I Promised

So, here it is. What I decided to do with the leftover turkey was make a potpie. This potpie was a little different from the way I normally make it. Usually, I use biscuits, crescent rolls, or puff pastry on top as well as frozen veggies. I decided I didn't want that. I wanted something that said that this are some tasty Thanksgiving leftovers. What to do, what to do, what to do?



Here's my basic recipe:

2-3 cups of diced/chopped/shredded chicken or turkey


2 cans cream of (chicken, mushroom, celery, whichever one you like)

1 pkg. frozen mixed veggies (again, I'm not pick about which one I'm getting)

1 potato diced into half inch pieces (parcook the potato, I learned that the hard way)

1 half med. onion diced similarly to the potato

1 can chicken broth (using the cream of soup can), milk or white wine

salt, pepper and whatever spices you like (sage, thyme and dill are my faves)

1 can of biscuits, crescent rolls or one sheet of puff pastry

Mix first seven ingredients together in a stockpot on medium. Bring to a boil (I'm using the term loosely here). You want everything in the pot to get to know each other. Takes about fifteen minutes or long enough to finish cooking the potato. Once done, spread everything in a 9x13" baking dish and top with crust of your choice. You'll bake until biscuits etc. are golden, brown and delicious.

I happened to top my last pot pie with prepared stuffing. It was so good. There are lots of things you can do with that leftover turkey. This is one of my faves. Share yours. You can never have too many turkey recipes.

What to Do With the Leftovers

I guess it really depends on what you have leftover. Also, you should take into consideration whether or not you really like what's been left for the bottom feeders. No offense meant to any bottom feeders reading this post. Let's say you had a 20 pound ham and you've got fifteen pounds of it left. What are you going to do? I mean really, how many ham sandwiches can you eat without putting your blood pressure at risk or your sweet swelling to Fred Flinstone proportions?

Cooked ham freezes really well. I'd cube some to make a nice potato and cheddar soup. Diced ham is a great addition to macaroni and cheese. Turns a wonderful side dish into a hearty one pan meal. If you have a sturdy KitchenAid mixer with the grinder attachment, send some ham through for a fine textured ham salad.

I chose option two for my ham leftovers. I added some diced ham to this mac&cheese recipe from RecipeZaar.com. I needed to add a little milk to it as it was really stiff after the addition of the ham. I also topped mine with buttered breadcrumbs and bacon bits. It got rave reviews and every bit of it was gone in two days.

Tell me what you do with your holiday leftovers. Stay tuned and I'll tell you what I'm going to do with the rest of the turkey.

Thanksgiving

I'll try not to be as flip as I normally am. In these economic times, one thing that this home cook/baker is thankful for is a kitchen to cook in and food to prepare. So many will barely have those things. I am thankful that my loved ones are in good health and that we will spend time around the table and a shared meal. Take a moment this week to look at your life and see what you are thankful for.

My Addictions: Crate & Barrel

Are there stores that you purposely avoid? Do you resist the magnetic pull of the window display only to be hooked on the siren song of the cash register ringing sale, sale, sale? Well, I was at Montgomery Mall on Sunday. I went for a meeting and should have left after it, but I'd never been in this place before. I was curious.

I walk cautiously out of Nordstrom. Not knowing what to expect. There's no Lane Bryant or Avenue so I feel reasonably safe. You can tell when the holidays are approaching when the See's candy booths start arriving. I bought a few butterscotch lollipops. Okay, 2 bucks. I'm fine. Then I see it.

That's right, Crate and Barrel. I start talking to myself. I should just turn around and high tail it out of the mall. Wait, it can't hurt to look. I could do a post on what's available for the holidays. I step closer. They have a great lighting system. It's sort of like a spotlight in certain area, dimmer in others. I am in and I get a buzz. That should have been my warning to leave. I ignore it. I can handle this. It's just a store. There's no gun to my head. I'm filled with shame as I practically start sallivating at the sight of all the shiny rows and bins filled with cookie cutters so tiny and cute as well as gadgets of all kinds. I do a circuit avoiding the things I know for certain I cannot afford. I'm almost out the door when I see them. Glasses for 95 cents each. I am almost out the front door when they start calling me. Damn, I could feel the hook dragging me back into its recesses. It felt like an out of body experience as I heard myself ask for a potato ricer (needed one, was on sale) and the glasses. With my purchases promptly paid for, I beat a hasty retreat from the mall. I didn't want to repeat that same madness in another store.

Have you ever had an out of body shopping experience? Are there stores that you absolutely love that cause you to lose all control? BTW, my little trip only cost $28 and the items will be used regularly. Tell me about your additions. You know what they say, "Confession is good for the soul".

A Free Event

Tomorrow evening from 6-8 PM, many Whole Foods in the area will be setting up tasting stations in their stores. People will be able to sample their Thanksgiving menu. The offerings include free range turkey and pumpking pie.

Favorite Days

My favorite day of the year happens to be my birthday. What's not to love? Generally, there's cake and a meal at somewhere I love. This year, we celebrated early and out of town. Had dinner at a nice Japanese steakhouse in Richmond. And birthday cake with family in my hometown.

Halloween is also a big day for me. I love seeing little kids (some adults) dressed in their costumes parading around for everyone to see. Okay, the real reason I like it is because there's a lot more candy available at a great price esp. Nov. 1st. There's a sense of nostalgia around the day as well. I'm able to find childhood treats that stores don't regularly sell. And if they do sell them, they make them difficult to find. I love Peanut Butter Kisses, Mary Janes and Chick-O-Sticks. This is funny b/c I hate Butter Fingers. I really don't like those or Baby Ruths. Then there's the Kraft Caramels. You can find them all year round, but you'll pay a premium. Then there's my favorite, candy corn. You either love it or hate it. I LOVE IT!!

What are you putting out for the little ghouls this Halloween? I'm making little bags of candy filled with the bounty I bought yesterday at CVS: Twizzlers, Starburst, Hershey bars, Milky Ways, Reese's cups, etc. What are your favorite candies? And your favorite days?

I Did A Bad Thing

I had McDonald's for lunch. MJ calls it the Evil Clown. He's right. There's no nutritional value in one of those value meals. Yes, I had a #1, no lettuce, extra sauce, please w/a Dr. Pepper. I have no idea what I was thinking. But how was I going to follow up yesterday's feast at Aroma? Or the steak dinner I'd prepared. Okay, so maybe I do have an idea. I was caught up in the Monopoly hype. DAMN THEM!!! I fell into the online trap, too. It was fun.



Okay, I can see you're not buying it. Yes, I went to McDonald's because I wanted to. Are you happy now? I mean maybe it's that catchy little song. You know the one. Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. First, who are they fooling? That can't possibly be real beef. Maybe they use real beef flavoring., but I'm not sure if it's real meat. I don't want to know what's in the special sauce. And if you know, please don't tell me. I'm no fan of the lettuce. Shredded lettuce is for tacos. It doesn't belong on a hamburger. I know what you're thinking. If there's all of that wrong with it, why does she eat it? It must be nostalgia.

We'll just leave that there for a second. What's an oldie, but not so goodie for you these days? Could it be a Frosty from Wendy's? What food would you like to see come back? Maybe Burger Chef or Shakey's Pizza? Let me know and we'll talk about it.