| User | Post |
|
10:05 am
November 5, 2009
|
Suzanne McMinn
| | Sassafras Farm in Roane County, WV | |
| Admin
| posts 7131 |  
|
|
|
Yes, please, if you have great family favorites for Thanksgiving, share with us? Post in Just Recipes (start a new topic under the Just Recipes forum–we do one recipe per post there then they are indexed in the Community Cookbook to make them easy to find).
And if you're looking for some great new recipes for the holidays, check out the Community Cookbook:
http://suzannemcminn.com/chick…..m-recipes/
You'll find tons of cookies, candies, holiday breakfasts, sides, stuffings, gravies, you name it!
So tell us about your Thankgsiving traditions? And what are you doing for Thanksgiving this year? Are you cooking it or is someone else cooking it? What do you always serve no matter what?
|
|
|
|
|
10:26 am
November 5, 2009
|
CindyP
| | Hart, MI | |
| Admin
| posts 7627 |
|
|
|
Thanks for starting this, it's time to get planning!!!!
I started having the family here for Thanksgiving the year I bought my house! I'd always lived in apartments and there just wasn't room for everyone, but I love to throw big dinners!! We have 17-20 people for Thanksgiving dinner. I usually have 6 people here for the entire weekend.
The menu changes yearly……except for the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, stuffing, and cranberries. I get requests from my family of what they would like, sometimes they request the same things, but usually not. I'll be using quite a few recipes from the community cookbook this year, but there's soooo many to choose from!!
We fix 2 20# turkeys on the grill. It's a wood fired grill, so there's a smoked flavor to go with it. It frees up my oven for everything else. I prepare EVERYTHING (except the gravy and the rolls) the day before, so when family comes in from out of town either the night before or very early on Thanksgiving Day, I don't have to be in the kitchen. I have a closed in porch that acts as my refrigerator (it's in the 30's that time of year outside so it's just fine). About an hour before dinner, I put anything that needs to be hot in the oven to warm up, pop the rolls in the oven, and turn the potatoes on. Everything comes together at the very end at the same time.
The Saturday after, a huge pot of turkey noodle soup is made from both carcasses and homemade noodles. By Sunday afternoon (when everyone leaves) all leftovers have been eaten and any soup that is left is put in the freezer.
And we are always thankful for the entire weekend of good food, great family, and lots of wine!
|
“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
|
|
|
1:23 pm
November 5, 2009
|
mamawolf
| | Colorado Springs | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 458 | |
|
|
Thanksgiving has always been with family, giving thanks for what the Lord had provided throughout the year. As our extended family grew up and left home the family members dwindled until 9 years ago we moved back to Colorado and now it is just DH and myself. However, we make a point to travel to them either for Thanksgiving or Christmas and to call the ones not present. My main stay for Thanksgiving dinner is a pumpkin cobbler. The basis is regular pumpkin pie fillintg (homemade not from a can) poured into a buttered 9x13x2 dish. Sprinkl the entire contents of one yellow cake mix (Suzanne's of course) and top with one stick of butter cut in pieces and sprinkled with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 50-60 minutes or until filling is set. May the good Lord be with all of you during the holidays. Euni Moore, Colorado Springs
|
Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me…..you can't live long enough to make them all yourself!
|
|
|
2:28 pm
November 5, 2009
|
Pete
| | WV | |
| Moderator
| posts 7866 | |
|
|
My goodness, that pumpkin cobbler recipe sounds terrific!
Our Thanksgiving traditions have been changing a lot in the past few years, and I've just about decided to adopt Cindy because that sounds like the place to be!
This year our dearest local friends will be orphaned for both Thanksgiving and Christmas here at home with their family all scattered. She will be recovering from surgery, so we have only decided so far that whatever we do it will be as two couples. We may simply go to a local restaurant (like our favorite Chinese place) and enjoy being served by others, with no clean-up or left overs. After her surgery next week, we will make better plans. We were laughing that between us, we already have in our freezers and my canned goodies enough to make a pretty good Thanksgiving feast without going to the store!
|
Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
|
|
|
2:42 pm
November 5, 2009
|
Debnfla3
| | North West Florida | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 218 | |
|
|
I don't know about this year. Mama always came over here for Thanksgiving and now she is gone. My sister has her husbands family which is very large. It is just David and I now…Jessica is in Arizona and won't be able to fly in for the holiday.
