Oh no! What should we do with the leftovers?!

We see this in the media every year after Thanksgiving. I don't get it! Is it such a trauma to eat leftovers in their original form, especially since the meal was so specially prepared in the first place?

If it was good enough to make for the top holiday of the year and put tons of effort/expense into it, then why is it so terrible the next day that you need to make enchiladas with it?

I don't get it.......

2 Pies for Thanksgiving

Yesterday I was a guest at someone else's home. I offered to bring a pie for dessert--my absolute favorite treat. I also asked if it would be ok if I brought a vegetable dish for myself.

I decided on a vegetable pie. I diced and sauteed some fall vegetables. I made sure to include lots of green onions and differently colored veggies for visual appeal. I included green beans, of course! I added a creamy white wine sauce and baked them inside a pie crust. Here it is, with a pilgrim cutout on top to vent:

It turned out really, really well. I liked it a lot better for Thanksgiving than a heavier shepherd's pie or pot pie (which I've made in previous years). The great thing is, it felt hearty enough to be a main dish, and special enough for a holiday.

Here's my apple pie (with an apple cutout on top to vent):

If I do say so myself, it was the best apple pie ever in human history. Perfect, locally grown New York apples with Mexican cinnamon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I started out with steel cut oats, margarine, cinnamon, and cranberry sauce.

More later! Enjoy your day!

A ghoulish veggie dinner

Here's what I made for dinner on Halloween. (I would have said "Hallobean" there but it has no beans, and it sounded really corny.)

Witch fingers (biscuits with pistachio "fingernails" and tomato sauce to attach the nut)

Purple chips and orange salsa (blue corn tortilla chips with salsa made with orange peppers and orange tomatoes)

Jack o'lantern stuffed portobello with ghost potatoes

I also had a jar of eyeballs (cocktail onions) for ambiance, and a layered dessert of peanut butter pudding and chocolate cookie crumbs, topped with whipped cream.

Muahahahahahahaha! Hope you had a good Halloween.

Happy Meatless MOANday

Halloween and Meatless Monday are happening on the same day! I'm off to the store to see what sorts of ghoulish dishes I can whip up for dinner. I'll post them later.

Have a safe and happy Halloween! Booooooooooooo!

Restaurant review: Gaga over Carrabba's

Fried zucchini. FRIED ZUCCHINI. Battered, fried zucchini straws. Do I even need to say how delicious that was?! It came with a creamy dipping sauce that reminds me of the sauce served with crab cakes. That was delicious too, but the zucchini certainly did not need any dip--it was awesome on its own.

Then I ordered a salad with artichoke, roasted peppers, and OMG marinated, grilled eggplant (still warm) with a medallion of goat cheese in a hazelnut crust (also warm).

I am actually having difficulty writing this post because I am at a loss for words. So good.

Plus, I am thrilled to be able to order items on a restaurant menu without having to ask the awkward questions about hidden meat. It was apparent these were vegetarian items.

Verdict: Great!

Butter the size of an egg

Right now the sky is gray, it's raining cats and dogs, and it's chilly--that damp sort of cold that seeps into your bones.

I'm making some really old school apple crisp with some delicious apples I got from a local orchard. It's not the traditional crunchy topping. It's a very old recipe that calls for "butter the size of an egg" and has a batter-like topping.

I've entered it into recipe contests and was surprised it didn't win. My guess is, the odd ingredients made it sound unappealing. The ingredients list reads more like a recipe for cookie dough than a traditional fruit crisp.

Except it's sooooo goooooooood. It's light and crispy on the top, warm and soft on the inside. Heaven. Nirvana. Shambala. Whatever name you use for "awesome".

(Yep--there's no beans in this one!)