A Foodie Friday Thanksgiving plus another Mariposa Give-away

'Tis the season for foodies and serving pieces. Another contest starts today at DBG for an elegant Mariposa "String of Pearls" oblong casserole (16"L X 11.75" W. Retails for $128.00). Followers' names will be automatically entered, and for additional more chances to win, just leave a message here and/or on Facebook. The winner will be announced on the December 3rd Foodie Friday, along with another contest.

Speaking of oblong casseroles . . .

Even when time isn't short (or leftovers plentiful), I'm a fan of

one-pot meals ...

No traditional "sides," mind you, just salad, bread, and tea.

Leftover turkey (or chicken) is a time-saver for the frazzled foodie--all you need is one pot, salad, and bread.

No leftovers?

Make your own scraps! Yes, indeedy. A deli chicken is an easy way to transform basic stuffing into an effortless meal.

Confession: I even love this cold. I love it better if I'm barefoot, wearing a flannel granny gown, and standing in front of the fridge.

But a plate from Big Lots will do, too, because Frazzled Foodies often suffer from Tablescaping Fetishes.

It's highly incurable, of course.

Deli chicken or leftover turkey/chicken

Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix

Artesian bread cubes (deli leftovers)

chopped onions, bell peppers, green onions, celery

chicken stock

1 stick unsalted butter

2 large eggs

salt, pepper, Tabasco (if desired)

----------------------------------------------------------

Debone chicken. Sautee vegetables in 1 stick unsalted butter. Add to stuffing and chicken. Add chicken stock ("eyeball it," as Rachel Ray says). Cool a little, then add beaten eggs. Season. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

The winner of last week's tray is Mari at Once Upon a Plate.

I hope everyone has a delightful, food-filled Thanksgiving. If you're new to Foodie Friday, here's a TUTORIAL. For those who wish to participate in this week's recipe exchange, please add your recipe and permalink:

Foodie Friday Mariposa Tray Give-away

Would you like to win a gorgeous, just-in-time-for-Christmas Mariposa tray? Followers of this blog are automatically entered, and if you'd like more chances to win, just leave a comment. The tray is 20" long X 13" wide and retails for $144.00.
The winner will be announced on the December 3rd Foodie Friday.

A virus knocked me low today, so today's Foodie Friday post is a little early and features a long-ago salad from my Darling Baker days.


The holiday rush is upon all foodies, so next week's FF will be available a day early(Wednesday night, Nov 24th, 8 pm central).
If you're new to Foodie Friday, here's a TUTORIAL.If you are participating in this week's recipe exchange, please add your recipe and permalink here:

Foodie Friday: Asparagus Frittata

I hope everyone had a great, food-filled week. I needed a fast entree and remembered the frittata! It's fast, simple, and filling. I used a Food Network Recipe. It was a little flat, not as poofy, and but looks are deceiving. It was delicious.

I've been pondering this question all week: When I'm too busy too cook, why do I always have time to eat? :-)
If you're new to Foodie Friday, here's a TUTORIAL.If you are participating in this week's recipe exchange, please add your recipe and permalink here:

Foodie Friday: A Teeny Trip to New York and More-

Oh, how I love New York City.

My publisher, St. Martin's/Minotaur, is located in the Flatiron Building.

I had lunch at a divine Greek restaurant, Periyali, followed by a reception hosted by St.Martin's Press and Minotaur Books, which included red velvet cupcakes. Here's a view from the Flatiron conference room:


Here's a picture with my editor, the divine Jennifer Enderlin:


The trip ended in the Oak Bar, then a mad dash to the airport, with a few 5th Avenue scenes from the taxi

The art department sent a photographer to Rhinebeck NY -- with peaches -- to do a live photo shoot for the cover of my new novel. I believe they may be using peaches as a theme for all books in the "Teeny" series, which will be way cool. The house in the background is somehow connected to Chelsea Clinton's wedding. Photoshopped a bit for artistic purposes. :-)

Anyway, here's the new book cover! The pub date is May 2011.

Now we're home-sweet-home.

The winner of the KitchenAid mixer is (insert drumroll) Delores, Vignette Design. Congratulations, Delores--please email your address.

I'll be hosting another contest as soon as I can think of something different. Any ideas?
Have a great week,
Michael

If you're new to Foodie Friday, here's a TUTORIAL.If you are participating in this week's recipe exchange, please add your recipe and permalink here:

Gone With a Handsomer Man: An Update and Trivia Question

Ask any blogger and they will say that writing is a solitary activity. For me, it's like hatching a 300 pound egg. I sit in my nest, facing a laptop or yellow legal pad, and I'm afraid to leave my egg for too long. If you're like me, hatching can cause the hatcher to crave chocolate, Cheeze-Its, and cupcakes.

Months, even years, can pass and I have nothing to show except typed pages. Eventually, the book goes into production and an artist creates a cover. I was in NYC yesterday, and I'm thrilled to share two book covers for Gone With a Handsomer Man. Which one do you like?

"All I ever wanted in life was true love, a set of copper cookware, and the perfect recipe for Red Velvet cake. The last thing I wanted was to end up on Charleston's six o'clock news, accused of murder and a slew of other crimes."

So begins the story of Teeny Templeton, out-of-work Charleston pastry chef. The first bit of trouble in which Teeny finds herself is when she catches her fiance playing naked badminton with two other women, which compels her to climb a peach tree and hurl unripe peaches at him. Needless to say, the engagement is over, and her fiance slaps her with a restraining order. When her fiance is found dead a few days later, all fingers point to Teeny. Her only hope is through an old boyfriend-turned-lawyer, the guy who broke her heart a decade ago. But dredging up the past brings more than skeletons out of the closet, and Teeny doesn't know who she can trust. With evidence mounting and the heat turning up, Teeny must also figure out where to live, how to support herself, how to clear her name, and how to protect her heart.

All of my blogging friends have been supportive and loving during this long, long process. I'm pleased to tell you all that GONE WITH A HANDSOMER MAN will be coming to a bookstore near you in May 2011 by St.Martin's Press/Minotaur Books! Teeny's next adventure, A TEENY BIT OF TROUBLE, will be published in 2012 (I finished it this month--yay!), and I'm busily working on Teeny's third caper.

In the coming months, I'll be having some foodie contests and fun give-aways.

A little book jacket trivia: can you guess the house in the background? I'll give the answer tomorrow.(Hint: a famous wedding took place at this house.)

XXOO