Sugar & Spice by Celeste

***This time of the year just makes me want to let out a happy sigh...I absolutely love the holidays. What are you thankful for this year? I have so much to be thankful for...I truly feel blessed. I hope that you feel the same way! Right now, I have a turkey de-frosting in the refrigerator and a grocery list of things that I still need to go buy for the big day. This year, I'm responsible for the turkey, cornbread dressing, homemade cranberry sauce and Pecan-Caramelized Brie for the appetizer...no pressure! ;-) Here are the recipes I'll be using: Roast Turkey with Bacon-Herb Butter Cornbread Dressing - I'll be using a combination of THIS recipe and THIS one. Double Cranberry-Apple Sauce Pecan Caramelized Brie These are all recipes that I've used in the past, and I can't wait to make them again! Now, back to the current post...I wanted to include this recipe for Honey Pecan Pork Chops because it's got "holidays!" written all over it. These porkchops

***As a Southern girl, I just can't resist fried chicken every once in a while. It doesn't get much better than chicken marinated in buttermilk, breaded with fresh bread crumbs, and then fried to a perfect golden brown. However...the one thing that does get better (well, at least healthier!) is when the chicken is baked...instead of fried. This recipe is the perfect combination of both worlds. You get that delectable crunch that fried chicken has, but without all that extra grease and fat! The addition of Parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs does add a few extra calories, but it adds a great flavor to the finished dish. I found this recipe in Martha Stewarts' Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook. I can't say enough good things about this particular cookbook. It's divided by seasons, so it really makes it easy to cook according to what ingredients are in season at that time. The recipes are all really simple but certainly deliver on taste. I've probably cooked

***WOW...I just made this a few minutes ago, and I couldn't wait to share this recipe with you. This appetizer is the perfect fusion of French and Southern cuisine...In fact, it makes me want to say "Bonjour, Ya'll!" Haha. This time of year, I also like experimenting with new recipes that I might incorporate into our Thanksgiving dinner. Without a doubt, this will be the star appetizer on our table this year! It is incredibly easy...It only took me 10 minutes to throw together...and it makes a gorgeous presentation! We recently visited a fabulous, family-owned restaurant named The Char in Beckley, West Virginia. That night when we were trying to figure out where to eat dinner, I came across their website and took a look at their menu. I immediately knew that I wanted to eat there when I saw "Pecan Caramelized Brie" on the appetizer menu. I was intrigued! Such a quick decision is rare, folks. Now, let me just explain something....As a libra, I am SUCH an in

***In my opinion, side dishes don't get much better or certainly...comforting!...than a cheesy casserole. This recipe has comfort food written all over it...After all, what Paula Deen recipe doesn't? Plus, this dish is super easy! Squash is one of Brad's favorite veggies, and we recently came across some beautiful, fresh squash at a local store. I couldn't help but grab some up! I found this recipe by Paula online, and I knew it sounded fabulous. I didn't have the exact ingredients on-hand, but I made some substitutes that ended up being perfect (my changes are in orange below). For example, instead of sour cream, I used mayonnaise...Plus, I changed the amounts and varieties of cheeses just a little bit. One of my favorite cheeses recently is a scrumptious Gruyere...I have yet to taste something with Gruyere in it that I didn't love. It added a wonderful taste to this casserole and a divine depth of flavor. This recipe is sure to remind you of your Grandmothe

Our "haunted" house for the evening... I had fun making this graveyard cake! The table decorations... We had so much fun at our Halloween party this year...I just LOVE decorating for the spookiest day of the year, and the party was a hit. There were witches, vampires, princesses, fairies, wolverines, and even burglars! Haha. On the menu: Steaks Broccoli & Cheese Casserole Salad Garlic Toast Pumpkin Spice Cake with a "Bleeding Chocolate" Ganache Glaze! (Graveyard Cake shown above) Here are a few pics from the night: I told you that I like Halloween decorations...lol. The lights in the house were dimmed for the party and lit by candlelight. Spooky music played in the background, while spider webs covered everything!!! My adorable niece, Dakota, and my cute nephew, Tristan... Nicole and our precious neice, Amber Rose... I was a fairy! A fairy and a burglar (aka Brad)! Hehe... Dakota thought it would be funny to make the fairy wear the witch's hat... We convin