Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I hope you have a wonderful day doing all the things you should be doing -- spending time with family, eating a lot of great food, and reflecting on all you have to be thankful for.

Lemon-Herb Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Lemon-Herb Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Serves 6.

This was so good -- and super easy!

Adapted From: CampbellsKitchen.com

1 lemon

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 T. chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 t. dried rosemary leaves, crushed

1 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves of 1 t. dried thyme leaves, crushed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 turkey breast (5-7 lbs.)

1/4 c. dry white wine

1/4 c. water

Heat over to 375 degrees.

Grate 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from the lemon.

Stir the lemon zest, lemon juice, soup, rosemary, thyme, and garlic in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 cup soup mixture for the gravy. Place the turkey into a shallow roasting pan.

Roast the turkey for 20 minutes. Brush the turkey with 1/4 cup soup mixture.

Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through. Remove the turkey to a serving platter and keep warm.

Spoon off any fat from the pan juices. Stir the wine into the roasting pan and heat over medium-high heat to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the reserved soup mixture and water and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve the gravy with the turkey.

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Serves 8-10.

So creamy and delicious. I love me some mashed potatoes.

Source: Keeping Good Company cookbook

5 lbs. baking potatoes

8 oz. cream cheese

1 c. sour cream

2 t. onion salt

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4-1/2 c. butter

chives for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1" cubes. Cook in boiling water to cover for about 15-20 minutes or until tender; drain and place in a large mixing bowl.

Add remaining ingredients; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy (do not overbeat). Spoon into a lightly greased 3 qt. baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with chives right before serving.

Reuben Dip in a Bread Bowl

Reuben Dip in a Bread Bowl

Yum, yum, yum! A definite crowd pleaser! Serve this at your next get-together and don't worry about whether or not people will like it.
Adapted from: Ace Cooks, Bakers, and Miracle Makers cookbook

1 round bread loaf, either rye or basic Italian
1 c. mayonnaise

8 oz. cream cheese

6 oz. sour cream

2 pkgs. Buddig corn beef, sliced thin

6 oz. grated Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut out top of bread and hollow out to create a bowl. Reserve removed bread for serving.

Mix all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to bread bowl and wrap bread in foil, leaving dip exposed.

Bake for 1 hour; serve with bread pieces.

Carrot Cheesecake Muffins

Carrot Cheesecake Muffins

Makes 12-14.

A semi-sweet muffin with a surprise in the middle!

Slightly adapted from: AllRecipes.com

Filling:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T. sugar

Batter:

1/3 c. butter or margarine, softened

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

2 T. orange juice

1-1/4 c. finely grated carrots

1/2 c. raisins

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, milk, and orange juice. Fold in carrots and raisins.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon; stir into creamed butter mixture just until moistened.

Fill muffins cups (that have been lined with paper/foil liners) with 2 tablespoons batter. Top each with 2 teaspoons of cream cheese filling. Top with remaining batter.

Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

Ultimate Mac 'n Cheese

Ultimate Mac 'n Cheese

Serves 6.

Very creamy and rich. Comes out of the oven bubbling and hot. Will satisfy your need for comfort food.

Source: BettyCrocker.com

5 c. uncooked pasta, such as macaroni or penne (16 oz.)

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

4-1/2 c. milk

1 c. shredded provolone cheese (4 oz.)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)

1/2 c. shredded fontina cheese (2 oz.)

1 T. butter

1 c. bread crumbs (preferably homemade, but canned okay)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, melt 1/2 cup butter over low heat. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently.

With a wire whisk, stir in flour and salt until smooth. Increase heat to medium; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir pasta into cheese sauce. Transfer to baking dish.

In a 6-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Stir in bread crumbs. Cook and stir constantly until bread crumbs are golden brown. Sprinkle over pasta mixture.

Bake uncovered, 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly.

A Reliable Wife

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

This book had me hooked in the beginning, but then as the story went on, it got to be a little too predictable. I found myself skimming the last 20 pages or so.

