Kay Nimitz Smith -- Writer, Mom, Goddess in Training: 2020

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Granini's Cookies

Every year I keep posting cookie recipes, but then I can't remember which recipes I still need to add to my blog. Here is a lovely collection of cookie recipes that I've posted so far... I will endeavor to remember to post the missing recipes as this month flies by!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips
Chocolate Cookies with Andes Mint Chips
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies with Caramel filling

Gingerbread Houses
Gingersnaps
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Cookies
Oatmeal Scotchies
Oreo Cakeballs
Peanut Butter Cookies with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Pecan Tassies
Pina Colada Cookies
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Sand Tarts
Shortbread Sugar Cookies with frosting
Snowballs (Mexican Wedding Cakes)
Sugar Cookies
Snickerdoodles (Cookies made from leftover Pie Crust)

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

Gingersnaps

Lemon Cookies

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Shortbread Sugar Cookies
(Great for frosting / decorating)

Snickerdoodles recipe & instructions

Sugar Cookies

* * * * *

Here are links to her other desserts:

One link to all desserts

Pies

Tasty Treats

Cakes

Link to food recipes (not desserts)

* * * * *

I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too!

Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Granini's Thanksgiving Timeline

When to make what for Thanksgiving Dinner

and when to put it in the oven

Several years ago I started to prepare a Thanksgiving Timeline. I wanted to make as much stuff as I could ahead of time, so that on Thanksgiving Day, I could whirl around the kitchen like a crazy person, but not feel quite as frantic.

And THEN I had this brilliant idea.

Why not create a fancy spreadsheet, so that I could simply refer to it every year, rather than try to recreate the same list year after year after year??

And so I did.

I make a LOT of food for Thanksgiving. AND, I make a lot of pies.
So I made spreadsheets.

I also have spreadsheets for grocery lists.

It sounds insane, but it has helped me immensely with preparing an entire feast by myself two separate times in one week. Yes, that's right. I make Thanksgiving twice, each year. Once on Thursday, and once again on Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, I made Thanksgiving a third time (last Saturday). Yes, I'm that crazy.

I do not give myself a lot of extra time for each item, as I have made every recipe hundreds of times, and I know how long it takes me to make everything. You may wish to add more time to each item if you are a beginner cook, or if you're not as adept at cutting, dicing, and mixing. But for me, these timelines are divine. And they even allow me a quick nap, a good rest period to watch a bit of football and put my feet up, as well as time to eat breakfast and an hors d'oeuvre filled lunch. This year my goal is to add in Drinkies to the list -- Holiday inspired Cocktails. Delish!!

So, for those of you who would like to see them, here they are.

I hope that they help you immensely on the BIG DAY OF DAYS.

The day before Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day

Friendsgiving (smaller Thanksgiving dinner)

I'll gather up my grocery lists and post those too if you're interested!!

Links to my Thanksgiving Recipes:

Appetizers and Other Tasty Savory Treats

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Granini's Stuffed Mushrooms
Cream Cheese Red Pepper Dip

Turkey

Roasted Turkey
(or what I like to call bathing a turkey in butter in a toasty oven)

Side Dishes

Cornbread Stuffing / Cornbread Dressing
Bacon Beer Cheese Dressing (recipe to follow shortly)

Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

Gravy

Dinner Rolls (aka Parker House Rolls)

Ratatouille (for the vegetarians!)

Cranberry Orange Relish
Glazed Carrots

Creamed Corn Casserole
Cheesy Creamed Corn Casserole (recipe to follow shortly)

Sautéd Green Beans with peppers and onions
Sinful Macaroni & Cheese

Additional Recipes you may want to peruse:

Cornbread
Spaghetti Sauce (for the Ratatouille)
Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie for the days after Thanksgiving

Pies!

The week of Pie
(all of my pie recipes in one place)

Pie Crust recipe & instructions
Traditional Apple Pie
Dutch Apple Pie with caramel drizzle
Blueberry Pie (with 3 crusts!)
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate Eclair Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
French Silk Pie
(it's a fancy chocolate cream pie with chocolate crumb crust)
Grasshopper Pie
La Tarte aux Sauterelles Chocolate
(chocolate mint pie)
Lemon Meringue Pie
Minced Meat Pie with rum sauce
Pumpkin Pie

Snickerdoodles

(What to make with the leftover pie crust)

OR, if you prefer to drool over recipes with pictures, see below:

Dutch Apple Pie with homemade caramel sauce

Appetizers and Other Tasty Savory Treats

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Granini's Stuffed Mushrooms

* * * * *

Find other tasty Thanksgiving Dinner dishes here:

And tasty pie recipes here:

* * * * *

I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too!

Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

The Week of Pie (2020!)

Granini's
The Week of Pie!

So last year at Thanksgiving, I started a new tradition.

The Week of Pie!

Each year on Thanksgiving day, I eat (and eat and eat and eat) so much food that by the time dessert rolls around, I'm too darned stuffed to eat any pie. And that's just sad.

So I started thinking, what if we had pie every night for a whole week leading up to Thanksgiving? And what if it was a different pie each night?
That way, all of us would get a chance to eat our favorite pie, and none of our favorites would be omitted due to lack of space in the fridge, or room in our bellies.

It was a huge hit!

So here we are, year two, and I've compiled a list of my pies in one location for all y'all to enjoy.

Happy Week of Pie!

(More recipes to come!)

Pies
Pie Crust recipe & instructions
Traditional Apple Pie
Dutch Apple Pie with homemade caramel sauce
Blueberry Pie Recipe
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate Eclair Pie
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
Dutch Apple Pie
(Chocolate) French Silk Pie
Grasshopper Pie
La tarte aux sauterelles chocolate
( Chocolate Mint Pie - I just made up the recipe!)
Lemon Meringue Pie
Mincemeat Pie with hot rum sauce
Pumpkin Pie
Snickerdoodles recipe & instructions

Pie Crust recipe & instructions

Snickerdoodles recipe & instructions