Garlic Mashed Potatoes

November 26, 2009


I saw this recipe on Cook's Country TV, and decided to make these mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. They said that this was the best garlic flavored mashed potatoes they tested; and, it was easy to make - one pot and no draining the hot water!

From the episode: Fail-Safe Thanksgiving

Cutting the potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces ensures that maximum surface area is exposed to soak up garlicky flavor.

Serves 8 to 10.

Ingredients

4	pounds russet potatoes , peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12	tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , cut into pieces
12	garlic cloves , minced
1	teaspoon sugar
1 1/2	cups half-and-half
1/2	cup water
	Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Place cut potatoes in colander. Rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.

2. 2. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook garlic and sugar, stirring often, until sticky and straw colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rinsed potatoes, 1 1/4 cups half-and-half, water, and 1 teaspoon salt to pot and stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. 3. Off heat, add remaining butter to pot and mash with potato masher until smooth. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining half-and-half until liquid is absorbed and potatoes are creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Sweet Potato Casserole

November 26, 2009



I wanted to make Sweet Potato Casserole from 'scratch' for Thanksgiving. I went to the grocery store and they had a big display of fresh yams and next to the yams was a small display of sweet potatoes. I decided to use the yams instead of the sweet potatoes. After all the canned stuff that I bought last year were yams!

This dish turned out great! I love the pecan topping; I also cut down on the sugar (after reading the reviews on About.com: Southern Food) It was sweet, creamy, and crunchy. I will make this again for Thanksgiving - it was so easy to make!! I boiled the yams then mashed the yams and assembled the dish.

Cook Time: 50 mins - Level: Easy - Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter

• Topping:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.

Rich Chocolate Pecan Pie

November 26, 2009



You have to have pie on Thanksgiving, and I already had a pumpkin dessert - so why not try this pecan pie? I never really had a pecan pie before; this pie had chocolate in it, and the directions were simple enough... How could I go wrong?

I'm glad that I made this pie! This pecan pie was rich and not too sweet. I did not use the caramel sauce - didn't miss it, served the pie with vanilla ice cream. The only thing that i will change the next time I make this pie is to put the chocolate chips in the bottom of the pie, then the pecans over the chips. I reversed the order when I first made the pie - everything turned out good but you couldn't really see the pecans. This pie is great the next day!

Cook Time: 1hr - Level: Intermediate - Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• Caramel Sauce, for garnish, recipe follows
• Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie shell.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the filling over the pecans. Bake until the filling sets, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Cut into individual servings and serve with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Caramel Sauce:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk

Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Add the cream (be careful; it will bubble up), whisk to combine, and remove from the heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, then add up to 2 more tablespoons, until the desired consistency is reached. Let cool until just warm before serving. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

November 26, 2009



I was looking for a pumpkin dessert to make for Thanksgiving. I found this recipe on FoodNetwork courtesy of Paula Deen. This recipe was rated 5 stars by over 2100 people - so it has to be good, right?!

This recipe was easy to make and awesome of course! My good friend Dan said it was like pumpkin pie on crack! I will make this dish again it was so yummy!

Cook Time: 50mins - Level: Easy - Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Disney's A Christmas Carol in Disney Digital 3D

November 9, 2009


A timeless Christmas story - we went to see the 3D effects; and found it amazing during the flying scenes, the chase scenes, the snow scenes were great, and the characters were so realistic you could see the emotion on their faces! There were several scenes that were dark and very intense, definitely making this a movie NOT for small children. This was an 'OK' movie, it's a renter.


Overview:
Charles Dickens' timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come, as they help to bring kindness to his otherwise cold heart. The Ghosts remind him of the man he used to be, the hard truth of what the world is today, and what will happen if he does not strive to be a better man. Set around Christmas, the most joyous day of the year, Scrooge realizes the sharp contrast of his own personality.

Jim Carrey plays four separate roles in this updated version of A Christmas Carol. Carrey portrays Scrooge, as well as the three ghosts (Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come). His dynamic character roles keep the four characters as diverse as being played by four actors.