Publishers Weekly review from Amazon.com:

Set in 1907 Wisconsin, Goolrick's fiction debut (after a memoir, The End of the World as We Know It) gets off to a slow, stylized start, but eventually generates some real suspense. When Catherine Land, who's survived a traumatic early life by using her wits and sexuality as weapons, happens on a newspaper ad from a well-to-do businessman in need of a "reliable wife," she invents a plan to benefit from his riches and his need. Her new husband, Ralph Truitt, discovers she's deceived him the moment she arrives in his remote hometown. Driven by a complex mix of emotions and simple animal attraction, he marries her anyway. After the wedding, Catherine helps Ralph search for his estranged son and, despite growing misgivings, begins to poison him with small doses of arsenic. Ralph sickens but doesn't die, and their story unfolds in ways neither they nor the reader expect. This darkly nuanced psychological tale builds to a strong and satisfying close. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Granola: Dark & Stormy

Granola: Dark & Stormy

Makes 9 cups.

Chunky, crunchy, and chalk full of healthy fats!

Inspired By: Martha Stewart Living magazine

1/3 c. corn syrup

1/3 c. molasses

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

3 c. old-fashioned oats

2 c. almonds

1/3 c. dried cranberries

1/3 c. chopped dried dates

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Whisk together corn syrup, molasses, sugar, oil, salt, and the cinnamon in a large bowl. Add oats and almonds; toss well to coat evenly.

Spread granola mixture on nonstick rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 20 minutes, until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet.

Add cranberries and dates; toss to combine. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week for peak freshness.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

The picture above shows the recipe cut in half. A full recipe would fit perfectly in an 8x8 baking dish, or something comparable in size.

This is very similar in consistency to a baked artichoke dip. It's delicious and great for entertaining since it can easier be made ahead of time.

Source: AllRecipes.com

1 (7 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced

3/4 lb. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 c. mayonnaise

1 T. minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. prepared Djion mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; transfer to baking dish.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly. Serve warm with tortilla chips, pita wedges, or crackers.

Incredible Cavatini for a Crowd

Incredible Cavatini for a Crowd

Serves 12-15.

I think it's the plethora of ingredients in this pasta bake that make it ever so tasty. A great meal to serve to a large group of people... and since you can prepare it ahead of time, it makes casual entertaining that much easier!

Source: Keeping Good Company cookbook

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. medium or milk ground pork sausage

1 onion, chopped

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 (3-1/2 oz.) pkg. pepperoni slices, chopped

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic

1 (28 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce

1 (16 oz.) jar mild salsa

1 (16 oz.) pkg. shell macaroni, cooked and drained

1 c. grated Parmesan cheese

4 c. (16 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook ground beef, sausage, and onion together until meat is done. Add sliced mushrooms and saute until mushrooms are limp. Drain well; set aside.

Combine the next five ingredients with meat. Spoon half of this pasta mixture into 2 lightly greased 11 x 7 x 1-1/2" baking dishes; sprinkle with half of the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with remaining pasta mixture. Bake for 30 minutes; top with remaining cheeses; bake 5 minutes longer.

A Note From The Little Lady: You can also assemble completely (with last layer of cheese on top) and bake covered for the first 30 minutes, removing foil for final 5. This works especially well if you are planning on preparing ahead of time and refrigerating or freezing.

Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Muffins

Makes 24.

A tasty, healthy start to your day. These muffins are full of all sorts of goodness.

Source: AllRecipes.com

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1-1/4 c. white sugar

1 T. ground cinnamon

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 c. grated carrots

1 apple - peeled, cored and diced

1 c. raisins

1 egg

2 egg white

1/2 c. apple butter

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 T. vanilla extract

2 T. chopped walnuts, optional

2 T. toasted wheat germ

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg whites, sugar, apple butter, oil, and vanilla.

In another bowl, sift together flours, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in egg/sugar mixture, as well as carrots, apples, and raisins. Stir until just moistened.

