Foodie Fridays: Carrots au Gratin

If you are looking for a new way to serve carrots, why not try Carrots au Gratin?  This creamy and delicious casserole is easy to put together, especially if you buy pre-sliced carrots, and is even hearty enough to serve as a light meal rather than a side dish.  If you want to add more flavors, try some nutmeg, ginger, tarragon, or any other favorite seasoning for carrots.  This dish is so similar to macaroni and cheese it could just become your new comfort food!

Carrots au Gratin

4 1/2 C. sliced carrots
3 T. butter
2/3 C. panko bread crumbs
1/2 C. diced onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
3 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 1/2 C. milk
2/3 C. shredded cheese (I use a packaged shredded cheddar-mozzarella blend)

Lightly greased a 9x13-inch baking dish.  Put the carrots in a steamer basket over one inch of boiling water.  Cover and steam for 10 minutes until soft but not mushy.  Melt one T. of the butter and combine with the panko.  Melt the remaining 2 T. butter in a Dutch oven (or other large pot) over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the flour, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to prevent browning.  Gradually add the milk, 1/2 C. at a time, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.  Cook until thickened.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.  Remove from the heat and stir in the carrots.  Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and top evenly with the panko.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until the topping is lightly browned.  Serves 8.

Note: The original recipe calls for 2/3 C. crushed buttery crackers (such as Ritz) but I prefer the panko.

*I used one bag (1 lb.) Publix Dip Chip Carrots slices.

This 'n That Thursdays: Thanksgiving Movies

Julianna Margulies and Kyra Sedgwick in "What's Cooking?" (2000)
(from Examiner.com).

I may be in the minority, but I have absolutely no interest in watching football on Thanksgiving Day (or any other day for that matter).  After the cooking and the eating are done, I prefer to watch a good movie instead, one with at least a hint of a Thanksgiving theme and definitely a film with a feel-good ending (I am rarely a fan of depressing movies).  Here are a few of my personal favorites:

From Future Shop

1) "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947)

Watching this classic movie for the holidays has been a long-standing tradition of mine.  While it is really more of a Christmas movie, the opening sequence features the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, followed by a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the characters portrayed by Maureen O'Hara (one of my favorite actors), John Payne, and a very young Natalie Wood.  The humorous and heart-warming story just keeps getting better, and who could resist Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle?  I have been watching this movie since I was a child (which was a very long time ago) and I continue to watch it every year.

From MRQE

2) "What's Cooking?" (2000)

Four families in an ethnically diverse neighborhood of Los Angeles celebrate Thanksgiving in their own unique ways, full of good food and a roller-coaster ride of emotions and interpersonal interactions that seem to be inevitable at any large family gathering.  I somehow missed this movie when it was first released, but when I discovered it on video and saw it for the first time, it immediately became my absolute favorite Thanksgiving movie.  The excellent ensemble cast includes Maury Chaykin, Joan Chen, Dennis Haysbert, Lainie Kazan, Mercedes Ruehl, and Alfre Woodard.  If you have not yet seen this movie, I urge you to find it and watch it -- you just may see your own family in one of the four in this movie (or be thankful that you do not!).

From BlogHer

3) "Addams Family Values" (1993)

If I am in a darkly humorous mood, this is my movie of choice for Thanksgiving.  Most of the movie is not about the holiday, but one of the most hilarious scenes is the one in which Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) bring their own sinister twist to the story of the first Thanksgiving in a play organized by their annoyingly overzealous summer camp leaders (Peter MacNicol and Christine Baranski).  In fact, the whole summer camp subplot is so funny it almost overshadows the main plot of Uncle Fester's disastrous marriage and its effect on the delightfully dysfunctional family.  This sequel to "The Addams Family" (1991) retains most of the original cast, including Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, and Christopher Lloyd (Carol Kane replaces Judith Malina as Granny Addams).

