Easy Thanksgiving Side

Okay, y'all, we're down to crunch time. Thanksgiving is only two days away. You know what that means. Let the cooking begin.

My turkey has been thawing in the refrigerator since Friday. Tomorrow I'll start brining it so it's ready to go in the oven Thursday morning. And then there are the sides. For most meals, I'm good with just meat, a salad and a veggie. But on Thanksgiving, it's too difficult to decide on which beloved side dishes to make so I just make them all. Mashed potatoes, dressing, green bean casserole (with fresh green beans and mushrooms), broccoli and rice... Everyone seems to have their favorite. But the one thing we all agree on is Corn Pudding.

And the best thing about it is that it's so easy to make.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 - 15.5 oz can cream style corn
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 - 4 oz. can diced green chilies
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix everything together in a medium size bowl.

Now I know some of you are thinkin', "Chilies? Cayenne?" I promise, this is not spicy. However, you're free to skip the cayenne, if you must. The green chilies aren't hot, though. Just flavorful. And we're all about flavor, right?

Pour mixture into a greased casserole, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

It should be golden to slightly brown on the top and around the edges. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture before people started digging in. 

Depending on how many folks I'm feeding, I usually double the recipe and extend the baking time as needed. The shallower the pan, the faster it bakes.

Four out of five kiddos will be making their way home for Thanksgiving this year. Having the two youngest grandbabies in the house at the same time should be fun. One is two and half and the other will be two the day after Christmas. Oh, just think of the mischief they could get into. 

So what are your plans for Thanksgiving? And what is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? 

Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

Broccoli Salad

The dog days of summer have descended on Texas. We've been at or above a hundred for several days now. Perfect weather to stay inside and write. And when it's hot like this, I'm always up for some sort of salad. But one of my favorites, whether it's a side dish or a main course, is broccoli salad. The crunch of the broccoli, the sweetness of the dressing and saltiness of bacon come together in a perfectly satisfying medley.

Start by chopping two large heads of broccoli into bite-sized florets. Rinse and put into a large bowl.

Add half a pound of bacon that's has been cooked and chopped, one small red onion, chopped, 1/2 to 3/4 dried cranberries or raisins and 3/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds.

Toss everything together and set aside while you make the dressing.

Whisk together 1 cup mayonaise (I used light), 1/8 tsp stevia extract OR 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar until smooth. Then pour over broccoli mixture and stir to coat.

I cannot tell you how much I love this dish. And it makes a big batch, so we can have it as a side for dinner and then there's plenty for me to have for lunch the next couple of days. I can't think of a more delightful way to eat broccoli. I've even been known to eat it for a snack.

You know, for months now we've had deer coming up behind our house to feed in the morning and again at night. It began with two pregnant does. Then we got one or two more. Then they started bringing their babies around. One of the mamas took in the orphaned twins... And when I looked out the other morning, this is what I saw.

There are eight in this photo. About ten minutes later, there were eleven of them. I love to just sit and watch them. At least until the drama starts. Someone annoys someone else and the fight is on until one or more ends up ostracized. 

Oh, and did I mention I have a book releasing a week from today?

Reunited in the Rockies is book four in my Rocky Mountain Heroes series. And you can read a free preview of the book here. 

Now it's your turn. Are you feeling the summer heat? What are some of your favorite quick meals when the heat is on?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Holiday Favorites - Revisiting Corn Pudding

This has been a busy weekend. Kids and grandbabies visiting, family dinners, church potlucks... 

A prelude to Thanksgiving, if you will. And what is Thanksgiving without our favorite side dishes.

Corn Pudding is my husband's fave, one his mother made for decades, and it's easy peasy.

Not to mention all kinds of yummy.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 - 15.5 oz can cream style corn
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 - 4 oz. can diced green chilies
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix everything together in a medium size bowl.

Now I know some of you folks north of Oklahoma are thinkin', "Chilies? Cayenne?" I promise, this is not spicy. However, you're free to skip the cayenne, if you must. The green chilies aren't hot, though. Just flavorful. And we're all about flavor, right?

Pour mixture into a greased casserole, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

It should be golden to slightly brown on the top and around the edges.

