Setting the Table

As I have been researching and experimenting with cooking, I have learned that it is not as hard as I once thought. I am actually having a lot fun learning new recipes and "making hungry hubby happy."

Since many of our friends and family members will be coming over during the Christmas season, I want to make a good impression not just with the food, but with its presentation as well.

As a little girl, my mother would always ask me to set the table for dinner. "You will need to know how to do this some day," she would say, as I rolled my eyes. Well, sure enough she was right. I am glad that she taught me how to properly set a table, because it sure will come in handy as I entertain guests.
Although I'm sure many of you had the same lesson growing up, it never hurts to refresh our memories. Here are a few tips on how to set the table from, you guessed it, Betty Crocker:

Place the flatware one inch from the edge of the table, arranging the pieces that will used first the farthest from the plate, so you can use the flatware from the outside toward the plate. The forks are typically to the left, and the knife (with the blade toward the plate), then the spoons to the right.

-If using a butter plate, place it above the forks.
-If serving a salad with the main course, place the salad plate to the left of the forks. The salad fork may be placed at either side of the dinner fork.
-Arrange glasses above the knife. The water glass is usually at the tip of the knife, with beverage and wine glasses to the right of the water glass.
-If serving coffee or tea at the table, place the cup slightly above and the right of the spoons.
-Place the napkin either in the center of the dinner plate or to the left of the forks at each place setting. There are many creative ways of folding napkins to make any meal festive.
-Before offering dessert, clear the table of all serving dishes, plates, salt and pepper shakers and any flatware that won't be used for the dessert course.

When it comes to setting the buffet table, there are many ways to make it look great. Divinedinnerparty.com has some really good tips on buffet table setting (http://www.divinedinnerparty.com/buffet-table-setting.html).

Holiday Entertaining

Since it is almost December, and Christmas is just around the corner, I thought I would focus some more on cooking for the holidays.

This will be our first Christmas together as a married couple, so I am very excited about it. I want to cook plenty of treats for him, and I am sure I will be trying out quite a few new recipes.

We are planning on having a Christmas party in a few weeks, so I have been researching what I will be cooking.
When it comes to planning the menu for a party, my Betty Crocker Cookbook is a big help. I found the following tips which will be great to follow as I research my menu options:

1. Choose your recipes. There are hundreds of great recipes in the Betty Crocker Cookbook to fit any occasion. The internet is also full of great menu ideas.
2. Make a list. Grocery lists make shopping faster and more economical by cutting down on those last-minute dashes to pick up missing items. Before going shopping, make a quick check of what you already have on hand.
3. Plan the main course first and then fill in with other foods that go well with your main course.
4. Make sure flavors go together instead of competing with each other. Balance out a strongly flavored main dish with a milder flavored side dish; serve a subtle main dish with a boldly flavored side dish. If the meal has been on the heavier side, choose a lighter dessert; if the meal was a bit lighter, plan an indulgent and rich dessert.
5. Involve your senses- sight, taste, smell and touch. Keep flavors, textures, colors, shapes and temperatures in mind. For example, serve spicy with mild; creamy with crisp; white or brown with red, yellow or green; tiny pieces with big chunks; and hot dishes with cold.
6. Use seasonings, sauces, condiments, salsas, relishes, and marinades to jazz up plain foods like grilled chicken or fish, cooked pasta or steamed vegetables.

German Chocolate Cake

Hope that you all had a great holiday...
My day was spent going to my parents' house and eating a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch, and then going to my husband's parents' house to eat yet another wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.

I will definately be using one of the leftover turkey recipes, because we have quite a lot of turkey left.

My cake turned out really good, but I ate another cake that I thought was delicious. My husband's cousin cooked a German Chocolate Cake that is actually Trisha Yearwood's recipe. I found it online so that I could share the recipe with you as well. It is on Rachel Ray's website (http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/trisha-yearwoods-german-chocolate-cake-coconut-frosting/)

I would recommend trying it with the coconut frosting the recipe calls for, because it is really good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is the big day. We will all be eating a lot of yummy treats, and I cannot wait. Just in case you need some advice for what to do with all of that leftover turkey, I found some great ideas. Have a great day with your family and friends!
TURKEY TORTILLA WRAPS:


Ingredients:
10 whole wheat flour tortillas
10 slices turkey, cut into thin strips
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup sour cream, for topping
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese
Directions:
Heat flour tortillas in a large skillet over medium heat until slightly browned. Divide turkey strips, avocado, sour cream, and cheese among the warmed tortillas. Fold in half and serve.

