Trina's Leftover Turkey Casserole (and Carcass Broth)

The extended family went home, the kids got all the things they ever wanted for Christmas, everyone's had a busy (but fun) holiday. The only thing is, you've got half a turkey still kicking around in the fridge. Carve it up, save all of the meat you possibly can, and make some stock out of the carcass. Here's how:

- Put the carcass in the biggest pot you own. Cover it with water, add salt and pepper to taste, slice up half an onion into fat rings, and find some raw carrots, and throw those in the pot, too.
- Bring contents of your pot to the boil, and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for a couple of hours. No need to stir, or even monitor it, really. Go watch a movie and your stock will be done cooking.
- Get some 2L pop bottles or glass mason jars or juice bottles washed and ready. Grab a funnel.
- Strain the stock from the pot through a sieve into another (very large) bowl. Get a cup with a spout and handle, and pour the strained stock into your cleaned bottles.
- You will have a lot of meat "bits" leftover in your sieve. Feed those bits to the cat - he'll love you for it!
- Freeze the plastic bottles, glass doesn't do too well in the freezer. Use the stock in soups, gravies, or anywhere that plain water seems a little, well, boring. For example, boil your rice in broth instead of water!

Why do we make stock out of the carcass? Because the bones, more specifically the marrow in the bones, hold a tonne of flavour. When boiled for a long time, the flavour is imparted into the water, and you have a delicious, savoury broth!

Now that you've made the most of your old turkey bones, it's time to make a delicious casserole out of all that meat. Casserole dishes come in all shapes and sizes, and so do families, and let's face it - how much turkey meat you have leftover can greatly vary as well. So I won't put measurements in. Just eyeball everything. It's only a casserole!

Layer bottom-to-top:
- Turkey, cut into pieces - choose your favourite type of meat, light or dark, or both.
- Pour enough leftover gravy over the turkey to make the bottom layer very moist.
- Splash this bottom layer with Worcestershire sauce for some zip.
- Sprinkle a bit of red or white wine here for more flavour!
- Sprinkle mushrooms, sliced, over the turkey.
- Then add diced carrots, celery, green beans, broccoli (hey - anything that needs to be used up)!
- At this point, you may choose to stir the veggies, gravy, and turkey together. Or not. It's up to you!
- Leftover mashed potatoes, turnips, or yams make a good addition here. They should be pre-cooked.
- Top all of this with leftover dressing/stuffing.**
- Now, the piece de resistance, smother the top of the casserole in cheese! I like a mixture of Gruyere (for its strong taste), Mozzarella (for the gooiness), and more Parmesan (for crunch).

** Now, I don't like stuffing, so I make a bread-topping that's just as tasty. Cut a few slices of bread into cubes, place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar (just enough to lightly coat the bread cubes). Whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water and coat the bread cubes with it. Sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese, dried sage, rosemary, freshly ground pepper, onion and garlic powders, mustard powder, sea salt, and mix all together. Place this mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.

Place your casserole in the oven, covered with its lid if it has one, or covered loosely with tin foil at 375 F until everything is bubbling and hot. Remove the lid or tin foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes to brown the top. Remove from oven and let the dish sit out for about 15 minutes to make it easier to cut and lift out of your dish. Serve hot, with a crisp Caesar salad on the side.

I hope my casual style of writing here has given you the feeling that the recipe itself is extremely casual. It is not baking, so the measurements need not be precise. Just season everything to taste, and don't forget the cheese on top! It's the best part.

Glögg

The Swedes have devised a delicious drink reminiscient of the Holidays. It is called Glögg. Truly all it is, is mulled wine; but there are some extra ingredients that make this a real treat. Cassis (or blackcurrant) syrup is one of them.

Find a bottle of non-alcoholic Glögg (the "ö" is pronounced like "oo" in the word "good," but with your tongue kinda curled) at your local IKEA store. Dilute it down with some red wine when you get home, and I like to dilute it even further with some water, to taste. It is very sweet and rich if you drink it as-is. Then I put my mug in the microwave for a couple minutes to make it hot. Feel free to heat up larger quantities of this wonderful stuff in a saucepan until it is simmering.

