Broccoli Mac and Cheese with Prosciutto

Evenings in December usually consist of watching Hallmark holiday movies and consuming handfuls of Christmas calories. However, there are some beautiful sights to see during December in our community and it's a shame to not take advantage of them. Make the most of your holiday season....especially if you're in Norfolk!

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens hosts an amazing Garden of Lights display every year with over a million lights.Virginia Beach hosts the wonderful Holiday Lights at the Beach...where you can actually drive on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Boardwalk or travel by horse drawn carriage.

Colonial Williamsburg hosts the annual lighting. And Busch Gardens, also in Williamsburg, hosts Christmas Town each year with amazing shows, lights, and shopping.

Before trekking out in the cold warm up with a bowl of Broccoli and Proscuitto Mac and Cheese. Yum!

2 cups pasta
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup of flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
2 cups shredded cheese (reserve 1/2 cup)
1 (10 oz) package frozen broccoli, cooked according to package directions (seasoned to taste)
thin sliced proscuitto or ham

Prepare pasta as directed on package, cook until al dente.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan melt butter, add flour to make a thick roux, season with salt and pepper, slowly add milk just to thicken, remove from heat and add cheese (be sure to mix up your cheeses to make it just to your flavor) and stir quickly to allow cheese to melt.
Add drained macaroni to cheese mixture and stir well.

Pour into a 8x8 casserole. Top with broccoli and sliced proscuitto and reserved cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Wassail

Every year I love watching Little Women and I pretend I'm living in Civil War times, then I quickly remember how much I love my indoor plumbing and the internet and I snap out of it.

I just love the part when the March sisters sing "Here we come a Wassailing". Makes me smile just to think about it. It also reminds me to DVR it the next time I see it on one of the movie channels because the only copy I have is on VHS and let's face it does anyone own a VCR?

I bet I could score a deal at the thrift store....on second thought...nah!

Traditionally, wassail is kind of like a mulled cider, usually made of apples. Wassail is kind of an homage to the apple crop. I can't say I'm totally crazy about apple cider, but I do appreciate a citrus one. So here's a "dry mix" version of wassail that can be made as a gift: packed in a cute ziploc bag or airtight glass jar and tie with a bow and a tag with directions.

2 C. Tang
1 ¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ginger
1/3 C. pre-sweetened lemonade mix

Mix ingredients and place in airtight container.

Directions for mixing: Add 2-3 spoonfuls of dry mix to a mug of hot water. Add more if you like it sweeter!

S'mores Crescents

Delicious Amazing little treats! I gotta tell ya these are melt in your mouth delicious. A great twist on a chocolate chip cookie and these take almost no time at all.

1 tube crescent rolls (or my crescent dough)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Take a crescent roll and add a spoonful of chocolate chips, a spoonful of marshmallows.Eat a handful of chocolate chips!

Roll up and bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

These are fantastic treats and would be wonderful to give to neighbors for a gift!

My baby girl gives it her seal of approval.
To give them that "fresh from the bakery" look, brush with an egg wash. The best recipe I've found is this:
The basic rule of thumb is 1 tsp of liquid per egg. The part of the egg you use and liquid you add to your egg wash will determine the finished look of the pie crust.

For this result:	Make an egg wash with:
Shiny	whole egg, salt
Faint Shine	whole egg, milk
Matte, golden-brown	whole egg, water
Shiny, golden-brown	egg yolk, water
Shiny, golden-brown	egg yolk, salt
Shiny, dark	egg yolk, cream
Crisp, pale	egg white
Matte, golden-brown	heavy cream or half & half
Faint shine, golden-brown	olive oil

After Thanksgiving

I hope all of your Thanksgiving meals were successful. Our holiday was certainly fantastic. Good food. Good friends. Good wine.

While half of us sat around in pjs and the other half in Pajama jeans. We all crammed ourselves into my tiny living room and stuffed our faces while watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory on ABC Family. No joke. It was so relaxed, casual, and ridiculously fun!

