A Perfect 4th of July Picnic Salad

Here is a new salad to add to your list – I like it since it is not too mayonnaisey and has a lot of crunchy ingredients. After talking to friends, I think it is a slightly different version that many people make. Make it this weekend for your 4th of July festivities.

Best Broccoli Salad

3c. broccoli flowerets – just buy the crowns and trim them into mouth size pieces
½ c. raisins
½ c. chopped celery
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (in a pinch I have used Hormel real bacon pieces)
½ c. nuts – I have used cashews, walnuts and even peanuts

Mix all these elements together in a large bowl, then coat with dressing. Here is the dressing: mix ½ c. mayonnaise, 2 tbs. honey and the juice of one whole lemon. Pour on the salad and toss away. If I am making more, I use 2 lemons and increase the mayo by ¼ c.

I really liked this and so have my guests. I first had a version of it at my grandson’s birthday party that was purchased at Sam’s Club. This is my duplicate version. It keeps well and is something different than the standard fare. ENJOY! Happy Fourth of July!

An Upside Down Valentine Cake

Mike and I went to a small gathering last week and I brought dessert as my contribution. Since Valentine’s Day is so close, I thought I would use my heart shaped cake pans that I’ve had for many years.

I made a pineapple upside down cake, using both cake pans, so I really made two small cakes. Moist, delicious and fun to do!

Here is my recipe:

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

½ c. melted butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
One 20 ounce can pineapple slices in juice, drained, reserving juice
Maraschino cherries
½ c. chopped walnuts
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
Oil and eggs as called for on cake directions

This recipe will make a 13x9 cake or two 9” cakes. If you are making the two cake pan version, just divide all the ingredients between the two cakes – the butter, pineapple, sugar and nuts – then split the cake batter between each pan.

Grease and flour each pan or use a cooking spray to coat. Pour melted butter into the pan, then sprinkle the brown sugar and nuts on top of the butter. Lay the pineapple slices into this mixture, with a cherry in the center of each slice.

Add enough water to the reserved pineapple juice to make 1 ¼ c. Then make the cake batter using the juice, oil and eggs as the pkg. requires. Pour the batter over the prepared pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Immediately turn pan onto a serving dish or tray and leave pan on cake 1 minute. Serve warm or cooled with whipped topping.

This is my valentine to all of you this year!

A New Stenciling Project

We were so fortunate to travel to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving this year and visit with both our children and grandchildren. Of course, Mom came too. Our good friends, Mike and Ann Hall were visiting their daughter in Pittsburgh and offered us their home for our reunion.

Well of course we had the best time holding the new grandbabies, laughing, eating and visiting with each other. For a thank-you gift, I told Ann and Mike I would stencil their powder room. Now, I have stenciled many times before, so I should have known it would take me a long time, but I am ambitious and knew I could complete the project.

Mike and Ann are such great clients and friends. They completely trust me and this time that trust came in handy. We chose a stencil together from an internet site, but it failed to arrive on time. I found a stencil here in Rochester, changed the paint color we had chosen previously, purchased a valance and drapery rod and Mike and Ann took off for Pittsburgh without ever seeing any of it.

The stencil is a medallion style and I worked on it over the holiday until it was completed. I took some good photos for you so you could see the progress.

I will give you a few stenciling tips:

1. Use a good stencil brush as the hairs from the inexpensive ones fall out very quickly.
2. Buy the small bottles of acrylic paints, (they are about $1 a bottle and you need very little).
3. Buy as thick a stencil as you can find and if it is less pricey, buy 2 so you can cut one for the difficult corners.
4. Get yourself a can of spray mount so you can spray it on the back of the stencil. It will adhere to the wall and move very easily—tape just does not work as well.
5. A roll of Scotch Blue Painter's Tape is a must for the baseboard work, around the light fixtures etc.
6. Never be without a damp Handi Wipe or paper towel to clean up smudges.
7. You need a good pencil with a clean eraser and a measuring tape and ruler.

Stenciling takes patience but it is truly one of the best ways to inexpensively decorate. And if you are unhappy with the way it looks, it is so simple to paint over it, unlike wallcovering that is so difficult to remove.

If you have any questions, e-mail me at beckybarras@hotmail.com or leave a comment and I will be happy to help!

An Incredible Cranberry Salad

OK, I know most of you love that jellied cranberry sauce right out of the can with the ridges still on it, but sometimes there really is something more delicious you can at least try.