The Swedes serve it in a clear mug with a stick or two of cinnamon, some sliced almonds, and a few golden raisins. Yes, they plop the nuts and raisins right into the drink. Enjoy this heart-warmer with some gingersnaps on the side on a cold winter night.

Blog: The Nutcracker

Today we went to go see the Nutcracker Ballet in Toronto at the new Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. It was, in one word, magnificent. I had never seen it before - I've always wanted to go ever since I was small. There are so may performances of the Nutcracker around, and we made the right choice to go see the one by the National Ballet of Canada. The sets were spectacular, the costumes were stunning, and the dancers were divine.

There was a full 60-member orchestra, and even though we were in the "nosebleed" section, the music was perfect. My favourite dances were those of the lamb and wolf, and the dance of the flowers. And the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy was good too, but I think I like those ones with more dancers, rather than solos. J's favourite was "the dance with all those soldiers." The well-known dancing bears, the rat king, four roly-poly little chefs, and one heck of a horse all danced with such enthusiasm - you could hear the tittering of the crowd.

I have an immense appreciation for beauty, or what I consider "beautiful." I adore classical music pieces, mostly for the way they always manage to evoke such a wide range of emotion from you. Team that up with: The graceful lines of the dancers, the perfect pointe of a ballerina's toe, the wispy tutus and billowing skirts, and the energetic leaps of a man brave enough to wear a leotard. Add some excellent lighting, sets and props that mysteriously move without any tracks or cables, a lot of talent from choreographers and producers, and a story with a comforting feeling of the magic of winter, and you have one great ballet.

If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend going to see it with your entire family. What a privilege to see such a magnificent performance!

Ribeye Steak with Garlic-Mushroom Sauce

My Aunt sent me this recipe via email, and I finally made it last night. According to J, it was "excellent!" and he is never so enthusiastic about food! The ribeye steaks are extremely tender - don't skimp out on your cut of steak. Go ribeye or go home. My Aunt's recommendation: "From someone who's made the recipe many times - take the sauce off the heat as soon as it turns syrupy.  If you don't, it will disappear!" Source of recipe: Unknown.

Among beef-eaters in South Louisiana, rib-eye reigns as the “king of steaks”. Well-marbled beef is cut into slabs 1½ to 2-inches thick. Grill, broil or pan-grill to individual perfection. Pan-grilling is a favored method of cooking meats in Cajun-Creole country. This is probably due, in part, to the fact that we do wonderful things with the browned bits of meat glaze left in the bottom of the pan. Here two Cajun-Creole favorites, mushrooms and garlic, are added. The whole garlic cloves acquire a mild, nut-like taste during cooking that gives a delightful flavor bonus. Serve steaks with a green salad and potatoes for a sample of Cajun-Creole Saturday-night supper fare.

4 x 15-oz beef rib-eye steaks, cut about 1 inch thick

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Garlic-Mushroom Sauce, see below

Garlic-Mushroom Sauce:

1 lb. small button mushrooms

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

½ c. Burgundy wine

16 medium garlic cloves, peeled

2 c. brown veal stock or beef broth

Salt to taste

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Pat steaks dry on paper towels; season both sides with salt and pepper. In a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat butter and vegetable oil. When oil mixture is very hot, add 2 steaks; cook to desired degree of doneness. Using tongs, turn steaks every minute during cooking. For rare steaks, cook a total of 5 to 6 minutes. For medium steaks, cook 7 to 8 minutes. For well-done steaks, cook 9 to 10 minutes. Repeat with 2 remaining steaks; keep warm. Prepare sauce. Spoon sauce over steaks. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

To prepare Garlic-Mushroom Sauce, using a damp paper towel, wipe mushrooms; set aside. Working quickly, place skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter in skillet. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce; stir to blend. Sauté, tossing mushrooms and garlic constantly, until well browned, about 4 minutes. Add wine; swirl pan. Scrape up browned bits from bottom. Cook, stirring quickly, until wine is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Stir in stock; reduce to a glaze, about 10 minutes.

