Happy Thanksgiving!!

Oohhh...our house smells soooo good!!!!!!! Not from turkey or stuffing or pie, but from a snack I am making: Spiced Chickpeas!!!!!!!
Here is the recipe:

Indian Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

• 2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• olive oil

Spice Mix:

• chili powder
• curry powder
• cumin powder
• ground tumeric
• cinnamon
• ground ginger
• salt
• pepper
  

Heat over to 350. Drain and rinse chickpeas and pat them dry.
Mix spices to whatever ratio you like. I never measure anything, but I used about 3 TB chili powder and about 2 tsp of the other spices. Use your nose to tell what you like.
Drizzle some olive oil over the chickpeas and mix well. Add spice mix and stir until everything is coated.
Layer chickpeas on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Variations on Spice Mix:
Cajun: Use creole seasoning and cayenne pepper.
Oriental: Use Chinese five-spice powder, ground ginger and a slight drizzle of sesame oil.

My dad is coming over for dinner, and I am just making turkey cutlets that are breaded and pan-fried, stuffing with sage sausage and mushrooms, and mashed potatoes courtesy of Bob Evans. Bob bought a pumpkin pie and we bought some desserts from Horizons Patisserie. They were sold out of almost everything by Wednesday afternoon and we only got some cashew bars and pecan things.
Special thanks to Bob for trudging to W-Mart on Thanksgiving to buy some last-minute items!

No matter how bad we think life can get for us, we always have family and friends to be thankful for.

Lucy's Fancy Sweater

Lucy got a haircut, and she looked cold so I knit her a sweater. The color looks great on her! She did not like it much. She acted like she could not walk and leaned against the wall. It was great fun for humans, not so much for cats. I explained to Lucy that I would never hurt her, I would only exploit and humiliate her for my own amusement.Last weekend I made a great White Chicken Chili. Here is the recipe:

• Ingredients:

2 Lbs. Chicken Breast
16 Oz. White Beans
2 Large Onions (Medium Dice)
8 Oz. can Green Chili Peppers (Chopped)
3/4 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tsp. Tabasco Sauce
2 Cups Half&Half
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Stick Butter (Unsalted)
1 Tsp. Cumin seeds (roasted and ground)
1 1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese (Grated)
Butter and/or Olive Oil for cooking

• Directions:
  Heat a dutch oven or large skillet over moderately high heat and add a little butter and oil. Meanwhile coat your chicken with salt , pepper and chili powder. Throw them in the skillet resisting the urge to turn them over. Leave them for five minutes per side or until they are done.
  Remove the chicken from the pan and allow it to cool. When cool, shred with a fork, or just pull it to a shred with your fingers.
  Drop the onions in the skillet with 2 Tbs. of the stick of butter, and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a metal spatula, pulling the delicious juices up into the butter. Cook the onions until soft and translucent.
  Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and add the remaining 6 Tbs. of butter to the pot at low/medium heat. Whisk in the flour, creating a roux. Continue to whisk for about 3 minutes and add the onions, broth, and half & half. Bring to a boil and simmer until the mixture starts to thicken.
  Stir in the Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
  Add the beans, chilies, chicken and cheese. Cook for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
  Add the sour cream, and finally the cilantro.
  Serve.
• Notes: I found Fire Roasted Green Chilies at W-Mart. Next time I would use two cans of beans and two cans of chilies. Also, I only used 1 lb. of chicken breasts and green Tabasco and not as much sour cream.
  

The recipe came from Group Recipes, which is a great site. I plan on making this again tomorrow. It is best served with some crusty rolls.

Bob made a great pizza the other night. You can see it on his blog.