Lisa Barry » Holidays

How to make Gravy video!

Lisa — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:09:08 +0000

Gravy can be tricky. Lumpy, too thin, too greasy. Here’s a video to help you through the usual obstacles.

All about Pies! 4 videos to help start to finish!

Lisa — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:58:43 +0000

Making pie dough by hand.

How to roll dough.

Moving dough to pan.

How to patch crust.

Fold napkins like a pro!

Lisa — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:15:23 +0000

Here is a step by step guide to folding napkins like the fanciest resaurants! Click here.

Do-ahead Pumpkin Cheesecake

Lisa — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:40:18 +0000

Because you have more important things to do on Thanksgiving, here’s another recipe you can make a head of time and refrigerate. It looks delicious! Click here for the recipe.

Fresh Citrus and Cranberry Salad Recipe

Lisa — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:41:31 +0000

My goal for this Thanksgiving is to make dishes that aren’t so heavy and dark tasting. This one caught my eye but honestly, I can’t vouch for how it tastes because I haven’t tried it, but it looks delicious and I love all the ingredients. A light, refreshing salad with a hint of Thanksgiving thanks to the cranberries. See what you think. Click here for the recipe.

How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey Video!

Lisa — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:50:15 +0000

Cookbooks can be confusing especially when they use terminology that isn’t familiar. Rob Barrett from Cooking for Dads has a video that walks you through the entire process. And another bonus is that he uses ingredients that we’ve all heard of!

A fresh approach to stuffing: Apple Pecan Cornbread Stuffing

Lisa — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:21:49 +0000

Ever think that conventional stuffing looks more like something you pull out of the garbage disposal when it’s plugged up? I do. It’s heavy, and I always wished I could find something lighter and sweeter. My neice, Vanessa, found this recipe on facebook and I think it’s the greatest. It’s light and tasty I think you might like it too. This one you really can’t do ahead of time, but parts of it you could. Just mix it all at the last minute. Click here for the recipe.

Thanksgiving do-ahead orange sweet potato recipe

Lisa — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:56:57 +0000

Bake yams or sweet potatoes with skin on, then scoop out insides. You could also use canned yams/sweet potatoes. Mash them. Then add frozen orange juice concentrate (not diluted) and salt. (Mom doesn’t specify amounts here because she says it is truly to taste. So if you like the orangy flavor, add more. If not, less. The salt is important for taste.) Put in a casserole and just heat it up. Probably 30 mnutes on 300 degrees. Or freeze it and thaw it on serving day and then just heat up (it’s already fully cooked).

Do-ahead Mashed Potatoes (Mom’s best recipe)

Lisa — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:28:09 +0000

Here’s my mom’s recipe…a family favorite.
I always disliked having to drain and mash potatoes when I had so many other things to do—making gravy, carving meat, etc. These can be done a week or more in advance, frozen, then defrosted and heated up at dinner time. The recipe calls for five pounds of potatoes. If you don’t need that much for your dinner, you could make a few twice-baked potatoes with the rest. I have the potato shells handy because I bake the potatoes rather than cook them (I don’t like to peel potatoes).

5 pounds potatoes (russets are good)
(2) 3-oz. packages cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
2 Tbsp. butter

Bake (or peel and cook) potatoes. If you bake the potatoes, cut them in half and scoop potatoes into a bowl. If you cooked them, drain them and put them in bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mash–I use my electric mixer. Put in two casseroles (appx. 2.5 – 3 qt size) and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes if you’re going to eat it now. If you’re going to freeze it, don’t bake it now. Just put it in the freezer and remember to thaw it well…otherwise it will be hard on the inside. (Lisa: Mother sometimes forgets to thaw it and we end up scooping around the edges and trying to stab the center apart with the fork. Don’t let this happen to you. Highly embarassing)

A powerful quote on Veteran’s Day

Lisa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:42:04 +0000

It’s the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag. (Zell Miller)