Back to Basics
Growing up, my mom always hosted Thanksgiving dinner for our extended family, which included both sets of grandparents, assorted aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her table settings and centerpieces were always fabulous and she made sure the kids table was extra special, with flowers and candles and Shirley Temples served in crystal glasses.
My sisters and I always volunteered to put out the "goodies" before the guests arrived -- the small dishes of dinner mints, the wooden bowls filled with mixed nuts and nutcrackers, the enormous fruit arrangements, etc. Wine and alcohol was served from an enormous sideboard in our formal living room, which was where the adults tended to congregate before dinner.
The meal was always wonderful, and guests would stay for hours afterwards, first to have dessert and then later, to make turkey sandwiches.
Now that my parents and sisters have moved away, I'm the one who hosts Thanksgiving for my husband's family. I've tried to emulate my mom in creating a beautiful and festive atmosphere, and typically spend days preparing and cleaning and baking, but I've come to the conclusion that it goes largely unnoticed and unappreciated.
So this year, I'm thinking simple is the best approach. In that spirit, I'm actively soliciting simple menu ideas and easy recipes for a family that typically turns their collective nose up at anything that doesn't fall into the category of meat or potato. I'm especially interested in any tried and true stuffing recipes, or veggie dishes that look great and are easy to make.
And if you have a favorite dessert, I'd love to hear about it! Share your own Thanksgiving memories, and I'll throw in a free book for one registered visitor called 500 Cocktails...guaranteed to make any holiday a memorable blur!
LOL on the cocktails!
Who needs meat or potatoes when everyone's wasted, huh? LOL
We had a huge Thanksgiving last year, it was the biggest I've ever done, with everyone here from out of town, etc and it was enough for me for a long time, LOL. This year, it's just me, Mike and my Dad, and that's it. Sounds good to me! I'll make a turkey with the fixings, but it will be a quiet day, and looking forward to it.
I think simple is best, especially with a lot of people, though for just the few of us, I can enjoy cooking and maybe try something new. I love pumpkin pie, because it's the one kind of pie that I never make at any other time of the year, except for Christmas -- which is weird, because I make pies all the time, but never pumpkin. Maybe I should try making them off-season. :)
One new recipe I love is my SIL's orange/cranberry salsa, which is amazing with turkey -- she made it last year to bring, and we fell in love with it. So yummy.
Sam
Irish Feast
Absolutely, Sam! My in-law's are 100 percent, dyed-in-the-wool Irish, so if it isn't meat, potatoes, or alcohol, they're not interested, LOL! I always end up cooking two meals...turkey and gravy for them, and a veggie turkey and veggie gravy for us. Then last year, one of the nephews didn't know the difference and helped himself to most of the veggie turkey before the platter ever made its way around the table, and the girls and I ended up going without. So this year I'm cooking a couple of veggie turkeys, just in case.
My mom always made an orange/cranberry relish...I wonder if it's similar to your SIL's salsa?? It sounds delicious.
Interesting....
Karen--As a relatively new vegetarian (actually my husband is the new vegetarian. I'm a jack-vegetarian. I eat meat when I feel like it, but generally eat veggie because he does) I would like to know more about veggie turkey. I've never heard of such a thing. Please elaborate :) I'd so appreciate it.
Jeannie
Quorn!
Jeannie, we buy a brand of roasted "turkey" called Quorn. In my opinion, it's the tastiest of the veggie turkey products and it slices and looks like roasted turkey. When you remove it from the box, it looks like a small loaf of frozen bread dough, and you bake it for about an hour. We use a brand of veggie chicken gravy by Hain (I think) that we buy at Wild Oats. If you go www.quorn.us then you'll see all the Quorn products. I especially love their chicken cutlet stuffed with cranberry and goat cheese.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Green Beans
No this isn't the green beans with fried onions recipe!
Green Beans ala Greco
You need at least one pound of fresh green beans (trimmed) for every 4 people. You can use frozen whole beans too. No need to thaw!
2-3 strips bacon (we use turkey bacon) chopped into small pieces (You can use more)
Sharp Cheddar Cheese (I've tried others but this works best) shredded (about half a cup or more)
Fry up bacon until crisp in large flat frying pan. Remove but leave drippings. If you've used turkey bacon which leaves no drippings, add 2 tsps good olive oil.
Keep on medium heat and throw in green beans. If they're frozen, they'll turn whitish first but don't worry about it. Cook just until crisp.
