2019: Thanksgiving Recipe Thread

Wheatie’s pies reminded us it is time for the annual Thanksgiving Recipe Thread. Please add your favorites and drop a few stories in from your favorite holiday get-togethers.

My Mother’s mother had a saying, “May I always have more guests, than I do dining room chairs.” Remember those who have no family and please, make room at your table.

The stories which come out of the family holidays are wonderful. Here’s a few from our house.

Story #1

I was a teenager. Dad was dating my soon-to-be stepmother and it was obvious the two would marry. We lived in New Orleans. We had been to her parents for weekends (Pensacola) and she had been to my grandparents for weekends (northern Mississippi), but the two sets of potential in-laws had not met. Thanksgiving at Grandma’s was the first meeting of the clans.

The Florida contingent arrived on Wednesday, scheduled to leave Friday morning, apprehensive, best to plan a short trip. On Wednesday, everyone was on their best behavior, no one drank too much, no one swore. My step-mother turns into an infant around her mother, different speech patterns, annoying. Lots of tension in the air. My grandmother was nervous and doing her best to make a good impression. I was cast out to sleep on the couch in the living room.

All the way through Thursday the tension grew. After a day of football, hors d’oeuvres, and afternoon drinks, it all came to a head as we were ready to serve dinner. Everyone was in the kitchen, trying to help Grandmother pull casseroles, ice in the glasses, pour the wine, and find serving pieces. She was trying to use the best china and insisted Grandpa carve, then place, the turkey onto a beautiful antique china platter. A bit of a scuffle ensued as we all organized dishes to the buffet.

Grandpa needed a bigger platter for the turkey. Grandma wanted to use the pretty platter. Finally, as they negotiated, Grandpa became frustrated, pointed his electric knife at my Grandmother and said, “It’s not big enough for a fuckin’ quail.”

The electric knife we only used once a year.

Silence. Grandpa dropped the F bomb. Time stood still. My eyes went wide as I looked around the room to gauge reaction. Grandma was clubbing Grandpa with a wooden spoon, using a distressed voice, “Ea—rl”, always two syllables for Earl. Ray, my step-grandfather was a former Chief Petty Officer in the Navy. He had a highball glass in his hand and spit out his bourbon all over the microwave. Tension broken. Everyone laughed. Grandpa and Ray became fast friends.

Story #2

Grandpa Ray, the Chief Petty Officer, lit up my world. I loved him. He took me everywhere and didn’t treat me like a kid. His wife was spoiled, nouveau riche, and spent money like water. Ray would give her envelopes filled with $100 bills so she and my step-mother could go shopping. I didn’t like it – seemed wrong. Ray had accumulated several little houses which he rented out to sailors. Ray drove a little pickup truck with a cab filled with house parts. He was the landlord and always fixing something. One Wednesday before Thanksgiving, he let me tag along on a housecall. Probably a leaky faucet, or so I thought.

First, we stopped at the grocery store. He insisted I grab a cart, and he had one, too. No explanation. We moved quietly through the aisles, tomato soup, boxed mac and cheese, saltines, canned vegetables, loaves of bread, hams, turkeys, ground meat, …… and then diapers, and baby formula….. and even dog food and cases of Budweiser beer. We had no babies or dogs. What was he up to? He paid the bill at checkout, over $400. I could barely swing my laden cart.

At the truck, he divided up what we bought, and we were ready to go. Back in the truck, he asked me to open the glove box. He had a stash of white envelopes there, the same white envelopes he gave his wife. He pulled a wad of bills out of his chest pocket. Each envelope was to contain 4-$20 bills and 20-$1 bills. He winked at me, “Sometimes, it’s hard to break a $20.” I nodded, “Yes, Sir.”

We were off again. Twelve stops, to “his men”. He whistled along the way. He was happy. At the first stop, I got out of the car and headed up the walkway to ring the bell. He stopped me, “Nonono, we’ll go around back.” I paused and waited for him. Each “delivery” was made to the back door, quietly, privately, as not to embarrass another man. He tucked the cash envelope into the screen door. Never said a word to the people who lived there. After the first delivery, I sat in the car and looked at him… differently, with tears in my eyes. He winked at me. He was having fun, “Gotta take care of your men.”

By the 3rd-4th visit, we were met at the backdoor by a guy with a gun. It was one of “his men”. He apologized profusely, broke into thanks and finally, tears. He hugged Ray tightly, and I could feel the tears sting my eyes. $100 was a lot of money back in the 70’s. Later on, we ran into another wife, three little ones at her knees, who immediately broke into tears. As we returned home, my step-mother and his wife returned from their shopping. They showed us all their new clothes, modeling for Ray. He nodded like nothing ever happened. I took my cue from him. Our trip was our secret.

Funny, that year, I don’t even remember what we ate for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Today, we don’t use as much cash, but every now and then, a $100 bill will cross my path, and I think of Ray. As a nod to Ray, when Gunner was little, in his Christmas stocking, I would roll up 20-$1bills with a little ribbon around each one. As a kid, he felt rich. When he was about 12yrs old, he asked me why I didn’t just use a $20 bill. He was annoyed with all the tiny ribbons. I explained the story of Ray and added, “Sometimes, it’s hard to break a $20.” Lesson learned. Be thankful, appreciative, humble, and “Gotta take care of your men”.

My children are not fond of the traditional turkey and dressing, baked ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, etc. meal for Thanksgiving or Christmas…and now it’s usually just Sally and me – so I usually go with seafood.

Here is one of her favorites:

Cajun Eggplant Shrimp Boats

Can also add crab meat, which makes it doubly delicious!

“The French call eggplants “Aubergines”, but Cajuns call them “Brahams”

OPTIONAL – If you want to make this spectacular, dip the eggplant shells in egg and breading mix and deep fry before filling like one Athens GA restaurant did. I never do because of not having a deep fat fryer now.

