Giving Thanks and the Perfect "Tipsy" Desserts!

This past year Jason and I were supposed to host Thanksgiving and had all our family on board. Until we remembered that we had a 3 bedroom house with two of those already occupied. So we had to pump our breaks and beg and plead that IF we went back to La for Thanksgiving this year that everyone would promise to come to us next year in hopefully a larger home. After making a phone call to all involved and getting their promise practically in a contract I gave over my hostessing dreams.
But time home in Louisiana is always fun and always busy. We love being with our families. We started our trip with seeing one of my favorite aunts (one of Momou's daughters) and cousins.

This was Collins first Thanksgiving and she loved it...the dressing, the turkey, the desserts....such a Mayeux girl;) And it was a good thing that she loved Thanksgiving because we had TWO in one day.

 We had Thanksgiving lunch with Jason's family and Thanksgiving dinner with mine and we certainly didn't complain.

And Jason and I started a new tradition of the "Turkey Trot" and went running that morning before we consumed enough food for a small country. We may have been the only participants in our Turkey Trot but we plan to expand next year when we are in Houston. Any takers? We promise food, folks and fun!

We finished off our trip seeing the infamous and wonderful Momou who was so glad to see us and us to see her.

And even a trip to see some of our very best friends who recently made the move from Tennessee to Louisiana...how amazing is that?!?

Only God could orchestrate something like that...

My mom requested one thing from me and one thing only. My Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. Oh sweet Maria. It is heavenly and who doesn't need a little extra liquor around the holidays? And my mother in law told me that I could make a dessert for her house but she was in charge of the pumpkin pie. Woo hoo! That meant I got to make a chocolate recipe. And that I did...my Mocha Kahlua Cake. Now both of these were recipes submitted by others to Southern Living many moons ago. (I have been subscribing since my sophomore year in college...seriously.) So I actually have the names to thank and I take zero credit but I have made them many times and are at the top of my favorites list.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

1/2  (15 oz) package refrigerated pie crusts

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup (6oz) semisweet chocolate morsels

1 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup bourbon or water

4 large eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons cornmeal

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Fit piecrust into a 9 inch deep dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.

 Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly onto bottom of piecrust; set aside.

Combine corn syrup and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk about one fourth hot mixture into egg mixture; add to streaming hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared piecrust. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour (keep an eye on it!!) or until set; cool on wire rack. 

       

Mocha Cake
2 cups sour cream

2 large eggs

1 pkg chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup coffee liqueur 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 (12 oz) pkg semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup cinnamon chips

powdered sugar

Garnish:

whipped cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; blend well. Stir in morsels and cinnamon chips. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch Bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

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Memories and Roasted Garlic and Basil Tomato Soup

Right after moving to Nashville, my best friend's husband, Jason (yes, we both married a Jason!!) came to live with us while he was on his med-school rotation at Vandy. Emily came to visit for a few days to spend time with me, I mean, her husband too, and we got to play while our Jasons did their thing. I couldn't wait to take her to Downtown Franklin where there are the cutest restaurants and shops...so her and so me. I remember us having lunch at the Franklin Mercantile and Emily ordering their Tomato Basil Soup. The thing is, I don't do tomatoes. But I took a bite and was sold. Forever. I then took my sister back to the Franklin Mercantile just a few months later on her visit to Nashville and made her order the soup too. She was sketchy about it but then she too, was sold. I am not sure why I was such an advocate for this soup, but I brought Jason back to the restaurant and made him order the soup. And he was in love. 

Since then, Jason and I have always ordered Tomato Basil soup wherever we can. We love making it at home too but the thing is that it is loaded with cream. And as delicious as cream is, we just can't cook with it on a normal basis. But as luck would have it, we found an amazing recipe in an old Southern Living magazine that is healthy, delicious and so incredibly easy. The best part was the fresh garlic. We have always used garlic from the jar but OMG...the fresh garlic makes all the difference. How sad we have never used it before! But never going back...

