Nothing ever goes as planned, but you have to be thankful anyway.

Thanksgiving. Where to start?

Dad and his wife weren't able to make it. I cried. It was the right choice, given weather, but we were so disappointed. No Dad meant no boat trip. And really, it would have been a silly attempt.

Why you ask? Who the heck asked for snow! That's what I want to know. I like looking at snow. I don't like having snow. This is why I continue to live in Western Washington. I don't hate rain, we get plenty of sun, it never gets too cold and I can wear flip flops almost year round. I don't like snow. I don't appreciate the temperatures that come with it and I absolutely refuse to drive in it.

So thank you snow for ruining part of my Thanksgiving. Moving on.

I was pretty excited about hosting at our place. The problem every Thanksgiving is that I'm a crazy control freak that tends to throw fits. This in turn, I'm sure, makes no one thankful for me. I'm the queen of awkward moments with my family. I got off work at 1:00am Thanksgiving day and began additional prep.

Around 4:00am I went to bed, setting my alarm for 9:00am. Excitement woke me at 8:00am and I got right to work. Made stuffing. Stuffed the bird.

Put together my centerpiece. I thought these flowers were too pretty not to incorporate.

I had help making the rolls that weren't ready in time. The rising time took way longer than the directions stated and we ended up with store bought rolls. We also tried making non dairy mashed potatoes and they turned out HORRIBLY. My dad made a second trip to the grocery store ( thank you Safeway for being open all day) and picked up mashed potatoes from the deli.

I've been dying for a set of white dishes and I picked up this set just for the occasion. They're white ceramic with an adorable beaded edge.

They turkey ended up done almost two hours before everything else. Holy crap, what a crazy day. In the end, the food was amazing in spite of the screw ups. I've learned a lot about time management this year and what can be done ahead of time next year. I'll absolutely be writing a how-to guide for myself that includes a cooking schedule. This is serious business folks!

I'll be sharing all of the recipes we used throughout the next week. They're delicious and can be made for just about any special occasion. Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! We ended our day by laying around on the couch in front of the fire and enjoying pie. I sure love my family. I hope every enjoyed their weekend and happy Monday!

35. Alfredo a la Husband

This alfredo recipe is the brain child of my husband. This happens to be the first dish he ever cooked for me when we started dating. I was super impressed. Of course, once he bagged the lady, he pretty much stopped cooking.

That is unless it's being smoked on his Traeger, but that just came about this year. Anyway.

I've been sick and was in no mood to leave the house. Cooking gets me excited and I love having something to do, so I made mention of this long lost recipe and asked if he'd let me give it a try. A trip to the grocery store later (by him, not me), I had everything I needed to make us a wonderful dinner.

And damnit, if I didn't forget the bread! We had bread to eat with it and it's still sitting up in the cupboard. I always forget something.

This recipe is a quickie. What took me so long was setting it all out for this first photo. The things I do to myself.

Grab yourself 2 jars of alfredo sauce, 1 box of linguine (or any noodles you'd like to use for that matter), olive oil, 4 roma tomatoes, 1lb (ish) chicken breasts, 4 cloves of garlic, a small can of sliced olives, cheese (this is Italian blend, feel free to use parmesan), and the trusty salt & pepper.

All 3 pans were set out. Water is salted & oiled and put on to boil for the noodles. Sauce is simmering away with a little salt & pepper on top. Chicken has been salt & peppered and placed in a pan with a little olive oil to cook over medium-high heat.

I'm feeling so efficient right now. And maybe even organized (this is the only place in my life I'm remotely organized. Oh, and my yarn bin).

While these little things are cooking away, dice your tomatoes. Cut them in half, squeeze out the seeds and goopy middles (let's avoid watering down the alfredo peeps), and dice 'em up. Then please open your can of olives and drain them.

Brown the chicken on each side, throw on to a cutting board and slice it up.

Add the chicken, 4 pressed cloves of garlic, the diced tomatoes and as many olives as you'd like. I only used half the can because I wanted to eat some of them. Then I realized I would have liked the whole can in there. Cook over medium heat to warm everything through again.