We used to soak the eggplant in salt with a weighted dish until we discovered if you buy “male” eggplant, they are sweeter with less seeds and no bitter taste. To tell the difference the male has a round indention on the bottom and the female has an elongated indention on the bottom. I never buy females anymore. If you grow your own don’t pull off all of the female flowers or it won’t grow fruits.

I keep looking at this… it looks yummy. I might try it with a giant zucchini next year as hubby doesn’t care much for eggplant. It seems like there’s ALWAYS a zucchini or two that magically turns into a giant over night!

Reminder —- Thanksgiving season is suitcase season!
Let me tell you why.
Years ago, girlfriend of mine named Ginger showed up one morning while I was finishing breakfast for guests. She was catching up, and I hadn’t seen her since she took a job with Child Protective Services. She was standing in my kitchen, smoking up a storm, when she asked me for a favor.
Ginger: Hey Daughn, do you have some old suitcases you’re not using, that I can have?
Me: With my back to her, still washing pots, “OOoo, where are you going? What do you need my suitcases for?”
Ginger: “Oh, it’s not for me. Sometimes, we have to pick up kids and remove them from a home. I had to do one last night and it’s tough. We have to accumulate some of their clothes and maybe a few toys, and we usually have to put them in trash bags…………. I just don’t want them to feel like ………… trash.”
Weight of her words washed over me.
Gunner was still little at the time.
Me: Still at the sink, grabbed the edge of the sink and then sunk to my elbows with the realization. I could feel the tears stinging my eyes. I turned around slowly to Ginger, “What did you say?”

She sat down on the stool to explain, and I dried my hands. She told me about what happened last night with this specific child. It was awful.
Well, off we went to the attic and I found 8 suitcases in various shapes and sizes. We loaded her minivan and she was off. As she hugged me good-bye, she thanked me and said, “This is great….. this should get us through the week………….” She shut the door and left me dumbfounded.

What? There were about 8 kids a week? To Ginger, it had become typical. I was mortified.

I climbed the back steps slowly, thinking, trying to wrap my head around the idea that there were 8 kids a week taken out of their homes in my own community. What to do?

I sat down and wrote out a letter, and blasted (by fax back then) a few of the local banks. It went: “Hey, this is Daughn, I need your help. Ginger in the kitch……explained the situation. Appeal for broader help…… and since this is Thanksgiving Season, and many of us are traveling, while your packing your suitcases, please take your old ones to ……. address. Closed with thanks for our healthy and happy homes…. because many of us are not so fortunate.” It was a nice letter straight from my heart.

Well, the letter went from the banks to the churches, and within 48 hours, Ginger had over 400 suitcases. She called me to tell me “Stop, we don’t have enough space to put them.”

Local paper did a small write up and a funny thing happened. Six other counties adopted the same plan. It was simple part of an enormously complex problem. Suitcases.

So now, every Thanksgiving season, we have a suitcase drive. God Bless our simple homes, and may we all be forever grateful for what we have.

One of my careers, (the bad one), was with a State “Human Services” agency. I didn’t take the kiddos but worked in the department next to theirs. Yes, it’s hard for a kid-person to fit their things into one suitcase.

Let me tell you, it’s a lot worse when you’re lugging everything in a black 30-gallon trash bag, with or without the drawstring tie.

The suitcase is much better, by an order of magnitude. I know. Thanks for writing Daughn, from my thanksgiving heart.

Daughn – thank you for all your beeee-you-tea-full stories – full of you, your wonderful family and wisdom and humor as Southern and proper as a tall glass of sweet tea with mint and lemon the way my Georgia and Louisiana Grandmothers served it!!!

Place the gelatin, sugar, eggs, salt and water in a small saucepan, and beat until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, over moderately low heat until the sugar and gelatin dissolve and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Do not boil or the mixture may curdle. Remove from the heat and set in a large pan of cold water. Let the gelatin mixture cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Beat in the pumpkin, then the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then fold in the dessert topping. Spoon into a large serving bowl or into 6 to 8 individual dessert dishes. Cover with plastic food wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Serves 6 to 8.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment or waxed paper, and butter and flour the paper, shaking out the excess.
2. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until combined, add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, orange zest, and vanilla. Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients alternately with 1/2 of the buttermilk until combined well. Add half the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining buttermilk and beat until combined well. Finally, beat in the remaining dry ingredients until mixture is smooth.

4. Evenly divide the batter between the pans, smooth the surface, rap each pan on the counter to expel any air pockets or bubbles, then transfer to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to racks and cool in the pans for 20 minutes.

To Make the Orange Syrup:
5. Meanwhile, make the orange syrup: In a bowl, stir together the orange juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved.

6. With a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes at 1/2-inch intervals in the cake layers and spoon the syrup over each layer, allowing the syrup to be completely absorbed before adding the remaining. Let layers cool completely.

To Make the Filling:
7. In a small saucepan set over moderate heat, heat the marmalade until just melted. Let cool 5 minutes.

To Make the Frosting:
8. In a bowl, whisk the heavy cream with the sugar until it forms firm peaks. Add the sour cream, a little at a time, and whisk until of spreading consistency.

To Assemble the Cake:
9. Arrange one of the layers on a cake plate, carefully peel off the waxed paper, then spread 2/3 of the marmalade over the top, smoothing it into an even layer. Invert the remaining layer onto the top of the first layer, peel off the waxed paper and spoon the remaining marmalade onto the center of it, leaving a 1 1/4-inch border around the edge. Frost the sides and top of the border with the frosting, leaving the marmalade on top of the cake exposed. Or if you prefer, frost the entire cake, adding the marmalade as a garnish on top. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

1988 – I was sitting in my apartment in Miami, not able to go home for Thanksgiving. Depressed and missing the idea of Turkey, I flipped on a Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Special on PBS. It changed my world. She went through the steps on how to properly cook a turkey. I watched closely. Wanting to try out the idea, I invited workmates to Thanksgiving dinner at my little apartment……. and we haven’t had a dry turkey since 1988.
Here’s what you do.
Guaranteed win, impossible to fail.

