I did it and I did it well.

We truly miss having family in the area.... All coming together, helping each other out, spending time with each other... 

This year, the turkey was all me.  And it was my first whole turkey.  Ever!  But it was awesome!

Everyone loved my sweet potato casserole (no surprise there!) and thought the turkey was perfect (the gravy was a little salty), and I even s

ent home little microwave dinners for tomorrow!  

And this is my Thanksgiving decor EVERY year.... Minus the snow!

Lunch!

Yesterday a dear friend came over for some devotions. Our own little D-group! Anyway, I provided lunch (we usually go to her house). As I raced home from work, I picked up some ham and turkey. I was planning on making Monte Christos.... The turkey was actually mush, so I used the leftovers from my Rotisserie chicken. (Improvising). The layout was like this. French bread, dipped in egg nog (my cheater recipe for french toast) and fried on a skillet, then pepper jack cheese, ham, chicken, and to dip it in, we had raspberry syrup and raspberry preserves. We ate it all! It was really yummy! And chances are, I'll make it again!

Dinner tonight

was what I like to call 'Deja Vu Buffet."  A little of all the leftovers!  Nicolee had mac n cheese (the yummy homemade kind), the doc and I had some cardboard pizza, but I dressed mine up with that awesome garlic sauce!  Tomorrow night will be better, we're having hamburgers!  But not just plain ol' cheeseburgers.... I am having a fiesta style hamburger with avocado, salsa, and cheese.... And I don't know what the others are having!

My own Rotisserie Chicken

without the Rotisserie!!!

Love those $5 rotisserie chickens at the grocery store when a plain ol' whole chicken costs $4???  Here's my own...

1.  Thaw and deftrost whole chicken and remove innards.

2.  In a bowl, mix 3t kosher salt, 1t paprika, 1t onion powder, 1/2t pepper, 1/2t cayenne, and 1t Italian seasoning.  Rub the seasoning all over the inside and outside of the chix.

3.  In the cavity, add 3 garlic cloves (or a couple spoonfuls of minced garlic) and a quartered onion.

4.  Plop the whole darn thing in the crock pot, crank it up to high for 4 hours (NO WATER), and let the magic be done by itself!

Now, the flavors aren't exactly like the store, they may need to be tweaked a little.  I'd suggest some chicken boullion or maybe some poultry seasoning, but it was SOOO moist and tender and tasty!  This is a keeper!

I served  it with asparagus and these interesting brown sugar/cinnamon peaches I found at the store!!!  Mmmmmmmmm

Get this....

My new Pomegranate Chicken!!!

I was actually contacte by POM to create this recipe and enter their contest......... So here it is:

3C POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

1/2 C sugar

1 whole chicken

Salt and Pepper

1.  Remove innards from whole chicken, leave skin on.  

2.  Rub skin with 1T EVOO and cover with salt and plenty of coarse grated pepper.

3.  Bake in oven at 450 for 20 minutes.  Make glaze while waiting.

4.  In skillet, add 3C POM Wonderful, any pomegranate flavor you like, and 1/2 C sugar over medium heat.  Cook, stirring,  until juice reduces to a syrup, appx 20-30 minutes.

5.  Reduce to 350, and bake 1-1  1/2 hours or until juices run clear when poked.  (I use my George Foreman Roaster for 1 hour)

6.  15 minutes before done, remove chicken and cover with glaze.  Baste once in the last 15 minutes if deisred.

7.  Remove to counter and let rest 1o minutes to allow the juices to settle.  

*For even more flavor, try removing and coating chicken with glaze UNDER the skin after reducing heat to 350.

Brinner

Last night we had the infamous Pine Valley Eggs for dinner... That's the recipe that throws healthy measures out the window!  Well, sort of.

First, I fried the bacon in a little EVOO to render the fat, then I drained the bacon on paper towels an wiped a little of the grease out of the pan.  A little.  I like to think that I was making some good-ol' souther cookin' last night, that's why I threw health out the window!  Anyway, I scrambled the eggs in the same skillet and it was soooo tasty!  I served those Pine Valley eggs with pancakes and OJ.... We called it Brinner.... Breakfast for dinner!

But tonight I made Chili 'n cornbread!  It was so good and so filling I think I will be heading to bed soon.......