Parmesan potatoes with gouda, provolone cheeses.

My mom and I alternate cooking duties on holidays. Most often it is her doing all the cooking but this year she told me she would decorate the Thanksgiving table and I do the cooking, and on Christmas we would swap.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I do NOT do cooking for large crowds nor do I cook large quantities of food. I am one of those weirdos who knows how much each person should have and I cook accordingly.

Everyone coming knew that was the case this Thanksgiving. There was no room for pop up visits because seriously, they would be eating crumbs. I just do not overcook. lol

Anywho, within the next few days I will be covering the recipes for these dishes, but here is a photographic recap.

It was such a good time among family and I was reminded just how awesome my mom, kids, sister and aunt are...they all seriously rock.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Apple and Cranberry Pie

Chocolate Cake with vanilla icing and blueberry preserves filling.

Herb salad with goat cheese and cranberry

My mom's awesome table setting

Cornbread dressing...the only thing my mom made because seriously hers is the BEST. If I had one word for it, it would be 'golden'. Or creamy. Or delicious.  Or cornbready, chickeny goldeny goodness.

After running around all afternoon paying bills, it can be easy to come home and make something quick. Microwave this, microwave that. It can be easy but easy is not always was I want. I have found that when you take a deep breath after a long day, woosah and slow down, you can pull together a dinner in less than two hours of total prep/make time.

That happened today. I paid bills, came home, cut my potatoes, snipped my green beans, prepped my meatloaf and kneaded dough for biscuits. It was really not that much, although it seems like it can be. But when you cut out canned and microwavable goods in your household, you kind of have no choice.

Dinner tonight consisted of homemade mashed potatoes.

Partially peel and cut into one inch pieces 4 large potatoes. Clean and add to a pot of boiling water (or half water/half chicken broth....or add in one chicken bouillon cube to the pot). Boil until tender. Pour liquid into a heat proof container and begin mashing your potatoes, adding in liquid until you get the consistency you want. Pour in 1/4 milk or sour cream, mix well.



Lemon and Garlic Green Beans

Snip the ends of your cleaned green beans and place in skillet with 1/4 cup of butter and 1 smashed and chopped garlic clove. Add in 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper and squeeze in one whole lemon. Cook on low until tender.



Buttermilk Gravy

In skillet on high, add in 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Add in 3 tbsp of flour and stir. It will begin to bubble and brown. Quickly add in 1 cup of buttermilk and stir well. Add in one half of a chicken bouillon cube. Stir in 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Turn off heat. Smash down on any lumps and stir until smooth.  If too thick, slowly add water 1/4 cup at a time while stirring.



I will be back with a more detailed recipe of how I make my meatloaf. My 16 year old told me tonight, "Mama you need to stop cooking so much good food! I want more" Mission accomplished.

At my house, we always make sure we keep a large bag of rice and a huge bag of potatoes in the pantry. They are those staples that are filling.  My kids love my mashed potatoes and they are very simple and easy to make.My daughter told me that my potatoes are her favorite ever and coming from an Anime loving, sushi-is-everything kid, that means a lot.

I love the taste that using chicken bouillon cubes adds to the taste of the potatoes. You can also add a bit of sour cream or some cheese. Oh my gosh, this base is just that...a base for endless possibilities.



I start by cutting (remember, I have four kids) 8-10 medium potatoes. I first wash them, then peel them, leaving some skin on them. I don't leave a lot of skin, just a little for texture. I then cut them into quarters. Place in a large pot of water. Add in 2-3 chicken bouillon cubes. 1 per every 5 potatoes. Boil for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Drain all of your broth into a heat safe bowl and begin mashing the potatoes.  Add in 1 tbsp of fresh shredded asiago per potato you sliced.  If they are too dry, slowly begin adding in some of the broth you set aside until you have the consistency you are happy with. There is no need to add salt or pepper as the bouillon cubes add sodium and the right taste.

Click here for my chicken recipe..for this one above, I used buttermilk instead of water.

*If anyone knows of a nice blogger recipe template that would be awesome. I am trying to find something that is print-friendly.

Last year, for my daughter's 9th birthday I put together a simple crawfish party. Being here in the South, nothing says warm weather and good times like crawfish, corn and potatoes. Messy to eat but oh so good, these little mini lobsters ( as we say) are a batch of deliciousness. I am planning a crawfish boil and movie night this year for my kids and cannot wait to get my hands on these badboys.

Here are a few tips for you if you are hosting a crawfish boil.

Since the meat is only in the tail, be sure when buying you buy a lot.

When I purchase, I try to get at least a pound or more per person.

Add in 2-3 potatoes (red) per person and 1 piece of corn per person.

Have plenty of napkins or wet wipes because it is sure to get messy.

Serve on newspaper or shipping paper for easy cleanup.

Be sure you know how to peel them so you can help guests who are new to the crawfish game. I found this little graphic online from Southern Living that shows ya how to peel em.