Carrot Souffle

This has been a huge favorite when our families got together at my sister's in Superior, WI each year to celebrate Thanksgiving. It became a family tradition to make this recipe every year. My sister and husband who hosted Thanksgiving for years moved to Iowa this past spring, but it continues to be one of my son's all time favorite veggie side dishes. If you have kids who hate carrots, this is the perfect way to win them over to the veggie side. It tastes more like a dessert than a vegetable. Some of us like this dish a little less sweet, so we don't include the 1/2 cup sugar in the main ingredients.

Ingredients
1 lb. carrots
1 stick butter
3 eggs
dash of nutmeg & cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar

Topping
1/4 cup cornflakes crushed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter (softened)
1/2 cup brown sugar
(Blend all topping ingredients together)

Cook carrots and blend in a blender or food processor with stick of butter, while carrots are still hot . Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Put in a 9x9 greased pan, and top with topping. Bake for 45 mins. at 350 degrees F.

Silver and White Christmas with Tiramasu Trifle

I was excited to come across the antique champagne glasses at a resale shop for $14.00 for a set of 8 (I love a bargain!). The dishes I had didn't come with a mug but I found something that worked at Walmart.

The women of our church start off the Advent season every year with Advent by Candlelight. A program is presented focusing on Christ's birth and what he's done for us.Tables are set with Christmas decor and dessert is served to guests.  
I chose to do silver and white this year because of things I already had and love. I used a free template I got from a website to make the roses for my napkin rings. I used another template for the old fashioned Christmas Carol sheet music that I used to make the roses.
The website for the sheet music: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pemq/6300017296/in/photostream/
I copied the carols on both sides of the sheets
Website for roses: http://www.elli.com/blog/paper-rose-bouquet/
I used the medium sized rose from the bouquet

Setting the table is lots of fun, but I'm not huge on desserts or on baking them. When I need to serve a dessert, my sister Gina is my top pick for a good recipe. This is a dessert that she has had people request  because they love it, so I decided to serve it to my guests at Advent By Candlelight. It was a hit! (The beautiful dessert glasses were from a shop in Door County and were a gift from my sisters.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup coffee liqueur
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 Tbsp. instant espresso or coffee powder (I had a problem finding instant espresso until my sister gave me a brand name to look for in the store. Medaglia D'oro comes in a 2 oz. jar, with a red, white, and green label.)
2 Tbsp. plus 3/4 cup powder sugar

1-8oz. pkg. cream cheese at room temperature
1&1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
1-12 oz. purchased pound cake (I used Sara Lee), cut into about 1 inch squares
Unsweetened cocoa powder

To make espresso syrup, combine 1/2 cup coffee liqueur, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup dark corn syrup, 2 Tbsp instant espresso or coffe powder, 2 Tbsp powdered sugar in small bowl. Blend well

Combine 5 Tbsp of the espresso syrup, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and and 8 oz. cream cheese in a large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat 1&1/2 cups chilled whipping cream and remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar in another large bowl until stiff and peaks form. Fold whipping cream into cream cheese mixture. Place half of the pound cake into the bottom of the bowl and drizzle with half of the remaining espresso syrup, then put half of the cream cheese layer over that. Repeat layers and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for at leat 6 hours or overnight. I topped my desert with raspberries and raspberry truffles to give it a festive Christmas look.

Advent By Candlelight from Advents Past  

I already had the blue glass dishes, (plates and mugs from Walmart) and I bought the ornament stands,the snowflake ornaments and the small blue glasses I used for votives from the dollar store.

I borrowed the three tiered dessert platter and the glass Mary and Joseph for my centerpiece.

The dishes were handed down to me from my mom, the napkin fold came from a book. I made the ornaments as a gift for my guests.

The snowflake plates were from the dollar store. I used gift tags that I found at Tuesday Morning for my place cards. I hot glued candy to some ribbon for my napkin rings...

 The clip on candle holders were brought back from Germany by my mom. She grew up in her early years with candles lighting their tree and candy was used as ornaments and a treat to enjoy later. The ribbon candy was one of the candy ornaments from her childhood.