Mother Inferior: Food and Drink

Boy, have I got some holiday treats for you! First, you can click on the following link to here Joshua Bell's (the Grammy-Award winning virtuoso violinist) entire new album in streaming form: Pop Up Audio

At Home with Friends features duets with Josh Groban, Sting, Regina Spektor, Kristin Chenoweth and many others. It's the perfect album to listen to while you're wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, or cooking. And speaking of cooking, as a working mom, I love quick, easy cooking with minimal prep and easy-to-find ingredients. The queen of that genre is Food Network star, Sandra Lee. Below are several holiday dishes, Sandra Lee-style. Enjoy!

Savory bread pudding - Appetizer

Prep 25 minutes Bake 35 minutes Makes 12 mini bread puddings

o-stick cooking spray, Pam®

8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, Johnsonville®

1 package (8-ounce) sliced fresh mushrooms

1 tablespoon canola oil, Wesson®

1 teaspoon bottled crushed garlic

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, McCormick®

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1⁄2 loaf country-style bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat twleve 2¹⁄2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook sausage until browned, breaking up lumps. Remove sausage from skillet. Add mushrooms, oil, and garlic to skillet. Cook and stir until mushrooms are lightly browned. Remove from heat and stir in sausage. Let cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add cubed bread and sausage mixture to egg mixture; press bread with back of a large spoon to submerge into milk mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes or until bread absorbs milk mixture. Ladle bread pudding mixture into prepared muffin cups and place in a large rimmed baking pan. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown and bread pudding puffs. Serve warm.

Excerpted from the book, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cocktail Time, by Sandra Lee

Fig and Port Tartlets - Appetizer

Prep 15 minutes Cook 6 minutes Makes 15 tartlets

1 jar (12-ounce) royal fig preserves, St. Dalfour®

1⁄4 cup port

2 cups whipping cream

3 tablespoons granulated sugar, Domino®/C&H®

1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon extract, McCormick®

1 package (2.1-ounce) baked miniature phyllo dough shells, Athens®

round cinnamon, McCormick®

Powdered sugar, Domino®/C&H®

1. In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat preserves and port, about 6 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; set aside.

2. In a chilled mixing bowl, beat whipping cream, sugar, and cinnamon extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream mixture to a large resealable plastic bag. Snip 1⁄2 inch off one corner of the bag. Fill each shell with about 1 tablespoon of fig mixture. Pipe whipped cream on top. Garnish with a dusting of ground cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Excerpted from the book, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cocktail Time, by Sandra Lee

Pork Roast and Cranberry Dressing - Entree

Prep 15 minutes Cook 5 to 6 hours (Low) Stand 15 minutes Makes 6 servings

1 1⁄2 cups frozen chopped onions

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 3-pound boneless pork shoulder roast

2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning

1 can (16-ounce) whole cranberry sauce

1⁄2 cup dry white wine

1 cup vegetable broth

1⁄4 cup butter

1 box (6-ounce) pork stuffing mix

3⁄4 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1. In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine onions and celery. Sprinkle roast with steak seasoning; place on vegetables in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, stir together cranberry sauce and wine until combined. Spoon over roast in slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on Low heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

3. Transfer roast to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, over high heat, bring vegetable broth and butter to a boil. Stir pork stuffing mix and dried cranberries into pan. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

5. To serve, mound some stuffing on center of plate. Spoon a portion of celery, onions, cranberries, and accumulated juices from slow cooker over stuffing. Top with sliced roast.

Excerpted from the book, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Slow Cooking, by Sandra Lee

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake - Dessert

Prep 30 minutes Cook 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours (High) + 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours (Low) Chill 4 hours Makes 8 servings

Canola oil cooking spray

1 box (18.3-ounce) fudge brownie mix

4 eggs

2⁄3 cup canola oil

1⁄4 cup espresso-and-cream coffee drink

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese

1⁄3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cake flour

Pinch salt

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Coat an 8 1⁄2-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap foil around the bottom of cake pan. Crumple additional aluminum foil to create a “ring base” about 5 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together brownie mix, two of the eggs, the oil, and coffee drink until combined. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Place foil ring in bottom of slow cooker; pour 1⁄2 inch of hot water into bottom of slow cooker. Using 2 long strips of foil, make an “X” over foil ring and bring it up along the sides of slow cooker to assist removing pan from slow cooker. Place springform pan on top of ring and the “X” in slow cooker. Stack 6 paper towels; place over top of slow cooker bowl. Secure with lid.

4. Cook on High heat setting for 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours. (Do not lift lid for the first 1 hour of cooking.)

5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add sugar, flour, and salt; beat until smooth. Add the remaining two eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add cream and vanilla; beat until combined. Pour over brownie mixture in slow cooker.

6. Cover and cook for 1 1⁄2 hours more. Turn slow cooker to Low heat setting. Cook for 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours or until cheesecake is set with a wet-looking center. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.

7. Use foil strips to lift springform pan from slow cooker. Place pan on wire rack; let cool to room temperature. Chill in pan for at least 4 hours. Just before serving, remove cake from pan.

Excerpted from the book, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Slow Cooking, by Sandra Lee

Sandra says, “Thanksgiving is the perfect time to bring everyone together to celebrate a year of blessings. Serve savory and decadent dishes on an inviting table, filled with rich colors and seasonal textures. Simple, time-saving shortcuts to create a meaningful feast can be found in my new book Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cocktail Time."

I'm taking part today in a blogging contest...and I know that like me, you're probably rushed for time and still want to have dinner as a family, when possible (and save money, too). The Dyers began eating out a lot less when we moved to our current town, where there are few cheap, family-friendly restaurants. Result? We're healthier, have more quality time together, and have spent a lot less $$.

My three tips:

1. Have the family help. Carey is our main cook (thankfully--I can burn water!) but the kids and I are usually in the kitchen with him, unloading the dishwasher, reloading it, and being his "sous chefs." <g> If you're a single parent, be sure and get the kids to help. It gives you extra hands, and they learn a lot.

2. Use simple recipes. If a meal has more than a few ingredients, we don't usually prepare it. Our favorite easy meal? Anything in a slow cooker. I recently found a recipe for salsa chicken that was so easy, I made it without Carey's help--and the family loved it! You just take chicken breasts, put them in the cooker, cover them with half a packet of chicken taco seasoning, and then add a can of reduced fat cream of mushroom soup mixed with a cup of salsa. Turn it on and cook it for several hours--and viola! it makes a delicious, creamy, healthy meal that tastes like comfort food. (My oldest said he wants it next time he's sick!)

3. Prepare as much as you can beforehand. Evenings are crazy, with soccer and scouts, homework and other responsibilities. So my hubby tries to pre-plan and prepare the meals as much as he can before the evening rush hits, either that morning or even the night before, while I'm cleaning up the kitchen. You could enlist the kids to help on this step, too--washing veggies (and even chopping them if they're old enough), setting the table, getting glasses out for drinks, defrosting meat.

So there it is. What are your best tips for quick meal prep? I'd love to hear them--we're always looking for great advice that will make our lives less hectic!