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If you haven't yet, please take just a moment to click this link and leave a comment on the Feeding America blog post. Barefeet In The Kitchen will be donating $1 to Feeding America for every comment left on that blog post, up to $500. (That will buy 4,000 MEALS!) NO DONATION is required from you in order to be counted. (1 comment per individual please.)

I hope that you have a wonderful holiday, whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving or simply enjoying the last week of November before the Christmas season is in full swing. I'll be celebrating Hanukkah with my sister's family for the first time ever and I'm excited! (Follow along on Instagram for a peek into our vacation!)

If you happen to find yourself with extra turkey on your hands this weekend, here are a few of my favorite turkey recipes to help you make the most of it:

BBQ Turkey Stuffed Red Potatoes - bites of turkey, dripping with tangy barbecue sauce and stuffed into a fluffy baked potato with a crispy skin

Southwest Turkey Chopped Salad - the turkey in this salad is mixed with a ton of other great flavors; black beans, plenty of vegetables, pine nuts and cheese. The salad is topped with a great tasting barbecue ranch dressing. Add the crunch of tortilla chips to make it a taco salad.
Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup - chunks of turkey, carrots, celery and thick egg noodles come together in a creamy soup to create a perfect after-Thanksgiving meal. My family looks forward to this soup every bit as much as we look forward to the big turkey with all the sides.

Spicy Southwest Turkey and Four Bean Soup - red chile, green chile and jalapeno combined with four different beans and some leftover turkey to create a seriously spicy soup packed with a whole lot of Mexican flavor.

I'm taking the week off to spend time with family, but I'll be back with lots of great new recipes on Monday! In the meantime, check out Barefeet In The Kitchen on Facebook if you are looking for recipe inspiration. I'll be there sharing delicious recipes each day!

~ Click here to Subscribe to Barefeet In The Kitchen by Email and receive new recipes in your inbox every day. ~

The texture of a brownie, the flavors of a chocolate chip cookie, the simplicity of a basic bar recipe, all of these things make this my go-to dessert on a regular basis. I've made these blondies countless times and they are always a hit. One of my brothers requests them each time he visits us. The best part? This is a very easy dessert to throw together whether in advance or at the last minute. I love to serve these when they are still warm from the oven and oozing melted chocolate.

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Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Sugar Butter Balls, Polvorones, Snowball Cookies, Egyptian Feast Cookies, Nut Butter Balls, Norwegian Snowballs, Kourambie, Walnut Delights, Pecan Petites, Holiday Nuggets, Swedish Heirloom Cookies, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are known by many different names around the world. My grandmother called them Sugar Butter Balls. Every time I bite into one I'm transported to a time when I watched her roll them between her hands.
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Sweet and tender corn simmers in a rich cream sauce to make this an unforgettable side dish that is like no other creamed corn I've ever tasted. I had no intention of sharing another holiday recipe this close to Thanksgiving. However, when I ran across this recipe yesterday, it begged to be tried and I couldn't resist. And now, because this corn has made it to my own Thanksgiving menu for next week, I'm giving you the chance to add it to yours as well.

My favorite thing about this dish is that it is made in the Crock-Pot. No watching, no stove-top, no oven space required, no serving dishes taking space in the refrigerator. It took me about two minutes to combine everything and start it cooking. Four hours later, I stirred it and served it. That pretty much makes this the ultimate holiday side dish.

The first bite at the table was followed by, "oh my gosh, what is in this? Wow!" My kids begged for more and the corn was an enormous hit all around. While I have trouble calling this a "vegetable side dish," I don't have a bit of hesitation calling it delicious. This is pure indulgence and it is perfect for a holiday table!

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Tart cranberries and apples are mixed with brown sugar and spices to fill this flaky buttery crust. When Bob's Red Mill contacted me to see if I might be interested in testing their new gluten free pie crust mix, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm thrilled to tell you that this is one of the best pie crusts I've ever tasted and it doesn't taste one little tiny bit gluten free.
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Are you bored with the same old chicken? If so, this collection of chicken recipes is for you! You requested it, so here it is. I've gathered the best of the chicken recipes in one place and there is nothing boring in the list. Oven roasted, pan fried, stir fries, skillet meals, casseroles, finger foods and salads are all included!

