Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I just love Melissa’s Produce and want to share a good resource with my readers on gift baskets.

Do you have a person that is impossible to buy for this holiday season? I have a few of those on my list, so being a girl that is all about food, Melissa’s produce just made life a little easier with their new Gift Baskets! Now i can shop stress free from behind my computer screen and know that my near and dear will get the best delivered to them! For Instance the basket pictured above would be the ideal gift for a fancy wine and cheese lover. It comes with an exquisite 750 ml. bottle of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, 4 lbs. of the seasons best tasting Asian pears, a bottle stopper, a cloth bag filled with a 10 oz. medley of nuts and nut cracker, and a box of crackers pairing perfectly with an 8 oz. wedge of Parmesan cheese. It sounds like I may have to order it for myself. 🙂 

 I think the Holiday Fruit Hamper might be my favorite. The natural woven hamper basket is carefully packed with a generous variety of seasonal apples, pears plus juicy grapefruit, tangerines, oranges, and kumquats, then embellished with a festive bow.

• The newest additon of the Melissa’s Gift Basket  line are the Wine & Produce Baskets! But search around you will find new boxes and gift baskets available too… including ones for kids, ones for just organic shoppers, ones for all occasions, etc!
• Melissa’s site also has options to shop by price (in case consumer coming to the site are money focused on the present).
• Meissa’s site options to shop by occassion (Oragnic, Birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Corporate, etc).
• Melissa’s site has options of all sorts and sizes from the least expensive gifts from the Hidden Treasures Bag in the low $20’s to the Culinary Collection Gift Basket at $500.00 

There are 2 ways to order these unique Melissa’s gift baskets and boxes:  Go online  www.melissas.com (ordering is 24 hours, 7 days a week) .  Also if the consumer is not the online type and likes to talk to a real voice, they can call our friendly Melissa’s Mail Order Department at 800-588-0151 (however ordering on the phone is limited to Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm pacific time)…

Order one today!

I’m a Thanksgiving cook. I live to get a bird in the oven and dress it up and carve it and serve it to my loved ones. I think about my Thanksgiving menu weeks in advance and always buy a turkey either frozen or fresh when I could find a good deal. I sometimes make one in advance…. because I just can’t wait. Plus I like to make other things out of turkey, so I like to have plenty leftover.

The other day I was at Walmart and couldn’t believe how good of a deal I found…. I thought is this a deal or a steal? I grabbed a 12 pound turkey and brought it home to thaw. A few days later I removed the neck bone and packet of giblets from the cavity, made a simple brine, and let my turkey soak up the salty water. After a 24 hour bath for the bird, I decided it was time for a marinade. I put together a simple combo of white wine and orange juice and let my turkey now sit in a tangy boozy orange marinade for a few hours. When I was ready to get started I pulled my bird from the liquid and pat it dry. Placed it in a roasting pan propped up by a sliced onion and some carrots. I shoved pieces of butter wrapped in fresh basil under the skin and then added teaspoons of minced garlic and chile pepper flakes. The turkey baked in a total of 3.5 hours and made for a spectacular dinner. I recommend never going over 12 pounds when baking a turkey. A smaller turkey stays more moist and if feeding a bigger amount of people, then bake two.  Here are a few of my best tips.

How to brine a turkey:

• 2 – gallons cold water
• 1 – cup kosher salt
• 1/4 – cup sugar
• 1 – 12 pound turkey

Directions:

1. Remove turkey neck bone and giblets. Rinse the turkey. 
2. In a large pot add water, salt and sugar. Mix until salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
3. Place the turkey in the brine and place in the fridge for 12 hours. Make sure entire turkey is covered in the brine.
4. Remove from liquid and rinse. Pat dry with paper towels and get ready for marinade.

How to marinade turkey:

• 1.5 – liters pinot grigio or other white cooking wine
• 2.78 – quarts orange juice (with pulp)

Directions:

1. Place turkey in a large pot.
2. Pour wine and orange juice over the top of the turkey. 
3. If a little bit of the turkey is still poking out of the top you can either soak some cheese cloth with the marinade and place it on top. Or you can rotate the position of the turkey half way through the marinade time. 
4. Cover and place in the fridge for as little as 2 hours and up to 8 hours. The longer you leave the turkey in the marinade the stronger the flavor. Do not exceed the 8 hour mark or the marinade will make the texture of the meat mushy.
5. Remove from marinade and pat dry.