For many years, my mother-in-law experimented with new cranberry recipes – relishes, citrus dishes with cranberries that were way too orangey etc. etc. A number of years ago she served a wonderful cranberry/fruit mixture and I have been making it ever since. Just having made it recently for Thanksgiving, I thought I would share it with you so you could give it a try at your next holiday dinner.


Cranberry Salad
1 small pkg. raspberry jello
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained (save the juice)
Boiling water to make 1 c. when combined with reserved pineapple juice
1 large can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can jellied whole cranberry sauce
½ c. chopped walnuts

Dissolve jello in water/juice mixture. Add oranges, pineapple, cranberry sauce and nuts. You can pour this into a pretty holiday mold if you have one or just pour it into a serving bowl. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. This is not a thick jello, but just a nice, smooth salad. My mom loves this so much, she will make a recipe and enjoy it for days. And we all know how picky she is! Merry Christmas.

A Moose Thanksgiving

I know I just wrote about Mom and her social whirl but I spoke to her yesterday and she had just attended the Thanksgiving event at her club, The Moose. This happens every year, the Thursday before the holiday. Everyone brings a dish and they all share a meal.

So, I said “Mom, how was it?” She said, “As always, a load of crappy food, but the ham was good and they gave you a big slice.” So there you go – no turkey but a nice big slice of ham. Mom took cranberry salad but only after I told her to make something. Her original idea was to buy a can of jellied sauce and put it in a glass bowl. Like that’s going to fool someone. So she made her salad – everyone liked it but she said the sweet potatoes were a weird brown color and the pumpkin pie was not cooked in the middle and that was crappy as well. And of course no REAL whipped cream. Mom better get used to that – in Cincinnati next week she will be having Cool Whip with her pie.

Speaking of Cincinnati, my family is gathering there next week including both the new grandbabies and their parents and Mom, too. Our dear friends have offered us their house on a lake and I have been going nuts trying to please everyone and organize everything – meals for 8 adults and 2 babies etc. etc. It’s almost like planning Adrienne’s wedding all over again.

Anyway, I am so stressed out I did something crazy today. I was in a dressing room in the mall and looked down and saw I was wearing TWO DIFFERENT SHOES!!! And one of them, the cheetah flat is part of a really old pair I only wear out to the mailbox or to sweep the porch (I don’t ever actually sweep the porch but I do wear them outside).

Have a wonderful thanksgiving, filled with cooked pies, a nice turkey and SHOES THAT MATCH. Blessings to all of you.

I Love Pumpkin

I know pumpkin is so traditional a this time of year, and there are a few people out there who don’t care for it (Sue, are you kidding me?) but each year in the fall, I make a pumpkin dessert that isn’t pie just to try something new. Last year I made a pumpkin praline torte for company and it was so fabulous, I made it again last week.

We had the Raynor’s for a college game night recently and I made this for dessert. It came from a Sunset magazine, Nov. 2005.

Ingredients:

3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 c. butter
4 ¾ tbs. whipping cream
1 c. chopped pecans
4 large eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. pumpkin from a can
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. powdered sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9” cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. This step is very important or you will not be able to get the cake out of the pan.

In a heavy pan over low heat, stir brown sugar, butter and 3 tbs. of the whipping cream until sugar melted and blended about 5 minutes. Pour half the brown sugar mixture into each pan and sprinkle 3/4 c. pecans evenly into each pan.

In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar and oil until well blended. Stir in pumpkin and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Whisk dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Pour half the batter into each pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pans on rack for 5 minutes, then invert. Cool about 1 ½ hours.

Up to 5 hours before serving, beat remaining whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form. On low, beat in powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Set one cake layer, praline side up on a dessert plate. Spread two-thirds of whipping cream on top, then top with other layer, praline side up. Cover with remaining cream and top with 1/4 c. pecans.

This is not only sensational looking but makes a delicious, fabulous cake that will serve 12. Store in refrigerator!!

Spring Smiles Part II

We recently talked about bringing that springy feeling into your life with some inexpensive changes (candles, flowers) and getting some candy too. Here are a few more décor ideas that require a bit more time.

First, no fun, but cleaning up is a good idea. I don’t mean the usual vacuuming thing, but really clean up some of your clutter. Go through those piles of magazines, tear out the things you want to keep (Bon Appetit here I come) and discard them into the recycle bin. Go to your linen closet, gather up the sheets etc. that no longer have beds to fit or towels that really have no good home and start a Goodwill or Salvation Army box. I think I still have towels from 4 houses ago. They are never used, just saved “in case.” In case of what – 20 people showering at once, or the dryer breaking forever or a flood? You get the picture.