I don't really know! I have a medium sized turkey in the freezer I will cook. Make Mama's famous corn bread dressing…thank God I learned how to make it years ago. No one could make dressing like Mama did. So, if I make that turkey, David and I will be eating on that for a week. I will make turkey salad for sandwiches for sure!
Our families used to be really big, but so many have passed away that now it is only a hand full.
But, I will make the day happy, blessed and so thankful for all that we do have.
Deb
|
|
|
2:44 pm
November 5, 2009
|
beeyourself
| | |
| Guest
| | |
|
|
Deb – Cooked turkey freezes like a dream! I'll cook one us and freeze the meat…that way we don't "over-turkey"!
|
|
|
2:47 pm
November 5, 2009
|
Debnfla3
| | North West Florida | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 218 | |
|
|
Thats a really good idea!
Deb
|
|
|
2:56 pm
November 5, 2009
|
wvhomecanner
| | North Central WV | |
| Moderator
| posts 3013 | |
|
|
My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is after Thanksgiving day :)
The leftovers!
I make Turkey S**t (family FAV), turkey salad. My personal fav is hot turkey sandwiches with gravy etc. I roast the carcass and make turkey stock and can leftover turkey plus defatted turkey stock. Two quarts of stock are saved for the next year's gravy (see Make Ahead Turkey Gravy in Just Recipes). I also make turkey gumbo soup (oh yum). I used to host Tday dinner at my house for years but my brother now has a really nice big log home that works better for everyone. I make the dressing and gravy and some other stuff. He brines and roasts the bird. I roast one at home though, also for US lol.
BTW, if you haven't yet brined your bird AND roasted it breast side DOWN – you haven't tasted your best turkey yet………
Dede
|
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ~ The Lorax by Dr. Seuss ~
|
|
|
6:11 pm
November 5, 2009
|
okbarb
| | |
| Super Chicken | posts 537 | |
|
|
In the years that it is just me and hubby for Thanksgiving I cook Cornish Game Hens and a scrumptious shrimp cocktail with the hugest shrimpies I can find. We still have pumpkin and pecan pies. It is a nice for two tradition for just the two of us.
|
There are only two ways to live your life: one is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
|
|
|
10:49 pm
November 5, 2009
|
Jayne
| | |
| Guest
| | |
|
|
I guess we are breaking tradition this year. I usually do all the cooking and everyone comes here. But this year we are going to my sister and brother in laws farm in Alabama. But my boys told her that if I don't fix the dressing, they are aren't coming…. LOL! She's doing all the cooking. We're debating the dressing.
|
|
|
12:31 am
November 6, 2009
|
Helen
| | |
| Super Chicken | posts 582 | |
|
|
Its always just my husband and me for ThanksGiving, and every year I say "Next year I'm not going to make a  turkey", but when the next ThanksGiving rolls around, I can't help myself…I have to make one with all the trimmings anyway.
One veggie dish I like for ThanksGiving is Roasted Brussels Sprouts…very good, easy to make, but also easy to dress up in lots of ways…toss in sliced almonds, or other nuts during the last few minutes of roasting…toss with some crumbled blue cheese before serving…drissle with maple syrup (the real stuff only!) and melted butter(and blue cheese!)…throw in some shaved regianno**…you get the idea.
I also always like to make two desserts, and this year I'm going to try Suzanne's Gingerbread with Nutty Buttery Topping and make a pineapple/cream cheese/whipped cream topping for it. I haven't decided what the second dessert will be, but maybe a Pumpkin Roll with a Drambuie** filling and a Chocolate Ganache glaze.
