Baked Spinach

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If you need an extra side dish for Thanksgiving, this would make a nice addition to any dinner table.  We really like creamed spinach and this is a much lighter version.  But because you're missing the "cream" you get a lot more spinach flavor.  My husband loved it but it was a bit overwhelming for me. The recipe calls for 3 pounds of spinach.  I had one clam shell of organic baby spinach, which is only 1 pound. I thought for sure that was enough. It isn't.  The spinach cooks way, way down. I did notice that Costco sells conventional spinach in 3 pound bags. Baked Spinach Print Recipe type: Side Dish Author: Annie's Eats via Smitten Kitchen Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 50 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients 3 lbs fresh spinach 3 1/2 Tablespoons butter, divided Salt and pepper 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour 1 cup milk, broth, or cream cup grated cheese, divided (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago,etc) 2 Tablespoons … [Read more...]

Preparing for Thanksgiving: Three Steps To Make Your Holiday Easier

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Is it just me or is half the population born in November? Seriously. Our family has FIVE birthdays between November 14th and December 4th! So not only do I have Thanksgiving to prepare for but I also have two children's birthdays to celebrate.  It can get stressful. I'm a planner by nature. I do not procrastinate and I do not do well under pressure.  I was the gal who had her paper written a week before it was due.  So planning ahead for Thanksgiving week is absolutely essential to my sanity! A few weeks ago I sat down with my mom and sister to plan Thanksgiving. I'm VERY lucky to have them nearby to share cooking duties. We have a gigantic feast simply because it's easy to do when you divide and conquer. But it gets even easier when you plan and prepare ahead. 1. Make A Menu: The first step is to make a menu NOW.  If you are cooking it all yourself, keep it simple! Pick out a main dish and few favorite sides and save the rest for Christmas and New Years. My menu this year … [Read more...]

Thanksgiving Craft: Turkey Toes

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These would be so cute on your Thanksgiving table.  I saw them on Pinterest for sale from some catalog company for way too much money so I made my own.  I could not find a "normal" sized canning jar so I opted for the larger 2 quart jar and apparently people around here opted to snack away!   You could also put these in clear bags, staple, tape, or tie the Turkey Toes label on them and hand them out as favors or gifts for your neighbors. I put together a PDF of the little graphic I used to make these. There are four circles to a sheet.  If you'd like to print one out, simply subscribe to this blog via email or RSS feed (you can do both or either via the links on the top right of the blog). The link to the printable will be at the bottom of the email or feed! It's my little way of saying thank you for reading and subscribing! … [Read more...]