Easy Peanut Butter Balls

This recipe is from my friend Teresa: "Here's one for your blog, love it and it's so easy ... can't remember where we got the recipe from, but my mom and I have been making them for years!"

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 c. peanut butter
2 c. graham wafer crumbs
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. flaked coconut

Mix condensed milk and peanut butter. Stir in chocolate chips and graham wafer crumbs and mix well. Shape into one inch balls, roll in coconut flakes, and store in the fridge. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Super Duper Zucchini Muffins

Somehow, these muffins were ridiculously fluffy. That's a good thing. I just didn't understand how, because I put two cups of sopping wet zucchini into these! Vegan alternative in (brackets). Adapted from allrecipes.com

2 1/4 c. flour
1 c. white sugar (Redpath sugar)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable shortening, margarine, or unsalted butter
1/4 c. buttermilk or yogourt (or vinegar + soy milk)
2 eggs (or 2 portions egg substitute)
2 c. shredded zucchini - I left the skin on, and seeds in, and I used a cheese grater to shred it all
Optional: 1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease or spray-oil a muffin tin. Combine the sugar and dry ingredients. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients, or use a food processor to combine shortening and dry ingredients. This step is important, as it is responsible for the fluffiness of these muffins!

Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, and mix them into the shortening-flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the nuts. Distribute evenly to each muffin cup and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a centre muffin comes out clean.

Serve warm and fresh, on their own or spread with butter.

Stuffed Zucchini

Tim's bugging me to "get going" on putting up veg recipes. Here is a vegetarian delight! Even J loved it, and he's Mr. Meat! I'm posting this completely out of season, so save this one for a gorgeous summer evening when the zucchinis are ready to be picked.

Here's the story: My friend Justin brought over an enormous zucchini from his organic farm. I hadn't the faintest idea what to do with it. He suggested stuffing it. I used half of the zucchini to make muffins, and the other half on this.

Stuffing:
Optional: 1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled, cooked, chopped
3 - 6 cloves chopped garlic
12 fresh grape tomatoes (yellow and red), quartered
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
1/4 of a kolrabi, julienned
10 green beans, chopped
1/4 c. bread crumbs
3 - 4 Tbsp. cream cheese

Mix all of these ingredients in a bowl until very well combined. Stuff this mixture into a zucchini, prepared thusly:

Half the zucchini lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, but leave lots of flesh remaining. On the skin side, slice just a bit off the bottom so the zucchini sits flat. They should look like boats. You can do this with smaller zucchinis, as well. Place the unstuffed zucchinis skin side up, on a cookie sheet and broil at 500 F for about 5 - 10 minutes, or until they are sweating. Remove from oven, turn flesh side up, brush with oil, and sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Now, stuff your zucchinis with the veggie mixture, and sprinkle them generously with freshly grated parmesan and some more breadcrumbs. Bake at 425 F until stuffing is bubbling, parmesan is melted, and top is nice and crunchy, about 40 minutes!

Serves two, with one-half of a very large zucchini.

Gingersnaps

I grabbed this recipe from a friend's cookie book. This is a pretty standard gingersnap recipe. These cookies turn out moist and flavourful - very ginger-y! And this recipe yields an awful lot of cookies. Hope you're hungry! This dough is very thick - we used a big KitchenAid mixer that was capable of mixing this dense concoction.

Ground ginger and freshly grated ginger are not interchangeable in this recipe. Use the ginger powder that you can find in any bulk or grocery store. The nutmeg and cloves are what I added to make these cookies extra spicy. If you don't like either, leave them out.


3/4 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. granualted sugar + 1/4 c. extra for rolling
1 egg
1/2 c. fancy molasses
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger (I make these "heaping" teaspoonfuls!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. each nutmeg and ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. You will need to make these cookies in batches in the oven - only put one cookie sheet at a time in your oven, on the middle rack, or your cookies will burn. This dough, unlike cake batters and more time-sensitive cookies, can sit and wait for each batch to be done in the oven. There is no rush.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Add molasses and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two additions, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Roll into 1-inch balls, and roll the ball completely in granulated sugar. Place the balls on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for exactly 10 minutes.

