Pomegranate Spritzer

I received an email from a reader asking about one of the items on my Thanksgiving menu, the Pomegranate Spritzer.

This is something I made up a month or so ago and it has become a favorite for my friends. The drink is refreshing and smooth.

Wine isn't a taste that I enjoy, so I decided to make the spritzer and I enjoy it as an alternative for dinner and cocktail parties.

The Pomegranate Spritzer is a simple drink to make, I use a moderately priced zinfandel, pomegranate juice and 7-Up.

Mix equal parts each. Chill and serve.

The Pomegranate Spritzer, Home Made Easy.

The menu

Thanksgiving is my favorite meal to cook each year. I enjoy the whole process, a full day of prepping and cooking and setting the table and making everything look perfect.... for me the preparation of the meal is better than the food.

I begin the day early, usually with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade playing in the background. I start by stuffing the turkey, basting and putting it in the oven. Followed by preparations for my dressing and desserts.

The last items of the day are the side dishes.

I like to begin serving appetizers around 2PM followed by dinner at 5 sharp.

This year's menu is a very traditional meal filled with family favorites.....

Turkey,

stuffed with apples, celery, onion, orange and potatoes

Cornbread Dressing

(recipe below)

Gravy

Broccoli Casserole

Sweet Potato Souffle

Deviled Eggs

Green Beans

Black Eye Peas

Seven Layer Salad

Mandarin Orange Congealed Salad

Cranberry Mold

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

accented with fresh fruit salad topping

Mini Pumpkin and Pecan Pie Tarts

Pomegranate Spritzer

Ice Tea

When I moved to Florida, my friends had no idea what I meant when I mentioned dressing for a Thanksgiving gathering. I found that dressing is typically a southern dish (and for those of you who don't live here, Florida really isn't southern....who knew!), in the rest of the country people just stuff the bird and serve stuffing. In the south we make dressing.

Growing up my mother and grandmother would spend hours discussing the dressing, you could never make it too perfect and in our family the challenge was intensified..... some of us (the smart ones) like the dressing super thin, the family members who have no culinary taste like the dressing thick. My mother and grandmother would work diligently to make sure everyone got what they wanted, so they would always cook 3 pans of dressing.... one thick, one thin and one medium. The medium pan was for nibbling as we prepared for the main feast.

I have carried on the tradition of 3 pans as well, whether I am surrounded by family or friends, it just makes Thanksgiving a bit more special when I prepare those three pans of dressing in a salute to my mama and ma-ma.

If you haven't tried dressing give it a try sometime, it isn't difficult; however, it is time consuming, but worth the time and effort when you see the satisfaction on your guests face.

Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Buttermilk Cornbread (I make it from scratch)
1 Package of Seasoned Stove Top Stuffing Mix
Loaf Bread (Preferably white)

The breads for your stuffing may be cooked on the day of service or 2 - 3 days ahead of time. Crumble all the bread items together and set aside.

1 Large Onion Chopped
Celery Chopped

Smother the chopped onion and celery and combine with the breads

6 hard boiled eggs, crumbled and mixed with the other ingredients

8 cups of Chicken Stock mixed into the dry ingredients

4 sticks of butter melted and mixed with the other ingredients

Fresh herbs

salt and pepper to taste

Poultry Seasoning to taste


Combine all the wet and dry ingredients. Press into a large pan or cast iron frying pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes.

Serve with turkey as a side dish with gravy or dry.

Cornbread dressing makes a GREAT accent to a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving, so enjoy this southern tradition, it is Home Made Easy.

Election Night Dining

This week is election week, can you believe it? Finally after 2 years of running we are very close to having a new President.

With this in mind, I have put together some menu ideas for Election Night that could be fun if you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent. So take a look and choose your favorites, but just remember to VOTE! Not only with your menu but at the ballot box as well.

McCain - Palin Voters...

Cranberry Salad (Arizona)
Chicken Enchiladas (Arizona)
Alaskan King Crab Legs (Alaska)
Corn and Chile Salsa (Arizona)
Tomatillo (Arizona)
Mexican Cornbread (Arizona)
Peach and Berries Cobbler (Arizona)

Obama - Biden Voters...

Crab Puffs (Delaware)
Carrot Soup (Delaware)
Deep Dish Pizza Squares (Illinois)
Chicken Vesuvio (Illinois)
Garden Peas (Delaware)
Fried Tomatoes with Horseradish Glaze (Illinois)
Sugar Creme Pie with Cracker Jack Topping (Illinois)


Independent Voters....

Strawberry and Blueberry Fruit Cups (For those red and blue states)
Hot Dogs and Hamburgers
Baked Beans
Potato Salad
French Fries
Sugar Cookies
Neapolitan Ice Cream

Whoever your candidate or politics, enjoy the menus and have a happy election day, but most importantly VOTE!

That is election night dining, Home Made Easy.

Simply-Sensational Trail Mix

Trail mix is a quick and easy snack that is filling enough to be a midday meal.

It is also super easy to make and have millions of combination options.

I make trail mix all the time and just keep it in the fridge for a quick snack or meal filler.

Tons of different items can be used in trail mix, I try to keep mine to 3 different products and usually decide what will be included by what is on sale.

One constant is usually raisins. Raisins are a good staple for the trail mix and goes well with whatever you are making.

This weekend when I was shopping I had trail mix on my list of shopping items. I made a quick and easy treat, all with sale items.

Raisins
Sunflower Seeds
Butterscotch Morsels

Mix 2 cups Raisins
14 oz. Sunflower Seeds
1 lb. Butterscotch Morsels

Mix and Refrigerate

Quick and easy Trail Mix, Home Made Easy

The Best Banana Pudding, EVER!

I am a son of the south, growing up banana pudding was a treat. My mother used to make it for special occasions from scratch including a beautiful meringue.

Through the years I have tried several recipes for banana pudding and it just never matched what my mama used to make. That is until my Aunt sent me a recipe that her grand-daughter had found.

This is absolutely the best banana pudding I have ever eaten and it features an ingredient that I never thought would work.... Sour Creme!?!?!?!

Last week my Church had a covered dish supper for an important vote we had to take, I decided since it was a special occasion I would make the banana pudding. It was a hit! One of my Pastor's, who is pregnant, came up to me after the dinner and told me that she thanked me and her baby thanked me for the pudding, I loved that!

Ingredients:

1- 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups of water
1- small box Vanilla Instant Pudding
1- cup whipping creme
1- cup sour creme
6 - 8- Bananas
1- Box Vanilla Wafers

This recipe is NOT for your diet days, it is loaded with all the good stuff that makes eating a celebration, so enjoy!

Before you begin, put one large bowl and the beaters from your mixer in the freezer. Give them at least 30 minutes to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine the condensed milk and water, mix well and then add the pudding mix. Whisk together until there are no lumps. After this is mixed well, place in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, take the bowl and beaters out of your freezer. Pour in one cup of whipping creme, beating until it thickens. (This is the most time consuming part of the recipe, when it is beaten it will look like Cool-Whip. DO NOT over beat the creme!)

After the whipped creme is completed, fold in the sour creme. Remove the original mixture from the refrigerator and fold the two together.

Slice the bananas.

Layer the pudding, vanilla wafers and banana, making sure that the pudding ends up as your top layer.



When you have used all of the mixture, break up a few vanilla wafers and sprinkle them on top.

I served in a trifle bowl that I found at Goodwill. This is a beautiful, tasty recipe that everyone in the family will enjoy.

The Best Banana Pudding, Ever, Home Made Easy!

Turkey Meatloaf

I love comfort foods and meatloaf is one of my favorites. I recently found a recipe in Every Day with Rachael Ray that put a new twist on the typical meatloaf.

One of my favorite things to do is take recipes and rework them and that is exactly what I did with this dish.

In the Every Day with Rachael Ray version the featured meat is beef. The dish also included salsa and whole cheese. I have been trying to eat healthy whenever possible, so I decided to make the dish with turkey. I also substituted some other ingredients to make this meatloaf something that I will enjoy eating over and over again!

(I think it would be good with lamb, venison or a combination of meats as well.)

The dish takes about 20 minutes to prepare and bakes for 45 minutes. In just over an hour you will have a delicious comfort food dinner, that is just as good on day two as day one.

All that for under $15.00!

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

(1) 14.5 Oz. can Diced Tomatoes (you may used flavored if you like, I buy the seasoned with Basil, Garlic and Oregano)

(2) 12 oz. jars of Flame Roasted Peppers

2% Milk Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican Blend

Bread Crumbs

(1) Medium Onion Chopped

(2) Eggs

Salt

Pepper


Pre-heat oven to 375

In a skillet, brown the ground turkey over medium heat. When turkey is browned drain fat through colander.

While turkey is browning, chop onion

Cover bottom of baking dish with roasted red pepper strips and a small handful of grated cheese

In large bowl combine turkey, onion, bread crumbs, diced tomatoes, eggs, salt and pepper

Mix ingredients with your hands and add to the baking dish

Bake for 10 minutes and then cover with cheese

Cook another 35 minutes until done

And that is Turkey Meatloaf, Home Made Easy