs, & drumsticks. This gets easier when working in the herb paste. Using fingers, slip 1 ½ Tbsp. paste under all of these areas, over the entire turkey, and inside the cavity, flipping turkey to coat thoroughly; reapply any paste that falls on pan. Tuck wings & drumsticks.

6. Roast: breast side down on rack 1 hour at 400; remove turkey from oven & reduce heat to 325; turn turkey over & continue roasting for 2-2 ½ more hours until thickest part of thigh registers 170-175, or breast 165. Tent with foil during the latter part of cooking time when browned sufficiently. Transfer roasted turkey to carving board, keep covered with foil for warmth, allow to sit at least 30 minutes before carving.            
from Cooks Illustrated 11/05

Homemade Gravy

1/4 # (1 stick) unsalted butter                      

1 Tbsp. Cognac or brandy                                   

1 1/2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)                                             

1 Tbsp. white wine, opt.

1/4 c. flour                                                                        

1 Tbsp. heavy cream, opt.

1 tsp. kosher salt

defatted turkey drippings + chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated

1. In lg. saute pan (12"), cook butter & onions over med-high heat 12-15 min. until onions lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes a difference when onions are well-cooked.

2. Sprinkle flour into pan, whisk in, then salt & pepper. Cook 3 min. Add hot chicken stock mixture & Cognac & cook uncovered 4-5 min. until thickened. Add wine & cream, if desired. Season to taste. Makes 3 cups gravy.                from Barefoot Contessa

The Hive

“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today," said Pooh.

"There there," said Piglet. "I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.” 
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Beehive: a crowded, busy place

As I prepare for my hive to be full for Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the tremendous blessing of being Honey. As my father said two nights before he died, "I feel such joy." May all who read this experience that joy as the bees begin to swarm in your home. 

Doing Dressing

Though Thanksgiving is still a couple of weeks away, I currently have a huge amount of celery and onions. With the possibility of those ingredients going bad, of course I would never want to waste a stalk of celery. Therefore, I have chopped all the celery and three big onions along with fresh garlic and have sautéed all in a stick of butter. After cooling, the vegetables will be zip bagged and stuck in the freezer to pull out in two weeks when I assemble my dressing. The cornbread will also be baked for the freezer today for usage in 2 weeks. Last year was my first time to put together dressing 2 days before the actual feast, thanks to a tip from a good cookfriend. I watched my mother do the dressing on the day of Thanksgiving always because of the baking turkey drippings. Last year I just used low-sodium chicken stock without the turkey drippings. The turkey drippings, however, were not wasted. After defatting, those drippings were added to the gravy on the day of our big feast. You can also drizzle some of the drippings on top of your dressing before baking. One more step  to simplify Thanksgiving morning - get that dressing DONE before all of your guests arrive. Have a mimosa that morning and chill! And, yes, my third child has provided today's illustration with her very own hands and machine.

Painless (literally) Croutons

Have you ever bitten into some of those store-bought croutons and thought you might have cracked a tooth? Sigh. THAT was an expensive salad. Years ago a cookfriend shared a delightful tip with me. Make your own croutons with leftover hot dog buns. This shape is good because 2 length-wise cuts, then small crosscuts will yield nice cubes. Dump cubes into large bowl, add a good dose of olive oil, seasoning salt, garlic, pepper, and Parmesan cheese if you like. Toss gently but thoroughly. Bake in single layer 350° for 15 minutes. Cool, then store in ziplocs. Will keep for several days. These are even good served as is in a pretty bowl for nibbling. They are both soft AND crunchy. A great addition to any salad. Any still not eaten? Crush again in ziploc bag to top your favorite casserole. Now that's a lot of uses for the lonely leftover hot dog bun.

Meatloaf Improved

Recently I took a few more tips from my favorite Barefoot Contessa and doctored my meatloaf. The most significant change is that I sauteed the onions in a bit of oil before adding them to raw meat mixture. What a difference! No burps! I also shaped them into individual loaves, baked all of them, and froze the extra ones for later. They are so cute easy to take out when serving just one for dinner. The other tip I will share with you is one I have used for many years borrowed from the great magazine, Cook's Illustrated. I do not have a fancy "meatloaf pan." Rather, I use a cookie sheet with sides, place parchment on it, place a cooling rack on that, cover cooling rack with aluminum foil, punch holes in foil for grease draining, then finally, spray the foil with Pam. This way the meatloaf doesn't sit in the grease while baking, and the clean up is a snap. Who ever said meatloaf wasn't a meal fit for my king?


Barefoot Contessa Mini Meat Loaves
 sauté one minced onion in oil
 In large bowl combine the following:
 1 T tom paste (I omitted - see BBQ sauce below)
 3 T Worcestershire (I did not use quite this much)
 1/3 c chix stock (I used good BBQ sauce)
 salt & pepper
 2.5# ground beef
 2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used one hamburger bun)

Bake 350 for 40-45 min. I have baked these fully, cooled, then frozen for later. Perfect for single meal dining.
Makes 6 mini loaves.

Holy Cumin, Batman

When my son played football at Auburn, a cookfriend introduced us to her infamous corn dip. It immediately became a staple at our AU tailgates. With the Tigers coming to town this weekend, I thought others might enjoy this simple yet delicious dip. It can be made ahead early in the week, and this was essential for my travel preparation. The original recipe calls for green chilies, but I have substituted jalapeños: they are way cheaper. I buy the bulk size jar and keep in the beer frig. Do not reduce the amount of cumin - it is the dealbreaker for this wonderful dip, and the Fritoes are most definitely the preferred chip. Try it, you will see. 