The book said it yields 90 cookies! But we made ours twice the size, appx. 2-inch balls, so we got about half that. As a result, our cookies were less crispy, more chewy!

Blog: Baking with a Buddy

I was over at my friend Heidi's house yesterday, and we made a double batch of gingersnaps together. They were perfect. Chewy, ginger-y, sugary, and full of winter magic.

Baking with a friend is so much fun, especially if the kitchen you have chosen to work in is large. Even if there's an overly large German Shepherd nosing her way through your workspace, looking for a crumb ...

Blog: Snow!

Holy snow, guys! It is wailin' out there! This is our first true snow of the season. It finally feels like Christmas! Every year I make Christmas gifts for my family. And cookies are the big hit - everyone loves our gingerbread! I think our family gingerbread recipe is a "secret" so I doubt I will be sharing it, unfortunately.

This year, J's family has asked for some Christmas cookies. I think I will be making a variety of cookies, in small batches, including shortbread, millionaire's shortbread, and peanut butter. I will probably use recipes from Joy of Baking, as usual. I will, of course, let you know how they turn out!

I have made a wreath for the front door, and some little Christmas baubles here and there, but now that it's snowing I feel like it's not enough! Time to deck our halls with lights, and let's not forget, the Tree. We always get a real tree, and this year, I have decided, will be no different. I will go to my friend Justin's tree farm, and his father will let me pick out a lovely Balsam Fir.

I have a debate going on in my head, that I feel most environmentalists will appreciate. It is the debate between getting a "real" and a "fake" tree. The real tree is a renewable resource, beautiful and scented, majestic yet humble. However, it is grown on perhaps a farm, for a number of years, just to be cut down and displayed in a family's home for a couple of weeks. Then it is put curb-side, or made bonfire-fodder. Then there is the "fake" tree: it can be purchased for slightly more than a real tree, and it has the potential to last 50 or more years. No tree-cutting required! But it is made of plastics and vinyls whose manufacturing processes are extremely ecologically dangerous, and plastics are a by-product of petroleum which is obviously a finite resource.

What would YOU do? Please comment!

Only 15 days 'till Christmas!

Pesto

Pesto is so useful. You can mix it with a bit of pasta-water to use as a pasta sauce with mushrooms or chicken, or you can nibble a slice of baguette or toast spread with goat's cheese topped with this great green stuff. And it keeps so long in the fridge! Best used with basil picked minutes earlier from your garden, you can also use the packaged-fresh variety. Consider yourself warned - this stuff is addictive.

3 or 4 handfuls of fresh basil leaves (you can include stems, but it gets a little stringy)
3 - 4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic
Sea salt to taste
Splash of lemon juice
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. pine nuts - expensive but don't try to substitute

Add all ingredients to your food processor and blend until everything is incorporated into a thick paste. Alternatively, put everything in a large bowl and puree with a hand blender.

Don't be afraid to add a little more of this and a bit more of that. More oil means a more spreadable mixture. More garlic means no one will want to kiss you for the rest of the day. Taste as you go, and you will have the perfect pesto!

Store in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, in the fridge. It will keep for I daresay a month - if it's not already eaten by then!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

My family loved this one at our annual family reunion! I love Joy of Baking, this recipe is no exception. My only two tips are, when you are folding the egg whites into the batter, don't go overboard! Use as few strokes as possible. And, it is imperative you use brown sugar instead of white sugar for the caramel. Don't try using white sugar + molasses either ... I learned that the hard way!

Cornbread

This one's an old favourite. Like biscuits, cornbread makes an excellent accompaniment, or is great as a snack just warmed up with butter. This recipe is easy to vegan-ify, and tastes exactly the same. My cornbread is moist, tender, slightly sweet, and very fluffy! Vegan verson in (brackets). Adapted from Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook.

