Some Good Thanksgiving Recipes

I apologize for the huge LACK of recipes on my blog for the last week. I have been sick and not feeling like doing a whole bunch of anything... :-( But I wanted to share some of favorite Thanksgiving recipes with you. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday with your family and friends...



So this is one of my favorites. I have found that people like it more than pumpkin pie! And it is pretty on a serving tray too :-)


Pumpkin Shortbread Dessert

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold butter
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (29 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cans (12 oz each) evaporated milk

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cups sugar and flour; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into an ungreased 13x9x2 pan. In a bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, salt, spices and remaining sugar. Stir in milk. Pour over crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350, bake 50-55 minutes longer or until filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired!


Now, this pie is simply TO DIE FOR! Well worth the preparation!

Fudgy Pecan Pie

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
1 4 oz package German sweet chocolate
1/4 c butter or margarine
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I'm cheap and use walnuts :-) )
FILLING:
1 cup cold milk
1 3.9 oz package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup whipped topping
TOPPING:
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 for 5 minutes. Remove foil and set shell aside. Reduce heat to 375. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat; stir in milk and water. Add a small amount of hot chocolate mixture to eggs; return all to the pan. Stir in vanilla and salt. Pour into shell; sprinkle with nuts. Cover edges with foil. Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. In a mixing bowl, beat the milk and pudding mix until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over nut layer; cover and refrigerate. In a mixing bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over pudding layer. Refrigerate until set about 4 hours...



And here is an excellent roll (crescent type) recipe that is simple and it has never failed me!

Golden Crescents

2 packages active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened, divided
2 Tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
4-41/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, 1/4 cup of butter, shortening, eggs, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1- 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-inch circle. Melt remaining butter and brush over dough. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges from the wide end and curve to form crescents. Place with point down 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter if desired. Yields: 2 dozen


I hope these recipes help!!!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Cooking!!!

Teauna

**PEPPERONI PIZZA ROLLS**

Bradey hasn't been feeling well this week and he hasn't been eating well so I decided maybe I could put something together that he would surely eat! Pepperoni pizza is one of his favorite foods, so I decided that I would put together some pepperoni pizza rolls. Not only are they extremely good, but very convenient. They should also freeze well.



Either start with your favorite bread dough recipe or just use 1 frozen loaf. If you are using your favorite recipe, let it have it's first rise before rolling out. If your are using frozen dough, let it thaw then follow the following directions.



Now just roll your dough out to about 1/4 inch thick in a big rectangle just like you were making cinnamon rolls.



Now make some pizza sauce. There is a recipe for homemade pizza sauce on the post titled "Personal Pan Pizzas". Spread the pizza sauce on your rectangle of dough. I just use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly across the dough. Make sure to go to all edges.

Now I used a combination of shredded parmesan cheese, mozzerella cheese, and colby jack cheese. Then cover with slices of pepperoni.

Now simply roll it in jelly-roll style as if you were making cinnamon rolls. Cut into 3/4-1" slices and place on well greased cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown...

Serve with remaining warmed pizza sauce!

I hope you enjoy these as much as Bradey did!!!

Happy Cooking
*Teauna*

**SNICKERDOODLES**

I was sitting here this morning trying to keep busy, so you can probably guess the first thing I did.... I BAKED COOKIES!!!! My husband got in an accident on his way home from Wyoming last night and he was going to access the damage on the car this morning and my anxiety was attacking me! Just one more thing to worry about for the HOLIDAYS!!! Grrrrr..... but I always feel better when I'm baking something so I'm guessing you can probably come to my house any day this week and find a variety of different goodies all over my kitchen counter, in the fridge, freezer, & even some scribbles on paper from trying something new. You just never know what I might have here :-)

Well, my family really really likes CHOCOLATE but sometimes it's nice to have something different... So SNICKERDOODLES it was!!! These cookies are about 3 inches in diameter and they are so puffy and insanely soft and chewy!!!! Soooo good! I have tried so many different snickerdoodle recipes and I think this one takes the trophy! And this recipe made a whole bunch! About 5 dozen! Give them a try!!!!

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup softened butter and 2 1/2 cups sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 1/2 Tablespoons of water until fluffy. Add 6 cups flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well. Shape dough by rounded Tablespoonfuls. I made them to look about the size of a walnut. Now drop in your reserved cinnamon sugar mixture and roll around to coat the ball of dough. Place on a cookie sheet. I didn't grease mine and they were fine. Bake 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

ENJOY!!!

Happy Cooking!!!