And now I should just learn to wait for dinner to be done, but I'm an instant gratification kind of girl.

When your water boils, add your noodles and cook for the amount of time instructed on the package. All this time your alfredo sauce has been cooking on medium-low heat and is ready for it's job. Drain your pasta, place it back in the pot and pour about 1/3 of the sauce over the noodles just enough to coat them. Then combine.

In a bowl, add your noodles and top with MORE sauce. The noodles soak up the sauce folks, and what fun is that? It means it's sticky and not creamy. Then top with your delicious chicken mixture and sprinkle liberally with cheese.

Wow.

Absolutely delicious. I can't believe my husband thought of this himself.

And honey, if you didn't, don't tell me. Ok? Thanks.

Chicken Alfredo

2 jars alfredo sauce

1 box linguine

4 roma tomatoes

1 small can sliced black olives

4 garlic cloves

1lb chicken breasts

salt & pepper

olive oil

parmesan or italian blend cheese

Salt & pepper chicken on both sides and cook over medium-high heat until browned. Remove from pan and slice.

Cut tomatoes in half, squeeze out seeds and dice. Drain olives. Press 4 cloves of garlic in to the pan the chicken was cooked in. Add chicken, tomatoes and olives, stirring to combine. Cook over medium heat to warm throughly.

Cook sauce and pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and add about 1/3 of the sauce, tossing to coat noodles. Layer noodles, more sauce, chicken mixture and cheese.

Serve and enjoy!

34. One Bowl Brownies

My neighbor started on brownies. She had been making cupcakes like crazy until she found out I was banned from them. No sugary treats were allowed to be delivered from her house for two weeks. Her husband has a good memory. I swear exactly two weeks later, he arrived at the door with brownies she had mad.

They tasted like a chocolate cream brownie, but not quite as dense and moist as we like. We've discussed making brownies for the last week, but I just haven't bothered. I've really done nothing more than crochet, cook a few soups and watch endless amounts of Dexter via Netflix.

I was hungry. Well, I'm always hungry. So I immediately got on to Tasty Kitchen and looked for an enticing brown recipe. I found exactly what I was looking for and promptly made it.

Add eggs, sugar, oil, flour, cocoa, salt, vanilla and baking powder. Mix until just combined.

Scrape the edges of the bowl and give it a brief mix again.

Pour in to a greased 9x9 baking pan, or in my case a muffin pan. I threw out my 9x9, so this was the best I could do. I also filled them a little too much and only ended up with 10. But then you have brownies almost the size of cupcakes, and we all know I love cupcakes!

In a separate bowl if you so please (I do), combine powdered sugar, chocolate chips and chopped nuts of your choice.

Top your batter and pop in to an oven heated to 350 degrees. If using a 9x9 pan, bake 30-35 minutes. If using a muffin pan, listen to your husband when he says they smell done. So perhaps cook 20-25 minutes. Check with a toothpick and they're done when the stick comes out clean. The less you cook them, the more moist they are. I've learned this. Sometimes I hate telling him he's right.

Pull them out of the oven and run a knife along the outside edge to loosen them up. I plopped one on a plate and drizzled it with the Starbucks Caramel Sauce my mom gave to me in my fall care package.

Cute and delicious!

One Bowl Brownies

adapted from Tasty Kitchen

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup flour

4 tbsp cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup nuts

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Mix until just combined. Scrape sides of the bowl and mix again briefly. Pour into greased 9x9 baking pan (or muffin pan).

Mix together last 3 ingredients and sprinkle on top of the brownie batter, covering evenly. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes (20-25 for muffin pan). Test centers with a toothpick, done when it comes out clean.

Serve hot from the oven or after cooling. Either way, they're delish! Enjoy!

33. Smoked Salmon Chowder

I was sent this recipe by a friend. She makes this for her husband and he has nothing but good things to say about it. When my mom handed over the Mimic Creme for me to try, this recipe was the first one I thought of for what was left after the corn chowder.

