When we started brainstorming for my cousins 40th birthday party, we came up with Comfort Food as the theme.  LOVED it!  Unfortunately, I think we may  have caused the first snow storm of the  year, but it was worth it because the food was awesome.  Things have been crazy, so I wanted to keep this party simple and inexpensive.  What works better for comfort food than flannel.  So, we used some flannel fabric and some vintage jars with candles.  I  picked up some plates square holiday plates at Target and wrapped the utensils with a napkin and tied with a simple bow.

Menu:

Tator Tot Hot Dish

Sloppy Joes

BBQ Meatballs

Cheesy Dip and Chips

Baked Potato Soup

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Molten Slow Cooker

Apple Pie and Cherry Pie Bites

Cherry Dr. Pepper Cakes

Chocolate Banana Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cups

There is SO much you could do with this theme!  I hope it inspired you to break out the comfort food for your next party!

This past weekend, I helped my cousin with a 40th birthday party for her husband. What theme you ask? Comfort food!!! How much fun is that? Unfortunately, I think we may have the first snow storm of the year, but oh well the food was yummy. I thought I’d share a few of the recipes from the party. This first one I thought was so unique that I had to try it. I got the idea from Confession of a Cookbook Queen (who is amazing)!! You can find the recipe and her original post Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper Cupcakes on her fabulous blog.

This was a really fun and easy recipe.  The cherry frosting was AMAZING!  The Dr. Pepper made the cake batter a little greyish which was a little unnerving at first, but it was so yummy!!

Enjoy!  Tara

I actually don’t know where I got this idea originally because it was years ago.  This recipe couldn’t be easier and it’s really yummy.  I whipped these up for the comfort food party from last weekend.  Banana bread is definitely comfort food and this is a little spin on traditional banana bread.

Instructions:

1. Make yellow cake mix as directed on the box.
2. Add 2-3 very ripe bananas to the batter.
3. Add 1/2 bag of chocolate chips – if desired
4. Bake as directed on the cake box.

Viola!  Easy peasy!  This a great recipe when you have some over ripe bananas and no idea what to make with them.

 

Here’s another easy crowd pleaser I made for the comfort food party last weekend.  I bought a mini muffin tin for this because let’s face it I wanted an excuse to buy one.  This only takes few minutes to put together.

Ingredients

• 1 Box of Brownie Mix
• Vegetable Oil (As Directed on Package)
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

Directions

1. Mix the brownies as directed.
2. Spray mini muffin tin with baking non-stick spray.
3. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. 
4. Nestle a few chocolate chips and a few peanut butter chips in the center.
5. Bake as directed on package.
6. Cool completely.

Well, I have been MIA for a while, but really anxious to jump back in.  I just figured out what I am bringing to Thanksgiving Dinner and thought it would be a good place to start.  I thought I’d share these recipes with you in the event you are still looking for inspiration.  I am pretty excited about these recipes.  Should be yummy and they are all from Cooking Light – always a good source for recipe ideas.

 Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Cranberry Apple Pie

Ginger Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Coconut

(Image via: familiesonlinemagazine.com)

These are all new and untested recipes for Thanksgiving because I love to always be trying new things.  However, we have one family traditional recipe and that is cranberry orange relish.  It is my mother in laws recipe. When I started making it I thought it was a family secret recipe, but really it’s the recipe on the bag.  Just like my mom’s super amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe – it’s the one on the nestle bag.  Oh well, family secret or not it is amazing and a family tradition for sure!!  It’s really simple and fresh.  LOVE IT!

 Ingredients:

1 Bag of Ocean Spray Cranberries

1 Orange (not peeled)

3/4 – 1 Cup Sugar (to taste)

Directions:

1. Slice orange with peel on.
2. In a food processor, slowly alternate between adding orange slices and cranberries.  Pulse until the entire bag of cranberries and orange is coarsely chopped.
3. Transfer cranberry and orange mixture to a bowl.
4. Stir in sugar to taste. 
5. Let it sit overnight.  It’s always better the second day.  However ,there have been many – well most – Thanksgivings that we make it the same day.