Defrosted turkey, remove livers and neck and wash thoroughly in a CLEAN sink.
Place in a roasting pan, breast side up.
With your fingertips, work your fingers between the meat of the turkey breast and the skin. Tip the turkey up and pour in about 1/4 bottle of a good white wine, into each side, 1/2 bottle in total.

Mix up the herbs/salt/pepper, grab a handful and smear the turkey breast between the skin and meat. Both sides.
Cut up ONE stick of butter into about 12 pats. Slice up the oranges and lemons. Between the skin and breast meat, alternate a pat of butter with lemon or orange slice, butter, citrus slice. Keep going until both sides are filled and stuffed.
Place the quartered onion, apple, and any extra citrus, into the gut of the turkey.

Take the extra salt/pepper/herbs and smear all over the top and legs of the Turkey, then PAM the crap out of the bird. Only use PAM (others have alcohol) and you will get that golden brown color from magazines. I cook at about 300-325 for about 4 hours and use a meat thermometer………. but even if you forget about the turkey, you can’t screw this one up.

When it’s done, remove from oven and let it sit for about 15 minutes before slicing. Important to stabilize the juices. It’s fabulous.

Footnote: Over the years, we’ve stuffed turkeys in the same way with various combinations. Champagne and cranberries is particularly good but makes the turkey meat pinkish. We’ve tried beer and Cajun mixes. Nothing, however, is as good as regular roasted Turkey.

Reminds me of a thing from Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen at Disneyland — clean up a chicken breast, do an egg wash, wrap it in prosciutto, do another egg wash, and coat with seasoned bread crumbs. Makes every dish with “another breaded chicken breast” into something special.

If you have a home with any land, you should have a potager with edible herbs.

Soon afterward, you will discover that most common garden herbs are, in fact, weeds — and grow like the dickens. [I was once listening to a radio program where biologists were poking around Central Asia looking for ancestral apple trees. As they were hiking from one tree to another, one said, “y’know, this groundcover seems strangely familiar……” The other laconically replied, “it’s arugula.”] All modern herbs once grew naturally someplace, and have merely been coopted into travelling with us.

Anyone with a couple of rosemary plants can have a “spring trim” which provides for a number of spring and summer barbecues and smokers……and a “fall trim” which goes to Thanksgiving. Same goes for sage. Over the years I’ve generally stuffed the bird’s cavity with herb trimmings, as well as using some in the pan.

There is generally a call for some dressing to serve with the bird. I’m lazy, so I generally just start with a box of Stove-Top Stuffing — not that I would serve that to anyone if merely prepared per the instructions. I add dried savory, dill, parsley, minced-onion, rubbed sage, and powdered garlic, as well as anything else that strikes my fancy (especially if echoing other dishes). Then, on the liquid side, they say to add water……what they really mean is to add that amount of fluid…..which consists of 30% white wine, 50% chicken stock, and 20% water. Do not increase the amount of fluid to rehydrate the herbs — if anything, reduce the fluid if you’re using fresh herbs.

Forgot to note — for the outside of the bird, I generally have herbs and garlic in melted butter cut with olive oil that I brush on. But having the inside of the bird packed with herb trimmings is the best part. And I second the motion to start your gravy by having butter and white wine in the pan. Once you fish out the cooked herbs, and strain the pan drippings, you’ll be well on your way……

No Fail Mashed Potatoes for a crowd.
Ingredients: 5lbs peeled and skinned white potatoes, the cheaper ones. Nothing special, buy in a bag.
2 sticks of butter (I use Unsalted butter all the time – if you have salted butter decrease the added salt)
about 12ounces of sour cream
2tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
(NO MILK – forget the milk.)
Peel potatoes and place in a stock pot covered with water, boil until fork tender. My stove takes 20 minutes. Drain in a colander. Place potatoes in a mixer.
Add ONE stick butter, quartered to melt faster, sour cream, salt and pepper.
Go slowly, mix but don’t kill it, overmix, and turn to soup.
Dump all the mashed potatoes into a “PAMMED” (“to Pam” is a verb in our house) casserole dish. Cut up the other stick of butter and use about 6TBSP to dot the top.
Stick the whole thing in a microwave – UNCOVERED. (If you cover the potatoes, the steam condenses and comes back to the potatoes, making them soupy – I’ve killed my fair share of potatoes)

When you’re ready to serve, microwave the mashed potatoes for 4 minutes on high, blend in pan. Steamy hot mashed potatoes, every single time, and no worries about one dish being ready way before others are ready. Makes it easy on the cook.

Garnish with Chives if you have them, but your husband will eat these mashed potatoes out of a shoe.

I was thinking about the gravy when I said it. Husband says he would eat his shoe with that gravy on it. About 10yrs ago, I found a recipe for Crawfish Gravy. Have not dug out the recipe yet but I will share. We make a 4X’s batch the the guys hide their extra portions in the fridge/freezer like it is a great treasure. It probably the best recipe I’ve ever come across. It’s almost a meal by itself.

Daughn – I am going to give this a shot as well. I have always put sour cream in my instant potatoes as well. Makes them seem a bit more “real”. I am going authentic with your recipe, however. Thank You!

Killer Carrots – So good, my kids eat the leftovers, cold, on a vegetable platter.
Ingredients:
5lbs of carrots, peeled and sliced.
1/2 cup of Brown sugar
6TBSP of butter
1tsp of ginger
I use an 8 quart stock pot for 5lbs of carrots. Cover carrots, just barely, with REAL orange juice, not condensed and reconstituted.
Boil on med-high, until al dente, about 17 minutes on my stove.
Make this the LAST dish to place on the buffet, because they will cool off faster than other casseroles.
They are outstanding and taste like “healthy” candy, even when they’re cold.

