Tuesday's Table for November 12, 2013 - And a *Giveaway*!!

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Time to fill Tuesday's Table!

Thanks to everyone who linked up last week.  For this week, I chose Couponing and Cooking's Peppermint Bark Donuts as my feature.  I wasn't quite sure I was ready to see Christmas flavors yet, but this put me right over the edge!  You need to head over and see her site.!

Please grab a button  - and thanks so much for sharing!

We also had a giveaway last week.  Picked randomly, the winner is <drumroll>

#44- Taylor Made Ranch!</drumroll>  Please send me your mailing address and I'll get that out to you right away.

Here's what I'll be giving away this week:

Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer

To enter, link up your recipes, crafts and ideas. And for each link you add, you will get one entry. And if you send over a friend who follows me and adds a comment telling me who sent them, you get an extra entry!

Only a few guidelines:

• Please share as many links as you like, but only if you haven't shared them here before
• Add a link back to Tuesday's Table (or grab a button above!) so others can join in the fun
• Follow me via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, RSS or Bloglovin (see my sidebar!)

No other requirements, but visit the other links here, and I'd love for you to sign up for my email reminder here!

And now, for this week's link party!

An InLinkz Link-up

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We're Crazy For Cranberry!

I love seeing the cranberries come into the stores this time of year.  Cranberry sauce is super easy to make, and tastes much better made from scratch than the canned version.  You'll find too, that cranberries aren't just for cranberry sauce anymore!

Here are some of my favorite cranberry dishes:



Pastry Cornucopia with Cranberry Mousse: These pastry cornucopias were really pretty easy to make, and filled with {yummy} cranberry mousse made a perfect alternative to pumpkin pie.

Kicked Up Cranberry Jam:  Cranberry sauce, with jalapenos, for your toast.

Cranberry Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake:  One of my favorite cakes -all the flavors of fall.  In a cake.  Does it get better?

Cranberry Sauce:  Traditional cranberry sauce is easy to make.  And easy to can for later!

Pork Loin with Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar Sauce:  Cranberry and balsamic vinegar taste great together - and are a great flavor companion for pork.

Cranberry Couscous:  Creamy and tart.  Pretty too.  Wouldn't it look good next to your turkey?

Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes:  Chocolate and cranberries are another great match.

Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider:  This warm, comforting drink is easy to prepare and is a great finale for a holiday meal.


Which of these tickle your fancy?

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Best Ever Southern Cornbread

I'm participating in a Virtual Recipe Swap where we all shared a favorite family recipe.  We get matched with another blogger - they make our recipe and we make theirs.

I was lucky to draw Heather who blogs at The Homesteading Hippy.  Her blog is incredible - packed full of great ideas.  The recipe she shared with me was her Best Ever Southern Cornbread.  Like me, Heather is not from the South, but her husband is and she perfected this recipe to satisfy his Southern soul.  I loved this recipe and hope that I did it justice.


Best Ever Southern Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups ground cornmeal
• ½ cup whole wheat flour (I used all purpose flour)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 8 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°. While it is heating, place the butter in a cast iron skillet to melt.

In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and blend.  In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk and egg and mix well.  Blend the wet ingredients into the dry until just moist.

Add the melted butter from the skillet, saving a bit in the pan.

Swirl remaining butter in pan to coat.  Pour cornbread batter in the skillet.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Dot with butter on top after removing from oven.

Although, being a Yankee, I can't comment on the authenticity of this Southern Cornbread, I can certainly tell you that it is indeed delicious!  It is light and moist, and has just a touch of sweetness.  I loved baking it in my cast iron skillet - I think that is what gave it the delightful crispy crust.

And Heather was right - a slice of this makes a fantastic breakfast the next day if you have leftovers.

I've made some (which is waiting patiently in my freezer) to use with a great cornbread stuffing recipe - keep an eye out for it!  Thanks so much Heather for sharing your recipe!

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Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I really love my crock pot.  Though I do love to spend hours in the kitchen, sometimes I like to do other things.  And with my crock pot, it seems like I am doing both!

This pot roast tastes almost like the ones my Grandma used to make.  Of course, back in "olden times" one found pork roasts with more fat, changing both the flavor and the relative healthiness of the roast.  This recipe is best with a boneless pork shoulder, but is delicious with pork loin as well.


Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pound boneless pork roast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 6 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 8-10 red potatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or more or less to taste)
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano

Directions:

Spray the inside of your 6 or 7 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  Add the carrots, onion and cherry tomatoes to the slow cooker.

Brown the roast - 2 to 3 minutes on each side over medium-high heat usually does it.  Salt and pepper the roast.

Add the roast to the slow cooker, then add the tomato sauce, beef broth and red wine vinegar.  Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Gently stir the ingredients to coat and to bring some of the vegetables up around the roast.  Add the potatoes, and place the oregano on top.