Roasted Garlic and Basil Tomato Soup

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 (3oz) pkg shallots, peeled and halved

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can Italian style, stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

1/2 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste

pinch of red pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Place garlic and shallots in an 8-inch square pan lined with aluminum foil; drizzle with oil.

Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, stirring twice; cool.

Process garlic, shallots, tomatoes, 3/4 cup chicken broth and next 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. 

Cook tomato mixture and remaining 3/4 cup broth in a medium saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in basil; serve immediately. 

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Wreath Making and Yummy Brown Sugar Spice Bread

You know those beautiful deco-mesh wreaths that everyone and their momma seem to be whipping up or paying big bucks for? They have one for every single holiday, including one for their favorite sports team. Well, I wanted one and I wanted to learn to make one of those bad boys, creating my own beautiful piece of art (hopefully) instead of someone having one make one for me. So when my dear friends, Heather and Maria teamed up to host a wreath making party right before Christmas, I was all on board. Heather and her hospitality and Maria with her craftiness made a mean team. What could be so hard?

Well, my friend, the shopping trip for the materials alone is a beast!  The choices of what you want your wreath to look like are overwhelming. I walked into Hobby Lobby with my husband and baby in tow with only 10 minutes alloted thinking I would just grab a few things. Maria was the best teacher and even sent us a checklist of things to buy. Oh sweetness....I stopped dead in my tracks in the "wreath pick" aisle. Seriously, the things that poke out of your wreath have their own aisle. I walked up and down the aisles with my eyes glazed over and kept sending Jason to push CC in the buggy and leave me alone. After consulting every stranger in a 10 foot radius and Pintrest ideas on my phone, I decided on a few (okay, may more than that) possibilities and checked out before I could change my mind.

So, of course I wanted to make something yummy to munch on while us girls created our wreath creations. Oh the laughs and possible tears of frustrations! Wreath decor was EVERYWHERE and Heather's house smelled like hot glue guns plugged into every possible outlet and my Brown Sugar Spice Loaf. As far as the wreath making process, it is tedious, fun and can possible send you straight to the looney bin. No wonder those things cost big bucks!

 But we had so much fun as we always do when the girls in our Sunday School class get together. We were pretty proud of our creations.

We helped each other out, gave our suggestions to each other and then laughed at how I by far had the largest wreath at our little class. It was huge. I started to wonder if it would even fit on my front door. I swear it didn't look that big in the store though! One thing is for sure, if you come over to my house around the holidays and I say look for the house with the GRAND wreath on the door, you will find it without a problem. 

And the Brown Sugar Spice Loaf? Easy,delicious and makes your house smell like fall. This recipe could also be poured into smaller loaf pans and given as gifts during the holidays.

Brown Sugar Spice Bread

1 softened stick butter

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoons vanilla

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

Beat together first five ingredients in a large bowl. Beat together the last ingredients in another bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, stirring well. Pour into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake at 325 for 50 minutes.

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My Turn for a Birthday and Honeybun Cake

We just love teacher birthdays around Kindergarten. It gives us a reason to order in lunch and celebrate with sweets. I am not sure why it is, but teachers get so stinking tickled over the smallest things. Maybe it is because we teach kids and are around innocence all day. Maybe it is because we like a break in the routine.  Maybe it is all of the above. But we do! Like "jeans day"? OMG...Christmas come early! A hot chocolate bar in the teachers lounge? PARTY! So a birthday with food ordered in and a dessert? CELEBRATION! Some not in this profession may think we are silly to get so excited over these things but you know what? It is a blessing to be thankful and excited over such small things. At least I think so in this culture of "big and grand".

So on our Kindergarten team, we choose names at the beginning of the year and we are responsible for taking charge of the celebration for whomever is our birthday buddy. I chose our sweet Kirsten who is new to our team this year. This girl is beautiful, inside and out. And I get to teach next door to her. Her sweet heart, smile and realness are a blessing to my life. And she always cares and has concern for everyone. We are so lucky to have her and I love that I got to head up her celebration!