1 c. corn meal
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk or yogourt (soymilk + 1 Tbsp. vinegar)
1 egg (1 portion egg substitute)
1/4 c. white sugar (Redpath sugar)
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan with butter, margarine, or spray oil. I usually grease a muffin tin for portion-sized cornbreads. Combine dry ingredients together. Whisk wet ingredients together in a separate bowl or ewer. Add wet to dry, stir just until combined, and fill loaf pan or muffin tin. Bake for about 12 minutes for muffins, or 20 minutes or longer for loaf. Remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Eesti Pannkoogid - Estonian Pancakes

This is my great aunt's recipe! These are delicious, they are like crepes more than pancakes. Enjoy with your favourite jam, particularly lingonberry or blackcurrant, with sour cream, or filled with ground beef and onions!

1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs

Whisk ingredients together until very smooth. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes or longer before you begin to cook these.

Heat up a round fry pan, non-stick is easiest, on medium heat. Melt a chunk of butter and spread to all edges of the pan. Ladle in a spoonful of pannkook batter and tilt your pan until the batter has reached the edges. Since these are thicker than the traditional French crepe, the amount of batter you add to the pan is greater. Let the batter cook until the edges of the pannkook start to curl up, and the underneath is white and brown. Then, tactfully if possible, flip the pannkook over and cook for just a minute or two, until the unerneath is white and brown as well.

Repeat this procedure until all of your batter is used up. If you're coordinated enough, you can have two or three pans going at once to speed things up. My aunt serves me each one as it comes fresh off of the pan. Don't be fooled by how thin they are - they will fill you right up! They keep very well in the fridge, stacked, and reheat in the microwave beautifully.

Chocolate Cake

This is my guarantee: If you follow this recipe exactly, it will yield the richest, most moist and chocolatey cake you have ever tried. Adapted from a recipe at AllRecipes.com, but the changes I made make all the difference.

Save 1 c. of your morning strong-brewed coffee for this recipe, or brew some in advance and cool it off.

1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. vinegar

Combine vinegar with milk to curdle.

1 3/4 c. flour
2 c. white sugar
1 c. sifted cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. cold strong brewed coffee
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 2 x 8-inch round cake pans. Alternatively, grease and line bottoms of pans with parchment. Sift dry ingredients together in one bowl. Whisk eggs and oil together in a large bowl, and whisk in vanilla and coffee. Stir in soured milk. Gradually beat in dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

This will easily make 24 cupcakes as well - bake for about 12 - 15 minutes.

Pump this recipe up to a Black Forest Cake:

In advance, soak halved and pitted, fresh, sweet black cherries (appx. 30 or 40 berries) in some cherry brandy - overnight is best. When cake is cooled, whip up a carton of whipping cream with sugar and vanilla added (to taste). Drain cherries and spread them generously between your two cake layers. Frost the cake with whipped cream, using a spatula or a piping bag, and decorate with more soaked and fresh cherries.

For those of you who are lactose-intolerant, or who would like to reduce the fat, use Cool Whip or Cool Whip Light instead of whipped cream.

Easy Biscuits

I love biscuits, particularly fresh from the oven at breakfast. This is a simple recipe, and can be used to accompany any meal, including chili, sausage gravy, or strawberry jam or compote.

2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cold butter (or margarine)
1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 450 F. Combine all of the dry ingredients, and cut the butter into the dry. Another way to do this, is to freeze the butter and grate it into the dry with a cheese grater. Do not overwork this step. Then, stir in the milk until everything is just combined. Flour a flat surface, and knead 8 to 10 times only. Roll the dough out to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters, or into squares with a knife. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (or plop squares into a muffin tin - this method works great). Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until very puffy and just golden on top. Serve hot and fresh!

Peach BBQ Ribs

I like to eat something sweet with my pork. Whether it's bacon, sausages, ham, or ribs, I feel that pork just isn't complete without a sweet element. In this recipe, I use in-season peaches to sweeten the BBQ sauce. This recipe needs to be started well in advance, so consider starting this recipe the day before you plan to serve the ribs.

