Food coma

Despite having eaten too much, probably...and pretty much being turkey'd and thanksgiving'd out ... thought I'd share a few of my favourite Thanksgiving (or any winter holiday) recipes. Had a great Thanksgiving yesterday ... today wasn't quite so fun. But all is well, and it's only upward and onward, right?

Oh well, if nothing else, I bought myself three pairs of shoes! :) (Bass Outlet had an amazing sale! I got these $80 red boots for $17!!!)

Lynne’s famous corn casserole
1 canned creamed corn
1 can whole corn with juice
1 stick margarine
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
8 oz box corn muffin mix (Jiffy)

Mix all ingredients together and put in greased 2 qt baking dish. Bake one hour (or more) @ 350 degrees. Sprinkle with grated cheese.


My favourite sweet potato and pear soup
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
¼ cup celery, chopped
¼ cup carrot, chopped
3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 pears, peeled and diced (I use Bartlett pears, but Bosc work as well)
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
5 cups chicken broth
½ cup whipping or heavy cream (optional)
2 tsp maple syrup, or to taste
2 tsp lime juice, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, heat butter on medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Saute for 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes, pears and thyme. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and paprika. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until sweet potato is soft.

Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pot.

Add cream, maple syrup and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes. If soup is too thick add a little extra broth. Season with salt and pepper, adding more syrup or lime juice as needed.

Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Garnish soup with a swirl of sour cream when serving.


Stuffin’ muffins
This is a Rachel Ray recipe. Everyone fights over who gets the crispy bits of the stuffing. Here’s a way to let everyone have the crispy part!

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 stick butter, softened
1 fresh bay leaf (available in produce department)
4 celery ribs and greens, from the heart, chopped
3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped
1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
8 cups cubed stuffing mix (recommend: Pepperidge Farm)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Preheat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and 4 tbsp butter. When butter melts, add bay leaf and add the vegetables as you chop them, celery, onions then apples. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften vegetables and apples, then add parsley and stuffing cubes to pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft, but not wet.

Butter 12 muffin cups liberally with remaining butter. Use an ice cream scoop to fill and mound up the stuffing in muffin tins. Remove the bay leaf as you scoop the stuffing when you come upon it. Bake until set and crisp on top, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove stuffin’ muffins to a platter, and serve hot or room temperature.