Pig Candy for Cocktails, Soup, Salad or a Bloody Mary

Bacon (strips of thick hickory or Applewood smoked)

Brown Sugar (enough to coat strips of bacon)

Dash chipotle powder

Dash cayenne pepper

Coat uncooked bacon in some brown sugar, add seasonings to taste. Place on wooden skewers which have been soaked in water. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until crisp. If you have the time, they can be cooked on the grill for extra smoky flavor. Serve as a swizzle stick for a bloody mary or atop a bowl of roasted tomato or cheddar potato soup. They make a popular appetizer with cocktails – just stand them in a glass or vase or pass on a tray. Who could resist if a skewer were presented with a salad of mixed greens, crumbled eggs, homemade croutons, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing?

Bloody Mary

The perfect mid morning elixir, especially during the holidays. Perfect for a brunch.

4 ounces clamato juice and tomato juice (equal portions)

3 ounces vodka

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

2 drops Tabasco® sauce

1/8 tsp horseradish

Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a highball glass over crushed ice. Rim the glass with fresh ground pepper and salt. Garnish with a celery stalk, pickled okra, dilly green beans, or a skewer of bacon. For fun, serve in the Tabasco stemmed Bloody Mary glass! Your drink is only as good as the ingredients, so get a good vodka and not watered down tomato juice or bottled lemon juice - if you want and deserve the best.

Cheddar Cabbage Casserole on the Thanksgiving Menu

Cheddar Cabbage Casserole

This is a dish that even children who don't like cabbage will love! When cabbage is boiled it releases hydrogen sulphide gas. That gas is the terrible odor you smell. The gas starts to double in strength between five and seven minutes of cooking. So one way to cut down the smell is to boil it under five minutes or add something to the water while the cabbage is cooking. A whole walnut unshelled, a half of a fresh lemon, or a stalk of celery should do the trick.  This has become a favorite of a dear friend that will be at our Thanksgiving table, so it's on our menu. Everyone has favorites and that's what we serve!

8 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

2 large carrots, shredded

1 small can mushrooms, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1-1/4 cups milk

2 cups shredded, cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Cook the cabbage and carrots in boiling salted water until crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté the onion in 3 tablespoons of butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook until bubbly. Gradually add milk and sour cream; cook and stir until thickened. Drain cabbage and carrots, add mushrooms, brown sugar, salt and pepper; stir; place half in a greased 2-1/2-quart baking dish. Top with half of the sauce; sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. In a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add crumbs; cook and stir until lightly browned. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the cabbage is tender and top is golden brown. (Add a pound of browned beef, chopped cooked pork tenderloin, or smoked sausage if you like).

Thanksgiving Menu

Celery stuffed with Pineapple Cream Cheese

Cauliflower Salad

Deviled Eggs

Roasted Buttered Turkey

Dressing with Gravy

Homemade Sweet Pickles

Cranberry Catsup

Sweet Potato Praline

Cheddar Cabbage Casserole

Corn Pudding

Jack Daniels Cooked Apples

Green Beans

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue

Toasted Coconut Cream Pie

Sorghum Stack Cake with Dried Apples and Caramel Icing

Give Thanks for Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue - Sinfully, Southern, and So Good!

Marshmallow Meringue Sweet Potato Pie

Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete or nearly as delicious if you didn't serve sweet potatoes! My mama's sweet potato praline casserole is my all-time favorite and this pie just says Southern goodness, sinful yet simple! Of course I put this meringue on a chocolate fudge pie with graham cracker crust and voila - S'mores Pie.  . . oh my goodness.

2 to 3 sweet potatoes

1 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup cream

1 tsp vanilla

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Allspice

Pie crust

Meringue

4 egg whites

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp white sugar

1 7oz jar marshmallow fluff

Bake sweet potatoes so that they’re tender. Peel, place in a large mixing bowl. Use a masher or fork to mash them completely, leaving no chunks. Cut the butter into pieces and stir it into the hot potatoes. Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the potatoes. Set aside the whites. Add the vanilla, spices (not cream of tartar), and brown sugar. Stir in cream. Use a mixer and whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Add white sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and whip until stiff. Fold into potato mixture.

Spread pie crust into a dish and pour filling in. Bake at 475 for 15 minutes and 350 for 1 hour. Allow to cool.

When the pie is cool, start your meringue by whipping egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla. When it’s frothy, add in sugar one tbsp at a time, until it is stiff. Fold in the fluff. Spread over pie.

Bake at 375 for 6 minutes, or until the peaks have browned and the meringue is firm.

Rock The Power

You Have the Power…Know How to Use It, Inc. was founded by President and Founder First Lady of Tennessee, Andrea Conte in Nashville, Tennessee in 1993 to advocate for victims and educate the community to prevent violent crime.

You Have the Power...Know How to Use It, Inc. is a not-for-profit agency dedicated to raising awareness about crime and justice issues. The mission is to advocate for victims and educate the community to prevent violent crime. A belief that knowledge is power - with the right information one can reduce the chances of becoming a victim, but if are victimized, the right information can help put the pieces of ones life back together.

Conducting educational programs, creating training videos, and producing resource guidebooks on topics such as domestic violence, elder abuse, methamphetamine abuse, and child sexual abuse are key activities of the organization. DVDs are distributed nationwide to law enforcement, universities, domestic violence shelters, congregations, and many others to educate professionals and the general public. victim impact classes for inmates at Charles Bass Correctional Complex, Corrections Corporation of America, Tennessee Prison for Women, and Metro-Davidson County Sheriff's Department are also facilitated

Liberty Hall at The Factory in Franklin was filled with special guests, VIP’s and supporters on Thursday, October 28, 2010 who gathered to support YHTP with Rock the Power, unplugged . Special performances by Gary Morris, Bryan White, Linda Davis, Baillie and the Boys and Jonell Mosser, several of Nashville’s finest entertainers, were a highlight of the evening, which also included a silent auction and sit down dinner catered by Shoney’s.

Gary Morris, whose voice is the only instrument needed to move the listener's heart and soul. He is probably best known for his original recording of "Wind Beneath My Wings," which won both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music Song of the Year Awards. At the height of his Nashville recording career, Morris boldly opted to play opposite Linda Ronstadt in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Puccini's opera La Boheme. Next, he accepted the heroic lead role of Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables," on Broadway. Receiving resounding critical praise, including a Drama Desk Best Actor nomination, his performance set the standard for this challenging role. Morris' famous rendition of "Bring Him Home" can be found on the platinum-selling Grammy Award-winning International cast album, as well as on his latest CD, "Gospel Classics, Volume 2 - Rock of Ages."
http://momentsbymoser.blogspot.com/2010/11/article-rock-power-unplugged.html