Raspberry Fluff

 So this is one of the yummiest easiest side dishes around!  This recipe comes from my sweet friend Amelia.  She made it for a party once and my whole family was hooked.  We have it for Thanksgiving, most kids birthdays, and in between! We have it for dessert or as a side.

I love it because there's no measuring or anything.  You just dump whole containers of stuff in and it takes about 2 minutes.  It's a great recipe for letting a kid help make the meal.  I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do!

Raspberry Fluff
1 (12 oz) bag frozen raspberries
1 (8 oz) container cool whip
1 small box vanilla pudding mix
1 (32 oz.) container vanilla yogurt

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.  No need to defrost the raspberries but I usually do break them up while I'm mixing so that the juice stirs in and makes the fluff look pink :)

Enjoy!

Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball

So we've probably all had a cheeseball at some point in our lives but until a couple years ago I had never made one before.  I wish someone had told me how easy it would be. So now I'm telling you...it's so easy!  I love to make one of these for Thanksgiving so that people have something to snack on all day while the food is cooking.  It's an easy thing to bring to a party too and is always a crowd-pleaser.  Give it a try!

Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball
2 (16 oz.) packages cream cheese
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 T. thinly sliced green onion
1-2 T. minced red bell pepper
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
cayenne pepper (to taste)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup pecans (chopped)

Mix cream cheese and cheddar together until well combined and cream cheese is softened.  I used my kitchen aide but you can do it by hand too.  Add all remaining ingredients except for pecans.  Mix thoroughly and form into a ball.  Roll cheese ball in chopped pecans and refrigerate for at least 30 min.  Serve with crackers (such as ritz or wheat thins) or veggies!

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Well Thanksgiving is upon us. Such a fun time of year! Also, I've decided to take up with my food blog again.  Hooray!

I'll be posting some new recipes over the next week, but for today I thought I'd start by compiling some recipes that have found their way on to my Thanksgiving Menu over the years.  This way all those yummy recipes will be linked to one post! Some of the recipes on this list are staples and some change year to year depending on my mood.  Probably best not to make all of these recipes at once unless you plan on rolling home ;) But take a look and see if there's something new to add to your family dinner this year. Or let me know if we have any of the same Thanksgiving recipes! Or tell me about some of your traditional family recipes!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Appetizers:
Candied Pecans
sweet cream cheese dip (with pumpkin chips)
Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball
Pilgrim hats  (fun for kids)
Veggie tray (don't forget the olives!)

The Main Event:

Rosemary Citrus Turkey











Sides:
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet potato casserole 
Apple Cinnamon Stuffing
Cornbread Spoon bread (cornbread casserole)
Glazed Carrots
Tangy Broccoli Salad
Raspberry fluff
Cranberry sauce (I prefer the canned jellied variety)
Stuffed Mushrooms
Rolls
green bean casserole
deviled eggs
turkey gravy (Costco's gravy is the best ever...back by the rotisserie chickens and such)

Drinks:
Lime Slush (my mom's recipe that we used every year growing up...coming soon!)
fruited ice ring (great for punches or water)
sparkling cider
cranberry sprite

Dessert:
Banana Cream Pie
Chocolate cream pie
Coconut cream pie
Eggnog Cheesecake with Raspberry Topping
Frosty Pumpkin Dessert
Fruit Crisp
Pumpkin Torte
Libby's Pumpkin Pie