Tis the Season.... GIVEAWAY!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Truly this is my favorite time of year. People seem nicer (other than stampedes on Black Friday). People seem giving (other than greedy little brats who want everything). People seem more at peace (other than stressing about family coming in town and digging through their closets full of luggage stores to hide the gifts).

Well, now that I mention it, maybe Christmas is more than just holly and jolly, but none-the-less, it's still my favorite time of year.

And because of that, I'm doing another giveaway!

This time of year, sometimes you want to avoid the mall like the plague, and I'm going to help you do that. You can shop here, or here, and even here. Trust me--you can find something for everyone on your list! You'll win $35.00 to spend on whatever it is you'd like.

To enter, you MUST become a Public Blogger Follower of The Messie Kitchen AND leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite holiday cookie with your email included! That's it. If you want an extra entry, "Like" The Messie Kitchen on Facebook or follow me on Twitter! Tell your friends and family about this giveaway if there's something on the list you want for yourself... tis the season of recieving too, right?

The giveaway is going to close ONE WEEK from today, so Wednesday December 15th. Enter now!!! And happy shopping!

Fall into Winter Salad

I have always been a ranch kind of gal. Ranch on my carrots, ranch on my cheese fries, ranch with a side of lettuce...

Salads were always an iceberg-y mix of croutons, cheese, bacon bits and hard boiled egg topped with gobs of creamy, tangy ranch.

How I've evolved.

This salad is nothing like that nutritional monster I used to consume. This salad is rich in flavor, texture and color. It's sweet, savory and a perfect side as we move out of a harvest fall and into a chilly winter. Try it with your next meal!

Fall into Winter Salad


What ya need:
1 bag field greens
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup sugar glazed pecans
1 cup granny smith apple, diced
1 pkg. Kraft Good Seasons Basil Vinaigrette
1 cup feta cheese crumbles


What ya do:
1. Toss the first four ingredients together. Meanwhile, prepare dressing as directed on the package. Top greens with dressing and garnish with feta cheese.


And that's it! Happy Monday! One project down, three papers, two presentations and one exam to go!

Manly Cupcakes: Beer, Bacon and Babes.

Oh my gosh, is he really going to wear flannel on our date night? Do you think he will shave his beard when he meets my parents? Can we please turn off Sports Center and watch The Real Housewives?

Ladies, is this hitting home for you? I thought so.
Ahh... the "manly" man. Rough and tumble. Worn in jeans and a five o' clock shadow. Messy hair and a tough exterior. If you're not dating him, married to him, or interested in him, you at least know the type I'm talking about.

We all do. I happen to be with one of them, but that's another story.

Earlier this week, my friend Lizzy sent me a recipe for a "manly" cupcake. Is that an oxymoron? I don't think so. Real men like cupcakes.

Well, what the heck is a manly cupcake?

Beer. Bacon. Chicks. Oh wait, no chicks. But beer and bacon, okay! I'm skeptical. This seems weird. I'm not a guy. Is this going to taste good? Should we just make brownies and call it a night? No. Bring on the testosterone.


So, Lizzy, Amie and I made our first ever batch of manly cupcakes. Moist cake, awesome. Sweet and salty topping, perfect. What is going on!?

You can make these completely from scratch or used a boxed mix. We used a box mix but your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe will do. For the frosting, I recommend a special dark chocolate frosting jazzed up with a few tablespoons of Guinness.


What ya need:
Your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe or a boxed mix.
Guinness Beer


For the frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
4.5 cups confectioner's sugar
1.25 Dark Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 tbsp Guinness
2 tbsp (or less) of milk
1/4 cup Crumbled Bacon
1/4 cup Heath Bar toffee bits


What ya do:
1. Prepare cupcakes as directed. When they are cooled, use a toothpick to poke several holes in each cupcake. Spoon Guinness over every cupcake (a tsp or 2). Let set and prepare frosting.
2. For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar, cocoa powder and Guinness. To achieve your desired consistency, you can use a little milk, or more Guinness if you want to put a little hair on your chest!
3. Spread cupcakes with frosting and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and toffee bits.


