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baking

Day 311: Prepping For Thanksgiving

November 24, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

How to Prepare for Thanksgiving Dinner

How to make a bacon and butter basted turkey for thanksgivingOne of my joys during the year is planning Thanksgiving dinner. My kids love eating my moist delicious turkey wrapped in bacon. You can find the recipe here.

I start shopping for Thanksgiving several weeks before the holiday. Why? Because shopping for Thanksgiving can be expensive. The biggest turkeys are gone first and who wants a 12 lb turkey? My perfect sized turkey is about 18-20 lbs.

What else is on my list as I’m preparing Thanksgiving dinner?

Here is my shopping list for Thanksgiving. This is mainly for my kids who someday will need to fix Thanksgiving for their families.

  • 18-20 lb Fresh Turkey
  • 1 lb of bacon
  • Two pounds of butter (need one lb just for the turkey)
  • Vanilla
  • 18 eggs
  • 2 prepared pie crusts
  • 2 tubes crescent rolls
  • 5 lbs of potatoes
  • 1 can of cranberry jelly
  • 3 boxes StoveTop Stuffing
  • 3 lbs apples
  • 3 lbs onions
  • 1 package of dried cranberries
  • Mushrooms
  • 3 cans of green beans
  • Cream of Mushroom soup
  • FRENCH’S Crispy Fried Onions.
  • Spices
    • Sage
    • Thyme
    • Lawrys Seasoning Salt
    • Grinder Pepper

When Is Thanksgiving?

It never fails. Every year I still get the question Mom? When is Thanksgiving?” Thanksgiving is ALWAYS the third Thursday of November kids. Look at your calendar. Now let me get back to planning thanksgiving dinner so you can feed your belly.

preparing thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving Holiday Decorations

As I’m planning Thanksgiving I set the table the day before. It saves time and stress on Thanksgiving Day to relax and visit with family. I break out my China and good silverware.

 

Yes, I set a traditional Thanksgiving table. I put in all the leaves and gather chairs from all over the house. My family is small compared to friends with extended families.  Since our nuclear family is small, usually 6-8 people, we can all gather in the dinning room.

All the food goes on the table, the Turkey taking center stage and dishes getting passed. We don’t eat buffet style on Thanksgiving. I get a new tablecloth and napkins every Thanksgiving and it’s not easy to find a 72″ table cloth.

I’ve learned a few secrets to setting a large dining table. Use TWO Table cloths overlapping each other.

Use two ta

 

Filed Under: Food, Project 365 Tagged With: baking, cooking, Food, good eats, Holidays, thanksgiving, tradition

Day 286: Chocolate Cupcake

November 10, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

image

Heavenly delight, a chocolate chocolate cupcake, yum! What’s better is I didn’t have to make these myself, my step daughter did for a friends birthday.

Filed Under: Food, Project 365 Tagged With: 365project, baking, chocolate, cooking, delicious, dessert, Food, frosting, phone pic, project365, snacks

Day 189/365: Lemony Sunshine Cupcakes

June 13, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Amazing Lemon Cupcake Recipe

I love the tart taste of lemon in any food and this amazing lemon cupcake recipe quickly became a favorite. It’s rare that a Food Network recipe doesn’t turn out good, and this delicious cupcake recipe will have people asking for more.

Lemon Cupcake recipe
Lemon Sunrise Surprise Cupcakes

Lemony Sunshine Cupcakes from the Food Network as just as good to look at as they are to eat.

This recipe and resulting cupcake is actually from my friend Shelli who made these for her co-workers and favorite customers on her last day at Hamilton Color Lab in Omaha. I inherited her job and am the point of contact for all customers and help photographers, artists, and businesses get the most out of their images.

All the customers that came in that day were sad to see Shelli leave, there were calls, hugs, and well wishes as she heads back to school to continue her next life journey. But for the two of us it’s not good bye, it’s just see you later as we were Facebook friends before I found the job.

Recipe was found my her daughter on the Food Network.

Ingredients

For crust and topping:

  • 1 1/3 cups shortbread cookie crumbs, (22 Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (Shellie suggested to reduce to 2 TBSP)

For the batter:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 small box (3.4 ounce) instant lemon pudding
  • 1 (18.25 ounce) box lemon cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker Super Moist)
  • 1/3 cup lemon curd

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard muffin tins with 16 foil cupcake liners; set aside.

Place shortbread cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl; stir until well combined; set aside.

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix just until combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add vegetable oil, water, and the box of lemon pudding. Mix until combined. Add cake mix and beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Batter will be on the thick side.

Place a slightly heaping tablespoon of shortbread cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use your fingers or the bottom of a small glass to firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining shortbread cookie crumb mixture for topping.

Use a 1/4 cup spring loaded ice cream scoop and place a level scoop full of batter into each muffin cup.

Load the lemon curd into a small sandwich size resealable bag, removing the air from the bag before sealing. Squeeze the curd to 1 corner of the bag and use scissors to snip a 1/4- inch piece from corner of bag; set aside.

With a damp finger or the end of a wooden spoon dipped in water, make a shallow indentation into the center of each cupcake. Pipe 3/4 to 1 teaspoon lemon curd into each indentation. Sprinkle tops of cupcakes evenly with remaining shortbread cookie crumbs.

Bake for 21 to 23 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until edges of cupcakes are lightly golden brown.

Serve cupcakes warm from the oven or at room temperature.

Filed Under: Food, Project 365 Tagged With: 365project, almond bark, baking, cooking, cupcake, dessert, desserts, lemon, Photography, project365, recipe

Day 176/365: Easy Homemade Granola Bars

May 31, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

This easy homemade granola bar recipe is courtesy of Red Feather Guides in North Park Colorado.

A few years ago my husband (then fiancee) had a wonderful half day horseback ride into the mountains and the guide brought these delicious healthy homemade granola bars. I Can’t say enough about the company and the people. Not only was it a fantastic horseback ride in the Rocky Mountains, but we brought back this amazing recipe which I love to fix for school snacks, hiking trips, and we even took them skiing.

Healthy granola bar ingredients

The recipe is at the bottom, but needless to say the “goodies” inside the granola bars can vary, instead of raisins I used dried blueberries (I have 6 lbs a friend gave me). Dried cherries substituted for cranberries too. I added dates too. Can I ever leave a recipe alone? Never!

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars are easy to makle
Homemade Granola Bars- before baking

The first batch was so popular I ended up making two batches. So I’ll be taking these to work this week and have snacks for the kids during their summer school vacation.

Homemade granola bars - recipe easy to make with common household ingredients. Delicious and easy

These weren’t nearly as good as eating them at 12,000  feet. But then again is anything? Here’s a picture from that trip and another shout-out to Red Feather Guides. If you ever are in northern Colorado and want to go on a horseback ride into the mountains they are the ones to call.

Horseback Riding in the Rockies
Horseback Riding in the Rockies

Here is the snack spread the guide shared with us at the summit. We sat on this ledge which overlooked Lake Agnes, it’s behind us in the valley, sorry you can’t see it, and ate our lunch.

Snack at the top of the Rockies
Snack at the top of the Rockies

Ok, enough of the teasing here is the easy homemade granola bar recipe.

Lurch Germany Flexiform Cereal Bar / Granola Bar Mold 11.8 x 6.9 in 6 cavity - brownLurch Germany Flexiform Cereal Bar / Granola Bar Mold 11.8 x 6.9 in 6 cavity – brownKirkland Signature Whole Dried Blueberries: 2 Bags of 20 Oz (1 Bag is 1LB 4 OZ which is 20 Ounces)Kirkland Signature Whole Dried Blueberries: 2 Bags of 20 Oz (1 Bag is 1LB 4 OZ which is 20 Ounces)Food to Live Certified Organic Dried Cranberries (Non-GMO, Kosher, Unsulfured, Bulk) (8 Ounces)Food to Live Certified Organic Dried Cranberries (Non-GMO, Kosher, Unsulfured, Bulk) (8 Ounces)365 Everyday Value Organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats, 18 oz365 Everyday Value Organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats, 18 oz

Red Feather Homemade Granola Bar Recipe

  • 1/2 Cup Butter
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar (brown packed, or white)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/3 cup Molasses
  • 1 3/4 cup Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup nuts
  • 1/2 cup Raisins
  • 1/2 cup dried Cranberries
  • 1 cup Chocolate Chips

Directions

  1. Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda together in a bowl
  2. Combine butter, molasses, sugar and eggs together in 2nd bowl
  3. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients
  4. Combine oatmeal, raisins, chocolate chips, nuts together then add to mixture
  5. Spoon into a 19′ x 13′ pan  (parchment paper and spray with Pam-don’t forget this, seriously they will stick, you will regret it)
  6. Cook for 20 minutes at 350, check for doneness at this point and length time 5 minutes until the consistency desired.
  7. When cool turn upside down with parchment paper, seems to be easier to cut up into bars this way.

I tend to be generous with the “goodies” and find myself adding an extra cup or so of nuts, fruit or chips, still turns out fantastic! Enjoy

More Easy Home Made Granola Recipe Ideas

Granola Recipes: The Ultimate GuideGranola Recipes: The Ultimate GuideHomemade Granola Bar RecipesHomemade Granola Bar RecipesGranola! The Ultimate Recipe GuideGranola! The Ultimate Recipe GuideGranola Cookbook: Delicious Granola & Oat RecipesGranola Cookbook: Delicious Granola & Oat Recipes

Stay Tuned for more Easy Homemade Granola recipe ideas.

I just bought a new Pampered Chef bar snack mold and I’m excited to try it out. 

 

Filed Under: Food, Project 365, Travel Adventures Tagged With: 365project, baking, colorado, Food, health food, healthy, homemade, homemade granola bars, horseback riding, project365, recipe, rocky mountains, snacks

Day 30/365: Our Daily Bread

December 31, 2010 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Day 30: Our Daily Bread

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

What does this mean?

God gives daily bread, even without our prayer, to all wicked men; but we pray in this petition that He would lead us to know it, and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What is meant by daily bread?

Everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body, such as meat, drink, clothing, shoes, house, homestead, field, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful magistrates, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.

Lutheran Small Catechism: 4th petition, Lords Prayer
Let us never forget this as the year ends, the new year begins, and life brings us challenges we feel we cannot bear.

Filed Under: Project 365 Tagged With: baking, bread, recipe, thankful

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