Carrots are generally very fibrous, so they need to be cooked to soften. OTOH, what isn’t fiber is generally water, and you can easily end up with dehydrated fiber chews if you just roast them. So they need to be cooked in a liquid, and they need to be sweetened. Honey or brown sugar can take care of the sweetening, and bourbon or brandy can be part of the liquid. Butter is de rigeur…..

Ginger or cinnamon can be part of the mix — you don’t want to try to go savory. It may be worth experimenting with tarragon, cloves, or cumin, if they would tie into other dishes.

Spoon a couple heaping scoops of horseradish in a bowl with the cream cheese and mash together. Add more horseradish for a hotter taste and more post nasal drip. Spread mixture a little on the thin side on the slices of salami, and roll up. VIOLA! Serve with toothpicks holding the rolls intact.

You make a crust of shredded cheddar cheese, flour, salt and pepper and maybe one other ingredient like butter. I need the exact proportions from my sister. Will see her tomorrow, hopefully. You basically mash it all together to make a dough, encapsulate an olive in it and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Pro tip, let them cool a little before biting into them.

This year will be my first without a homemade dinner. Was invited to dine at a very formal, stuffy restaurant on the lake. I said yes and have been annoyed about it ever since. Will be interesting though to see who goes to these things and what the food is like. And then I am never doing it again. 🙂

Holley – enjoy it! I have had some great Thanksgiving dinners outside my own kitchen. I think it is fun to see what the chef prepares that I cannot or have not. Just cook yourself a nice little turkey to have later at home for leftovers. They are the best thing about T-dinner anyway!

Chop artchoke hearts and mix well with other ingredients. Spread in a 9″ pan (a shallow pie plate works well) and bake at 350 until bubbly (about 20 minutes). Serve with crackers, pita chips, or any other flat bread.

DP….hosted a bridge group last night and used some of the recipes in this thread. The artichoke hot dip was a success but be prepared…it makes a lot! Sent small containers home with a couple…with suggestion to use on top of baked potatoes.
Also made the tortilla pinwheels…same thing…makes a lot! Took some to a vegetarian friend this afternoon, to her delight. I didn’t use all of it in tortillas…plan to cook frozen peas, add some diced water chestnuts and then blend in a generous scoop of the filling as one of our side dishes for Thanksgiving. Could do the same with corn and diced celery.
Also made some tiny dessert pies with the mincemeat and Cool Whip on top. They were a success with the ladies, many said they hadn’t tasted mincemeat in years. Not knowing how the idea of mincemeat would go over, I used some things I had on hand to make another type of “pie.” I put a layer of ricotta cheese and a second layer of lemon curd and topped with a tiny spoonful of cranberry orange relish. Winner!
Finally, here’s my kitchen tip…one I have used for years. I keep a supply of the really cheap paper plates (Aldi’s) and the large paper coffee filters in the kitchen. I do a lot of pre-cooking prep…chopping, slicing, mincing, pre-measuring of dry ingredients, etc. so that when I start cooking it’s all right there. (Chinese cooking school habit) I use the paper plates for things like veggies, sliced meats for stir fry,…sometimes together if I’m sautéing together, or on separate plates if I add at different times. For spices and light weight items, I use the coffee filters. (I also use both over items I’m microwaving). When finished…I simply discard and it really cuts down on cleanup very significantly.

Daughn’s Dip – I’ve made the mortgage payment selling this dip.
Started out as an accident, turned into a generational winner.
Note: Look for a sour cream with an expiration date in January. Mix up several batches and the dip will last all the way through the holidays. GREAT time saver for drop in guests. We’ll make 5lbs at a time and sell by the pint.

Recipe for a 16oz container of Sour Cream (one batch).
16ounces of real sour cream, do NOT buy low fat, it has too much water in it. Open container and pour off any liquid on top.
1 package of Ranch Dip Mix (but it’s too much, only use 2/3-3/4 of the package.)
Stuffed Handful of fresh grated Parmesan cheese, about 1 1/2 cups (smooshed), be generous.
8-12 drops of Hot sauce, anything will do, I use LA Avery Island. (for a double batch, I shake bottle hard, three times, and call it a day)
1/2—3/4tsp of pepper
Mix and let it sit overnight.
Cover and refrigerate. Mix again in the morning.

Great for any chip or vegetable. Husband uses it as a substitute for mayonnaise for leftover grilled chicken sandwich.

Mix all ingredients except tortillas and salsa. Spread a thin layer of mixture on a tortilla. Roll up and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate. Before serving, cut into 3/4 inch slices, which will resemble pinwheels. Serve with the salsa for dipping.

all your recipes sound wonderful…but my tastes are simple and bland in comparison…so I will share instead our Thanksgiving plans this year: My son and his fiancee are taking over HER mother’s kitchen and cooking dinner for all of us! My son knows how to make a moist turkey–it was the first phone call I got from college from him–hey mom, I wanna make a turkey for my dorm floor–how do I do it? lol
Now, he’s a great cook–but a MESSY one…and his future mother in law seems mighty particular…so we’ll see how this goes!

I like simple and basic as well. I will miss my traditional meal, followed by a walk in the woods, then back for some pie and coffee. And a fridge full of leftovers!! I am really sad about it not happening this year. Cooking in someone else’s kitchen can be a challenge. Hope it all goes well!!

I’m counting on a lot of stories afterward…lol…they rent a small house–much too small to have both families there for dinner, but they are insisting…LOL…I plan on making a small turkey breast for hubby and me later that weekend…cuz you gotta have leftovers!!!!!!!!

