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Weekly Menu 12/1-12/7

December 1, 2014 By Chelsia Rief Leave a Comment

Happy December everybody! Did you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families? How many of you did Black Friday shopping? We've had a bit of sickness running through our family. It seems to last only 12-24 hours, but anytime you're dealing with sick kids it's no fun.

Grace and I did a little shopping on Saturday and surprisingly enough, it wasn't crazy with shoppers. We went to Target and the mall and in both places found pretty good parking spots and didn't have to deal with any long lines. YAY! [Read more...]

Sparkling Cider Pound Cake with Sparkling Cider Glaze

November 28, 2014 By Chelsia Rief Leave a Comment

A bit of carbonation makes this sparkling apple cider pound cake taste & feel special! You'll note a "sparkle" in the cake & the glaze!

Hi guys, I'm over at Evermine's blog today kicking off the holiday season with this Sparkling Cider Pound Cake with Sparkling Cider Glaze!

The holidays are a great time to use baked goods to show appreciation for family, friends, and neighbors, and this pound cake hits all the right notes. It's beautiful, delectable, and has that distinct "sparkling" flavor. [Read more...]

Amish Pumpkin Pancakes

November 28, 2014 By Chelsia Rief 5 Comments

This traditional Amish pumpkin pancakes recipe can also be sweet potato-based, but no matter how you make it, it's an autumn breakfast treat!

This post was originally published in February of 2011. We have reshot it and brought it back from the archives for you. Enjoy!

Well, my Gracie is sick again. I'm feeling pretty bad about this because she has only been over her last cold/flu for a about a week and a half and here she is not feeling well again. My kid needs a break. Thankfully, it's a really mild cold, though...or so it seems. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I need her to get better fast because not only will she be a happier child, but if she has to miss one more Awana Club night I think I (and she!) might scream. Her Valentine's party is tomorrow and I need her well enough to go and play with her friends!

[Read more...]

Happy Thanksgiving

November 27, 2014 By Joshua Rief Leave a Comment

From Chels and I here at Catz, we wish you and your families the very happiest of Thanksgivings! We've tried to put together some tasty and tested holiday meals for you over the past couple of weeks, including what to do with the leftovers, and we hope you've enjoyed them and found them helpful. We have much to be thankful for!

Slow-Cooker Turkey Mole Street Tacos

November 25, 2014 By Joshua Rief 5 Comments

Have some leftover turkey? Cocoa, peanuts, chili, cilantro - these simple but incredibly flavorful slow-cooker turkey mole street tacos are just the ticket.

I love street tacos. Actually, I love all tacos. Fish tacos. Beef tacos. Chicken tacos. Hard tacos. Soft tacos. Chocotacos. Tacos are where it's at. But back to street tacos. Truthfully, I don't know what the technical definition of a "street taco" is (I don't know if there even is one), but I've taken it to describe a simple taco served in a warm corn tortilla. If that's right, then I think I can safely call this recipe a street taco. If it's not, then I'm going to dangerously call it a street taco. [Read more...]

Mini Turkey Pot Pies

November 24, 2014 By Chelsia Rief 8 Comments

This post was originally published in January of 2012. We've re-photographed it and re-published it from the archives for you to enjoy with your leftovers from this Thanksgiving!

On Christmas Eve, Josh and I brined a turkey, and it was the most amazing turkey I have ever tasted. I was thrilled when we had turkey meat leftovers - and I knew just wanted I wanted to make with them. A Turkey Pot Pie, but not just any pot pie - a pot pie made in my cute ramekins. Ramekins are such an incredibly smart invention. So cute and tiny - but full of power. Power to create meals that will have you oohing and awing as if it were a newborn baby! Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme...but, if we're being honest here...the oohing and awing was exactly what I did when my little minis popped out of the oven! Yes, I'm ridiculous! [Read more...]

Creamy Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Soup

November 24, 2014 By Chelsia Rief 12 Comments

This simple slow cooker butternut squash and sweet potato soup recipe is full of flavor and spice - a perfect fall family dinner!

This post was originally published in December of 2011. We've brought it back from the archives for you to enjoy as a perfect side or soup course this Thanksgiving!

I love and adore my crockpot something awful. I mean, it's way up there on the list. When I say up there, I mean smack dab in between my KitchenAid Mixer and my zester. My crockpot is like a best friend. Trust- worthy, smart, and always there to lend a helping hand. [Read more...]

Cooking with Gracie: Caramel Shortbread

November 22, 2014 By Chelsia Rief Leave a Comment

It's been over a month since my last Cooking with Gracie post. We skipped doing a recipe in October due to my surgery, recovery, and the start of school. All of that is behind us now (thank goodness), which means we can move onto more fun adventures - like cooking and baking.

For those of you who may not remember, Gracie wants to be a chef when she gets older, and since we homeschool, we're incorporating cooking/baking days into our Fridays (since we take those days off from the rest of the school work). She's been loving it. In fact, she's going to help me bake something else in the kitchen today for the potluck tomorrow. [Read more...]

Nutella Swirled Sweet Potato Pie

November 21, 2014 By Chelsia Rief 6 Comments

Ready for a totally different, more sweet-than-savory slightly nutty take on sweet potato pie? Dig in to this nutella sweet potato pie!

As a family, we love to watch cooking shows on the Food Network channel. Primarily, the competition-based ones, though occasionally on a Saturday morning (if I'm awake early enough) you can find me watching The Pioneer Woman or Giada. But usually on Sunday evenings or the occasional weeknight, we'll have a laid back dinner at the coffee table and watch Chopped or Cutthroat Kitchen. [Read more...]

Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Turkey

November 20, 2014 By Joshua Rief 5 Comments

Looking to bring middle eastern flavor to your bird, or brighten it up with a citrusy sauce? This elegant pomegranate molasses glazed turkey is a must-try!

Thanksgiving turkey is something we have experimented with just a little bit. It's kind of scary. If you mess up an omelet, you're out two eggs and a bit of milk, and you start again, right? A pie is worse - some flour and a decent amount of work out the window. A steak is really the pits - all of that beautiful meat (and money) for nought! But a whole turkey...even when you get it for free because you exceeded your grocery budget so dramatically the store felt obligated to bless you with a bird, messing it up just feels like you dishonored the turkey's entire life, its very existence rendered meaningless by your culinary ineptitude.

That's heavy. [Read more...]