Keeping It Simple

If you look at my menus for Thanksgivings past, you will see that I am keeping it simple this year.

There has been so much going on; we have icy weather, and our three youngest have been sick with bad colds all week as well, so we decided to stay quiet this year. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day as a family, with no extended family or friends, for the first time ever. My menu will be simple, but full of tradition for us.

I usually try at least one new thing but I am not sure if I will this year. I am trying to be mellow. But old habits die hard so, we'll see.

We all need some time to relax and just give ourselves permission to sit around and play games, do puzzles, play Wii or whatever.

If everyone is feeling well enough, we will have some company for brunch on Friday. I will make a breakfast strata I have made for years. This Farmer’s Strata is one of my favorites. Stratas taste wonderful and are convenient because you make it the night before, so your morning is pretty easy.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and be blessed!

Homemade Cranberry Salsa over cream cheese, served with a variety of crackers

Lemon and Tarragon Turkey (this just sounded good so I am coming up with a recipe)

Cashew Swiss Salad

Scalloped Potato Casserole or Frufru Mashed Potatoes (I will take a poll of my family) with gravy (one of my sons reminded me to make PLENTY of gravy!)

Dilly Rolls

Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing (and some with no cranberries for a few people)

Sparkling Peach Punch

Sparkling Juice

Pumpkin Pie with homemade whipped cream

Spice Cookies and dip (one of my faves ever!)

Coffee

Salted Caramel Cocoa

Breakfast Cookies

I was talking to my sister the other day and she brought up my Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies that have zucchini in them. I asked her if she'd tried the other ones on my blog and she didn't remember even seeing them. So I came on to check and, sure enough, I had them posted on my private blog, where I keep notes about recipes and such. I did not realize I had never posted them on here.

These are found on a great blog I try to read regularly. Laura has the same, or close to the same, ideas about food and nutrition as we do at our house. We have been making these fabulous cookies at least a couple times a month for over a year and a half. I am sorry I have not shared them with you!


Giant Breakfast Cookies

Tiara's Helpful Hints and Amendments:

* If you do not have buttermilk, mix 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 Tablespoon white vinegar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. I have also successfully used plain yogurt to replace buttermilk in this and other recipes.

* This recipe is somewhat hard to soak ahead of time because much of the moisture is found in the eggs, which I do not like to leave out all night. It can be done though. Laura, in fact, gives directions at the end of the recipe for doing this.

* In our family, we like to add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 2 full teaspoons cinnamon.

* I mix in more than a cup of extras at the end. I usually add a cup or more of fresh fruit such as diced apples or peaches, or zucchini, as well as dried cranberries (most of my family isn't wild about raisins) or coconut. Nuts are also a nice addition.

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by orgjunkie.com. You can see WAY more plans if you go there!

Don't forget to check out all of the soup recipes that are being linked here on But I Had A Tiara! on Saturdays -- and add some yourself. For more info, click here.


You may have asked yourself at some point if my family is starving because I usually only list a main dish. I just want to reassure you that I DO give them a produce dish and a starch as well. I just keep those things on hand at all times. Unless I am making an actual dish (i.e. not just steaming or slicing or whatever) I don't usually list it here.

This week:

Monday: My Older and Wiser Sister's Taco Soup (we have our small groups for church tonight and this is a crockpot recipe)

Tuesday: Sticky Chicken (My friend Steph makes this and lookie here -- I found the recipe online so didn't have to type it out:) I still have whole chickens to use up. Serve with RR's Jalapeno Rice

Wednesday: Cranberry Nut Turkey Salad over Homemade Buns (or greens or store bought croissants, if I don't get the buns made). I am going to attempt to adapt Laura's buns slightly, only so I can let the breadmaker do all of the work for me until it is time to do the final punching down and forming into individual buns. Don't worry Laura, I won't make your buns look too weird;)

Thursday: Escondido Wedding Soup (Book Club this morning so make meatballs on Wednesday)

Friday: Nacho Spuds

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Chalupas (adaptation of this basic recipe). Serve with homemade corn tortillas from the Mexican family, and fixins such as avocado, cilatro, sour cream, etc. It is so lovely after church to walk into a home that smells good. And to be able to feed hungery tummies quickly too.