Christmas Giveaway!

Simple Mom is hosting a giveaway today, so head over to her site for a chance to win this:

Aunt Linda's Ambrosia

There are a ton of variations for ambrosia out there, but this is my Aunt's version and we really love it!

• 1 large can of crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 small or 1 large can of mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 large container of Cool Whip
• 1 small package of Jello (cherry, strawberry, or cranberry)
• 1-2 cups of mini-marshmallows

Mix the jello into the cool whip, then fold in the fruit and mallows. This year I actually forgot the marshmallows and it was still really good. Chill until set (just a couple of hours). You can of course also add pecans or coconut for an added texture, but we don't.

My Aunt Betty's Crab Dip

This crab dip is soooooo good!

1/2 stick of butter

6-7 chopped scallions or 3-4 chopped scallions and half a medium onion chopped fine

1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese (not lite!), cut into small chunks
2 cans of 9oz. well-drained white lump crabmeat

Tony Chachere's and red pepper to taste

Put butter and onions in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese, and zap again for another two minutes. Add crabmeat and seasonings and zap for another minute.

Serve with Club crackers!

The much requested: BARK

My Aunt Linda made this for us last Thanksgiving and I couldn't stop eating it!! When I got back to Knoxville I was informed that it was called Cracker Candy. I don't care what you call it, I can't get enough!

35 saltine crackers(about one sleeve)

3/4 cup butter (don't use margarine)

1 cup brown sugar

1 8 oz. bag Toffee bits (I use about 2/3 of a bag)

1 12oz. bag mini semi-sweet morsels (I use a couple of handfuls of normal morsels)

Line rimmed cookie sheet with foil; place crackers in single layer, 5 by 7, on cookie sheet. Melt butter; add brown sugar and blend well. Spread over crackers, then bake for 5 minutes at 375 degrees. Immediately spread toffee bits and chocolate chips over crackers; set back in oven to slightly melt for 2-3 extra minutes. Refrigerate on pan until completely cool, then break apart. Place some aside in a container so that you actually get some after your guests eat it all.

Betsy also has a different variation posted on her blog called Pine Bark Candy. I see a taste test in our future!

The Holidays (and the foods that go with them!)

My friend Betsy over at fulltummies brought up a good point this year at Thanksgiving. We have all these family recipes floating around, why not post them online so that every year you know EXACTLY where they are? My next couple of posts will be about our holiday favorites.

Here is a Thanksgiving favorite that I can't imagine Thanksgiving without. It comes from the Quaschnick side of my family and I bought a meat grinder for my KitchenAid mixer just so I could make it!!

Cranberry Relish

5 small tart apples (texture is more important than taste here, I'd go with granny smiths)
1 bag of frozen cranberries
1 6oz. can of Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
Sugar to taste

I fit my meat grinder with the larger of the two plates, but if you have more than two sizes you'll know if your plate is too small if all you are getting coming out is juice! Wash, slice and core the apples. Feed the first three ingredients down through your meat grinder. The berries can be thawed, but I don't think it makes a difference. After everything goes through the grinder stir to mix ingredients well. After sitting 24hrs. in your fridge taste and add sugar as needed.

As you can see this recipe needs to be made ahead of time and it can easily be doubled for large crowds. Delish!


Another family favorite of mine is Pumpkin Cheesecake. The recipe linked here is Martha's, but this year I substituted the graham crackers crumbs for ginger snap cookie crumbs and it was AWESOME!

My Review of Thomas and Friends Play and Go Storage Box

Here is a review I posted online at Toys R Us. Ethan likes this case and it is useful to bring a small number of engines to a different room or to a friend's house, I've just been disappointed mainly in the latches.

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Thomas & Friends Play and Go Storage Box features a built-in track layout for portable play. It's compatible with Thomas Wooden Railway track for use in train layouts. And the Storage Box holds up to 16 Thomas Wooden Railway vehicles.

Thomas & Friends Play and Go Storage Box

1out of 5

Cons: Falls Apart, Poor Construction

Best Uses: Young Children

Describe Yourself: Education Oriented, First Time Parent, Stay At Home Parent

This product does not have a good design. The little track on it has an outer loop and then an inner track. The track does not act as a figure-8, but instead once the middle track is taken the train is headed the wrong way on the outer loop.
Also the track looks like you could extend it but the ends of the tracks are four female ends so you cannot build onto the track that is on the outside of the case.

The latches on this product are terrible! They are plastic and will not stay latched for more than just a few seconds. I'm having my husband replace them with metal latches so that this can actually become a traveling toy. Also, the plastic troughs that hold the trains aren't really big enough to fit the wooden engines.

Wild Mushroom-Barley Soup!

I love soup! It is so easy to cook and usually makes great left overs. The problem that I have is that I struggle to find a soup that my husband likes. Don't get me wrong he "likes" most soups that I make, he just doesn't think they are filling enough to count as a meal. Well, last night was a pleasant exception. This is a Rachael Ray recipe and usually I wouldn't just re-post a recipe that is already out there, but the version that her staff typed up and put online is terrible! Here is my version with notes where needed:Ingredients (my changes in italics)

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms I only used 1/2 ounce because it cost over $3
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1/3 pound thick cut pancetta or prosciutto ends, chopped into 1/4-inch dice I kinda went crazy here and used 3/4 pound of bacon (what can I say I misread the ingredients list)
  
• 3/4 pound cremini mushroom caps, wiped clean and quartered (these are also known as baby bellas) you can also use just cheap white button mushrooms if you using meat in the dish
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 2 leeks, trimmed, sliced, washed and dried (or two onions but leeks are cooler)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh sage, very thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can diced, fire roasted tomatoes I found these for the first time! They are with the other canned tomatoes.
  
• 1 quart chicken stock for vegetarians you can use mushroom stock or vegetable stock
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1 bunch kale leaves stripped from stems and thinly chopped
  
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Place dried mushrooms in a medium pot with stock and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Let mushrooms continue to steep as you prepare the rest of the soup.

Heat EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta or chopped bacon and cook until browning, 2-3 minutes (omit if making vegetarian version) then add cremini mushrooms and bay leaf. Cook 10-12 minutes to soften and darken the mushrooms. Add leeks and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes more. Add sage, rosemary, stock and tomatoes.

Remove softened dried mushrooms from the stock and chop. Add them along with their cooking liquids to the soup pot, taking care to leave behind any grit from the mushrooms in the stock pot. Stir in barley and simmer for 45 minutes. When barley is done add kale and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Bring soup back to a boil just until the kale has wilted.

Taste to adjust seasonings and serve in shallow bowls with cornbread (or if you forget to make cornbread like I did, toast).
Enjoy!!