Buy a new colorful throw – I know it is getting warmer but even the spring and summer produce some cool nights. Take the old one and retire or store it and buy a new one in a soft, pretty color like yellow or pink or even cream. Try to find a few more accent pillows that you can exchange with the current ones that pick up a different color in your room. Even small changes like this can add so much.

Paint something. A chest, a chair, an old table – it doesn’t matter. Put a shiny new coat of paint (I love white) on a piece and watch it come to life. You can even stencil a cool design on it if you wish.

Add a few new accent pieces. You must be getting tired of the old ones and it is nice to add or change – go to flea markets or discount stores and find a new mirror you can refinish or just hang. Buy a few new frames or candlesticks. Or buy a new tureen and display it in the dining room. Add a new lamp to the foyer or change the shade on the one you have. These are simple ideas that really will make you feel like spring is here. You don’t need to spend a ton of money, just a little time for the hunt. And you will discover treasures in so many places.

Invite some people over – it is the perfect time to update your look in a small way and even if they don’t notice (remember some of them are men) YOU will know the changes you have made!

Photos from Better Homes & Garden

Spring Smiles

Easter and spring are both rapidly on their way (thank goodness) and I have a few suggestions on how to get that “springy” feeling back in your life.

First, let’s talk candy. Get out your bunny candy dish and fill it with foil eggs. Try not to eat one every time you walk by, but place the dish where you can see it and enjoy the colors. Order yourself some candy (I am partial to solid chocolate bunnies – those ears are YUM) from a place with good candy, like See’s. They have a great, colorful catalog filled with seasonal treats. Get the catalog delivered and you will be so happy. Or better yet, find yourself a wonderful sister like mine who sends candy for every holiday and sometimes just because. You need to find your own sister since mine is taken.

Change out a candle or two. If you usually use plain beige or even a dark color, buy a soft pink or yellow one. So what if it doesn’t match your décor? It’s a holiday thing and anything goes. While you are shopping, buy a new tablecloth or placemats that say spring. Again, they don’t need to match anything else, just make sure they sort of go with your dishes so we don’t have a bad color clash.

Buy some wonderful, floral cocktail napkins and put them on your table next to the candle. The colors and patterns out right now are terrific and inexpensive.

Buy yourself a special floral treat. This time of year the grocery stores are full of heavenly smelling hyacinths in a wonderful array of colors. The periwinkle ones are gorgeous but so are the pink. Or buy a bunch of daffodils, tulips or iris or one of each and mix them all. They will absolutely brighten your day.

The stores like HomeGoods and Tuesday Morning are filled with reasonably priced Easter and spring merchandise. There are wreaths for your door and planters galore. Not to mention the tablecloths, bunny figurines, dishes and candles.

While you are cheering yourself up and brightening your own life, reach out and do the same for someone else. Call a good friend you have lost touch with, send an Easter card with a sweet message or surprise a co-worker with a flower. Bring spring smiles to everyone!

My Holiday Home

I know the holidays are over...but I just remembered that I told you I would share some photos of my holiday home. Decorating for Christmas is always one of my favorite things to do. In the photos below you will see my tree, a festive arrangement in my entry, and my fabulous wreath hung over the fireplace. I display my wreath year round but change its "look" to reflect the season. In the spring I might have some yellow, red, and pink flowers to keep things fresh and springy. And at Christmas I use reds, golds, silvers and always have some sort of beading and branches to keep it looking festive and original. If you have photos of your home you'd like to share, please send them to beckybarras@hotmail.com.

A Rose Bowl Party

On January 1st, New Year's Day, Ohio State (my favorite team) played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Many years ago when Mike and I lived in southern California, his parents came to visit and his Mom and I went to watch the Rose Bowl Parade. We took a bus up to Pasadena with about 50 other crazy people at 6 in the morning. We had reserved seats on the bleachers and we actually saw the entire parade – all the paper flowers and animation you can imagine.

This year we are nowhere near California, so we invited some friends over for a Rose Bowl party and to watch our Buckeyes win (something they often have trouble doing in bowl games). Well they did win and I wanted to share my menu with you in case you are having a Super Bowl party or you just like to eat.