Toss in reserved bacon. Layer into serving dish with cheese. Top with cheese. If you serve in an ovenproof dish, you can throw in the oven and lightly brown the top.
Easy peasy and tastes wonderful!!
Yum, Ani!! This sounds
Yum, Ani!! This sounds delicious and might even entice my picky nephews to eat their vegetables, LOL! Thank you!
Mmm....turkey!
My memories of Thanksgiving are all about food and family. Growing up, we'd always go to Dad's side of the family and have a big meal at Grandma's with 30 or so relatives and friends. Then we'd head to Mom's side and have another meal and dessert at Grandma's...with only 15-20 relatives and friends. :-) Nothing was every fancy, and the menu never changed much. Now everyone is scattered around, so the large groups don't happen quite as often anymore. And we've even tried making new dishes. While my Grandma's orange/cranberry relish is still my favorite, we've added Gingered Cranberries to the menu. YUM!
One of my favorite 'Non-traditional' Thanksgivings was a few years ago when DH and I decided to do a driving trip around the western US during Thanksgiving week. After meandering through WY and ID, we ended up at a little B&B in Kamas, Utah the night before Thanksgiving. We only had a little fridge and microwave to work with, so we picked up those microwavable mashed potatoes, some canned veggies, and some precooked, sliced turkey. Our Thanksgiving feast was microwaved and we ate it sitting on the bed, watching football and looking out at the view of the mountains. It was wonderful!
Cathy, your non-traditional
Cathy, your non-traditional Thanksgiving actually sounds very romantic! When John and I lived in Germany, we went on a ski trip to Austria during Thanksgiving, with a bunch of military guys and their wives. The little Austrian hotel where we stayed provided us with their best version of an American Thanksgiving feast -- roasted goose with all the trimmings. I don't recall much about how the meal tasted, but remember it as being a really wonderful holiday, probably because we were all so homesick and it was so nice to be together.
We definitely have a
We definitely have a non-traditional Thanksgiving. About six years ago, I cooked the entire tradional meal for the four of us--my kids, Gary and I, since our families are spread to the winds--and we ate the entire meal in ten minutes. Then the horses got out and we spent about an hour rounding them up. It seemed wrong that the round up took longer than the meal.
The next year we decided what the hey--it's only the four of us--and we went to Reno and checked into a hotel. We ran a 10K on Thanksgiving morning, then ate Thanksgiving dinner out. We went bowling and watched a movie. Then we went shopping on Black Friday and went home the next day. Now it's a tradition.
Favorite Dessert
Yum! Caramel cake! Paula Deen has a recipe for one of the best ever. I would love to make my holidays this year memorable blurs. LOL
Deidre
no sugar easy make cheesecake
16 oz cream cheese
6 packages Sweet 'n' Low
2 cups heavy cream(whipped)
1 cup no sugar jam
In blender, mix cream chees and sugar substitute then fold in whipping cream. Line pie or cake pane with wax paper. poar mixture into pan and place in refridgerator for at least two hours. When ready to serve, place plate on top of cake and turn over. Then spread jam on top.
Option place grahm cracker mix on top of cake before chilling or blend jam with cream cheese.
I usually spoon cream cheese mixture(mixed with the jam) into small tart shells for small desserts
Thanksgiving dinner
I am cooking the Thanksgiving dinner this year for my side of the family. I am having turkey, dressing, dumplings, green beans, salaid, gravey, mashed patatoes, and deviled eggs the works. For dessert, we have banana pudding, and pecan pie. For the banana pudding I just use jello cook and serve pudding. I use a large bowl and put a layer of vanilla waffer cookies, layer of sliced bananas a layer of pudding and a layer of cool whip and then repeat the layers.
Squash Casserole
A friend just shared this with me and I thought you might enjoy it too:
gronola topped squash
makes 8 servings prep time 20 min total time 30 min
1 (2-21/2 lb) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 4 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Archer Farms original mix gronola (from a 10 oz pkg)
2 Tbsp. butter melted
1/2 tsp pumkin pie spice
1. spread squash in 11x7 inch microwavable dish. Add water and sprinkle with salt. cover with plastic wrap, Folding back one corner to vent steam
2. Microwave on high 5 min. Stir, cover again and microwave on high an additional 2 min or until squash is very tender
3. Heat oven to 375 F Meanwhile mix remaning ingredients and sprinkle evenly over squash.
4. Bake 10 min or until granola is browned.