Thanksgiving Punch

Thanksgiving Punch
Courtesy of: MyRecipes.com

Stir 1/2 cup peeled, chopped fresh ginger, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool and strain. Mix syrup with 4 cups pomegranate juice (I used cranberry pomegranate juice), 4 cups pineapple juice and 6 cups ginger ale. Serve over ice.

Serves 8.Pin It Now!

Honey Lemon Chicken

Honey Lemon Chicken
Courtesy of My Recipes.com

4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breast half between two sheets of wax paper. Pound the meat until evenly flattened. Repeat on all remaining chicken breasts.

Melt butter with honey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until melted and blended. (I did mine in the microwave.)

Arrange chicken in a baking dish large enough to hold all chicken in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Pour warmed honey mixture over chicken and place lemon slices on top.

Cover baking dish loosely with foil and bake until chicken is opaque and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

Spoon juices from bottom of baking dish over chicken and lemon several times. Sprinkle chicken with rosemary.Pin It Now!

Rainbow Cake

Rainbow Cake

Courtesy of Mckmama's blog and Tasty Kitchen

2 boxes white cake mix (I used butter cake mixes)

Food Coloring (I used the liquid, but next time I'll get the gel colors)

Frosting:

4 packages (8 oz) cream cheese

1 cup butter

5-6 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix one box of the cake mix according to the package instructions. Separate the batter into three even bowls - I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to separate evenly and ended up with about 1 1/2 cup of batter per layer.

Mix each bowl with the food coloring for the desired layer - making purple, blue and green first. Bake the cakes in round pans according to the package instructions, but make sure you check them about 10-15 minutes before it is supposed to be finished baking. With less mix in each pan, they cook faster.

Repeat for the remaining colors - yellow, orange, and red. You will have 6 layers of different colors.

(I used store bought frosting for this first time... but next time I will attempt to make this frosting instead)

For the frosting, mix together softened (room temperature) butter and softened (room temperature) cream cheese until well combined. Add vanilla. Combine. Slowly add in powdered sugar.

After the 5th cup of powdered sugar, taste the frosting and see if you like it sweeter. Use 5 if you like it less sweet or 6 if it isn't sweet enough.

To assemble the cake:

Try to level each layer of the cake with a large bread knife. For the rainbow cake especially, if all the layers are level, they they will evenly display when you cut into it. (I didn't do this, and no one gasped that the layers weren't even - if they even noticed.)

Start with the purple layer first. Put the purple layer on your cake stand or plate. Add enough frosting to cover the layer and some to spill over the edges, anywhere from 1/2 to one cup of frosting. Run the flat, straight side of the knife around the cake to smooth out the edges.

Add blue layer of the cake. Put frosting in the middle, start spreading out frosting with the flat, straight side of the knife so that it coversthe cake and falls out over the edges. Then run your knife around the outside edge of the cake to smooth out the sides.

Put the cake into the fridge for at least 2 hours (I only did about an hour) or freeze for 1 hour.

Repeat with the green layer, then the yellow layer.

Put the cake into the fridge for at least 2 hours or freeze for one hour. (Again - only an hour)

Repeat with the orange layer, and then the red.

Cover cake with frosting and run the flat, straight edge of a knife around the edges to smooth out the frosting.

It is important to freeze or refridgerate the cake between layers for a couple of reasons. The cake can get really heavy by the time you add the 4th, 5th, and 6th layers, but if it is somewhat frozen at this point, it will not get smooshed, or crushed. Also, it is much easier to frost the cake when it is solid, or not wobbling.

Once you have finished frosting the cake, add any decorations or words that fit your occasion.

I served this at our church family game night - and it was a BIG hit with the kids!

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Chicken Marsala Pasta Toss

Chicken Marsala Pasta Toss
Courtesy of Lauren's Kitchen

Half a box of rotini
2 tsps olive oil
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut into cubes
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. flour
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry marsala wine

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet, cook green onions and mushrooms until tender, about five minutes. Season with a pinch of salt. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to skillet and add chicken. Season with salt and pepper, stirring until just warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Note: John thinks that this would be good with some olives added to the dish... and I think that some sauteed spinach would be really good too.
Melt butter in skillet and add flour, stirring to form a roux. Cook for one minute. Slowly add chicken broth and wine, stirring constantly. Simmer sauce until bubbly and thickened. Add chicken and veggies to the sauce and heat through. Add sauce mixture to pasta and toss to combine. Garnish with additional green onion strips, if desired.

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Cinnamon Pecan Bundt Rolls

Clearly we enjoyed most of this before the picture was taken... it was THAT good!

Cinnamon Pecan Bundt Rolls

Courtesy of the Cypress Family Fellowship Recipe Party 2009

2 cans of big flaky biscuts

1 cup of pecan chips

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

1 stick of butter, melted

1 package of cream cheese

Take the biscuts and cut them in half. Put a piece of cream cheese in half of each biscut peice and fold it over and pinch the seams closed. Mix sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and raisins. Dip the biscut pieces in the melted butter, then dip into the sugar mixture, and place in a greased bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until all the bread is cooked.

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Fennel Seed Turkey Muffin & Fat Free Tzatziki Sauce

Fennel Seed Turkey Muffins & Fat Free Tzatziki Sauce
Courtesy of the Cypress Family Fellowship Recipe Party 2009

Fennel Seed Turkey Muffins

2 pounds extra lean ground turkey
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Greek seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Preheat oven to 350. Stir all ingredients together. Weigh 2 ounces of mixture per muffin cup - you will want a mini muffin tin for this recipe. Cook in oven for 20 minutes. This should yield 15-16 muffins.

Fat Free Tzatziki Sauce

16 ounces fat free Greek yogurt (plain)
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped dill
3 garlic cloves

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients until well combined. Refridgerate for at least one hour for the best flavor.Pin It Now!

Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf

Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf
Courtesy of the Cypress Family Fellowship Recipe Party 2009

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 pound mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, drained
1 1/4 pounds extra lean ground turkey
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, plus extra for dipping

This healthy alternative to the typical meatloaf adds white beans for a delicious high-fiber twist. Serve extra Dijon mustard on the side for extra flavor.

Chop onions and mushrooms, and set aside. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook; stiring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and mushrooms are incorporated, about 5 minutes longer. Add beans and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cooled bean mixture, turkey, eggs, parsley, and 2 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce. Mix well with wet hands or the dough hook of a stand mixer to combine. Form into a loaf and place into the prepared pan. Stir together mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce and set aside.

Bake meatloaf on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the mustard and Worcestershire sauce mixture. Return to the oven and continue baking 10-15 minutes longer, or until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the meatloaf registers 170 degrees. Let meatloaf stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with additional Dijon mustard on the side.

This would be great with a salad, and maybe some sauteed spinach.Pin It Now!