I couldn't tell you where she got the recipe from. She scanned a cook book of some sort and emailed me the scan. I got off work at 1:00am, didn't have to be in until the next day at 3:00pm and got busy cooking while winding down from the day.

Poor lighting, so I only took two pictures. The mix of veggies in the pot sure were pretty and smelled pretty tasty. This was a super quick and easy recipe that anyone can make successfully.

When it was finished at 2:00am, I quickly ate two huge bowls worth. I was stuffed and happy. Then went promptly to sleep snuggling my two cute pups.

Smoked Salmon Chowder

adapted from my friend B

6 tbsp margerine (or butter)

2 tbsp oil

2 carrots - finely diced

2 stalks celery - finely diced

2 potatoes - cut in to small cubes

1 onion - finely diced

6 tbsp flour

1 - 32oz carton of fish or seafood stock (or clam juice)

3 cups mimic creme (or milk)

1 cup water

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves - minced

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp pepper

2 shakes of nutmeg

8 oz smoked salmon - flaked

In a large pot over high heat, combine margerine and oil. When melted, add vegetables and cook until vegetables are softened. About 7-8 minutes.

Pour in stock, milk and water. Increase to medium-high and stir while bringing to a boil. Add garlic and seasonings, then reduce to low to simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.

Add smoked salmon, stir and simmer for an additional 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Serve and enjoy!

32. Corn Chowder with Chilies

The next two recipes I'm going to share are both chowders. I personally love chowder of any kind, but they don't really like me. With my milk allergy, it puts a big lame damper on enjoying anything involving creamy goodness.

Until now that is.

It had been a good long while since I had made a Pioneer Woman recipe or even stepped foot in the kitchen to cook. While at my parent's house last weekend for my dad's birthday, my mom made a delicious chicken bacon stroganoff. We share the same milk allergy and she's not afraid to use non-dairy substitues for things like sour cream and cream. I am.

We didn't end up needing cream for the stroganoff recipe, only the sour cream. She was nice enough to send me home with something called Mimic Creme. Dairy free, soy free, made from almonds & cashews. Looks like cream, has the consistency of cream, but tastes like almond milk. That is, until you add it to your dish. I'm not joking.

I used fresh ears of corn, slicing the kernels right off the cob in to the pan. I had a hard time not snacking on the corn as I went. It was so sweet and tasty. For a little spice add two kinds of chiles. It gave it a nice smoky, spicy flavor without being too hot.

Bacon, onions and corn. I could have just added the mimic creme and pasta and been happy! But I finished the recipe. I was really impressed with the chowder, non-dairy and all.

Served with a fresh loaf of garlic bread and a few episodes of Dexter. And when I say garlic bread, I mean bread with roasted cloves of garlic baked right in. No, I didn't make it. I have issues with bread. But the store that did, well thank you. I truly enjoyed it.

Corn Chowder with Chilies

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

4 slices of bacon - cut in to small pieces

2 tbsp margerine (or butter)

1 1/2 yellow onions - diced

4 ears of corn - shucked

2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - diced

1 - 4oz can diced green chilies

1 - 32oz carton low sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups mimic creme (or heavy whipping cream)

1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)

3 tbsp masa flour

1/4 cup water

Slice bacon in to 1/2 inch pieces and add to a pot over medium heat. Cook until fat starts to render. Dice onions, add to pot and stir, cooking for 5 minutes. Add butter and allow to melt. Cook together while dicing chipotles chilies. Add chipotle and diced green chilies to pot and stir.

Add chicken broth, cream and salt. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Mix masa and water, stirring to combine. Pour in to the chowder stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cover chowder and cook for 20 minutes over low heat. Should your chowder not be thick enough, add 1 tbsp more of masa combined with water until you reach your desired consistency (I used about 2 more tbsp of masa), allowing to cook for another 10 minutes.

Dish up and enjoy!

