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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

PIES, PIES, EVERYWHERE!

Bonjour Mes Amis! How are you doing this wonderfully dreary morning? LOL! I am good… it’s my anniversary today, so I am making a special country breakfast for my husband. He gets steak, eggs, bacon, potatoes, grits, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes. Hey he is a big boy (and spoiled to boot LOL!). Not sure what the day has in store for us, so its gonna be interesting.

Last night the DD and I stood in the kitchen for almost 2 hours frying up crepes. They are a French item that I only make once a year, despite my brother nagging for them all year. It’s a Christmas “tradition” if you will. The guy can eat 5 pounds of filling plus the crepes by himself! Everyone goes crazy for them. I have to admit, they are delish… but yowch… rich and filling! I’m good to eat 3 LOL! Matter of fact, my DD and I were in the kitchen all day making pies! YAY! Its pie week! I love pie week… we made 3 buttermilk pies, 3 pumpkin pies, 3 sweet potato pies, 3 pecan pies, and 2 caramel apple pies! Tomorrow is more pies and some cakes! YAY!

Ok, so if you are still needing a craft to make some gifts… ya only got a few days sweeties, so here is one of the last few ideas to squeeze in before the big day-



Craft Idea of the Day: Fabric Covered Visors

You can buy those foam visors at the hobby stores for like a buck I think and the visor only requires a small amount of fabric, so it’s a fairly inexpensive craft to make. Simply cut a fabric piece in the shape of the visor. You can do both sides, or just one… your choice. I use spray adhesive to attach it to the visor to hold it in place. Then I line the edges with bias tape and sew it on. That’s it… a cute visor in any theme you want! Here is a music one… we did a bunch for the band kids for when they go to competitions and they have to sit there in the sun all day.

Ok, ok… I’m going as fast as I can… I know its early and you are hungry so lets whip up something yummy for breakfast. I am gonna share the famous “Crepe” recipe with you that my family drools over!



CREPE BATTER

1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients well and let the batter sit for 2 hours to allow the flour to rise. Grease a skillet on medium heat until a droplet of water dances. Pour ¼ cup of batter in the skillet and swirl to make a large “pancake like” area. Cook slightly till air bubbles form on the upside. Flip and cook till firm and golden. Refrigerate overnight.

FILLING:

1 pound of rolled breakfast sausage
1 8oz. Package of cream cheese

Brown sausage in a pan and drain off any excess fat. Mix cream cheese into sausage until completely melted and coating the meat. Place one warm scoop in a cold crepe and enjoy!

My family goes absolutely bonkers over these. I can’t ever make enough. Last year I made over 12 POUNDS of meat and over 200 crepes and they STILL wanted more! Now for dinner, I’m putting the slow cookers to good use. I’m feeling a Mexican feast today! I think a soup, a main entrée, rice and beans for sides, and a dessert are in order… and of course homemade tortilla chips and guacamole and salsa dips! I’m gonna have a lot of people over today… a lot of the kids are coming over to bake their presents to their families. I’m helping them with tins of cookies, brownies, etc. to give to their parents, siblings, etc. One of the dishes I’m making is this tummy warmer:



Crock Posole

Ingredients

2 14-1/2-ounces cans golden hominy, drained
1 4-ounce can chopped green chili peppers, undrained
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14-1/2 ounce can tomatoes, undrained and cut up
2 14-1/2 ounces cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
Fat-free dairy sour cream (optional)

Directions

Place hominy, chili peppers, onion, garlic, chicken, tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, and cumin in a 3-1/2, 4-, or 5-quart crockery cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in cilantro. Garnish each serving with fat-free sour cream, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Our main course is some fajitas with all the fixings (onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc.) with a side of Spanish rice and refried beans. And to finish off the night, I wanted something interesting… something different… something fresh and exciting! So let’s try this on for size…



Margarita Cake

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package orange cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec liqueur
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec liqueur
2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.

2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, water, lemon juice 1/4 cup tequila and 2 tablespoons triple sec. Beat for 2 minutes.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to rack and pour glaze over cake while still warm.

4. To make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon tequila, 2 tablespoons triple sec and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Mix until smooth.

**If you can’t find orange cake mix, use a white cake mix and orange juice instead of water.**

OMG so incredibly yummy! I’m drooling… no wait… still the dang tooth LOL! Anyway, this meal definitely has that fiesta factor going on! YAY! Now I want to take a moment and thank each and every one of my readers for your comments and your time. Without you, I would have no reason for this blog. I love reading your comments and emails as well. I hope you enjoy what you find here and that it helps you in some way. I would love to hear how the blog has helped you, so please feel free to leave a comment. Also I want to let you know that I have some great surprises planned for 2010, so if you are just passing through, become a follower and sit back & enjoy! If you are a follower already- be on the lookout for giveaways and much more great things in store for the New Year! Thanks to everyone and I hope you are having the happiest of holidays! Until tomorrow kids… HUGS!

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