Sauce:
2 large peaches, chopped (I left skin on)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c. BBQ sauce (use your favourite)
1/4 c. beer
1/4 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. grated fresh garlic
1/8 c. maple syrup

Mix all of these in a large mason jar or other suitable closed container. Let it sit for as long as possible to let the flavours meld and mingle - overnight is ideal.

Ribs:
Rub your rack(s) of ribs in salt and pepper. Wrap your ribs, bone-side up, in a double layer of tin foil and braise at 325 F for about 1.5 hours (or until cooked through).

At this point, the ribs can be refrigerated, so you can prepare the sauce and cook the ribs the night before, and then slow-cook the ribs the next day.

Slow Cooker:
Place ribs into your slow cooker in any way they fit, and cover them with the peach BBQ sauce. Pour enough beer into the slow cooker to cover the bottom. Cook on LOW for 8 - 10 hours, and serve with more BBQ sauce.

It will fall off the bone! You will need lots of napkins. Enjoy!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

This is a mushroom soup recipe that even I like. It is so earthy and rich in flavour. I got the idea from Chef Michael Smith on the Food Network show, Chef at Home. This recipe, in the style of Mr. Smith, is all about taste. You don't need to measure to get the flavour you want - just taste it as you go!

Melt about 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute a variety of mushrooms (oyster, portobello, crimini, etc.) in the butter until golden. The more mushrooms you have crowding the pan, the less likely they will brown properly. You can saute the mushrooms in two batches if need be. Add a few Tbsp. white wine (red is OK too, it just tastes stronger) and reduce for a couple of minutes. Add 1 - 2 c. strong beef broth (depends on how much soup you would like to make). Add fresh grated garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Chop about 1/8 c. fresh thyme and add to soup. Add more wine to taste, if desired. Simmer until flavours meld and mellow, about 10 minutes.

When soup is at your desired flavour and temperature, add a spash or two of heavy whipping cream (or table cream), until your desired colour and thickness is reached. Remove skillet from the heat and let the soup thicken slightly. Serve hot, with fresh garlic-rubbed toast.

Trina's Meatballs

My version of good old Italian meatballs. This is a slow-cooker recipe. I have never been fond of Swedish meatballs, that is why I prefer these! I have a hungry family, so I make 2 lbs. worth of balls - this way I get lots of leftovers. By all means cut the recipe in half to suit your needs, and add any extra spices or herbs to suit your taste.

2 lbs. lean ground beef
4 eggs, whisked
Fresh chopped sage to taste, I use about 1/8 c. Feel free to use dried sage
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. garlic powder (fresh is, of course, OK too)

Squish all of these ingredients together. I use my hands, it is far more thorough. Squish until very well-combined. Prepare a skillet over medium heat, melt some bacon fat or butter. Form little 1-inch diameter balls and brown in the skillet. After each ball is browned, add to your slow cooker. They need not be cooked through, just very nicely crispy-brown.

When you have finished browning all of the balls, prepare the tomato sauce:

1 jar of your favourite tomato pasta sauce
Chopped veggies of your choice. I use sweet peppers, mushrooms, onions
1/2 c. beer or red wine (whatever your preference, or whatever you have lying around)
1 Tbsp. sugar
Fresh basil
... anything that tastes good!

Add these items into the slow cooker with the balls and stir carefully (you don't want to mash up all the meatballs).

Cook on HIGH for 3 - 4 hours. Serve on crusty rolls with provolone and mozzarella cheese topped with parmesan, or over spaghetti.

Squash Pie

A delicious alternative to pumpkin. I prefer to use a buttercup squash, but I'm sure your favourite squash will work nicely. This recipe seems very liquid-y when you pour it into the shell, but I assure you, it firms right up. Found this recipe on allrecipes.com

To mash the squash, you'll find it easiest to cut the squash in half lengthwise, place the halves flesh-side-up on a cookie sheet, and bake in the oven at about 350 F for an hour, or until soft and scoopable. Cool them a little, scoop as much flesh as you can possibly get out into a bowl, and mash or puree the flesh. This mash is very easily frozen in a tupperware container, so you can mash your squash in advance. This method also works for pumpkins or any other fleshy gourd.

