YUM!

At our Publix grocery store, several times a week, an employee is stationed at a little cooking area making a simple meal with all the fixings for taste testing, and then all the ingredients are shelved near by for easy shopping. Sometimes I like the ideas, sometimes not. Today, though, I thought the little meal was excellent, and the dessert was really great, too.

Today's dish was One-Pan Turkey, Veggie, and Gravy Dinner. It tasted so nice, I think, because all the veggies are fresh in the recipe. You use a low-sodium canned gravy but thicken it up with a bit of flour. I loved it. Serve that will some green beans and a side of stuffing and rolls, and you really have an entire, Thanksgiving meal without all the fuss.

The dessert, pictured at the top, is a Turtle Pumpkin Pie, which was awesome. I can't make that for my family, though, because it's a pudding-based pie made with milk - too many lactose intolerant people in my house! Nice and spicy, though, in a graham cracker crust. I think you'll like it, too.

Just follow either of those links above, and you will end up on the same page with the entire recipes ready to print out.

On another recipe note, sometimes less really is more. I like to be Martha and Rachael Ray in the kitchen and really spice up, flavor up, and try new things. However, sometimes that really isn't necessary. Twice we have had roasts thawing in the last couple of weeks, and I just didn't have time to do the whole big thing. Twice now I have done this:

.

Pork Tenderloin Roast: Mix two packets of dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix with two cups of water. Pour into crockpot. Add roast and make sure you've turned the roast over a couple of times to moisten it up. I add in cracked pepper to spice it up a bit. Our tenderloin comes very long, so I actually cut it in half to cook faster. Turn the temperature on high for an hour and then down to low for the rest of the day. Don't add any extra fat, like butter, as it isn't necessary. That keeps the broth nice, too, and it isn't too greasy or rich to use as a gravy. After it's ready, I just pull the roast out and shred and serve with fluffy rice. You could get some nice rolls and put some BBQ sauce on the side for BBQ sandwiches. I like mine over the rice with soy sauce.

.

Beef Roast and Potatoes: Same as above. Mix two packets of dry, Lipton Onion Soup Mix with two cups of water. Pour into crockpot. Add roast and make sure you've turned the roast over a couple of times to moisten it up. Wash and quarter some small red potatoes and put those into the pot. Add some black pepper and maybe some garlic powder if you like. Then, just turn on high for an hour and then to low for the rest of the day. Serve over noodles or rice.

.

For leftovers of the beef roast - actually no roast left for us, just the potatoes and broth: Heat the leftover broth, roast, if any, and potatoes slowly over a low heat. Raise temperature until bubbly. Then add in rice - I used Minute Rice. Add in enough rice appropriate for the liquid available (or make the rice separate and just add in later). Let the rice cook - or take off the heat if it is the minute rice - until done. This makes a nice, thick, yummy stew. That's how I like it anyway. This really stretches out the leftovers very nicely.

.

I hope these give you some yummy, easy, and nutritious ideas for a quick supper for your family.