The last time I was at Costco, they were sampling a maple syrup aged in bourbon barrels paired with a pancake mix. I’d been eyeing it, but being a little pricey, I didn’t want to shell out for it not knowing exactly how much flavor it would pick up. OMG, the syrup was divine! I’ve been thinking how to utilize it over the holidays. Think I just might pair it with:

MMMM I am saving this recipe! Big waffle fan. The Amish down the road are selling coffee infused maple syrup. There are actual coffee beans floating around in the bottle. It’s really good. The coffee takes some of the sweetness out of the syrup.

here’s the thing:
When i was almost out of high school and going steady with an older guy, I always baked for him. And he loved pumpkin pies especially. So one fall, I bought pumpkins, cooked them, pureed them and baked homemade from scratch crusts, used my cooked and pureed pumpkin and whipped up cream for the topping…
no one and I mean NO ONE thought they were any better than the easy to make above version. work smarter not harder…
if it makes no difference in the taste? RELAX and enjoy your holiday too…

I started making pumpkin pies from fresh pumpkin when my kids were small. I looked at all the pieces cut out from the Jack ‘O Lanterns, and thought, well I might as well cook them up and make pie with them. So after that I would pare a little extra from the inside as well as all the other pieces, simmer the pumpkin, then put it in the freezer for later.

I’ve used both; the carving pumpkins are a little more stringy, but I would put the cooked pumpkin in a blender. That being said, some of the “fancy” carving pumpkins are gourds or gourd crosses. I didn’t start using pie pumpkins until the children were grown!

I used to do that and a whole lot of other “Mother Earth” things and loved it at the time…made my own bread, pasta, stocks, etc…. but I’m kind of past that stage and decided I want to spend time doing more outside the kitchen. And, now we have such good ready to cook or eat take out places that can do it as well as I can. So, gradually I’ve been gifting many of my formerly vast cookbook library, going through an entire filing cabinet of recipe files and tossing, etc. and even finding homes for my speciality appliances and equipment, if I can.
In October, we always create a “pumpkin patch” among the trees in front of our house along with other seasonal decorations. It goes from a Halloween theme to a Thanksgiving one, but the pumpkins stay until Thanksgiving. Then they are put down by the street for trash pickup…however, within a day or two most are gone. Hopefully, someone is using them for the kitchen.

Dollars to donuts they are!! I did a lot of “mother earth” too for a while when I was a stay at home mom, before we went back to running our business. I still enjoy cooking, but the cooking has changed as we’ve gotten older.

Put the mixing bowl in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Take it out and pour heavy whipping cream into it. Attach to mixer with the whisk beater. Turn on to 4-6, gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla. Turn mixer up to 10 (or 11 if your mixer has that option). When peaks that stand alone form, it’s done.

Every Thanksgiving and most Christmases, my Grandma would make Sweet Potato Pone. There are as many recipes for Sweet Potato Pone as there are native born senior citizen women in the South.

All the recipes begin with: “Get some pretty sweet potatoes peel and grind them in a meat grinder or grate or chop coarsely.” (They mean by hand – but I use a food processor.) Followed by, “Cook at medium heat.” (350 degrees)

Some make their pone in an old iron skillet, some in a baking pan. Grandma used a big enamel baking pan with deep sides. I have a deep aluminum roasting pan that I use for big crowds. Otherwise a well greased (Pam is just fine) pyrex dish will do.

Here is my Grandma’s approximate recipe (she didn’t measure – she used the never fail method – went by the way it felt, looked, etc.):

NOTES – Except Grandma made lots more than this…triple the recipe at least for a crowd. Grandma also added more milk than 2 c. milk to 4 c. sweet potatoes. She wanted it to start off soupy, then she stirred her ‘pone’ periodically from the bottom, smoothing it back down each time, throughout the baking. I guess she didn’t want a hard crust since she and Grandpa had dentures.

It’s done when the sweet potatoes are tender and the eggs are ‘set’.

I want to try it someday with a crust, because I like crispy foods. If you decide on the crust option – keep a close watch and if the crust starts to get too brown, cut the heat to 300-325 and cover with foil.

PS – If you are going to have homemade bread, rolls or good bagels, english muffins or biscuits for your holiday company or want to give a great gift basket – go look at these amazing preserves, jams and jellies – https://www.jamsnjelly.com/category-s/1825.htm They are fabulous!

I made so much jam the year before last (because of the freezer in my fridge going out) that I swore I wouldn’t make any jam this year. Well, that didn’t happen. I just had to try a lemon lime – zucchini marmalade, fortunately it was a small sized batch. Then since my wild plums and figs ripened at the same time, had to try that combo out. Lastly, I made a batch of blue huckleberries and another of huckleberries and blackberries together which is similar to black berries and blueberries which I have done before. Huckleberries were courtesy of my brother – he and his wife had picked a bunch and traded berries for finished product.

Hi Jamcooker…I made a double batch of the minced meat filling recipe you shared. Tastes good but I find it very “runny” and not really suitable for a pie filling…I even added some thickener. Now,,,I actually don’t plan to use it in a pie crust for our purpose, but has thought of making jars to gift for that purpose. Can you give me suggestions on what I can do differently?
BTW, I didn’t have sorghum on hand but was delighted to use up the blackstrap molasses in the pantry. My husband has been on a PB and jam kick lately so and I’m trying to decrease sugared items on hand, so my jelly choices were slim. It was between orange marmalade and grape jelly…used the grape but now think the orange would have been better.
I’m hosting bridge on Monday night and have copied a couple of the appetizer recipes to put out…always looking for something new to offer. These ladies (8 of us) aren’t a bit shy about eating and drinking lots of wine…very unlike my bridge friends in Florida.. LOL
Thanksgiving dinner this year will just be the two of us…first time in several years. But, even though we usually are guests and have no leftovers, I always cooked at least a turkey breast and a few of “the fixings” to savor the rest of the weekend. It’s a good thing Thanksgiving is always on Thursday so we can enjoy the leftovers , in many creative ways, throughout the weekend
I’m thinking ahead to have several in for a buffet in the dead period between Xmas and New Years…already have a filet in the freezer and a spiral ham in the storage fridge. As I see the various recipes, I’m earmarking…thinking those killer carrots might a colorful, delicious addition to the table, for example. Hmmmm, wonder if I can get hubby to peel 5 lb of carrots.
Thanks to all for inspiring and sharing!