My pumpkin cheesecake was a hit and I even made a lemon meringue pie from scratch. I'll smell like lemons for a few more days I'm sure. (I hope you liked it Andy)

Now the leftovers have been cleaned out and with the Christmas season upon us, I've got some new recipes to share. I'm excited to try some of the ideas I've found on pinterest and I'm excited to simply enjoy the Christmas season and sell some cookbooks.

If you haven't bought one, there is plenty of time to get your copy in time for Christmas.

Click on the Cookbook!!!

You can also get 25% off until December 14, 2011. Use coupon code: BUYMYBOOK305 at checkout. Max savings of $50.00

Tonight, we're revisiting a spaghetti dinner.

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 large can spaghetti sauce (26.5 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/3 cup chopped onions
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons milk
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
French Fried Onions (small can)

Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package. Cook to al dente, drain and set aside.
Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat.
Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft. (If you don't want to use the microwave, you can easily saute the veggies and add softened cream cheese, mix well.)
Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well.

Layer in your casserole dish in the following order:
Thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.
Spaghetti
Cream cheese/vegetable mixture
Spaghetti sauce
Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste)French Fried Onions (added during last 5 minutes of cooking)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes. (This is the secret ingredient–don’t let them burn.)

Cake Batter Cracker Dip

Do you ever just mix up the batter and eat it straight from the bowl? Because I do that. Don't judge me. If I could only eat cake batter for the rest of my life I'd be okay with it. Seriously. When I came across this recipe for Cake Batter Dip my mouth dropped open and I reached for my spoon....and Vanilla Wafers. This seriously is a dangerous recipe...for me, at least. And the possibilities are virtually endless. Imagine Chocolate Cake Batter dip with strawberries? Spice cake with apple slices? White cake with animal crackers? It's time for me to make another batch. Try it. You'll never leave the couch.

Cake Batter Dip

1 box of cake mix (any flavor)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups cool whip
Animal crackers, graham crackers, Nilla Wafers or fresh fruit

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. Serve with your favorite crackers.

The countdown is ON!

I certainly love Thanksgiving and all that it entails! Even the "why don't we just go out to eat instead" crisis I have oh, about the same time, each year. (I would just as soon show up at the Chinese place and hope they sing "Deck the Halls" just like in 'A Christmas Story'. Farararara.....)

The city really started sparkling this week as everyone began preparations for the Grand Illumination Parade!! It's a very fun event for Norfolk and for Hampton Roads in general. Downtown Norfolk and our neighboring Portsmouth will have a synchronized countdown to light up the skyline!

The lightposts were dressed in greenery and big red bows, sparkling lighted ornaments topped the light poles, and the 24/7 Christmas music station debuted early this year, and I've been watching Hallmark Channel's countdown to Christmas nonstop!! T'is the season.

I've got so many plans to finish up my prep work for Thanksgiving and finalize my decorating for this holiday season! So, what can I throw in the crock that will be a great dinner? Since obviously I have no time to cook today. My magic crock fairy will save the day!!

"Hello, Honey! Chicken"

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion (or 1/8 cup onion flakes)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:
Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

A great guide to Thanksgiving Planning

Here is a helpful guide (modified from the Food Network website) for planning your Thanksgiving dinner. You have just over one week until Turkey Day. Have you done any prep work?

One week ahead:

• Shop for hardier vegetables like butternut squash, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and turnips.
  
• Buy heavy cream now; it's hard to find right before Thanksgiving.
  
• If necessary, wash and iron linen or polish silver. Dig out your turkey roaster and platter and any serving dishes hidden away in closets or high shelves.
  

Three days ahead:

• If you have a frozen turkey, clear a space in your fridge and put the bird in now to defrost.
  
• Clean the house, or put non-cooking household members in charge.
  
• If you're having a lot of guests, you may want to set up the table(s) and make sure you have enough space and chairs.
  

Two days ahead:

• Make pumpkin pies or pumpkin cheesecake, rolls, breads and cornbread for stuffing. Refrigerate pies; you can always warm things up again before serving. Apple or pecan pies don't do well in advance, though; the crust doesn't stay flaky and crisp.
  
• Make things that can sit for two days in the fridge, like soups and cranberry sauce.
  
• Assemble casseroles (like sweet potato or green bean); they can be stored uncooked in the fridge and baked on Thanksgiving.
  