31. Bacon Tomato Capellini

I really like keeping up with Tasty Kitchen and the new recipes they feature. I'm being perfectly honest when I say it's half for the photos. I love food photography. I often wish I had better than a point and shoot so my food photos would be spectacular rather than just photos of food.

I used to HATE bacon. Sometime this year I didn't mind it so much anymore. I'm pretty particular about how it's cooked, but over all, I'd much rather have in in something. I like spaghetti. I like bacon. Combine them and you've got magic!

This recipe literally contains all things love of mine. Tons of fresh basil, tomatoes, green onions, garlic. Oh, yum.

I made the entire package of bacon. I only needed two thirds of it (it was a 3lb package!). That's because we have a serious problem with eating it as it comes out of the pan. I've always hated cooking bacon. It's hot and messy, but my husband is an absolute pro when it comes to cooking bacon. It's taken a few times to get it right, but I've got it down now.

This is a rather time consuming recipe. The biggest challenge is cooking up all of the bacon. Once you get it finished and start combining the rest of the ingredients it's so easy.

Once adding the tomatoes and basil in with the rest of the ingredients, I boiled up my noodles and let the sauce simmer and meld. It smelled amazing.

The noodles to sauce ratio is absolutely perfect. There was bacon and basil in every bite. My mouth waters just thinking about it, and I've definitely had PLENTY to eat tonight.

I garnished husband's bowl with shaved parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. He then inhaled 3 bowls. I love my husband for a ton of reasons, but eating my cooking is near the top of the list.

I can't urge two things enough when it comes to this recipe. DON'T use bacon bits. Fresh cooked bacon is the only way to go. DO make this as soon as possible. You'll absolutely love me for it.

Bacon Tomato Capellini

via Tasty Kitchen

2 - 16oz packages of bacon

1/2 cup reserved bacon grease

2 - 28oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch chopped green onions

2 tsp salt

1 - 16oz box of capellini or angel hair pasta

Open both cans of tomatoes and pour them in to a bowl. Mix 1/2 cup of torn basil leaves in to the tomatoes and allow the flavors to meld.

Fry bacon in a large frying pan, cooking through - avoid bacon that is too crispy. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside to cool. Reserve 1/2 cup bacon grease.

Dice the garlic and green onions, add them to the frying pan with the reserved bacon grease. Cook over medium heat and brown. Crumble bacon and add to the pan. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomato & basil mixture to the pan, stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add up to 2 teaspoons of salt if desired.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain noodles and add to the sauce mixture. Combine well and serve immediately topped with shaved parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves.

It's delicious and makes fabulous left overs! Enjoy!

28. Baked Eggs Florentine

I've come across several "baked" egg recipes lately. I wasn't ever thrilled with any one I've come across, given I haven't loved all of the ingredients on the list. I really wanted a gourmet breakfast and decided to think about everything I love in my favorite frittata from my favorite cafe in town and I'd make a baked egg dish with a similar flavor.

I've made up the name on my own. It might be close to eggs florentine (eggs with spinach and cream sauce) but if you don't think so, then we'll just call it the baked egg thingy I put spinach in. The end.

I've gathered eggs, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, butter, salt and pepper.

Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees and greasing your baking dishes. I've used individual casserole dishes, but you can also use ramekins. Or how about just one big casserole dish?

After you've greased it, layer your spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and half the basil - dividing the ingredients evenly.

Next add the butter and heavy cream - again divided evenly.

Sprinkle a little shaved parmesan cheese on top and pop in the oven for 7-8 minutes. I found it easiest to put my individual dishes on a baking sheet. You want the spinach to wilt and the butter to melt.

Remove from the oven and carefully crack two eggs in to each baking dish.

Top with the rest of the basil, a little more parmesan cheese and a dash of salt & pepper. Place back in the oven to bake for an additional 7-8 minutes (9-10 minutes for a firmer yolk). Remove from the oven and allow to set.

