Happy New Year, a little late...

Happy New Year, I am a little behind in my wishes!

Our two children, well young adult children were home for Christmas. Neither of them had been home since last Christmas so it was a special treat to have them home.

I will admit to not doing much besides enjoying their company and cooking for them.

Megan left just after New Years, and Thomas left about a week ago. We are adjusting to our own lives again. I really miss them alot.

Here are a few photos from the holidays.

Megan with her Juicebox (milk box) camera at the beach

she took some fabulous photos with it!

beach shadows

look how long our legs are!!

Thomas Christmas morning

playing with a plastic bag

the whirly swirly Christmas tree

we bought a tree this Christmas,

we will never buy one again,

it was crispy hard..

must have been cut in the summer

it smelled fabulous,

but very strongly,

I do wonder if it had been sprayed

with a artificial tree scent.

Do they do that?

Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe

Every year after Christmas I make turkey tetrazzini with the turkey leftovers. It is a favourite with us all but not with Megan. She does not like creamy any thing or mushrooms, but she politely, well almost politely ate her dinner tonight. It is a great way to use up leftover turkey.

Turkey Tetrazzini

3 to 4 cups chopped leftover turkey (you may also use chicken)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp. butter or olive oil

1 16 oz. pkg. spaghetti, or any shaped pasta you want to use

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

4 cups chicken or turkey broth ( I always added the leftover turkey gravy)

1 cup 1/2 & 1/2, or milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander. Spread out evenly in a buttered 9" x 13" baking dish.

In a large saucepan melt the 2 tbsp. of butter and saute the onions and mushrooms until soft and they are starting to brown.

Add to chopped turkey in a large bowl, stir together.

In the same saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup of butter. When melted add the flour and nutmeg, whisking until smooth. Gradually whisk in broth, and cook, stirring until mixture has thickened. Add 1/2 & 1/2 and any leftover gravy you may have, a long with the onion, mushroom turkey mixture. Cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon this mixture over the spaghetti in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and a little paprika.

Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 30 minutes or until the spaghetti turkey mixture are thoroughly heated and the surface is golden and bubbly.

Serves 8. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

I am whipped, totally tired, but very happy! Nice to have my family all home! Thomas arrived home late last night, after a long aggravating journey!  Thank goodness he got out of Vancouver when he did...

I tried over and over to get a photo of our tree.. it is a beauty!

mr. sun, sun, mr. golden sun, peeking out at you!

Merry Christmas!!

Popcorn Ball Recipe

This recipe is definitely a whole family favourite. It is from Martha Stewart's Christmas, published 1989.

Popcorn Balls

4 tbsp. butter

1 10 oz. bag marshmallows

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3 quarts popped popcorn

In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and brown sugar and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

Place the popcorn in a large bowl and pour on the marshmallow mixture; toss well. Butter your hands and shape  the popcorn into balls of whatever size you desire. Set on waxed paper to dry.

I wrap each dried popcorn ball in plastic wrap and tie with coloured string! Enjoy, I know we sure do!

And Then....There Were Lights!

We finally have a wreath up, on the outside of our house!!  The Christmas season is slowly seeping in... about time, the days are running out.  Now we have to find a tree for the inside tomorrow, seems to be a hard job for us this season for some reason. I should think about baking cookies...

big balsam wreath, heavily decked out in lights

Pistachio Praline Recipe

These yummy pralines are Thomas and my favourite Christmas treats! Yes you do have to shell a lot of pistachios, but it is well worth the bother. I found this recipe in Gourmet, December 1998 issue.

Pistachio Pralines

Ingredients:

parchment paper

1 1/2 cups (8 oz) shelled natural pistachios

2 tbsp. butter, softened

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Oil 2 large baking sheets and line with parchment paper.

In a baking pan spread pistachios evenly and toast in the middle of oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes. In a bowl toss hot pistachios with butter and granulated sugar and cool completely.

In a 4-quart heavy saucepan cook brown sugars, cream, and salt over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon  and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to side of pan with a brush dipped in cold water, until sugars are completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 238°F.

Remove pan from heat (leave thermometer in pan) and cool mixture until thermometer registers 220°F, about 5 to 10 minutes. With a wooden spoon stir in vanilla and vigorously stir mixture until creamy and beginning to to lose its sheen. Working quickly, drop mixture by teaspoons onto baking sheets and top each praline with 3 pistachios. (If mixture becomes too stiff to spoon, warm it over low heat, stirring, until just workable.) Let pralines stand at room temperature until firm, about 1 hour. Pralines keep,layered between sheets of parchment paper in an air tight container at cool temperature or chilled, 1 week. (my note:  you can also store them in the freezer, and of course they will last longer.)

Yield: Makes about 60 pralines. Enjoy!

Whipped Shortbread Recipe

This is Megan's favourite Christmas cookie recipe, I guess I better start baking soon. Not sure where this recipe originated from, it was my dads recipe.

Whipped Shortbread

1 lb. butter

3 cups flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 cup icing sugar

Cream butter and add sugar. Add remaining ingredients. (For best results mix with clean hands first) Beat with electric mixer until the consistency of whipped cream. Drop by teaspoonfuls or roll in balls and press with a fork. Bake at 350F. for 12 minutes.

Enjoy. They keep well in a sealed container, in a cool place, for weeks.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

With Christmas soon upon us, coming faster than I can believe, it is time for me to dig out some old favourite Christmas cookie recipes. I found this recipe when my kids were very little and I have baked these gingerbread cookies every year since. They are a family favourite and a tradition! I hope you will enjoy them too!

Chocolate Gingerbread

2 cups light brown sugar

1 tbsp. each of cinnamon and ground ginger

1/2 tsp. each of allspice and salt

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup boiling water

 1 cup butter

1/2 cup molasses

4 1/2 cups flour

Measure sugar, spices, cocoa and baking soad into a very large bowl. Add boiling water and stir until sugar is dissolved and spices are evenly distributed. Then, stir in butter until melted. Stir in molasses.

Gradually stir in about 3 1/2 cups flour. Then, stir in remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time. When dough becomes too stiff to stir, flour your hands and sprinkle flour over dough. Knead in remaining flour until dough is firm enough for rolling out. Dough can be rolled right away, or wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for several weeks. Or you may freeze it if you  wish. 

Rolling and Cutting:

Bring dough to room temperature. Preheat oven to 300° F. Cut off 2 cups of dough and place on a lightly floured board. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness.

Use your favourite cookie cutters and cut out dough. Place cookie cutouts on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake gingerbreads in centre of preheated 300° F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until they feel firm to the touch. Remove baking sheet from oven. Leave cookies on sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

When cool, you may decorate them with royal icing. Store cookies in a tightly covered container in a cool place or refrigerate or freeze. Enjoy!