More recipe try-outs

 I just love browsing food blogs, even if I never make anything.  I like to think I could make some of the gorgeous foods out there, but even if I don't, it's fun to pretend-cook and think of how lovely it would be to serve it to my family and friends.

Well, today was no pretend-cooking.  I wanted to try out some recipes and who better to try them out on than the family?  If the family likes it, won't everybody else?  

Besides, it's them I cook for 95% of the time anyway.  

 I started out with this cranberry salsa served over cream cheese.  Leslie over at Wayside Sacraments shared her recipe, and now you must know, you've made my life complete.  All I want to eat forever is this salsa and cream cheese on crackers, chips, bread -- anything!  Why can't cranberries be in season all year long?  I  served it to the guys and even my pickiest eater really like it.  So this sweet and spicy cranberry salsa will be on my appetizer table for the holidays.  Find the recipe here!  Thanks, Leslie.

The next recipe try-out was Filet au Poivre which is a fancy name for a pan-grilled beef fillet with a creamy pepper gravy.  This one comes from the Pioneer Woman and
the lady knows steaks!  The only little tweak I made was to add some fresh, sliced mushrooms in the pan drippings before making the gravy, so mine was a mushroom & pepper gravy. 

All I can say is... Oh my!

Don't tell anyone, but I licked the gravy out of the pan,

and later tonight...

when I'm up prowling around, 

there's a little extra gravy in the frig and a slice of homemade bread for a midnight snack.

That reminds me.  Did any of you stay up for the lunar eclipse last night?  I couldn't sleep so I stepped out on the front porch in my nightie and clogs in 6 degree winter weather to get a glimpse of it.  

Of course, I put my coat on, Silly.  You thought I'd go out in just my nightie?

It was ch...ch....ch...chilly!

Try-out number three was Broccoli-Cheese Casserole from Simply Recipes.

I've had broccoli casseroles before which were pretty good, but this was superb!  It was similar to a broccoli-bacon quiche with lots of delicious cheddar bubbling on top.  We ate it as a side dish, but it could stand alone as a main course.  Another hit at the Courtney House.

(I'm sorry there are so few pictures of the food.  We were too busy eating it to think of taking pictures.)

Lastly, I made Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies --  another excellent recipe from Simply Recipes.  I think one of the tricks to this tasty cookie is roasting the pecans before they go into the dough. Yum!

Happy Holiday Cooking and Baking!

Red meat is not bad for you.  
Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you!  

~Tommy Smothers