» holidaysMy Site

Trader Joes Appetizer taste test

Our Book Club 2015 party went off last night and I had 20 taste testers helping me find the best (and worst) Trader Joes appetizers for you and your holiday events. Here you go! Shrimp & Grits Bites : B- Pretty bland, top with sharp cheese for extra flavor. Vegetable Birds Nests: A So good, and that sauce! Scallion pancakes: A Everyone’s favorite. Serve with sweet chili sauce and soy sauce, cut into quarters Steamed Mussels : A- Surprisingly good though not a huge portion. Another downside is you have to eat them right away. Not very good after sitting out. I would eat this for dinner with a big piece of crusty bread to dip in the sauce! Scallops wrapped in Bacon: A Very good though I would broil them at the end to crisp and maybe add cayenne or brown sugar. Shrimp Toast: C very average Crab and Longostino Rangoon: D Fishy tasting and not great at all Southwest Style Chicken Poppers: A Everyone loved these! Spinach and Artichoke Dip: C Very average to not great. Lack of…

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. How can you say no to cornbread, sausage, pecans and more! Ingredients: Pre-prepared cornbread 1 lb Ground sausage Mirepoix mix (chopped onion, carrot, celery) Garlic, minced Parsley, chopped 3 eggs Chicken broth Pecans, toasted Dried cranberries Cut cornbread into bite size squares. Cover in EVOO and S&P. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 or until golden brown. Method: Cook sausage and set aside. Cook mirepoix mix and garlic in same pan as sausage with EVOO (and butter if desired). Add sausage, vegetables, pecans, parsley, and cranberries to cornbread chunks. Add eggs to chicken stock and mix into cornbread to moisten mixture but not so its dripping wet. (I used 1/2-2/3 of a carton for this amount). Bake at 400 degrees covered for 30 minutes then uncovered for 20.

Turkey Soup with Stuffing Dumplings

Healthy and delicious way to use leftovers after Thanksgiving. Ingredients: Turkey broth Garlic Poblano peppers, chopped Onion, chopped Celery, chopped Carrots, chopped (use TJ Mirapeaux mix) Frozen Corn Mushrooms Thyme Turkey Stuffing (Stove Top or homemade) Egg Method: Sauté onion, celery, peppers, and carrots. Add garlic, corn, mushrooms, and thyme (or any other herbs you like). Once vegetables are softened add broth and simmer for an hour. Add leftover turkey and Salt and Pepper as needed. For stuffing dumplings, add an egg to leftover stuffing and season if needed. Combine and make little balls. Place stuffing dumplings into soup and allow to cook for 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Grapefruit, Rosemary, and Sage Mocktail

This drink has the perfect balance of tart, sweet, and a hint of herb that would be perfect for Thanksgiving or the holidays. Mix fresh grapefruit juice, rosemary sage simple syrup, lime juice, and sparkling water. *Simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar brought to a boil. After it’s combined take off the heat and add rosemary sprigs and fresh sage leaves for about 10 minutes. Take out herbs and let chill.

Blood Orange and Basil Mocktail

Prepping for my big Christmas Soirée this weekend, and can’t wait to serve this mouth watering mocktail! Muddle – Thai basil in glass or pitcher with ice Add -fresh blood orange juice and simple syrup (amounts will vary depending on your preference of sweetness. I don’t like it very sweet so I do 1/2 – 1/4 the amount of simple syrup to orange juice). Top- with sparkling water or club soda Rim with gold colored sprinkles and a slice of blood orange. *simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar boiled and reduced until combined. *make sure to use THAI basil

Citrus Chimichurri

My favorite citrus chimichurri that goes with all types of meat. My favorite is pork tenderloin. I can eat this stuff by the spoonful! Combine all ingredients: 1 cup olive oil 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 8 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon grated orange peel 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper I Use about 1/3 of the sauce to marinate my meat (chicken, pork, steak) and the leftover I spoon over the meat once it’s grilled. This may be the perfect thing for Christmas Eve!