One day ahead:

• Set the table now so you won't have to worry about it later.
  
• Set up a coat rack with extra hangers.
  
• Do any remaining baking, including apple or pecan pies.
  
• Buy your salad greens and perishable vegetables. Wash lettuce leaves now, dry well, and store by packing them in paper towels in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
  
• If you ordered a fresh turkey, pick it up from the butcher.
  
• Calculate your cooking time (and cooking order) for tomorrow.
  
• Figure out what can't be cooked along with the turkey in the oven, either in terms of temperature or space. Plan to cook those things before or after the turkey is done, or on the stovetop while it's cooking; better still, make them today.
  

Thanksgiving Day:

First off:

• Prepare stuffing for the turkey (if you're stuffing the turkey) and/or the dressing to cook on the side.
  
• Prepare your vegetables for cooking-clean, peel and chop. Cover the ready-to-go vegetables and put them in the refrigerator. Boil potatoes and mash them; they can be reheated just before serving.
  
• Stuff the turkey and get it in the oven according to the schedule you calculated yesterday.
  

Then:

• After the turkey is in the oven, you should have a little time to relax away from the kitchen.
  
• Just before the turkey's done, begin cooking fresh vegetables, and get anything else that needs to go into the oven ready (stuffing, storebought rolls, etc.)
  

While the cooked turkey is resting:

• Put a foil tent over the turkey. You now have about an hour to do the remaining cooking.
  
• If you have a pan of stuffing/dressing on the side to bake, put it in now.
  
• Warm whatever needs to be warmed, including mashed potatoes, rolls, soups and casseroles.
  
• Cook frozen vegetables.
  
• Make the gravy.
  
• Put all the food on the table or buffet. Don't hesitate to press guests into service to put food in bowls, open wine bottles, fill glasses and dish up the cranberry sauce.
  
• Get a plate and eat! Don't spend the meal running back and forth to the kitchen and end up missing out on the Thanksgiving feast you've created.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This isn't any new recipe.
It's been around for a while, but the fact remains.... it's seriously the easiest cake to make and it's perfectly delicious too! The best part is: 2 INGREDIENTS. Can ya believe it?

1 box of Chocolate Cake Mix
1 can pumpkin puree (Not pie filling mix)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together in a bowl. Pour into a greased baking dish or cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


*If using a bundt pan, you might need a little extra baking time.

*If mixture is too thick for your preference, add a few tablespoons of applesauce to help thin it out a little.

Layered Spaghetti Casserole

I have been so busy lately, there's almost no time to blog anymore. And I see a nice blogging break in my future due to reasons that I can't disclose just yet. Just when I was gettin' used to 2011--BAM! it's almost over. I've been preparing things for our Thanksgiving dinner. Cleaning the house and decorating for Christmas. It's been an amazing year!

However, I came across this recipe and lemmetellya it's easily one of the most amazing spaghetti recipes you will ever make. If you don't believe me, just try it.

The creamy layer of cheese mixed with veggies is my favorite part, next time I think I'll make a little more of that layer. Yum!!

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 large can spaghetti sauce (26.5 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/3 cup chopped onions
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons milk
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
French Fried Onions (small can)

Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package. Cook to al dente, drain and set aside.
Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat.
Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft. (If you don't want to use the microwave, you can easily saute the veggies and add softened cream cheese, mix well.)
Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well.

Layer in your casserole dish in the following order:

Thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.

Spaghetti

Cream cheese/vegetable mixture

Spaghetti sauce


Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste)French Fried Onions (added during last 5 minutes of cooking)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes. (This is the secret ingredient–don’t let them burn.)

Roasted Veggies

Acorns bouncing off the cold ground and crunchy leaves under myfeet are the soundtrack for the season. Warm colors brighten the landscape and the chill of the air screams that it's undeniably autumn. Oh how I LOVE autumn.

Crisp harvest vegetables are plentiful in every inch of the produce department in the market and make for a fantastic addition to any meal.

1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium summer squash, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 bag baby carrots
2 baking potatoes sliced and quartered
1/2 red onion
1/2 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the vegetables in a roasting pan. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper to mix and coat. Spread in a single layer in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender.