If there is one Christmas dinner that springs to mind before any other in the collective consciousness of the people of several continents, it has to be the dinner shared on Christmas Day by the Cratchit Family in the classic novel “A Christmas Carol” by none other than the great Charles Dickens. This meal embodies the spirit of Christmas more than any other in literary history, as does the tale itself.  This year thanks to the kind folks at foodbuzz, I had the honor and privilege of recreating this meal and sharing it with all of you.

This post really should be entitled “The Cratchits’ Christmas Dinner”, as it is as faithful a reproduction of the meal shared by the Cratchit family as is possible given my local resources and interpretation of the original manuscript.  Unfortunately, Mr. Dickens himself used that title when portions of “A Christmas Carol” was republished as short stories and so I chose not to steal his words for my own use. It could also have been titled “A comedy of errors and disappointments that really didn’t turn out disappointingly at all”, but that would have been rather long and drawn out, don’t you think?

Having said all that and given proper thanks to the folks that gifted me with the opportunity to try my hand at the single most iconic meal in the annals of Christmas itself, I’ll get into the meat of the thing, so to speak.  Please follow along with me as I follow in the tradition of Mr. Dickens and the Cratchits themselves. The story is full of twists and turns, a bit of drama and sorrow, but in the end, It turns out that I really do find the Christmas spirit in my heart (and a bottle or two), so the story does in fact have a happy ending.

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I know I made a big stink in my cottage pie post about the fact that a pie like this cannot be called a shepherd’s pie unless it is made from minced lamb. Honestly though, I figure if a bunch of shepherd’s could get their hands on a wild turkey or other foul while out in the pasture, they probably would, so I’ll just rationalize it that way. OK?  If I’m horribly wrong on this point, be sure to let me know.

Regardless of whether you call this a shepherd’s pie or a cottage pie or a turkey pie, it’s still phenomenally good!  If you can imagine all the flavors of a holiday table concentrated by 100 times, you would be getting close to the immense flavor of this dish.  It’s so good in-fact, that I may just look forward to making this next year a little more than I look forward to the turkey itself.

If you still have any turkey and gravy left over, you’ve got to dive in and give this a try!

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Brussels sprouts.  As a kid the mere mention of the things would have sent me running to my room in fear, yet here I am sharing a recipe for them at the request of my kids, who absolutely adore them.  It’s a strange turn of events to be sure.

It’s strange the things I adore today that I never would have touched as a child.  I’m not sure if it was the lack of fresh ingredients in our diet for most of the year, or if my tastes have just changed that much.  I know that most of the vegetables we ate for may years were canned, that probably didn’t help.

In any event, these sprouts do not disappoint.  They have my Son’s seal of approval and I have to admit that I’ve eaten two plates of them in the last two days.  They truly are tasty. As a matter-of-fact, I think I’m going to add them to my permanent Thanksgiving lineup in one form or another.  That way I know my kids will eat at least one green vegetable at the family table…

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It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s wonderful. It’s… Homemade white bread, and it only took a few minutes of actual work to make perfectly the very first time.  Trust me folks, if I can do this, so can you!  if you’ve got a stand mixer with a dough hook this is as simple as it gets, it contains no preservatives and it stores well. (The loaf pictured above spent a week in the fridge… It’s still wonderful and will be finished off tonight.)

This is probably one of the tastiest bread recipes I’ve come across for everyday use.  The recipe makes two full-sized loaves and my kids think it’s got the over the counter stuff beat by miles when it comes to a good PB&J.  If you figure up the cost to make it, it’s about 1/4 the price of any loaf at your local market, but twice as good, so even the tiny bit of effort required makes this cost effective as well as delicious.

Another plus of this recipe over other is that it’s a very firm crumb and easily handles duty as a sandwich bread.  I’ve tried several recipes that simply could not hold up to the role of sandwich bread.  This loaf does not disappoint in that regard.  It’s soft enough to be enjoyable, but firm enough to stand up to everything from peanut butter to hot roast beef without crumbling or turning to mush.  In short, it’s the perfect alternative to store-bought sandwich bread.  Give it a try, you’ll like it!

And if your wondering if this is the perfect bread to make your family his Thanksgiving or Christmas, the answer is YES!  It’ll make wonderful Turkey Sandwiches!

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Fall produce abounds at my local markets, leaving my head reeling with recipe ideas and the urge for more wintry fare.  These sweet potatoes were originally slated to be roasted with some other root vegetables, but I ended up trying this out to see if I could get my kids to eat something other than a regular potato with dinner.

I have an aversion to the standard candied yams served at most holiday tables, preferring something a bit more savory instead, but for this I thought that the combination of Five-Spice powder and coconut milk would give a nice flavor combination.  It did.  While there are things I will definitely change about this dish, it’s one that I will be visiting again while sweet potatoes are still on the shelves.

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I’ll say it again.  I Love the Holidays.  It brings out the best in people and companies alike.  Check out this press release:

12 News & KMLE Country Team Up With Bashas’ & Food City Stores to Hold Turkey Tuesday Drive for St. Vincent de Paul
Arizona Residents Invited to Donate Frozen Turkeys on Tuesday, Nov. 25

