Last week, I discovered gigantic beets, the size of softballs, at a favorite market. I’ve never seen anything like them before. Better yet, they were only $0.69 per pound. So, of course I had to pick up several at that rock bottom price.

Now, I could have just boiled the beets — I love boiled beets with a hearty sprinkling of sea salt. But these special beets just begged for me to try something new, something different. And whatever it is, I wanted it to merit being featured on Thanksgiving. I hunted around the internet and discovered that there are a few recipes for roasted beets out there. Roasted? Perfect. Roasting brings out natural sweetness in vegetables … and, heck, I have never met a roasted vegetable I didn’t like.

The surprise bonus? I gave Paige a taste and her little eyes lit up. Soon, Will was clamoring for bites too. Before I knew it, we’d polished off a whole pound of these. Just. So. Good.

And they were a hit on Thanksgiving too.

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The Turkey

Centerpiece

Bread and Cheese

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I need to get this off my chest: Ariane’s reaction to criticism during the Quick Fire challenge was pitiful. The flicked head and rolled eyes really got under my skin. Fast. She needs to step up or get out.

If last season was the season of gratuitous cursing, this season is the season of bad attitudes. Case in point: Eugene saying Team Cougar’s food was obviously better than Team Sexy Pants. Pathetic. Obviously, that wasn’t the case for the Foo Fighters. And at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you think about your food. What matters is what the client thinks aboutIf it was the case, then it would have been Team Cougar rockin’ out at the Foo Fighters concert.

Hollywood Jeff, he who thinks hair checks have a place in the kitchen, needs to worry less about his locks and more about his crocks … bad pun, but you know what I mean. Perhaps he’s good in the kitchen … but his vanity is wearing on me.

Where did the eyeliner on Gail Simmons come from? Might she be smitten with the Foo Fighters enough to break out of her usual makeup routine? I sure would be. Read the rest of this entry…

Sometimes, I just don’t know where to start when I write about a recipe. Do I tell you how Paige ate so many of these meatballs that I wondered if she was hiding them in her shirt for later? Or do I tell you how Will was reluctant to eat them, but ended up cleaning his plate once he got a taste of these? Do I mention how these actually taste like the party meatballs I bought at Costco, which have a much higher fat and calorie content?

Or maybe I should just start with the reason I made these . . . A few weeks ago I did a survey on Sarah’s Cucina Bella. I was happy to hear the responses and suggestions and I listened. But it really hit home that I need to have more healthy food and, sadly, less bacon. So, I am working with fish and looking at ways to go vegetarian for dinner without resorting to pasta. All of that is coming.

What I won’t promise is to eliminate all the sweets and bad-for-you stuff. Life is about balance. You take the healthy with the not-so-healthy and you achieve a good balance of food. After all, the body needs both fat and nutrients to run like a well oiled machine.

With Christmas around the corner, there will, of course, be cookie recipes galore over the next few weeks. But they will be sandwiched between healthier content.

Regarding these meatballs: They are perfect for dinners, served with a delicious vegetable or two. Or they can be sandwiched in a roll for a meatball sub. Or, serve them as cocktail meatballs at your next party.

You won’t be disappointed.

More Turkey Meatball Recipes:

• Pesto Turkey Meatballs
• Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs
• Italian Turkey Meatballs

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One Thanksgiving, before I was married, I volunteered to make side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. Back then, I was an unsure cook without substantial kitchen knowledge. It was the biggest culinary undertaking I’d ever had to date. I aimed for classic. I hunted around through cookbooks and the internet and came up with about a half-dozen recipes. Among them was southern butternut squash.

Um, yea. It look years before I got anyone in the family to eat butternut squash again. That dish was uber-thick, uber-sweet custard. Yes, custard. I still hear about the horrors of that now and again. It was that bad. (Coincidentally, it’s highly rated on All Recipes. Go figure. Totally wasn’t for us though.)

I’ve played it safe with squash since then. Each year, I roast a butternut squash with a dab of butter, some maple syrup and some brown sugar. When it’s done, I scoop it out, mash lightly and serve. It’s easy. And it has predictably good results.