Bless her little heart...she wore a birthday crown just to make me happy.

We changed up her birthday lunch and I treated her to a birthday dinner when our team went out after Open House. Get us teachers together outside of school to share stories over drinks and food is a GOOD TIME. Seriously, the laughs over our stories are too much. We are "that" "hen party" of women cackling at a restaurant totally oblivious to everyone else. Some of us have even been known to "drop it like its hot" right there at the dinner table. I am not naming any names. 

My Wonderful Team

 And while I was treating Kirsten to a birthday dinner, my wonderful husband was baking this cake. Yes, he is that good to me. And he did have the cutest little helper. 

The following day, we celebrated with Honeybun Cake. And it was delicious. Just like a honeybun. OMG...delicious. We had quite a lot of cake left over after we got our 6 little pieces so we left it in the lounge. And by the end of the day? It was all gone. Teachers just love a little pick "me up sweet".

Honeybun Cake

 Cake

1 (2 layer) yellow cake mix

1 cup sour cream

2/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 cup paced brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Combine the cake mix, sour cream, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat until blended. Spread one-half of the batter in a 9x13inch cake pan. Sprinkle with a mixture o the brown sugar and cinnamon and spread with the remaining batter. Swirl with a knife and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Icing

3 cups powered sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl until the desired consistency. Spread the icing over the top of the cake. Let stand until set.
*Adapted from a favorite cookbook, Mardi Gras to Mistletoe*

*Momou, I am always cooking in honor of you!

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Best Friends, A New Baby and Artichoke Turkey Bugers

Collins and I took our first girls trip this past weekend to Lafayette to see a dear, best friend, Jessica. We had one mission and one mission only on this trip: Operation Baby Nursery! We sat on the floor of the nursery Saturday morning trying to find a "vision" for the nursery and then off to shopping we went. Collins was such a little shopping trooper and we were successful! By the time we said our goodbyes, we had a game plan for a beautiful nursery for a special baby boy and a couple of hundred dollars spent:)

Jess and I have been best friends since we met at Northwestern quite a few years ago. We stood by each other in the dating saga with our high school loves and we both ended up marrying those loves. We stood in each other's weddings and by each others during quite a few moves across the country. And now we have each other for this new season of being moms. Jess was in the waiting room when Collins was born and I plan to be there waiting too when Baby Pitcher arrives in April. I can't wait and it is such a blessing to walk this road together.

Jess and Blaine came to visit this past September for Labor Day. See, nothing was very fishy with this because the "Fab 4" has spent many of Jessica's birthdays together. But there was a tiny feeling that I had in my heart wondering," Hmm... I wonder if they are going to tell us that Jess is pregnant?". Well, I didn't have to wait for the answer long. Just moments after they arrived, Jessica asked if have ever read the new book that she was reading. The title? What to Expect When You're Expecting. Well, at that point there were tears, hugs and laughs all around. And we talked about nothing but babies that weekend. 

THE FAB FOUR!!!

And we cooked too, of course:) Artichoke Turkey Burgers and they were delicious! They freeze perfectly so make half and freeze half.

Artichoke Turkey Burgers

1 pound ground turkey

2/3 cup Italian Style Breadcrumbs

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1 large egg

2 tablespoons butter, softened

5 ciabatta buns

1 (14oz) can quartered artichoke heart, drained and chopped

1 cup light Alfredo sauce

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

seasoning to taste

1. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, mushrooms, seasoning and egg. For mixture into 4 hamburger patties, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

2 Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill burgers, covered with grill lid, for 5 minutes per side, or until done to desired taste.

3. Spread split buns with butter evenly on both sides. Grill buns, butter side down for 2 minutes. 

4. In a medium bowl, combine artichokes and Alfredo sauce.

5. Place turkey burgers on buns and top with Alfredo mixture and basil. 

Adapted from a Sandra Lee recipe. 

And always cooking with love in honor of Momou!

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