Before you browse the chicken recipes, please take just a moment to click this link and leave a comment on the Feeding America blog post. From now until Friday, Barefeet In The Kitchen will be donating $1 to Feeding America for every comment left on that blog post, up to $500. (That will buy 4,000 MEALS!) NO DONATION is required from you in order to be counted. (1 comment per individual please.)

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Chunks of turkey, carrots, celery and thick egg noodles come together in a creamy soup to create a perfect after-Thanksgiving meal. My family looks forward to this soup every bit as much as we look forward to the big turkey with all the sides. My middle son loves this soup so much that we have labeled it HIS soup and he would happily just drink the broth if I let him. He calls this "broth soup" because he thinks the broth is "awesomely delicious."

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Smoky pork, herbed potatoes and plenty of cheesy goodness come together in this simple, hearty meal. When Teet's Food Store contacted me and asked if I'd like to create some recipes using their smoked meats, I thought it sounded like fun. Little did I know what a treat was in store for me.

~ I'm thrilled to tell you that Teet's Food Store is giving away $50 worth of smoked meats to THREE lucky winners! Don't miss your chance to enter to win! ~

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Tart cherries and dark chocolate meet in this chewy sweet cookie. I made these for my husband's office last week. I wanted to send in something a little different from the usual and these were a great choice. The hint of almond flavor is unexpected and it works perfectly with the cherries and the chocolate.

We've loved crinkle cookies for years; they are the ultimate "crisp on the outside with a soft chewy center" cookie. I regularly make cinnamon crinkle cookies and lemon crinkle cookies. I can't believe I never thought to make them with our favorite fillings before now. I can hardly wait to play with this idea again.

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This is a roast chicken with crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat; it is exactly the chicken I've been wanting to make for a while now. If you're a friend of mine on Instagram, you've already heard about my extreme excitement with this chicken. I just might have danced around the kitchen for a few moments after I tasted the first bite.

I've fought with whole chickens repeatedly over the past few years. I tried everything from simple sauces to complicated sauces, spice rubs with long ingredient lists, specific instructions for when and how to flip the bird mid process. Not only was I over-complicating the heck out of a simple roast chicken, I was stressing myself out! I was using multiple pots, racks and tools and all I needed in the end was a baking sheet.

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If this is your first time visiting Barefeet In The Kitchen, you might be impressed with pretty pictures of delicious sounding recipes. These are not the recipes I remember from my childhood. As I was growing up, my family was often blessed by food gifts from charity. I hardly knew the difference between a food pantry and the grocery store. I simply knew that food was coming into the house and that made everyone happy.

I remember watching my mother cry over a gift of groceries. I recall being speechless with joy over a huge bag of day-old doughnuts, because I couldn't recall having a doughnut before that day. The doughnuts were part of a food box that my mother stood in line for every Tuesday afternoon. She would bring them home and sort them. She set aside the doughnuts that were still whole on a plate to be a special dessert that night. The doughnuts that were smashed were chopped up and allowed to dry out overnight. The next day she made them into "doughnut pudding," a simple bread pudding without added sugar.

I learned a lot from countless meals of plain beans and rice. I learned to be grateful for every single thing in my life. Though I grew up poor, I was richly blessed and I never went to bed hungry. There may never be anything more beautiful to me than a full pantry. The monotony of grocery shopping as an adult is countered by the overwhelming gratitude that I am able to go to the store and purchase what we need every week. I don't weigh the cost of new shoes against whether or not we'll be able to purchase our food.

Every dollar you give through our Virtual Food Drive helps provides EIGHT meals for people in need. We can work together to make a HUGE impact in many lives this holiday season!

Feeding America is the leading domestic hunger relief organization, with over 200 food banks serving every state. Those food banks provide food and groceries to 33,500 food pantries, 4,500 soup kitchen, and 3,600 emergency shelters.