How to bake and dress a turkey:

• 1 – onion (chopped into 4 parts)
• 2 – carrots (peeled and tops removed)
• 2 – sticks of butter
• 1/2 – cup fresh basil
• 2 – tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 – teaspoon chile pepper flakes (the kind you put on pizza)
• bay leaves
• olive oil
• roasting pan

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a roasting pan place onion and carrots in to keep the turkey elevated. 
3. Pull the skin on the top of the turkey away from the meat by sliding your hand under the skin to create a pocket. 
4. Wrap fresh basil around butter cubes and shove under the skin. 
5. Then in a small bowl combine minced garlic and chile pepper. Mix to combine. Add under the skin and massage in with your hand. 
6. Add bay leaves into the center of the turkey along with any left over butter, garlic or onions.
7. Then with a pastry brush add a little olive oil to the entire outside of the bird for a crisp appearance. 
8. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes uncovered per pound. I baked my 12 pound bird for 3.5 hours. 
9. Remove from oven and cover it/ tent it with aluminum foil and allow to sit for 30 minutes before carving.
10. Remove foil and carve.
11. Enjoy!

I seem to be obsessed with Olaf from Disney’s new animated feature Frozen. I got to see a  screening of the film last week and fell head over heels in love with the adorable snowman character. The film open Thanksgiving day nationwide, and shouldn’t be missed. Then a few days later I found myself hopping between  Disneyland and California Adventure, both parks were decorated in full Christmas cheer with lights and trees sparkling around every corner. The holidays bring a different type of magic to the Disney theme parks and what I was most thrilled to see was the premiere of  “World Of Color – Winter Dreams” water show at Disney California Adventure. I almost became giddy when I realized that Olaf (the cute snowman from Frozen) was the host of the new show. What perfect timing and another opportunity for me to swoon over my cartoon crush. The water spectacular is absolutely breathtaking, with fountains spanning the length of a football field and thousands of lights that brighten the night’s sky. This show in particular is something to see with floating snowflakes made of bubbles that blow out and float over the audience. There is a virtual choir that sings the opening segment of the show and their voices sound like angels. One of the coolest things that impressed me the most was the ears….. Disney has certainly outdone themselves with the ears. They have these new Mickey ear hats that light up and synchronize to the show, so as the colors change in the show, so do the ears. Everyone in the audience was wearing the ears and it was so amazing to see such a large group of people interacting with the show, it is definitely a cool extension of something already amazing. Here is a quick snippet of the show I caught with my phone.

Certainly a magical moment and I can’t wait to get back there over this holiday season to enjoy it again. In the meantime to hold me over from my new Olaf obsession, since I have a few more days till Frozen hits the theaters, and a few weeks till I am back at California Adventure…. I decided to make Olaf inspired cupcakes.

Get the step by step photos on how I made these cupcakes over at Babble.

The funny thing is I learned how to make a complete Thanksgiving meal from start to finish in my early twenties. It was something I wanted to know how to do. I felt by having the classic all American feast under my belt, it was like earning a well deserved medal. My Auntie Rosie showed me the basic ropes and since then I have made my way testing and switching up ingredients every year to get to my ultimate dinner on the table. I personally crave the combination of sweet with my savory. I like to have several options for candied dishes on my big plate of savory to mix and match between cranberry sauce and turkey or yams with stuffing. Some people think of the yams as a dessert when paired with marshmallows, but seriously they belong on the main plate. There is plenty of other desserts to choose from and yams and apples shouldn’t be one of them.

This simple dish can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. When ready for the big feast… pop it in the oven to bake. Check out this easy to make recipe and find all the ingredients at your local Walmart….. I did.

Ingredients for apple yam crumble:

• 1 – cinnamon stick
• 4 – medium sized yams (peeled and cut into 1″ cubes)
• 6 – small granny smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
• 1/2 – cup brown sugar
• 4 – tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 – cup honey
• 1 – cup mini marshmallows

CRUMBLE:

• 1 – cup brown sugar
• 1 – cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 – cup flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 – stick butter (melted)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a medium saucepan halfway filled with water over a medium flame add in cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.
3. Peel and cut yams and apples. 
4. Boil yams in water for 10 minutes. 
5. Drain yams and remove cinnamon stick.  Set yams to the side.
6. Butter a 11×8 casserole dish, and add apples and boiled yams in. Mix to combine.  Set to the side. 
7. In a small saucepan over a medium low flame melt sugar and butter together. Mix until combined. Add in honey and mix until fully incorporated.
8. Pour over the yam and apples. Mix to ensure all yams and apples are coated in sugar honey mixture. 
9. Top with marshmallows. Set to the side. 
10. Let’s make the crumble.
11. Add sugar, graham cracker, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl. Mix to combine.
12. Add in pecans, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix with hands until fully combined.
13. Spread crumble over the entire top of yams and apples. 
14. Bake for 35 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
16. Enjoy! 

