Cake Walk Cake!

I volunteered to make a cake for tonights cake walk at church. I don't know why I did because I rarely make cakes. The last cake I made was for Sam's 2nd b-day. I made 3 layers of chocolate cake, which were not the most level. I put chocolate frosting in between each layer and made a cream cheese frosting for the outside. The problem I always have when frosting a chocolate cake is that I get black specs in my frosting. I looked at it and thought, "not so level of a cake and I have cake in my frosting, how can I cover it up?" This is what I came up with and I am happy with the outcome!

I wanted to use up the rest of the candy corn I had, so I placed them all around the cake.

Now to get it to church without ruining it. I have both kids and the cake without hubby. He is meeting me out there. I need to find a box!

Another fun day!

After pumpkin carving fun. Little man and little missie put on a show for us on the front porch. They were very excited.

Wow, a picture with me and little man, that never happens!

Little man at his preschool party having a pumpkin cookie.

Little missie enjoying the party too!

Little mans class all dressed up. They were all so cute!

This has been a fun Halloween week so far. Can't wait for trunk or treat!

4th Annual Fall Party!

We had a lot of fun today! I can't believe I have thrown this party for four years now! Here are a few pictures from today. I will psot more on FB when it decides to work for me.

Turkey Recipe

If you do not do a whole bird for Thanksgiving but want to cook some turkey for the family, I found this recipe that is easy and tastes great. I made it last night and loved it! I did not use the Gremolata since I knew the kids and my hubby would not like it. I served it with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. It was a mini Thanksgiving meal.

Turkey Osso Bucco:

1/2 breast of turkey (cut into 3 pieces, preferably by the butcher)
2 turkey thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups reduce-sodium chicken broth
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
2 large sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
Gremolata:
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, zested
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced rosemary leaves
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Directions
For the Turkey Osso Bucco: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pat the turkey with paper towels to dry and ensure even browning. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Dredge the turkey in the flour to coat.

In a heavy roasting pan large enough to fit the turkey in a single layer, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the turkey and cook until brown on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the turkey to a plate and reserve.

In the same pan, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season vegetables with salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Return the turkey to the pan. Add enough chicken broth to come 2/3 up the sides of the turkey. Add the herb sprigs, bay leaf, and cloves to the broth mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Braise until the turkey is fork-tender, turning the turkey after 1 hour.

Meanwhile, for the Gremolata: Combine the chopped parsley, lemon zest, garlic, minced rosemary, and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Cover and reserve until serving the turkey.

To serve, transfer the turkey to shallow serving bowls. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the sauce over the meat. Sprinkle each piece of turkey with a large pinch of Gremolata. Serve immediately.

A little know fact about Turkeys....

Thought this would be fun since Thanksgiving is coming up....

Have you ever wondered what Turkey (the country in the Middle East) and the American bird have in common? A case of mistaken identity resulted in the American Turkey being named after the country. When the Spanish first found the bird in the Americas more than 400 years ago they brought it back to Europe. The English mistakenly thought it was a bird they called a "turkey" so they gave it the same name. This other bird was actually from Africa, but came to England by way of the Turkey (lots of shipping went through Turkey at the time). The name stuck even when they realized the birds weren't the same.

And if you were wondering:

Turkey Terms

Caruncle - brightly colored growths on the throat region. Turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.

Gizzard - a part of a bird's stomach that contains tiny stones. It helps them grind up food for digestion.

Hen - a female turkey.

Poult - a baby turkey. A chick.

Snood - the flap of skin that hangs over the turkey's beak. Turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.

Tom - a male turkey. Also known as a gobbler.

Wattle - the flap of skin under the turkey's chin. Turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.

Meal Plan Monday

Sunday- Slow cooked turkey with garlic mashed potatoes
Monday- Pork chops with gravy and green beans
Tuesday- Chicken marsala
Wednesday- Chicken jalapeno sausage with pilaf and artichokes
Thursday- Pizza and pumpkin carving
Friday- Take out or left-overs since I am working at the gym at 5:30pm

Red Pepper Salmon Pasta

I have had this recipe for years. I probably have been making this for atleast 10 years now. It is a good staple to have on hand and fast to make (30 minutes)!



Recipe:

4 boned, skinned salmon fillets
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup canned peeled red peppers
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces angel hair or fettucine pasta

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cover a baking dish with foil and drizzle with olive oil add salmon and add a little more olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake in oven 12-14 minutes until fish is opaque.
3. In a blender, puree red peppers, pamesan, cornstartch, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro and chicken broth and whirl to blend. Pour into a sauce pan and heat until boiling and then lower the temp.
4. Cook pasta (follow directions on box).
5. I like to add the pasta and sauce together reserving some sauce to pour over the top of the salmon. I top it with fresh cilantro.