Thanksgiving favorites 2009

[AngelDance]

Thanksgiving is a real time of food traditions for us. Each of my kids has a dish that to them thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without.

My oldest (28 yo) daughter's is green bean casserole (my home made, not the soup one), which is funny because when she was very young, she said it "scared her". No idea why, just one of those silly kid things.

My oldest (23 yo) son's is his paternal great-grandmother's brown sugar pie. She was a formidable woman, from all accounts; President of the WCTU back in the day. She ran a boarding house during the depression and later ran a hotel dining room and her brown sugar pie was locally famous. The recipe has never been published and I have the only know copy to exist, written in her own hand. I have bequeathed it to my son.

My youngest (14 yo) son has two: succotash ( an older Southern Living recipe using corn, butterbeans, onions, butter and cream) and my poached garlic soup.

Youngest (11 yo) daughter's is Coca Cola salad, a recipe which came down through my mother's family. It is so old, it originally called for plain gelatin, but has been adapted over the years to use Jell-o. It has dark sweet cherries, pineapple and pecans in it and is served with a dressing of cream cheese, mayo and cream on the side.

My husband's "essential" dish is sweet roasted sweet potatoes, apples and onions. His uncle was a sweet potato farmer in South Carolina.

Of course, there is always roast turkey (wild, when I can get it LOL), mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, and another veg or two (squash, carrots or some kind of leafy green like kale or collards).

In the middle of the day, football or frisbee in the yard is always played by everyone but me, who watches and encourages from the front porch between forays into the kitchen to check on things before dinner, which we always eat later in the afternoon rather than the middle of the day. We all hold hands around the table for giving our thanks to God in a group Blessing as well as each individual tells what they are most grateful for. Cleanup is cooperative followed by sitting around the firepit, reminiscing about loved ones who are no longer with us, memories we all share, and much jocularity and laughter. We are FUNNY people, I tell ya!

I love Thanksgiving..........

Angel

[grower]

Here is a favorite of our family:

KAREN'S BANANA BREAD

Preheat oven to 350.

3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 c. melted butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 tbsp. flaxseed meal
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Mix ingredients in order listed, pour in greased loaf pan. Bake 1 hour. Cool, remove from pan, slice and serve. Makes 1 loaf.

This makes a really moist, delicious banana bread. A couple of tips I'd give include:

• When you have some bananas that are getting over-ripe, just throw them in a baggy and freeze. When you want to make this recipe, take the bananas out of the freezer and set them in your measuring cup or a bowl. After about 15 minutes, you can peal them easily enough, and after another 15 minutes, you can mash them up to put in the batter.
• You can make "knowledgeable subsititutions" for some of the ingredients. By that I mean, if you are an experienced cook, you know what to substitute with what. For instance, the last time I made this (yesterday), I did not have enough brown sugar, so I measured out a cup of white sugar and added a tablespoon of molasses. DO NOT, however, substitute margarine for butter. Julia Child always called margarine "the M-word," and I have to agree. 'Nuff said.

I'll have to look around for some other recipes. You've got me thinking, She!!

[Midnight Blue]

We have discussed so far having turkey, ham, green bean casserole, corn, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, double layer pumpkin pie and apple pie. I am thinking of kicking off that morning with pumpkin pancakes and a pumpkin shake.

[babysteps]

Pumpkin rolls


and THE best pumpkin pie recipe in the world, from the Back to Basics book.

Sooooooo good....

[Charlene]

We are very traditional in our celebration: Turkey, home-made mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams with apples, pecans and cranberries, spiced cranberries, brussel sprouts with onion, garlic and red peppers, coleslaw, rolls, squash medley with corn and onions, stuffing balls, and pies - whew! I'm tired before I even get started

[SheWoff]

Baby steps...that looks so good! Would you mind taking the time to post the recipe? Pretty please? With sugar and a cherry on top?

I want to thank you all for sharing on this thread. It is so heart warming to read all the stuff yall do at thanksgiving! With all our children grown and having families of their own now and mom and dad so far away (500 miles -/+) we don't celebrate like we used to. I do miss it so...

She

[Grannyof3]

Baby steps...that looks so good! Would you mind taking the time to post the recipe? Pretty please? With sugar and a cherry on top?

I want to thank you all for sharing on this thread. It is so heart warming to read all the stuff yall do at thanksgiving! With all our children grown and having families of their own now and mom and dad so far away (500 miles -/+) we don't celebrate like we used to. I do miss it so...

She

I know what you mean She. Last year, dh and I took Thanksgiving (two weeks early) to our daughter and granddaughter in Kentucky. We rented a large cabin at Lake Cumberland Resort, and fixed the entire meal there, and enjoyed 2 days together. Unfortunately, our son and grandson couldn't go with us (son had to work the day before and day after), but I made another complete meal for them on Thanksgiving Day! Needless to say, dh and I haven't eaten much turkey since last year...LOL

[Heartofdixie]

Baby steps...that looks so good! Would you mind taking the time to post the recipe? Pretty please? With sugar and a cherry on top?

I want to thank you all for sharing on this thread. It is so heart warming to read all the stuff yall do at thanksgiving! With all our children grown and having families of their own now and mom and dad so far away (500 miles -/+) we don't celebrate like we used to. I do miss it so...

She

Not Baby Steps, but here ya go. I've never made this, but have heard good reviews about this pretty looking, yummy desert.

There is also a 'how to" video at the link.

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipe....aspx?ID=32372

LIBBY'S® Pumpkin Roll


Directions


Ingredients

• CAKE
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• FILLING
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

FOR CAKE:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

[Midnight Blue]

We have discussed so far having turkey, ham, green bean casserole, corn, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, double layer pumpkin pie and apple pie. I am thinking of kicking off that morning with pumpkin pancakes and a pumpkin shake.

I believe rolls, pumpkinbread, some type of salad(s), pancakes and pumpkin shakes (for breakfast) are going to be added. I am very much looking forward to it!

[SheWoff]

I believe rolls, pumpkinbread, some type of salad(s), pancakes and pumpkin shakes (for breakfast) are going to be added. I am very much looking forward to it!

That all sounds so good! Can't I just come to your place and leave everyone here fend for themselves? LOL, that wouldn't go over too good...

We did pick up our turkey in town today. It ran almost 1.00 per pound. But then the best you can find them for on sale here is about .69/lb.

She