homemade mashed potatoes

In past years, I have made mashed potatoes from scratch. They are easy enough, but this year, I've discovered Alexia brand mashed potatoes, which....well, are even easier. (I find them in the frozen section of most of our local supermarkets.) If you opt to make them from scratch, here's my go-to mashed potato recipe. I'm not holding back here when it comes to decadence, Thanksgiving happens but once a year:

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

(makes 8 servings, can be make up to 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge)

4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into about 3/4" cubes

about 1/2 cup whole milk (maybe a little more)

16 oz Rondele garlic and herb cheese (two 8 oz tubs)

salt & pepper, to taste

up to 1/2 stick of butter (optional, if you want to really go over the top)

roasted garlic, mashed (optional, to taste)

Cook the potatoes in a large pot, until tender when pierced with a fork (10-14 minutes). Drain well. Return potatoes to the same warm pot and add the milk and cheese. Mash until desired consistency. We keep ours a little "lumpy" because I like them to have some texture, especially if they're being served alongside sweet potatoes at the same feast. Add salt & pepper to taste.

These can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge. When reheating, you might like to add a bit more milk to the dish, so they don't dry out. You can either reheat them in the oven, lightly covered with foil, or in the microwave.

simple side: roasted brussel sprouts

Every Thanksgiving feast needs at least one green veggie. And with all of the decadence on the plate, I kind of think, the simpler the better.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

(best if made right before dining)

brussel sprouts (halved if they're really big)

avocado or olive oil

salt & pepper

rimmed baking sheet

optional additions to the baking sheet:

lemon zest

garlic, minced

bacon, chopped

pancetta, chopped

walnuts, pecans or pine cuts (add last 3 minutes of baking)

My favorite way to prepare brussel sprouts is to simply drizzle them with a little olive (or avocado) oil, a sprinkling of good quality salt & pepper and roast them on a rimmed baking sheet at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until they are al dente. They get this crispy, caramelized outer edge and moist center. Delicious. Serve warm, right from the oven. I simply serve them as is, but I have also listed some additions if you want to make them fancier/more decadent...

Because this is best right when they come out of the oven, on Thanksgiving, I would take the turkey out, and while it's resting (before carving) pop these babies in the oven right before you eat. This is the only thing I actually "make" on Thanksgiving day-- besides roasting the turkey, of course!

simple side: roasted + mashed sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes always play a part in our Thanksgiving feast. Depending upon the year, I have roasted slices of them in the oven in a rustic fashion, par-baked them and then grilled them, mashed them and topped them with a homemade sweet/savory struesel (a la Epicurious), and yes, I have even been known to smother them in marshmallows (winning mom-of-the-day with that batch)... but last year, I went even simpler and healthier. Depending upon the other sides you plan to make, you can start with this super-simple recipe and modify it to get to your ideal health profile and taste for this year.

Super Easy Roasted + Mashed Sweet Potatoes

(makes 8 servings - can be made 3-4 days ahead, stored in fridge)

4 lbs sweet potatoes, whole, skin on

rimmed baking sheet

tin foil

salt & pepper, to taste

splash of orange juice (optional)
1 T fresh ginger (optional, I add it using a microplane zester)

1-2 T agave or brown sugar (optional, I don't find it necessary)

2 T butter (optional)

1/2 cup praline pecans, crushed (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Wash potatoes and pierce each one a few times with a fork. Place on foil lined baking sheet and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Cut each sweet potato in half and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Mash with a fork, or potato masher, until desired texture, adding a splash of orange juice to thin them a bit, if you'd like. You may leave the sweet potatoes as is, for a very healthy side dish or.... if you want to make the dish sweeter and more decadent, you can mash in 2 T butter and/or 1 to 2 T agave (or brown sugar) and top them with 1/2 cup of crushed praline pecans. (Trader Joe's sells them rather inexpensively. Best way to crush them is to place them in a zip-loc bag and let your children roll a rolling pin over them, or thwack them with a meat mallet or heavy spoon...)

Can be made 3-4 days in advance and stored in the fridge. To reheat, simply cover loosely with foil (so the top doesn't get too brown) and place in the oven you are using on Thanksgiving at some temp between 350-400, for 30-40 minutes or until warmed through.

our family's Thanksgiving feast-- side dish recipe round-up

Our feasts are plentiful each year, but not over the top. I read somewhere that it helps if you think of Thanksgiving as dinner with a few extra sides. Last year, I pared back on the sides and made a colorful, delicious spread that offered up enough variety, but was totally do-able-- particularly since most of the sides can be made in advance.

First, the turkey. Here's the scoop on the brine I make. It's a slight modification of The Pioneer Woman's brine, which is so, so good.

We dine in the late afternoon, so I served a super easy baked brie as an early afternoon appetizer, alongside Trader Joe's mini crabcakes and a veggie crudite, to munch on something light before we delved in.

