Thanksgiving

Yes I do realize it is Almost Christmas! I am a little behind but since both of these dishes will still work great for the Holidays I thought I better share them.

We had a Great Thanksgiving Weekend. We started with our Cummard Thanksgiving Eve Lobster Fest, which is exactly as good as it sounds. Even the side dishes are as delectable as the Lobster. They kind of have to be since I have a few sisters-in-law who are not into the whole "Seafood" scene, sad I know. My son however is Pro Lobster all the way, he tries to order it everywhere we go.

I brought the hor d'oeurvres, a Hot Spinach and Artichoke dip, and Deviled Eggs. They were both fantastic, that dip didn't last very long especially with the delicious Five Seed Crackers from Costco ( the BEST!!!!). My mom gave me this recipe forever ago and every time I make it I get rave reviews. It is very rich, creamy and tasty, it is hard not to eat every last bite. I even had a spinach hater dipping in! Yes it is as fattening as it looks, sorry!

Hot Artichoke Heart Dip

Ingredients:

1-14 oz can of artichokes (marinated in water) chopped and drained

2 cups mayo

1 cup graded parmesan cheese

1 can green chilis diced

2 dashes of garlic powder

1/2 pkg chopped spinach drained

Mix and Bake at 325 degrees for 30 min. Serve warm with crackers.

Serving idea: Microwave on high in covered dish until bubbly, 3-5 min. Transfer to round bread bowl, hollowed out. With a quick trip to the oven until bread is warm and slightly crispy

Yes this is me getting 3rd's of this phenomenal salad ( which I must get the recipe for).

The next day we headed up to Tonto Basin for Thanksgiving part II.

I saw this recipe on Mels Kitchen Cafe and even though I am NOT a stuffing fan I knew I had to make it. First it had goat cheese in it, which I love ( and also had a ton of) plus the picture looked so good I just knew it had to be. My mom also decided I need to make it as well after hearing the title " Wild Rice and Goat Cheese Stuffing" Hello, how could that not be good.

I ended up baking mine on a cookie sheet so there was more surface area to crisp up and oh baby it was good! I mean I think my Grandma's may have gotten overlooked next to this beauty. There were a lot of fans and not one nay sayer. So if you are looking to impress this will make you look like Giada or Rachel!

Wild Rice and Creamy Goat Cheese Stuffing
from Mels Kitchen Cafe

*Note: if you don’t prefer the taste of goat cheese, simply substitute cream cheese, a milder tasting creamy cheese, or leave it out altogether.

*Serves 10-12 as a side dish and the recipe can be easily halved

2 cups wild rice (I used a blend of wild and brown rice)
8 ounces turkey bacon, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 (day-old) loaf country-style or artisan bread, cubed, about 6 cups of bread cubes
12 ounces goat cheese or cream cheese
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chicken broth or stock

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook wild rice according to package directions, making sure the rice cooks completely and is very tender and soft. Transfer the rice to a large bowl when it has finished cooking and has cooled for about 10 minutes.

Heat the butter in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon, onions, carrots and celery and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the onion mixture, bread cubes, goat cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and chicken broth to the large bowl with the rice. Mix to combine. I like my stuffing a bit on the non-soggy side so add more chicken broth 1/4 cup at a time if you’d like your mixture more wet.

Transfer the mixture to a large (9X13-inch or even larger) lightly greased baking dish and bake, uncovered, until heated through and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Guess I caught these 2 a little off guard

Jackson on his 2nd helping of pie. This boy is such a good eater, there isn't anything he won't eat!

and what would a good Thanksgiving in the desert be without some clay pigeon shooting

man look at that form

yeah I didn't hit any :(

and of course my greatest Blessings