First of all, tradition says that on New Year’s Day you must have some sauerkraut!! It brings good luck and good fortune and all that karma stuff that you don’t want to mess with. Since I wasn’t serving a formal dinner, I used the sauerkraut in some DELICIOUS Sauerkraut Balls with spicy mustard.

Here is the recipe and a photo I quickly snapped before the guests snapped up the balls.

Sauerkraut Balls

8 oz. sausage (like Bob Evans or Jimmy Dean – regular not the spicy)
1/3 c. onion finely chopped and I do mean minced
16 oz. sauerkraut that is chopped and drained but not rinsed
2 tbs. dry plain bread crumbs
4 oz. softened cream cheese
2 tbs. chopped parsley
1 garlic clove finely minced
1 tsp. yellow mustard
¼ tsp. pepper
½ c. flour
2 eggs, well beaten
¼ c. milk
1 c. or more dry plain bread crumbs
Oil for frying

Sautee sausage and onion until meat is cooked through and crumbled into tiny pieces. This gets annoying, but keep chopping at it with a spoon. Drain fat. Add rest of ingredients EXCEPT the flour, eggs, milk and 1c. crumbs. REFRIGERATE!

When firm (I refrigerate a few hours) shape into small balls (I use my melon baller thing), and coat balls with flour. Dip into milk, then into crumbs. Fry in medium hot oil until crispy, turning to crisp all sides. Just before serving, bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

*Becky Knows Everything: Here are a few tips, because frankly this recipe is great to eat and serve but not so easy to find time to make. These tips come from my good friend Pat Miller who makes the best sauerkraut balls ever. You must refrigerate the mix or you absolutely cannot form it into balls. They just fall apart. Make the balls small since once you coat them with flour and egg and crumbs they get so BIG. Make the day before or early in the day and refrigerate and bake when the guests arrive. They also freeze well. Serve with a spicy brown Dijon style mustard.

A Christmas Star Story

My husband and I shared our first married Christmas 36 years ago and of that first happy experience came a special star story to share with you.

Now these were the early days when Mike would still shop with me and try really hard to act like he enjoyed it. We were both working full time in downtown Cincinnati and of course we worked very long hours, trying to build careers. And as amazing as this sounds now, Mike handled all the money even though we were both working. I put my salary in the bank every Friday (no direct deposit then) and Mike would “give” me money as I needed, but of course I had to ask. This was 1973 and this was how the world was.

We both had grown up in families that always had real Christmas trees. Artificial trees were not so readily available and the only person I knew that actually had one was my Tete Menka. She had a magical silver tree (which I am sure was made of some weird metallic polyester fiber) that was on a revolving stand, and had colored lights. As the stand moved, the tree rotated and the lights changed color. Wow, this was stupendous. Anyway, one night after work Mike and I went to Natorp’s, a nice nursery in Cincinnati, to choose a tree. I was so excited but of course he was “the man” and had to approve my choices and the cost. We chose a tree and on the way to the car, I passed a display of tree toppers. One was a gold star that lit up and it cost the absolutely amazing price of $7.99. This was a big deal, considering a 7’ tree cost 10 bucks.

I so wanted this star – it put stars in my eyes. So Mike smiled at me and said, yes, we could afford it. He placed it at the top of the tree in 1973 and it has been our tree topper every year since. The lights of course burned out long ago, but I wired tree lights into it and it still shines brightly. We have been blessed with so much in our lives, and every year when I see this star I am reminded of how fortunate we are to still have each other and our beautiful star. I am sure you all have a similar story and I hope you share it this year. Merry Christmas and special blessings to all of you from BECKY KNOWS EVERYTHING!!

Share Your Holiday Photos

Sometimes it is easy to get stuck in the rut with your holiday decor. If you have some fresh ideas to share with other Becky Knows Everything readers, send them to me at beckybarras@hotmail.com. I will post them along with some photos of my own holiday decor. Happy Holidays!

Your Holiday Home

So first off, I apologize for not posting the last week or so, but I took a trip to NYC to enjoy the holiday magic and to help a friend with some design work. I will write more about my NYC adventures soon. As Christmas nears, I know most of you probably have already finished your holiday decorating but I thought you might enjoy a few last minute tips to make your décor even more special. Remember, bigger is almost always better (except in a weight loss program) and statements of design are the key to making your home a little different than the neighbors.

