Happy Thanksgiving! When I think of Thanksgiving, the first thing that comes to mind are traditions. Family traditions in particular. You know, the ones that get passed from one generation to another. Mom always made the best homemade stuffing from a recipe her mother passed down to her. I remember watching her and my auntie Joan in the kitchen as they prepared our Thanksgiving meal. While it was a lot of work, they always managed to laugh a lot and make it look easy! Once we were all seated at the table, mom would lead us off with "tell us what you're most thankful for". We'd all held hands and took turns saying what we were thankful for before we ate. Very kumbaya but it's a tradition I've carried on in my own family. I've also started a few of my own that I hope my sons will carry on. No pressure boys! There is also the tradition of the Thanksgiving menu. Last year, we had 19 at our Thanksgiving table and I asked everyone at the table what their "must have" dish was. I was surprised to learn that turkey was not the most popular item but that mashed potatoes got the most votes! The funniest answer I got was from my nephew Evan who said "HAM" was his must have! What are your Thanksgiving menu "must haves" ? |
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Our Family's Thanksgiving Menu "Must Haves" |
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Bill's: creamed corn - the recipe comes from his grandmother along with the draconian looking culinary tool with which she used to prepare it, as you'll see below. Will's: turkey and gravy! Ada's: mashed sweet potatoes Charlies's: stuffing Maria's: Pillsbury Crescent Rolls & apple pie Me: I'm with Char & Maria on this one: stuffing & apple pie |
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This is a picture of the tool Bill's grandmother used to take the fresh corn off the cob. The serrated bit punctures the raw corn kernels, which releases the corn's 'cream'. The straight edge cuts the kernels off the cob, which drop below. Together, they create 'creamed corn' which then gets baked with an alarming amount of butter (according to grandmother Magee's recipe) but the result is simply delicious! That said, this dish should come with an angioplasty warning which is why it's strictly a once a year menu item. |
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I wanted to include Bill's mom's recipe for cranberry jello salad in this edition. I set out to make it, and bombed it!! I failed at jello; how could this be?? My first mistake was making it in a glass bowl because I couldn't find my ring mold. Surly this can't make that big of difference I thought. WRONG! My troubles started when I tried to un-mold it. I got a plate under the inverted bowl and as I tried to lift the bowl, red liquid began to ooz out from under the bowl's rim. The bottom released, but the top didn't. I tried pouring some hot water on top of the bowl to release it, to no avail. I managed to remove the bowl and attempted to 'fix' the unfixable. I had leftover whipped cream, so I spread that on top and then thought maybe I could jiggle the stuck jello out of the bowl and onto the bottom half of the jello mess. Southerners have an appropriate saying for this: "this dog just ain't gonna hunt". So I did the only thing I could think of, and mashed the whole mess together and got creative with the garnish. Northerners would say "it's just lipstick on a pig". I'll try again next month since it's festive looking (obviously not in these pics) & delicious. |
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Novembers Monthly Happenings Daylight Savings Time Ends Nov 5th Election Day Nov 7th Veterans Day Nov 11th Thanksgiving Nov 23rd |
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Our Thanksgiving Menu While I'm not a big fan of turkey, I do make one every year. I tried brining the bird one year which took an obscene amount of salt, water, time, and a large cooler. The process took two or three days as I recall, and it turned out 'just ok'. Needless to say that was the first and last time I prepared it that way. Now, I just make a citrus herb butter, slather it under the skin of the breasts and stuff the cavity with an orange and a lemon (both quartered) and some fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage leaves and bake it in a sturdy roasting pan inside a baking bag. Note to self: Don't forget to cut slits in the bag so the steam can escape! Just a word of advice: I wouldn't recommend using a disposable aluminum pan to cook the bird in. As it cooks, juices accumulate in the pan making it heavy and unstable when removing it from the oven. Will knows what I'm talking about here: A near miss of the bird ending up on the kitchen floor when the pan collapsed upon removal from the oven. Thanks to Will's quick reflexes, the bird was saved! |
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This month's Recipe Exchange |
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This month I asked my friend Susan Fiske to share her 'dreamy' mashed potatoes recipe with us. A few years back Susan brought us a full meal which included these mashed potatoes when I was under the weather. Needless to say they was a HUGE hit in our house! I've been making them ever sense. Like Susan, I modified some of the dairy to make it less caloric, but I follow the recipe to a tee, exactly once a year: On Thanksgiving. The original recipe is from Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman. |
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Novembers Featured Kitchen Utensils: A meat Thermometer & A Food Mill/Ricer |
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You cannot beat a meat thermometer for taking the guess work out of wondering if you've cooked your meat just right! There is nothing worse than spending $$$ on an expensive piece of meat, poultry or fish and under cooking or overcooking it. The thermometer I use is by Oxo and it gives temperatures for rare, medium and well done for a variety of animal proteins. When I want light & fluffy mashed potatoes, I use a food mill; also called a ricer. You put the cooked potatoes in the large bowl and you use the handle to turn the blade that pushes the cooked potatoes through a fine mesh grate and voila!! Light, fluffy mashed potatoes ready to be flavored. |
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Cranberry Bourbon or Vodka (you pick your poison) Sour |
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Visit my website to see all my latest recipes: |
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I'm still working on my Thanksgiving tablescape, but I did want to share with you my Autumnal mantle and my kitchen island-scape. You can't get this wrong as it's a matter of what appeals to you visually. Hopefully, the pics will give you some ideas and inspiration! |
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I invite you to head over to my website where I have recipes, tutorials, DIYs and so much more! I’d love to hear what’s on your mind so please leave me your comments! |
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If you know someone who'd enjoy this newsletter please feel free to pass it along! |
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✨As always, wishing you blissful living!✨ Jodi |
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Jodi.Hoffmann@CraftingaBlissfulBungalow.com |
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