**sorry about any misspellings…I'm a crappy speller
|
George Orwell – 1984
- Orthodoxy means not thinking–not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.
|
|
|
5:53 am
November 6, 2009
|
KateS
| | |
| Super Chicken | posts 599 | |
|
|
What is this brining the turkey???? Is there a recipe over in the files??? I bought my 24 pounder yesterday and am finding it hard to wait three more weeks…
|
|
|
7:06 am
November 6, 2009
|
wvhomecanner
| | North Central WV | |
| Moderator
| posts 3013 | |
|
|
My favorite brine is one loosely based on Emeril Lagasse's show from several
years ago. It is basically 1 cup salt and 1 cup brown sugar to each
gallon of water. I also add fresh cut/squeezed oranges and lemons (and if citrus is sky high I use my dried sliced oranges, lemons and key limes)
and several bay leaves.The turkey doesn't have to brine too long. I
brine a 22 pounder for 8 to 12 hours (overnight is easiest), then rinse thoroughly. It then goes breast side down on a rack & I stuff a piece of orange, a chunk
of celery and some onion inside. Bakes breast down the whole time. I now bake it in my 18 quart Nesco roaster, freeing up oven space.
Juices flow to the breast. Best turkey EVER. This will be my 9th year doing this,
I believe. Doesn't come out ready for a photo
session ala Norman Rockwell, but we carve it in the kitchen anyway.
|
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ~ The Lorax by Dr. Seuss ~
|
|
|
7:27 am
November 6, 2009
|
Miss Dana
| | Georgia | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 171 | |
|
|
I love Thanksgiving food! Several years, I'll cook a practice Thanksgiving just so we can eat the yummy food more than once! Last year, I invited about 14 ministry students from our church (mostly 23 yr. old guys) and cooked ton-o-food. It was wonderful!
This year we'll be driving an hour up to Atlanta and eating at my sisters. We'll most likely have turkey, cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, yeast rolls, cheesy squash casserole, sweet potato soufflet, green beans, cranberry sauce, mincemeat pie, pecan pie and pumpkin pie.
I'm pretty sure last year I posted this recipe on a great way to cook an exceptionally moist turkey. It's literally as moist as ham. I think this is what I posted:
I have a recipe for a 14 pound roast turkey that comes out as moist as ham. Everyone who tastes it says it's the best turkey they've ever had.
No soaking in brine, no deep frying, no blessings by a monk…just an unusual trick in the oven.
The only unusual equipment you'll need is a wadded up ball of tinfoil about the size of a baseball. 
Let a stick of butter come to room temp…leave it out overnight. In the morning, mash that butter up with salt and pepper and rub all over the turkey. Place in a big pan and roast uncovered at 425 for 30 minutes.
Now here's the tricky part. Turn the oven down to 325 and turn the turkey on its side. That's right. On its side. Prop it up with the tinfoil ball. You'll most likely need an oven rack removed to make room. Roast for one hour, basting at each thirty minute interval.
After one hour, baste and turn to the other side. Prop with tinfoil ball. Roast for one hour basting each thirty minutes.
After the hour, check for doneness. Your turkey will be perfectly brown all over and the juices will have run down into the breast, keeping all the white meat moist and tender. It has cooked for 2 1/2 hours and if it isn't done, finish upright for a few minutes…but mine has always been done. (Remember to let it sit for 15 minutes before you carve it to let the juices resettle into the meat) This is for a 12-14 pound turkey.
|
"It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." Mama
|
|
|
1:31 pm
November 6, 2009
|
Suzanne McMinn
| | Sassafras Farm in Roane County, WV | |
| Admin
| posts 7131 |
|
|
|
Be sure to remember to post your Thanksgiving favorite recipes in the Just Recipes forum (each recipe in its own topic) so we can index them to the Community Cookbook! And keep 'em coming!
|
|
|
|
|
7:25 pm
November 8, 2009
|
Suzanne McMinn
| | Sassafras Farm in Roane County, WV | |
| Admin
| posts 7131 |
|
|
|
Remudamom said:
==
I like to go completely insane. We have turkey that I get from a local butcher, already smoked and ready to eat. It's cheating, but they make it so much better than I could. It's nice and moist.
Then we have creamed corn, rice, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, gravy and stuffing. Some sort of bread. Pies, pecan, apple and pumpkin.
And I love turkey sandwiches.
|
|
|
|
|
7:27 pm
November 8, 2009
|
Suzanne McMinn
| | Sassafras Farm in Roane County, WV | |
| Admin
| posts 7131 |
|
|
|
Leah said:
==
We go to Mom's for Thanksgiving Dinner. I have three brothers. We all bring a dish or a couple dishes. They like my broccoli/rice casserole and seafood pasta salad. Now I'm hungry!
|
|
|
|
Contact
Login 
Register 
Search 
Home
Topic RSS 