Spoon the prepared batter into muffin cups.

In a small bowl, combine walnuts and wheat germ, if using. Sprinkle over muffin tops.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

I started this book, then put it down for reasons I can't even remember. A few months later, I picked it back up, starting fresh from the beginning. I was hooked right away (and baffled how I managed to abandon it the first time around!). There were a few slow spots, but, overall, a great (and educating!) read.

Publishers Weekly review from Amazon.com:

Ford's strained debut concerns Henry Lee, a Chinese-American in Seattle who, in 1986, has just lost his wife to cancer. After Henry hears that the belongings of Japanese immigrants interned during WWII have been found in the basement of the Panama Hotel, the narrative shuttles between 1986 and the 1940s in a predictable story that chronicles the losses of old age and the bewilderment of youth. Henry recalls the difficulties of life in America during WWII, when he and his Japanese-American school friend, Keiko, wandered through wartime Seattle. Keiko and her family are later interned in a camp, and Henry, horrified by America's anti-Japanese hysteria, is further conflicted because of his Chinese father's anti-Japanese sentiment. Henry's adult life in 1986 is rather mechanically rendered, and Ford clumsily contrasts Henry's difficulty in communicating with his college-age son, Marty, with Henry's own alienation from his father, who was determined to Americanize him. The wartime persecution of Japanese immigrants is presented well, but the flatness of the narrative and Ford's reliance on numerous cultural cliches make for a disappointing read. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How I Chop an Onion

How I Chop an Onion

Holiday cooking is right around the corner!

1. Peel the onion and cut off the ends. Cut in half:

2. Slice the onion, one half at a time:

3. Line up the slices:

4. Chop the slices into small pieces:

5. Run your knife through a few extra times to make sure you haven't missed any big chunks. And then use as needed!

A Note From The Little Lady: I love keeping chopped onion in the fridge for as-needed purposes. I throw it in with egg omelets, on salads, or with anything that needs some extra flavor. Plus, it's extremely handy for cooking purposes when I'm trying to throw together dinner quickly and need to saute some onions.

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies

Serves 4.

I was surprised at the reviews this got from The Mr. I was hesitant to serve spaghetti squash to him, which is why I found a recipe that also included meat. :) I used ground beef, but you could make this meal even healthier by substituting ground turkey or chicken. And even healthier still by decreasing the amount of meat and increasing the amount of spaghetti squash and veggies.

Source: AllRecipes.com

1 large spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. diced green bell pepper

1/2 c. diced red bell pepper

1/4 c. diced red onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

2-1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place squash on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a casserole dish.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown; drain if needed. Mix in green bell pepper, red bell pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.

Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet; season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat and mix in 2 cups of cheddar cheese until melted. Transfer to prepared casserole dish.

Bake 25 minutes and then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer, until cheese is melted.

Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes, For 4

Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes, For 4

Serves 4.

This is perfect when you want cheesecake for 4 but don't want all the leftovers that a standard cake would give you. Plus, they're cute and taste great too.

Adapted From: Small-Batch Baking cookbook

crust:

1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 t. sugar

2 T. butter, melted

raspberry reduction:

1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries

1/4 c. sugar

filling:

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

1 T. whipping (heavy) cream

raspberry reduction

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line the insides of (4) 4-oz. ramekins with foil and then grease with butter, shortening, or nonstick spray. Try to make foil as smooth as possible, but know that there will be some unavoidable creases. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.

Make the raspberry reduction:

Add raspberries to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar. Bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Boil, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes. Remove from the pan and let the raspberry reduction cool completely.

