GoodbyeThanksgiving, Hello Christmas!

Well, its almost a week since thanksgiving and that means two things. Christmas is getting closer and you are probably tired of eating turkey sandwiches. Thankfully, Good Housekeeping magazine has some tips for using up those final turkey tidbits. I especially like the Moo Shu Turkey recipe. If you can find some red bean paste or plum sauce to add to your tortillas, go for it. Don't be afraid of the bean paste. Believe it or not, it is sweeter than the plum sauce! I have enjoyed this moo shu recipe several times since turkey day. It goes great with the stir fried sweet potatoes I mentioned last week. I made the entire meal in less than 20 minutes!! It felt great to make such a quick meal after spending a week getting ready for Thanksgiving.

My Christmas preparations are now in full swing. Although I am already looking for recipe ideas for Christmas dinner, right now my primary focus is SHOPPING! I braved a few black Friday sales this year, which is always a lot of fun and a little bit crazy. I got up at 4:30 just to be sure I made it the store on time. After a few frantic minutes of searching for gifts, and a few hours waiting in the checkout line, I was ready to go home and take a nap. Of course, by the time I got home, my family was awake and ready to go pick out the Christmas tree.

We always get our tree the day after Thanksgiving, have been doing it forever. And the kids love to see my husband and I spend the day sawing branches, wrestling the tree in the stand, standing on the chair to put the lights on, etc etc.

Let's face it, Christmas can be hard work sometimes. On days like this, the last thing I want spend another hour in the kitchen. Luckily, I have a secret weapon for those busy days....my crock pot. I found a wonderful recipe for Slow-Cooked Peachy Glazed Sweet Potatoes. I had never tried sweet potatoes in the crock before, but it really does the trick. The slow cooking makes them extra sweet and moist. For a quick meal, I fixed this recipe and served it with some of the leftover ham from my freezer. I think every cook needs a few days of rest after Thanksgiving. And this recipe is so warm and inviting, the perfect way to end a busy winter's day. Best of all, I get to spend more time decking the halls and less time stirring the pots and pans.






INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 lb dark-orange sweet potatoes, peeled
1 cup peach pie filling (from 21-oz can)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Spray 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Halve larger sweet potatoes lengthwise; cut each into 1/2-inch slices. Place in slow cooker. Add pie filling, 2 tablespoons margarine, the gingerroot and salt; mix well to coat potatoes.
Cover; cook on High setting 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, line cookie sheet with foil. In small skillet, combine all Topping ingredients. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until bubbly and glazed. Spoon onto foil-lined cookie sheet to cool.

Just before serving, gently stir potatoes. Sprinkle with topping.