EcoBathroom offers organic towels for those who do not like the idea of pesticides and chemicals being in the towels they use to dry off with after taking a shower.  These organic towels are hand loomed using 100 year old looms and methods.

This Friday is “Black Friday,” and we plan to go for the good buys and for the novelty of it.  (I wish they had a different name for it.  I understand why they name it that, but it seems like a name for something dismal.  Haha)   For many years, I never had any desire to go, but then I found out how much fun it was to just go and be with our daughter and friends.   This year, I plan to go with my husband and our son, so this will be interesting and fun as well.

On Friday, we’ll probably be so full from eating Thanksgiving dinner the day before that we won’t want any desserts and definitely not any Swisher Sweets (I didn’t know what those were).  Maybe all the walking around will help us burn off some calories!  However, there is a lot of waiting in long lines before the stores open, and that doesn’t burn off many calories.  Oh, well.  It will be a great time to visit and catch up on things with our son who will be home from college.

This sounds like a fun recipe to make with children:

• 1 cup of your favorite ice cream - NOT ice milk
• 1 cup self-rising flour

Let ice cream set out at room temperature until thoroughly melted, but still cold.  Fold in the flour.  Do not overstir.  Pour into greased muffin tin.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.   Makes 6 muffins.

The first Thanksgiving was a feast of thanksgiving to God for the harvest of food with which they were blessed.

Psalm 100

A psalm of thanksgiving.

¹ Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
² Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
³ Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

(Biblegateway.com)

Stuffing:

• Fritos Cornbread Stuffing

• Laura Bush’s Corn Bread Dressing

Sweet Potatoes & Veggies:

• Holiday Sweet Potatoes

• Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
• Holiday Vegetable Casserole
  

Salads:

• Mother’s Holiday Fruit Salad
• Peach Pie Salad
  
• Raw Cranberry Salad

Desserts, Muffins, & Breads:

• Cherry-Banana Bread (Low-fat)
• Chocolate Chip Pie (Awesome!)
• Company’s Coming Cookies
• Crustless Pumpkin Pie
• Eggless Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Cookie Dough Safe to Eat!
• Frito Candy
• Harvest Pumpkin Muffins
• Holiday Pineapple Nut Bread
• Oreo Truffles
• Pecan Pie Muffins
• Pillsbury Turkey Sugar Cookies
  
• Pineapple Delight
• Sopapilla Cheesecake

Pie Crusts:

• Graham Cracker Pie Crust
• “Mix in the Plate” Pie Crust

• Never Fail Pie Crust (Make ahead of time)

Appetizers:

• Cheese Ball

• Cheese Log
• Blackeye Pea Salsa
• Olive Garden’s Artichoke-Spinach Dip
• Mixed Nuts with Rosemary & Shallots (serve warm)
• Rolled Chicken and Asparagus
• Sausage Cheese Balls
• Sausage Rolls
• Southwest “Cheesecake” Dip

• Texas Stuffed Jalapenos

Ideas for left-over turkey:

• Brown Rice, Turkey, & Broccoli in Mushroom Sauce
• Campbell’s Country Turkey Casserole
• Turkey and Vegetable Soup
  

This turkey was from when our son was in kindergarten 13 years ago.

This is a delicious mix of vegetables:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans asparagus
• 2 cans peas
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts
• 1 4-ounce can mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• Buttered bread crumbs OR Chinese noodles

Layer 1 can asparagus, 1 can peas, 1/2 of the water chestnuts, 1/2 of the mushrooms, 1 tablespoon onion, and 1/2 cup cheese.  Add 1/2 of the soup.  Repeat layers.  Top with bread crumbs or noodles.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

It’s fun to make Pillsbury Turkey Sugar Cookies for a fun project with the kids. Use icing for the “glue.” Glue 6-8 pieces of Candy Corn along the top edge of the cookie.  Glue 2 M&Ms in the middle of the cookie for the eyes. Use a small tube of icing to form the beak underneath the eyes (a small v-shape).  Make turkey feet at the bottom of the cookie.

Do you remember years ago when items in the store had price stickers on them?  The clerk at the check-out counter had to find the price sticker on each item and ring it up on the cash register.  Sometimes that took forever.  Now, a barcode scanner makes check-out so much easier and faster. Gone are the days of price stickers and even worse, getting to the check-out counter with an item that had lost its price sticker.

Val says, “Here’s this week’s questions. We’re in the middle of a Noreaster and I have hot comfort foods on my mind.”

1. Chicken soup. Regular or creamy?

Both.  Regular is healthier, though.  Creamy would definitely be a comfort food.
2. Do you have a stew recipe?

I used to, but haven’t made it in ages.  I would probably go to AllRecipes.com to find a recipe.
3. What’s your favorite hot comfort food?

Mashed potatoes with gravy.  Also, fried okra.
4. Do you like chicken fried steak?

Yes, but rarely have it.   I prefer chicken fried chicken.

I had this in the teacher’s lounge where I was subbing recently.  Very tasty!   This recipe can be baked and then kept warm in a crock pot to serve:

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cups mixed nuts (I would choose walnuts, almonds, pecans, and  cashews)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced into rings
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place nuts in single layers on two jelly roll pans.  Bake until nuts are golden, about 8-10 minutes.  Halfway through baking, rotate the pans.  After baking, pour nuts into large bowl.

Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic.  Cook for 4-5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

Melt butter and pour over nuts.  Add rosemary, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and salt.  Stir well.  Add crispy garlic and shallots.  Serve warm.

(If needed, reheat nuts for 10 minutes at 300 degrees.)