Cook for 8 hours on low.  Serve with crusty Italian bread or maybe a spicy cornbread.

This is a delicious and hearty meal that pleases just about everyone.  Not only that, but you spent only a few minutes in the kitchen in the morning, leaving the rest of the day free for yourself!  

Leftovers of this Slow Cooker Pot Roast make great soup when you add some beef or chicken broth, additional vegetables (frozen peas are great) and brown rice.  Two meals, minimal cooking!

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Tuesday's Table for November 5, 2013 - And a *Giveaway*!!

<center> <a href="http://zentmrs.blogspot.com/p/tuesdays-table.html" target="new"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_v75srsCQV_KCkh-PdU51jywq62t3RKYSLT3k1hatjAsRKSJF5FMG0yQ5aGanF6fOFzmPxEIaC-yr6W_WmNE88UaA-CsiixlvHwSf8vbR45UgapWXbQN9TgpK15hqc3xmEb0Hw/s1600/TuesdaysTable150x150-horiz+peppers.gif" /></a></center>


Time to fill Tuesday's Table!

Thanks to everyone who linked up last week.  For this week, I chose Cooking the Recipe's Pumpkin Krispies as my feature.  Such a cute and tasty twist on a classic!  You need to head over and see her site.!

Please grab a button  - and thanks so much for sharing!

We also had a giveaway last week.  Picked randomly, the winner is <drumroll>

#64 - Hot Momma's Kitchen!</drumroll>  Please send me your mailing address and I'll get that out to you right away.

Here's what I'll be giving away this week:

Tovolo Clear Dripless Baster

To enter, link up your recipes, crafts and ideas. And for each link you add, you will get one entry. And if you send over a friend who follows me and adds a comment telling me who sent them, you get an extra entry!

Only a few guidelines:

• Please share as many links as you like, but only if you haven't shared them here before
• Add a link back to Tuesday's Table (or grab a button above!) so others can join in the fun
• Follow me via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, RSS or Bloglovin (see my sidebar!)

No other requirements, but visit the other links here, and I'd love for you to sign up for my email reminder here!

And now, for this week's link party!

An InLinkz Link-up

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30 Minute Chili Con Carne

One of the things I like best about fall is hearty soups and stews... and chili is one of the best stews around.  This recipe goes together really quickly, but packs a lot of flavor.  Great for a weeknight meal!  {Make extra - it keeps well and is wonderful the next day too!}


30 Minute Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized strips
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into bite-sized strips
• 2 tablespoons flour 
• 3 tablespoons chili powder 
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin 
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 
• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 

Directions:


Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or deep skillet. Add the bell peppers, garlic, onion, pork and beef and saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the flour, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Stir over low heat, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes to cook the spices.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and vinegar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer the chili, stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes, until thick and the meat is tender.

I love this chili.  I actually add more cayenne because I like it extra spicy, but you can tailor that to your taste.

You can also add cooked black beans if you like beans in your chili.  Cook the beans at least 5 minutes with the chili so that take on some of the amazing flavor.

Serve with hot cornbread for a traditional offering or tortillas if you'd like a bit of a twist.  Or even over a baked potato.  This is versatile!

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10 Super Side Dishes

Now that we've enjoyed all of our Halloween activities and eaten our share of Halloween candy, it's time to start thinking about Thanksgiving.  I love Thanksgiving, but I think we shortchange it a bit in our race to Christmas.  In an attempt to be deliberate about enjoying each part of this holiday season, I put together 10 of my favorite side dishes, appropriate for the Thanksgiving table.

1. Spicy Sour Cream Hash Browns - This particular recipe has been a family favorite for many years, and makes its way to just about every family holiday meal.
2. Roasted Ranch Root Vegetables - Looking for a way to get your kids to eat any vegetable that isn't covered in ranch dressing?  Try this recipe - it has the flavor of ranch but lets the sweet natural flavor of the vegetables shine through.
3. Grilled Artichokes with Herb Aioli - Break out the grill for this artichoke recipe.  Before trying this recipe, I'd never had artichokes with anything besides butter.  Glad I decided to broaden my range.
4. Coconut Pineapple Rice - Simple to make, with loads of tropical flavor.
5. Rosemary and Thyme Shortbread - These are fantastic.  Salty and sweet, herbaceous and buttery, with a hint of pepper.  And the smell that fills your house as they are baking is out of this world! 
6. Fresh Corn Salad - This is the perfect combination of sweet and salty and spicy from the corn and cheese and jalapenos.  Yum!
7. Spicy Corn and Pepper Casserole -  I love corn (could eat it every single day) and I love peppers (ditto).  And this casserole brings those flavors together in a wonderful, creamy, spicy combination that is out of this world.  Give it a whirl! 
8. Roasted Potatoes with Lemon Vinaigrette - Oh my, are these tasty.  Crisp and hot with lovely herb-y lemon flavor. 
9. Sweet and Spicy Cornbread - This is wonderful hot from the over, with butter and honey.  Perhaps habanero honey if you're looking for a bit of extra oomph!
10. Italian Rice Balls - Serve with your favorite marinara sauce, and enjoy the delicious, melty insides and the crispy outside!

