Holidays with Home Ec 101

Countdown to Turkey Day 2009: November 10

Heather says: There’s no heavy lifting today, only some more planning. How are you serving your meal? Is it family style around the table or are you setting up a buffet where everyone helps themselves? Now it’s time to take a look at your menu and take an inventory of your serving dishes. Next to …

Countdown to Turkey Day 2009: November 8

Heather says: Let’s make sure everyone is on the same page. We’ve found the dining room table, made a guest list (and invited them, right?), we have a soft menu plan, and if you’ve never even roasted a chicken that’s on the to-do list, right? Also, if you’re anything like me, you may need to …

Apple, Cranberry, Sage Dressing

Heather says: Inside the bird, it’s called stuffing, outside it’s called dressing. Sometimes families or regions will call one the other. It doesn’t matter here. This recipe is for a savory Thanksgiving Apple, Cranberry, Sage Dressing that contains sweet apple, tangy dried cranberry, and crunchy almonds. The original recipe called for sausage, but I use sausage …

Countdown to Turkey Day 2009: The Soft Menu Plan

Heather says: Yay! Another pen and paper exercise or maybe if you’re wired weird and serving a bunch of people it’ll be a Google spreadsheet. I’m still being teased for that, if you must know. Today’s exercise is not the final menu. This one has three versions, your ideal Thanksgiving dinner, the one that would …

Countdown to Turkey Day 2009: Nov 3

Heather says: Thanksgiving will be here in just over three weeks. If you have company coming, now is not the time to launch any big home improvement type projects. I’m not talking about necessary repair, if you have a hole in your roof, by all means get it fixed. If you’ve never played host over …

Countdown to Turkey Day November 2, 2009

Heather says: Today there are two things to do. First, if you’re hosting it’s time to decide: who, when, and where. Even if you have family obligations on Thanksgiving itself, many people would enjoy a gathering on the following Saturday or Sunday. Sit down with pen and paper and decide where and what time dinner …

Countdown to Turkey Day 2009

Heather says: Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. I’m a firm believer that all have two families, those we are born to and those we create and this is a time to celebrate with both. This year, I’ll be posting: recipes, shopping lists, a break down of how to get things done in a …

Sweets for the Season 2008: Simple Chocolate Drops

Heather says: Home improvement was the name of the game today at my house. Today we’re dipping into the archives. Drop cookies refer to the method they are placed on the cookie sheet. Some are rolled into balls, other pressed into circles, still others are rolled out and cut into shapes. These are scooped and …

Sweets for the Season 2008: November 28

Heather says:

Last year from Thanksgiving to Christmas we posted a cookie recipe each day. This year we’re calling it Sweets for the Season and will be including some favorites from last year and new goodies such as fudge and candy. Stock your pantry with baking supplies and get ready to dive in. These recipes will be geared for the novice baker and candy maker with clear directions.

We’re starting with a classic chocolate chp.

These chocolate chip cookies call for real butter, a splash of milk, and extra vanilla. For variety consider adding chopped walnuts or M&Ms.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks butter) melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 TBSP vanilla
2 TBSP milk
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions are after the jump.

Happy Thanksgiving From Home Ec 101

Ivy says: Well, it’s the big day! I hope we’ve helped you prepare for it. I hope you all have a wonderful day, whether you’re cooking for a houseful of people or you’re enjoying the day with just your immediate family. And if you’re not an American, happy Thursday! Heather and I are thankful today …