• dreams are made of this new pumpkin love…

    Obviously pumpkin is on everyone’s brain this week…and my brain is defiantly no exception.  Really to be honest pumpkin is all I can think about…I just love pumpkin everything.  Now the traditional pumpkin desserts are perfect for your Thanksgiving table but this year I wanted to change things up a bit and create a lighter dessert but with all the best it had to offer.  The first layer is a delicious graham cracker crust, it is buttery and a little crunchy.  Next there is a cheesecake layer that is light with the added whipped cream but still very rich.  Next comes the pumpkin layer that is a wonderful pudding like layer loaded…

  • a little something sweet for (almost) everyone

    A sweet potato casserole is a MUST HAVE on all of our Holiday tables.  There is just something so wonderful about the rich, creamy and fluffy casserole that makes the Holiday’s something super special.   In the past most of our casseroles have just had a brown sugar crumb topping because some of my family likes marshmallows and some like pecans and some like both and even a few that don’t like any so it was just easier to keep it minimal…well this year I decided to try and make (almost) everyone happy.  I made a traditional sweet potato casserole loaded with brown sugar, butter, half & half and then topped with…

  • a little punkin butter fun

    OK it is no secret that I LOVE pumpkin anything and everything…I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pasta, but I especially LOVE pumpkin butter.   My obsession with pumpkin butter started several years ago on a quick trip to Williams Sonoma to pick-up some kitchen towels (they are he only towels I use) and I was asked to try their pumpkin butter.  I, of course, agreed immediately and gobbled up (yes it was like a gobble…it was pumpkin people) and I was instantly in love.  It was so pumpkiny (that is is a word in my world) with a perfect hint of spice and then the bite…

  • Dessert made easy (as pecan pie)

    ** Making pie can be so intimidating but with these bars are the best of a favorite pie without all the pie crust and intimation factor…love desserts like this!! Growing up my sweet MeeMaw made the best pecan pie.  The crust was flaky and buttery while the filling was sweet and gooey…the only problem was I could not stand the pecans.  Being the best MeeMaw in the world she started making us kids a pecan pie without the pecans each time she would make a normal pecan pie.  It was so good and so perfect without those pesky pecans messing everything up.  Well as I grew up I started to…

  • green beans all bundled up

    ***If your looking to make your Holiday Green Beans something to remember then these bundles are a MUST MAKE!  I have updated the recipe to reflect a slight change I made the last time I made them…the addition of Worcestershire sauce adds a richness to this already wonderful side (updated November 2015) Several years a go we had a pre-Thanksgiving lunch at work and a coworker brought the most amazing green beans.  They were these cute little bundles wrapped in bacon, and I just couldn’t stop eating them.  That year I decided I would make them for our family Thanksgiving and ever since then they have been a staple at…

  • Turkey Time folks!!!

     *** This is one of my most favorite ways to cook turkey…it comes out super juicy with tons of flavor and the gravy is AMAZING!!  I have made a few slight updates to this tried and true recipe. (updated November 2015) With less than a week until Turkey Day, it is finally time to Talk Turkey.  One of the biggest challenges with big Holiday meals is the fact I only have 1 oven, as do so many people, but as you probably know it can make it hard to manage all the dishes at the same time and have everything ready and hot all at once…that is until now.  Roasted turkey…