Gloria’s Corn Dip

3 cans Mexicorn, drained                                                                       

jalapeños to taste                                                                       

1 cup mayo           

1 cup sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese

4 TBSP. cumin (this is NOT a mistype!)           

chopped green onions

Combine all and serve with large Fritoes. I buy the all ingredients (especially cumin) at Sam’s (they don’t have green onions) because I never make just one recipe. When doubling, I use that very large 6# can of yellow corn. 

An Artist In Town

Cheekwood: truly one of Nashville's greatest treasures. In the newly renovated Howe Garden, a beautiful table and chairs reside where children can sit and color and learn about Mrs. Howe and the history of her amazing garden. This spectacular table and chairs was hand-crafted by my friend, Brian Stone. A lifelong friend of my son's, Brian is very gifted in many areas. I was delighted to learn that this was his handiwork. Thank you, Brian, for making Cheekwood even more enjoyable for all who visit. What an incredible artist you are.

My New Favorite Appetizer

These are so good that even when I left a plate of them out overnight unwrapped, they were still delicious the next morning. I eliminated the painting-the-roll-with-eggwash part. Sort of by accident (forgot to do that step), but didn't even miss it. Just shape the roll and press into your crushed walnuts back and forth.

Blue Cheese Walnut Crackers by Barefoot Contessa

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 8 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled (about 12 ounces with rind), at room temp. (I used blue cheese crumbles in a tub from Costco)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• In the bowl of mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter & Stilton together for 1 minute, or until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the flour, salt and pepper and mix until it's in large crumbles, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix until combined. Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball, and roll into a 12-inch long log. Spread the walnuts in a square on a cutting board and roll the log back and forth in the walnuts, pressing lightly, and distributing them evenly on the outside of the log. Wrap in plastic, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to a week or so. Preheat 350 oven. Cut the log 3/8ths-inch thick with a small, sharp knife and place the crackers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 22 minutes until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Connie's Country Ham

I have been trained by many good cooks over the years, and one of the most influential of them is my husband's baby sister. She is the contributor of this most favorite way to do a whole ham. It is nice for a large crowd and is tradition around our Christmas morning breakfast, along with cheese grits, biscuits, and cranberry casserole. Having baked slowly all night, nobody has a hard time waking up to this outstanding aroma. And don't forget to save the bone and all bits that don't slice so well. I put all remnants in a giant zip bag and freeze, drawing from it all year long when doing green beans, red beans and rice, black-eyed peas, etc. Don't wait until Christmas nor breakfast: good for dinner, too. Your guests will love you forever.

whole country ham
brown sugar
mustard

1.Scrub whole ham, if needed. (To some of you city types, country ham ages & therefore sometimes has mold on the outside. It’s O.K. Just wash it off with cold water.) Soak whole ham in a sink of cold water for 12-24 hrs. (I usually do 12 hrs. because I can’t give up my sink for longer than that).

2.Put ham in oven fat-side up under a tent of aluminum foil 375 for 1 hr. Turn oven down to 250 & bake 45-50 min. per pound. For the average ham, you will bake it approx. 12 hrs. Internal temperature should be 170 degrees when done. It will continue to bake when removed from oven.

3.Let ham cool so that you can handle it without burning your hands. Cut off fat. This is the messiest part. Score ham with knife.

4.Brown sugar/mustard glaze: spread regular mustard over the ham. Pat brown sugar over it thoroughly. Return ham to oven at 350 degrees for 30 min.

5.Country hams usually carve better when they are almost cooled. However, if your house is like mine, your family will not be able to stand smelling it bake for 12 hrs. & have to wait another minute once it is done.

Grown Folks Milkshake

What to do with ice cream that could be going stale? Make Velvet Hammers. Recipe calls for vanilla ice cream but I have substituted with coffee ice cream recently... WOW. Your guests will sleep oh-so-well after this nightcap.

Velvet Hammer
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 oz. Creme de Cacao
1 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 1/2 oz. Brandy

All in blender until smooth. Serve in pretty stemware. Enough for 2 drinks. 

Who's In Charge of the Potatoes?

Recently I had over some girlfriends for dinner, and they so enjoyed the potatoes that I thought you blog readers might enjoy the recipe, too. This recipe was given to me about 10 years ago from a cookfriend, and it has trumped all of my other potato casserole recipes. I have tweeked it just a touch with the addition of the minced jalapeños after having a similar dish at Fleming's Steakhouse. As it turns out, the spark from the jalapeños was what everyone most enjoyed. It can be made several hours ahead of time, and though the specified Gruyere cheese is wonderful, I have substituted with a combination of cheddars and fresh Parmesan with excellent results. Just be sure and spray that foil with Pam or the cheese will stick mercilessly. And know this: it can sit on the counter for a half hour or more if you can't break away from the beautiful fall evening on the patio. Just keep it covered to hold in warmth. 

Scalloped Potatoes

sauce:

2 c. heavy cream   

3 T. buttermilk   

2 T flour or cornstarch

1/4 cup minced jalapeño peppers

Bring these ingredients to a boil in saucepan (nonstick preferably for easy cleanup). Let stand until ready to pour over potatoes.

place in non-stick sprayed 9x13:

3 lbs. red or Yukon potatoes, sliced thin (no need to peel!)

salt and pepper (I like Montreal Steak Seasoning)

3 cups Gruyere cheese

Pour sauce over potatoes; top with cheese. Cover with foil which has been sprayed with Pam. Bake @ 350° for an hour or so.