Make way for the cranberry sauce… I never understood why anyone would serve cranberry sauce out of a can. That weird gelatinous tube with the indents from the can still imprinted in it’s side. No wonder I refused to eat it as a young girl. It wasn’t till my teenage years that I witnessed a friend of mine make it fresh. I was not only facsinated with the process, but couldn’t believe how incredibly easy it was to make. People add cinnamon and all sorts of other things to the versitale cranberry sauce, I decided to add tangy hibiscus to the tart cranberry for an exquisite side to my turkey this Holiday season. Enjoy!

Ingredients for cranberry hibiscus sauce:

• 1/2 – cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 2 1/2 – cups water
• 2 – cups sugar
• 24 – ounces fresh cranberries

Directions:

1. In a pot over a medium flame add in hibiscus flowers and water.  
2. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. 
3. Remove flowers from water. 
4. Pour sugar into the hibiscus water, and mix until sugar is completely dissolved. 
5. Bring mixture to a boil, creating a hibiscus syrup.
6. Add in cranberries. 
7. Mix cranberries to coat in hibiscus syrup.
8. After about 5 to 10 minutes you will hear the cranberries start to pop. At this point take a potato masher and smash the mixture down, until all cranberries have popped. 
9. Place mixture in a bowl, and place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours or until mixture firms. 
10. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Idaho Potato Commission. However; All opinions and recipe are 100% my own. Thank you to my Latina blogueras for their suggestions.

A few weeks ago, I was in New York as one of the top 100 blogueras of Latism. I was chosen along with 99 other Latina bloggers as one of the best Latina bloggers in the nation. We (all 100 0f us) were invited to the United Nations as part of our conference. We were there covering issues about education, health, business, and gender equality with top officials of the secretariat. While I was there I thought about potatoes and how they are so affordable and feed so many people. I remembered my trip to Idaho a year ago and decided to ask a few of my fellow Latina blogueras (Maura of The Other Side Of The Tortilla, Yoly of Savvy Mujer and Cuponeando, and Melissa of Hungry Food Love)  what they make with potatoes? I took what they said , then came home and made one of the suggested dishes. Check out the video below. Super fun, easy, and delicious…. three of my favorite things.

Ingredients for Papas Gratinadas:

• 7 – Idaho Potatoes (peeled and boiled for 20 minutes)
• 7 – anaheim chiles (roasted, peeled, and deseeded) (timesaver tip: buy them canned)
• 7 – 1/2 inch slices of pepper jack cheese
• 1 3/4 – cups of Mexican crema
• 1 – onion (sliced)
• 1 1/2 – cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1/2 – teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 – cups pepper jack cheese (grated)
• 10 x 8 casserole dish (spray sides with non stick spray)

Directions:

1. Peel and boil potatoes for 20 minutes. Drain and set to the side.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices. It’s okay of it becomes crumbly, you will use the crumbs too. Set to the side.
3. Slice chiles down the middle and stuff with pepper jack cheese slices. Set to the side.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
5. Pour 1/4 cup of crema on the bottom of the casserole dish. Smooth it out with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
6. Next place down a layer of potato slices.
7. Top with stuffed anaheim chiles.
8. Sprinkle the top of stuffed chiles with sliced onions.
9. Pour in a 1/2 cup of Mexican crema over the top of onions.
10. Generously sprinkle the top of the crema and onions with cheddar cheese.
11. Next srinkle in chili flakes, Lawry’s, and ground pepper.
12. Add another layer of Idaho potatoes.
13. Then add in another 1/2 cup of crema.
14. Top with remaining potatoes and another 1/2 cup of crema.
15. Finish the whole casserole layering with a 1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese.
16.  Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, then place the casserole dish on the top shelf of oven under the broiler (on high) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden crisp.
17. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
18. Enjoy!

I have always been intimidated by pastel de tres leches. It is my cake of choice for every birthday I celebrate and happens to be one of my favorites. I like it topped with fresh fruit best. I decided to gift it to America for it Independence Day celebration.

Ingredients for Pastel De Tres Leches:

• a box of cake mix (white or yellow) (bake according to instructions- time, temp, and ingredients)
• 3/4 – cup of fresh blueberries
• circle cookie cutter (optional)
• 1/2 – cup half and half
• 1 – cup milk
• 6 – ounces of sweetened condensed milk
• cool whip
• fresh strawberries cut into star shapes and blueberries for the top of cake

Directions:

1. Mix cake batter per instructions on the package, then add in blueberries. Pour batter into a 9×13 baking pan lined with wax paper. Allow to come to room temperature. Then place in the fridge over night.
2. Poke cake all over with fork to allow liquid to soak into cake.
3. In a bowl add half and half, milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix to combine.
4. Then gently pour all the liquid over the entire cake or cut the cake with a circle cookie cutter to make individual circles.
5. Frost top of cake with cool whip and then decorate with star shaped strawberries and blueberries.
6. Enjoy!