Cranberry Pound Cake

This recipe I dazzled my mother-in-law and east coast family with when I first met them... delicious and moist.

2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
8 oz package cream cheese
3 eggs
1 egg white
3 c flour
2 c cranberries or blueberries
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (8oz) lemon yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c powdered sugar
8 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Beat first 3 ingredients, add eggs one at a time.
Combine 2 Tbl flour + 2 Tbl sugar in separate bowl and coat berries.
Combine remaining flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix into eggs and butter mixture alternating with yogurt- beginning and ending with flour. Fold in berries and vanilla.

Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. remove from pan.

Mix lemon juice and powder sugar. Drizzle over warm cake and serve

Honeybun Cake

A great Sunday morning treat!

1 box mix yellow cake
4 whole eggs
1 c sour cream
3/4 c vegetable oil

1 c light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

2 c powdered sugar
6 Tbl milk
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Preheat oven 325 degrees. By hand mix first 4 ingredients, mixture will be pale yellow and it is ok if there are lumps. Set aside.
In separate bowl mix cinnamon and brown sugar, set aside.

Pour half of the cake mixture into a greased, 9x13 glass pan. Spread an even thin layer. Add half of the brown sugar mixture- spread with knife across top of batter. Pour remaining batter, spread as evenly as possible. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture. With knife- swirl the batter to create a beautiful masterpiece!
Bake 40-45 minutes, until toothpick in middle comes out clean.
While cake is baking make glaze. In a bowl mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until it is the desired consistency. When the cake comes out- pour glaze immediately onto it, tilt cake to spread if necessary. Let sit until glaze sets.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

PAD THAI

This is a great Pad Thai recipe- very easy and very very tasty

1/4 c white sugar
1/4 distilled white vinegar
2 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl tamarind pulp (found at whole foods)

1 box Pad Thai noodles (also found at whole foods, wheat and gluten free is what I use)

1/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs
2-1/4 tsp white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 c ground peanuts
3/4 tsp wasabi powder
1/4 c chopped chives
1-1/2 tsp paprika
1 c fresh bean sprouts
1/2 lime cut into wedges
1/2 c chopped cilantro and mint (mixed together)

In medium saucepan over medium heat, blend first 4 ingredients

Cook noodles according to package (cooks like pasta but much faster)

In large skillet or wok cook over medium heat. Warm oil, add garlic and eggs. Scramble the eggs. Add noodles and stir until cooked. Stir in sauce, 1-1/4 tsp sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, stir in peanuts and wasabi powder.

Remove from heat and garnish with bean sprouts, lime and paprika.

If you feel adventurous, add a little oriental chili paste to the sauce for some heat.

Thanksgiving Turkeys

This tradition is always done at the O'Dell house and has now flocked out to friends and family who love the fun...

In this photo- Jamie, Megan, Jenn and Great Grandma Serzow

Red Apples
Toothpicks
Mini Marshmallows
Raisins
Whatever else you want to use for decorations...
2009 had many creative additions; carrot feet, broccoli tail feathers- some turkeys looked like they ate a little too much moldy grain :)

Post your turkey photos too!

Rice Pilav

This recipe comes from one of Grandma Schneider's long time Armenian family friend. She joked about wrapping lid in towel and placing it on top of the cooked pot after rice is done. Asked if important she said "no but it looks impressive!"

1/4 pd butter
1 coil vermicelli
1 c rice (Uncle Ben's is best)
2-1/2 c liquid (half chicken broth, half water)

Melt butter in pot- break up coil of vermicelli into it and brown. Add rice, liquid and salt.
Cover and simmer till all liquid is absorbed

note- when recipe is doubled or increased do not use more butter. Simply use enough to brown vermicelli.

Rusonik... aka "Tanya Serzows White Turkey Soup"

This recipe has not set quantities- it has been passed down verbally from generation to generation...

Turkey wings
Celery
Chicken broth

Cook above ingredients in chicken broth.

Shred turkey, discard celery, drain and strain- To large pot, add leftover juice, chopped celery and rice. Needs to be thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until done. Serve with cold chopped dill pickles.

Mushroom Leek Stuffing

Yield: Serves 10 to 12 (serving size: 3/4 cup)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced (light green and white parts only)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped celery
1 pound day-old sourdough bread cubes
1 1/2 to 2 cups reduced-sodium mushroom broth
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook mushrooms, leeks, garlic, and celery until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Put mixture into a large bowl; add bread.

Mix broth, eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley in a small bowl and pour over bread. Toss until bread is soaked, then turn into a greased 9- by 13-in. baking dish.

Bake stuffing until it feels firm to the touch and is starting to brown on top, about 45 minutes.

Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce

Prep Time 2 Minutes
Cook Time 15 Minutes Servings 12

Ingredients
1 bag (about 12 To 16 Oz) Fresh Cranberries
16 ounces, fluid Pomegranate Juice
¾ cups Sugar, More Or Less To Taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Mixture will thicken as it cooks, and will thicken more as it cools. I found this to be a thinner sauce than what I am used to but delicious- I would recommend adding a little bit of cornstarch to the mixture as it cooks to thicken a little.

Cool in a jar or bowl in the fridge. Serve with Thanksgiving turkey.

Turkey Brine

(thanksgiving a long long time ago...) In this photo: Mike, a hottie Grandma Schneider and I think part of Grandpa Tom's face

Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 15 Minutes

Ingredients
3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
2 gallons Cold Water
4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1-½ cup Kosher Salt
2 cups Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Peppercorns
5 whole Bay Leaves
Peel Of Three Large Oranges

You will need a mega pot for this!

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.
Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.

When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.

Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

Cook turkey at 350, 15 minutes per pound (or until temperature reads 155 taken from thigh area). Cook covered in foil for first few hours. Take foil off for last hour brushing periodically with a little bit of butter. Take out and let sit at least 30 minutes before carving.

Pot Pie

This is one of the best pot pie recipes ever made- great with turkey or chicken

1 lb skinless chicken breast cubed (or turkey leftovers)
1 c sliced carrots
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c sliced celery
1/3 c butter
1/3 c chopped onion

1/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1-3/4 c chicken broth (veggie is also good)
2/3 c milk

2 unbaked pie crusts (I use the Pillsbury pre-made ones)

Preheat oven 375

In sauce pan over medium heat cook chicken, celery, carrots and peas. (recipe actually calls to boil them all but I prefer to use leftover meat so I just cook with a tablespoon of butter until slightly tender) Once cooked- set aside. You can also add diced cooked potato and corn for some variety.

In sauce pan over medium heat cook onions in butter until tender and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over med-low until thick. Remove from heat- set aside. *I like to double the sauce portion but it is a personal preference. Not all of it fits but add as much as you like.

Place chicken mixture in bottom of pie curst. pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust- seal edges, cut away excess dough. Make tiny slits in top to allow steam to escape.

Bake 35-45 minutes until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Thanksgiving!

Looking forward to Thanksgiving! Lets hear about everyone's Thanksgiving adventures...
Lets not let the family blog fade away! Facebook isn't the same.

Nana's Corn Casserole

Nana Schneider's Corn Casserole

2 cans cream corn
soda crackers
1/4 onion chopped
milk (I am guessing about a cup? any Schneider know this?)

Break up about 6 soda crackers in bottom of casserole dish
Add milk and 1/4 chopped onion - mix in corn
Top with more crunched soda crackers and a little butter
Bake 325 degrees until puffy