Cooking on the Front Burner: November 2012

Foodie PenPal Reveal

Today I'm revealing the package I received from my FPP, Lauren who is from Omaha... it was the best package ever! First it came with this cute card.

The goodies were wonderful and all local items from Nebraska. Yummy chocolates called Baker's Candies, dessert toppings, coffee and popcorn. Lauren is also in the publishing business and sent 2 magazines she works with. I was nice and shared with my husband - there were many more chocolates but we ate most of them before I could snap a photo!

Oh ya, these look "sinful"

Being a popcorn fanatic, this was my favorite!

Thanks Lauren! I definitely enjoyed my taste of Nebraska!!
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I will definitely be participating in the December FPP. Instead of packages, we will donate what we would have spent on a donation for the Hurricane Sandy victims... if you are interested, details can be found here

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Grow Your Blog

Hi - I'm co-hosting with Julie this week for her Grow Your Blog party and hope you will link up and check out some of the other participants... I really enjoy meeting other bloggers - always interesting to see what others are up to for new recipes or projects to try. Happy Thursday!

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Good morning and welcome to the Grow Your Blog Blog Hop! This blog hop is all about networking and building your blog. Each week from Thursday through Sunday I will host the Grow Your Blog link party, along with a few co-hosts, in order to promote blog networking. Why is blog networking great for you? Simply put, it increases readership and traffic to your blog. How do you network? Visit. Comment. Invite. Communicate. These are key to growing your blog.

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THIS WEEKS CO-HOSTS
Julie from This Gal Cooks - HOST
Paula from Call Me PMc - Permanent CO-HOST
Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama - CO-HOST
Karyn from Pint Sized Baker - CO-HOST
Deb from Cooking on the Front Burner - CO-HOST
Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen - CO-HOST

When you link up to this party:

Follow your host and co-hosts.
Visit and follow other bloggers.
Comment to let them know that you stopped by and how you followed their blog (GFC, BlogLovin, etc)
Invite them to visit your blog (be sure to leave your blog web address - too many times have I seen bloggers comment and request a visit to their blog without leaving their blog web address)
Communicate with them about what you like on their blog. Let them know you are interested in their blog. USE THEIR NAME! A simple "I'm so and so stopping by. I followed you please follow me." just isn't going to interest someone into visiting your blog. Sure, you can request a visit to your blog or a follow along but engage in some type of conversation first.
Grab a button and promote the party! The more participants, the more bloggers to network with!

Contact me at thisgalcooks@gmail.com and I will schedule you!

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Butternut Squash Lasagna

About once a year I make something with butternut squash. It's a yummy veggie and goes well with other flavors. The squash is roasted and also has caramelized onions and spinach. It was really good but very labor intensive. From start to table it took about 2 hours. Good for a day when you have lots of time - I made mine on a Sunday and enlisted the help of The Fisherman too and he did a great job of peeling the squash and cubing it.

The flavors really meld together nicely and made for a great Sunday dinner.

Recipe Source: Cooking Light
(recipe link)

Let me know if you give it a try and if you discovered any shortcuts :-)

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Beef Stroganoff

Hold on to your hats - I actually made a dinner that isn't chicken! I had a request from one of my girls to post something that wasn't chicken or pasta.... And while this has some pasta, the main event is the beef. It was my first attempt at making a stroganoff and I think this recipe is a keeper. The meat (sirloin) was very tender and I used baby bella mushrooms instead of button. They hold their shape and do not produce much water when cooking. Very tasty and very good reheated too. Perfect for a cold night when you want something to stick to your ribs!

Recipe Source: Adapted from Fresh Tastes
(Printable recipe)

There you go Kristina - this is just for you :-)

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Book Club

It's been awhile since I've had a book club post - I'm so glad that we have gotten back on track. The last meeting before this one was in July and due to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to get together until the end of October. This month's read was my selection and everyone really enjoyed the book.

