From my Home to Yours-

~Merry Christmas~

There have been many lists written these past few weeks.  The lists for things to do, things to bake & things to purchase have been rewritten, also!  Now, it's time to enjoy family & friends.  I wish all of you, your families & your friends a very

Enjoy!

~Effortless Entrees~

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At this time of year we've all been preparing for the holidays!  Every day is filled with hustle & bustle.  Grocery shopping and shopping for gifts, visiting friends, baking & rechecking travel plans, in addition to working is only a part of a busy week.  Nutritious, tasty dinners that are easy to prepare are welcomed at the end of a busy day.

On this blog I've posted some yummy entrees that are found in the snowflake above.  Many of the recipes are prepared in a Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot.  Click on any entree in the snowflake & the post & recipe is at your fingertips.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

     

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
(File Photo)

Sour Cream? Yes, I have Fat Free.
Nutmeg?  Yes.
Salt Free Butter?  Yes, definitely need to use Butter!
Flour & Sugar?  Yes.
Colored Sugars?  Yes, yes!
Rolling pin & rolling mat?  Double yes.
Cookie Cutters?  Definitely!

That's part of my check list before I bake Sour Cream Sugar Cookies.  I've used my go to recipe for rolled out Christmas Sugar Cookies for so long - over 30 years.

Imagine biting into a soft rolled out sugar cookie that has a cute whimsical shape.  As you are chewing the cookie a hint of Nutmeg flavoring tastes so good.  The sugar cookie is festive- decorated with colored sugars.  After eating one, another is hard to resist!         

These cookies are time tested with both my family & my friends!  They are made in 2 steps.

On Day 1 the dough is prepared, wrapped & refrigerated to be used on Day 2.
The next day take out the Colored Sugars, Rolling Pin & Rolling Mat.

This is a very easy cookie to make/ bake.  Roll the dough to 1/4".  Then, use your cookie cutters.  After baking/ cooling a taste test is definitely necessary.  Who can resist this cookie?  Usually I bake them 2- 3 weeks before Christmas & place them in the freezer.  They freeze very well & are so yummy!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
          printable recipe card (click here)         

Oven:  375°F
Yield:  About 5 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Cup unsalted Butter, softened
1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (can be Fat Free)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Colored Sugars for Decorating
Cookie Cutters

Method:

Day 1-

1. In large bowl with electric mixer beat Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy. 
2. Add Egg, beat.
3. Add in Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Nutmeg. 
4. While beating on Low, slowly add Flour, 1 Cup at a time.
5. Add in Vanilla and Sour Cream. Beat on Medium until well combined. Dough will be stiff. 
6. Remove dough from bowl and place on plastic wrap, wrap dough.  
7. Place wrapped dough on aluminum foil and wrap well.
8. Refrigerate overnight.  

Day 2-

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Unwrap dough and cut into four parts. 
3. On well floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters. 
4. Place cookies on pan/ sheet 1" apart. (Maybe 12 cookies to a sheet.)
5. Sprinkle with colored sugars. 
6. Bake 10 - 11 Minutes. Bottom of cookies will be a light golden brown.
7. Remove with spatula to wire cooling racks. 
8. When cool store in airtight containers.  

The last time I baked this family fave was the end of March.  My son & soon to be daughter-in-law included them (bells & hearts) in their Welcome Bags for their overnight wedding guests.  4 batches were baked for their very special occasion!  Now, it will always be a tradition with me to use green & purple sprinkles when decorating the bell shaped cookies.  :)

Welcome Bag Cookies
(File Photo)

In the next few days my cookie cutters & rolling pin will be put to work.  I have the Fat Free Sour Cream & Unsalted Butter in my fridge.  It's time to plan on making the dough & baking these soft yummy cookies.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

"Shake Rattle & Roll"

"Shake Rattle & Roll"

The bright yellow plastic canister that the Domino SUGAR was packaged in has been recycled!  We have a new green toy for our grandsons!  Over a 6 month period I've saved many different colored plastic bottle caps- red from apple cider, white from soy milk, blue (1% fat milk & O.J.) & yellow from apple juice.  The washed bottle caps were stored in the cleaned canister.  On Thanksgiving AM the Turkeys Table Runner (directions) was out & ready for business.

***Now that our younger grandson has passed the age/ stage of giving toys & books the taste test while admiring/ using, the bottle caps could make an appearance.   With supervision this is a great toy.

I had saved the plastic bottle caps to use as "counting objects".  Once a teacher, always a teacher!  Little did I know that Shake, Rattle & Roll is a much more fun use.  The filled covered canister makes a great drum, too!

Shaking, then opening the container & spilling the bottle caps is a FuN game.  Then, collecting all of the caps while giggling adds to the enjoyment!

Our new green toy is packed away to be used again!  Maybe they will be "counting objects" in the future, but not for a long time!  Who needs to count them???

