Honey of a recipe for Thanksgiving!

Give Thanks to the Bees!

This Thanksgiving, take a second to salute the humble honey bees who keep us in constant supply of sweet-tasting honey. These hard-working bees pollinate about 80 percent of our nation’s agricultural crops and travel more than 55,000 miles just to bring one pound of honey to consumers. Now that’shard work!

And, thanks to the honey bees, we’re able to deliver this delicious, honey-centric Thanksgiving menu to you this month. From the turkey to the pecan pie, the bees and their scrumptious honey have it covered! Enjoy this time with your friends and family, and reflect on the role of the honey bees in your favorite holiday dishes.


I subscribe to the National Honey Board and thought those recipes looked fantastic. I wanted to share them with my friends because I will try a couple of those myself. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving from the National Honey Board!


IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Some of you have asked me if I sent them an e-mail with nothing in the body except a link - DO NOT OPEN IT! It's not from me and I've been getting them from others in my address book as well. It must be some kind of virus! 


PLEASE be assured that if I send you an e-mail it will always have a personal message (so you know it's me) and if I send you a link, I will always tell you what it is and assure you that it's safe to open because I try to be a very careful computer user!


Now, go on and read those yummy recipes and enjoy your weekend :-)

Honey Tarragon Glazed Poultry
(makes 4 servings)

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (about 3 lbs.) whole chicken
• Honey Madeira Sauce

Combine all ingredients except chicken; mix well. Rub breast and thigh/legs under skin with honey mixture. Roast on rack in shallow baking pan at 325°F for 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with honey mixture. Roast 20 to 30 minutes longer or until leg bone moves freely and juices run clear; baste every 10 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Honey Madeira Sauce: Remove excess fat from pan and deglaze with 3/4 cup water. Boil 1 minute in small saucepan; add 2 Tablespoons Madeira wine and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Continue boiling mixture until slightly thickened. Serve with chicken if desired.

Honey Cornbread Stuffing
(makes 4 treatments)

• 4 cups day-old Honey Cornbread
• 1 (4 oz.) Italian sausage
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 Tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons honey

In large bowl, place crumbled cornbread. Remove sausage from casing. In medium skillet, crumble and sauté sausage until brown. Using slotted spoon, remove sausage from skillet and add to cornbread. Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of fat. Return skillet to medium-high heat; stir in bell pepper, onion and celery. Sauté until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Cool slightly, then add to cornbread. In small bowl, combine broth and honey. Pour over stuffing. Place stuffing in a greased 9x9-inch baking dish. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until stuffing is lightly browned. As an alternative, pack you may pack stuffing into poultry cavity before roasting.

Honey Nut Squash
(makes 4 servings)

• 2 acorn squash
• 4 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 2 Tablespoons seedless raisins
• 2 Tablespoons margarine, melted
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Cut acorn squash lengthwise into halves; do not remove seeds. Place cut side up in baking pan or on baking sheet. Bake at 400°F 30 to 45 minutes or until soft. Remove seeds and fibers. Combine honey, butter, walnuts, raisins and Worcestershire sauce; spoon into squash. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more until lightly glazed. Microwave Method: Cut acorn squash lengthwise into halves and remove seeds. Microwave according to manufacturer's directions. Combine honey, butter, walnuts, raisins and Worcestershire sauce; spoon into squash. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated and lightly glazed.

Cranberry Pecan Pie
(makes 8 servings)

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 9-inch baked pie shell
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1-3/4 cups pecan halves

In medium saucepan, combine cranberries, juice and honey. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 15 minutes if using fresh cranberries or 20 minutes if using frozen berries. Cool. Puree cranberry mixture in blender; return to saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water. Stir into cranberry mixture. Bring to boil and cook until thickened. Stir in orange extract. Cool; then pour into pie shell. Spoon topping evenly over cranberry mixture. Bake at 350°F 20 minutes or until top is bubbly. Cool on wire rack. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Topping: In medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup honey and 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine; cook and stir 2 minutes or until mixture is smooth. Stir in 1-3/4 cups pecan halves until well coated.

My Quickie November Giveaway

First of all THANK YOU so much everyone for your kind comments. It's sure nice to see I was missed. All of you mean so much to me - honest! I appreciate my online buddies and you all are a big part of my life.

Anyway, as you know I'm still working on getting my programs restored and that takes a bit of work plus getting my Germany Christmas packages ready - so I hope you don't mind I make this month's Giveaway real easy (for myself) and offer another one of my lovely hardcover books called "Holidays In Cross-Stitch 1990" (The Vanessa-Ann Collection.) I know not everyone does cross stitch, but it's a very nice book and would make a wonderful Christmas gift for someone who loves to cross stitch. It's chock full of holiday projects to make with vibrant illustrations, graphs and directions to help you make them. I don't have my digital camera hooked up yet (am still looking for my CD that came with it) so I can't send you photos, but this is what the book looks like:

It's easy to enter: Everyone who leaves a comment will be included in the drawing. If you are a follower you get two entries and if you link back to this article on your blog, you get three. Just let me know that you did this, so I can add your name in the hat again.

LAST DAY TO ENTER: Monday, November 29th, 2010!

