As I mentioned before, we spend Thanksgiving with close friends. So close we’re like family. The homeowner grew up with my husband, and his neighbor is my husband’s ex BIL.
A good time was had by all.
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Great minds think alike and there was twice as much Sangria.
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Though mine emptied more quickly.
😉
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My husband found the dart board before dinner and a close game of sharply pointed projectiles ensued.
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And then we all had to trot out to the garage to check out our friend’s new (old) toy.
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A fully restored 1972 Jeep.
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Later that afternoon it was time to carve the turkey and make the gravy.
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And sit down to feast.
I stopped taking pictures at this point and happily sampled a little bit of everything.
Hope your holiday was full of food and fun as well.
On our way back from the disappointing brewery the other day I made the husband pull into The Holy Donut…. because I’ve posted about them a few times but haven’t had the chance to try them.
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The almost $24 half dozen box cradled comfortably in my lap, we made for home.
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I was excited to try these extremely popular, much talked about, potato laden famous Maine treats.
Flavor assortment from top to bottom:
Apple cider glazed, apple cinnamon, toasted coconut, maple bacon, vanilla chai and the one slot I afforded my husband… an old fashioned. Yes, the only donut he likes is plain, to which I respond – why bother.
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As I dove in to taste test, the first thing I noticed was size. These things are big.
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But sadly, like everything else…. quantity does not equal quality. While the apple cider glazed and toasted coconut were tasty enough, I have to admit I was underwhelmed. The donuts were heavy, thick and generally nothing special. I admit to trying a chunk of each one while they were fresh and can’t say they were worth the effort or price (3.75 per). People go nuts for these things in Maine and will stand on line outside the stores in order to purchase them but honestly, after trying them? I don’t understand why.
As I’ve previously stated, I’m all about the macaroni and cheese. It’s the ultimate comfort food and while I usually make an old fashioned recipe of my MIL’s that includes the dreaded Velveeta, I’m always willing to try other versions.
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6 cups of cheese? How can you go wrong.
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This looked promising when put together. Very smooth and so creamy it seemed positively soupy.
(I had to add crushed Ritz crackers tossed with half a stick of melted butter because the husband likes a topping.)
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Out of the oven it looked good.
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But when I spooned it out? The consistency was weird, almost quiche like.
And the flavor? Virtually non existent. Dull. Boring. Bland. Dry. And even though it had a large bowl of cheese… not cheesy at all. How the Hell did that happen?
I’ve been known to consume my weight in mac and cheese and that little square was all I ate… so you know it was bad.
I can’t help myself at this point, but at least this one turned out to be tasty.
I don’t know the name of it so let’s just say it’s an Italian-y tortellini soup.
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Easy to make and quick… at a little over half an hour cooking time… I’d say with a few tweaks this one’s a keeper.
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Ingredients:
½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped ⅓ cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium sweet onion, diced 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups chicken stock 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat. Stir in garlic, onion and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in chicken stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in tortellini; cover and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and basil until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
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I only changed one thing when I made this and I’m sure you can guess what that was.
Yes, I axed the noxious green devil’s weed called kale and substituted spinach.
When I make this again I think I’ll cut back on the sausage. If you like it really meaty, leave it as is… but a little sausage goes a long way for me.
River's world..... 