Which ones do you think would be delicious on your Thanksgiving table?

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Halloween Candy Popcorn Bars

What do you do with your leftover Halloween candy?  Instead of hauling all of it to the office or hiding it in a drawer, transform it into these fantastic bars!


Halloween Candy Popcorn Bars


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups chocolate and caramel candy {I used Rollos, but any leftover chocolate candy would be great here}
• 1 1/2 cups popped salted popcorn

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and flour and mix thoroughly.  Mix in the nuts.

Spread the dough evenly with your fingers into an 8-inch square baking pan.

Bake until shortbread turns lightly golden, 12 to 18 minutes.

Set  the baking pan on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.

Melt the candy in the microwave and stir until combined.  Spread over the warm shortbread crust.  {you may need to use your hands to spread the candy evenly - take care, it will be hot!}

Press the popcorn into the melted candy mixture.  Let cool completely.

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Sweet and salty, with lots of texture from the popcorn and the nuts, this is a super-tasty way to use that leftover candy.

That is, if you actually end up with any leftover candy.

And if you don't?  Buy a bag just to make these bars.  It will be worth it.

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Zombie Bait Cupcakes

If you are trying to evade a zombie horde, you might want to make a batch {or several} of these, put them where you aren't, and the zombies will go for them instead of you.

And if you aren't trying to evade a zombie horde - definitely eat these cupcakes!  They are to-die-for delicious.  {may even be worth it if you are going to have to become a zombie}



Zombie Bait Cupcakes


Cupcakes

• 2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup salted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and then mix together on low.

In another bowl, stir egg whites, milk and vanilla together.  Add butter to the flour mixture and mix together. As it starts to combine, slowly pour the milk mixture in and mix until completely combined.

Line a muffin tins with 16 baking cups.  Fill baking cups a little more than halfway. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when touched lightly.  Remove and cool. Makes about 16 cupcakes.



Frosting

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 4 teaspoons milk
• pink (or red) food coloring
• cupcake wrappers (either purchase them or print your own - like these)

Beat butter and vanilla together.  Add sugar slowly and beat until combined.

Scrape down the sides and add milk. Mix until smooth and creamy.  Add pink food coloring a drop at a time to make a light pink frosting {zombies might sense a trap if the frosting is too pink}

Fill a piping bag with the frosting.  Pipe a base of frosting onto each cupcake.  Then, starting at one end of each cupcake on the top, make a line of frosting on the other side.  Then zig-zag back to where you started. Repeat with the other side to finish the brains!  Repeat until all of the cupcakes are "brained".



Slip the cupcakes into the cupcake wrappers and get ready for the invasion!

I predict that these will be gone immediately - zombies or not.

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Key Lime Coconut Frankenstein Cookies

Are you looking for a last-minute Halloween treat?  These {frightfully} delicious cookies were a cinch to make.  I always keep some cookie mixes on hand (I like to browse the clearance area at the grocery store and Target for seasonal mixes) and this Key Lime cookie mix from Pillsbury looked {monstrously} good.

Key Lime Coconut Frankenstein Cookies

Ingredients:

• Key Lime Cookie Mix
• 1 stick butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• green food coloring
• Wilton Candy Eyes
• Black decorating icing

Directions:

Mix the cookie mix, butter and egg together until combined.  Add the coconut and stir until incorporated, then add green food coloring (4- 8 drops) until the desired "green-ness" is achieved.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Separate into 24 1 1/2 inch balls, then flatten and shape into rectangles.  Place on  a silpat covered cookie sheet.  Add two eyes to each cookie.

Bake for 9-12 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown.  Let rest for 2 minutes on the pan, then transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.

Decorate with icing by adding the hair, mouth and bolts to each face.  Let the icing set, then enjoy!



{Not sure why, but a couple of the eyes kind of fell off the side of the cookies - even creepier!}

So these were absolutely delicious!  Everyone wanted to try them because they were {scarily} darling - and they wanted seconds because they were so tasty.  The sweet coconut really balanced perfectly with the bright citrus flavor of the key lime.  And it gave the cookies an extra, almost oatmeal-cookie-like texture.

Sufficient to say these were a hit at the office - gone by 10am.  Next year I think I'll have to double the recipe!

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