I definitely need to change the table runner!

                    

Turkey a la King

Turkey a la King
served over Toasted Oatmeal Bread
(File Photo)

The aroma of Turkey roasting on Thanksgiving Day is just the best!  With cranberry sauce chilling in the fridge & the garlic mashed potatoes & other side dishes on the move, dinner is on its way.  My fam has never had a problem having leftover slices/ pieces of the delicious moisty Turkey.  Opening the fridge door & grazing seems to be a custom of the weekend.  At least opening the door to see if anything has changed position on a shelf, certainly is a habit.  :)

Hot Turkey Sandwiches on Friday is set in stone, here.  On Saturday there usually are a few pieces remaining.  That's when I see Turkey a la King in our future.  Mixed vegetables along with chunks of Turkey combined in a creamy white sauce.  This is served over toasted Oatmeal Bread.  Oh yes, along with Cranberry Sauce.  Yum, yum, yum!

When preparing dinner why take the extra step of making or using commercial pie crusts for Turkey Pot Pies???  Toasted bread serves the role so well!  Prep Turkey a la King.  When it's ready, toast the bread.  Easy & no fuss all while tasting absolutely delicious!  Try it, you'll like it!

Turkey a la King
 Serves 2 - 3 Adults

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Margarine/ Butter (I use unsalted.)
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chicken/Turkey Broth
      (I use College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth.)
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Turkey chunks (cooked), cut up, more if desired
2 Cups cooked Carrots & Peas (or Mixed Vegetables)
*******
Sliced Bread, Toasted

Method:

1. Melt Margarine/ Butter in skillet.
2. Remove skillet from Medium heat and slowly stir in Flour.  
3. Return to heat and slowly add in Chicken Broth & Milk while slowly stirring constantly.
4. Continue stirring over heat until sauce is thick and bubbly. 
5. Add cooked Turkey chunks.
6. Add in cooked vegetables.
7. Stir and heat mixture for 1 - 2 Minutes.
8. Serve over toasted Bread.

If I have enough Turkey I make a double batch & freeze the extra portions.  It's an easy dinner to defrost/ reheat on a cold winter night.

***Chicken can be substituted for Turkey at other times during the year.

***A half portion is also so yummy when served over a baked potato!

Currently, it looks like winter outside!  The snowflakes are falling heavily on the day before Thanksgiving!  It'll be a different sight looking out my kitchen window as I bake the Thanksgiving pies!  Today I have 2 sous chefs!  :)  

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Wishing you, your family & friends a wonderful holiday!

~Butternut Squash Bread~

Butternut Squash Bread cooling!

Last Friday was the designated day for me.  Our weather has been quite brisk lately with the exception of Monday's rain.  On our garage floor were 5 Butternut Squash remaining in the carton.  They needed to be prepped for our freezer.  It's always best to take care of that before our cold temps make an appearance.  So... more bags of yummy locally grown Butternut Squash that is mashed/ ready to microwave is now in our freezer.  This week's been cold, brrrr!

2 Cups of the mashed Squash were refrigerated.  I had plans- Butternut Squash Breads!  It's a tradition with me to use Butternut Squash rather than Pumpkin for breads & pies.  It's a baking custom in my family.  Now, as long as my bowls & measuring utensils were to be used for baking, I baked 2 breads.  One is always cooled/ wrapped/ placed in the freezer for Thanksgiving weekend.

Butternut Squash works so well in this recipe.  However, if you do not have this yummy mashed vegetable readily available, use Pumpkin! 

• I use Olive Oil for sauteing & baking 
• Egg Whites rather than a Whole Egg is used.

The recipe below is for 1 Bread.  It's definitely a family fave here!  Light & moisty!

Butternut Squash Bread

Oven:  350°F      Time:  55 Minutes  

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves (optional, but delicious)
1  Cup Sugar

4 Egg Whites (= total of 2 Whole Eggs)
3/4 Cup Olive Oil for sauteing & baking
1 Cup Butternut Squash (cooked, mashed & cooled - defrosted if frozen)
PAM

Method:

1. Spray 1 large bread pan with PAM. 
2.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
3.  Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl.
4.  In smaller bowl, beat Egg Whites until frothy.
5.  Mix in Olive Oil.
6.  Add mashed Butternut Squash to Egg Whites/Olive Oil & stir.
7.  Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and stir until combined.
8.  Pour batter into bread pan.
9.  Bake at 350°F for 55 Minutes or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in   middle of loaf.
10.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 Minutes.
11.  Then remove from pan & continue cooling.
12.  Later, place on plate & cut into slices.

We always enjoy Butternut Squash Bread during Thanksgiving weekend.  It's also a holiday treat that can be baked/ cooled/ wrapped in foil & placed in the freezer.  When needed, defrost.      

Enjoy!
Yummy!