Pumpkin Cream Trifle & Brussels Sprouts Gratin for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I know I'm a bit early, but I have to be if you're going to use any of my Thanksgiving recipes for the big day.  I've only got two, but they're out of this world!  I'm posting them both today to give you as much notice as possible (what, 2 full days isn't enough?!).  I just made them for our first family Thanksgiving celebration yesterday, and both were big, BIG hits.  I'm still getting FaceBook comments about them.

My favorite part about Thanksgiving is all the delicious food, of course, and even more so the Gingerbread house decorating after dinner (see pictures at the very bottom of this post).  Many people would tell you that the Pumpkin Pie is their favorite part of Turkey Day.  You're going to have to trust me when I tell you that you should just forget about the pie this year.  Blasphemy, you say?  Not so.  I'm giving you a much better alternative!  It is this fabulous Pumpkin Cream Trifle that will have you "mmmmm-ing" and "yummmmm-ing" with every single bite.  You're just going to die!  My friend, Keri, that gave me this recipe titled it "The BEST dessert ever," and I do believe she is right!

Pumpkin Cream Trifle

From Keri Abney

for the cake

1 package spice cake mix

1 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 c. canned pumpkin

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

In a large bowl, combine these eight ingredients, mixing well.  Transfer to a 9x13 inch nonstick baking pan.  Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  At this point, the cake can be frozen for later use.

Making the Trifle

2 c. cold milk

2 3.4 oz packages instant cheesecake pudding mix

1 8 oz carton whipped topping, thawed

1 c. chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

*3/4 c. English Toffee bits (Skor bars mashed up work perfect)

*I used 8 Skor bars (just to make sure...)

Combine milk and pudding mixes; whisk for 2 minutes.  Fold in whipped topping.  Cut cake into 1-inch cubes.  Layer cake, pudding mixture, pecans & Skor bar bits in a glass 3 quart bowl or trifle dish; repeat to make three layers of each.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serves 15-20.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Adapted from Food Network Magazine, November 2010

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the dish

Kosher salt

2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, outer leaves and stems removed

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 c. bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter a 2-quart baking dish.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes.

2. Drain the Brussels sprouts and coarsely chop.  Transfer to the prepared baking dish and toss with the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, then spread out evenly.  Pour the cream on top, sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and dot with butter pieces.

3. Bake the gratin until bubbly and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Gingerbread "Heaven"

It's tradition to decorate Gingerbread houses every Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family. 

A tradition we all love.

Although looking at these pictures, I'm not exactly sure why. HA!

When the houses are bare, there are smiles all around...

But when the candy and icing come out, so do our true colors...

 Just for a minute...

and then they're back again...

 until Chow hides every last bit of candy inside her house...

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Great Pumpkin

I'm a big fan of traditions.  As a matter of fact, I love 'em!  Traditions, the good ones at least, give me that tingly, happy fluttery feeling from the ends of my hair to the tips of my toes...every time.  One of my very favorites that Dick and I have had the entire time we've been married is enjoying a pumpkin-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's.  It started out as an excuse to not eat something I'd made, because, let's face it, in the beginning it was pretty bad, folks.  But now, its just one of those things we look forward to - its festive, its fun, and its pretty darn tasty!  Here's our 2010 Jacko-Yummy!

Another thing I really love is trying new recipes.  I especially love making seasonal foods, so when I saw the recipe for this pumpkin penne I knew it was a must-try.  Sometimes I halve recipes since its just Dick and I at our house, but when I think we're gonna like something I'll risk making the whole thing so we can have the leftovers for lunches at work throughout the week.  The leftovers from this pasta were gone in record time, and may have even been fought over.  Just a little bit, though.  So, yeah, this yummy seasonal dish was a hit, and I bet it will be at your house, too!

Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta

From Rachael Ray on Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 shallots, finely chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, grated

2 c. chicken stock

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree

1/2 c. cream

1 tsp. hot sauce, to taste

freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

2 pinches ground cinnamon

salt & black pepper

7-8 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced

grated parmigiano-reggiano

Directions

1. Heat water for pasta, salt it & cook penne to al dente.

2. Heat the oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic to the pan, saute 3 minutes.

3. Stir in chicken stock and combine w/ pumpkin, stir in cream then season sauce w/ hot sauce, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt & pepper.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5-6 minutes more to thicken.

5. Stir in sage, toss with pasta with grated cheese, to taste.

Best KISS of my life!!!

Happy Halloween (belated, of course) to all! I hope yours was as rockin' as mine was...hee hee... let me just give you the run-down of how things went. I started the day by frantically looking for tight black pants for Dick and I - which I found in the girls' section at our nearest Target (yep, both in the girls section hahaha). I then sped home to make a dessert - it was the delicious, and blurry, Cherry-Fudge Brownie Torte out of my new fave cookbook I got for my birthday two weeks ago! Don't worry, there's a whole story that goes along with the cookbook, but that will go in my belated birthday post coming up next time, here in the kitch. Dick picked me up after work to go help the other rockstars on our church's Activities Committee decorate the gym for our ward Halloween party starting just a few hours later. After the decorations were all up, and you could seriously no longer tell you were standing in a gym, we headed home to do each others' make up (pretty sure I've never said that before!) with our friends, the Coleman's, who were the other half of KISS with us that night. 8 o'clock rolled around and we made our way to the partay where we danced the night away. Yes, I said WE!!! Dick has always either thrown a fit about dancing or simply refused, but there was just something about those skin-tight leggings and all that makeup that gave him the courage and energy to get down with his bad self for hours on end. And, seriously, I know I said this was a church party, but it was by far the best Halloween party I've ever been to! And believe me, I've been to some good ones. We are in a ward of young married couples, many of whom are students at WSU, and all of whom are AWESOME! Holler, University 1st ward - love you all! Anyway, it was pretty much the best Halloween of my life! And that wasn't even really Halloween - it was the night before!

To top things off, we went to a little dinner party with some of our other favorite peeps, the Parker's. I was asked to bring a "Halloween-y salad." I hadn't the slightest idea of what that meant, so I spent forever searching for one online and found absolutely nothing but the stupidest ideas I've ever heard and seen. I opted for a black bean salad that included scrumptious flavors, as well as colors you see at Halloween, and I topped it with a spider. It was a hit!

Hope your Halloween was as GRAND as mine was!

My very own Gene Simmons

He loved every minute of it, & so did I!!!

Cherry-Fudge Brownie Torte

From Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours

Sorry, I can't give the recipe to this one! I'm waiting to get into

a cooking club (Tuesdays With Dorie), and that would be against

one of the few club rules. Just know that it was FABULOUS!

Black Bean Salad

From Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

dressing

1 small clove garlic

a pinch of salt, plus 2 tsp

juice of 1 1/2 limes, about 3 Tbsp

2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 c. olive oil


salad

1 c. corn kernels

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1/2 of small red onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained & rinsed

freshly ground pepper

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small avocado, diced

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Make the dressing: smash the garlic clove, sprinkle w/ a pinch of salt, and w/ the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt & chili powder together in a bowl. gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting w/ a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.

For the salad: cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over med-high heat in a skillet. toss in the black beans and cook until warm. add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. adjust seasoning w/ salt & pepper. remove from the heat & gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. serve.