Favorite Ingredient Friday Holiday Cooking Blogger Style & Scrumptious Sunday ~ Thanksgiving Side Dish ~ Holiday Apricot Carrot Casserole

HOLIDAY APRICOT CARROT CASSEROLE
2 pounds carrots**
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cans apricot pineapple nectar
1 pound dried apricots
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup crushed walnuts

  • Clean and bake carrots until slightly mushy.
  • Cool, Slice lengthwise and set aside.
  • While carrots are baking, put dried apricots in a dutch oven and cover with nectar.
  • Simmer apricots until mushy – about an hour.
  • Add butter, brown sugar and walnuts to apricot mixture.
  • In a 13×9 greased baking dish layer carrots and apricot mixture twice.
  • Bake 30-45 minutes at 350°.

**Yams or sweet potatoes or a combination of can be substituted easily.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
4 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1½ cups milk
½ package dry ranch dressing mix
½ teaspoon white pepper
1½ pounds fresh green beans
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic, Jar
1 cup toasted bread crumbs*

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a saucepan melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over a low heat. Stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly until mixture thickens. Stir in the dressing mix and pepper until well blended. Remove from heat.

In a large saucepan of boiling salt water cook green beans 5 minutes until tender crisp.

In a skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until tender.

In a 2 quart greased casserole mix together the green beans, white sauce mixture and ½ onion mixture.

Combine bread crumbs with remaining onion mixture. Sprinkle over casserole.

Bake uncovered 30 minutes.

CHEESECAKE APPLE CRISP

CRISP
2-3 large Granny Smith apples (4 Cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup apple juice

TOPPING
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 small box cheesecake flavored instant pudding

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine all CRISP ingredients and mix well. Pour into an un-greased stoneware pan.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle topping over apple mixture.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp and golden.
  • Serve warm with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.

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Thursday 13 ~ Marilyn Monroe

  1. Three of her heroes were Albert Einstein, Albert Schweitzer and Abraham Lincoln.
  2. Marilyn loved the blond and glamorous Jean Harlowe and would have her hairdresser flown in every Saturday to peroxide her hair.
  3. Marilyn’s career took off when she was photographed by an Army photographer who was assigned to take morale building shots of pretty girls.
  4. Marilyn’s favorite store was Bloomingdales.
  5. Marilyn went to the park each week where 2 boys caught pigeons to sell at the market. She’d pay them 50 cents each to set them free.
  6. She was an avid jogger and jogged through the alleys of Hollywood.
  7. Marilyn liked to cook and Italian food was her favorite.
  8. She sometimes stuttered.
  9. Marilyn’s favorite poet was Sir Percy Shelley.
  10. She didn’t own a television.
  11. Emerald earrings given to her by Frank Sinatra were found in her bedroom slippers.
  12. Drew Pearson, one of the most powerful Washington columnists, got Marilyn to write a guest column in the summer of 1954.
  13. She displayed a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg address in every place she lived.

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Vintage Thingie Thursday & Show and Tell Friday ~ Jenn


Vintage Thingies Thursday is hosted by Lisa at Confessions of an Apron Queen.
Show & Tell Friday is Hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home.

These prints are made each year by my wonderful and talented cousin Jenn. She sends them as her Christmas card and we look forward to them each year.

I have just as many that haven’t yet been framed, but I’m building her her own wall. They look awesome with the silver toned frames on my vintage wallpaper. I knew you were waiting to see what made them vintage. LOL I’m able to preserve the wall paper with a little edge sealing and a coat of paint which is also working like a sealer as well as brightening the pattern.

I hope she’s checking today so she can see how proud I am of her work. I just wished they photographed better. If you are interested any of her work you can see her work at her ETSY shop Two Ply Two.
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Tag ~ You're it!


Shannon and Siteseer and Heather tagged me for this.

Randomness about Me
1. Red & Yellow parrot tulips are one of my favorite flowers.
2. Purple is my favorite color.
3. I have a Bachelors Degree with 2 minors.
4. I color code most things (like lists and such)
5. I’m not a bird person.
6. I love candles.
7. I am a grandmother (by marriage).

I’m choosing to tag everyone who so chooses since I have overwhelmed so many friends with tags recently!

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ANSWERS, ANSWERS and more answers!

I first told you about a bit of my confusion and then to compound the problem both blogger and yahoo seem to be having issues accepting comments, posting comments and/or getting notifications into email. Many of you out there are having the same problems so I know I’m not alone, but I have decided this was a determining factor in answering my own questions. While I’m not “quitting” any of the memes I like to participate in, I am going to take a small break. Many of my entries are in draft already so those will continue to post, but I will see over the next bit of time what I miss the most and what I don’t seem to be missing at all before making any ultimate decisions. I know I have probably missed getting back to many of you because of the blogger yahoo issues and I apologize, but will rectify this situation in the next few days.

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Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hip bumping Favorite Ingredient Friday this week ~ Baked Custards ~ Baked Pineapple Custard


Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace
Favorite Ingredient Friday, Holiday Cooking Blogger Style is hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy

BAKED PINEAPPLE CUSTARD
I originally got this recipe from my cousin Jenn, and it quickly became our family favorite.
This recipe is really good warm, but also just as good cold.
It also works as a wonderful custard to fill cakes too.

2 large cans crushed pineapple (drain & save juice)
2 cups pineapple juice
2 eggs beaten
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place pineapple in the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 pan.

In a sauce pan whisk together the pineapple juice, eggs, sugar and cornstarch.

Cook until thick.

Pour over the pineapple and bake 20 minutes.