Make the crust:

Place the crushed graham crackers and the sugar in a small bowl, and stir to mix. Add the melted butter and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Spoon the crumb mixture into the prepared ramekins, dividingit evenly among them. Gently press down the crumb mixture with your fingertips. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer ramekins to a wire rack. Let the crusts cool while you prepare the filling. Keep the oven on.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer on medium speed just until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and heavy cream, reduce the mixture speed to low, and beat just until they are blended into the cream cheese mixture, 15-20 seconds. Then stir in the cooled raspberry reduction to create a swirled look. Spoon the batter into the crusts, dividing it evenly among them. Return the cheesecakes to the oven on the baking sheet and bake the cheesecakes until they are just set, 24-25 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the cheesecakes to a wire rack. Let them cool completely in the ramekins. Then cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, carefully remove cheesecakes from ramekins by pulling out edges of foil. Unwrap, plate, and enjoy!

Apple Pie Coffee Cake

Apple Pie Coffee Cake

Serves 16.

Happy birthday to my father-in-law -- one of my most loyal readers. :)

Here's some more baked goodness to celebrate the season. Whip this up before company comes, and set it out in the morning for an easy complement to coffee and/or addition to a breakfast spread.

Slightly adapted from: AllRecipes.com

cake:

1 spice cake mix

1 (21 oz.) can apple pie filling

3 eggs

3/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. water

2 T. canola oil

1 t. vanilla extract

2 T. brown sugar

1-1/2 t. ground cinnamon

glaze:

2/3 c. powdered sugar

2-3 T. milk or cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop apple pie filling into smaller pieces. This isn't necessary but makes the cake easier to eat than leaving the slices whole.

Set aside 1 tablespoon cake mix and 1-1/2 cups apple pie filling.

In a mixing bowl, combine remaining cake mix, eggs, sour cream, water, oil, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining apple pie filling. Pour half of batter into a 10" bundt pan that has been coated with non-stick spray or butter/shortening.

In a small bowl, create streusel by mixing together reserved 1 tablespoon cake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter in bundt pan. Spoon reserved apples over batter to within 3/4" from edges. Top with remaining batter.

Bake for 48-53 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make glaze by combining powdered sugar and milk. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake (I put the wire rack - that it's been cooling on - over the sink to make for an easy clean-up since glaze will run down cake sides and through wire rack). Repeat this process, if you want, until cake is topped with your desired amount of glaze.

Coast Road

Coast Road by Barbara Delinsky

Another decent book from Barbara Delinsky. I think I might give her a break for while, as she just may not be my style. This was neat for me to read since we just vacationed the California coast in May, but once again I felt her writing was a little too predictable. Her books get great reviews, though, so don't count my review as the one and only. :)

Publishers Weekly review from Amazon.com:

Set in Big Sur, Calif., Delinsky's latest contemporary romance (after Three Wishes) sings the praises of family and friendship. Rachel Keats, outdoorsy artist, mother of two and ex-wife of architect Jack McGill, is in a coma after a car crash on her way to a book-club meeting. When Jack hears the news in a late-night phone call from Rachel's best friend, flinty Katherine Evans, he puts aside pressing business obligations in San Francisco and rushes to her side. Rachel shows no sign of waking up soon, so Jack moves into her house to take care of their daughters, 15-year-old Samantha and 13-year-old Hope. Meanwhile, Jack keeps slipping into flashback memories of his life with Rachel but can't seem to figure out why she left him six years earlier. Luckily, Katherine is there to give him the answers: Jack is selfish, uncommunicative and materialistic. As Jack gets to know Rachel's life, her friends and the family she has made, he realizes Katherine is right and resolves to show Rachel he's changedAif only she'll wake up. Sexual stereotypes fuel this predictable saga, and the wait for Rachel's recovery can't sustain tension in the plot. Samantha's wild teenaged antics and the early, prickly stages of a romance between Katherine and Rachel's neurologist lend the only doses of excitement to a story that's stretched far too thin.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Black Bean & Turkey Chili

Black Bean & Turkey Chili

Serves 3.

Yum! So good! It's thick and hearty -- you've never guess it was a "healthy" meal. Serve with Tostitos Scoops if you want.