Simon at Palm's Place

November 8, 2009



Robb took us out to Simon's for my birthday. I didn't know what to expect, but we were hungry, and I was excited to go! First impression - packed and smelled yummy! I didn't know that it was buffet/all you can eat! We ordered Veuve Cliquot champagne and I checked out the menu - I said "White Trash?!" Chicken and waffles - we're trying that! The waitress came by and told us the special was banana nutella pancakes and we all said - ooohhh! She brought out a sample of Simon's favorites - french toast, chicken and waffles, pigs in a blanket, breakfast pizza, steak and eggs. We were'nt a fan of the french toast, I love the pigs in a blanket, and the breakfast pizza was a hit! I did hit the Whole fruits and smoothie station - I got a berry smoothie and a small cinnamon bun - so good! Robb got some peel and eat shrimp, fruit, preztel bread, and smoked salmon. I wanted to try the grilled cheese but decided to wait until our food arrived - I never made it back to try the grilled cheese. Simon's brunch was fun and yummy! A must go - be sure to make reservations!

Here's what 'whats-on.com' had to say about Simon's brunch:

Simon’s new Sunday brunch inside Palms Place may not be your ordinary buffet brunch, but that’s fitting considering Kerry Simon’s latest restaurant is far from ordinary. Featuring both buffet-style items as well as à la carte items crafted fresh in the kitchen, Simon’s Sunday brunch might just be the best buffet brunch in all of Las Vegas. For just $38, guests are offered unlimited items both at the buffet and off the brunch menu as well as limitless orange juice, coffee and water refills. As you look over the à la carte menu, freshly baked beignets are delivered to your table by the friendly, pajama-clad waitstaff, and an assortment of freshly baked pastries, breads and bagels are also available to nibble on at the buffet counter (the flaky, chocolate-filled croissants are to die for!).

While you wait for your à la carte items to arrive to your table, What’s On recommends starting your meal with a trip to the buffet’s Whole Fruits and Smoothies Station so that you can grab one of Simon’s freshly made fruit smoothies (the wild berry is particularly yummy), followed by a trip to the buffet’s Sushi Master Station and Paninis Station for some of Simon’s exquisite multi-textured crispy sesame rice rolls—spicy tuna, avocado and eel sauce—and its delicious grilled ham and fontina panini on pretzel bread. As for what to order from Simon’s fairly extensive brunch menu (which is broken up into categories like the fun “White Trash”), the flavorful, wood-fired margherita pizza is perfect for sharing amongst smaller parties (the four slices can easily serve up to two), and the tender, juicy pigs in a blanket, which come with ketchup and mustard to dip them in (though you probably won’t want to kill the flavor), are great for larger groups. As for entrées, the filling chicken and waffles with a side of crispy applewood smoked bacon or the rich and creamy crab, artichoke and Havarti Simon omelet with a side of hash browns both make nice selections and won’t leave tastebuds (or hungry stomachs) disappointed.

Other must-try à la carte items include the biscuits and gravy, the BBQ pork baby back ribs and the Simon French toast on Frosted Flake-crusted brioche. Those looking to start off their morning (or early afternoon) with a bit of a kick can wash everything down with a drink from Simon’s make-your-own Bloody Mary Buffet (an additional $7 fee applies), while those looking for a sugar rush to get them through the day will be more than satisfied when Simon’s signature junk food dessert platter arrives at their table. Offering such childhood favorites as cotton candy, Rice Krispies treats, gooey chocolate chip cookies, caramel popcorn, brownies and Simon’s own take on the classic Hostess Cup Cake and Sno Ball, this massive dessert platter is almost enough to give you a cavity, but trust us when we say you won’t leave the restaurant complaining!

Zombieland

November 1, 2009


This movie was very funny and generally very entertaining. Lots of black humor & hilarious gore gags. I very surprised by this movie, didn't expect Zombieland to be as good as it was.


Overview:
A cowardly shut-in named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As Tallahassee sets out on a mission to find the last Twinkie on Earth, the duo meets up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two young girls who have resorted to some rather unorthodox methods to survive amidst the chaos. Reluctant partners in the battle against the undead, all four soon begin to wonder if it might be better to simply take their chances alone.