*Teauna*

***AND THE WINNER IS.......**

I am soooo sorry that I haven't posted anything on my blog for a few days. I have been sooooo busy with a project I have going on and it will be done tomorrow. And it of course, involves cooking, so I will be posting some yummy stuff Friday! But, as for now..... I must announce the winner to the FREE SKOOKIE PAN SET!!!!

Penny Jacobsen is the new proud owner of a set of SKOOKIE PANS!!!! Congratulations!!!!!

Penny, if you want to send me an email, we'll figure how to get them to you!!! :-)

Can't wait to get back to normal and posting more recipes!!!!!

*OATMEAL CAKE*

I have been baking my little heart out for the past few days... I now am finally getting some time to post a recipe. This is my dad's FAVORITE kind of cake. So, as a family we always got it this time of year for his birthday. Maybe that's why I was craving it :-) His birthday is on the 15th... so maybe we'll be having one then too. This is a very easy recipe and it's great for potlucks too! Not just your average cake, and I love everyone's response when you tell them it's "Oatmeal Cake"...

1 1/2 c boiling water
1 c quick cooking oats
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Pour boiling water over oats-mix well. Cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs. Stir in soaked oatmeal. Sift dry ingredients. Add to oatmeal mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan and spread with topping.

Combine:
6 T butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 c coconut
1 c chopped walnuts
1/4 c evaporated milk

Heat in saucepan until bubbly. Stir in 1/4 tsp vanilla. Spread on cake. Put in oven under broiler until bubbly.

Happy Cooking

*Teauna*

**SUGAR COOKIES**

CAN I GET A MOMENT OF SILENCE PLEASE!!!!! ........................... because these cookies deserve it! These are a simple sugar cookie that pack some great flavor! Just the right amount of lemon in these cookies makes them refreshing and not too sweet. Don't just take my word for it! Try them! If you're not a fan of lemon I think they would be good to substitute almond extract or vanilla... Just do what your little heart desires!

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon extract

6-7 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add milk, vanilla, and lemon extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, soda, and baking powder. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until well blended. Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out with cookie cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-7 minutes. Do not overbake. They should be a light golden brown around the edges. Cool on wire racks. Makes 5-6 dozen cookies.

Frosting:

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup shortening

4 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup water

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, and powdered sugar; beat until very creamy. Add lemon and vanilla and mix until well blended. Add water and beat until very light. Frost cookies..... YUMMY!!! :-)

Happy Cooking

*Teauna*

**TACO RING**

This is another one of those quick dinners that I like to fix every now and again. I usually make it with 2 cans of crescent rolls and make a big ring on a cookie sheet but I absolutely loved how they turned out in the Skookie pans...

First, lightly grease your skookie pans and prepare 1 lb of taco meat. 1 can of crescent rolls made two rings in the Skookie pans. Each ring should feed 2 people. Open your refrigerated crescent rolls and unroll them. Place 3 crescent rolls as shown below on each Skookie!

Now, spread your prepared taco meat around the ring. Top with 1/2 cup shredded cheese, your choice. I like a taco blend with pepperjack and cheddar.

Now, just simply fold over the long ends into the middle. It will fill in the hole in the middle. If you were to make this on a large pan, you will have a whole in the center.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. As soon as I get it out of the oven, I top it with 1/4 cup or so of shredded cheese. It will melt and is so yummy!!! I took this picture to show how nice the taco ring comes off the pan and how easy the clean up is. Just simply wipe with a paper towel. Make sure it's dry before putting it away

You can add other taco toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, kidney beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc. My family is rather boring so they stick with cheese and lettuce ;-)

**Like I mentioned, this can be made as a large taco ring if you use 2 cans of crescent rolls and use all 12 rolls in the ring. Alternate the ends when you're folding them in...

Enjoy!!!!

**Don't forget to leave your comments for a chance to win a FREE set of SKOOKIE PANS!!!!**

Happy Cooking!

*Teauna*

** MOM'S SLOPPY JOES**

This has always been one of my favorite 'go-to' recipes when I need a quick dinner or something to feed a crowd FAST... This recipe makes enough for a family of four but I always double it because it does freeze really well! I didn't take a picture, because we ate and ran and it's GONE! So you'll just have to take my word for it! It's the BEST!!!!

2 lbs hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can tomato soup
3/4 c ketchup
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T mustard
1 1/2 T vinegar
2 T brown sugar

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Can add 1/2 cup grated cheese for a change of taste!

This also work well to put in your slow cooker and let it simmer. Of course, brown burger and onion, drain, then put all ingredients in the slow cooker and relax! :-)

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

*Teauna*