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Teacher Appreciation Day - Apple Napkin Rings

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Apple Napkin Rings

I love Teacher Appreciation Week. I love it because it honors the most important people in the world, the people who teach our children. Teachers are underpaid, and have to put up with increasingly larger class sizes. These dedicated men and women well deserve our appreciation. Last year, 2012, when Spane was in third grade, the PTA had a special luncheon in the newly created Teachers' Garden, and I made a Lemon Wafer Cake that everyone thought was art, and not edible. The year before that, 2011, I made Star Party Sandwiches, because Spane had written about them in a second grade paper and his teacher really wanted to taste them. When Spane was in first grade, in 2010, I made Quick Meatless Enchiladas. I don't think I knew about Teacher Appreciation Week when Spane was in Kinder, but if I did, I probably made something then, too.

Originally, I was going to make napkin rings for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, but then realized it is not a sit down type of affair, it's a buffet featuring dishes prepared by parents (and they are ALL good cooks). So, I decided to make them just for his teacher. Part of appreciation week involves the kids bringing their teacher a present of some sort - Spane said that his teacher only wanted a card, and then when I presented him with these, he was happy.

These are very, very simple to make. You can probably find the apples in a craft store, although you might have a take them out of something else. The ones I found were loose and had been on some kind of spray. I was only charged one dollar for them - your mileage may vary.

Pasta Carbonara with Brocolli with Garlic Cheese Rolls for 40

Again, just as on the 1st of the New Year, when I made Ascencia Salad, there was no guest chef, and The Good Plate again came to the rescue. When I looked for what was on hand, there was still a lot of pasta in the pantry, so I made my list to make Pasta Carbonara. I wanted everyone to have a well balanced meal, so the green choice was brocolli instead of salad.

Luckily, there were two large bags of French rolls, perfect for my Garlic Cheese Rolls. We also had a wonderful salad of peas, pepper jack and celery made by guest chef Jerome. A good and healthy time was had by all.

Ascencia Salad - Tuna, Broccoli and Bean Salad

You never know what life is going to give you, and tonight, the very first night of the New Year, I received something that made my heart leap with joy. I got to cook dinner for 40 people!

When the guest chef did not arrive, I asked if I could cook dinner, and my friend said, "Yes". First I looked in the pantry, and was amazed to not find any of the things I usually have in my pantry, like onions, or potatoes. There was a lot of pasta, and a lot of spaghetti sauce, frozen turkey sausage, frozen garlic bread, many cans of tuna, two cans of kidney beans, one can of pinto beans, and a can of chopped tomatoes. No problem! The Good Plate to the rescue.

Red Velvet Cake with Mocha Cream Frosting

Tuesday, November 21, 2012, was Spane's 9th birthday. He originally asked for a Red Velvet Cake, but then said he wanted Chocolate Cake with Mocha Frosting that I made for his 7th birthday, and was the base for the Jolly Roger Cake of the Pirate Rack Rachham that I made for his 8th birthday. At the last minute, I decided to give him his original request.

Yes, I know that Red Velvet is all over the place, and mostly nasty, truly horrific. When Red Velvet became popular all over the country, short cuts were made, and what resulted was a dense, flavorless cake, with a greasy shortening "cream cheese" frosting, that I am sure was made with cream cheese flavoring, and nary a bit of real cream cheese. The first time I heard about the cake was in Steel Magnolias when the armadillo groom's cake was brought out. The real cake is delicious. I make a real Red Velvet Cake, that uses real cream cheese, cake flour, and vinegar/baking soda leavener.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I just can't make an ordinary anything, I always have to umph it up a bit, and this cake was no exception. Instead of using white vinegar, I used Balsamic vinegar. I also used a Mocha frosting instead of the traditional cream cheese frosting. It was a real hit.

Cranberry Compote - Your New Cranberry Sauce

This year, like last year, I'm going to my friend's for Thanksgiving, and like last year, I'm bringing something. It's also my son, Spane's birthday today, November 21, 2012, and he has requested Chocolate Cake with Mocha Frosting I made for his 7th birthday party. Since his birthday this year is the day before Thanksgiving, he is going to have his birthday party in December - so watch for recipes!

I have talked about going to my Grandmother's house and the wonderful turkey that came out of her Nesco Roaster. My Grandmother always had the best dressing on her table, that my Aunt Flora made every year. It was Oyster Cornbread Dressing, and it is my favorite dressing to prepare.