I find that making mincemeat is kind of a cooking by the seat of your pants thing. Some people use only suet in their mincemeat, some use only apples and raisins, but I found that I like to make it with some meat. If your hamburger let off a lot of liquid, it might have taken longer to cook it down to the desired consistency. I even have a recipe that uses green tomatoes which is pretty good, but as I recall, it needs to cook longer because the tomatoes have a lot of liquid in them. And yes, I too have a very few times, added a little cornstarch. But don’t be afraid to let it cook longer if necessary. It’ll be done when it looks right!

You could cook it down a little before adding the apples, and if you’re using a firm apple that helps too. Don’t be afraid to experiment! It just all depends on what you’re looking for! The other think you can do, is add a peeled, diced apple to the mincemeat just before you bake the pie. My mom usually used the dried in a box mincemeat and she would doctor it up to suit her taste and that usually included adding a fresh apple.

Preheat oven to 375º. Combine apples, rum, and cinnamon cider syrup in saucepan. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 15 min. or until apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Spoon into a 9 inch pie pastry. Mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle over apple filling, dot with butter. Top with remaining pastry and cut vents. Bake pie at 375º for 1 hour or until the filling is bubbly and crust golden. Serve with ice cream and hot Cinnamon Cider Rum Sauce (Click Here).

I made 2 of these for the 1st grade feast today. Cake instead of crust. They baked up looking like slab pumpkin pie. Ill know if they liked it pretty soon. The comments say flavor is great when cold. I added 1/2 tsp of allspice too.

PUMPKIN GOOEY BUTTER CAKE (PAULA DEEN)

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

1
(18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1
egg

8
tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING

1
(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1
(15 ounce) can pumpkin

3
eggs

1
teaspoon vanilla

8
tablespoons butter, melted

1
(16 ounce) box powdered sugar

1
teaspoon cinnamon

1
teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 350.To make the cake: Combine all of the ingredients and mix well.Pat batter into a lightly greased 13×9-inch baking pan with hands into an even layer.Prepare filling.To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together.Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.Serve with fresh whipped cream or cinnamon-flavored ice cream.

Passed down recipes, family favorites & a few new ideas for a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast!

Loved traditions make the day rich in history – both civic and family.
Remembered loved ones, new memories with those still with us, living life to the fullest while we can….Thanksgiving!
Celebrated every year with the ones that we are lucky enough to be able to bless and by whom we are blessed.

Written…decision time: Where to share the menu? 2nd thought, where it will be appreciated.

Temptations at the holidays when emotions run high – listen to wisdom and don’t aggravate and say things one might regret. Impetuousness could be a distraction from actual purpose. Sometimes let it go…even when irritating. Best to say less and focus on the mission…Always to MAGA + Have a Happy Thanksgiving where we are loved and appreciate as the people that we are. But do we do all at the same time. in the same place? Where we MAGA might not be where we celebrate family and friendship just as work is different than our church family and both are different that our nuclear family. Wonderful when they overlap but they don’t always or even often. Glad my family is also MAGA – real blessing to have that additional layer of fellowship and commonality.

WOW, what great recipes and stories!
I’ll add my funny Thanksgiving story (well, it’s funny in retrospect) later. But —
And Now for Something Completely Different!
We got out of the turkey thing for Thanksgiving about 10 years ago. Here’s what was substituted:

Spray the inside of a large (6 – 7 quart) crockpot. Put the chestnuts on the bottom of the pot. Stir the chopped pickle into the apple sauce and add the broth. Pour this mixture over the chestnuts. Put the hens in the pot, breast side up, and place 2 strips of bacon on each. Cover and cook on Low for 6 – 61/2 hours or until the hens are thoroughly cooked. Remove the hens and cut each in half; put the cut up hens on a warm platter. Mash the chestnuts with the other ingredients in the pot, then put this mixture in a saucepan to keep warm on the stove. Return the hens to the pot for about 15 minutes. Serve with the mashed chestnuts as a side dish.

Thank you all for the vicariously consumed calories. I think my blood glucose rises when I read these awesome recipes. No longer can I eat most of this in any reasonable quantity. Almost makes me want to go on diabetes pills – just to eat normal again…..well, maybe.

Seriously, all wonderful sounding recipes. Will continue to read either later or tomorrow.

I love Thanksgiving it is pretty much my favorite Holiday! A long time ago I decided to NOT complain about all the work that goes into it, from the prepping to the clean up at the end. It was my gift to my family. We rarely go anywhere (since my husband works in retail, Black Friday has always been “all hands on deck” at the store) and since we live in the west and north, we don’t often get company. Every now and then we do, and it’s always a special time!

I always make a turkey (I use a roasting bag), herb stuffing, potato rolls, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and regular mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, canned cranberry sauce (which I love, but no one else does) and typically a pumpkin and a pecan pie (this year we might do apple pie as well), with homemade whipped cream. Sometimes we have a cornbread casserole or a broccoli/cauliflower cheese casserole, or maybe a fancy macaroni/cheese bake.

I have three great kids (15, 18 and 20) each one helps with a dish that they particularly like or want to try. My youngest makes the pies, my middle one LOVES Green bean casserole and my oldest helps with odd jobs. I’m thinking this year he’ll learn how to make the turkey. I was about his age when I learned!
Of all these years my only tip that I would share with those of you who are lucky enough to put it all together is use BUTTER, real butter and plan to use LOTS of it. It’s amazing how much butter goes into Thanksgiving Dinner, but it’s worth it!

Oh and we also always drink Sparkling Cider or sparkling grape juice. Using the wine glasses just made everything seem a little more special.
After the feast and clean up is done, we’ll set up the Christmas tree and decorate the house. Ahhhhhh….. it’s work, but one I’m thankful to do every year. We are so blessed!