2 x 9-inch pie shells
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger (fresh or powdered)
1 pinch salt
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 c. hot milk
2 lbs. mashed squash (one small squash will yield the right amount)
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix sugar and salt with spices. Blend in milk, squash, eggs, and butter. At this point, I like to grab my hand-blender and puree this entire mixture so that the pie is velvety-smooth. Pour the filling into unbaked pie shells. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or maple syrup.

Do not underbake this pie, or it will turn out mushy. When the pie comes out of the oven, it should be completely set up and firm.

I found that I could easily make tartlets out of this by rolling a pie pastry, and lining two muffin tins with pie crust. They tasted excellent and they were very easy to freeze as well.

Easy Vanilla Cake

Light, white, delicious. Suitable for cakes or cupcakes. This cake is firm enough to ice and is wonderful with a basic buttercream frosting!

This isn't a recipe of mine, I believe I got it from allrecipes.com

2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. vegetable oil
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla (I often add an extra tsp. because I love vanilla)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line and grease two round cake pans (or 2 x 12 cup muffin tins) with parchment paper. Beat sugar and eggs to gether until thickened, about 1 minute. Add flour, milk, oil, baking powder, and vanilla and mix for about 1 minute. Do not overbeat or underbeat! One minute is long enough to develop the glutens in the flour and incorporate lots of air into the batter.

Pour batter into pans and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (30 - 40 min for round pans, 12 - 15 min for cupcakes).

My Favourite Lemon Bars

These are tart, delicate, and delicious. Fresh lemons must be used, there is no substitute for the real thing. I used the recipe from JoyofBaking.com.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/LemonBars.html

Trina's Baked Beans

Good old cowboy beans! Tasty, and not the least bit bland. Be careful - when you're done enjoying these beans, things might get a little ... stinky ;) This takes some preparation and should be started about one day in advance of when you would like to serve.

- Soak dried white navy beans in water overnight. Drain and rinse. Put the soaked beans in a pot, cover with water, and boil for ten minutes. Turn off the heat and let the beans soak for an additional hour or two in the hot water. Drain and rinse, and add to slow cooker.
- Add: 1 small can tomato paste, and 3 c. water (Add more water if you like the sauce a little "juicier").
- Add 1/4 c. each of: BBQ sauce, prepared mustard, maple syrup, sugar.
- Add to taste: onion, garlic and bouillon powders, and salt.
- Most importantly (or this can be left out for Veg's) ... add a pound of chopped, uncooked bacon. Mmmm!

Bake on HIGH for at least 6 hours, or LOW 10 - 12 hours.

Serve warm with cornbread, or any other homemade bread. Can easily be reheated.

Sauerkraut Stew

This is a delicious slow-cooker meal, inspired by Oktoberfest. Filled with kraut, browned pork, sausage, potatoes and carrots, it is hearty and heart-warming. This is one of my own creations.

Since this is a stew, play around with ingredients. This is not a set-in-stone recipe.

Marinate your pork: I used pork chops, but you can use any tasty cut. The tough bits will break down almost completely in the slow cooker anyway. Cube the pork into bite-sized chunks and marinate in a bowl, overnight, in worcestershire, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic.

- Saute 2 - 3 pounds of marinated pork, cubed, in butter until brown on all sides. Dump in slow cooker.
- Cut up 6 Oktoberfest sausages. I used mild. I'm sure spicy would be yummy too. Add to cooker.
- Add 1 large jar or can of sauerkraut (your favourite kind, I used wine-fermented), juice and all, to pot.
- Add diced carrots, cubed potatoes (I prefer skin-on), a diced onion.
- Add generously, to taste: worcestershire sauce, salt, spices (rosemary, thyme, sage, pepper), mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, red wine vinegar.
- Add heaping tablespoon full of beef bouillon, dissolved in 1 c. hot water.
- I like to make this dish a little bit sweet to balance the "sauer": a few tablespoons of sugar (or maple syrup), or cut up an apple.


Stir everything up, and cook it on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 10 - 12 hours.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, and with some nice rye bread.