Recipe(tried): Thanksgiving Menu 2002

Hello Everyone,

It's been such a long time since I have posted...I have been quite busy the last few months... walking 3 miles every morning with a friend, gardening, flea marketing, traveling with my wonderful DH and spending some time with Mom designing and sewing handbags for ourselves and friends.

Now the holidays are peeking around the corner and soon those enticingly delicious aromas will have us all seated around the table enjoying the turkey and all the trimmings!! Yum! What a glorious time of the year...for many of us long ago childhood memories will come back...Mom's turkey and gravy, pumpkin pie and savory casseroles. Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday and one that families all over look forward to. It is, by far, my favorite holiday!

I basically keep the menu the same with all of the old time favorites the family looks forward to. Where I get to have a little bit of fun is in making and introducing new sweets for the annual dessert buffet. I really enjoy using the glass cake stands and pretty serving trays! Desserts are the perfect ending as the sun goes down. We eat by 2PM so by sundown, everyone is just ready for dessert and coffee or milk while lounging around the tv!

Here is this year's menu! Hope to see yours too!!

Happy Thanksgiving! Gina

THE MENU
Cider Glazed Roast Turkey
Mashed Potatoes w/Garlic & Sour Cream
Pan Drippings Gravy
Sausage Apple Pecan Stuffing
Sweet Peas
Maple & Tangerine Glazed Carrots
Corn Casserole Supreme
Sweet Potato Crunch
Noodle Pudding
Cole Slaw
Frozen Cranberry Salad
Yeast Rolls & Butter
Cranberry Sauce

Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze
Cranbery Orange Cheesecake with Choc. Crust
Pumpkin Pie w/Brown Sugar Nut Streusel
Brownie Trifle (Death by Chocolate)

2000 Shiraz
Coffee, Ice Tea & Beverages

THE RECIPES

Cider Glazed Turkey

1 16-20lb. turkey
1 stick butter
2 pkts. of G Washington Seasoning and Broth
2 sticks celery
2 carrots
8 ozs. chicken broth
1/4 cup Cinnamon Cider Syrup
1 lemon
salt and pepper

Wash and dry turkey. Place on a large and deep baking dish. Squeeze lemon all over and in cavities to refresh. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Best if left to rest for several hours.

Wash and scrape carrots and cut into long slivers. Wash and cut celery likewise. Place vegetables in bottom of roasting pan, place turkey on top and butter all over. Sprinkle with packets of G Washington's Seasoning and salt and pepper. Cover wings with foil. Pour broth over and pour cinnamon cider over. Roast at 350 for 6 hours. Baste with juices occasionally and tent with foil if browning to fast.

Sausage Apple Pecan Stuffing

1 lb. Tennessee Pride or Jimmy Dean Pork mild sausage
2 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped celery, incl. leaves
1 bag 14 oz. Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing plus a small bag of stuffing
2 c. chicken broth (Swanson's canned)
2 sticks butter
1 c. golden raisins
3 red apple, washed, cored and chopped
1/2 c. chopped almonds or pecans or walnuts
1t. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
2 packets GWashington's Seasonings
Cook sausage in skillet till browned. Drain and set aside. Heat the broth and melt a stick of butter in it. Set aside. Saute onions and celery in butter till onions begin to golden.

In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry stuffing, the onions and celery, sausage, chopped apple, raisins and nuts and begin blending, with your hands, add 1 c. of broth at a time till you get to the desired stuffing consistency.

Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff the turkey both ends and truss. In the tummy area, cut an apple in thirds widthwise, and put this slice over the opening so stuffing does not leak out. You should have enough left over to put in a casserole with foil over and bake the last 45 minutes of the turkey.

Mashed Potatoes with Garlic And Sour Cream
serves 8

6-8 potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
1 stick butter
1/2 c. sour cream
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves
1/4 c. milk or more if needed

Boil potatoes and the garlic cloves together. When tender, mash with potato masher, add butter and mash some more, add sour cream and enough of milk to your liking for consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Corn Casserole Supreme
serves 6

1 reg. size can of creamed corn
1 reg. size can of yellow corn, drained
1/4 c. sugar
1 scallion, chopped
8 oz. sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. margerine, melted and cooled
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
paprika for sprinkling top
Preheat oven top 350. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and blend well. Pour into a greased 12x8x2 baking dish, sprinkle paprika over top and bake for 45 minutes.

Maple & Tangerine Glazed Carrots
Bon Appetit, Nov 2002 P. 200

serves 8

1 3/4 c. fresh tangerine juice
3 T. pure Maple Syrup
1/4 stick butter
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. grated tangerine peel

2 1/2 lbs. large carrots, about 12
peeled, cut on diagonal into 1/2 inch ovals (about 6 cups)
pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 large tangerine, seeded
chopped fresh parsley

Combine first 5 ingredients in a skillet over med-high heat. Boil until sauce thickens and coats the spoon thickly and is reduce to 2/3 cup, whisking occasionally, about 8 min.