Thanks and I hope you will have a wonderful day. I just got back from yet another invigorating walk around the lake with my boy and we are content.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

Thank you to all the Veterans, young and old. May your day be especially blessed today!

I'm still here...

It seems like a long time since I posted on my blog, but I've been unable to go online for a while. I had some type of mole ware that hijacked my computer and didn't allow me to go online (nor perform other normal functions) without trying to force me to buy their anti virus program - what an ordeal that turned out to be trying to get rid of it. I actually hat to totally reboot my whole Operating System and all the Drivers with the manufacturer's recovery disks - what a hassle. Now I have a blank computer and have to re-establish accounts, passwords, install programs that I no longer have, nor have the disks for because some of them came preloaded from Dell when I bought it years ago. I have my work cut out for me, but at least I can use the computer and don't have to walk to the library to check e-mails and run my Etsy shop.

I spent all day today working the bugs out so that I can at least get Netflix operating again and watch my DVDs since I don't have TV and the computer is my only source of entertainment in terms of watching movies and keeping in touch.

The weather has been so wonderful lately that in all honesty, I don't want to be in front of the computer as much as in the summer. I have been spending a lot of time outside with Gizzy enjoying the weather. Gizzy is feeling a lot better - and we are having a wonderful time breathing in the fresh, cool air and dreaming of the Blue Ridge Mountains where I want to relocate to next year.

I still have to do a few more installations before I can start using my digital camera and posting pictures again, so please bear with me and whatever you do, enjoy your time with your loved ones, even if they are just your four legged friends. I would be very lonely without my little doggy Gizmo! He turned 13 on Nov.1st and I appreciate every single day I have with him.

God bless you and yours!

My little green friend

I’ve been trying all day to get into blogger, but for the past few days I’m only able to get in at night. I know Google hates me and I can’t wait till I can afford a new computer.

Anyway, this is what I wanted to show you guys. When I returned from the doctor’s yesterday, I saw this little green fella hiding in my ginger lily:

and now a little closer:

By the way, my ginger lily has been blooming profusely for the past few weeks and the fragrance of the flower is heavenly. It grows beside my front porch and every time I walk by, its scent pulls me back to take another whiff. One of my neighbors walks by every morning to smell the blossoms.

You know that I’m taking a big chunk of that root with me when I move, especially since I planted it there.

And lastly, I wanted to show you the wooden treasure chest I ordered from my friend Arlene (who gave me a friendly price) that I’m sending to my sister in Germany next month. I told her to make it look really rustic with lots of knotty wood holes and I chose the brown paisley lining with the gold accents…it’s really so much prettier in person, but here are a few photos. I wish I could crochet a little Johnny Depp “Captain Sparrow” doll to go inside – wouldn’t that be just too cute?

 

She may just have to “settle” for some chocolate coins and fake pearls (beads) to fill her chest. I know she will LOVE it.

After the new year, I’m ordering one for myself because Arlene’s eyesight is failing (she gets those shots in her eye every nine weeks) and pretty soon she won’t be able to make them anymore and I selfishly want one for myself – and maybe one for Christie.

Happy Birthday, Christina!

Today is my daughter’s Birthday and since she lives in California and I in Georgia, I’m sending her birthday wishes from afar.

 

 

 

 

What a beautiful girl. I can’t believe it’s been so long….many happy returns, my love!

Just when you think it’s safe to come out from under the covers…

…there’s mom putting earrings on me to model her newest creations! (Oh, boy!)

I’m finally feeling back to my old self, and that’s what I get – being a model for her earrings – good thing I’m secure in my masculinity. I’m not intimidated by pink beds or babushkas or earrings – I’m VERY much a boy!

But, I have to say, her little thread crochet earrings came out kind of cute:

Have a wonderful day and a great week everyone and keep your cool – no matter what :-)

With love,

Gizzyfur

It’s the most wonderful time of the year~!

Just like some folks look forward to summer, I look forward to fall and winter, because that’s when I (and Gizzy) get to walk and frolic outside. I love to have all my windows open and have taken to crocheting outside as much as I can, because I was cooped up indoors with the air conditioner running all summer long dreaming of this time and the time is now. Hallelujah – free at last!!!

Besides my seasonal crocheting for orders and Christmas gifts, there is plenty of hooking to be done. I need to mail my Christmas gifts to Germany next month and have also entered a few Swaps that I find very enjoyable and rewarding, especially since I don’t have family here with whom to exchange Christmas gifts.

I am a big fan of Maggie Weldon’s and recently discovered that she is having a crochet a long. She has provided a supply list so we can all start on Monday. I want to do that with her. She will be converting this pillow into crochet and share the pattern as we go for this adorable Santa Pillow:

She’s an excellent artist and very generous in offering some of her beautiful patterns for free, such as this adorable and practical lantern potholder that I will be crocheting shortly:

She also does Lace Pottery. It sounds very interesting and her pieces are available for purchase as well as her lovely and unique patterns.

So, in the next few months, I will continue to spend most of time outside (my winter vacation!) and crocheting and next month my Christmas baking starts, so if you don’t hear from me as often, please don’t think I have forgotten because I have not. I’m only breathing in new life into these old lungs that have been yearning for fresh, cool air all summer long.