Thanksgiving in Vegas

 Just because you are in Vegas, it does not mean that you can't have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Here are some great places in Vegas that are cooking up a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for you to enjoy.



Just because you’re on vacation in Las Vegas during the Thanksgiving holiday doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in traditional food. Many restaurants on the Strip offer classic Thanksgiving meals with all of the fixings. Or if you’re looking for something a little more non-traditional, you can find some pretty interesting twists on turkey and mashed potatoes, too.





Here’s a list of some of the places where you can indulge in a Thanksgiving feast in Las Vegas this year:

Pumpkin pie at Tender

Executive Chef Saul Ortiz puts a Mexican spin on the traditional turkey dinner with the creation of the Turkey Tinga Enchiladas and Turkey Tinga Torta available exclusively during the month of November at Tacos &Tequila inside Luxor Hotel and Casino. Tinga is a traditional preparation style in which shredded meat is sautéed with tomatoes, onion, garlic and chipotle adobo. Priced at $16, the Turkey Tinga Enchiladas are a savory combination of slow braised turkey, chile pasilla sauce, Oaxaca cheese blend and crema fresca. The Turkey Tinga Torta, priced at $13, is made with slow braised turkey, chipotle aioli, lettuce and tomato served on fresh bolillo bread. For dessert, the restaurant will offer a pumpkin pie shooter mixed with Patron XO, Bailey’s Irish cream and Goldschlager, priced at $9.

Tender Steak & Seafood at Luxor Hotel and Casino will celebrate Thanksgiving with a holiday feast prepared by Executive Chef K.C. Fazel on Thursday, Nov. 22. Priced at $49 per person, the three-course dinner begins with a choice of butternut squash ravioli made with sage maple reduction and pickled ginger; garden greens salad or pumpkin and Fuji apple soup. The main course will feature slow-roasted American heirloom organic turkey with dried fruit and foie gras sourdough stuffing topped with sage giblet gravy. Classic accompaniments including fresh cranberry orange relish, sweet potato puree with maple butter, braised Brussels sprouts with garlic, and green beans in spicy almond oil will be served family-style. Guests may choose from three desserts: caramelized pumpkin maple pie, Pennsylvania Dutch apple tart or eggnog crème brûlée.

Twin Creeks Steakhouse at the Silverton is serving a three-course menu that includes smoked duck breast salad or roasted butternut squash soup, free range turkey with a foie gras stuffing, sage giblet gravy, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, haricots verts and cranberry pear relish. Guests can also choose between a pumpkin cheesecake or a strawberry trifle for dessert. Cost is $45 per person.


The Silverton’s Sundance Grill features a Thanksgiving menu that begins with a choice of soup or salad. Entrees include a choice of prime rib, oven roasted Tom turkey and salmon all served with traditional Thanksgiving fixings: green beans almandine, apple sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes with giblet gravy, bourbon sweet candied yams and cranberry orange relish. For dessert, guests can choose between pumpkin or pecan pie. Cost is $18.95 per person.

Pumpkin pie shooter at T & T

The El Cortez Hotel & Casino offers a delicious Thanksgiving feast with dining specials at both The Flame Steakhouse and Café Cortez on Nov. 22. The Flame Steakhouse offers a meal for $19.95, which includes a tossed green salad with choice of dressing or roasted butternut squash soup, roasted turkey, giblet gravy, sage dressing, mashed potatoes or candied yams, cranberry sauce and a vegetable medley. Dessert includes a choice of pumpkin cheesecake or apple pie.

Café Cortez features a meal priced at $12.95, which includes a tossed green salad with choice of dressing or roasted butternut squash soup. Dinner is one of two options. Option one includes fresh roasted turkey, giblet gravy, sage dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and green beans amandine. Option two is baked Virginia ham, brandy/pineapple sauce, sweet potatoes and green beans amandine.  Guests have an option of fresh baked pumpkin or apple pie for dessert.