Right about the butter! The other day I went to Grocery Outlet, checked to dates real well and bought a ton of it for Thanksgiving and for Christmas treats.
Your day sounds like it will be fun and delicious.

One thing about butter…..when you have a good sale, grab a bunch and freeze it. The date on the package is only when you keep it in the fridge. If you freeze it, you can go much longer. But keep it wrapped, because even frozen it can absorb odors and off-tastes.

Cut bacon into 1/4inch slices, separate. Cook in bottom of huge stock pan, stirring frequently.
Cut up cabbage and onions into wedges. Add to stock pot. Add garlic and bullion cubes.
Add enough water to cover 1/3-1/2 pan Mix all ingredients. Put lid on pot. Turn on high to steam.
Check frequently and stir. Take off fire at desired tenderness. I like to leave cabbage with some crunch.
If it cooks too long it will be too soft. Use slotted spoon to transfer to serving dish. Enjoy!

When I’m trimming asparagus, I use a light paring knife and “flick” it into the stem. If it doesn’t go all the way through, the stem is too fibrous and won’t cook well, so flick again away from the base.

According to Robert Graves, “as quick as boiled asparagus” was a saying in Imperial Rome. It can go quickly into unappetizing mush.

Oh my, there’s a much easier way! No knife needed. It’s like snapping peas. Take the spear in left hand, work your fingers toward the bottom. With right fingers, start at the bottom. Start bending back and forth til you find where it will break. Basically you want to find the point where the bottom snaps off, leaving as much of the spear in tact. Snap off all the fribrous ends, rinse the rest real good and go! 🦋

One thing always on our family Christmas and Thanksgiving menus – fresh coconut cake and Ambrosia.

Coconuts were bought, punctured in their three eyes, drained over a glass, cracked, the meat separated from the hard shell, then the thin brown skin removed from the white meat….then the coconut was ground in a meat grinder using the coarse blade.

The cake was homemade yellow cake made with the coconut milk as part of the liquid, and the frosting was white meringue frosting in between and over the outside, both with lavish amounts of coconut.

The Ambrosia was made with navel oranges, peeled to just below the white skin, then the sections removed and the skin squeezed to remove the juice. If the oranges weren’t quite sweet enough, a bit of sugar was added. Grated coconut was added to the sections, then on the day it was to be served, chopped pecans.

Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Optional – brush with flavored syrup. Cool completely and spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a 3-layer cake.http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/basic-1-2-3-4-cake-recipe.html?oc=linkback

—
Miracle Frosting (this is fool proof!)
2 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/8 tsp. salt
3 egg whites, unbeaten
3/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Boil sugar, water and salt for 3 minutes. Add slowly to unbeaten egg whites and cream of tartar beating all the while. Beat exactly 5 minutes. This makes enough for a large cake or 2 small ones. If any is left, can be put into jar in refrigerator. (can use leftover egg yolks to make shortbread cookies)

————————
Option I: Can make syrup and brush on top of warm layers to make cake extra moist. Recipe: 1 cup Coconut milk or water and 3/4 cup sugar – boil until becomes syrup. Can make syrup with orange and/or lemon juice or a dash of Grand Marnier, Cointreau, etc. if desired.

Assembling cake: Place cake layer on plate. Spread with frosting or lemon filling and top with coconut. Add another layer and repeat if three layers. If two layers, frost whole cake. Press coconut into top and sides.

Refrigerate until serving time in air-tight cake holder.

NOTE – Mama didn’t use a syrup, lemon filling or liqueurs and her cake was just wonderful! Sometimes a lily doesn’t need building. Coconut, freshly ground is a delight in itself.

Hello, everybody!
So here’s my “it’s-funny-in-retrospect” Thanksgiving story:
By the first Thanksgiving of my marriage, I was about 2 months’ pregnant. With all of the requisite morning sickness, etc. And I’d arranged for a brand-new double oven/stove to be installed in the kitchen. And I’d talked with my mother on the phone about just how to make a flawless turkey dinner.
On Thanksgiving Day, I did everything my mother and I talked about. The turkey (fresh, not frozen) was beautifully prepared. The stuffing was ready. I had the recipe for Aunt Mary’s Mashed Potatoes and Carrots.
I followed the instructions that came with the main oven and carefully preheated it. Then I put the turkey in.
Then I went to bed for a nap.
When I woke up, the turkey smelled just great. I announced to my husband that the feast would be ready at 8PM.
At 8PM, the mashed potatoes, the stuffing cooked on the stove, etc., all were ready. I got out the platter for the turkey.
Then I opened the door of the oven.
ONLY THE TOP OF THE TURKEY WAS COOKED.
Because I NEVER TOOK the oven off Preheat! It was on Preheat for over 4 hours!
To this day, I can see the entire scene. I was mortified. I was horrified. I started to cry. I felt awful.
But also to this day, I can see my husband taking me in his arms and telling me that everything was all right, it didn’t matter when we’d eat, we’d figure it out.
So I dried my tears and put the turkey in the main oven on BAKE at 400 degrees and kept the side dishes on Warm in the other oven.
We ate that Thanksgiving dinner at about MIDNIGHT And it was just fine.

jamcooker
You are correct. We would make jokes about my being “a Civil War bride”, lol.
What shut down the gossipers in the small town we lived in was the birth of our healthy son. My husband was 71 years old.

This is our family preferred dressing, but please use yours if more comfortable. The REAL KILLER is the Crawfish Gravy.

