This will be on my Christmas Eve dinner menu

7 Layer Salad

Inspired by my husband Doug's daughter, Jami......and compliments of The Pioneer Woman.  This not only LOOKS gorgeous, and PW states, but honestly I'd never tasted it until this Thanksgiving.  It's GOOD.  So I'm including it on my Christmas Eve dinner menu.  It will be just the two of us and I'm serving a spiral glazed ham, mashed potatoes and gravy (I'm a gravy girl!), the 7 layer salad, deviled eggs, hot rolls and............drum roll...........Apple Streusel Pie (my fav.) with or without ice cream for dessert.  I like to do the big meal on the Eve and then on Christmas day I LOVE leftover ham with cheddar cheese on hamburger buns.  It's a tradition from my youth. 

I always want to give credit where credit is due, so here's the direct link to the recipe:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/layered-salad/

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

Here's my recipe for sweet potatoes or yams, whatever your family calls them.  I don't care for them, but I have served this at many Thanksgiving dinners through the years and have received many compliments on it so I hope it's a winner at your table as well!  **Oh, and by the way....I love this idea I found on Pinterest, for baking and serving the sweet potatoes in hollowed out orange halves ~ would be so beautiful on a serving dish.


Holiday Sweet Potatoes

3 lg. sweet potatoes or yams
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks
1 sm. orange, sliced
1/2 medium sized lemon, sliced
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C raisins
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 C pecans, chopped
1/2 C miniature marshmallows

In large saucepan, boil the sweet potatoes.  Drain; cool slightly before peeling and cutting into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Meanwhile, drain and discard all but 1/2 cup juice from pineapple.  In another saucepan heat remaining ingredients to boiling.  Reduce heat to low; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.  Discard orange and lemon slices.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish and arrange sweet potato slices.  Pour spice sauce over all; top with marshmallows.  Bake 20-25 minutes until marshmallows are melted and turn golden brown and mixcture is hot and bubbly.
Makes 10 servings.