But, we always had canned cranberry sauce, that I really never liked. I have been making cranberry sauce for years, but today I found a new recipe that I'm going to make this year. It's from Chef Bryan Voltaggio.

Update: This cranberry compote is my new cranberry side dish. It's tasty and sophisticated but not so much that kids won't like it. It's not too overly sweet like the stuff in the can.

How to Make an Advent Wreath

All Saints Day is the day after Halloween. This is a good time to get supplies for your Advent Wreath.

What is Advent? Advent starts on the 4th Sunday before Christmas and is the time for preparing ourselves for the coming of the Baby Jesus. Just as pregnant women "nest" in the last few weeks of their pregnancy, we decorate our house, put up the Christmas tree, the Nativity village, and bring out the Advent Wreath. For Roman Catholics, Advent is also the beginning of the Liturgical Year.

Advent comes from the Latin word, adventus, meaning "coming". It can be as early as November 27th, and as late as December 3rd, depending on that year's calendar. There are 22 to 28 days of Advent, depending on the date of First Advent Sunday. In 2018, Advent starts on December 2nd.

Advent and Christmas Week Days
Advent Starts	Days til Christmas	Christmas Day of Week
December 1, 2019	24	Wednesday
November 29, 2020	26	Friday
November 28, 2021	27	Saturday
November 27, 2022	28	Sunday
December 3, 2023	22	Monday
December 1, 2024	24	Wednesday
November 30, 2025	26	Thursday
November 29, 2026	27	Friday
November 28, 2027	28	Saturday
December 3, 2028	22	Monday
December 2, 2029	23	Tuesday
December 1, 2030	24	Wednesday

Ham Steak With Russian Red Eye Gravy — Ham Steaks With Russian Red-Eye Gravy

Ham Steaks with Russian Red-Eye Gravy and rice pilaf invites diners to embark on a culinary adventure where every bite tells a story of flavor harmony. In this exquisite pairing, elegance meets comfort, creating a memorable dining experience that lingers in the senses long after the last morsel is savored.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Poached in Beer AKA Gussied Up Beer Can Chicken

Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorite dishes. Usually, it is flattened chicken breast rolled around ham with cheese, breaded, and fried. An American dish, it has its roots in the Schnitzel from Switzerland and Chicken Kiev from Russia. Cordon Bleu means Blue Ribbon, not to be confused with the famous cooking school of the same name.

Beer Can Chicken has a wonderful flavor but does not lend itself to small pieces of chicken.

I try to not deep fry things too often, and I don't like breading that much. I had chicken tenders, black forest ham, Swiss cheese, and a can of beer. I thought I could combine them and make Gussied Up Beer Can Chicken. Perfect!

My small 4-quart Nesco Roaster oven was the best appliance to use for this, just simply fill the well with some of the beer, and let it cook. Beer Can Chicken all gussied up. The 4-quart is no longer available, but the 6-quart will be just fine.

This is a really simple dish to make. If you don't have a Nesco, then you can use a baking dish, a cake rack, some foil, and your oven. It might not turn out quite the same, but it will still be good.

This recipe calls for Lavender mustard - if you can get it, wonderful, if not, use Dijon.

Recipes in this Post

It had been so hot lately in Los Angeles, and even though the day promised to be only in the high 70's, I still did not want to heat up the house. It was also Friday, which in our house, means no meat. We had some leftover grilled sweet peppers that I wanted to use, and some remnants of other vegetables. My friend, Amber, had planted a basil plant I had brought home into two larger containers, and they had plenty of leaves to go with my vegetables. So, what kind of good, cool salad could I make and still have the protein that our bodies require? Lentils were the perfect answer!

As I was checking out at my favorite store, the Adams Supper Market in Glendale, I mentioned my plan to the cashier and said I would be back later to get some nice crusty bread to go with it if I didn't have any at home. As it turned out, I did have bread at home, but by the time I discovered I didn't have any butter, Adams Supper Market was already closed. No problem, Olive Toast to the rescue!

It's a recipe for a cool, protein-rich salad on a hot day.

Oh, the joy of Almond Joy Coconut Cream pie! If you've always wanted Mounds to have dark chocolate, then here's your dream come true. A simple, no-bake pie your family will love.