Lovely the Second Time Around!

While the frost is still on the pumpkin at The Maine House......

We are decorating & singing.....

'O ....Christmas..... Tree.....
Wait a minute! We just finished our Thanksgiving dinner! Christmas carols already? Indeed.....not a minute to waste of enjoying and celebrating the season! So, finish up the turkey and cranberries, put on your Christmas music and raise your voices to heaven! Make your house cozy with the divine smells of cinnamon, citrus, spice and evergreens!



Estelle's Holiday Potpourri
Sliced oranges
Sliced Apples 
Sliced Lemons
Water
Bay leaves
Whole cloves
Cinnamon sticks
In a slow-cooker, combine fruit to preferences of smell. Cover in water. Top with bay leaves, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Leave slow-cooker on low! Heaven!!


These recipes will hopefully inspire you to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers for Sunday Supper. They are easy and rather healthy. These are pretty good at ending the turkey, cranberries and apples, yet still providing a beautiful dinner for your loved ones!

Healthy Nine Bean-Turkey Soup
2 cups Nine Bean Soup Mix
1 quarts water
2 cups chopped left-over turkey
1 bunch fresh kale
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 chicken bouillion cube
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies


Place soup mix in a dutch oven and add enough water to cover. Place top on dutch oven and let stand for 30 minutes, allowing the bean mix to soak in the water. Drain any left over water.
Bring soup mix, along with the 2 quarts of water and next 7 ingredients to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, simmering for 1 1/2 hours. Stir in tomatoes and rotel tomatoes, then return to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Serve with crusty and cheesy french bread!

Cheesey French Bread
 1 cup mozzarella cheese
 4 cups  cheddar cheese
 a couple dashes of Italian seasoning
 3 ounces of mayonnaise
 3 minced garlic cloves
4 ounces of butter
1 loaf of Italian or French bread





 Mix the cheeses and mayo in a bowl.
 Add the butter (softened), seasonings, and garlic to a bowl and mix well.
 Combine the cheese mixture with the butter mixture.
Cut the loaf of bread in half lengthwise and spread the mixture on the inside of both bread loaf halves.
 Bake bread in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 8-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is looking a little golden brown.

Apple Cranberry Crunch
3 cups diced peeled apples
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup orange juice 
1/4 cup butter melted 
1 cup regular oats
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Combine apples, cranberries, sugar and juice in medium bowl and mix well.
Spoon into a lightly greased baking dish.Combine butter, oats, brown sugar, flour and pecans then mix well.
Spoon evenly over apple cranberry mixture and bake 45 minutes.

Linus van Pelt: What are you going to do on Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown?
Charlie Brown: My mother and Dad, and Sally and I are all going to my grandmother's for dinner.
Sally Brown: Why don't you come along, Linus? We can hold hands under the table.
Linus van Pelt: Blah.