On Thanksgiving Day, Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas is offering a prix fixe dinner menu. Begin with a choice of endive and blue cheese salad or fresh oysters on the half shell with apple mignonette. The second course features the choice of smoked salmon or hearty butternut squash and apple soup. The main course is herb roasted turkey with Jack Daniels gravy, garlic and sage bread stuffing, sweet potato gratin, haricots verts, potato puree and cranberry-jalapeno relish. Dessert options include pumpkin bread pudding or pecan and chocolate tart. The cost is $45 per person plus tax and gratuity.

Ranch House Kitchen at Town Square Las Vegas will serve a meal for the whole family on Thursday, Nov. 22. Diners are invited to feast on hickory smoked turkey, gravy, winter vegetable medley, stuffing, sweet potato mash, cranberry sauce and a corn muffin. Priced at $18.95 per person, the menu is sure to satisfy the entire family. Patrons can also watch all the Thanksgiving Day football games on Ranch House Kitchen’s 50 HD-TVs, including the Houston Texans versus the Detroit Lions, the Washington Redskins versus the Dallas Cowboys or the New England Patriots versus the New York Jets.

Cranberry gelato

Gold Spike Hotel & Casino hosts a three-day Thanksgiving dinner celebration at The Golden Grill from Wednesday, Nov. 21 to Friday, Nov. 23 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.  For only $8.95 per plate, enjoy oven-roasted turkey breast, creamy mashed potatoes or yams, stuffing, turkey gravy, petite corn on the cob, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

In honor of Thanksgiving, pastry chef Hank Sbraccia has crafted a twist to traditional holiday cranberry with his creation of cranberry gelato available on Thursday, Nov. 22, at Trevi inside the Forum Shops at Caesars. The new flavor is made from a combination of dried cranberries, vanilla gelato, a cranberry juice reduction and simple syrup. The festive gelato will be priced at $4.50 per scoop.

Rice & Company will celebrate Thanksgiving by putting a twist on traditional holiday favorites with the Thankful Dumpling, available throughout the month of November at Luxor. The dumpling is made with tender duck breast, cornbread stuffing, dried cranberry, onion and celery wrapped in a soy sheet and topped with crispy sweet potato, micro celery and cranberry-yuzu sauce. The festive dumpling is priced at $12.

Guests can give thanks at Sugar Factory American Brasserie inside Paris Las Vegas with a special Thanksgiving prix fixe menu on Thursday, Nov. 22. The traditional Thanksgiving spread will include sliced turkey breast served with giblet gravy and cranberry sauce, and all the fixings including: chicken apple sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes and a Parker House roll, priced at $34. For dessert, patrons can sink their teeth into a slice of pumpkin pie, priced at $9.95, or Sugar Factory’s signature pumpkin pie cheesecake, served with vanilla ice cream, garnished with clove anglaise and pumpkin seeds and topped with caramel sauce, priced at $10. Also on the menu will be Sugar Factory’s signature Spiced Apple Pie cocktail, made with Stoli Gala Applik, Schonauer Apfel, apple juice, rock candy syrup and garnished with a red apple slice and cinnamon, priced at $10, as well as the Cranberry Cinnamon Pie cocktail, a sweet blend of Licor 43, Nutella Liqueur, Stoli Vainilla, apple juice and cranberry juice, garnished with cinnamon and cranberries, priced at $10.

For more information see the Vegas Blog.

Election Day Fun Facts

Today is election day!  Did you get out and vote?  Here are some election day fun facts that you can read while you are waiting in line at the polls.

The finish line is almost here. Americans have weighed a plethora of questions in choosing their presidential candidate.

But amid the quadrennial explosion of political ads, bumper stickers and debates, some questions still baffle: Why is the Republican mascot an elephant? Why are Democrats linked to the color blue? And what happens if the candidates tie?

Below, a voter's guide to such perpetually confounding riddles:

Q. Why are presidential elections always in November, and always on Tuesdays?

It all comes down to weather, harvests and worship.

Back when voters traveled to the polls by horse, Tuesday was an ideal day because it allows people to worship on Sunday, ride to their county seat on Monday and vote on Tuesday - all before market day, Wednesday.