EASY TURKEY POT PIE:
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup frozen mixed Vegetables, thawed
1 cup cubed cooked Turkey
1 (10-oz.) can condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup Milk
1 Egg
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees Stir vegetables, turkey and soup together. Spoon into ungreased 9" pie plate. Stir remaining ingredients until blended.

Pour over mixture in pie plate. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

You can even use cooked pork loin, ham or roast beef in this dish if that's what you have on hand. Use other cream soups with different meat, like cream of celery, cream of mushroom or cream of asparagus for different taste (CDKitchen.com).

GOBBLER'S DELIGHT:
Ingredients:
1 package French green beans
1 can cream of celery soup
1 1/2 cup cut up cooked turkey
5 ounces water chestnuts
1/4 cup water
cooked rice
toasted almond slivers

Directions:
Drain and slice water chestnuts. Combine all ingredients except almonds. Bring to boil. Pour over rice, sprinkle on almonds (CDKitchen.com).

Creative Thanksgiving Desserts

Today I decided to see if I could find a decorative way to serve my cake for Thanksgiving. I searched the Internet for ideas on making a dessert look cute for the holidays, and I find some really great ideas.
Here are a few of the things I came across:
TURKEY GOBBLER CAKE:


This recipe is a very festive dessert, which everyone will love. I found it on my favorite, the Betty Crocker Website.
Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container Betty Crocker® Whipped milk chocolate frosting
1 marshmallow
Red colored sugar
35 pieces candy corn
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cake mix as directed on box for two 9-inch round pans.
2. Cut 1 layer as shown in diagram*. Freeze cut pieces uncovered 1 hour for easier frosting.
3. Place uncut layer on cake plate; frost top and side. Place cutout circle on larger layer; frost. Arrange head and feet on circle; frost.
4. Cut marshmallow in half. Moisten 1 half and dip in red sugar; join to head with frosting for turkey's wattle. Use other half of marshmallow for turkey's eye. Use candy corn for beak, claws and feathers. Store loosely covered.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions on cake mix box.
*Click on this link to view the diagram:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/recipe.aspx?recipeID=34935&Source=SearchResultPage&terms=turkey%20gobler%20cake
TURKEY COOKIES

These are really cute cookies for the kids which I found on Pilsbury.com.
Ingredients:
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 container (16 oz) chocolate creamy frosting
Candy corn
Orange decorating icing
Black decorating gel
Miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies as directed on roll. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
2. Spoon chocolate frosting into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut small hole in bottom corner of bag. On each cookie, pipe frosting on outer edge of half of cookie. Arrange candy corn over frosting for feathers.
3. Pipe orange icing onto each cookie to resemble turkey face and feet. Use orange icing to attach baking bits to turkey face for eyes. Pipe black gel on baking bits for centers of eyes.

Oh, and here is a cute idea for all the football fans. I know Hungry Hubby loves football and cupcakes, so I think he would really like these treats:



TOUCHDOWN TREATS:
Ingredients:
A cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe)
Green and white frosting
Fruit leather
Pretzel stick
Chocolate-covered almond
Directions:
1. Frost a cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with green frosting, then mark the yard lines with white decorators' gel.

2. For a pennant, wrap a fruit leather triangle around a pretzel stick and plant it in the field as shown.

3. Set a chocolate-covered almond or brown almond M&M football topped with white decorators' gel laces on the field, and you're sure to score points with your favorite sports fans(http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=40992).
I think this is a really cute idea which can be modified and made in your own creative way.

Cake Recipe

Well, we are officially into the holiday season. And with Thanksgiving just a few days away, I have definitely got cooking on my mind.

This is my first Thanksgiving being married, which means I get to spend the day with two families instead of just one. My mom will be doing most of the cooking for our family, and my husbands mom will be doing most of the cooking for his family. So I do not have to worry about doing too much cooking this year. I do however want to contribute,so I offered to bring dessert.

A friend told me about a great recipe for a cake which I plan to use. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients for Cake= 1 box of Duncan Hines butter recipe cake mix, 1 small box Jell-O instant vanilla pudding, 1/2 cup Crisco, 1/2 cup dry white wine, 4 eggs
Ingredients for Glaze= 1 stick of butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup white wine

Directions= Mix the cake mix, Jell-O pudding mix, Crisco, 1/2 cup white wine, and eggs. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes in a greased Bundt Pan...then, to make the glaze, mix the butter, sugar, and 1/4 cup white wine. Pour over the cake while still hot, and immediately turn over onto a plate or it will stick.

Hopefully it will turn out okay. I will keep you updated.