Depending on how many people I'm feeding, I usually double the recipe and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Thanksgiving Day will be rather low-key around the Obi house this year. Only four of us. We'll have turkey and everyone gets to pick a favorite side. Mine is cornbread dressing, though you may call it stuffing. Since I make it only once or twice a year, it's a treat. One I will likely feed on for days. And I can hardly wait.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? Are you hosting dinner or going to someone else's house? What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving Day? Parades? Food? People? Football games?

Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

Roasted Green Beans

I've mentioned them on more than one occasion. I make them at least once a week. And yet I have never actually blogged about them. So today, roasted green beans are finally getting their place in the sun--er, on the blog.

Okay, so there's really no right or wrong here. No specific amounts. But you do want to begin with the stars of the show--green beans.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Snap or cut off the ends of the beans. If they're really long, you can snap or cut them in half. Then rinse well, drain well and spread them on paper towel to remove as much of the excess water as possible. 

While they're drying, cut some bacon into bite-size pieces.

How much bacon you add depends on the amount of beans you have. If I'm fixing just enough for the family, I usually only add one slice of thick-cut bacon which, I suppose, would equate to two slices of regular bacon. Of course, if don't want meat with your veggies, you can skip this step.

Transfer beans to a large sheet pan that's been lined with foil. This will make cleanup SO much easier.

Dot beans with the bacon.

Drizzle with coconut or olive oil. Since this bakes at such a high heat, I prefer coconut oil. If it's solid, I simply put in the microwave on defrost for a minute so I'm able to drizzle it. As for how much oil, not too much, but not too little. You want to coat the beans, but you don't want them swimming.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until you begin to see some color on the beans.

These could have actually gone a couple more minutes, but I was in a hurry.

My boys never liked green beans before I started making them this way. And while I wouldn't go so far as to say they love them, they do actually put them on their plate and eat them now. 

So it's September. School is back in session and fall decorations are cropping up all over. Things at the ranch are pretty mellow right now.

That is, until cattle or deer wander into the dogs' line of vision. Then all bets are off.

We still like to do our evening rides around the ranch and I captured these two reveling in the sunset the other night.

Sigh. Such a serene image. Horses are so beautiful.

So what does September bring to your neck of the woods? And have you ever had roasted green beans? Would you?

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Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

Pasta Salad - The Perfect Fourth of July Side Dish

by Mindy Obenhaus

Know anyone having a cookout anytime soon? Like, oh, tomorrow? 

Yes, the Fourth of July and cookouts seem to go hand-in-hand. And this pasta salad is the perfect accompaniment to your burgers, brats, chicken, ribs or steaks. It's even delicious all by itself. It's nice and cool...perfect for a hot summer day. Best of all, it's easy. If you can boil water, you can make this pasta salad.

Of course, there's always one key ingredient in pasta salad and that's the pasta. I prefer mine with some color, so I often opt for the Wacky Mac or some other tri-colored pasta.

Sometimes you can even find holiday pasta, like red, white and blue stars or red and green Christmas trees. I've seen them at places like Homegoods and Cost Plus World Market. They're fun for both cooking and decorating. Simply keep them on display in a sealed mason jar until you're ready to use them.

Cook your pasta according to package directions to al dente. Once the time is up, drain immediately and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Then place your cooked pasta into a bowl. 

Add some chopped red onion, bell pepper and sliced black olives. 

These are my veggies of choice, but you're welcome to use whatever you like. But this next ingredient is what takes this pasta salad to the next level.

Imitation crab, which can usually be found in the meat section of your favorite market, is the key ingredient. Chop it up and stir in as much or little as you like into your pasta mixture.

Top everything with some Italian salad dressing (I don't recommend fat-free versions because without the oil the liquid ends up soaking into the pasta, making for a drier salad) and toss again.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until ready to serve. That means you can make it the day ahead. But when something is this easy, you really don't have to.

Colorful, tasty and simple, making this one of my all-time favorite recipes. Oh, and did I mention it's always a crowd-pleaser?

So tell me about your plans for the Fourth. Do you tend to celebrate at home or do you like to go somewhere? And how about the fireworks? 

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Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children, two dogs and countless cattle. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining and sometimes adventurous manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com.