Crowd Pleaser

Many of you may be wondering what to feed the crowd that might be arriving before Thanksgiving or staying after. I found this recipe as I was looking for another one and thought it sounded good. I am making it today and it is very easy and delicious. I am sharing it because someone might benefit from the suggestion.

Santa Fe Soup: Yields 12-20 servings.
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground turkey or meat of you choice 1 (16oz) can kidney beans
1 onion chopped 1 (16oz) can pinto beans
2 (0.5oz) envelop ranch-style salad dressing mix 1 (16oz) can tomatoes with green chiles
2 (1.25oz) envelopes taco seasoning mix 1 (16oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (16oz) can black beans 2 (16oz) cans white corn (I used frozen)
2 cups water or stock
I added roasted garlic, mashed; 3T unsweetened cocoa; 3T fresh parsley, chopped; and 1/4 cup cooking sherry right before serving.
Instructions:
Saute the onion in a large soup pot, then brown the meat until crumbly; stir frequently. Add the salad dressing, taco seasoning mixes and cocoa if desired, stir to combine. Add the canned items, mix well. Stir in the water or stock to desired consistency. Simmer, covered for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add more water or stock if needed. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish servings to taste with sour cream, grated cheese, sliced green onions, chopped black olives, chopped cilantro. Serve with tortilla or corn chips, salad and bread.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Messy Business

I reserved today to make biscuits. This is an annual project for me. I inherited the task of making the biscuits for the family Thanksgiving gathering from my mother. I'm not sure why I inherited this, maybe I volunteered. My mother, Bea, fondly called Bea Bea by her grandchildren and Aunt Bea by her many nieces and nephews, labored for many years every Thanksgiving to bring us her veritable feast. A standout feature was always Aunt Bea's Fancy Biscuits. Everyone loves them! So today I made biscuits. Well, I made some yesterday too. This endeavor is often best done in stages as there are two flavors to make, cheese and cinnamon. It is also time consuming and a messy business. I love the way my house smells now with 8 dozen cinnamon biscuits cooling on the counter. Yesterday it smelled like toasty baked cheese. Those are safely tucked away in the freezer, lest I eat every last one!

A greater significance came into play this time as I rolled out dough, grated cheese and sprinkled cinnamon. Our first Thanksgiving gathering since Mother's death in July will be next week. Last year as I made biscuits, I remembered my mother. But this year, that remembrance brought tears. Bea Bea has left us but she did not leave us without many things that remind us of her, most with far greater meaning than tasty biscuits. Mother, we remember you.

These biscuits, were made in your honor. This causes me to pause yet again and remember the loving, faithful God Mother knew. And it is to him that my heart swells in overflowing gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Soli Deo gloria!

Just Gettin' Started

I love to cook. I also love to share what I've cooked with others. Sometimes that is at the dinner table, but often it's through Facebook. It occurred to me today that it might be easier to do this kind of sharing via a blog. I've actually thought of becoming a blogger many times but decided I didn't really have anything to say or enough to say or certainly not anything anyone would want to hear. So this is simply a trial. I'm not committing to anything regular. I don't cook that way anyway. I cook as the mood strikes. So I'll start blogging the same way and see what happens.

Here's to ya as we launch the holiday season 2011. I will post a recent food item pic to get it all started and spice it up a little. Here's the Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie from Southern Living November 2011, which by the way was as good as they claimed. Especially perfect cooked in the skillet.