Whether you decide to watch football or a favorite movie, or just have an old-fashioned argument conversation with your nearest and dearest, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Pugsley as the Thanksgiving turkey (from Paste)

             

Wish List Wednesdays: White Owl & Company

While wandering aimlessly about the Internet one day, I came across a delightful shopping site called White Owl & Company, which describes itself as "Classic American Style - Luxury Home Decor".  The items offered are casual and rustic but elegant, and would work with a wide variety of styles (the "Home Collections" category lists eleven different options).  Here are just a few animal-themed objects that I find irresistible:

Pewter Dog Drawer Pulls ($11.99 each)

Pig Soup Tureen with Ladle ($69.99)

Set of 4 Forest Animals Stoneware Mugs ($39.99 for one set)

Ceramic Owl Cookie Jar ($32.99)

Christmas is fast approaching, and White Owl & Company would be a great place to shop for the perfect holiday gift!
             

Foodie Fridays: Baked Greek Chicken

Like a lot of people, I am always looking for new ways to prepare chicken.  The recipes I seek tend to be quick and simple, but most importantly the end result must be moist and full of flavor.  Baked Greek Chicken fulfills all of these requirements.  I could not believe how incredibly juicy the chicken was, even as leftovers reheated the next day, and I will certainly be making this recipe frequently!

Baked Greek Chicken

2 T. olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 C. Greek yogurt (I used FAGE 0% plain Greek yogurt)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. Greek seasoning*

Place the olive oil in a glass baking pan.  Add the chicken breasts, turning to coat in the oil.  Combine the remaining ingredients and spoon over the chicken, covering completely.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink in the center (turn the pan about halfway through cooking for even heating).  Serves 3-4.

*The original recipe calls for 3 T. of a homemade Greek seasoning (find the recipe here).  I had a can of store-bought Greek seasoning in my pantry, so I used that.  Unlike the original seasoning, mine was mostly salt, so I used half the amount, but it was still way too salty.  I scraped off the yogurt sauce and discarded it to decrease the level of saltiness, which solved the problem, but next time I will try using just one teaspoonful of my seasoning, or make the original recipe's seasoning blend instead.
             

This 'n That Thursdays: Thanksgiving Table Centerpieces

From Sweet Something Designs

I rarely put elaborate centerpieces on my dining table, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate and enjoy the efforts of others.  Here are some images of creative and beautiful Thanksgiving table centerpieces that I would love to attempt if I weren't just too darned lazy to go to the trouble!

From Trends Photo 2014

From By Stephanie Lynn

From Apples & Onions

From Home Design Extra Ideas

From Living for Pretty

From DGR Interior Designs

From Guru Koala

From Life. Style. Design.

From Shelterness

From Shelterness

Hopefully these inspiring photos will force me to overcome my aversion to effort and come up with a lovely centerpiece of my own for Thanksgiving!

                

Wish List Wednesdays: Painted Deer Pillow Cover

As we rapidly approach the holidays, my thoughts turn to decorating the house to fit the season.  The problem is that décor for Thanksgiving does not necessarily fit a Christmas theme.  The Painted Deer Pillow Cover ($39.50) from Pottery Barn is one item that does work for both holidays.  The colors are appropriate for an autumn celebration, while the reindeer is of course perfect for wintry festivities.  I think I need a couple of these 20-inch cotton covers for my living room pillows!

I'm pretty sure this lovely fellow must be the model for the
pillow cover's image!
(from Aachen and Maastricht)

             

Foodie Fridays: Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Soup

This week I have another soup recipe to share.  Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Soup is a wonderful comfort food on a chilly day, as well as an extra tasty way to get your vegetables.  Quick and easy preparation is an added bonus, so there is really no reason not to try this great recipe!

Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Soup

1-2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 C. diced butternut squash
3 C. cauliflower florets
4 C. vegetable stock
salt to taste (1/2 tsp. in the original recipe)

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.  Sauté the onion in the oil until translucent.  Add the squash, cauliflower, and stock and cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes (cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar about halfway through cooking time if the vegetables are not softening quickly enough).  Add salt to taste and purée the soup (I used an immersion blender).  Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, roasted pumpkin seeds, and/or sour cream or yogurt.  Serves 6.

Note: I used one 10-oz. bag of frozen diced butternut squash and one 10-oz. bag of prepackaged fresh cauliflower florets.  I also used Greek seasoning instead of salt, because I was using it in another recipe and it is mostly salt anyway.