Apple, Sausage and Herb Stuffing

Yesterday my daughter and I tested a stuffing recipe from Barefoot Contessa. Apple, sausage and herb stuffing. The first we've ever made and from scratch. I must say we're very proud of it. Our Thanksgiving at my mums side of the family are usually catered because of the very busy life they live. My sister hosted her first one last year and the food was delicious. This year it will be our first year to host.

We're all very excited for Thursday. We're making everything from scratch. This recipe is really good got the hubs palate approval. It has loads of flavour and moist. You taste a hint of everything, sweet, mild spice, fruity, and savoury.

Melt butter in the pan and sauté the onions, apples, celery, carrots, until tender.

 Add 2 tbs. fresh parsley (I used dried parsley)

Cut round french bread into 1 inch cubes and toast in the oven at 300F/150C/Gas Mark 2 for 7 minutes. Set in a large  bowl.

 Add in the onions, apples, carrots, and celery.

In the same pan cook the sweet Italian sausage and combine mild Italian sausage and mix together.

While the sausage is cooking add 1 cup cranberries and 1 cup chicken stock into the stuffing.

Once the sausages are done add it to the rest of the stuffing. Mix well and place in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Sorry the photo's blurry my hands were shaking.

Ingredients

2 granny smith apples chopped

2 stalks of celery

1 carrot stick chopped (I added this one in)

2 onions

2 tbs. parsley

1 tbs. salt

1 tbs. pepper

1 round french bread

1 package minced sweet Italian sausage

1 package minced mild Italian sausage

Pumpkin Smoothie

Winter is definitely right around the corner. Snow birds have arrived. What is a snowbird, you ask? I asked the hubs the same question. Well they are people mostly seniors and retirees  from the U.S. Northeast, Midwest and Canada who spend their winter in warmer climates.

They usually have a second home at these places they come to for the winter. The other day when we were at the hubs childhood neighborhood. We stopped by one of the grocery stores and the parking lot was full of vehicles with license plates from Canada, Alberta. The whole entire store were filled with seniors. Its because that part of the city has a massive snow bird community.

I love seeing them, have met a few and I just adore them. It's something about how grandparents makes you feel warm and cozy inside with their smiles, laughter, gentleness, kindness, easy going attitude and wisdom when they speak.

With that said, kiddies and I started to get a craving for something pumpkin because everywhere we went the aroma of pumpkin spice, ginger bread, and cinnamon was in the air. All I had in the freezer were some left over frozen pumpkin filling from when we made pumpkin roll.

We decided we would make some pumpkin smoothie. We found the recipe from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. I have to tell you we are not much lovers of pumpkin flavour but this was yummm.... We didn't need to go to the market because we had all of the ingredients. Thank goodness and I wasn't planning on going if we didn't.

Ingredients

1 can (15 Ounce) Pumpkin Pie Filling 

3 cups Whole Milk (more If Needed) 

1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt (up To 1 Cup) 

A Few Dashes Of Cinnamon 

Cinnamon Graham Crackers, Crushed

 

Method

Ahead of time, place pumpkin pie filling into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for a few hours or until frozen solid.
To make the smoothie, add milk, and yogurt to a blender. Drop in the frozen pumpkin pie filling and blend until the frozen filling is completely pulverized. Add more milk or yogurt as needed to get it the consistency you'd like.
Pour into individual glasses and sprinkle the tops with graham cracker crumbs. Serve immediately!

*Note: Make a lower-calorie smoothie by using unsweetened/unflavored pumpkin puree, nonfat plain yogurt, and the sweetener of your choice.

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

 This is a yummy breakfast especially if you're in a rush. Keeps your tummy full without feeling heavy and tired. Gives you that bit of energy you need to conquer a busy day.

 Strawberry and peach flavoured yogurt.

1 yogurt any flavour you like

1 fruit and nut granola bar

A few fresh raspberries

Stuffed Bell Peppers (Capsicum), and Pizza Crackers

The weather has been beautiful. We've got loads of chores to do before the holidays. My son and I have been keeping ourselves busy with cleaning, organizing, and gathering things to donate to charity shops. We have been making glass bead napkin holders as well. I'll say he's been doing a great job! He's enjoying it as well and at the same time teaching him patterns. My daughter made one last week and couldn't be bothered to make more as she is too busy with other things. 

By dinner time I was too knackered to do anything else so I've put together some left overs and came up with this. I don't have measurements for this recipe because I threw everything in and put it in the oven

Ingredients

boiled white rice
cream cheese
heavy whipping cream
corn
celery
pepper to taste
breadcrumbs

Method
Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4

Put ingredients in a small saucepan and melt together until rice is covered in cream.
Scoop the stuffing and fill up the bell peppers.
Sprinkle with breadcrumbs on top.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Kiddies didn't care for it. They've been snacking all day and were not hungry so I have put together some nibbles for them. It isn't dinner but they stuffed their little tummies with it along with strawberry applesauce.

Crackers with pepperoni and melted shredded cheese on top. Microwave for 20 seconds. Simple and delicious.

Pizza Crackers

Chocolate Banana Muffins

It was a beautiful chilly day yesterday and the kiddies and I decided to bake something with what we had in our pantry. We had 3 overripe bananas which was the perfect amount for this recipe. We were going to make banana muffins and decided to look through Nigella's cookbook and found this! Chocolate banana muffins! A pair of ingredients that we love! Tea time...

My son ran to the fridge and got some dark chocolate morsels and added it.  He says "For good measure." Lol.

INGREDIENTS

3 very ripe or overripe bananas
125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
100g soft light brown sugar
225g plain flour
3 x 15ml tablespoons best-quality cocoa powder, sifted (Ghirardelli my favourite)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 x 12-bun muffin tin

Add some bits of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chip morsels.

METHOD Serves: Makes 12

Preheat the oven to 400F/200°C/gas mark 6 and line a muffin tin with papers. Don’t worry about getting special papers: regular muffin cases will do the job.
Mash the bananas by hand or with a freestanding mixer.Still beating and mashing, add the oil followed by the eggs and sugar.
Mix the flour, cocoa powder and bicarb together and add this mixture, beating gently, to the banana mixture, then spoon it into the prepared papers.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, by which time the muffins should be dark, rounded and peeking proudly out of their cases. Allow to cool slightly in their tin before removing to a wire rack.

Lola's Filipino Chicken Arroz Caldo (Chicken Porridge)

It's my ninth day of ear infection and bless that I haven't got a fever. The two little one's do. Left for the market early this morning to pick up ingredients for arroz caldo. This is my grandma's recipe. I will say that after it had finished cooking the kiddies and I had 3 bowls each. It was so good.

Serves 5 (I've doubled up on the recipe made it for 10)

~We like it with loads of broth so I keep a few cans in the pantry. When the porridge starts to get too thick for me I add in more broth.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic
1 3 inch ginger thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional) I used soy sauce
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup rice
salt and pepper to taste
a package of chicken wings or 2 chicken breasts cut into pieces
green onions (optional) to garnish

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Chuck in and stir the onion, garlic and ginger. Chuck in the chicken wings. Cook and stir together for a minute and half. Put the lid on and cook for about 2 minutes.

Pour the chicken broth into the pot and rice, stir. Bring to a boil. Put the lid back on and cook for 10 minutes. Stir now and then to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with green onion and serve with lemon wedges.