All Ready for Thanksgiving?

I'm heading off on another trip- I know, again? -- but, this is special. Taking my Mom to Hawaii...it was the one thing she requested before she dies. So, life has been busy getting ready to go and prepping for some parties I have coming up for the holidays. Tomorrow is simple, my sister's cooking!! Yeah, now that's what I'm talkin'about! I'm doing a slight amount of support as in steamed green beans with crumbled bacon, pepper, garlic and butter. Then, I've been hunting for something different with sweet potatoes...I came up with a mixture of several recipes. I wanted to make a sweet potato pie, but mini-pies. I found a recipe on food network and made it my own by using puff pastry shells and cooking the sweet potatoes with butter, spices, and a little cream cheese. Let's hope the family likes it! I'll be checking back in soon, and we'll be having holiday party fever!!

Pumpkin Anything??

A very easy catering request...pumpkin anything. Ok, I need a little more detail. A client asks for a couple of desserts for a dinner she's having. She cooks, but doesn't bake. So, I come up with a few ideas for her: pumpkin sour cream coffee cake, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie bars, or my favorite these days- pumpkin truffles. She chose the pumpkin pie bars and the truffles. No problem, no carving needed!

Falling Back Into Action

I took a little break as catering calmed down and I played a little. Now, I'm back in action with an office party. Requested: pasta and sweets! Well, that leaves me with an open menu. I made angel hair pasta mixed with sauteed fajita chicken, green onions, mushrooms, garlic and a little melted butter...light, flavorful and filling. A layered salad of 3 lettuce types, chopped onion, celery, water chestnuts, tomato, and green pepper; each layer drizzled with a mayo/honey mustard dressing and topped with finely shredded parmesan; callypso baked beans- what? never heard of them? 4 types of beans slow cooked with BBQ sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, onions, bacon and pepper; sour cream mini-muffins; banana-chocolate chip mini-loafs; and warm apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream. You should be hungry! Did I make extra for me???