Last update: 11:00 a.m. EST Nov. 13, 2008
PHOENIX, Nov 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The nation’s largest one-day turkey drive, 12 News’ Turkey Tuesday, will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 25. On this designated Tuesday, nearly 100 Bashas’ and Food City stores will collect frozen turkeys and monetary donations for St. Vincent de Paul.
Now in its 15th year, 12 News’ Turkey Tuesday has become a Thanksgiving tradition for many Arizona families, schools and businesses. From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, residents are invited to make a frozen turkey or monetary donation at any Bashas’ or Food City store in metropolitan Phoenix and northern Arizona.
All donations will benefit hungry families just in time for Thanksgiving. According to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a local non-profit that cooks and distributes more than 3,000 meals each day to the hungry, turkey donations are the key to meeting an increased demand this year.
“The need in our community has never been so critical,” said Steve Zabilski, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul. “This year, more families are asking us for help. They’re living on the economic edge, struggling to stay in their homes, pay their bills and feed their families.”
From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Turkey Tuesday, 12 News Sports Anchor Bruce Cooper and Weather Anchor James Quinones will challenge one another to see who can collect the most turkeys for St. Vincent de Paul. KMLE Country personalities Gwen Foster and Stu Evans will join the challenge, broadcasting live throughout the afternoon. 12 News also will dedicate a phone bank of volunteers to take donations from individuals unable to visit a store.
During last year’s Turkey Tuesday drive, Arizonans donated a record 25,181 frozen turkeys, which fed thousands of local, needy families. St. Vincent de Paul volunteers collected the frozen birds, and packaged thousands of the donated turkeys into food boxes, which were immediately delivered to hungry families throughout Arizona.
“We’re so thankful for this annual turkey drive because it helps us to meet the strong need we’re facing,” said Zabilski. “Even when times are tough, we’re blessed by the generosity of our community.”
In addition to the one-day drive, during the month of November, all Bashas’ and Food City stores statewide will be selling $1 paper turkey icons to benefit St. Vincent de Paul. Customers can customize the turkey-shaped icons by writing in what they are most thankful for this holiday season. To find a Bashas’ or Food City store near you, visit http://www.bashas.com or http://www.myfoodcity.com.
About Society of St. Vincent de Paul
No other organization in the Valley provides so many services to so many people using so many volunteers. From hunger and homelessness to healthcare, St. Vincent de Paul reaches out to help those in need in the Arizona while providing the community with opportunities to serve the economically disadvantaged. For more information, visit http://www.stvincentdepaul.net.
About Bashas’ Family of Stores
Bashas’ Family of Stores — the family-owned grocer that operates Food City, AJ’s Fine Foods, Sportsman’s Wine & Spirits, Ike’s Farmers Market, Eddie’s Country Store, and both Bashas’ and Bashas’ Dine supermarkets — is an Arizona-based company founded by brothers Ike and Eddie Basha, Sr. With more than 13,000 members and 160 grocery stores, it is the 8th-largest employer in the state and one of the Best Places to Work in Arizona. Since the company’s inception in 1932, Bashas’ has given back more than $100 million to the communities it serves. For more information, visit http://www.bashas.com and http://www.myfoodcity.com.
About Gannett Co., Inc.
Gannett Co., Inc. is a leading international news and information company that publishes 90 daily newspapers in the USA, including USA TODAY, the nation’s largest-selling daily newspaper. The company also owns nearly 1,000 non-daily publications in the USA and USA WEEKEND, a weekly newspaper magazine. Gannett subsidiary Newsquest is the United Kingdom’s second largest regional newspaper company. Newsquest publishes nearly 300 titles, including 18 daily newspapers, and a network of prize-winning Web sites. Gannett also operates 23 television stations in the United States and is an Internet leader with sites sponsored by its TV stations and newspapers including USATODAY.com, one of the most popular news sites on the Web.
SOURCE Bashas’ Family of Stores

http://www.bashas.com

Now, why can’t we all do this for the rest of the year?

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Sweet potato casserole is one of those dishes that sits on nearly every Southern Holiday table.  It’s a given at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it’ll pop up at other times of the year as well, especially if the crowd is going to be a large one.  The standard Southern version includes canned sweet potatoes in sweet syrup, a ton of brown sugar or molasses and to top off the show, a whole bag of mini marshmallows, all melted and browned in an oven.  It’s more of a dessert than a side dish, and far too sweet for my tastes.

Not that I don’t love sweet potatoes, I do. So when Judy from No Fear Entertaining answered my request for Holiday recipe alternatives with a need for a version of this dish that wasn’t covered in marshmallows, I was all for it.

I thought that it might be difficult to come up with a recipe in this case, but a glance in the latest issue of the Pillsbury Thanksgiving circular gave me just the right direction.  This is my take on a recipe posted there. I thought the addition of a few ingredients were called for, and I’m glad my need to wing-it kicked in.

This casserole is sweet, but just by virtue of the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes themselves.  it isn’t cloying or overwhelming and it plays nicely with other items on your plate. We had it with roast chicken and green beans, and I would recommend that combination just as much as putting it on the buffet with the rest of your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal.  Trust me, your family will eat this stuff up!

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Halloween is almost here, and in the spirit of the season, I bring you Spooky Silhouette Chili, also known as “Fun With Cookie Cutters”.  If you’re hosting a party this Halloween or just looking for a way to keep the kids smling up until trick or treat time, you’ll definitely get a few smiles with this one.

The shapes you use are up to you.  I used a bat shaped pastry cutter to lay out a few of the good Ol’ Count’s alter-ego’s in sharp cheddar, but cats, ghosts, ghouls and anything else you can make a cutout shape of would work perfectly, and any type of cheese you like is perfectly fine. (Monterrey Jack for ghosts, Colby for owls or whatever floats your boat!)

If you like even more cheese, try doing a backwards silhouette by wrapping the cutter in foil and laying it out on the chili, then covering the rest of the bowl in shredded cheese. (You could even make jack-o-lantern shapes that way…  Fun for black bean chili!)

Method:

Cut your favorite spooky shapes out of any kind of sliced cheese.  Arrange on hot chili (any type will do.  Looking for a good chili recipe?  Try this one.) Eat piping hot and enjoy!

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