And the month of November fit nicely between harvest time and brutal winter weather -- which can be especially bad when you're trudging along by horse and buggy.

But since many voters now travel by horsepower instead of live horses, some people -- like the group Why Tuesday? -- are pushing to move election day to a weekend day to increase the country's historically dismal voter turnout. According to the group, 15 states do not allow early voting, and 27% of non-voters said the main reason why they didn't vote was because they were too busy or couldn't get time off to vote.

Q. Why do Republicans have an elephant and Democrats have a donkey?

Back in 1874, cartoonist Thomas Nast used an elephant to depict the Republican vote in his drawing "The Third-Term Panic." The cartoon was published in Harper's Weekly after the owner of the New York Herald reportedly criticized the notion of Republican President Ulysses S. Grant running for a third term. (Grant didn't end up running in the next election).

In the drawing, an "ass" -- depicting the New York Herald -- scares away other animals in a forest as the elephant -- or the Republican vote -- looks like it's about to stumble into a pit.

But that cartoon isn't where where the Democratic donkey came from. In 1828, Democrat Andrew Jackson's critics called him a "jackass" because of his populist views and his slogan, "Let the people rule." Jackson decided to run with it -- even using images of a donkey in his campaign ads. Later, Nast also used a donkey to depict the Democratic party.

Q. Why are Democratic states "blue," and why are Republican states "red"?

There's nothing magical about this color scheme. Essentially, the media made it up.

Sure, there are logical reasons to use red and blue -- both are colors in the American flag, and they look sharp on infographics because they're pretty much on opposite ends of the color spectrum.

But the seemingly arbitrary color assignments have actually flip-flopped over the years. In 1980, states won by Republican Ronald Reagan were colored blue; Democrat Jimmy Carter's states were colored red.

Even as late as 1996, major media outlets were divided on how to color-code the parties. But in 2000, when Americans were subjected to weeks of news about recounts, pregnant chads and electoral infographics, everyone seemed to get on the same page and shaded Republican-leaning states red and Democratic-leaning states blue.

Q. What happens if candidates tie in electoral votes?

It's possible that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney snag the exact same number of electoral votes. In that case, the 12th Amendment says the House of Representatives gets to pick the president. And since analysts expect Republicans to maintain control of the House, Romney would likely win the presidency.

In the same scenario, the Senate would get to choose the vice president. And because Democrats are expected to keep control of that chamber, senators could select incumbent Vice President Joe Biden to form a split administration.

Q. Why do presidents have to wait all the way until January 20 to assume office?

It used to be a lot longer. Until 1937, presidents didn't get sworn in until March 4 because it took so long to count and report ballots, and because of the winner's logistical issues in moving to the capital.

But then better technology kicked in, and the 20th Amendment moved presidential inaugurations to noon on January 20 -- allowing presidents to start taking care of business sooner.

For more information see KDBC.

San Moritz Apartments

National Pizza Month and Halloween

 Did you know that it is National Pizza Month?  Check out these great pizza recipes, which also help to celebrate Halloween!  What ways are you celebrating National Pizza Month?



One of my favorite pizza tricks is to use Hormel Foods Italian Sausage Crumbles. They make adding sausage to pizza a breeze and we enjoy the additional flavor they add to our scrambled eggs in the morning as well.

With 

Halloween right around the corner and all this talk of pizza, I was in the mood to find some fun Halloween pizza recipes that we could make over the next few days. I thought these two were cute and would be a big hit with the kids.

Halloween Night Pirate Ship Pizza

For this recipe visit: Hormel Foods Recipes Halloween Night Pizzas

Spooktackular Monster Muffins

For this recipe visit: Hormel Foods Recipes Spooktacular Monster Muffins

For more information see Halloween Pizza.

San Moritz Apartments.

Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is one of the best holidays of the year for kids.  Dressing up as their favorite character and receiving tons of candy is something every kid dreams of.  While your children are enjoying this holiday, make sure to keep things safe and secure so everyone can have a good time.  Here are some Halloween safety tips for your family.

 Carve safely

Are your children begging to carve pumpkins? Make Halloween safety a family affair.