It was a great read and I don't want to give much away so here is what is listed on the the Amazon site:

After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy and sheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from family recipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna’s soup draws an unexpected visitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years, who appears with a cryptic warning (“do no let her…”) before vanishing like steam from a cooling dish. A haunted kitchen isn’t Ginny’s only challenge. Her domineering sister, Amanda, (aka “Demanda”) insists on selling their parents’ house, the only home Ginny has ever known. As she packs up her parents’ belongings, Ginny finds evidence of family secrets she isn’t sure how to unravel. She knows how to turn milk into cheese and cream into butter, but she doesn’t know why her mother hid a letter in the bedroom chimney, or the identity of the woman in her father’s photographs. The more she learns, the more she realizes the keys to these riddles lie with the dead, and there’s only one way to get answers: cook from dead people’s recipes, raise their ghosts, and ask them.

Our night together was enjoyable too as we had just all gone to a wedding from one of our members, Anne. And our host made a delicious dessert - Apple Crisp. When we meet in December we will be discussing is "The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman". I already read it... another good read!

The gang at the wedding.. we had a great time!

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Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends!

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Cranberry Orange Bread-GYCO

A couple weeks ago as I was checking out some of the sites I frequent, I came across the Get Your Chef On challenge. It's kind of like the Iron Chef America only the host doesn't have crazed eyes, a camera doesn't follow me around and I don't need to create 5 dishes from the secret ingredient (though I think I could!). Today's secret ingredient is:

C-R-A-N-B-E-R-R-I-E-S

Hosted by:

Jen @ Four Marrs and One Venus

Julie @ White Lights On Wednesday

I love cranberries and what a great time of the year to bake with these and combined with orange, well - it's the best!

Recipe Source: adapted from My Recipes
(printable recipe)

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Marvelous Monday Party

Happy Thanksgiving week! Have any of you been out shopping this weekend? It is absolutely crazy. Malls and grocery stores are busy busy. I guess people are trying to get a jump on holiday shopping while at the same time planning their Thanksgiving dinner. I also think the nice weather we have contributes to people being out and about. I saw 2 convertibles with the tops down! Yes, it is in the 50's but I guess when it should be about 30 in Minnesota, it's like summer is here again! In fact, this Wednesday The Fisherman and his friend are going to the Mississippi one more time.... I do need him to provide us with some more walleye for Christmas Eve and I'm told they are "biting".

I also want to welcome you to another fun installment of Marvelous Monday I always enjoy co-hosting with Julie, she is such a fun gal! Not only does she blog about some good recipes but she recently started her own blog design business. If you are in the market for a new look, check her out to see some of the designs she has already created.

Hope you find a recipe, project or 2 to try this week. Deb

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Good evening, everyone! Welcome to Marvelous Mondays week 21! I hope you all have had a great weekend. This week's co-hosts are:

Julie from This Gal Cooks (HOST)

Leslie from House On The Way (co-host)

Ali from House Vintage (co-host)

Deb from Cooking On The Front Burner (co-host)

I am currently hosting a {GIVEAWAY} on my blog (This Gal Cooks.) See below for the entry form!

Be sure to stop by these wonderful blogs and say hello! We cannot wait to see what you have to share this week!

If you are interested in co-hosting, please contact me (thisgalcooks@gmail.com) and let me know when you would like to co-host.)

Rules:

Please follow your host and co-hosts via Google Friend Connect, Twitter, Blog Lovin, Facebook or RSS Feed. Please leave a comment stating how you followed so your host can follow you back. Your host and co-host links can be found at the top of the party post.

Check out your fellow bloggers' projects. Leave them some wonderful comments to let them know that you stopped by.

Link up your recipes, crafts or DIY projects. Please link something that you made. No giveaways or shops, please.

Grab a button. It's not mandatory but it helps get the word out about the party.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Mousse Truffle Shots

Time for a fancy pants dessert... it's a little fussy but big on presentation and flavor! Sometimes when I have dinner parties, I like to have a variety of desserts, so it's perfect to make them mini size so you can try them all! (These were made in 2 oz. shot glasses) I decided to make these because my friend Sue is hosting an engagement party for her niece and was looking for some ideas for apps and desserts. We got together for planning and I served these for her to try (along with our fellas).

