you bet

As documented by Mr. Jenner's post we now have keys to a house. They said it couldn't be done but we did it. In the space of a week and a half we found a house, an offer was made and accepted. and then we closed yesterday. Go us.
Now to actually finish the damn packing. (we move in next Tuesday)

Today I am making desserts and preparing a turkey. This year I have decided to give brining a try and see what happens. We will probably have a couple of guests over in the evening to eat a little food, bitch about work and mentally have one last free moment before the insanity begins.

Now to organize other things.

More to eat

More things to make. I found this pretty nifty recipe in the Seattle times for a fruit-juice sweetened pumpkin pie which is ideal for those who can't hack sugar any more.

Pastry shell baked and cooled
1 cup thawed frozen apple-juice concentrate
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves

To prepare the filling: Pour the apple-juice concentrate into a medium-size saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes. Measure 2/3 cup of the concentrate. Cool. Combine concentrate, pumpkin, margarine or butter, eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; whisk the mixture until completely smooth. Pour the filling into the crust. Place the pie in a preheated 350-degree oven and bake 45 minutes or until the pie is set in the center.


So last night I had this weird dream that I was making out with Prince William. He was wearing a green track suit. What was that all about?

Eat with me.

What you don't want to eat your weight in cranberry sauce? What is wrong with you?
Okay so you still want to eat some cranberries? I offer you This super easy recipe for cranberry upside down cake. It came from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. (pre-prison) I saw her make it one day and it looked quite simple and it turned out to be fun to make. It glistens and most people like it. It combines a nice balance between the sweetness of the cake and the sweet/sour tart flavor of the berries. You don't have to show up to someone's house for Dinner with a can of ready-bake rolls. You can show off.

Now I must make a pie, two desserts, and maybe a few batches of cookies. Oh yes and some stuffing too. Can't forget that.

Oh don't even try!

Today in a fit of insanity I put the turkey in its brine. I made a turkey stock with the giblets. I made cranberry sauce. I then made a fruit juice sweetened pumpkin pie (Where we are having Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house and the hostess can not eat sugar. I think she might like this) and then I made a lemon meringue pie. It did not stop there. Oh no! I then made cherries in the snow. Which I am bringing over tomorrow. It is a brilliant no-bake dessert that is absolutely pretty and takes hardly any time. My Grandmother's cousin Ruth from Minnesota gave her that recipe. It seems one Summer when my Mother was a kid and her family was visiting my Grandmother's extended family (they are from Kiester, Minnesota five miles from the Iowa border. No jokes please about the name of the town) Ruth made this for dessert one night and my Mother fell in love with it and begged for her Mother to get the recipe. Well she did and this is what my Mother often requests for her birthday dessert. (she has never really been a big fan of cake) This particular dessert is definitely a Mid-western concoction that had its hey-day in the late forties to mid sixties. God bless those women and their ability to combine things like raisins, brussels sprouts and chow mien noodles into a casserole.
Little known fact: The Rice Krispie Treat was invented by a lady from the Mid-west. (Iowa to be exact) Her name was Mildred Day and she was an employee of Kellogg when she came up with this treat for a Campfire Fundraiser in the mid 30's.

Anyways back to the Cherries in the Snow recipe. Here it is. It pleases so many people and doesn't require the use of the oven.

Cherries in the Snow

Crust
1 package of graham crackers, ground up. (this should make about 1 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup of melted butter or margarine
1/4 Cup of sugar

Combine all ingredients together until butter makes everything soft but mold-able. Line an 9x9 pan with the crust and place in the fridge for an hour. This should make it fairly cohesive.

Filling
1 package of cream cheese softened
1 cup of whipping cream
2/3 cup sugar to taste (some like more, some like less)

Combine the cream cheese and the sugar together and set aside in a bowl. Whip the cream until it has fairly stiff peaks. You will then want to fold together the cream cheese/sugar mixture with the whipped cream. You will then spread gently over the graham cracker crust.

Topping
Cherry pie filling

Preferably in the can. I like Comstock Wilderness brand myself. It has the sweetness of the cherries and a touch of tart so you aren't overwhelmed by the sweetness. You will carefully spoon this over the cream cheese/whipped cream filling. Leave a slight border for the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture to show.
It should look electric.

Just place that in the fridge to chill for at least two hours. It tastes better if left overnight.

I will show pictures later of things I have been cooking.