It’s that time of year, dear readers: when visitors drop in unexpectedly; when we find ourselves invited to four holiday parties, all on the same day; when neighbors exchange tokens of gratitude; when season’s greetings call to be exemplified in the form of a small gift.  It’s that time of year when having a large batch of Party Snack Mix on hand will save you over and over again.

This wonderful mix is full of flavor, and fun to make.  It’s a great snack to have on hand when guests drop by.  A cheerfully decorated bag of this party treat makes a great hostess gift for all your holiday parties.  Plus, it’s a great token gift for neighbors and friends.

I try to come up with a handy-dandy treat every year to serve as this life-saver during the holidays.  Last year, I made Marvelous marbled Peppermint Bark for my neighbors and co-workers.  But this year, I’m all over the Party Snack Mix.  I  basically worked with the traditional Chex Party Mix but switched it up with my favorite additions (um, hello, you know I had to add Cheez-Its!!!) and my own custom spice blend.  I hope you enjoy this holiday treat!

Party Snack Mix

Inspired by the Original Chex Party Mix

2 cups Corn Chex cereal
2 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
2 cups plain Cheerios
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup walnut halves
2 cups bite-sized pretzels
2 cups Cheez-Its
1 cup butter
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a very large container, combine the Chex cereals, the Cheerios, the pecans, the walnuts, the pretzels,and the Cheez-Its.

Next, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the oil, the Worcestershire, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, paprika, pepper, and salt, stirring until everything is incorporated.

Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture, tossing lightly until all pieces are lightly coated.

For Microwave: Microwave the mixture (in batches if necessary) for 6-7 minutes, stopping every two minutes to stir the mixture. Spread evenly on paper towels until the mixture is completely cooled. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

For Oven: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Spread the mixture evenly on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 60 minutes, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes.  Spread evenly on paper towels until the mixture is completely cooled. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

We’re all suffering from a bit of that Thanksgiving hangover this weekend, I think.  Are we a few pounds heavier than this time last Sunday?  Probably.  Are we sleepy from the tryptophan or from sleeping on Aunt Gwendolyn’s couch?  Who knows.  One thing is for sure – leftovers abound, and we can’t let those go to waste.  So here are three great ideas for using up some of your leftover turkey!

Tired of all things Thanksgiving? Craving flavors other than rosemary and sage?  Then my Southwestern White Chili is the perfect match for you and your leftover turkey.

Looking for a good way to jazz up those same-old turkey sandwiches? Then boy are you in for a treat when you make Hot Browns with your leftovers.  These babies are a Kentucky classic, so comforting and absolutely delicious.

Thanksgiving is over but you’re still trying to embrace that holiday spirit?  Then you need to try this Turkey Pot Pie with Cranberry-Thyme Crust.  It is all of the best flavors of the season, in a new and tasty form.

Now get to cooking, dear readers, before those leftovers go to waste!!

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!! What a wonderful day to be surrounded by family, friends, and FOOD!

Even on those years when my parents don’t host Thanksgiving dinner at their house (our families alternate years), they still roast a whole turkey.  Why go to all the trouble?  Well, for the leftovers, of course!

I think there are two really unique things that my family does when we roast a turkey.  The first is the stuffing.  My grandmother, Nanny, makes the stuffing every year.  She will tell you that it’s very simple – just some breadcrumbs (made from plain white hamburger buns!), melted butter, chicken broth, and some poultry seasoning.  But I’m telling you . . . . it’s simply magical.  I can’t even look at recipes for stuffing that include a lot of *stuff* – the simple classic has spoiled me.  I don’t want cranberries, mushrooms, lentils, oysters, carrots, celery, onion, raisins, or even cornbread in my stuffing!  Give me Nanny’s, or I’ll just pass on this dish altogether!!!

The second unique touch in our family turkey recipe is the sausage.  (And NO, the sausage does NOT go in the dressing!)  About mid-way through the roasting process, we place traditional link sausages (usually Bob Evans or Jimmy Dean brand) all around the base of the turkey.  They roast to perfection, all the while basting the turkey with their wonderfully flavorful juices!  Everyone takes a link to have on their plate next to all the delicious veggies.

We have a few other turkey-day tricks up our sleeve in my family, but I have to save some of those for the years to come!

In the meantime, best wishes to all of my dear readers for a wonderful holiday season for you and your precious families!

Looking for an appetizer to bring to a holiday party? Tired of the same-old-same-old?  Try something zesty and bold . . . this spicy black bean dip is sure to keep your party warm on a cold winter night!

Spicy Black Bean Dip

1 15-ounce can black beans
3 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
3-4 shakes of hot sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh or canned jalapeno, finely diced
1 tablespoon grated onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream and cilantro for garnish

First, drain the black beans, reserving their liquid in a bowl.

In the bowl of your food processor, combine the beans, the garlic, the cumin, and the hot sauce. Blend until smooth. Adjust the texture to your liking by using the reserved bean liquid to thin the dip. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro, and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Happy Blogiversary, Vintage Victuals!

One year ago today, my humble blog made its delicious debut.  As a token of thanks for making this blog more than I ever dreamed it would be, I am celebrating with a great giveaway!!

The winner of the giveaway will receive THREE of my brand new VV Mixes of your choice, available through the VV Etsy shop.

Nutty Fudge Brownie Mix

These mixes are all hand-crafted, gourmet-quality recipes carefully layered in mason jars and decorated for the holidays.  They are all personally assembled by yours truly in a certified, licensed commercial kitchen.  They make a great gift for friends and teachers, or a special treat for you and your family.  All require the addition of 3 easy ingredients or less, and come with straight-forward instructions so that anyone can savor the timeless tastes of Vintage Victuals in the comfort of their own kitchen!