Our late afternoon family feast included:

• my go-to Cranberry Sauce (make up to 4 days in advance)
• a simple mashed sweet potato side (make up to 4 days in advance)
• my doctored up stuffing (make up to 4 days in advance)
• creamy mashed potatoes (make up to 4 days in advance)
• cider-braised cabbage (with or without apples, make up to 4 days in advance)
• simple roasted brussel sprouts (make right before serving)
• pumpkin pot de cremes (make up to 4 days in advance)

I made all but one of the sides in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, so all I had to do on Thanksgiving was roast the turkey and brussel sprouts. This year's feast will probably be quite similar, though I plan to try my friend Janet's Winter Herb and Fennel Slaw in lieu of the braised cabbage and I'd like to try a pumpkin flan for dessert if I can get up the courage to make a flan. Hopefully having my go-to Thanksgiving side links in one post provides some inspiration when it comes to planning your family's Thanksgiving feast!

another homemade gift idea: pumpkin bread

Yesterday's post about the Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Cream Sauce inspired a bunch of emails from friends who said they liked the idea of making something for their teachers/friends/neighbors, but wanted a less time-consuming idea. Here's another good one: Jane's Pumpkin Bread. Depending upon when you want to deliver it, it freezes well. So, maybe it would be a perfect recipe to make together this weekend, before launching into your Thanksgiving recipes!

planning my peaceful pre-Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving: the food, the family, the crisp Fall day dedicated to nothing other than both. But somehow it snuck up this year, and I am finding myself feeling slightly overwhelmed by all I used to do in past years. Inspired by this post on Simple Mom (which, ironically, my dear friend Leslie forwarded me on... um, November 11th, and I didn't have a chance to read until this morning...), I have decided to pare back a bit this year. The good intentions are still there, but there's a need to be more practical this year. I will still cook the feast on Thanksgiving (despite our kitchen that is bordering on full collapse with now 1 or 2 working burners (depending upon the day), and a semi-functioning fridge and now single oven), but I am going to get organized this weekend and be realistic about what I can accomplish cooking-wise. And, I still want to continue our tradition of gifting dishes of Homemade Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Cream Sauce to the boys' teachers, but this year we are simplifying a bit.

Last year, we made pumpkin cannelloni for all of them. It started out simple enough. Some onions, shallots and garlic chopped in the Cuisinart...

...so many cans of organic pumpkin puree, marscapone, and bottles of sherry I lost count...

...Legos spread out all over the kitchen floor, the amazing smell of the pumpkin filling bubbling away on the (then fully functioning) range.

I'd thought nothing of a day trip to the Container Store, where I filled two shopping carts with glass containers,

excitedly filling them with this labor of love.

Our kitchen was transformed into a pumpkin cannelloni factory, of sorts.

A happily humming factory, where every surface was put to good use.

And at the end of the day, the fridge was filled with 28 dishes (yes, 28) of Pumpkin Cannelloni. The boys and I delivered each dish to one of their current or past teachers the next day, to be enjoyed with their families during the week of Thanksgiving. It was one of those times when 'tis way more fun to give than to receive. But this year, for a variety of reasons, I just can't swing this massive effort. It's been in the back on my mind, this guilt that we did something so special last year and we're not doing it again this year. But then I had to take a step back and think about how my children and I can still do this fabulous project together, but keep it manageable from a planning, time and cost perspective. It's not the majesty of last year, but I have to remind myself that it still means a very special, very well-deserved night "off" for each of my children's two current main teachers and their families.

recent rainbow plates to (hopefully) inspire you at dinnertime

TJ's "autumn mix" (parsnips, rutabagas and turnips-- see meals in a snap's facebook page for the simple recipe) + homemade turkey-pesto meatballs (the recipe my friend Cara shared with me is on the FB page too) + sauteed kale + ketchup (pick your battles...)

BLTs + cream of broccoli soup

shredded cheese (because it's way more fun than a slice) + quinoa-veggie salad + pistachios + Bell & Evans chicken tender

cherries + grapes + cucumbers + low sodium Tamari sauce + veggie dumplings

various cheeses + the last strawberries of the summer (clearly this photo was delayed in being posted) + bananas + a slice of hearty whole grain-nut-raisin bread

more lunchbox ideas

whole wheat mini bagel with Trader Joe's pumpkin cream cheese + cherry tomatoes + carrots + ants on a log (and "beetles on a log" - aka cranberries in lieu of raisins) + a juice box as a treat

ham & cheese + fruit salad + assorted crackers + cookies and a fruit leather as treats (must not have had enough coffee when I packed this one)

calgon take me away....even if it's just to Stamford

Hmmm, so on Tuesday two weeks ago, that was my bicycle resting at the top of a hill in Sicily...

....and that afternoon I'd gone to an agriturismo olive oil tasting, before hopping back on my bike and riding to a castle. What a difference two weeks makes!! I haven't had time to write a post about the trip, or the simple meals I've been whipping up back here, because I'm still playing nurse until both of my children are healthy again.

