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Honey Lime Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Ingredients

I love all greens but Joel not so much, so I made a salad that we would both like. He loved, I personally would love it more with an herb green type of lettuce mixed in but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. I made this along with the Turkey Meatloaf and the Butternut Squash. It was very tasty, I have to admit. I made this with my Honey Lime Salad Dressing which is on the site, so just go to it to get recipe. It is super easy, a little sweet but not too much. It is really perfect with a protein as I made in The Lobster Cobb Salad. However it was pretty tasty with just these ingredients. Yum!

Ingredients:

Romaine Lettuce ( buy however you like it, I buy the package with the organic hearts of Romaine)

goat cheese

Raisins or any dried fruit you have in your pantry

Honey Glazed Pecans ( any ones you can buy) they are pretty readily available everywhere , walnuts also work well. The Honey Glazed ones are particularly good, adding crunch and sweetness.

Honey Lime Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (see recipe)

Directions:

First I chopped up Romaine and put in a large bowl. Then I added goat cheese (probably about a cup) then about a handful of raisins, I chopped up the Walnuts with a knife. Tossed them in and anything else you like, but this combo was super tasty. Added dressing a little at a time till I saw consistency I like. Tossed and good to go. Enjoy!

me and Chef Nick

baking a pumpkin challah at Marcy’s house

While back in New York this Fall I made a real effort to take some cooking classes at both ICE:Institute for Culinary Education and at Karen Lee’s cooking classes on the Upper West Side. I also spent the day learning how to bake a challah at my friend, Marcy’s, house.  While very different , I had a wonderful experience with all.  Back to you are never too old to learn something new. Who made up that expression, “you can never teach an old dog new tricks?” anyway? Well, let me tell you this, this lady learned new tricks. I highly recommend trying new things–whether it be a movie class, theatre, photography, knitting, anything that interests you. I don’t wait for a friend, I just do it. If anyone wants to join me they’re more than welcome, but I set out to do it alone because I want to do it. Sometimes it’s hard to organize more than just yourself. That being said, it’s also a lot of fun when you have friends to join, like my challah baking with Marcy. You may surprise yourself, meet a few new people, and learn something new at the same time. At least one new thing!

Immersion Blender in Butternut Squash Soup

not a great shot, but the best I could get!

me and my challah and pumpkin walnut bread and looking exhausted

Yes, Thanksgiving is over. For all of us who cooked, shopped, cleaned, etc. it is with a sigh of relief. It is truly my most favorite of all the holidays, and so I insist on doing it year after year. I love to see everybody around my table, and am forever thankful for all of them. Some new faces, and also the same “old” faces. It seemed like between the blog and the actual shopping , cooking, and list making I was obsessed with it. Now that it’s actually over , I have some real free time on my hands once again. I doubt I will cook a thing for a few days, literally “cooked out”.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Whether you cooked the whole thing or 1 thing . I am thankful for all the help I received cooking this holiday, as always to Pamela, Susan , Karyn, Kerri, and my Mom. Thanks so much. And Norma and Allison I couldn’t do it without you! Am grateful to my family for being here and enjoying it along with me.

Gingersnap Crust Pumpkin Cheesecake before cookingFull Fridge

OK refrigerator is full to the max. And an extra fridge starting to get full. Enough, I know that I have way too much food but looks like I’m nearing the end of at least the basic cooking, still have to heat everything up tomorrow, bake the brie, bake the salami, put together my crudite, made the stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc.  I’ve been talked out of making a salad by everyone I’ve spoken to in the past 48 hours. I will make my butternut squash soup tomorrow, because my soup pot is too big to stick in fridge,  soup for 22 ! Here is the final menu! ( I think) ( I hope) I just want to set my table, and get some rest so I can wake up early tomorrow and start cooking the turkey and do everything that needs to be done last minute. It really is gluttony, but so nice to be with friends and family. Can’t wait to sit down and enjoy the meal with everyone. Wishing everyone a very Happy and Wonderful Thanksgiving, and thanks again for all your support. It’s been so much fun sharing with all of you.

Appetizers:

Baked Salami with Rye Bread and Mustard

Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Crackers

Crudite with Dip

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Dinner:

Pumpkin Walnut Bread and Pumpkin Challah and assorted dinner rolls (that I didn’t make)

Butternut Squash Soup w/ roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Whole Turkey

Roast Turkey Breast

Cremini Pumpkin Lasagna

Corn Bread Pudding

Stuffing

Brussel Sprouts (plain roasted)

Karyn’s Cranberry Crisp

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Candied Yam Souffle (easy peasy)

Aunt Pammy’s Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Mashed Potatoe Casserole from New York Times

Grandma Millie’s Cauliflower

Karyn is bringing acorn squash with quinoa and feta ( I will post recipe when she gives it to me)

Dessert:

Bread pudding with butterscotch Sauce  ( Kerri is making)

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Fresh Fruit

*unless otherwise stated all recipes on cookingwithcandi.com

Mashed Potatoes before topping (I leave skins on)

Oy that’s a lot of food.

It occured to me that sometimes I add this to my Cranberry Sauce, so I wanted to give you all this option.  First Prepare the Cranberry Sauce as I specified in previous recipe. Leave in the pot, then follow this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

Grated Zest and Juice of 1 lemon

Grated Zest and Juice of 1 orange

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

Cook the cranberries then add the apples, zests and juices and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the raisins and nuts. Let it cool, and serve chilled.

I cannot believe that this store has been on Long Island for the past 5 years and I missed it, but I did. At Karen Lee’s cooking class the other day they were talking about spices, and they told me all about it. There was a store in the city but it closed. It seems that they do no advertising ( I know this is shocking) and exist right on Route 110 in Huntington in a little strip mall in front of Toys R Us. I had such a wonderful time in there. If you like to cook and you have the time it is such a wonderful place to spend some time in, get inspired and actually find every spice you’ll ever need . If you have a recipe that calls for corn starch you should use arrowroot powder instead, and they have it. Mace, cinnamon from Vietnam which smells like heaven on earth. Fresh delicious spices, some wonderful ideas for salad dressings, Spices from all over the world. I love to use really good vanilla, almond extract, pumpkin spice, whole nutmeg, you get the idea. I suggest a trip to Penzey’s Spices. If you like to cook, I’m sure you’ll love this place. Plus the prices are reasonable, they have all sorts of jars for storage, etc. People who work there were very nice and very helpful as well. It is a company out of Wisconsin, and they have locations all over the country. They have an online site, which I will def. use when I go back to Colorado. I am throwing away all my old spices and starting anew. BTW spices lose their pizazz after about  2 years, they don’t have a strong flavor, so look through your drawer and toss anything there for too long. Bay Leaves, crushed red pepper, black pepper, mustard powder, white pepper, sea salt,  cardoman, curry, etc. I highly recommend this place as you can tell.