Mashed+potato+mountain1

Do the Mashed Potato

Most people love mashed potatoes as part of their Thanksgiving feast.  What’s gravy without them, right?  But if you want to try something new and innovative this year, this book will introduce you to all kinds of choices like chipotle mashed potatoes with cilantro butter, or pesto mashed potatoes; also various mashed sweet potatoes with […]

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No+Jacket+Required+from+N-M1

Give-Aways for Great Cookbooks from Places you Shop!

With all of the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping starting this week, I thought a cookbook from Neiman-Marcus would be fun, along with “One Magnificent Cookbook” representing Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” of shopping.  The recipes in the Neiman-Marcus book are from celebrated chefs and wine authorities as well as shoppers of the store.  The Chicago cookbook […]

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Sunday Recipe for 11-21-10

Here is a make ahead mashed potato recipe for Thanksgiving.  You can make these early this week and have them ready for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.  Get more ideas for mashed potatoes on tomorrow’s blog! MAKE AHEAD MASHED POTATOES 5 pound bag russet potatoes3 teaspoons salt, divided1/2 cup butter8 ounce tub cream cheese with chives1/8 teaspoon pepperAbout 1-1/2 cups […]

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Saturday Recipe for 11-20-10

Not everyone likes pumpkin in a pie for Thanksgiving, so how about some pumpkin pie squares?  The dessert is baked in a 9-by-13-inch pan and has all the yummy flavors of pumpkin pie without having to make a traditional crust.  Instead, the crust consists of flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, and butter pressed into the pan and […]

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Cranberry+Bog1

Are You Feeling Bogged Down?

The Pilgrims gave the cranberry its modern name.  To them, the pink cranberry blossoms resembled heads of cranes, and craneberry later became cranberry.  Cultivation began in 1816 in the town of Dennis on Cape Cod, where Captain Henry Hall noted that where beach and sand blew over the vines, the berries grew better.  He transplanted […]

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Pumpkin+recipes+from+Libby21

There is More to Pumpkin than a Pie!

Pumpkins and squash have a long history, going back to the ancient Americas.  Archeologists have determined that variations of squash and pumpkins were cultivated along river creek banks along with sunflowers and beans.  After the emergence of corn, ancient farmers decided to grow squash, corn, and beans together.  This was because the bean roots set nitrogen […]

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Spreads+Toppers+and+Dips

Spreads, Toppers, and Dips for Easy Holiday Appetizers

Dips and spreads never go out of style, and are always welcome for large gatherings like holiday parties because most of them can be made ahead, are not outrageously expensive, and appeal to everyone.  You can feed a lot of people with one bowl of a delicious dip, or a spread for pieces of toasted baguettes […]

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Foulds+Mac+and+Cheese+boxes

America Loves Mac & Cheese (plus some free boxes!)

To many, it is the quintessential comfort food.  If there were such a thing as a drive-through mac and cheese establishment, it would probably rival the burgers and fries.  The love of mac and cheese starts in childhood and continues through adulthood.  For some, it is even a staple at Thanksgiving right along with the stuffing.  […]

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