But, I have a special treat for my readers!

Whether you have the luxury to zip off to Italy for a much anticipated vacation, or just need a few hours this coming weekend to remember what it's like to be a carefree adult, I have 8 pairs of tickets to the Buick/FOOD & WINE magazine culinary event in Stamford, CT this weekend. If you would like the chance to go to this demonstration and tasting event, please leave a comment below telling me, hmmm... how about you tell me your favorite family vacation. (Since a vacation sounds really good right about now...even if there's not a chance of it happening. Still, a girl can plan ahead, and next time we'll bring the whole family on our getaway.)

OK, so here's the fine print about the give-away:

You have until 8pm (EST) Wednesday evening, November 9th, 2011 to leave a comment here on this post, or on the meals in a snap facebook page. I will use random.org to pick the winners, sometime after 8pm, when the kids are tucked in. You may enter a comment in both places, doubling your chances or receiving tickets. Winners must be 21 years of age, and present a driver's license, since there's a wine tasting component to the event. (This just keeps getting better, doesn't it?!)

Guests will have the opportunity to attend full cooking demonstrations and sample several dishes, while also getting a first-hand look at Buick’s 2012 line-up. Guests may attend the event one of five different time slots: Saturday, November 12 from 11:00am – 2:00pm; 2:30pm – 5:30pm; or 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Or, Sunday, November 13 from 12:00pm – 3:00pm or 3:30pm – 6:30pm.

Guests will experience the following discovery sessions:

Cooking Demonstration with FOOD & WINE Best New Chef 2007 Gavin Kaysen, Executive Chef at Café Boulud in New York City and James Beard “Rising Star Chef” award winner

Pastry Demonstration with Chef Ben Roche, Executive Pastry Chef of Moto in Chicago, Ill., and Co-Host of “Future Foods” on Discovery’s Planet Green Network

Buick Test Drives, featuring the new Regal Turbo, Lacrosse and Enclave

Wine Tasting with Michael Green

Cooking Demonstration and Sampling with Celebrity Chef Michael Psilakis, owner of several New York City restaurants, including Kefi and Fish Tag; Psilakis has competed on The Food Network's "Iron Chef America" and was named FOOD & WINE Best New Chef 2008 and Bon Appétit’s Chef of the Year 2008.

For every guest, Buick will make a donation to The FEED Foundation, in support of its efforts to create good products to help feed the world’s hungry, one bag at a time. "

If this sounds like a fun way to spend 3 hours with your spouse, partner, or friend this weekend then line up a sitter and go ahead and leave a comment letting me know your favorite family vacation. Remember, you can leave a comment here, or on the blog's facebook page, or both!

welcome home?

our (truly fabulous) 10-day gataway is a distant memory after coming home to several days without power...and then both kids tag-teaming with illness. the blog will continue to be quiet until we've got color back on all of our plates! hopefully soon...

cooking ahead

I have an action-packed week ahead, so this week I made a bunch of meals to stock in the freezer. Here are a few of the meals I made, that all freeze perfectly. These are good ones to whip up if you're in the mood to do some cooking ahead too:

My Favorite Beef Meatballs. The night I made them, we ate them simply as is, with a bunch of veggie sides. They are also great on top of spaghetti. I freeze them in heavy duty freezer bags, each one filled with enough for one dinner for the four of us.

Sun-Dried Tomato Beef Stew. I haven't had a chance to type this recipe up, but it is loosely based upon this recipe. I will type mine up and share it the week after next.

And of course, my go-to chicken enchiladas. Or, if you're a visual person you can watch the recipe in action here. The video's here.

Because there is nothing better than ending the day with a homemade dinner...that was already made.

lunchbox ideas

dried cranberries + homemade applesauce (but you can certainly use store bought if you didn't go apple picking and cook with apples for a week straight!) + cream cheese & jam sandwich + carrots and cucumbers + a Chobani Greek yogurt cup

cream cheese and jam on a mini whole wheat bagel + a banana that I thought I'd get all cute with (which he then wouldn't eat b/c he thought the ink was on the actual banana...oh well, so much for being all crafty) + Earth's Best Kidz Pear Raspberry granola bar as a treat + an organic yogurt cup + cut up fruit (leftover from when I made fruit skewers for class school snack that week)

Back-to-Nature Crispy Wheat crackers + lemonade as a treat + a carrot + provolone cheese cut into the shape of ghosts (I didn't give up on being cute apparently...but if you really want to see over the top ideas, check out this link that a friend sent me this week. whoa. crazy, hmm?!) + a slice of homemade apple pie (remember all of those apples?) + Greek yogurt cup

meatballs + Crispy Wheat crackers + chunks of mozzarella cheese + shredded carrots + roasted acorn squash (from dinner...I'm not whipping these things up in the morning, thank you very much) + a ClifKid Fruit Rope as a treat