It's Time to Get Cookin' . . .well, almost!

Here are a couple of the recipes I mentioned in a previous post. I will be making at least two of them. . .maybe all three. I hesitate on the mushroom casserole one for two reasons. . . the least of which is the ZILLIONS of WW points each serving inherently possesses. The other is that a certain sector of the Aubrey family (the men, mainly) despise mushrooms. It's their loss, really. So, in their honor, or not so much so, here are some Thanksgiving recipes.

Sweet Potato Pie
(My recipe card says "potatoe" due to a spelling weakness on my part)

3 c. hot sweet potatoes (mashed)
1/3 c. milk
6T. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla

Combine these in a bowl. Pour into a greased casserole dish (2 quart).

Mix together with you fingers:
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. softened butter
3/4 c. chopped pecans*

Sprinkle this over the mashed potatoes. Bake (uncovered) at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

*When I chop my pecans for this (and most) recipe, I usually shake them in a wire mesh strainer. That gets out the "pecan dust" and leaves the clean "chunklets" for the recipe. I know, I'm weird.


Squash Casserole

3 c. yellow squash - thinly sliced
1 c. thinly sliced carrots (can be julienned)
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 stick butter
1 small package of herb stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farm)

Cook squash, onion, and carrot in water. Drain the water when the veggies are tender. Melt the butter, and mix it with stuffing mix. Place half of the stuffing/butter into a greased casserole dish. Mix soup and sour cream and stir into drained veggies. Pour this mixture over half the stuffing mixture, and top with the remaining stuffing mix.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.


Deluxe Mushrooms

1/2 c. butter
2-8 oz. package of sliced mushrooms (fresh)
1/2 medium onion (chopped)
1 1/2 c. herb-seasoned stuffing mix
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (sharp)
1/2 c. half & half

Melt 1/4 c. butter in large skillet. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook until tender. Stir in stuffing mix. Spoon half of mushroom mixture into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheddar cheese.

Repeat layer. Dot with remaining butter. Pour half & half over casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Mom's note: Skim milk can be used with this, but why bother?!!?


Finally, I will put my "recipe" for the Swiss Apple Cashew Salad. But, let me warn you, this is one of those things that I make by feel. Kind of like playing piano by ear, but there aren't any calories at stake when you play by ear!


Swiss Apple Cashew Salad
(Many notes follow the ingredients)

1-2 bags of mixed greens
3 apples (granny smith)
1 bag shredded swiss cheese
1 can salted cashews (halves & pieces)
1 bottle Poppyseed dressing

Basically, you mix this all together in a bowl. However, if you're taking this to someone's house, and the drive is long, hold off on the dressing until it's time to eat.

Here are my annotations. ..

1) 1-2 bags of "mixed greens" refers to bags of salad. . . I think it's especially nice to have a mix with radicchio (red) and butter lettuce. I think we have a variety called "Riviera" which works nicely. 1 bag will do for our family. . . .but I'd use 2 bags for a big gathering.

2) 3 apples. These should be granny smith apples. However, last year, at Christmas, when I made this salad, I put in a red (gala or fuji) apple to give a red/green combination. If your granny smith apples are small, use 3 (minimum). This gives the tartness to the salad. . .which is necessary!

3) Sometimes I can find shredded swiss cheese, and sometimes, I can't. I believe 6-8 ounces of cheese will be fine. This is the "tang" in the salad. Cannot be skipped. My friend, Elin Crabtree" has done this salad with parmesan cheese (not the powdery kind) for the salad. I prefer swiss.

4) Cashews. . . .I don't think that you can have too many. So, add at your own (heart's) risk.

5) Really, the editorial notes are nearly done. Poppyseed dressing. Somewhere, in a box in my garage, is the original recipe. Since I cannot find that notebook, I've been using commercially made dressing. It needs to be sweet.

This salad is all about contrasts in taste. I don't think you could make it wrong. . . well, if you subsititued Red Delicious for Granny Smith; peanuts for cashews; and thousand island for poppyseed. . . but other than that, it's pretty much foolproof.


That will have to do for now. I still need to find my recipe for broccoli cornbread. It's in that white notebook, too. (sigh) But, it is made so frequently around here, I won't have any problem finding the recipe.

In other news, I'm enjoying a new pair of pajamas that arrived via mail order today. Yes, Joni, the pajama pants are comfortable beyond words. The new pink plaid flannel PJ pants arrived, as well. I also got a new blue dress, and two new shirts. And yes, my friends, they are ALL a size smaller than my previous order!

Whoo hoo!!! Sorry, got a little carried away there.
Happy Tuesday!!

(I gotta go. . . the two reruns of the "Office" are on TBS. . .right now!!)