SWEET POTATO HASH with TOMATO RELISH
We like our hash, eggs and tomato relish served with a little Sriracha, a side of grilled sausages, and toast. All in all a very nice brunch fare.
CHOCOLATE CHIP SEA SALT COOKIES
This chocolate chip cookies recipe has become a new favorite at the Jensen house. I try to keep some dough in the freezer so that I can make small batches of fresh cookies when needed which came in pretty handy this weekend.
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The recipe for the egg dish is a staple for many family brunches. It’s always fun to find new recipes, but some of the older ones seem to be the ones we count on having regularly. I promise, you will be making this one often.
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This is the easiest and tastiest little cookie treat. I make it every holiday and often many times during the holiday. The ingredients are few and simple and I always seem to have them on hand, so I can make it without a trip to the grocery store and at the spur of the moment. I think you’re going to love having this recipe treat in your recipe box.
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This cookie recipe is the best. It is not overly sweet but great with coffee and of course a tall glass of cold milk.
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Tip for a stress-free holiday… Make the Roasted Turkey Breast ahead of time, slice and pour drippings over the turkey and cover tightly. Reheat when the guests arrive in a 350° oven for 20 minutes.
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It’s perfectly fine to substitute frozen mashed potatoes in this recipe. Your guests won’t be able to tell the difference. Cook according to the package and add additional ingredients as noted.
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Dressed Up Dressing… My family likes the Basic Dressing recipe for our Thanksgiving meal. But, if your family is a little more adventurous you can add dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots or chopped mushroom, as pictured, for the Dressed Up Dressing version.
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Although this recipe can be assembled ahead of time, baking vegetables are best done just before serving the Thanksgiving dinner. Both the Corn Pudding and the Broccoli with Walnuts bakes at 400°, you can bake in the oven at the same time.
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This is a family favorite side dish served at holiday gatherings, a true tradition passed on from my childhood.
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This recipe can easily be doubled. Use a glass bowl to show off the layers and make this easy dessert look special. This dessert always gets rave reviews. Serve in martini glasses for extra flair.
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My families favorite treat this time of year! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is one of those desserts you can always count on being a hit with the crowd you are serving. Making this apple crisp is the result of needing to make something from all the apples we picked from the tree at the cabin. (See earlier post Apple(s) of My Eye). Somehow, served warm seems best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a simple recipe with few ingredients and oh so good.
Delicious and easy Apple Pie Bites are a Fall favorite your guests will love!
Find how-to pics on TheBlondCook.com.
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PICK-UP PERFECT GRILL PACKET RECIPES
Nestling veggies, meat and/or fish in a tin foil grill packet is a great way to serve a hearty and flavor-filled side or main dish. The recipe includes the items for one packet, but obviously more or less would work, depending on appetites of your guests. These packets are great for entertaining… you can fully assemble them ahead of time, load them up in a cooler with an ice base, and be ready to grill. Served with cold salads, this makes an easy cookout for a crowd. I don’t know about you, but we seem to have a fair amount of stress when trying to please the variation in cooking temps from rare to well-done. You also don’t need to tend much to the packets while on the grill – another bonus while entertaining. It’s fun to be a host with this much flavor all wrapped up and easy to prepare and serve.
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We called these cereal treats Scotcharoos when my kids were little, they’re still a favorite. Now I put the mixture in 9 x 9 inch pan for really thick bars. But for special treats making “pops” was really fun.
I brought these out to the cabin, and guess who loved them the most? 
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This is a flavorful salsa that is a crowd pleaser. It’s a great dip for tortilla chips and a tasty sauce on eggs. I got the recipe years ago from Jean Lepper (some of you Thimbleberries fans will recognize that name…remember…Main Street Cotton Shop?) We are just hitting the peak of tomato season here in MN so now is the time to make pints and pints of salsa and hope enough gets preserved to last the winter. There are occasions where my son and husband wipe out a whole jar in one sitting. Can’t say that I blame them…it is very tasty. This recipe is in the book, Block Party, which is packed full of quilt projects and many favorite recipes. It is available at Landauerpub.com.
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August 2, 2015
Cooking and entertaining has been a big part of my life. My mother was a great cook and having good food in the house has always been important. I love good looking cookbooks, sharing recipes with friends and watching my fare share of favorite Food Network and PBS cooking shows. I guess my college Home Economics background is also part of the equation. My favorite part is creating some new dishes or at least new ways of serving old favorites…and, sometimes I don’t and then we head out to a favorite restaurant. Even then, I pick up more ideas.
Because I worked full time for so many years, developing ways to streamline recipes and meal prep was a must in order to put together some good meals and treats with ease. Whether I am entertaining friends or family, I want to be able to participate and not fret, worry, or be in the kitchen the entire time. I always tried to “put on a spread” that worked into my time constraints.
At my recent visit to the Farmer’s Market, I picked up some beets, summer squash, onions, green beans, Napa cabbage, cucumbers and mixed greens. All will be used sometime this weekend because I know a fresh harvest will be ready on Wednesday.
I decided to make some meatballs with a Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce and serve it over sautéed summer squash instead of pasta. Use your favorite meatball recipe and this recipe for the sauce. It was a hit and luckily, there was enough leftover for another meal this coming week. We love leftovers…it’s like someone dropped off a meal for us.
Heirloom tomatoes photo courtesy of Aimee Haag, Rebel Soil.
Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce recipe from SpicySouthernKitchen.com.
