Another Thanksgiving Gone By and Two Football Eras Over!

          Friends, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  My sister and I did, as we get together every year with a great group of friends and adopted family, and generous hostesses that they are, our "family" gets bigger every year.  It's great to meet new people and share great company and great food.  Here are my contributions to the dinner table!

Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake!

          Thelma has had this cake before and requested it for Thanksgiving.  She is our friend who hosts Thanksgiving every year, along with her husband, Carlton.  She is also mother to my pet friends, Dakota and Taffy.  Sadly, Taffy is no longer with us as of recently, and she is missed.  

          This cake is delicious!  You can't beat the flavors of lemon and blueberry.  It's also easy to make with easy clean-up! Click on the picture for the recipe!  

          I did not photo the steps of this recipe.  My friend Jimmye and I started out playing early on the day before Thanksgiving and came home late!  It was about midnight when I finished the cake and I finished the dressing for the oven the next morning.  I was a little tired and ready for bed!  I'm sure I am not the only cook who did that the night before Thanksgiving!  I surely loved having the day to hang out with Jimmye!

          This dressing meets my friend Renee's standards, because it includes cornbread AND biscuits, just the way her mother used to make it!  It did turn out nice and moist and flavorful!  In case you noticed there is organic celery in the picture, it's because you have to buy the pricier celery when you wait until two days before Thanksgiving to buy groceries!  Thank goodness it was there, though!  Click on the picture of the cornbread for the Martha White recipe that I use.  I had baking mix (generic Bisquick) in the house, so I did use that to make the biscuits.  I also added two cups of homemade garlic croutons that were made a few days before and kept in the freezer.  They were originally made for homemade potato soup (recipe below), but they were finished off nicely here!   

Sawyer's First Thanksgiving!

          Instead of saving Sawyer's picture until the end of the blog as usual, let's look at her here!  This is her first Thanksgiving and I can't wait to watch her grow every year!  Maybe when she gets old enough she'll help her Aunt Nise in the kitchen, or at least hang out with me!

Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup!

          Before I made this potato soup, the only potato soup I had ever made was from a packet I bought at a gourmet coffee shop at which I used to work many, many years ago.  It was tasty, but not as special as making your own.  This is another easy dish.  Prep the veggies and bacon and throw them all in the Crock Pot!  The croutons are made from a baguette that was diced, tossed in melted butter (you can use olive oil) and minced garlic, salt and pepper, and toasted in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Homemade croutons are great!!!

          As a personal preference, next time I make this soup, I will use chives (they go with potatoes, right?), and leave out the bacon (forgive me!).  It's also nice with fresh shredded cheddar on top!

Coach Frank Beamer, VT Hokies!

Coach Mark Richt, UGA

          Well, next year will be a lot different for us.  I have been a Virginia Tech fan since my friend Lynette's son, Dorian, started playing for them as a red shirt Freshman in 2005.  Now Coach Beamer is retiring after 29 years, and it is the end of the Beamer Ball era.  Coach Bud Foster is staying on so there will still be some familiarity.  The Hokies did not make the ACC Championship game this year, but they will have a bowl game before Coach Beamer retires!

          I have not been a fan of UGA until recently, but I certainly know many avid Georgia fans!  I'm from Georgia!  Coach Richt at the University of Georgia is leaving after 15 years.  He has been hired by the Miami Hurricanes (in the same Coastal division of the ACC as the Hokies!).  So we'll all be getting used to someone new next Fall!

          Best wishes to both of these men, Coach Beamer in his retirement, and Coach Richt in his new move!

          I guess that's all for now, Friends!  It's only 21 days until Christmas, so there's going to be a lot of cooking and baking going on in the upcoming days.  I also have a new toy I can't wait to show you if you didn't see it already on my Facebook page!

          Enjoy this time with your family, or your adopted families which are really the same thing, and never take anything for granted!

          Dished With Love, Denise!