Adapted from: Prevention RD, originally from The Art of Living

2 t. olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained

1 (14-oz.) can low-sodium diced tomatoes, with juice

1 small can tomato sauce

3 T. chili powder

1 T. ground cumin

1 t. dried oregano

Shredded cheddar and sour cream for serving

Heat oil in a nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened; about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink.

Stir in beans, chili powder, and cumin; stir to combine. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve with shredded cheddar and sour cream, if desired.

Classic Meat Sauce

Classic Meat Sauce

Makes about 6 cups.

This was a hit! A good stick-to-your-bones autumn meal.

Source: Betty Crocker's Italian Cooking cookbook

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

2 medium carrots, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

3 cans (28 oz. each) Italian-style pear-shaped (plum) tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/2 c. dry red wine or beef broth

1 t. salt

1 t. dried oregano leaves

1/2 t. pepper

Heat oil and butter in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Cook carrots and onion in oil mixture about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots and onion are tender.

Stir in sausage and beef. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink and beef is brown; drain.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Use sauce immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 2 months.

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

Serves 16.

Yum. Yum. Double yum. Did I mention yum?

Have I redeemed myself even slightly for yesterday's beyond awful photograph? This one's a little easier on the eyes, eh?

Source: Cooking Pleasures magazine

Cake:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. ground ginger

2 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1-1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 c. sugar

6 eggs

1 (15-oz.) can pure pumpkin

1 t. vanilla extract

Glaze:

2 T. unsalted butter, softened

1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 t. vanilla extract

3/4 t. ground cinnamon

1-1/4 c. powdered sugar

2-3 T. heavy whipping cream

1/3 c. coarsely chopped walnuts, if desired

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter. Sprinkle with flour; tap pan to remove excess flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, 2 t. cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, beat 1-1/2 c. butter and sugar at medium speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs two at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in pumpkin and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well-blended. Slowly add flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack; cool completely.

In a large bowl, beat 2 tablespoons butter, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon at low speed for 1 minute or until blended. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in cream until of desired consistency. Pour glaze over cake; sprinkle with walnuts, if desired.

Cake can be made up to 2 days ahead.

Here's the naked cake, ready to be dressed. Let me tell you that there is some deep satisfaction when a cake makes a clean escape from the Bundt pan. I can also attest to the horrible feeling you get when it won't come out no matter how hard you try.

Cayenne Toasts with Sun-Dried Tomato & Goat Cheese

Cayenne Toasts with Sun-Dried Tomato & Goat Cheese

Makes 8 toasts.

Serves 2-3 as an appetizer.

These were great, easy, and perfect when you're looking for an appetizer that isn't meant to feed a crowd. The Mr. and I enjoyed these before dinner out on the town last Friday. We both gobbled them down!

Slightly adapted from: Food and Wine magazine

1 t. olive oil

1/4 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped

2 oz. crumbled goat cheese (about 1/3 c.)

1/2 t. red-wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

2 fresh basil leaves, chopped

8 baguette slices

additional olive oil, for brushing on toasts

Cayenne pepper, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute.

Transfer to a bowl, and stir in sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare baguette slices by brushing with olive oil on one side and placing on a baking sheet. Sprinkle toasts with cayenne pepper and then top with sun-dried tomato mixture, spreading evenly between all baguette slices. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until just starting to bubble and heated through.

The Opposite of Me

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

I loved this book! I can't wait for Sarah Pekkanen to publish another one, because I will most definitely be reading it. I love Jennifer Weiner novels, and this is a comparable writer.

