A Simple New Year's Repast

A Good Time Was Had By All

Nothing fancy this year. No stress, no bother. I just love doing things buffet style. Yup. I set out BBQ Sausage in my DH's homemade BBQ sauce......(hint: it's made with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar & a little brown sugar)

Sliced up two kinds of Summer Sausage and four kinds of cheeses (Swiss, Colby, Wisconsin Brick and Aged Cheddar).....

Put a jar of whole cranberry sauce out.....our favorite berry this time of year.....

....arranged some crackers, celery and carrot sticks.....

.....set some lovely, fresh Romaine up in a bowl with a little cool water in the bottom.....

.......began with a dish of shrimp in my DH's other favorite sauce recipe....cocktail sauce.... (hint: it's made with ketchup and zesty horseradish sauce....yum)

....added some salad dressing of choice, a little sour cream dip.....and we settled down to a quiet New Year's Eve....alternating between reading Ngao Marsh on our Kindles, watching taped episodes of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and "The Pioneer Woman"......and playing a couple of computer games.

Very relaxing. (Norman likes to hold hands with my DH while Bodecia crashes.)We actually stayed awake to hear the local fireworks....but were too cozy to go out and actually look at them. Oh, for drinks? Sparkling cider, what else? Aren't we boring? Didn't we just A-LOVE it (as Martha Stewart says). Yes we did.

(When Bodecia's awake, nothing escapes her.) Oh, and we set up the tv to record the parade and the Rose Bowl game so we didn't even have to get up early. Such a life, don't you think? We deserve a break once in a while. So, I hope you're taking a break today and enjoying time with family, thoughts of a fresh start and a feeling of gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the bounteous blessings of His love.

 Happy New Year, friends.....

Turkey, Turkey.....

What to do with all those left-overs? Well, mine are in the freezer, even as I write. I stashed them in there the day after Thanksgiving. Here's what they looked like, frozen. I haven't used them yet but will post some photos when they come out of the oven.

Turkey Pot Pie in Ramekins

1 pkg. rolled pie crust (enough for 2 pies)

1 1/2 c. Leftover white and dark meat of turkey, cut in bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 c. mixed vegetables

2 c. turkey gravy

In a large bowl, mix the turkey, veggies and gravy together well. . Spread out the pie crusts and cut 4 circles, using a ramekin as a pattern. Spoon gravy mixture into greased ramekins. Top with crust and crimp edges. Make slices in the top to allow steam to escape. Cover with plastic wrap; place in ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

To prepare, thaw in the microwave and bake 35 to 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly and the crust is lightly browned. Serve with a green salad.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

1 1/2 c. white and dark turkey meat

2 c. gravy

3/4 c. mixed veggies or frozen baby peas

2 c. mashed potatoes

Mix the turkey meat, gravy and veggies together well and spoon into a round or square cake pan. Top with mashed potatoes and freeze for up to 3 months, wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in a ziplock bag.

To prepare, let thaw in the refrigerator 1 day or in the microwave for 2 to 3 lbs. of product. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly. Suggestion: halfway through the baking, remove and, using a fork, smooth the potato  topping. Serve with a green salad. Serves 6.

Leftover Pumpkin Pie? Wrap slices in plastic wrap or waxed paper and place in ziplock bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Remove individual portions as needed and thaw in the refrigerator. Serve as needed with whipping cream or non-dairy whipped topping. Yum!

Leftover Cranberry Sauce? Place in a mason jar and put it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw and use as needed. Delicious on pancakes, waffles, French toast, rolls and peanut butter sandwiches (not to mention ham, turkey and beef sandwiches).

Meatloaf for a Month? Last time I bought a 5# chub (80/20) of ground chuck (beef), I was prepared ahead of time. We shop for food, once a month, in a town 45 miles away from our home. Beef is expensive, and we aren't eating a lot of it at $3+ per pound. Before shopping, I chopped one bunch of celery and two large onions. I sauteed them in some butter and let them cool, storing, later, in the refrigerator. I had on hand, 4 cups of bread crumbs,  some home-grown sage and a bottle of ketchup.

When I got home from shopping (tired, because it's a long trip and a major deal buying all that stuff for a month), I put the groceries away, leaving the chub out on the counter. When the kitchen was almost in order (it's usual state), I dumped everything into a very large mixing bowl (onion, celery, ground chuck, bread crumbs, 3 eggs and about 1 1/2 c. ketchup). I mixed it with my clean hands and seasoned it with about 3/4 t. salt, 3/4 t. garlic granules, 3/4 t. onion granules and 1/2 t. black pepper. I added enough sage leaves to make the mix fragrant with it (about 4 t. of the leaves; use about 2 t. if using powder).

I packed the meat mixture gently into three loaf pans and baked them 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. When cool, I wrapped them in aluminum foil, placed them in ziplock bags, and froze them. Tonight, we had the last one from November's shopping with baked butternut squash. Yum!