Turkey, Cranberries and Yum!

A few more weeks have come and gone and wow, it's December already! I love the fall and I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's too bad that in this country we seem to go from Halloween to Christmas without much fanfare regarding Thanksgiving. Well, I did not succumb to the decorating rush and my Autumn decorations were left up until December 3rd in the shop. Yesterday I put new lights in the front window, added the greenery to the top of the shelves and today KathyM put up the Christmas tree. It still needs lights (might be able to do without them) but it has lots of ornaments and a cute, wintry tree skirt.

I want to extend a HUGE thank you to all of you that came out to the shop during November to help me celebrate the First Anniversary of Inspired Needle. What a fun month! I wish I could give prizes away every month....it is so much fun to see the surprised looks on your faces when you win. I did send out emails to my last two winners and I have a few more prizes to put in the mail. I got a bit behind when we went to PA last week but I am catching up!

It's too late now for you to use the following recipe, but save it for next year or maybe Christmas, if you have turkey for dinner. This is a recipe I got from a friend. I've made it several times and it is fabulous! It sounds a bit weird, but trust me, you'll make it again and again.



Turkey Wild Rice Pumpkin Soup

2 T butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups chicken or turkey broth
1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin
2 cups (10 oz) cubed, cooked turkey
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup half and half
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cook and stir butter, onions and celery in Dutch oven over medium heat until vegetables are crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth and pumpkin. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in turkey, rice, half and half, salt and cinnamon. Heat to serving temperature; do not boil. Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion and cheddar cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Now here's a recipe you can use from Thanksgiving all the way through Christmas! It's perfect for a pot luck; everyone will ask you for the recipe!

Apple Cranberry Dessert
(courtesy of KathyM)

3 cups sliced apples
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice

Mix and put the above ingredients in a greased, oven-proof casserole dish.

Topping:
1-1/2 cups oatmeal
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 to 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts (quantity is your preference)

Combine topping ingredients and gently spoon on top of apple-cranberry mixture. Pour 1 stick melted butter on top of it all in the casserole dish.

Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 1 hour until topping is browned and fruit is tender.

I don't have a picture of the above recipe, but I'm making it for a Holiday Party on the 18th. I'll try to snap a pic and add it later.

Have a great day!

Cathy