Brown Sugar Baked Sweet Potatoes

My family did not grow up eating sweet potatoes and we definitely did not have sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving.  And quite frankly, I don't really care for them.  But as many of you know, when you get married and start a family of your own, you adapt to new traditions.  One of which, in my case, is sweet potatoes.

This past week, we spent Thanksgiving with my Mom and her new (as in just got married a week ago) hubby, Allen.  Like I said before, Mom and I don't do sweet potatoes, but we wanted to make sure we kept our guys happy so we added sweet potatoes to the menu.  Rather then doing a giant sweet potato casserole that would only be eaten by 2-3 people, we opted for another solution - Brown Sugar Baked Sweet Potatoes.  And let me tell you, these were a big hit!  If you are looking to add some sweet potatoes to your holiday entertaining menu, I highly recommend you give these a try!

Brown Sugar Baked Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

Cinnamon, to sprinkle

32 small marshmallows or 16 large ones cut up

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place sweet potatoes in a deep baking dish and poke several holes in each one.  Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, cut your two tablespoons of butter into four equal pieces.

Cut each sweet potato down the center (length-wise).  Be careful not to cut all the way through the potato.  Place one piece of butter inside each potato.

 

Next sprinkle each potato lightly with cinnamon (as much or as little as your family likes).  Then sprinkle the inside of each potato with one tablespoon of brown sugar.

If using large marshmallows, cut them into pieces.  If using mini-marshmallows, then just skip this step.

Divide marshmallows out and place 1/4 in each sweet potato.  Place sweet potatoes back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Remove sweet potatoes from oven and allow to cool slightly.  Place sweet potatoes onto serving platter and enjoy!

If your family really enjoys sweet potato casserole, they will definitely enjoy this recipe.  Try this easy recipe on a weeknight to go along with your family dinner.  Super-easy and super-delicious!

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A Whimsical Fall: Decorating Inspiration

I am very blessed to be surround by creative women in my life.  My mom, who lives in Texas, is incredibly creative and talented (though she'll never admit it).  And my mother-in-law (aka Gigi), who lives close by, has quite the creative, artistic flare when it comes to decorating.

In case you wondering, the entryway above is not my home, it's my in-laws.  Gigi loves fall (as do I) and puts so much time and effort into decorating her home that I just had to share it with you all.  She leaves no corner untouched when it comes to fall - her attention to detail is impeccable. 

Gigi also has a home studio where she creates Art Dolls.  She doesn't currently have a website, but hopefully she will be setting up one soon and I can introduce you all to her amazing art.

Anyway, here are some pictures I took around Gigi's house several weeks ago.  I think it is so fun to see inside other peoples homes, don't you?  It's like a home tour on your computer screen!

These pumpkins are just the perfect understated touch.  I love how organic they are and seem to just fit right in.

The entrance to their home is so warm and inviting with all the pumpkins and gorgeous plants.

Wreath on the front door.

Gigi is a big Susan Branch fan so this flag is very fitting for their home.

Now let's head inside.......

A large decorated hutch in the dining room.

Beautiful large mantle in the great room.

Another built in bookcase.

Fireplace decorated in the three-season room.

Gigi even changes out her art work every season.  Above are some of her fall and Halloween pieces.

Well, that's it for the little tour of Gigi's house!  Those were just some of the shots I got around their home.  If you can believe it, there is even MORE fall decor that I didn't even capture.  Gigi does a fabulous job filling her home with joy and whimsy.  I know my girls are going to appreciate the magic she creates with her decorating style the older they get!

What is your favorite season or holiday for decorating?  I'm definitely a fall/Thanksgiving girl with Christmas as a very close second. 

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Thankful

I love Thanksgiving.  It is the holiday that gives me the most reflection over the past year.  You would think New Year's might be that day for me, but really I use New Year's to look at the year ahead.  So, thinking towards tomorrow (Thanksgiving), my heart just wants to explode for all the things I am thankful for - I have been truly blessed.  I know I cannot list them all, but here are just a handful:

I am thankful for........

1)  The birth of my daughter Matilda Jane.  She is a true blessing from God.  She lights up my life and is such a sweet, happy baby.  I can't help but feel that my Grandma Marge lives on through our little Matilda.  She was conceived near the time of my Grandmother's passing and when I look into my sweet Matilda's eyes, I often see my Grandma Marge's grace and beauty staring back at me.

2)  For my daughter Savannah Rose.  She brings joy to me everyday and helps me not take life so seriously.  She has taught me to dance, laugh, read, sing and twirl everyday!  God bless you, Savannah Rose!!

3) For my husband Brett.  The most patient, kind, understanding, hardworking, creative, fun, talented, helpful husband and father any girls could ever ask for!