Recipe Source: Original
(printable recipe)

The bottom layer is made of chocolate cookie crumbs, the second layer is a decadent, dense chocolate truffle, the third layer is a light, white chocolate mousse. The combo is heavenly, the 2 chocolates play well together so the dessert is well balanced. I topped with whipped cream and a raspberry (I think strawberries would be good too and a dusting of cocoa)

Enjoy!

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Giveaway Time

Happy Friday! My friend Julie is have a giveaway this weekend and I am also participating and helping her spread the word! Also, yesterday at work we had an United Way fundraiser. My co-worker and I auctioned off a Dinner for Four and happy to report the highest bid was $200! Thanks to all who bid and we can't wait to prepare this dinner and I'll be sure to blog about it! Have a great weekend!

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Good Friday morning to all of you! Welcome to the second installment of my November Fabulous Sponsors Giveaway! Today through Monday three of my lovely sponsors will be giving away some great prizes. Ad Space. Target. Who doesn't like those?! Now, let's check out these fabulous ladies and the prizes they are giving away.

Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment letting me know that you stopped by! After following along my fabulous sponsors, leave them a comment and let them know you are following so they can check out your blog too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Holiday Baking Cookie Exchange

Hmmm... are you starting to think about what cookies you want to make this year, or need some ideas? Do you set out cookies for Santa, belong to a cookie exchange, or just make them for your family? If so, I think you will like this idea! I was asked to co-host, along with some other fun bloggers, an on-line cookie recipe exchange. This exchange is unique because you just mail a recipe not the actual cookies (no fuss and no crumbs!).

Your other bakers are:

Julie @ White Lights on Wednesdays

Jamie @ Mom's Test Kitchen

Carrie @ My Favorite Finds

Michelle @ Michelle's Tasty Creations

Carrie @ The Fugal Foodie Mama

Kim @ The Sunflower Club

Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Starting today if you would like to participate, click on the sign-up button below to fill out the form. By signing up, you agree to snail mail a handwritten copy of your cookie recipe to your partner. And you also agree to make the recipe sent to you and share photos and the recipe in a blog post. (Please note, if you don't have a blog, no worries!, just email Julie at whitelightsonwednesday@yahoo.com your photos, recipe and thoughts on the experience and one of us will share on our blog). You will receive by email your assigned partner on November 26 and would ask you mail out the recipe by November 29th (note you will receive a recipe from a different partner).

December 13th is the reveal day and you will be able to link up what you made and check out the the other goodies (so come back to link up!!).

**There is a place to note if you have food allergies or dietary preferences in your house that your sender should be conscious of (having a partner with the same diet preferences as you, is possible)

Are you ready to start baking & get in the Christmas cookie spirit?

SIGN UP BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW
{Sign Up is open through Nov. 23rd at 11:59pm}

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Fall is definitely here and if you are like me, you might be looking for some soups to keep you warm on these chilly nights. I wanted to try this soup because the main ingredient is roasted cauliflower. Have you ever roasted this veggie? I love the way is softens up and takes on a caramel-ly like flavor. Another wonderful ingredient is aged white cheddar cheese which I found at out local Trader Joe's. The final step is using a stick blender to reach a smooth consistency. From start to finish you will have your dinner ready in an hour and I would definitely put this on a menu for company!

Recipe Source: Closet Cooking
(Link Here)

Enjoy and keep warm! Would love to know if you have any favorite soup recipes to share.

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Tablescapes

A couple weeks ago I saw an advertisement for an event being held at the Winneshiek Hotel in Decorah, IA called Deck the Tables. It sounded so interesting as they were having 29 different tables decorated for the holidays... I ended up going by myself and enjoyed the event and also the town - cute shops - I did some gifting and self-gifting!

Here are some of the tablescapes... My favorite were the New Year Eve's ones (3)

Vintage Barbie table

Pretty fall table

Winter Wonderland

Other interesting tables

Enjoyable day and I came away with some future ideas!

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