Candles: Having a nice candle centerpiece on your dining room table is fine but having multiple votives all around the centerpiece, all through your bookshelves and lined up in a row on your sofa table will make your room beautiful. Use cream or white votives please, that way any color or style of votive holder will work.

Flowers or Greenery: I once worked for a fabulous designer and she had us to her home at Christmas. She purchased about 30 small pots of white cyclamen from the florist and placed them on every flat surface she could find. She scattered votives amongst them and I cannot emphasize enough how magical the space was. She lined them up on the fireplace and the candles reflected in the mirror above. Cyclamen are now available at your grocery store florist, greenhouses or retail florists.

On my own entry table I have a huge clear vase my sister bought for me. Every year for the holidays I fill it with pine and cedar branches and large sprays of silvery, glittery faux stems. One year the tape unwound from the faux branches and colored the water a not so pretty brown color. I changed the water and added a teaspoon of red food coloring and what a pretty change that made!!

Glass Bowls: Enough cannot be said about how pretty a glass bowl can be for the holidays when filled with floating flowers, silver or gold ornaments or pinecones with a red plaid ribbon. You can even spray paint the pinecones. We all have those glass salad bowls people gave us years ago and they really do a nice job at Christmas. You can put a candle in them with silver marbles or even fill them with candy. I personally prefer Lindor truffles.

Lights: You can never have enough lights. I even put lights up the sides and across my dining room window treatment. Mix them with greenery and swag the mantle, the staircase, your mirrors (I love it when people even decorate the powder room mirror). Light up your doorways too. The simple mini clear lights are so inexpensive and available everywhere, so buy a few more 100 strands and get going.

There you go, now take what you have already done and add to it to make it even more special!!

Photos from Pottery Barn

Cookie Magic

JBM writes: "Do you happen to have any crowd pleasing cookie recipes that package beautifully? I'm planning on having one of those cookie parties and want to knock the socks off the old chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin."

Well JBM….OF COURSE, I have a few recipes that are unusual – one from my sister (a wonderful baker) and one from me. Here you go:

Coconut Chews

¾ c. shortening (you can use Crisco or half butter and half Crisco)
¾ c. powdered sugar
1 ½ c. flour
2 eggs
2 tbs. flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1c. brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
½ c. chopped walnuts
½ c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening (or shortening and butter mix) and powdered sugar. Blend in flour. Press into bottom of ungreased 9x13 pan and bake 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Mix remaining ingredients and spread over hot baked crust. Bake 20 minutes longer.

For the icing you will need to mix 1 ½ c. powdered sugar, 2 tbs. butter (melted), 3 tsp. orange juice and 1 tsp. lemon juice until smooth. Spread on cookies while they are still warm. These can also be made without the icing but I think it adds a festive touch. Cool and cut in squares.

Cheesecake Cookies

My mom discovered this recipe years ago and it is a family/friend favorite. I actually have a friend that wants me to make him a whole recipe of these instead of gifting him with my cookie assortment each year. They are yummy but they do need to be refrigerated since it is a cheesecake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust mix together 1/3 c. brown sugar, 1 c. flour, and 1/3 c. butter, melted. Save 1 c. of the mixture for a crumb topping. Put the rest of the mixture into an 8x8 pan and pat down. Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes.

For the filling, mix together 8 oz. cream cheese, softened, ¼ c. sugar, 1 egg, 1 tbs. fresh lemon juice, 2 tbs. milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour mixture over baked crust and top with reserved crumbs. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. These are very rich so you can cut small squares.

*Becky Knows Everything: Since an 8x8 pan pretty much makes as many as I can eat myself, go for doubling the recipe and use a 13x9 pan.

The Four Angels

Well it’s that holiday time of year once again so I thought I would share a short story with you. Many years ago (like 30) my mother-in-law gave me a wonderful Christmas gift. She had always been involved in craft fairs, quilt making, etc. and she had attended a local fair in Milwaukee and bought me, her daughter, and her other daughter-in-law the same gift.

It was a set of four handmade angels, small to large that were made of folded paper and were beautifully detailed with hair made from moss with a crown of baby’s breath. Ivy was painted on the skirt of the dress and each angel held an ivy bouquet. Golden ribbon was tied at the waist and in a bow in the back. The moment I opened the box I knew they were something to treasure and even hand down to my own daughter some day. They were exceptionally handcrafted and so pretty. I promptly added them to my vast Christmas decoration collection.

