Carrot Soufflé

Here is the recipe I promised y'all!  Sorry it took me so long to get it posted...there is a reason for that.  Sweet potatoes are on sale for 16¢ a pound so I stocked up and bought over 20 pounds.  I figured I would cook them and then freeze them so we could enjoy them for a while!  So yesterday I washed them and pricked them and rolled them in aluminum foil to bake.  If any of you have baked sweet potatoes, you know what a mess they can make in your oven!  So...I had to scrub out my oven before I could bake my carrot soufflé!

This is a recipe that one of my friends used to bring to our Sunday potlucks often.  When she moved away, I made sure that I had the recipe!  Now I bring it to potlucks every once in a while and it has become a Thanksgiving tradition.  There have been a few people that haven't tasted it because they thought they wouldn't like it.  But I have yet to meet a person that has tried it that hasn't loved it!  Even people who don't like carrots...or vegetables of any kind for that matter, love this.  It's sweet and yummy and is flavored with cinnamon.  So if you want a lot of compliments this Thanksgiving, bake up this little treat!

Carrot Soufflé

1 16 ounce package baby carrots

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Boil carrots in water for 20 -24 minutes or until they are tender.  Drain well and cool.  Process carrots and eggs in blender until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and process again until well mixed and smooth.  Pour into a greased 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish.  Bake at 350º for 55 to 60 minutes or until set in the middle.  The soufflé should rise in the oven, but it will fall within minutes of taking it out.

I generally serve this warm with chicken or turkey, but it's also great with other meals and even good cold!  I hope you enjoy!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Giveaway winner!

First I want to say thanks for everyone who entered my giveaway!  Next time I will do a Google Doc form so you don't have to enter your e-mail address for everyone to see.  I listed all the entries and extra entries and went to Random.org to pick the winner. 

The winner is...Noreen!

Please e-mail me at domesticdoins@hotmail.com to claim your prize!  I hope you can get something great with your $20 at CSN Stores!

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everyone!  Check back later today for a last minute Thanksgiving recipe.  Around here Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without this!

Giveaway!

Howdy folks!  I've got some great news for you today!  I get to have my first giveaway!  A representative from CSN Stores contacted me about doing a $20 dollar giveaway on my blog.  If you aren't familiar with CSN stores, you need to check them out!  They have over 200 online stores where you can get just about anything you might want!  They have a great selection of cookware and kitchen gadgets, but not only that you can get a new pair of shoes, toys for your kids, patio furniture and even luggage or a leather briefcase.

Here's a few of the things that you can get for $20 or less.  Be sure to look at the close-out and clearance items, some of them are 75% off!

This will get your glass Pyrex collection started, or make it grow!  I could always use more Pyrex!

Here's a cute hamper that's 58% off!

Or this pretty cutting board just in time for winter!

The giveaway will be open for one week.  It will end on November 23rd, and I will post the winner on the 24th!

To enter, leave a comment with a valid e-mail address below!

For extra entries:

Become a follower of Domestic Doin's

Write about the giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with the link to the post

Share a link to the giveaway on your facebook status and let me know in a comment

Good luck to all of you!  Have a great week!

Note:  Your comment will not show up right away, it goes to my e-mail to be verified.  So don't worry, you will be entered!

Old Fashioned Molasses Taffy

I have read books and heard stories about old-fashioned taffy pulling parties.  Folks used to get together on a winter night and make molasses taffy.  It was quite an occasion for the young people, because they got to pull taffy with their sweethearts. :)  The teens used to try to make the fanciest designs and sometimes even their initials with the taffy.

Last night I was trying to think of something fun to do, and remembered the stories about pulling taffy.  So I thought we would try it!  I found some salt water taffy recipes, but I wanted to make the old fashioned molasses kind.  I also wanted it to be a little more flavorful than just plain molasses so I added some spices.  The way this recipe turned out, it tastes a bit like a ginger molasses cookie.  Delicious!  And also very sweet and sticky! :)

You will want at least a couple people there to pull the taffy.  The more the merrier!  This is great for older kids and adults, but the taffy gets kind of hard for little tykes to pull after a while!  This would be great fun for a party!

Old Fashioned Molasses Taffy

2 cups sugar

1 cup molasses

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons white vinegar

3/4 teaspoon ginger (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

First, lightly grease a baking sheet, or pan.  Make sure it has edges on it.  Set it aside.  Mix first 4 ingredients, plus spices if wanted, in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Continue to boil and use a candy thermometer to bring the mixture up to about 260º F, the hard ball stage.  If you drop a bit of the candy into a glass of cold water, it should form a hard ball that isn't easily squishable.

  Remove from the heat and stir in butter and baking soda.  This will make the candy bubble up and lighten in color.  Pour the candy onto the prepared pan.  Let it cool for about 10 minutes or so, or until you can touch it without being burned.  As soon as it is cool enough to touch, divide the taffy so everybody gets a chunk, and pull away!  You might want to butter your fingers so it doesn't get so sticky! You'll want to keep stretching it out and folding it back on itself for about 15 to 20 minutes.  When the taffy gets stiff and harder to pull, make a rope and cut it into bite sized pieces.  Wrap each piece with wax paper.  Now you have a bunch of great candy to eat (if you've got a real sweet tooth), or to share with others!

I didn't get pictures of it because my hands were all sticky, but when you are pulling the taffy, it looks like spun gold.  It's such a beautiful metalic looking color, but once you stop pulling it just turns brown again.  Try it out and see for yourself!  Make some memories with your family or friends! :)



Apricot Mandarin Chicken

Here's a warm comforting recipe for a chilly day!  This is a great recipe for when you need a quick meal.  I usually have all these ingredients on hand in my freezer or pantry, so this meal only takes about half an hour or less to make.  It's great served over white rice, but I opted for healthier brown rice this time.

Apricot Mandarin Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2-4 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon oil

Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey

1 or 2 cans mandarin oranges

Mix the flour, salt and pepper together.  Rinse, trim, and chunk chicken breasts, and dredge in flour mixture.  Brown in oil in a large frying pan. Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together, withholding the oranges.  Pour over chicken and bring to a boil.  Continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes, until chicken juices run clear and sauce is thickened.  Add oranges and heat through.  Serve over hot rice.

I like the oranges, so I usually add two cans.  Sometimes I am tempted to double the sauce recipe because it is so yummy!  I hope y'all enjoy!