Corn Muffins That Don't Suck

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My son had a feast at school today and instead of being lazy and volunteering to send in popcorn I decided to make corn muffins. The only corn muffins I have ever made were the Jiffy ones that you buy the mix for- they were dry and gross. Boxed mixes suck- homemade is always way better.

Now, I am no Martha Stewart- so when I need a recipe I consult cook books and the good old Internet. I found this recipe that had good ratings on All Recipes (my favorite recipe site- the only one other than Cook's Illustrated that I ever use).

These muffins came out delicious and I will most definitely be keeping the recipe in my arsenal to use in the future. One issue with the recipe is that it calls for buttermilk; if you are like me your local grocery store may not carry this ingredient but that issue is easily solved. To make one cup of buttermilk pour one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice (I squeezed a fresh lemon because I couldn't find lemon juice in the totally crowded store) and then fill the measuring cup with enough milk to equal one cup. Let it sit for five minutes and you have your very own homemade (and frugal) buttermilk to make these muffins or anything else your heart desires.

Corn muffins- yum!

Give Me a Break...

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This will be the best Thanksgiving ever because...

We are staying home and no one is visiting us.

No having to pile everyone into the car to drive 45 minutes to visit family. No having to cook a huge ass meal from scratch only to have to clean up a huge ass mess when everyone leaves.

This year it will just be us lounging around and not having to deal with crazy people, annoying people or any people at all. I am even going totally against my usual no processed crap and will be preparing Stove Top Stuffing and canned gravy. It is a far cry from the delicious crock pot stuffing and homemade gravy I usually make but this mama needs a darn break. I am still going to make homemade mashed potatoes (the boxed stuff is nasty) and a turkey (I throw it in my huge Le Creuset Dutch Oven that is the love of my life) so I am not going totally trailer on Thanksgiving.

I am so excited. And just think- if we move far away (Arizona may be a possibility along with Georgia) we can always have calm relaxing holidays! The thought just makes me downright giddy.

Thankful...

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Since Thanksgiving is coming up I would like to write about the things I am thankful for. Of course I am thankful for my loving husband and moderately good kids, that we are all healthy and that we have a roof over our heads and food to even but those are all a given. This list is for the other things in life I am thankful for. Here we go...

I am thankful for...

1. The fact that the grocery store doesn't sell wine because if it did I would be way more intoxicated way more often- I am just too lazy to ever make an extra stop to the liquor store.

2. My townhouse complex not allowing solicitation- no more Jehovah's Whiteness's, Mormons, college kids selling magazines or guys wanting to put new siding on my house. Awesome.

3. Amazon- thank you so much for allowing me to buy the things I need without having to lug my three painfully irritating kids out of the house. THANK YOU!

4. Living so far away from my in-laws. Praise the Lord.

5. My bread machine- you make me look like a wonderful housewife when I actually suck.

6. My kids still being young enough that I can easily cover it up when I say something that I shouldn't in front of them- I hope these gullible days never end.

7. The weather being cold because I can wear a crappy shirt but can cover it up with my coat- no one at the bus stop will ever know that I am wearing a "Rock the Vote 2012" t-shirt that I bought at Old Navy for .75 cents.

8. Wine. Enough said.

9. My inability to see the glass half full- I think my cynicism keeps me edgy.

10. Not ever being able to have any more babies- three is more than enough so these tubes are tied! One more and I more and I would end up in the loony bin.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there!

My Thanksgiving will be very happy as I am not hosting it this year so I get to relax and enjoy the holiday without having to run around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to cook dinner for twelve people.

Is It Over Yet?

I haven't been on the computer pretty much all day because today was my Thanksgiving prep day.

Here is what was accomplished:

Baked two loaves of bread (yesterday)

Toasted bread and broke into pieces for the stuffing

Made cookie dough (yesterday)

Baked cookies with son who loved sprinkling the decorative sugar

Chopped celery and onions for the stuffing

Made the gravy (so good- yum!)

Made pumpkin bread

Washed all extra dishes and glasses

Set the tables

Defrosted the turkey

Tomorrow I am going to be waking up a bit earlier than normal to start the turkey and get the rest of the food ready. I have to make the stuffing, make brownies (minus the frosting) and slice cheese for the cracker tray.

I can't wait until tomorrow is over and I can relax. I really do get quite a bit stressed when cooking for people other than my husband and kids. This is the third holiday I have hosted at my home so hopefully as time goes on it will come more naturally (or maybe someday we will just get Chinese take out).



Shaws- Frenzied Thanksgiving Trip

1.73 lb bananas $1.02

2 lb Yellow Onions $2.49

Celery Bunch $2.19

Raisins $2.39

5 lb Bag Potatoes $2.49

1.79 lb Broccoli $1.77

2 lb Bag Baby Carrots $2.50

5 lb Box Clementines $4.99

21.37 lb Turkey $12.61

2 lb Bag Shrimp $13.98

5 lb Bag Shaws Sugar $3.19

Pollander All Fruit Jelly $2.85

Fruitables Juice Boxes $3.49 - .75 MC (doubled)