The sweet and salty combo on the frosting is divine, and the cupcake was so moist from the Guinness. It doesn't taste like a beer... but it has this dynamic rich flavor that you will love, trust me. I'm not even a dark beer fan, and this was good.


These cupcakes were so manly that in order to restore our feminism we uncorked a bottle of Pinot, popped some kettle corn and watched Love Actually. God I love my girlfriends.


I have tons leftover, so if you need something to give to your man or want to eat it yourself, let me know. Have an awesome weekend. Happy December!

Leftover Turkey Part 2

The turkey is almost gone. Thank goodness. I've about had my fill. But, until I'm there, two more recipes.


Well, one is more of a recipe and one is more of an assembly. In fact, it might not even be post-worthy, but...sucks! You have to see it.

So, if you're anything like me, you eat a lot of sandwiches? I'm a sammy fiend. Tomato, basil, mozzarella paninis, portabella burgers, Ruebens... you name it.

I eat a lot of turkey sammies too. Mostly turkey and avocado. But every once in a while you need to branch out. So, next time you have a little leftover turkey, try this five ingredient open faced sandwich.


What ya need:
Leftover turkey
Shredded mozzarella cheese
1- tbsp Lemon Garlic Sauce You're going to want to get this sauce. It's amazing
Spinach
One slice multi-grain bread


What ya do:
1. Bread. Spinach. Turkey. Mozz.
2. Broil it til it's bubbly and turkey gets a little browned
3. Drizzle with sauce and serve


Voila!


And that's it. Okay, not that exciting? Too bad. Try it anyway!!

Leftover Turkey Part 1

There is so much turkey. Holy Hannah.


And I’m sick. My throat hurts. My head feels cloudy. My body is sore.


First solution? Go to Wegmans and wander around the store aimlessly. Pick out seasonal items such as Sugar Cookie Tea and chocolate candies wrapped in Christmas colors. Okay, this is a quick fix… but it did work.

Kudos to A-Diz for answering my text message: “Pop quiz. I feel lethargic, sick and moody today. Where did I go to make myself feel better?”


She got it!


Second solution? Make soup.

And soup we made! Minestrone to be exact, and though it's good the first night, it's awesome the next day. Thank you Better Homes & Gardens for this one!


What ya need (for 8 entrée servings)
3 14-ounce cans beef broth
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 11-1/2-ounce can vegetable juice
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1-1/2 cups loose-pack frozen mixed vegetables (such as Italian blend)
Leftover Turkey (as much as you’d like!)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, cut into strips
2 cups cooked pasta, such as medium shell macaroni or mostaccioli
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)


What ya do:
1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine beef broth, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, undrained tomatoes, vegetable juice, tomato paste, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Bring to boiling; add mixed vegetables and turkey. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Stir in spinach and cooked pasta; heat through. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
3. Makes 8 servings (12 cups)


And do you still have leftovers? Well good thing... I've got ya covered!

Spicy Black Beans and Rice

I'm in a food conundrum. I woke up this morning and I think my body was in shock.


Oatmeal? Turkey and avocado sandwich? A clementine? Where's the gravy?


Yes, it's true, the indulgence came and went, and I'm back on the saddle of mostly good-fir-me foods. What a difference four days makes though. I've been starving all day (and feeding the hunger, but c'mon!). Your body quickly adapts to all that rich food. Oye. I definitely couldn't be like that all year!


So tonight, dinner was back to normal, and a delicious black bean and rice dish (originally from Better Homes & Garden) was prepared, topped with guacamole and served alongside a salad. It was a perfect getting back into the groove meal, and it was scrumptious!

Oh and the best part? It is a cinch to put together. So if you're looking for a hectic week night dinner that's satisfying, easy, and um, healthy...you've met your match!