Here is the Dressing Recipe, first:
First do the grits, which are the cracker crumbs normal people use.
3 1/2 Cups of Chicken Broth + 1 Cup Water + 1 1/2 cups of quick grits
1/4tsp of red pepper or 1tsp of Zatarain’s Crab Boil
1 Cup (smooshed) High quality sharp Cheddar Cheese.
Bring the broth to a boil, add grits, cover, reduce heat, 7 minutes stirring a couple times. Add the cheese, crab boil, until cheese is melted.
Spoon into a 13″x9″ casserole, cover and chill overnight.
In the morning, loosen the edges, cut grits into 3/4″ pieces. Grease (Crisco) a jelly roll pan and place grits, single layer, into a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Toss and turn the grits at this point. Bake another 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven.
Note: Keep the kids and husbands out of them, they taste like gourmet Fritos. Really good.
These will serve as your cracker crumbs for stuffing.

Next is the stuffing mix:
12 Ounces of Andouille Sausage, cook in a skillet about 5 minutes.
Add 6 Ounces of fresh shucked oysters (drained and quartered) Cook another 5 minutes until sausage is done and oyster liquid is gone and edges start to curl. Remove sausage/oysters from pan. Dab out excess grease but do NOT clean the pan.
Back the heat down to medium and add:
2 Celery Ribs – diced
1 Medium Onion – diced
1 Red Bell Pepper – diced
1tsp (heaping) minced garlic.
Saute until tender, deglazing the drippings from the pan.
Remove from heat and chop up,
1/4Cup fresh Parsley

In a large bowl, combine sauteed vegetables, Andouille sausage/Oysters, grits, parsley.
Crack and whip
2 Eggs whipped, and blend it all together.
Turn whole mixture into a “Pammed” casserole dish. Cook at 350 degrees. I do 20 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered.

KILLER CRAWFISH GRAVY
It’s supposed to be for the stuffing, but it can be a meal when ladled over mashed potatoes or leftover turkey.
(One Recipe makes 4 Cups, I usually do 4X’s recipe and make it the day ahead)
Ingredients for ONE recipe:
6TBSP of unsalted butter
1lb of peeled and cooked crawfish tails. (Do not chop them)
1 large shallot (I use a half of a small onion) pureed into thick soup texture
1 Celery Rib (puree with the onion)
2 Cloves garlic (about 1heaping tsp fresh minced – puree with the celery/onion)
1/4Cup of flour + a pinch (all purpose)
2 Cups of Chicken Broth
1/2 cup of Good White Wine (the kind you are serving, preferably)
1tsp of Zatarain’s Crab Boil
1 Bay leaf (I use 3-4)
1 1/2tsp of ground thyme
1/4tsp of fresh ground pepper.

Melt the butter on medium heat and saute the crawfish for 3-4 minutes (they will curl). Remove the crawfish but DO NOT CLEAN THE PAN. Add onion/celery/garlic for another 6-7 minutes until tender.
Now, we’re going to “Make a Roux” and you will never have lumpy gravy again. It sounds fancy, but it’s easy. Back down the heat to med – low, so we can go slowly.
Add the flour to the pan. With a strong wisk, mix the butter/onion/garlic with the flour. What we’re going to do is “cook” the flour to a slight tan. It will take about 10-12 minutes but constantly whisk and move the ingredients around the pan.
Add the 1/2 Cup of wine and with your whisk, incorporate the liquid into the solids.
You’re doing great!!
Now slowly add the chicken broth, Don’t DUMP, because it’s too hard to whisk, go slowly, and incorporate the liquid as you go.
Add the Crab boil, thyme, bay leaf, pepper.
Well done.
Now, bring the temperature back up to a medium, whisking fairly constantly, for about 7 minutes until it thickens, slightly.
Add the crawfish, turn over carefully, and you’re done.
Refrigerate asap.
Pick out the bay leaf in the morning.
Next day, I will usually warm it in a crockpot on low (saves a burner on the stove and keeps the gravy warm without fussing.) If you warm it in a pan on stovetop, you may need a little more chicken broth, or half glass of wine will work just fine.

Soften the butter. With your hands, or in a Cuisinart or something like it, mix flour butter and cheese until it makes a crumbly dough. Drain the olives, and be sure they are dry. Take about an acorn size lump and pat out into a flat surface. Put the olive in it and close the casket of the dough so that the whole thing is surrounded. Spread at least an inch apart on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375 for 10 minutes or so.

In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients at room temperature.
To prepare mushrooms, remove stems. Professional chefs will usually peel the mushrooms to make them very white, but “know your audience”…😉
Generously fill each mushroom. Generously coat the tops with additional Panko crumbs. Decorate with chives,
Bake 20 minutes at 350. Like with most rounded foods, I usually will make a very thin slice on the rounded edge, if necessary, so it will sit evenly on the baking sheet and serving dish.
Obviously the number it makes depends on the size of your mushrooms, but think bite-size finger food when choosing the mushrooms.

I ended up using two large dollops of bacon drippings in place of the butter. When finished it seemed quite sweet and a bit bland so added a teaspoon of dried thyme plus two tablespoons of cooking sherry. The thyme didn’t stand out but the sherry did something magical to the flavor!

Garnished with a thin swirl of heavy whipping cream, sprinkles of a very finely chopped piece of spicy beef jerky, fresh basil sprigs and 6-8 pistachios per bowl. A bit eclectic, but I like to use what I find at hand. We all seemed to want second helpings. 🙂

Wow!! So many great recipes to try – thank you all for sharing your culinary skills with me (and so many others). I am so thankful for this daily blog, I have learned so much in the last year or so. I’m very thankful for all of you!

We’re doing a big turkey this year, so Saturday seems like a good day to buy it and keep it in the fridge. What do you all do? Should I go with Butterball? I usually buy the off brand type since it’s typically cheaper they all seem to taste the same to me. I would love to try a real, fresh from the wild and shot with my own gun type of turkey some day, but I’m not a hunter (more of a gatherer). 🙂

“‘We enjoyed a hearty breakfast bake during a visit to an Amish inn,’ recalls Beth Notaro of Kokomo, Indiana. ‘When I asked for the recipe, one of the ladies told me the ingredients right off the top of her head. I modified it to create this version my family loves. Try breakfast sausage in place of bacon.'”

In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until set and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.