Top with marshmallows and return to oven until golden.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

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Tuesday's with Dorie ~ Chocolate Peach Blackberry Apricot Rugelach

Piggy of Piggy’s Cooking Journal has chosen, Rugelach from page 150 for today. I needed to work with what I had so I did make a few substitutions that hubby, my taste tester, said made a wonderful difference from the traditional. I didn’t have any currants so I substituted dried apricots that I soaked in Rum. We’re not bittersweet chocolate fans either so I substituted semi-sweet chocolate and coarse ground my own. I didn’t have either of the suggested jams as I make my own and didn’t want to buy a jar that would go to waste so used home made Peach Blackberry jam. The recipe called for cutting the cream cheese and butter into four pieces. I think in the future I will cut into eighths for easier handling. Using the fourths was too cumbersome with my older food processor and I eventually finished coarsing it by hand. I also didn’t need all the chocolate or nuts ~ could have gone with half as much as the recipe calls for.

All in all they tasted great and ultimately that is the true test. They weren’t as pretty as they should be, but I didn’t have time to make a second batch of dough! They are all gone though so I guess flavor won over pretty!


Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. I already love it and hubby isn’t complaining about being my taste taster. In fact he loves to throw in his own suggestions.

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Homemaker Monday, Making a Happy Home Monday and Tips on Tuesday

Homemaker Mondays is hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven
Making a Happy Home Monday is hosted by LL at As for me and my house…
Tips on Tuesday is hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

At this time of year I find I’m washing a lot of large items like blankets, quilts and such getting rid of the spring/summer weight items and start fresh with the fall/winter ones. When wash these larger items I have a set of 3 tennis balls that I purchased just for the laundry room. I put these in the dryer with the large item(s) and the balls keep everything from bunching up and wrinkling!

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American Shower and Bath

So, awhile back I promised an update on the bathroom issues we were having with the remodel. For those of you tuning in late, it was a forced remodel due to an undisclosed mold problem by the previous owners that no one wants to take responsibility for. Anyway, we finally decided to do away with the old claw foot tub and put in a corner shower.

That in itself turned into a HUGE issue when our local Home Depot didn’t carry the size we wanted (we wanted the larger than standard size) and that particular store had a less than helpful plumbing department employee who actually tried to talk us out of buying the shower kit and going with his buddy for a custom job.

Since we have been forced into this remodel and have done all the work ourselves we were less than pleased with him and our his attitude. We even tried to use Menards for the shower purchase, but they just didn’t have what we wanted.

We eventually drove the 270 miles round trip to go to the Home Depot in Green Bay and pick up the one we wanted that would fit our bathroom well. We purchased a 38 inch corner unit with the antique finish and the teardrop glass walls. We brought it home, installed it and thought WHEW, glad that’s over.

Within just a few weeks the base as well as the rear wall started crazing and leaking. The shower wasn’t even 3 months old yet. We were so upset as well as disillusioned after all our hard work!

I took my receipt to my local Home Depot store (I wasn’t making that drive again if I could avoid it. I mean I already had $600 invested in the kit, 270 miles and lots of time and labor) and went in search of the plumbing manager AND I was ready for a fight! I had even by this time called the 1-800 number and made a formal complaint about the employee who was always trying to talk us out of Home Depot products and forced us into that long drive to begin with.

May I say I was soooooooooooooo pleasantly surprised!! The plumbing manager was a sweetheart. He provided me with the phone number to call the manufacturer, gave me his card and his assurance that if the manufacturer wouldn’t take care of it Home Depot would.

I walked in raring for a fight and walked out so happy I knew there had to be a catch. I figured my fight would come when I called the manufacturer. May I say again I was sooooooooooooooo pleasantly surprised. No fights, no quibbles, no hassles. I faxed them my receipt, name & address and problem with the unit and they are UPSing me a unit to my home!!

So if you need a company that stands behind their products check out American Shower and Bath. I highly recommend them for their customer service and their American made products.

Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will once again be lingering under the warm water spray of my newly installed shower!

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Questions, Questions and more questions!

So am I the only one out here in blogland trying to do too much? I see a meme and it looks like fun so I join in. Now when I join something I like to give 110% of myself to the cause whether it’s an angel tree program for needy children or participating in a recipe meme. So, I’m not one to play sporadically, I play ALL the time. I’m also relatively new to blogging still, it’s only been a year plus so need some advice.

My questions are:

  • Are there ACTUAL MEME rules/etiquette out there somewhere?
  • Is it okay to play only once in awhile?
  • Am I less of a blogger if I cut back? I have been combining memes when they pertain to each other and I don’t see a problem with that since it gives a wider coverage to more people, but is it really okay?
  • Am I wrong for expecting the meme hostess to comment once in a while? (This DOES NOT apply to any of the current hostesses for memes I participate in. It is one reason I discontinued a couple though)
  • How much is too much?

I’m curious to see what you all have to say before I make any definitive decisions and/or changes to my blog style.

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Menu Plan Monday

Weekday breakfasts are always either toast or cereal so I don’t post those. Working from home, lunch is “whatever” so it isn’t definitive either, but weekends are usually a brunch and I will start posting those along with the dinners.

11/17 MONDAY ~ Corn Dogs & Chili
11/18 TUESDAY ~ Pork Chops & Scalloped Potatoes
11/19 WEDNESDAY ~ Meatloaf & Twice Baked potatoes
11/20 THURSDAY ~
Creamy Tomato Soup & biscuits
11/21 FRIDAY ~
Tuna Melts
11/22 SATURDAY ~
Toasted French Toast & Sauteed Garlic Shrimp
11/23 SUNDAY ~
S.O.S.aka S@#$ on a Shingle & Mexican Baja Casserole
SO
I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday by Blessed with Grace and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

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