I wish the picture had done this justice. It was so much prettier in person. It looked beautiful in my pink pyrex and tasted absolutely amazing! These would be great for a quiet Sunday breakfast, to impress a house guest or even for a brunch or shower!

Make this soon. I promise you'll enjoy!

Baked Eggs Florentine

8 whole eggs

1 cup spinach

1 cup mushrooms

1 cup tomatoes

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 sprig fresh basil

Parmesan for sprinkling

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preaheat oven to 450 degrees & grease baking dishes.

Tear spinach leaves, dice mushrooms & tomatoes, remove basil leaves from stem and tear. Layer spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and half the basil in the baking dishes - dividing evenly.

Cube 2 tbsp cold butter & divide evenly among the baking dishes along with the heavy cream. Place individual dishes on a baking sheet, sprinkle with a bit of shaved parmesan and place in the oven for 7-8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully crack 2 eggs in to each baking dish. Top with the rest of the basil, a little parmesan cheese and a dash of salt & pepper. Place in the oven to bake for an additional 7-8 minutes. Cook 9-10 minutes for firmer yolks.

Remove from the oven and allow to set prior to serving.

Serves 4

27. Chicken Bacon Mac & Cheese

I was trying to figure out what to make for breakfast. By the time I had chosen from my 30 some saved breakfast recipes it was 10:00am. We had to make it to DOL to license our new boat and trailer, then hit the grocery store. At the very last minute we chose a lunch option given our anticipated arrival time home.

My husband loves all things cheesy and of course bacon, so this will work for today.

Start with 4 slices of bacon, cook over medium heat until browned. Make sure they're not too crispy, but not too soft.

Slice or dice half of a sweet onion. When the bacon is finished - remove from the pan and reserve 1tbsp of the bacon grease. Cook onions over medium heat until just browned. Remove and set aside.

Grate 1 cup of cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup gruyere cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

Bring your pasta water to a boil and add 1lb elbow macaroni and cook according to the package.

In the pan used to cook the bacon and onions, combine 1tbsp butter and 1tbsp flour. Mix to make a roux. Add 2 cups milk and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to the roux. Be sure to stir constantly to avoid clumping. Cook over medium-low heat and allow to thicken slightly. Add in the grated cheese and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir well to combine and simmer for 5 minutes to allow time to thicken. Stir frequently to avoid burning.

Cook up 2 chicken breasts. We had ours on the smoker, then finished them up on the stove to ensure they were cooked all the way through. Grill or bake them. We seasoned with a smoky kickin' chicken seasoning blend. Cube up both breasts and set aside with your bacon and onions.

In a 9"x13" pan, add half the macaroni.

Then add half the bacon, onions and chicken.

Top with half the cheese sauce and repeat. I topped my second layer off with a sprinkle of bread crumbs and extra shaved parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, then broil on high for 2-3 minutes to brown the top.

This is a beautiful, flavorful dish. I'm not a huge mac & cheese fan and I absolutely loved this. Best mac & cheese recipe I've made by far (sorry PW)!

Chicken Bacon Mac & Cheese

adapted from How Sweet It Is

1lb elbow macaroni

2 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and chopped

4 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1tbsp bacon grease

1tbsp butter

1tbsp flour

pinch of nutmeg

2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated smoked gruyere cheese

1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese

Bread crumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil water for pasta and cook according to directions. In a skillet fry bacon reserving 1tbsp bacon grease. Remove bacon, crumble and add onions to the bacon grease to brown. Set onions aside with the crumbled bacon. While water is boiling, make sauce. Add 1tbsp butter and 1tbsp flour to skillet to create a roux. Add milk and cream, stirring constantly. Add cheeses and pinch of nutmeg, stirring consistently for 5 minutes until mixture thickens.

In a 9"x13" baking dish layer half the pasta, onion, bacon, chicken and cheese sauce. Repeat process. (Optional) Add bread crumbs and shaved parmesan cheese and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Broil under high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes to brown the top.

Makes 8-12 servings depending on portion size.

Happy Monday & Enjoy!