Giving Thanks

This post was originally supposed to be about my Cranberry Apple Stuffing, Cranberry Walnut Salad, and Pecan Pie. However, considering I haven't yet made any of these items, clearly I will wait to discuss them.

As many of you know, my grandmother was on the brink of death this week. Literally, she was shocked back to life six times and worked on for five hours before finally having a pulse. She remained on life support for a few days, and I flew home Wednesday evening, thinking I was there to assist my family in funeral preparations and to comfort my mom. This week, my family witnessed a miracle. Nanny is definitely not out of the water yet and she continues to have cancer and suffer from complications of it, but once again, God wanted Nanny to have more time to touch the lives of others and allowed her to continue living on Earth.

This Thanksgiving week, I am so, so incredibly thankful to God for giving us more time to love on Nanny and how once again, tragedy brought my family even closer.

Love,
Emily xoxo

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Pasta

Hi friends and family! As some of you know, I am not good at sitting still. Therefore, as I was home sick today, I decided to make up a new recipe for fun. I took a recipe I had been wanting to try, and changed pretty much everything but the mushrooms and cream sauce.

The ingredients I used were:

1 box penne pasta (minus about a cup and a half cooked noodles, depending on how wet you like your pasta)
1 small to medium butternut squash
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 package sliced mushrooms
3/4 of a medium sweet onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup milk (the original recipe called for heavy whipping cream)

What I did:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute the onion, butternut squash cubes, mushrooms and garlic in the butter until tender.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, seasonings, and milk until smooth then add to the vegetable skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta and add to vegetable mix. Cook 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Nothing too exciting or difficult, but very yummy and perfect for 3-4 people. Enjoy :)

xoxo,
Emily

Buttermilk Pie, Oh My!

As those of you who have looked at several of my posts might have noticed, I am a big fan of the blogger Amy and her recipes listed on her Sing For Your Supper blog. She is just so sweet and genuine! Last night, I decided to try her recently added recipe for Buttermilk Pie. She stated in her description that it was a Southern tradition, sure to please any man! So, I gave it a try, and sure enough, both Tyler and I love us some Buttermilk Pie. I did not take any pictures of it, and honestly, it's not the prettiest pie around since it doesn't have many colored ingredients, but trust me...you've got to try it. (Edit: I went ahead and posted a picture I found on Google Search that looks very similar to mine) The only thing I can even remotely compare it's flavor to is a Creme Brulee based on its very sweet nature and sugary/buttery crust. Give it a try, trust me. Thanks Amy!!

Baba’s Buttermilk Pie
-Sing For Your Supper Blog
*makes 2 9-inch pies

2 9-inch pie crusts, unbaked (I used Graham cracker)
3 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
**a little lemon zest and a squeeze of juice is a nice addition and also cuts down on some of the sweetness**

Mix sugar, flour and salt. Add eggs, butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into two unbaked pie crusts and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (check them at 50 minutes- if they’re too jiggly put them back in for a few more minutes. They shouldn’t jiggle very much at all when they’re done). If the tops are getting too brown, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of baking time. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Holy Sweets, Batman!

Ok, so I realize it's the day after Halloween and therefore my title is not so funny, but that's really how I feel! For some reason, October was THE month of sweets for me. Cupcakes, muffins, brownies, cookies, and finally, Apple Nachos. Here is the recipe for this evening's dessert.

-Found in Taste of Home, adapted by me :)
-Photo by Taste of Home magazine
24 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 20 min.
Ingredients
36 caramels (I actually used the fast melting, small caramel balls - 1 bag)
1 tablespoon water
30 large marshmallows (I used some Strawberry and some plain)
1/3 cup butter, cubed
4 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (I used Granny Smith)
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts (I used Walnuts)
1/3 cup HERSHEY’®S Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Ghiradelli for this girl)
3 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles
Directions
•In a microwave-safe bowl, melt caramels with water; stir until
smooth.

•Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt marshmallows and butter. Arrange
apple slices on a large platter. Drizzle with caramel; top with
marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts, chocolate chips and
sprinkles. Serve immediately. Yield: 24 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 149 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 76 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic
Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.

This fun, sweet treat turned out soo yummy!!! But, a word of caution...a little goes a long way. This girl's got an aching, but satisfied belly.

xoxo,
Emily