Steam carrots until crisp-tender, about 7 min. Mix carrots and cayenne pepper into the sauce. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Simmmer carrots in sauce over med-heat until heated thru. Stir occ. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl, squeeze tangerine half over and sprinkle with parsley.

Sweet Potato Crunch

6 sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/3 c. well packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 t. Cinnamon-Cider Syrup
handful of small marshmallows

Crunch Topping: 1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tblsp. cinnamon

Boil potatoes til tender. Take skin off when cooled and able to handle. Put in a large bowl and whip them til fluffy adding all other ingredients. Pour into a buttered casserole and top with the crunch topping.Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Sprinkle on marshmallows arounbd the edges and bake additional 5 minutes.

Spinach Noodle Pudding
serves 8

1 pkg. 8 ozs. noodles (fine or medium)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
8 ozs. sour cream
2 pkg Birds Eye Creamed Spinach
2 eggs, beaten
bread crumbs to sprinkle on top
1 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste
Saute your onions until golden in 1/2 stick butter. Toss in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Cook noodles according to directions on pkg. Drain noodles and toss with the other 1/2 stick of butter, blend with the spinach, sour cream, sauteed onions and eggs. Salt and pepper to your taste. Blend well. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes. YUMMY!!!
This recipe easily doubles to serve 16

Cole Slaw
8-10 servings

2 10 oz. pkgs. finely shredded cabbage
1 carrot shredded
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 T. white vinegar

Combine cabbage and carrot in a large bowl.

Whisk together the sugar and next 7 ingred. til nicely blended. Toss with the cabbage and carrot. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Frozen Cranberry Salad
Southern Living Our Best Christmas Recipes
p.159

serves 9

2 3 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 T. sugar
2 T. mayonnaise
1 16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. shopped pecans
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. sifted conf. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

Combine first 3 ingredients, stir til smooth. Stir in cranberry sauce, pineapples and pecans.

Beat whipping cream til foamy, gradually add powdered sugar beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla. Fold whipped creamed into cranberry mixture. Spoon mixture into an 8x8 square dish Cover and freeze til firm. Cut into squares and serve on lettuce leaves and garnished with fresh cranberries and mint sprig. Or, I serve the square alongside the rest of the yummy stuff!!!

Cranberry Orange Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust
Bon Appetit Dec 2002 p. 170

serves 12

Crust
1 9 oz. box choc. wafer cookies, crushed
2 oz. bitersweet or semi-sweett choc. coarsely chopped
5 T. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325. Finely grind the cookies and chocolate in the food processor. Add butter, blend til moist clumps form. Use plastic wrap as an aid, press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 3/4 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake til set, about 8 min. Cool completely.

Filling
4 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 T. flour
4 large eggs
2 t. grated orange peel
1 t. vanilla extract

Increase oven temp to 350. Wrap 2 layers of heavy-duty foil around bottom and up sides of pan. Beat cream cheese and sugar til light. Beat in flour and eggs one at a time. Beat in orange peel and vanilla.

Pour filling into crust. Place the pan in a large roasting pan so that warm water comes up half way up the outside of the springform pan.
Bake for 55 minutes, the middle will jiggle a little. Remove from water bath and cool completely about 4 hours on a rack. Then chill overnight covered.

Topping
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. water
1 t. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water
2 c. fresh cranberries
1/2 t. grated orange peel

Stir sugar and water in saucepot over med-low heat til sugar dissolves. Increase heat to med. add cranberries and cook til they begin to burst. Stir for about 3 minutes, add peel and cool completely. Cover and chill overnight. (Cheesecake and fruit mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance. Keep refrigerated.)

Run knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen, release sides top with fruit mixture and chil til set about 1 hour.

Death by Chocolate
The Ursuline Gourmet p. 206
Serves 8-10

1 box brownie mix
1 cup Kahlua liquor
2 boxes instant chocolate mousse mix
1 large frozen whipped topping
6 chocolate covered toffee bars
1 cup chopped walnuts

Prepare brownie mix as directed, cut into squares and drizzle with liquor. Set aside. Prepare chocolate mousse mix as directed. Set aside.

Break candy bars into chunks and set aside. In a large glass trifle bowl or a 9x13-inch glass pan, layer brownies, mousse, whipped topping and candy bar pieces. Repeat 2 more layers ending with crumbled candy pieces and chopped nuts on top. Chill til ready to serve.

Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel & Whipped Topping Pie
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 can (14 oz.) condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. Chinese Five Spice
1/2 t. salt

1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Beat pumpkin, condensed milk and all spices together til creamy. Pour onto the graham cracker crust. Set pie onto cookie sheet and into preheated 425 oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and bake another 15 minutes. Sprinkle on streusel mixture and then sprinkle on 1 T. cinnamon all over top. Bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack and then refrigerate. Serve cold. Keep refrigerated.

Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel Topping

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
Mix together in a bowl.

Cut in: 1/4 c. cold margerine or butter until crumbly.
Stir in 1/4 c. chopped nuts

Makes 8 servings.