Turkey Day Stuffin'

This year I am making the Turkey Day stuffing.  To me the stuffing is absolutely the most critical part of the feast.  A bad stuffing can ruin any Thanksgiving dinner!  Last year, for example, my stuffing was WAY to sweet and ruined the bird and the dinner.  This year I am determined to redeem myself.  I have searched far and wide to find a stuffing fit for the bird that sacrificed himself for my enjoyment.  I remembered a stuffing my step-mom made a few years back.  I was able to procure this recipe (and her modifications) and made a few modifications of my own on the fly at the store...which is no easy task while being trailed by a 2 and 1/2 year old with 2 purses who stops to play dress up in the middle of The Teeter.  Well I will post pics as I go...Wish me luck all you faithful followers out there....
Serves 12
Prep:30min, Stand:24hrs.  Bake:45min


8 tablespoons butter, plus more at room temperature for pan and aluminum foil
1 loaf Italian bread round torn into bite-size pieces
1 loaf Pumpernickle bread round torn into bite-size pieces
3 medium onions, chopped
(3 Celery Stalks if you desire...I can not stant that stuff so I cook without it.)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 Large Fuji apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and cut crosswise into thin slices
32 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth
12 oz Vegitable Stock
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage
12 oz
5 large eggs, lightly beaten

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Arrange bread in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until dried, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions (and celery if desired) season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add apples; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; reserve saucepan.

2.In same saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Remove from heat; set aside.

To onion-apple mixture, add bread, sage, cranberries, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine.

Add half the broth and toss to combine.

Continue adding broth and tossing just until stuffing is moistened but not wet.

3.Spoon stuffing into prepared baking dish; cover with buttered aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.

Place covered baking dish in oven (375), and bake until warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

*NOTE:  Add more liquid than you think.  My dressing tasted GREAT!  But was not a "dressing" consistency.  It was more like lots of fantastic pieces in a bowl, not lots of fantastic pieces all meshed perfectly together.

Elic's Tree

My son Elic was born 2 weeks ago.  My grandfather brought over a dogwood for us to plant for him.  I installed it where the existing pond it.  When I am done with the backyard redux, it will be the focal point of the bio-retention area.

FPF ~ Back Yard Redux

Ok...So as if I did not have enough things on my plate, I decided to go ahead and start work on the back yard design...I have some great ideas and jumped right to work this beautiful weekend!
First off, I am digging a 20x3x5 foot french drain at the edge of the garage.  We have had some drainage issues and this should take care of any water coming across the area.

There is obviously a lot of work to do here.  I need to dig the hole another foot or two deeper, add washed gravel and a perforated pipe with sock cover.  Then more washed gravel and then I can add the permeable pavers that i got from Belgard.

So I needed something to do with all the extra  dirt I had so I decided to start creating the area for my new perennial garden.   I then decided it was time to relocate the existing water feature.  The previous owner located the fountain in a low part of the yard where the back 40 drains into the pool. I plan on moving the pond to the high side of the yard and making the location of the old pond a bio-retention garden.  When It is all done, I plan on having a pond with large waterfall and a stream bed running through the perennial garden to a disappearing fountain.  Lots of work, but it will be worth it.

A veiw from the gate looking at the water fall. The black pot is where the disipearing fountain will go. 

Looking at the waterfall.  I need to build the back up about 5' to create the falls.  A stream will come from the right side and meander to the disipearing fountain.

Its about 4' deep with shelves at differnet heights to put the plants.  I dug it deep enough to be able to have Coy and Goldfish.

    

                   

Home Made Pepper Jelly

What you got to have:

1 C FRESH diced Jalapenos (Food Processor)

1 C Diced Green Bell Pepper (Food Processor)

2 C Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Pouches (3 oz each) liquid pectin

Sterilize:

1. Fill a water bath canner about half full; add the empty canning jars (6 half-pint size) and bring to a boil. Lower heat and leave jars in the hot water.

2. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add the lids; keep hot.

Cook:
1. In a large pot combine vinegar, chopped jalapeno peppers & Bell Peppers & sugar. Bring to a full boil stirring constantly.
2. Stir in the liquid pectin and return to a full boil. Boil for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle into the hot jars and seal.
4. Place the jars in the canner on a rack and add more boiling water to at least 1 inch above the jars.

Serve:
Spoon over Cream Cheese and eat with Ritz or Wheat Thins

Slap Yo Granny Chili

I have made a lot of good (and not so good) chili's.  I decided this year to combine some of my favorites and see what happened.  So what happened?  A chili so good it will make you want to slap your granny...not once...but twice!

What you need
Ingredients (6-8 servings)


1.5 pounds ground beef chuck
2 Spicy Italian sausages
1 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
2 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce (1 drained)
2 (28 ounce) cans Whole tomatoes (Drain the juice from one)
    -  Pour in bowl and squish/tear with hands)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
4 pieces of bacon (reserve drippings)
3 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
1/4 C Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar

To Serve with
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®
1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese

Directions

1.Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
2.  Cook Bacon and crumble
3. Saute onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic in the bacon drippings until tender
4.  Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, green bell pepper, Chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer.
5.  Add all seasoning
6.  Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
7.  After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

4.To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese

Amazing Black Bean and Corn Salsa!

What you need:

3 Ears fresh yellow corn, cut off the cob
1 Ears fresh white corn, cut off the cob
1 28 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped (add pieces and juice)
1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
5 green onions, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalopenio pepper, diced
6 limes (juiced) (about 1/4-1/2 cups)
2 ripe avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced

2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste

I like a chunky salsa and like to have all the ingredients cut about the same size.  You can change up how you chop the ingredients to your liking.

What to Do:
1.Stir the yellow and white corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, jalopenio and garlic in a large bowl. Gently mix in the lime juice and avocado. Drizzle with olive oil to serve.
 

This can be used as a dip, topping to chicken, a filling for a wrap or sandwich...lots of good things to do with it. It makes a ton, so adjust as needed.

FPF ~ Labor Day!

Made 2 trips down the West Harpeth this weekend.  Both times I put in at the bridge on Boyde Mill Road and exited the river at Hwy96 W.

On Saturday my friend Ryan came down from Knoxville and we took out the Canoe.
We were on the water for over 8 hours!  The drive time is 2.2 miles!  That's one windy-ass river!
We took around 40 fish, mostly 1 to 1.5 pound smalls and largemouth bass, with the occasional red-eye, brem, and even 3 crappie!

Ryan and the first good bass of the day.

Nice small!

Now were talking!

After a long day, I thought I would head out on Monday morning and see what kind of trouble I could get into in the 'Yak.  I thought I would be able to cut the float time in half....I was wrong!  6 hrs later I had only pulled out about 20 fish when I came to a hole Ryan and I skipped...Then I looked at it...and thought a bit...and thew in my line.  I sat in this hole for about 45 min and pulled in small and large mouth right and left.  I caught 1 4lber and had 2 more on the line that were bigger.  One jumped and threw the hook, the other snapped my 4lb test line while the drag was being stripped...clean break, not a knot slip!