• Decorate with markers or paint. Let young children draw faces on pumpkins with washable markers or child-friendly paint. Leave any carving to an adult.
• Use candles with care. Place candlelit pumpkins on a sturdy surface away from curtains and other flammable objects. Never leave candlelit pumpkins unattended. Better yet, light pumpkins with flashlights or battery-operated flameless candles instead.

Get clever with costumes

From furry animals to princesses and superheroes, choosing costumes wisely is an important part of Halloween safety.

• The brighter the better. Whether you buy a costume or make one yourself, choose bright colors and flame-retardant materials. If your child will be trick-or-treating outdoors after dark, attach reflective tape to his or her costume.
• Size it right. In case it's chilly outdoors, make sure your child's costume is loose enough for warm clothing to be worn underneath — but not long enough to cause tripping. Avoid oversized shoes and high heels.
• Skip the masks. A mask can obstruct your child's vision, especially if it slips out of place. Use kid-friendly makeup instead.
• Limit accessories. Pointed props — such as wands, swords and knives — may pose safety hazards.
  Trick-or-treat with care
• The promise of Halloween candy may leave stars in your child's eyes, but Halloween safety still rules.
  
• Get in on the fun. Accompany trick-or-treaters younger than age 12. Pin a piece of paper with your child's name, address and phone number inside your child's pocket in case you get separated. Encourage older kids to trick-or-treat with a group of friends, parents or older siblings. Make sure someone in the group carries a flashlight with fresh batteries.
• Stay close to home. Don't allow your child to go door to door in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
• Set ground rules. If your child will be trick-or-treating without you, establish a route and set a curfew. Review safety rules, including staying with the group, walking only on the sidewalk, approaching only clearly lit homes and never going inside a home. You may want to give your child a cell phone for the evening should he or she need to contact you.
• Inspect the treats carefully. Don't let your child snack while he or she is trick-or-treating. Feed your child a healthy snack before heading out, and inspect the treats before allowing your child to dive in. Discard anything that's not sealed, has torn packaging or looks questionable. If you have young children, weed out gum, peanuts, hard candies and other choking hazards.
• Ration the loot. If your child collects gobs of goodies, dole out a few pieces at a time and save the rest. You may even ask your child if he or she would like to swap some — or all — of the candy for something else, such as a special toy, book or outing. You might also suggest donating excess candy to a food shelf or other charity.
• Plan a party. Consider planning a trick-or-treat party with a couple of neighbors instead of house-to-house door knocking. Decorate the garages, have a costume contest, and plan games and prizes.

Stay safe and sweet on the home front

If you'll be handing out treats, make sure you're ready for trick-or-treaters.

• Clean up. Put away anything trick-or-treaters could trip over, such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations. Clear wet leaves, snow or other debris from the sidewalk.
• Turn the lights on. Replace any burned-out bulbs to ensure good visibility at the walkway and front door.
• Control your pets. Take no chances that your pet might be frightened and chase or bite a child at your door.
• Consider sugar substitutes. Instead of handing out sugar-laden treats, try stickers, glittery pencils, rubber insects or colored chalk.

If you'll be driving on Halloween, watch for children who might pop out between parked cars. Be especially careful entering or leaving driveways and alleys. Extra caution can help ensure Halloween safety for everyone.

For more information see Mayo Clinic.

The Asylum is One of the Best Haunted Houses in America

 Haunted Houses are the best parts of October for some people.  Vegas has one of the best haunted houses in America right on the strip.   Come down to the Fremont Street Experience and take a walk into "The Asylum".  This haunted houses keeps guests on their toes as they wind their way through the haunted attraction.

When it comes to scaring the living daylights out of people, Las Vegas' "The Asylum" is one of the best in the country, according to a Halloween decorations website.

Shindigz examined the top seven haunted houses in the United States for Halloween.

In describing The Asylum, Shindigz said the place "prides itself in transporting its visitors into an altered reality where they are literally a part of the scene."

"Twisting corridors and trick walls keep visitors on their toes as they make their way through," Shindigz described.

