Slow Cooker Herb-Rubbed Turkey Breast

 -with turkey gravy

Sometimes, as much as you want things to be different... as much as you tell you yourself it will be different... sometimes things take longer to change than our well-intentioned selfs would like. As much as I would like to say that I left 2016 in the dust and 2017 is already waaaaaaay better, sometimes life just doesn't work like that. 

16 days into the New Year and I'm already beating myself up for the lack of posts. I'm mad at myself for still feeling the effects of last year's depression. Why can't it just be gone? 

Turkey Bacon Avocado Paninis

It has been one of those kind of weeks.

Last Monday, a familiar but most unwelcome acquaintance set up shop in my house- the common cold. And ugh, it has been anything but fun. I've been running the gambit from sore throat to fever to head fog to a lost voice. Truly, by the end of the day Saturday, the hubby and I were communicating by text. I'm normally a very quiet person, but found the sensation of not being able to talk very unpleasant. Not cool when you are trying to watch Oregon football! 😡 Luckily, I'm on the mend. My voice is back and with only a nasty cough left, I'm pretty much over the hump.

Good thing too, because I'm doing the Thanksgiving shopping today 🙀

Buttermilk Brined Turkey Tenderloin Dinner

Are you having a small(ish) Thanksgiving this year? Or people over who claim "I just don't like turkey!"? What about guests that will only eat white meat? Or picky children who refuse their plate if a piece of dark meat touched something on it? If you answered "yes" to any of the preceding questions, turkey tenderloins might be for you! Turkey tenderloin is soooooo moist and flavorful, and you won't have near the leftovers you would cooking a whole turkey. Plus, everybody loves that breast meat, right? You might even win over that person who doesn't like turkey! 😁

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich

-with a legit moist-maker!

Calling all "Friends" fans! I've taken on Monica's Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich, complete with a moist-maker! For those of you not in the know, a moist-maker is an extra piece of gravy-soaked bread in the middle of the sandwich. I know all kinds of people hate the word moist, but I'm sorry. It's word that must be used, and used often, by foodies. You don't want your chicken to be dry, you want it to be... moist. Same with cake. And brownies. And steak. And all kinds of meats. So peeps, I apologize, but the word must be used.

Turkey Noodle Soup

Can. You. Believe. It?

It's December. Already. I'm in shock. It feels like just yesterday I was pouring over Pinterest, trying to pick out Christmas 2014's cookie selections. How is it that a whole year has flown by? I know, I know, I say this every year, but does anyone else feel this way? 

2015 was one for the books in terms of recipes. I was going through my 2015 posts and statistics, trying to guesstimate which recipes are going to make the top 15 of 2015. It was a great year for food photography. An unparalleled year. I felt quite a bit of satisfaction going over the years' work. And now, we are almost to another year. I get to post new Christmas cookies this month. Yippee! This year's selection includes : 

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

We are getting so close to Thanksgiving, I thought I would share my holy grail recipe for mashed potatoes. They are made with milk and sour cream, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, and the most important part, a truckload of freshly roasted garlic. Oh yeah. Don't make this recipe for date night, unless of course part of your date entails rebuffing the advances of vampires.

Kentucky Hot Browns

If you want me to be completely honest with you, I will. I'd never heard of Kentucky Hot Browns until I moved to Kentucky. Seriously. I'd lived here a year and a half before I even heard the term. I was perusing FaceBook when I saw an article about The Brown Hotel, birthplace of the Kentucky Hot Brown. The story is, in the 1920's, upper class citizens used to come to The Brown Hotel to dance until the wee hours of the morning. After dancing away the night, they would make their bleary way to the kitchen where they would request a breakfast-y type dish. Wanting to serve his patrons something more upper-crust then eggs and bacon, the chef at The Brown Hotel devised an open-face turkey sandwich slathered in Mornay (that's CHEESE!) sauce. The Kentucky Hot Brown was born.

Turkey Bacon Guacamole Sandwiches

Happy Friday!

I still love weekends, even though I'm not technically part of the work force anymore. Fridays were my favorite day of the week as a school-aged kid. It remained my favorite day all the way through college, and even up through all my subsequent jobs. The day I quit my corporate job? Well, it was a Tuesday, but Fridays were still my favorite day at that point. I mean, aren't Fridays the best? When it's 5 o'clock pm after a long workweek, and you still have the entire weekend of possibilities in front of you? I loved that feeling.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

It's finally starting to feel like March around here. 

We've had a fairly warm last couple of days, which has melted a considerable portion of our snowpack. Enough of the snow, in fact, that the dogs are pretty happy. And it was 60º yesterday! The hubby and I went into town without coats, and it felt amazing.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Oh, heyyyyy!

My, my, this week has gotten away from me. Isn't that how it always is during the holiday season? Between family time and the extra time required for running errands due to sheer mass of people out and about this time of year, I haven't found the time to blog. The hubby and I spent all weekend with family, while I spent no quality time with my camera. Or creativity, for that matter. Eh, it happens. I feel like I've been recovering from the weekend all week. This also happens occasionally :)

Let's talk chili. While my absolute favorite chili is my Dad's, this doesn't mean I shun all other chilies (chilis? chili's?). I like tomato-based chili, white chili, chicken chili, quinoa chili, turkey chili, etc. Well, go ahead and add Turkey Pumpkin Chili to the list. 

This is a really healthy chili, filled with vegetables and good-for-you fiber. The chili is thickened by 2 cups of pumpkin puree. I know a lot of Americans only think of pumpkin in terms of pie crust, condensed milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg... you know, dessert-y.  But pumpkin is really a vegetable, and in the squash family. It has a very mild flavor that doesn't take over the chili so you'd never know your eating a bowl full of pumpkin, veggies, and beans. The hubby gave me an awfully strange look when I first told him I was making this, as he too shares the American mentality of pumpkin as dessert. He came around at first bite, though.

By the way, here's a great article on why you should eat more pumpkin :)

I can't believe it's December already! Seriously, I feel like I was just making Christmas cookies and now I'm about to make another round. The hubby and I hit up the craft store yesterday to pick up some Christmas items. As relatively new homeowners, our strategy has to been to take small steps each year in the decoration department. So, we went a picked up a few more Christmas decorations to add to our collection this year. I also picked up my cookie tins and treat bags that family and friends will be receiving soon.

The hubby and I realized another "first" this year. It's our first year of putting up Christmas lights! We were oh-so excited about this one as we realized, in 8 years together, we've never put up Christmas lights. Well, done and done. Not only did we put up lights, we put red bows on the porch and even bought a wreath. We are 100% in the Christmas spirit this year!

Don't worry, I'll post some pictures soon!

Now, go forth and make this chili. It's perfect for the cold, miserable weather we've all been having lately. Especially if you have to go out in said cold :)

Happy Wednesday!

Ingredients (serves 6):

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 cups pumpkin puree

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup darker beer (I used an IPA)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 (15.5 oz) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, minced red onion, chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. When warm, add ground turkey. Sauté, stirring to crumble, for 2-3 minutes, or until turkey is no longer pink. Add onion and red pepper. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add garlic to the pot, and sauté for 30 seconds. 

2. Add tomatoes through pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir in beans, and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. 

3. Ladle into bowls, and serve with desired toppings. 

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from All You. 

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

My Dad's Famous Chili

Creamy Chicken, White Bean, and Green Chile Soup

Linked to: Treasure Box Tuesday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party