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November 2024 Newsletter
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November sweeps in with a crisp breeze and a bounty of flavors, setting the stage for our most cherished culinary tradition: Thanksgiving. It's time to turn up the heat in the kitchen and let the savory scents of sage, butter, and roasted goodness fill the air. Here at Very Smart Ideas, we're all about diving into the season with recipes that bring both warmth and wow to your holiday table. Let’s roll up our sleeves, spice things up, and make this Thanksgiving not only flavorful but fabulously memorable.
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Spicing Up the Side Dishes
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Get ready to feast, laugh, and love with every bite we prepare and share together! Every year I change a recipe for one of the dishes I make for our Thanksgiving meal. Here are some of my favorite swaps! My Stuffing Muffins are a fun alternative to traditional stuffing and taste delicious with a swath of butter. Plus no need for dinner rolls when serving these savory muffins alongside all the fixings! My version of Sweet Potatoes with Chorizo Butter and Herbs uses lemon and mint instead of lime and cilantro for a more cosmopolitan flavor profile, which pairs well with just about anything on your table. My Spiced Curried Cranberry Chutney is savory, sweet and tangy. It is delicious warm or at room temperature. Bonus, it tastes amazing when dolloped onto vanilla ice cream.
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Sweet Potatoes with Chorizo Butter and Herbs
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Tip of the Month
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Never Baste Your Turkey Again
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Soak cheesecloth with butter and place it on top of the turkey to keep it moist. Bonus, no need to baste the turkey and it still gets golden brown.
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Festive & Fizzy Drinks
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Celebrate the season with fun, festive holiday cocktails. Add sparkle to any gathering with tart, rich, and smoky flavors to fresh fruity twists. These cocktails bring holiday cheer to every sip. Here are three of my favorite libations to help capture the joy and magic of the holidays. My Easy Holiday Punch isn't too sweet, and it has the perfect amount of vodka, and the cranberries add a nice pop of color. Want to serve a signature cocktail this Thanksgiving? Try this lip smacking Tart Cherry Mezcal Margarita! The cherries are an ideal match for the smoky mezcal flavors, and the orange liqueur adds a bright citrusy note. The smoked salt and sugar rim is an option but worth the extra work. My Cranberry Gimlet screams the holidays. Like my cranberry meatball recipe, it uses up the last of the canned cranberry sauce. It is tart, tangy, and a definite crowd pleaser!
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Tart Cherry Mezcal Margarita
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Product Spotlight
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Kyocera Ceramic Mandoline with Hand Guard
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I love this mandolin. It is the perfect size to store easily in your knife drawer. It's lightweight, cleans effortlessly, and has four settings. It truly makes preparing large meals significantly easier. It would make a lovely gift for the new homeowner, or student learning how to cook, plus, it's on sale.
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I am an Amazon Affiliate seller, and Very Smart Ideas contains affiliate links.
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Quick Weeknights Dinners (After the Holiday!)
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I am exhausted after the holidays, and we often still have out-of-town guests through the weekend, so I love making easy, tasty recipes for a crowd. Here are three favorite dishes everyone loves. These Leftover Cranberry Sauce Meatballs are made with leftover canned cranberries, and staples from the pantry. It is perfectly savory-sweet, and absolutely delicious. My White Chicken or Turkey Chili is a little less creamy than other “white” chicken chili recipes, but it is just as delicious thanks to the warming cumin and coriander. This is a wonderful recipe for leftover chopped turkey. Pizza Noodle Casserole is comfort food like no other and it's a great recipe to make for a crowd. It's gooey, rich, cheesy, and it tastes just like a thick meaty pizza. The leftovers are perfect for late night fridge raids, or as a snack to serve during game night!
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Leftover Cranberry Sauce Meatballs
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White Chicken or Turkey Chili
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"What if today, we were grateful for everything"
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