THANKSGIVING RECIPE! - Cranberry-Stuffed Baked Apples

I know it's not the best timing, blogging a Thanksgiving recipe the night of Thanksgiving, but family just left, the baby is down for the night, and now it's time to sit and digest.

I will be completely honest about this recipe.  These beautiful apples made the house smell a lot better than they actually tasted. It may be that no one in our family is just crazy for cranberries, or the fact that the recipe needed more sugar so the filling didn't zap electrical shocks into my jaws. If your family does enjoy tart, crisp, fresh, and uber-vibrant flavors of the season, this would make a very cozy side dish alongside any fall or winter meal!  I just wish there was a way I could capture that aroma of when the filling was simmering on the stove and put it pots all around my house.

~Ingredients~

4 Granny Smith apples
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. cardamom
12 pitted dates, chopped
The juice and zest of 2 oranges
4 Tbsp. of cinnamon roasted almonds, chopped

~Directions~

1.  Preheat oven to 400.
2.  Add oil to a large skillet.
3.  Add cranberries, honey, cardamom, dates, orange juice, and zest, and cook until the cranberries collapse and soften. This only takes a few minutes.  While this mixture is cooking, skip to #6 to prepare your apples.

 4.  Stir in the chopped cinnamon almonds.

 5.  Cook until the liquid thickens.  Only a few more minutes.

 6.  Cut the tops off the apples.  Reserve the tops.  Core and hollow the apples, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch rim around the edge.

 7.  Fill the apples with the thickened cranberry mixture.

 8.  Place 1/4" of water in a small baking dish, place the apples in the dish, and return the tops to the filled apples.

 9.  Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the apples are as tender as you desire!  ENJOY!

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THANKSGIVING RECIPE! - Classic Deviled Eggs

I know it's spur of the moment, and most of you already know how to make creamy delicious deviled eggs, but I thought I'd throw out exactly how I like to make mine in case you just can't seem to find that perfect blend of ingredients. I'm not giving myself a pat on the back (oh, who am I kidding, yes I am), but my deviled eggs are simply amazing and I hope you can take my mixture and enjoy with your family!

~Ingredients~

12 eggs, hard boiled
1/3 cup + 1/8 cup (2 Tbsp.) of Miracle Whip
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. dill pickle relish
1 tsp. dill pickle juice
4-5 drops Tabasco Sauce
splash of yellow food coloring

~Directions~

1. Cover eggs with plenty of water and bring to a boil.
2.  Boil for 3 minutes.

3.  Turn heat off and COVER, for...

 4.  20 minutes haha.

 5.  In the meantime, fill a bowl full of ice water.

 6.  When the eggs are finished boiling, used a slotted spoon to drop them into the ice water (The slotted spoon is to ensure hot water isn't transferred).

 7.  Peel eggs under cold water.

 8.  Split in half vertically.

 9.  In a medium bowl, remove egg yolks and mash into a fine powder with a fork.

 9.  Add all of the ingredients and mix well.

 10.  Spoon mixture into the empty hard boiled eggs and garnish with your favorite spices.  My personal favorites are dill weed, paprika, and celery seed.  Be sure to leave some plain in case some guests aren't fond of your spice selection.

ENJOY, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!!!

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THANKSGIVING RECIPE! - Smoky-Sweet Candied Yams

I prepared these subtly smoky and very sweet candied yams a day before Thanksgiving, mainly because they reheat incredibly well.  This way on Thanksgiving, you can be thankful for a lot less stress and a lot more time to relax and drink wine. You can also add more marshmallows to the top when reheating so that a new layer is golden and crisp on top of the original golden crispy layer.  It's very easy, very basic, and a must have on the Thanksgiving table!

~Ingredients~

40 oz can of yams, drained
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. J&D's Bacon Salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
4 Tbsp. melted butter
1-16oz bag of mini marshmallows

 ~Directions~

1.  Preheat oven to 350.
2.  In a large bowl, mash the drained yams.

3.  Add brown sugar, salt, J&D's Bacon Salt, cinnamon, egg, and melted butter.  Mix well.

4.  Place half of the mixture into a 1 qt. baking dish.

5.  Cover with a layer of mini marshmallows.

6.  Add remaining mixture to the top of the marshmallows.

7.  Add another layer of marshmallows.

8.  Bake 30 minutes.
9.  Add remaining marshmallows and bake another 10 minutes until golden brown.

10.  ENJOY, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!!

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