Follow this link to Barefeet In The Kitchen's Virtual Food Drive. It only takes a moment to donate and you really can make a difference!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your gift to help feed the hungry this holiday season!

I researched a great many charities before deciding to work with Feeding America. Feeding America spends 97.9% of their budget directly on food distribution endeavors. You can examine their ranking among other charities here. Through Feeding America we can accomplish the most with even the smallest of gifts. Even if you only have a dollar to give, you can make a difference through our Virtual Food Drive!

Fluffy cheesecake mousse is layered between salted caramel sauce and a brown sugar graham cracker crust. I could not resist these little jars once they were stashed in the refrigerator. I worked my way through one of the jars, a tiny taste at a time as I waited through the day to serve them at night. This is the best no-bake cheesecake dessert I've ever tasted. The cheesecake mousse layer is super fluffy and not at all heavy. As a result, the crumbs do not absorb the moisture from the cheesecake, allowing them to remain crisp and chewy.

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Poblano chiles and chorizo combine with plenty of sweet corn to make this a new favorite from the first bite. Surprisingly hearty without being heavy, my whole family gave this meal two thumbs up. I loved the combination of flavors in this chowder. There is spice from the peppers without any real heat. Even my three year old had no trouble with the heat in this dish.

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Tender chunks of roast chicken, creamy white beans and fresh kale combine with a sprinkling of herbs and a bit of chicken broth to make a surprisingly hearty meal. Topped with a generous sprinkling of cheese, my husband and I both agreed that this soup was delicious.

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Travelers come from all over the world to wander through the oldest capitol city in the United States. History is evident is all areas of the city. The food, the architecture, the shopping, and the people are all unique to this small town.

While we were in Santa Fe, we stayed right off the plaza at the Inn and Spa at the Loretto. The window in our room opened over Loretto Chapel next door. We were lucky enough to arrive in time to watch a bride and groom coming out of the chapel following their wedding. The sun was setting, mariachis were playing, and the church bell was tolling. I am so glad that we were there for that special moment. It was a beautiful reminder that Santa Fe is more than a tourist destination. This is a town that people live in and love and we became part of that living history during our stay.

Whether you are here for the shopping, the art, the food, or the people, these are some of my favorite things to do in Santa Fe.
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Crisp apples are caramelized and then layered in between a buttery brown sugar crust and a strudel topping before being baked into these chewy sweet bars. Serve topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream and a generous pour of Bourbon Caramel Sauce or Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce, this is a fall dessert recipe that simply can not be beat. I've made these apple pie bars twice in the past two weeks and they disappeared absurdly fast both times.

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I never imagined that this little corner of the internet would grow into something as much fun as this blog is for me every single day. I have had the time of my life getting to know all of you through your comments here on the blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, Twitter, and Email.

Barefeet In The Kitchen would not be the same without each and every one of you!

I'm giving away a $100 gift card to the store of the winner's choice, just to say thank you! Thank you for being the awesome people that you are. Thank you for coming back and reading every day. Thank you for sharing the recipes with your friends and families. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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Bourbon Caramel Sauce is unique among the different caramel sauces I've made. The bourbon flavor is present without being overwhelming and the bourbon offers a depth to the recipe that I was not expecting. This is not an everyday caramel sauce to drizzle into your morning coffee. (Doesn't everyone do that?) This is a rich dessert sauce that just begs to be poured over baked apples.

I poured this sauce over Apple Pie Bars (recipe coming tomorrow!) and then topped them with Vanilla Ice Cream. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this was one of the best desserts I've made in my life.

If you are not a fan of cooking with alcohol, check out the original Homemade Caramel Sauce and the Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Sauce that have both become staples in my refrigerator.

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Mashed potatoes, corn pudding, cranberry sauce, stuffing, vegetables, vegetables and more vegetables: I could never choose just one favorite side dish! I don't know how it is in your house, but in my world, side dishes often trump main dishes this time of year.

I managed to narrow our favorites down to twenty to share with you today. These are all recipes that get made again and again in my kitchen. What recipes do YOU looking forward to making each holiday season?
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