4) For my mother, my best girlfriend of all.  Though we may live far apart, our hearts are always near.  She knows exactly what to say (or what I need to hear) in any situation.

5) For my father, who we will spend Christmas Eve with this year.  It's been 5 years since we've been together at Christmas (too long!) - can't wait to bring back some of our holiday traditions.

6) For my in-laws, who are the best in-laws a daughter-in-law could ever ask for.  They are kind and generous, never asking for anything in return.  And they have the kind of marriage I can only hope Brett and I will have when we have been married 30 years from now.

7) For my "Mommy" friends.  For whom make being a Mommy that much more fun!  I don't know how I would have made it through Savannah's first year without the support of these amazing ladies.

8) And for God.  Who has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.......I am eternally grateful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving 101: Side Dishes

So far we have covered all of the basics for our Thanksgiving celebration: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.  Now it's time for side dishes - yipee!!  Now this is where you can really get creative - the options are endless.  Many of you may opt. for you basic green bean casserole (a classic and very good) and/or some form of baked sweet potatoes (perhaps with marshmallows), but I'm going to skip those two oldies, but goodies and give you several other ideas that you may want to add to your Thanksgiving table this year.

This first recipe comes to you from Martha Stewart herself:  Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts.  I saw this recipe prepared last year on the Martha Stewart show and thought it just looked so easy and delicious that I had to give it a try.  I served this last year on Christmas Eve with Prime Rib, but I think it would make an awesome addition to Thanksgiving.  It's also something that would be unexpected, but extremely appreciated by all your fellow guests.  Trust me.......if you like artichoke hearts, it is divine!  Click here to check out the recipe for Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts.


My second side dish I would like to share with you is Creamed Spinach Gratin.  To me this is one of the world's best comfort foods and mixes perfectly with turkey, stuffing, and potatoes.

Creamed Spinach Gratin

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cook bacon in heavy bottom saute pan.  Remove bacon and crumble.  Melt the butter into bacon grease over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes (make sure this are fully cooked). Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Cottage Mama's Note:

-This recipe will serve 10 people easily - probably even more!

-Another great idea for this recipe (not for Thanksgiving).  Cut the recipe in half and toss with a pound of cooked pasta, then add to casserole dish and bake.  YUM!

Ok and my final recommendation for a delicious Thanksgiving side dish is a recipe I have already posted previously: Ruthie's Spinach Salad.  I brought this to my in-laws last year for Thanksgiving and it was a definite hit.  This recipe would be a fresh addition to your thanksgiving table - with the cranberries, toasted almonds, sliced red onion, feta cheese and a delicious sweet and spicy vinaigrette - it would be the perfect contrast to all of your other creamy and delicious side dishes.

Ruthie's Spinach Salad

Dressing

3/4 C. salad oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. red wine vinegar

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad

8 cups washed and dried baby spinach

1 C dried cranberries or cherries

4 ounces feta cheese crumbled 

I/2 to 1 medium red onion thinly sliced

4-6 slices bacon -cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For dressing--combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Cover and shake well to blend.

For the salad--combine all ingredients--toss with dressing just before serving.

Six servings

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving 101: Let's Talk Turkey!

Turkey - the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving celebrations.  There are SO many different ways to prepare and cook a turkey.  Perhaps you have a favorite tried and true recipe or perhaps you've tried doing it a couple different ways and haven't landed on your perfectly moist, tender bird yet.  If the later is the case, then you've come to the right place.  I, the cottage mama, am about to give you fool-proof instructions on preparing a delicious Thanksgiving turkey!

My big secret - BRINING!!  Brining?  Yes, brining!  What is brining?  It is a process in which you soak your meat in a salt-water solution before cooking.  I guarantee that if you brine your turkey you will end up with an unbelievably moist and flavorful bird every time.

So here is my basic Thanksgiving Turkey recipe:

Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients:

1 fresh 14 pound turkey (or a frozen one fully thawed)

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 gallon water

2 plastic "reynolds" turkey bags

black pepper, to taste

3 medium yellow onions, each cut into 8 wedges

2 carrots, cut into chunks

1 celery stalk, but into 2-inch pieces

12 fresh thyme sprigs

2 heads of garlic, halved horizontally

1 bay leaf

1.5 cups white wine

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

Remove the neck and giblets from the body and neck of the turkey.  Rinse turkey under cold water.

Combine 1 cup kosher salt, the sugar and 1 gallon water in a large bowl, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar.  Put 1 plastic oven bag inside the other to create a double thickness.  Put the bag in a large roasting pan.  Fold back the top one third of the bag to form a collar.  Put the turkey inside the bag, unfold the top of the bag and pour the brine over the bird.  Squeeze out the excess air and seal the bag tightly with a twist tie.  Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and preferably 12 hours.  If you are short on time, double the amount of salt and sugar and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse the bird thoroughly to remove salt.  Pat dry inside and out.  Let turkey stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Position the rack in the lowest position of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.

