The Day After Christmas Treats...

The frenzied unwrapping, running from house to house to visit family and friends and loading vehicles with piles and piles of presents is now over and if you are anything like me, all you want to do is sit and relax. The Tony Hawk shoes and rocawear boots are tucked in the closet with the new Abercrombie clothes and the sweater Aunt Edith made you, the toys are scattered throughout the house and the kids are, at least temporarily, entertained. But now it is dinner time and everyone is going to be hungry soon, and you don't know what to fix. Dinners for the last few nights have included hams and pies, gravy's and casseroles, rolls and butter... all the fixin's. You want something light, healthy and most importantly, easy! Here are some yummy ideas to get you out of the "Christmas Food Funk."

Quick & Easy Kid Munchies:

Turkey Quesadillas:

6 Large Flour Tortillas
1 1/2 Cup Leftover Turkey (shredded)
1 Cup Shredded Cheese (cheddar & mozzarella)
4 oz. Cream Cheese
4 oz. Sour cream
3 Tablespoons chunky Salsa
1 Tablespoon Butter

Melt 1/2 of the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add turkey, salsa and cream cheese. Mix until the cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat and add the sour cream and shredded cheese. Melt the rest of the butter in a frying pan and lay one tortilla in the skillet. Spoon 1/3 of the turkey mixture onto the tortilla and spread around to cover the whole tortilla. Top with another tortilla and flip over. Fry until the cheese is melted and remove from heat. Cut and serve immediately.

Warm Up and Relax:

Butternut Squash Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
32 oz chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.