About 10 years later, I became very close friends with a wonderful woman who had lost one of her grandchildren in a tragic accident. We were planning our annual holiday lunch and gift exchange and I couldn’t think of anything to buy her. She had shared with me so many personal stories about her family and how they honored the little boy they had lost each year by releasing balloons and sharing memories. My friend loved angels and felt they reminded her of her very special grandchild. As I looked around my house I spotted my own precious angels and thought to myself-“what a fitting gift for Ann.” So, I chose one and wrapped it up and presented it to her as a special gift. She was so appreciative and each year when I unpack my three remaining angels, I notice the one missing and I think of Ann and her loss and the hope that I make her smile when the holidays come around. She has my beautiful angel in her home honoring her beautiful baby, Kyle.

As you all prepare for the holidays I hope there is a special angel in your life too.

Thanksgiving Memories

Now, this isn’t one of those traditional Thanksgiving memories stories. You know, giving thanks for all we have, eating turkey, sharing potatoes and pie - blah, blah, blah.

No, these are tales of funny things I can remember from years past. When I was in college, my boyfriend Mike (yes, the same Mike) once took me to his home in Appleton, Wisconsin to visit his family. It was the first time he had ever invited me to his house and I was extremely nervous. I wanted so much to make a good first impression so I had washed my hair and set it with those old-fashioned pink plastic rollers, then put a red plaid handkerchief on to hide them. (Pudgie used to set her hair on orange juice cans but she had a lot more hair than me). Mike and I and one of his hometown friends climbed into Mike’s ’69 Mustang (we thought we were so cool) and started off on the trip from Cincinnati to Appleton, about a 9 hour drive. We had driven about an hour when I rolled down my window to get some air, stuck my head a little too close to the window and off blew my head scarf. I was horrified! We still had to stop for lunch and my hair was wet and in rollers and I had nothing to cover my head. Our friend was laughing hysterically in the backseat. I sure wasn’t giving thanks at that point. When I was growing up, wearing rollers out of your house simply wasn’t done. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

Anyway, we finally get near Appleton and I begged Mike to stop at a gas station so I could use the restroom to fix my hair and makeup. There wasn’t much begging involved since Mike didn’t want me to meet his parents and family looking the way I did either. I pulled myself together and pretty soon we were pulling into his driveway. The visit went well, except for the actual Thanksgiving dinner which was chicken NOT turkey and there was no cranberry sauce either. Not everyone has the same traditions!

The next tale is shorter and happened about 20 years later. We were living in Seattle at the time and shared holiday dinners with two other families we were quite close with. This particular year it was Marilyn’s turn to host Thanksgiving and even though she had been married a long time she had never made a turkey. Her childhood memories of growing up in New Orleans included her mom rising at 5am on Thanksgiving morning to put the turkey in the oven. Marilyn did the same thing – she went out and bought a big bird and got up at 5am to put the turkey in. We were scheduled to arrive at 4pm for pre-dinner festivities. Well, of course you know what happened – the pop-up timer on the turkey popped at 8:30am, about 8 hours before we were dining and Marilyn was hysterical. We did reschedule dinner for noon, but it was the driest bird I ever ate.

The next time it was Marilyn’s turn to host Thanksgiving she decided on a Mexican menu with tortillas and fajitas and a bunch of stuff I didn’t recognize. Of course Carol and I knew nothing of this plan so we arrived with our sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie to share. Really crazy.

To all of you, have a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving. I hope you get to spend the day with people you love and eat all the delicious food you desire – and then sit down while the men clean up the kitchen. Well, a girl can dream.

Photo from Country Living

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Today in my local newspaper there were photos and an article about Thanksgiving table centerpieces and I just had to start writing. The table styling was done by a local designer and it was the kind of design that makes me nuts. Of course anyone can lay a walloping big horn of plenty cornucopia thing spilling fruit in the middle of a table or line the table with a ton of pumpkins and a giant floral piece, but come on! We all know the practicality is this - you need a place to put all of your wonderful food AND you need to see the person sitting across from you (even if you aren’t wild about them). Ultimately, these huge centerpieces have to leave the table when you sit down to eat, so what is the point of having them? As a young bride I purchased a large pumpkin tureen and filled it with flowers for the center of my table. Not only was it hugely expensive to fill, but the minute the food was ready I had to take it off the table. Now it sits on my table in the fall everyday BUT Thanksgiving!