Publishers Weekly review from Amazon.com:

Veteran journalist Pekkanen debuts with a promising yet pedestrian post–chick lit novel about a successful New York ad exec who's passed over for a promotion then unceremoniously canned. Workaholic Lindsey Rose leaves Manhattan for her family's Maryland home, resuming her role as the smart, capable daughter. Years of jealousy surge into overdrive at her beautiful twin sister Alex's engagement party when she watches her lifelong friend Bradley, possibly the guy that got away, begin to fall under her sister's golden spell. After the obligatory ugly duckling makeover, Lindsey, no longer the plain daughter, continues to hide her new look from her family. Away from them, however, a newly confident and gregarious Lindsey emerges, one able to parlay her advertising skills into a new position at a matchmaking service. It takes a terrifying medical diagnosis and a visit to her parents' musty attic to complete Lindsey's transformation. Though the story is Lindsey's, Alex also plays a large part, though her selfishness is so relentlessly portrayed, it's difficult to determine just who she is. The pace is slow, and the story just adequate.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dracula's Revenge

Dracula's Revenge

Serves 4.

Hmm... that's a pretty awful picture. Yikes. Does it make a difference if I tell you we liked it?

Source: Cooking Light magazine

1 whole garlic head

1/2 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage

1/2 t. chopped fresh sage (or 1/8 t. dried)

1/2 t. chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/8 t. dried)

1 T. butter

1/6 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. 1% milk

1/2 (2 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. (about 1-1/4 oz.) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. black pepper

4 c. hot cooked penne (about 1/2 lb. uncooked), or rigatoni or macaroni

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Set garlic aside.

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Place sausage in a large bowl; stir in sage and rosemary.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add the flour to the melted butter, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the milk; cook until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk (10 minutes). Stir in roasted garlic, cheeses, salt, and pepper.

Remove mixture from heat. Add 2-1/2 cups cheese sauce and cooked pasta to sausage, stirring to coat. Spoon pasta mixture in a 8x8 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce. Bake for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

If freezing, thaw in refrigerator before baking and increase baking time to 45-60 minutes.

Chicken Chili

Chicken Chili

Serves 4-6.

This chili isn't substituting chicken for beef in an attempt to be healthier. It's just trying to be different... but still just as good. I took a large pot of it on a weekend getaway with friends and everyone gave it two thumbs up. The chicken thighs are hearty and stand their ground against meat chili out there. Don't hesitate to give this a try. It involves more steps but is fairly easy. And the fact that you cook and puree the tomatoes yourself means you're avoiding all the sodium from canned tomatoes.

Slightly adapted from: Martha Stewart Living Magazine

10 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 jalapeno chile, halved and seeded (leave seeds for extra hot chili)

1 white onion, peeled and halved

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 c. chili powder

Salt

1-3/4 c. homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained

Preheat broiler, with rack 3" from heat source. Arrange tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil under starting to char, about 5 minutes.

Pulse tomatoes and jalapeno in a blender or food processor until chunky. Chop onion and mince garlic.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Working in batches, brown chicken in a single layer, allowing to sear before stirring, 5-6 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add chili powder and 2 t. salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in chipotles, and add chicken. Raise heat to high. Add tomato mixture. Cook, scraping up browned bits, until fully incorporated, 3-5 minutes.

Stir in stock; simmer for 20 minutes. Add beans; simmer 10 minutes. Serve with desired toppings, such as sour cream, shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, chopped green onion, and cornbread croutons.

A Note From The Little Lady: I increased the size of the recipe and when I did, made my second can of beans black instead of kidney. If you have preferences when it comes to beans, don't hesitate to use what you like!

Apple 'n Onion Chicken

Apple 'n Onion Chicken

Serves 2.

What a great fall recipe! I was hesitate to serve to The Mr. since he doesn't always love entrees involving fruit, but he gave this a thumbs up before I even had a chance to ask!

Slightly adapted from: Taste of Home magazine

1 medium apple, sliced

1/2 large onion, sliced thin

1 t. butter

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 5 oz. each)

dash salt and pepper

2 slices swiss or provolone cheese

1/8 c. seasoned bread crumbs

1/8 t. minced fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, saute apples and onions in butter for 10 minutes or until tender.

Transfer to a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Top with chicken, then cheese slices; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Combine bread crumbs and thyme; sprinkle over chicken. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until juices run clear.