I am so done with predictable and safe though. It’s time to break out.

This recipe is anything but predictable. It’s packed with flavor. The sweet, salty combination really brings out the sweetness of the squash — in a good way. In fact, it’s so good that you might just want to eat it all yourself. Make extra. (Recipe after the jump)

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Wow, where to begin?

A lot of the dishes served this episode seemed to fail. And in some of the cases, the chefs knew the dishes weren’t that good before they served them. Why send a not-so-good dish out? And what’s with all the dated plating and presentation? I would think that as Top Chef competitors, you would know enough to strive for innovation every single time.

Furthermore, if this batch of chefs could have learned anything from last week’s elimination, it’s that you do not make something you’ve never used/made before when your spot in the competition as at stake. Jill, are you listening? You don’t use an egg you’ve never used before, in a dish that won’t be enhanced by it … And worse, you can’t give a convincing, sensible reason why you should be given another chance. It’s no wonder that she was the one to go.

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When I discovered the recipe for these cookies, they seemed simple enough to try on a busy night. I did, and they were the softest, most wonderfully vanilla-y and butter-y cookie I’d ever had. I loved them. So, the tender, sweet goodness that is these cookies has become a fixture in my cookie jar.

Speaking of which, it might be time to bake another batch.

That first time that I made these, they were dessert when one of my oldest and dearest girlfriends came for dinner. We ate … um … more than I care to admit. The second time I made them, they were even better than the first time — and mostly because Will helped.

Will loves to help me in the kitchen. He drags a kitchen chair over to the counter and listens intently as I explain what we are doing. “Mommy, you need my help?” he always asks. I love that and can’t help but indulge him. He’s the pourer of liquids into mixing bowls and the gentle stirrer of breadcrumb mixtures. He can lock and unlock the tilting head of my stand mixer, but knows to back up and keep his fingers away when the mixer is on. And he waits, as patiently as a three-year-old can, while I handle the less kid friendly tasks like breaking eggs.

“What’s next, Mommy?” is his constant question as we weave our way through measuring, mixing, pouring and arranging. And whenever I hear it, it makes me smile. A lot.

I am one lucky woman.

Yes, perhaps it is time to make another batch.

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Has it really been a whole year?

Yesterday, I was floating in Long Island Sound in the kayak that my uncle bought me as a college graduation gift … or it feel s that way at least. In truth though, that day was nearly three months of yesterdays ago. Yes, folks, time is flying and it’s flying faster than fast. We’ve kissed summer goodbye, rounded the corner into autumn. The apples have come and gone and the leaf peepers are back to Sunday’s on the couch watching football. Now, we are closing in on Thanksgiving.

Already.

So what does that mean? With only nine days to go before Thanksgiving Day in the United States, it’s time to kick Thanksgiving dinner planning into high gear. Not sure where to start? I’m here to help.

Thanksgiving Planning Timeline

9 days in advance: Plan preliminary menu. Order specialty items such as pies or special turkeys, as necessary. Begin testing any new recipes you want to use. You should never, ever, ever test out a new recipe on the big day. It’s bound to fail miserably like my southern butternut squash custard a few years ago. Blech.

7 days in advance: Confirm the number of guests.

5 days in advance: Finalize menu. Beginning cleaning house for guests.

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We did it with $7, including a dessert or appetizer. And somehow, that seemed not too bad. Yes, it was challenging. But it wasn’t so challenging that I ever worried that I might not have made the limit. But this week, with a slightly larger $10 budget and without the added stress of an app or dessert, I got worried.

It’s like space: the more you have, the more you use. So with the bigger budget, I went bigger on this week’s meal. I bought the much more expensive beef chuck, cut into stir-fry strips, which consumed more than half of the budget. I added lots of veggies, and rice for a carb. There is some cheese,  but just enough for the taste of it. (Sorry! No dousing in cheese this time!)

I was worried when I was getting ready to add this up. Would I make it? Would I exceed the limit?

Well, I came very close. Too close for comfort. But I still passed, however barely.

So, what did I come up with?

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