The website also said there were confirmed sightings of guests wetting their pants.

The Asylum joins other scary houses located in Houston, High Point, N.C., Atlanta, Baltimore, South Whitley, Ind., Cincinnati and Glen Mills, Pa., where the iconic Bates Motel from "Psycho" resides.

Where:  Fremont Street Experience
When:  Sundays and Thursdays in October 630pm-10pm
             Fridays and Saturdays in October  630pm-12am
             October 30th:  630pm-10pm
             October 31st: 630pm-12am

 

For more information on The Asylum, you can visit www.lasvegashaunts.com. and Fox 5.

Sunday was National Pierogie Day

Cheese, Bacon, and Potato are just some of the types of pierogies you can have.  Monday was national pierogie day.  They are Polish version of the a tortellini.  Make sure to check out this great how to pierogie recipe.

Whether you spell it pierogi, piroghi or pierogie, authentic homemade pierogies are a delicious treat and a Pittsburgh tradition. Here in Pittsburgh we eat more than 11 times the pierogies of any other city in the nation, according to a recent survey, with pierogi fillings ranging from standard potato and cheese to sweet prune. A popular Pittsburgh business, Pierogies Plus, ships pierogies as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. The Pittsburgh Pirates even hold a pierogi race during the bottom of the 5th inning at every Pirates home game.
Sour cream in the dough is a favorite secret of many Pittsburgh pierogi makers.

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra to serve with the pierogi
• 1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces
• butter and onions for sauteing
• ingredients for filling of your choice (potato & cheese filling recipe below)

Preparation:

Pierogi Dough
 

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Each batch of dough makes about 12-15 pierogies, depending on size.
Prepare the Pierogies
 
Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick. Cut circles of dough (2" for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2" for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.

Boil the perogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.

Saute chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft. Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy. Serve with a side of sour cream for a true Pittsburgh pierogi meal.

Homemade Pierogi Tips:

1. If you are having a hard time getting the edges to stick together, you may have too much flour in the dough. Add a little water to help get a good seal.
2. If you don't want to cook all of the pierogies right away, you can refrigerate them (uncooked) for several days or freeze them for up to several months.
3. You can fill pierogies with pretty much anything you want, though potato and cheese is the most common (recipe below). Sweet pierogies are often filled with a prune mixture.

Potato, Cheese & Onion Filling: 

Peel and boil 5 large potatoes until soft. Red potatoes are especially good for this. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop 1 large onion and saute in butter until soft and translucent. Mash the potatoes with the sauted onions and 4-8oz of grated cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you want your pierogies), adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some fresh parsley, bacon bits, chives, or other enhancements if you desire. Let the potato mixture cool and then form into 1" balls.

For more information see About.com

DIY Folding Chairs

If you have a lot of company over, it can be hard to accommodate everyone for seating.  Here is a great do it yourself tip to take a plain folding chair and turn it into a great furniture piece.  Keep reading to find out how to have enough chairs for everyone without breaking the bank.




MATERIALS //  folding chair, screwdriver, drop cloth, spray paint (2 cans per chair), fabric (20″ x 20″ piece per chair), scissors, staple gun and staples

STEPS  // 01 REMOVE EXISTING CUSHION  Using screwdriver, remove existing cushion from chair frame and set aside.

02 PAINT CHAIR //  In well-ventilated area, place chair on drop cloth and wipe down with damp towel. Using slow side-to-side movements, apply two thin coats of spray paint (refer to paint can instructions for drying time between coats). Let chair dry overnight. Tip: If chair is dark color or smooth finish, apply primer before painting with desired color.

03 RECOVER EXISTING CUSHION //  Lay out new fabric and place seat cushion face down. Trim fabric along edge of cushion (approximately 3″ from edge). Once cut, attach fabric using staple gun. Begin by stapling at the center of each side and then at the corners. Tip: If using a patterned fabric, be sure to align to your liking prior to stapling.

04 ASSEMBLE CHAIR //  Once chair is dry, assemble with new cushion and begin using!







For more information see MakeKind.