A Day of Eating..

Hello,

The biggest day of eating is almost here.  It is also the busiest day at my job.  We feed so many people that no one knows how we get it all done.  With a little organization, creativity, and hard work it all gets down.  We will probably make enough food to feed over 1,000 people.  If you haven't figured it out yet I am talking about Thanksgiving!!!  The only day of the year where what you have on the family table is very important.

What will you have on your table this year?  I am having Thanksgiving dinner at my home this year.  I have to admit I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner!  I receive a real satisfying pleasure out of everyone enjoying my food during this time of the year.  I personally never know exactly what I am going to prepare for dinner that day, so I ask my kids first what they would like to eat.  With very picky eaters I need to make sure there is something on the table that they all will eat.  So as of now we will have the stables: Turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, gravy, dinner rolls, macaroni and cheese, etc. As you can see they didn't mention a vegetable, I'm still working on them with that one.

My next few post will be some of the foods I am making and ways to help your meal go with less stress.  With photos to follow Thanksgiving Day!!

Have a great day and come back soon for some holiday ideas.

Mo

Make Room For Beans

Hello,

"Mixed bean salad"

"Beans, Beans, the more we eat the more we      ?    "  Okay I am sure some are wondering, "The more we what?" I am not telling.   Beans are a great source of fiber and protein.  There are many types of beans that you can buy, fresh, canned, or dried.  Whenever I want to buff up a dish or make an inexpensive side dish I always go for beans.  The hardest part is picking which beans to buy: cannelloni, black beans, black-eye pea, kidney, navy, pinto, pink, red, re-fried beans, and many more.  Depending on what I am making usually decides what kind of bean I am using.  For chili using beef or ground turkey I like to use a black bean.  For a chicken soup or pulled chicken chili I like to use a navy bean.  For a salad I like mixing two different canned beans. 

Baby Its Cold Outside!!

Hello,
Baby its cold outside and what's the one thing that would make you feel all warm and toasty?  You guessed it "SOUP"!! It's a great time to start making soup.  Nothing warms the insides better than a nice bowl of soup, stew, or chili.  Yesterday I made a hearty vegetable soup.  Which easily turned into a  "Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup".

 

 

"Hearty Vegetable Soup"

Most soups start with base ingredients of diced onions, carrots, and celery.  From here you can add on and make a delicious soup, either all vegetables or add a meat such as chicken, ham, or beef.  My "Hearty Vegetable Soup" is very easy to make and there can be many substitutions of ingredients.


INGREDIENTS:
CARROTS
CELERY
ONION
TOMATOES (FRESH OR CANNED)
PARSNIPS
YELLOW AND GREEN SQUASH
FRESH THYME (GREAT IN SOUPS)
CABBAGE
CANNED WHITE BEANS (OR YOUR CHOICE)
VEGETABLE BASE (CHICKEN OR BEEF BROTH)
GARLIC
SALT AND PEPPER