Friday, November 6, 2015

A Menu for Thanksgiving: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 21)

Where did Fall go?

Whooosh - time is just flying by! It is hard for me to believe that our high school soccer season is over, Halloween decorations have been replaced by Thanksgiving ones, and the view out our windows is now a wintery scene.  Some thoughts about fall today ... and every recipe you'll need to prepare a complete Thanksgiving meal!


Not quite what they hoped for - but still a great result!

Many thanks, by the way, to everyone who expressed good luck wishes for my son's soccer team at the State Championship, and inquired how it went. They made it all the way into the finals and ended up in second place in Montana, with only one goal against them in the final game. 


2nd place soccer trophy.


It's not too early to be thinking about Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving less than three weeks away, it is not too early to start planning a Thanksgiving meal. I have many favorite recipes that I make each year, but I have come across a lot of new ones that I would like to try. 


A Thanksgiving menu  just doesn't seem complete without a pumpkin pie

Today, for my list of Fabulous Finds, I am sharing the links to some of these.  I haven't yet made any of them (except the soup) - but they look amazing to me. All together, I suspect they would make quite a delicious feast!


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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Appetizer: a Whimsical Cheese-Tray Turkey

This appetizer from the blog "Also, That's It" looks very easy to make and is such a cute turkey shape that it would almost be a shame to eat it!


~ ~ Roasted Butternut-Apple Soup

Looking through my "Thanksgiving" Pinterest board, I came across my own recipe for this soup. I had forgotten all about it - but once my memory was jogged, I remembered how good it was, and how it would be the perfect soup course for a fancy Thanksgiving meal!

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~ ~ Dinner rolls: Almost Mandatory on Thanksgiving

The directions in this recipe for homemade dinner rolls from Cooking Classy looks easy to follow - and I love the cresent shapes! 


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~ ~ No one likes dried out turkey meat!

I have tried all sorts of ways to cook a turkey.  My favorite way is to sear it briefly at a high heat, and then cook it slowly at a lower temperature, basting frequently. I have never injected one, but this method explained on the blog Confessions of an Over-Worked Mom sounds interesting to try.

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~ ~ Do you make your own cranberry sauce?

When I was growing up, we always had a dish of cranberry jelly from a can, and another with my mother's homemade cranberry sauce on the table.  I always assumed everyone always ate both!  Although I have perfected my own homemade sauce recipe over the years, I think this one from Kitchen Treaty using maple syrup could be even better!

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~ ~ A traditional Green Bean Casserole - but better

I was on the treadmill this week watching the Today Show, when they made this recipe.  Fresh green beans replace canned, and everything is from scratch, even the crispy onion (shallot) topping. Sounds like a winner to me!


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~ ~ A Very Pretty Side Dish

This recipe from the blog Peas and Crayons caught my eye because it is so colorful, and I love the idea of combining squash, cranberries, and feta. I might not wait to Thanksgiving to try it ... especially since it would be so easy to make using the pre-cubed butternut squash that is available in stores right now.

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 ~ ~ Avoid the last minute stress of mashing the potatoes!
When preparing the Thanksgiving meal, I can stay pretty organized until it comes time to mash the potatoes. Unfortunately, that ususally needs to happen just as guests are arriving and there are other last minute details to attend to. This recipe from The Kitchn sounds delicious and can be prepared ahead!

For the most amazing mashed potato consistency, some cooks suggest using a food mill or ricer.

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~ ~ Sweet potatoes must be on the menu
For me, turkey dinner is not complete without sweet potatoes or yams.  My kids (and I) love the traditional sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows casserole - but this recipe from Simply Stacie looks like a yummy one to try.

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~ ~ Save room for dessert!

Last year I wrote about the pumpkin pie I baked in my college kitchen, to take to my grandmothers for Thanksgiving... and I have made it nearly every year since. Pecan pie, apple pie and pumpkin pies are always favorites of ours during the holidays, but I also love to try new dessert recipes.  

This pumpkin cheesecake from Something Swanky looks good enough to eat right off the computer screen - and the turkeys on Your Cup of Cake's Turkey cupcake creations would delight people of all ages.
Of course, instead of baking dessert, you could do like we did one year while visiting Columbus, Ohio.  Some of our family members ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. We won not one - but FIVE pumpkin pies! Good thing there were a lot of mouths to feed that year.

