Preheat oven

19 degrees {-7C} , it's 19 degrees {-7C} outside, the high will be a blistering 33F {0.5C}. I have a feeling that my oven will be on most of the day.

This is one of the reasons I love winter and the cold, being able to heat my house with my oven. For weeks my house will smell of fresh bread and cookies, pies and individual sized cakes. What my children don't eat, will be packed up and taken into the city, where my husbands hard working co-workers will have a small feast. If only I was allowed to give them to a food bank {cookies not co-workers}, but the rules prohibit that.

I love baking, cooking is grand, but baking. . . it's just so homey and therapeutic. So many frustrations can be taken out by just punching down a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. Sweet bliss. And my children, I can bake with them underfoot, while cooking I tend to splatter and worry about them getting burnt. Yet with only me finagling the oven, my children get to pour, mix and cover each other with flour, not to mention they get to lick the beaters. Nothing brings my kids and I closer together than a big o' batch of cookies.

We made Pumpkin cookies last night. I was running behind on things so we were only able to make one type of cookie, today that will change.

A soft Pumpkin Cookie

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup Pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Glaze (recipe follows)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350̊ F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking power, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl, set aside . Beat the sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Slowly beat in flour mixture. Drop by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

FOR GLAZE:
Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.

What does one do with left over turkey this pic above is of one of the turkey breasts. The end of my palm is at the bottom of the turkey, I was attempting to show how big he was.


and stored spaghetti squash?Make turkey Tetrazzini, at least that what I did.

Recipe for Turkey Tetrazzini;

For the topping you will need;
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
a pinch of salt
1 ½ tbl unsalted butter, melted
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated {makes about 1/4 cup}

For the filling you will need;
6 tbl unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish
8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
2 medium onion, chopped fine
salt and ground black pepper
3/4 lbs spaghetti, pasta or squash {if using pasta snap them in half}
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
3 tbl dry sherry
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated {makes about 3/4 cup}
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp juice from 1 small lemon
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 cups peas
4 cups leftover turkey {or chicken} cut into bite sized pieces

For the topping, place your oven rack in the middle position, heat oven to 350F. Mix the first 3 ingredients in a small baking dish. bake for 15-20 minutes until a golden brown. Allow to cool down to room temp and mix in the cheese. set aside.

now for the filling, increase the oven temp to 450 F. heat 2 tbl butter in a large skillet over a medium heat until it stops foaming, throw in the mushroom and onions and saute for 12 to 15 minutes or until the mushroom liquid evaporates. salt and pepper to taste and remove from skilet, set aside.

If using pasta, cook it now and drain, reserve 1/4 of the cooking water, return to pot with the reserved water. Using the squash, after you have prepped it whole in a oven set at 350 for 90 minutes, cut in half and scooped out, heat up 1/4 cups water in a large pot, turn off heat and stir in the squash.

Melt 4 tbl butter in a clean skillet over a medium heat. When foam subsides, whisk in the flour. Whisk it constantly until it changes to a golden brown {1-2 minutes}. Continue to whisk constantly and add the chicken stock. Adjust heat to medium high and simmer until it thickens {3-4 minutes}. Remove from heat and add the sherry, Parmesan, lemon juice, thyme, nutmeg and ½ tsp salt. Add this, the mushrooms, meat to the spaghetti and mix well. season to taste.

turn out into a butter 13x 9 inch baking dish. sprinkle the topping evening over the filling. bake for 13-15 minutes or until nice and bubbling, serve immediately.

What have you done with your leftovers?