To secure wings, twist the wing tip under the shoulder.

Season the body and neck cavities with kosher salt and pepper to taste.  Fill with about one fourth of the onions, carrots, and celery along with thyme.  Scatter the remaining onions, carrots and celery along with the garlic, and bay leaf in the bottom of the pan.  Pour the wine and 3 cups of water in the bottom of the pan as well.

Brush the turkey with half the melted butter.  Place bird in pan and place in oven.

Baste every 30 minutes with butter and liquid.  If all the liquid evaporates, add more water as needed.

Roast for approximately 2.5 - 3 hours at 400 degrees or until an instant read thermometer registers 170-175 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.  The meatiest part of the breast should register 165 degrees.

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board.  Cover with aluminum foil and let rest 30 mins. before carving.

Carve turkey and enjoy!!

Cottage Mama's Notes:

-Kosher salt can be found by the regular salt in your grocery store.  It is a thicker salt (my favorite for cooking!)

-If you feel like being creative, feel free to add some seasoning to your brine - peppercorns, citrus, apple cider, bay leaves, ect......

-Also feel free to add ingredients to season the turkey itself - halved lemons, sage, oranges are great inside the turkey.

-Allow at least 1 pound of meat per person (1.5 if you want leftovers).

-Smaller birds are easier to handle.  Limit your turkey to 14 pounds.

-For the crispiest skin, brine your turkey for 24 hours prior to cooking.  Remove the bird from the brine after 12 hours and let air-dry in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before roasting.

-I prefer to do my stuffing in a baking dish and not inside the bird.  I like the crispy crust on the stuffing that cannot be achieved inside the bird.

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Thanksgiving 101: Cranberry Salad

Now cranberry salad may be just an after-thought in your home, but it is an integral component of our Thanksgiving table.  Maybe you realize last minute "oh yeah, the cranberries.......I better buy a can."  There are no cranberries out of a can for this cottage Mama, no sir, my Grandma Marge's Cranberry Salad has been a staple at our Thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember and it is one of the centerpieces of our feast!

My family loves to cook; therefore, we love to try new recipes, however, there are some recipes that just aren't worth messing with and this is one of them.  Try Grandma Marge's Cranberry Salad at your next Thanksgiving celebration.  Make your cranberry salad a centerpiece and bring it into the forefront of your feast - I guarantee people will notice!!

Grandma Marge's Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup ground cranberries (buy fresh - put into blender or food-processor)

1 package cranberry jello (or raspberry if you can't find cranberry)

1 cup hot water

1 cup crushed pineapple in syrup (drain and reserve syrup)

1 cup pineapple syrup (from crushed pineapple)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup grapes (halved)

Directions:

Combine ground cranberries and sugar.  Dissolve jello in hot water   Add pineapple syrup.  Chill until partially set.  Add sugary cranberries, pineapple and grapes.  Pour into dish.  Chill over night.  When ready to serve, spoon cranberries into serving bowl.  Enjoy!

Cottage Mama's Note:  This can be made 1-day ahead of time and place in serving dish immediately before serving.

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Thanksgiving 101: Mashed Potatoes

The next topic on my Thanksgiving 101 series:  Mashed Potatoes.  Now I seriously don't believe it would be a REAL thanksgiving dinner without mashed potatoes.  Next to turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes are an absolute must!  


When it comes to mashed potatoes on Thanksgivng I am a purist.  Don't get me wrong, I love garlic mashed potatoes, loaded mashed potatoes, chive mashed potatoes and the list goes on, but on Thanksgiving, I believe, the simpler the better.  


One of my absolute musts for classic mashed potatoes is using Yukon Gold potatoes.  If you have never tried using Gold potatoes, you are really missing out.  You just cannot even compare the taste to your basic russet - Golds are in a league of their own (in my opinion).  They have a naturally buttery taste, are a beautiful yellow/gold color, and have a really thin skin (for those of you that like to keep the skins on your potatoes - these are perfect!).  


So today I would like to share an amazingly delicious recipe for classic mashed potatoes that comes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  This recipe is great because you can prepare it several days in advance.  If you have ever hosted a big Thanksgiving before, you know that "do ahead" recipes are a Godsend when trying to get all of your courses prepared and ready to serve at the same time.  Give this recipe a try this and believe me, you will be in complete mashed potato heaven!!

Creamy Classic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
• ¾ cups Butter
• 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
• ½ cups (to 3/4 cups) Half-and-Half
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

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