A turkey trot if a fun way to burn calories - and earn a pie!


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So - there you have it. A full menu of ideas for a complete Thanksgiving menu!

  • If you need a little advice on how to roast your turkey, there is lots of advice on-line or you could check out the Butterball website

Whether you are hosting a small or large group, or eating away from home, I hope you have a wonderful meal, and you are able to count many blessings this year. 

Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving - I think these recipes look scrumptious enough for any day.


What is your favorite Thanksgiving or Fall recipe?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!


16 comments :

  1. Choking over the five pies win! Oh, Susan, we are alike. Every year my two and I would attend our babysitter's high school carnival. It was the highlight of March. Why? Because M and H would always win the cakes in the cakewalk. Year after year. My sister's birthday is in March and she'd dread the cake we'd bring. They were always rather "special." Icing askew, chunks falling off etc . Add in the extra bonus that we had no idea who made them. However, my kids didn't care. They'd won! I probably still have a cake or six in the deep freezer somewhere ... And your ideas for the Thanksgiving menu? Heavenly. What time would you like me to arrive?

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    1. We discovered years ago, that if you want to win something at a carnival, a cake walk is the place to do it! We had to work a little harder for these pies - but at the time I was pretty pumped that I finished 5 miles in a good enough time to win a pie .... although I suspect they gave away a LOT of pies!
      As for Thanksgiving - so convenient that we celebrate at different times. You can come to mine, and I can be at yours next year ;)

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  2. I would totally run a turkey trot for a shot at a free pie, let alone five! That's so awesome and makes such a fun story to tell every holiday! Thank you so so much for including my favorite side dish in your post Susan! Happy Friday!

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    1. Thank you Jenn- for your awesome recipe! I have squash, cranberries and feta on my list, for my trip to the grocery store later today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well, and I am glad to have discovered your blog.

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  3. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Greece but I try to keep it up because it was one of my favorite holidays. Just say pumpkin pie and I'm in. I really liked the buttesquash soup, I think I'll give it a go this year along with yams. Can't have Thanksgiving without yams. Now you're making me hungry... I'm off to the kitchen.

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    1. When we lived in Spain, we always celebrated American holidays as well. Let me know how you like the Butternut Squash soup if you do try it!

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  4. Sweet potato and marshmallows?
    Not for me. And, while I love pumpkin I have never had a pumpkin pie. It is savoury rather than sweet in my head.
    We don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but some of these recipes are interesting.
    Thank you.

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    1. Pumpkin pie is very sweet - and with a unique texture. In my opinion, it must be served with whipped cream. I think many of these recipes would be good any time of year.

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  5. Congratulations to your son and his team - 2nd in State is a great accomplishment! We'll be home for Thanksgiving for the first time in years - maybe it's time to try some new recipes! Thanks for the links.

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    1. Thanks Lana -and yes, after the initial disappointment, it was good to remember how much of an accomplishment it was to get as far as the boys did! My son had a terrific season, and we are very proud of him. Are you hosting Thanksgiving for a lot of people?

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  6. That is awesome that they got second in state! And the five pie picture cracks me up! This year is going so fast, it is hard to believe we are planning Thanksgiving already!

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    1. This year is going by fast! And the 5 pie photo still cracks me up as well. I was running decently at the time, but never dreamed that I would be like the others in our family and come home with my own pie! (As I said, they must have given out a LOT of pies!)

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  7. Thanks so much for sharing my post! Off to check out the others & congratulations!

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    1. Thank you for publishing it Ellen! I'm glad to have found both your recipe and your blog!

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  8. I love this! A one-stop place for all of your Thanksgiving Day ideas! I love the rolls recipe and that and the butternut apple soup has me intrigued. I pinned this to my Thanksgiving board because I know I will use it again and again! Great tips...as usual!

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  9. Congrats to your son and their team! Now that's something to be thankful for! And thanks for all these wonderful ideas, Susan! We always celebrate Thanksgiving with my hubs' big family and it's always a potluck...some American dishes, some Filipino. There may not always be turkey (although the past several yrs we've had one) but I guarantee theres always a ton of food. I must say I gotta try the dinner rolls. I LOVE fresh bread...anytime! Thanks again Susan!

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