You won't see a lot of fuss around our table. Simple food that our small family enjoys, some time watching parades and football games and some time to play a board game or two. Our holiday consists of making the most of the time we have to celebrate just being family, reconnecting with each other. Last year Bob and I had dinner for two since Michael, Jennifer and Lily were celebrating in Dallas. It was easier for Lily to drive to Dallas from San Antonio than to drive all the way to El Paso and then turn right around and drive back to school.

Well, this year we have Lily here with us, but Mike and Jennifer will not be coming to town. I'm sure we'll be on the phone and emailing pictures back and forth just like we did last year. It made us feel like we were all together. Thank God for technology.

Anyway, I wanted to share recipes of our simple "feast" and hope you will enjoy them. May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love and caring and closeness with family and friends. Su amiga siempre, Tere.

Cranberry Chipotle Glazed Turkey Breast

1 bone-in turkey breast, 6 to 7 pounds
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Glaze:
1 (16 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons chipotle sauce (from a can)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
Rinse and pat dry thawed turkey breast. Season with salt and pepper (to taste) on all sides. Place skin side up on rack in roasting pan. Combine half-cup wine and half cup broth and add to bottom of roasting pan. Roast at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients in medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until well combined. Continue to cook over low heat until reduced to half.After first hour of roasting turkey breast, begin glazing every 15 minutes. Continue roasting for a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until turkey breast registers 180 degrees on meat thermometer.Remove turkey breast from oven and cover with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes to allow juices to reincorporate into breast. Slice and serve.

Smashed Red Potatoes with Shallots and Mexican Blend Cheese

2 pounds small red potatoes, rinsed and quartered
4 to 5 medium cloves of shallots, peeled but left whole
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup half and half
1 cup finely shredded Mexican-Blend Cheese

Cook quartered potatoes and shallots in salted, boiling water until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Using a pastry cutter cut up potatoes with 1/4-cup butter. Add half and half until blended. Mix in 1/2 cup of the cheese blend. Fold in gently. Top with remaining cheese blend right before serving.

Extra Special Green Bean Casserole

4 cups cooked green beans
1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup half and half
1 teaspoon soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe homemade onion rings (recipe follows)

Combine green beans, soup, half and half, soy sauce, and seasonings in a casserole dish. Mix in half the onion rings. Bake 25 minutes in a 350° oven. Sprinkle the remainder of onion rings on top before serving.

Homemade Onion Rings:
2 medium onions sliced thinly into rings
¾ cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon chile powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable oil

Heat oil in a heavy bottom, deep fry pan. Heat to 350 °.Whisk flour, chile powder, and seasonings in a bowl. Soak onion rings in buttermilk in a separate bowl. Working in batches, toss rings into flour mixture and then, gently, place them in the hot oil. Turn rings over and cook a total time of 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cooked onion rings to a paper towel lined cookie sheet to soak up the excess oil.



Eggnog Shakes

1-quart vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup eggnog
whipped cream
nutmeg
In blender, mix ice cream and eggnog. Pour into 2 dessert glasses. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve with a cinnamon stick and a gingerbread man cookie.

Piloncillo-Pecan Pound Cakes

2 cups ( 4 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
8 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cream or half and half
1 tablespoon rum or 1 teaspoon rum flavoring
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped piloncillo

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar and beat for 6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Add flour, alternating with cream. Add rum or rum flavoring.Fold-in pecans and piloncillo.Grease and flour mini bundt pans. Fill 2/3 full. Heat oven to 325degrees. Bake mini loaves for 40 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream and drizzle with East Rum flavored Caramel Sauce. This sauce is simple. Just mix 1 cup caramel ice cream topping and 1 tablespoon rum. Heat caramel topping in saucepan over low heat.

Pecan Pie Cookies

Crust:
2/3 cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups flour

Filling:
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans

Semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom and sides of 13 x 9 in baking pan. In a large bowl mix sugar, butter, and vanilla. Stir in flour and mix well. Press dough on bottom and up sides (about ½ inch) of baking pan. Bake 15 minutes till edges are light brown. Beat brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and eggs with a wooden spoon. Fold in pecans. Pour over baked crust and bake 25 to 27 minutes. Loosen edges from sides of pan while still warm. Cool completely. Cut into squares. If desired, melt chocolate chips and coat edges of squares by dipping into melted chocolate.
***************************
Wedding Comparisons Between Mexicans and Others

Others: Send out invitations.
Mexicans: Send out maps.
Others: Receive their invitations 3 months in advance.
Mexicans: Find out about the wedding 3 days before the wedding.
Others: Have seven Brides Maids..
Mexicans: Have forty seven Padrinos.
Others: RSVP their invitation.
Mexicans: Show up with three car loads, and are waiting for the rest of their
family that got stuck at the train.
Others: Go to the wedding AND the reception.
Mexicans: Just go to the reception and the house party after.
Others: Have elegant food.
Mexicans: Have arroz, frijoles and brisket
Others: Order the cake from a bakery.
Mexicans: Have their cake done by la señora down the street.
Others: Eat the food and cake.
Mexicans: Eat the food and cake...AND take some home para la familia that
couldn't make it.
Others: At the reception, they drink wine
Mexicans: At the reception, they drink Coors, Budweiser. Bud Light
Bud Ice, Corona , Tecate, Casadores, Patron, Presidente, Jose
Cuervo whatever else could fit in the cooler they bought at HEB
Others: Relatives get drunk and pass out.
Mexicans: Get drunk, shed a few tears and start singing to Vicente
Fernandez songs, tell you they love you sooooo much, fight..... then pass out.
Others: Dance at the party....................YEAH RIGHT!!!
Mexicans: Dance at the party to Norteño¬ Rancheras, Reggaeton,Rap,Old school,
Oldies, House,etc.
Others: Party ends at midnight.
Mexicans: Party ends when the COPS show up. lol
Others: Wake up the next morning NOT WANTING another beer.
Mexicans: Wake up the next morning still holding a beer.
Now, you know you were laughing - cuz you've done at least 6 of
these.