Reinventing Thanksgiving Leftovers - Sweet Potato Biscuits & Thyme Gravy

To people outside the South biscuits and gravy may seem like an exotic dish, but to Southerners it's commonplace.  Like many people my age, I have moved away from home and find myself craving things that I didn't care much for as a kid (S.O.S.!!!).  When I'm craving something my grandma and mom used to make for me, I now have make it for myself.   I think my grandma would have a heart attack if she knew I paid $8 for a small plate of poblano-cheddar biscuits and country sausage gravy at a local restaurant because I didn't know how to make it myself!

sweet potato biscuits & thyme gravy

Today I put a twist on the classic biscuits and gravy by making sweet potato biscuits and thyme gravy.  This recipe is great for this post-Thanksgiving weekend when you probably have leftover sweet potatoes in the fridge that no one wants to eat since all the marshmallows are gone!  I will admit that my biscuits are delicious but not as good as my mom's!  I'm pretty sure it's because I use whole wheat dough instead.  And because things taste better when your mom makes them!

Click through for the recipe!

Skillet Pot Pie

Yesterday I needed something to warm my heart.  Life can really get to me sometimes, and I just wanted a little comfort.  Preferably in pie form.  Savory pie, of course!  A friend of mine recently mentioned a restaurant in Apple Hill that sells nothing but pot pies.  What a great idea!  I decided to do my own spin on a pot pie.  So that I had only one dish to clean (and for a pretty presentation), I decided to do it all in my very favorite pan - my cast iron skillet.

This skillet pot pie is delicious, but it does take some time to make.  The hands on time is nominal, but it takes about 40 minutes to cook the chicken and another 50 minutes to bake the pie.  A two hour process, but it's really easy.  Plus, it really does warm your heart. 

Read on for the recipe!

cranberry macarons

Now I know that our grandparents probably never made macarons. They probably haven't even had macarons! They are probably more familiar with the shredded coconut macaroons. That said, I know my grandma used to make meringues for my mom growing up. Macarons are not so far off from meringues. These little macarons have a meringue base that is mixed with very finely ground almonds.

I tend to make a jam, curd, or whatnot, use it once, and then store it in my refrigerator for a long time. I'm making an effort to use what I make, so pardon the use of cranberry curd so many times! Thank goodness it's all gone now, so I promise no more cranberry posts (for a while)!



Making macarons is not for the faint of heart. I am going to be honest with you, they are very difficult. That must be why they are so expensive! Sadly, my favorite Parisian shop in town that sold macarons recently closed. What was I to do but learn to make them on my own? Well, I could go to Paris and have a macaron from Pierre Hermé, the father of macarons! Sigh. Someday!

This was my 4th attempt making macarons, and I am brimming with happiness. They turned out beautifully! Lucky for you, I've got it down and I'm ready to share my secrets! The owner of that Parisian shop shared a few secrets of macaron making with me, and I have learned many of my own tips through experience and research.

the many incarnations of cranberry curd

last year i was obsessed with lemon curd. i made it for fourth of july, spreading it between layers of pound cake topped with whipped cream and berries. i ate it with blueberry scones and devonshire cream at my dad's house. i made the best shortbread cookies in the world and baked lemon curd on top of them. when i ran across this recipe for cranberry curd in nigella lawson's book, how to be a domestic goddess, i was swooning. cranberry curd is pure genius.

fresh cranberries, waiting to turn into something yummy.

look at that cranberry curd! what a pretty pink!

keep reading for the recipe!