RACHAEL RAY!!

Last weekend I read in the paper that Rachael Ray was going to be in town doing a book signing of her most recent cookbook at the Cool Springs Williams-Sonoma. Being one of her "groupies" and the fact that Emma likes her too, and loves to cook with her mom, I decided this would be a memory-making day for Mommy and Daughter. I quickly called the store to see how to see her, and they said you have to buy a cookbook from our store, and that is your ticket in.....you can get up to 5 cookbooks. Great!!! How much are they? $24.95......Really, I'm pretty sure I just saw it at Costco for $15, but......I'm making a memory. I'll take 2, one for me, and one for Emma to have when she goes off to college. I know she will remember this day forever........she's only 5. Now, we all know that this day is totally about me......who am I kidding? So, I let her play hookie from school, and we headed to the mall, getting there at 11:30 a.m. The book signing started at 1. It is pouring down rain, cold, I have no umbrella, and we take off hand in hand, singing in the rain to see Rachael Ray. "Oh My, what are all of these people doing here?" The were herds of people, already with their cookbooks in hand, lined up sitting down from Williams-Sonoma, all the way down to and around Macy's all the way to EyeMasters. By the way, we hadn't had lunch yet. I go to the desk and get our cookbooks, then head to the back of the line. A rep came by and said that Rachael could sign 1500 books in 4 hours, and so far half were in line. Let's do the math.....that means we are about number 750. It is going to be a long day. And it was. Try entertaining a hungry 5 year old in line for 2 1/2, yes, 2 1/2 hours. Thank goodness Williams-Sonoma brought around snacks and drinks, Rachael Ray's recipes, of course, for us to nibble on. Yes, it was a long 2 1/2 hours, but we made the memory, have the photos, and it was worth it.....I think. Oh, I forgot to say that at one point, I spilled hot chocolate in the bag where I was keeping the cookbooks (we were looking at them at the time) so I didn't want to get the cookbook's dirty, so I emptied the wet trash out of the bag, into the trash can, only to realize as the line began moving that my "ticket" was part of that trash, so, yes, I had to dig through the mall trash can to retrieve my "ticket". 'Tis the Season!!! Here are some yummy "nibblers" that they served us. Little Bitty Cheese Balls. Genious, that's why she is famous. Enjoy!!!

CHEESE AND NUT BALLS

8 oz cream cheese softened
4 Tbls butter softened
10-oz shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mango chutney, chopped
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
2 handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or a handheld mixer. Add the cheddar, chutney, half the nuts, and half the parsley and combine thoroughly. Chill the mixture overnight, or until very firm. The next day, scoop the mixture out by tablespoons and form into balls. Roll the balls in the reserved nuts and parsley. Small balls can be served over mild greens, and fruit or salad.

'TIS THE SEASON

It's here!!! Christmastime. It is our favorite holiday, and we've even got the cold weather here to make it even more festive. I've learned that if I just wear my silk long underwear, I'm not miserable. That extra layer makes all the difference. We've started the long process of getting the millions of decorations out, and little Emma is like a kid in a candy store. I can't keep her out of stuff, but I'm just so glad she is enjoying it. She single handedly unwrapped 3 "moss" Christmas gifts that I had made for decorations. Moss was all over the house, and we'll be cleaning it up all season. That's ok, though. She seems to be seeing it with different eyes this year, and I love seeing the "wonder" in her face. We've been watching Christmas movies galore.....Elf is so hilarious, had Breakfast with Santa on Saturday morning, the Franklin Christmas parade that afternoon (Emma was in it) had a cookie exchange yesterday afternoon, and went to Steve's choir concert last night. Tonight Andrew has his 1st Christmas Band Concert. So.........'tis the season. Enjoy this hearty pasta dish!!! Thanks Debbie Johnson.


DOUBLE CHEESE HAMBURGER CASSEROLE

LAYER 1:

1 POUND GROUND BEEF
1 CLOVE GARLIC, CHOPPED
1 TSP SUGAR
1/4 TSP PEPPER
1/2 TSP SEASONED SALT
1 TBLS SOY SAUCE
1 (15 1/2 OZ) CAN TOMATO SAUCE

LAYER 2:

4 OZ MEDIUM EGG NOODLES, COOKED AND DRAINED

LAYER 3:

1 (3-OZ) PKG CREAM CHEESE, SOFTENED IN MICROWAVE
1 CUP SOUR CREAM
1/4 CUP CHOPPED GREEN ONIONS

BROWN MEAT, AND SIMMER REMAINING INGREDIENTS IN LAYER 1 FOR 20 MINUTES. PLACE IN 9 X 13 CASSEROLE DISH. PLACE LAYER 2 ON TOP. SPREAD LAYER 3 ON NOODLES AND SPRINKLE GRATED CHEESE OVER ALL. BAKE AT 350 FOR 30 MINUTESJ

Thanksgiving.....family, food, fun and football!!!

I still haven't fully recovered from the comatose state I always go into after eating the Thanksgiving meal. I stopped counting after my 5th helping of cornbread dressing.....then there were Aunt Liz's shrimp, the turkey, of course, fresh and canned cranberry sauce, homemade applesauce, sweet potato casserole, green bean bundles, creamed corn, rolls, and it was the pecan pie that simply put me over the edge. I'm not kidding......my stomach is still stretched out from the meal, and because of that, I seem to have to fill it up more each day now that I'm home. This must stop.......but before it stops, I have to give you the recipe for the applesauce muffins (thanks Beth) I made today to go along with Mama's spiced tea. They are wonderful, and the kids devoured them. Sprinkle on the powdered sugar, and enjoy them warm. Heaven!!! J

Applesauce Muffins

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 tsp vanilla, divided

4 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp allspice

3 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups original applesauce, not unsweetened

Cream butter and sugar....add eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Sift together the flour and spices and add to the creamed mixture. Blend 2 tsp vanilla and the baking soda into the applesauce. Stir applesauce mixture into the other with a wooden spoon (I don't know why!) Batter will be stiff. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins or paper muffin cups 1/2 full. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot with butter, or not.....Batter will keep in the refrigerator a few days.