Jazz it up with cheese and cilantro and a sprinkle of tortilla chips if you wish. Or serve it neKKed. Either way, it's a winner! For four servings...

What ya need:
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1- 14.5 oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
Sour Cream
Guacamole


What ya do:
1. In a medium saucepan, cook the 1/2 cup of onion and garlic in hot oil until tender, but not brown. Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, salsa and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
2. To plate, scoop rice onto a plate or into a serving bowl. Top with bean mixture and garnish with sour cream, avocado, diced onion or cheese, if desired.


And guess what? A serving is less than 300 calories. I'll take it! Alongside and salad and a big bowl of broccoli, I'm stuffed...much like a turkey.


Ta Ta my loves!

Thanksgiving Part 2: Everything Else

This weekend was so exhausting! I thought Thanksgiving was for rejuvenation? Oh well, I had a great holiday. I saw so many friends who flew in town from various places from the country and ate like a Queen and wined like a fish and life was sweet.

The whole delicious plate.

I'm sleepy. But I'm also feeling gracious and I want to bless you with a few more old tried and true family recipes. Talking Grandma's type deal, ya dig?

The major chef, Sue.

The bird, browned and stuffed.

Turkey Gravy (kind of like liquid heroin, I'd imagine)
What ya need:
Giblets and neck from turkey
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
8 cups water
½ cup flour
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp pepper


What ya do:
Wash giblets and neck; refrigerate liver. Place gizzard, heart and neck in a sauce pan with vegetables, a bay leaf, 1 tsp of salt and water. Heat to boiling; simmer about 2 hours, adding the liver the last 20 minutes. Strain liquid, discard neck, vegetables and gizzards (EW) so you only have the broth.


When turkey has been removed to a warm platter, pour drippings into a bowl leaving the brown particles in the pan. Let the fat rise to the top of drippings. Skim off fat. Place ½ cup fat in the roasting pan, blend in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Measure broth, add meat juice if necessary to make 4 cups. Stir broth into flour mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Stir in salt, poultry seasoning and pepper. Heat through. Makes 4 ½ cups.

It's our first holiday with my baby!

Canned crannberries, exciting.

Stuffin' ya'll

Perfect Stuffing
What ya need:
1 pound sage pork sausage (Jimmy Dean)
1 bag (Pepperidge Farm) dehydrated herb bread cubes
½ cup butter
¾ cup finely minced onion
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp dried sage
Poultry seasoning to taste


What ya do:
1. Plan a cup of stuffing per each pound of ready-to-cook weight. Brown and crumble pork sausage (You need 1/3 lb for each quart of stuffing). Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add onions and cook until yellow, stirring occasionally. Stir in some of the bread cubes.
2. Continue to stir to prevent too much browning. Turn into a deep bowl. Mix remaining ingredients lightly.
3. Cool and place stuffing loosely in turkey
4. Bake that sucker. Enjoy and delight in how fantastic it tastes

Love me some mashed taters, but there isn't really a recipe here

I need to fast; We had Thanksgiving round two tonight.

Delish bottles of wine

Oh yum.

Looking sleepy PRE tryptophan. Sheesh.

Grandma's Recipe

Glorified Cauliflower
What ya need:
1 medium cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
3 cups frozen peas
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (used a mix of cheddar and feta, nice bite!)
Hot pepper to taste


What ya do:
1. Heat one inch salter water to boiling. Add cauliflower. Cover and heat to boiling. Cook until tender, whole 20 to 25 minutes. Drain. Set aside. Cook frozen peas. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
3. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil about one minute and stir in cheese and hot pepper sauce to taste. Cook and stir until cheese is melted.
4. Plate peas on a large platter; place cauliflower in the middle. Drizzle cheese over vegetables and serve.

The Lovely Tablescape

My roomies... 36 Thanksgivings together

Who let the 12 year old drink?

Happy Thanksgiving and prepare yourself for the rest of the holiday season in The Messie Kitchen!!