Gingerbread Boys Mix

Here’s how to enter!

1. Leave a comment on  this post = 1 entry

2. Add the Vintage Victuals Etsy Shop as a “Favorite” through your Etsy account = 2 entries

3. Add the Vintage Victuals Button (code is on the right) to your blog = 3 entries

4. Write a post on your own blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post = 4 entries

NOTE: Be sure to tell me which of the above you have done in your comment on this post so that I know how many entries to give you!  Also, please provide links, where applicable, to your own blog!

Buttermilk Spice Cake

All entries will be completed and tallied by

10:00 AM EST on Tuesday, December 1, 2009!

A winner will be announced that evening!

Good luck, and happy blogiversary to all my dear readers!!!

There is nothing my husband loves more than a dinner of plain ol’ pinto beans and cornbread.  In fact, his family still loves to tease us, saying that they know I was “the one” for him when I sat down on a dusty roadside at a fall festival a few months after we first met, and ate pinto beans and cornbread with him for lunch.  I didn’t think much of it at the time – I just thought it was a pretty yummy lunch.

So here is the recipe that my husband loves most.  Enjoy!

Pinto Beans and Cornbread

2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed with cool water
Water
3/4 cup diced ham
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped onion
Cornbread

Pour your rinsed beans into a large pot.  Cover with water about 2-3 inches above the tops of the beans.  Cover and allow to soak overnight.

The next day, drain the beans in a colander.  Return them to the pot, and cover with fresh water, at least 1 inch above the tops of the beans.  Add the diced ham.  Simmer the beans on low for 4-5 hours, or until the beans are nice and tender.  Alternatively, you can cook the beans on low in the crock pot for about 6 hours.

After the beans have cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, sprinkle each serving with salt on top and fresh diced onions.  Serve with cornbread to soak up all the delicious broth!

Well, dear readers, this is a *first* for me.  I am loathe to share any recipes with you here that involve cake mixes, pudding mixes, and the like – even if they are doctored up quite a bit.  I don’t know why, but I just tend to be of the mind that these creations cannot compare to a from-scratch style of cake.

With that disclaimer, I will tell you that the recipe I am about to share with you is a wonderful family recipe that comes to me from aunt, through my lovely cousin, the Meat Lady.  And I must admit, the cake she made for us was surprisingly delicious.  It is moist. tender  and flavorful, and the topping is absolutely to-die-for!

So without further ado, I give you . . . Devil’s Food Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting!

Devil’s Food Pound Cake
from my cousin, the Meat Lady

1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 box chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease well a bundt pan.

Blend all ingredients together for 2-3 minutes, and pour in the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then flip pan, and cake should fall right out. Frost as desired.

Peanut Butter Frosting
also from the kitchen of my cousin, the Meat Lady
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Using an electric mixer, blend all ingredients together until light and fluffy. Next, put the mixture in a small saucepan over very low heat, until it becomes slightly runny.  Remove from heat and spoon over the cake.  Garnish with crumbled pieces of chocolate-peanut-butter cups!

The four cheeses in my lasagna are not the most traditional cheeses . . . but they sure are tasty!  I like to use turkey for the meat in this one – there are so many wonderful flavors going on that most people who taste this dish don’t even notice that it’s not beef! Plus, I think the turkey makes it seem lighter, which is a nice balance to the richness of the cheese.

Ellie’s Four-Cheese Lasagna

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. mild italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb. ground turkey breast (ground beef works, too!)
1/2 cup diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 24-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley OR dry Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 9-ounce package of no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated parmigiano regiano cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and the ground turkey.  Brown the meat, stirring occasionally, until completely cooked through.  Remove the meat from the pan and add the onion.  Cook until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the minced garlic, stirring until fragrant.  Next, add the meat back to the pan, and stir in the tomato sauce and the water.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste.  Lower the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a microwaveable bowl for about 20-30 seconds.  Stir in the ricotta cheese until combined.  Add the eggs, the parsley or Italian seasoning, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, folding the mixture together.

To assemble the lasagna, spoon 1/4 of the tomato mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish.  Next, layer the no-boil noodles on top.  Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles.  Spoon over the next 1/4 of the tomato mixture.  Then the noodles again.  Then the next 1/3 of the ricotta.  Then another 1/4 of the tomato mixture.  One more layer of noodles, and one more layer of ricotta.  Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top.  Finally, sprinkle with the remaining cup of mozzarella, topping it all off with the parmigiano regiano cheese.

** Note that at this point, you can either continue, **
** or cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to 3 days **
** or the freezer for up to 3 months. **

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until all cheese is melted and the lasagna is nice and bubbly.  Allow to set for about 5 minutes before serving.

This is a hearty one-dish dinner that I dreamed up on a cool and rainy fall evening.  The blend of flavors is wonderful, without being too overpowering.  For a lighter version, try using light soup and brown rice.  You are going to love this dish!

Cheddar-Bacon-Ranch Chicken & Rice Bake

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (white or brown)
1 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can of water
1 can of milk
1 1-ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
4 medium-sized chicken breasts
2 cups cheddar cheese
6-8 slices of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the rice, the soup, the water, the milk, the ranch seasoning, and the diced peppers.  Stir until well combined.  Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture.  Cover the dish with tin foil and wrap tightly.

Bake for 45 minutes.  In the meantime, lightly brown the bacon pieces over medium heat in a small frying pan.  When you remove the chicken and rice from the oven, check the chicken to make sure it is cooked through (I like to use a meat thermometer for this).  Then, sprinkle with the shredded cheese and the browned bacon pieces.  Return to the oven for about 5-7 minutes so that the cheese melts and bubbles.  Serve hot.  Yield 4-6 servings