You can make your Thanksgiving table look beautiful and festive without going overboard. The photo below from Country Living is a great example. Individualize each place setting instead of doing a large central piece. I like to place a votive in an autumn styled votive holder (I have tiny wrought iron ones with leaves) at each place setting so there is pretty candlelight but not a gigantic candle. Please use unscented candles at dinner so they don't compete with the food. Give each guest a favor next to “their” candle, like a colorfully wrapped chocolate turkey or personalized pumpkin cookie. At each end of the table you can have a small, SHORT floral arrangement in a clever container like a wineglass or pitcher or vase – use orange tulips cropped short, any type of fall mum or my favorite natural look, bittersweet. Just make sure they are small and you can see over them. Don’t even try that trick of hollowing out small pumpkins. I did that one year and every variety of squash I tried was SO HARD that I needed a knife and saw to make a holder. Go to Michael's or Tuesday Morning or HomeGoods and buy a cute fall holiday votive holder. They can look colorful and interesting and you can spend your time perfecting that pumpkin pie!!

I will be writing more about Thanksgiving dinner soon since it is coming up so quickly. Creamed onions, anyone?

Photos from Better Homes & Garden and Country Living

A Philly Fourth

Fourth of July weekend was spent in Philadelphia this year. Mike and I attended a lovely wedding which I will blog about soon.

When you think of Philadelphia what comes to mind? The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (apparently it’s where the Declaration of Independence was signed), Sylvester Stallone running up the steps in Rocky, the Philadelphia Phillies and their new stadium, Valley Forge, cheese steaks? Well, not for me. When I think of Philly, I think of the nearby KING OF PRUSSIA MALL!

While Mike and our son-in-law, the great Jimmy, went to Valley Forge (Jimmy is from Philadelphia and has been going on field trips there since second grade), I had the real fun on my favorite kind of field trip – to a gigantic mall.

King of Prussia Mall (the largest mall on the East Coast) has over 400 shops and restaurants, a NORDSTROM (and a really good Nordstrom at that), tons of food, a Legal Seafood for lunch and all sorts of interesting non-chain stores. Please, how many Victoria Secrets do we need in the world? It’s divided into three sections and you can find pretty much anything there you could ever want. Anyway, my daughter, her friend Sarah and I shopped and lunched and had the best time. Not getting to see the Liberty Bell frankly didn’t bother me one bit. It will still be there next time, right? If you get anywhere near Philly, check out this great mall. More on the wedding itself later.

Easter Brunch Success!!

My Easter brunch was a delicious happening. The Ham and Cheesy Brunch Bake turned out bubbly and oh so pretty. The Macadamia Nut French Toast was crisp and when you poured on the maple syrup, you were in brunch heaven.

I even had some wonderful responses from readers who tried a few of my recipes. E. from NYC says “I made your Easter Ham & Cheesy Brunch Bake AND Parmesan Mushrooms for my brother. It was delicious!!!! He literally ate half of the Bake in ONE SITTING!!! Yum!”

And T. from San Diego writes “What a delicious casserole and since you could make it the night before, it was even better. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” WOW! I love positive responses. So great to hear from all of you. Keep cooking, keep having fun and send along any recipes you think readers might enjoy. Happy Spring!

Jeannine's Ham and Cheesy Brunch Bake

I'm gearing up for Easter Brunch and thought I'd share my recipe for "Jeannine's Ham and Cheesy Brunch Bake". I thought this was a family recipe and I have been making it for 30 years, but I have learned a variation of it is in many cookbooks - so here you go anyway. It is wonderful.

3 c. cubed French bread (sometimes I use regular bread with the crusts removed so it is not so “bready”)

3 c. cubed ham (buy one or two of those nifty ham slices and cut into cubes)

8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 lb. sliced mushrooms, sautéed

Small can of sliced black olives

3 tbs. flour

1 tbs. dry mustard

4 tbs. melted butter

5 beaten eggs

3 c. milk

Combine first 5 ingredients. Place 1/3 of the mixture into a 13x9 pan that has been sprayed with a “Pam” type product. Mix flour and mustard, and sprinkle 1/3 of this mixture over first layer. Drizzle 1/3 of the butter over top. Repeat with two more layers.

Beat eggs, milk, and add some salt and pepper. Pour over casserole and chill overnight (this is the good part - you can do it in advance). Take out of fridge about 2 hours before you will be serving. Bake at 350 for one hour.

*Becky Knows Everything: I serve this with fruit salad and sometimes blueberry muffins.