2 Austin Crackers @ .25 each (reward for kids being good at the store; not pictured)

Progresso Panko Bread Crumbs $2.79 - .50 MC

Spice Island Organic Thyme $2.89

Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce $1.00

(4) 12 Packs Sierra Mist @ $2.50 each plus $2.40 Bottle Deposit

(2) 2 Liters Coke @ $1.00 each plus .10 Bottle Deposit

Keebler Wheat Toasted Crackers $2.50

3 Starbucks Frappuchino @ $4.99 each - $1.00 MC

2 Lays Chips @ $3.99 BOGO

2 Idahoan Potatoes @ $1.00 each - (2) .40 MC (doubled)

Shaws Cocktail Sauce $1.59

Hood Milk $3.89

Cracker Barrel Cheese $2.50

2 Sargento Shredded Cheese @ $2.00 each - $1/2 MC

2 LOL Butter @ $2.50 each - .50/2 MC (doubled)

Heluva Good Onion Dip $1.50

Tropicana Orange Juice $2.50

Shaws Sliced Pepperoni $2.99

2 Betty Crocker Decorating Sugar @ $1.00

2 Vanity Fair Napkins @ $1.00 each

Less $20 Free Turkey Coupon

Less $6 in Catalinas

Less $6/$60 Store Coupon

Total: $90.44

Saved 55%

I had both kids with me and was running around trying to get out of the store as quick as possible. I spent a lot but I don't think it is too bad considering I am hosting Thanksgiving this year and part of it is my normal grocery shopping. The shrimp really put me over but I love shrimp and this is the only time I ever buy it.

I am 99% sure I have everything I need so hopefully I won't have to venture back to the grocery store.

My Thanksgiving Preparation- The Menu

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and I have finally sat down and made my menu.

Turkey

Crockpot Stuffing

Make Ahead Gravy

Homemade Dinner Rolls

Homemade Jelly Cranberry Sauce

String Beans

Steamed Broccoli

Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

Cheese/Cracker/Pepperoni Tray

Fresh Veggie Tray

Potato Chips and Dip

Pumpkin Bread

Brownies (minus the frosting)

Beer

Wine

Soda

Water

Juice Boxes (for the kids)

Coffee

I have made all of the listed recipes before except for the cranberry sauce. I am going to try this recipe tomorrow and if it fails I will just have to try and find another recipe. If I keep failing then I will just have to buy the canned stuff.

My husband's aunt is going to make the mashed potatoes and salad. My mother in law is going to make the corn and buy a cheesecake (I am in love with cheesecake and have not had it for a looong time- my eyes lit up when she said the word "cheesecake").

The reason I am making so much from scratch is because I really like to cook but I never have enough time to make nice gravy or homemade stuffing. Holidays are my time to shine!

Once I have my menu I then write out every ingredient that goes into each dish and figure out what I have on hand and what I will need to buy. Let take the stuffing as an example. The ingredients I need for this recipe are butter, onion, celery, parsley, bread, poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper, chicken broth and eggs. I have on hand butter, parsley (fresh frozen), bread (I will be making my own bread and toasting it in the oven- I have the flour and yeast needed), poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, chicken stock (homemade, in my freezer) and eggs. I will then need to buy onion, celery, sage, thyme and marjoram (though I am pretty sure I left out those spices last year and just added more poultry seasoning). I do this for every recipe and then cross reference ingredients needed with other recipes so that I get a pretty good idea of what quantity of things I need to buy. I need celery for the stuffing as well as the veggie tray so I need to make sure I have enough.

I am going to do all of the prep work on Wednesday (cutting up veggies, etc.) as well as make the gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin bread. They only things I will actually be cooking on the big day are the turkey, stuffing (very easy) and the rolls (I am still experimenting with cooking them earlier and reheating them in the oven).

Cooking for holidays is so much work and I know that no one would even care if the food was made from scratch or not but it makes me feel good to put a lot of effort into the meal. I get a sense of accomplishment out of it that I don't get from folding laundry and cleaning up boogers.

Holidays Are Better When I'm Not Hosting Them...

I was just checking out Babies and Bargains and was reminded that Thanksgiving is coming up. I really like Thanksgiving when I am going to someone else's house but this year we are hosting it at our home so I get a little stressed (this is because I like everything to be perfect- I know that it's silly but I can't help it).

We had Christmas at our home last year and it was so much work. I was still nursing my daughter who had a dairy allergy so everything I made was dairy free. Everything was completely, 100% from scratch which included the bread for the stuffing, the chicken stock for the gravy and stuffing and the rolls. I could have not done this but there was no way I was going to host Christmas and not be able to eat what everyone else was eating.

This Thanksgiving I am free to eat what I want but I am going through a cook from scratch phase lately so I think I will be pulling out my inner Martha Stewart. I know I am crazy and making a ton of work for myself but I guess everyone has their thing that they obsess over.

I think our menu will include:

Turkey

Crock Pot Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

 Cranberry Sauce (I am going to try and make my own but I may have a can on hand if things go awry)

Corn

String Beans

Some other veggie

Rolls (awesome recipe here)

Pumpkin Muffins (I have tons of puree in my freezer)

Someone else can bring other deserts

Lots of wine and some beer

I am going to start making chicken stock to freeze so that I will have enough to make the gravy and stuffing. I found a great recipe last year for crock pot stuffing and make ahead gravy but I lost the links so I have to use my good friend Swagbucks to locate them somewhere out there.

I also have to make valances for my dining room and family room windows, some pillow slipcovers for my couch and an ottoman slipcover. I have really been slacking on these but I am working on the ottoman slipcover right now (what a pain in the you know what) which is taking a bit- once I finish it the other stuff will be a breeze (did I mention that I am scared of my sewing machine so I hand sew everything- I suppose I am super crazy).

Like I said, I like holidays so much better when they are at someone else's house.