FR Thanksgiving Thread (Share Traditions, Recipes, etc)

20-nov-2003 | stb

[stainlessbanner]

Time to start preparing and planning!
Post your best recipes, blessings, and traditions to share with other FReepers.
Let's make this Thanksgiving the best ever.

Here's a start:

Pumpkin Custard Pie

1 ¾ c. pumpkin purée
¾ c. sugar
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten, at room temperature
1 c. heavy whipping cream
½ c. whole milk
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. In a saucepan, stir the pumpkin over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until slightly dry and caramelized. Remove from heat; add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Mix well. Add the eggs, cream and milk. Mix until smooth; pour into pie shell.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Allow to completely cool on rack before cutting. Don't forget to top this with as much sweetened whipped cream as you can spoon!

Island Flair Pumpkin Pie

From Bahama Breeze

A delicious and exotic pie, scented with the aromas and flavors of the Caribbean – ginger, cinnamon, orange, nutmeg and rum. The gingersnap crust is an added treat.

For Crust
14 2-inch gingersnaps (about 4 ounces)
1 c. pecans (about 4 ounces)
¼ c. granulated sugar
½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For Pie
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 c. (packed) dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
1 ¼ c. heavy whipping cream (see note)
2 tbsp. dark rum
2 tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. grated orange peel
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

To make crust, combine gingersnaps, pecans and sugar in a food processor, grind. Add butter, blending until combined well.

Press mixture onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch (1 quart) glass pie plate. Bake crust in middle of oven 13 to 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden around edge, and cool on rack.

Meanwhile, whisk pumpkin and brown sugar in medium bowl to blend. Add all remaining ingredients and whisk until blended. Pour filling into baked crust.

Bake pie until filling is set in center, about one hour. Transfer pie to rack; cool 30 minutes. Can be made one day ahead. Cover and keep chilled. If desired when serving, top each slice with additional whipped cream and sprinkle with additional crystallized ginger.

Note: Evaporated skim milk may be used in place of heavy cream, in the same amount. Makes one 9-inch pie. Serves eight.

Pound Cake

My Aunt Ruth used to make the best pound cake in the whole world. It was so rich and creamy. She explained to me that it was called a pound cake because it used a pound of butter and a pound of sugar. This was what made it so rich. Here's my recipe -- hers was very similar.

Ingredients

3 c. cake flour
6 large eggs
1 pound butter
1 pound sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
½ c. buttermilk

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar. I use a large spoon for this. Next I add the butter. My grandmother would melt the butter in a pan over slow heat to make it blend easier. You can do this or just let the butter soften at room temperature.

Add the eggs, whole. At this point I break out my mixer and begin mixing on slow. I slowly add my buttermilk, and then the vanilla extract.

After it is thoroughly stirred, I turn the mixer up to medium for a few minutes, and then finally on high. If the mixture is a little thick I add just a touch more buttermilk. If you don't mix things thoroughly you will have lumps that will form air bubbles in your mixture and leave holes in your finished cake.

It was always a matter of pride not to have these air pocket holes in our cakes so we always made sure we got all of the lumps. In the pre-electric-mixer day that involved a lot of whipping the cake by hand. We usually didn't have a hand-cranked mixer that worked well, so this involved a large mixing spoon to whip it.

Some old timers even counted the number of times they whipped the mixture -- sort of made it fun and you didn't notice your arm tiring.

Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit.

Take your standard tube cake pan and oil it with butter. Then lightly flour the oiled pan. Shake the excess flour from the pan.

Pour the mix in, bake the cake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Keep looking at how your cake is doing through the oven door but avoid opening the door too much while it is cooking as I have seen this, or jarring the cake before done, cause it to collapse.

When you think it is done, do the toothpick test. Stick a wooden toothpick into one of the thickest parts of the cake. If it's dry when you pull it out, the cake is done.

Allow the cake to cool 15 or 20 minutes in the pan. Then gently remove it and stick it on your favorite decorative cake plate.

Ginger Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, small dice
1 tablespoon molasses

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer, add sugar and continue beating until combined. Add egg, both gingers and molasses and beat to combine. Gradually mix in flour, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to overmix.

Roll into two 2-inch round logs, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice logs into 1/4-inch slices and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

— Recipe: Alton Brown

Sweet Potato Bisquits

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large sweet potato - cooked and mashed
2 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 375 F.
With a good electric mixer, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt till combined. Cream in butter with fingers or a fork until it resembles small crumbs. Add in sweet potato, honey and buttermilk untill mixed through. Don't over mix.
Press the mixture into a 1 inch deep cookie sheet that has been lined with wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours. Cut out circles with a floured cookie cutter or glass. Place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper again and bake for 10-12 mins until lightly golden brown.

More Great Recipes here: http://www.thanksgivingrecipe.com/

A Thanksgiving Prayer

O, heavenly Father:
We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.
We thank thee for health and remember the sick.
We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless.
We thank thee for freedom and remember those who protect us.
We thank thee for family and remember the love.
May these remembrances stir us to service,
That thy gifts to us may be used for others and to further your Kingdom, Lord.
With all of our thanks and good blessings, Amen.

A Cowboy's Thanksgiving Prayer
By Steve Lucas

Dear Lord,

This last year was rough on us cowboys
With calf prices bein' low.
And the drought, and the snow last winter
Didn't leave a lot to show

For a lot of really hard workin'.
There were times, I confess,
That I lay awake nights and wondered:
Lord, how do I get out of this mess.

But I turned it all over to you, Lord.
Put my trust in your capable hands.
And I thank you that you let us keep on
Makin' a living off of your lands.

I thank you for every morning
when the sun rose over the trees,
and spread light over the meadows.
And thanks for that cool summer breeze

That cooled sweatin' backs in the hay fields.
And thanks for new friends I made,
for the joy of seein' baby calves
curled up, asleep in the shade.

Thanks for these good friends and neighbors
and the love and the help that they give.
And I thank you Lord for these old cows
and the cowboy life they let me live.

And thank you Lord for my family,
my little girl and my wife.
And for the chance we have to raise a child
to live the kind of life

That most folks only dream of,
spending days outside,
Feedin', checkin', and sortin', and looking
where old cows hide.

So, Lord, on Thanksgiving,
as we take a break from our chores,
We thank you for this year's blessings,
and for what you have in store.

God, the Giver of Victory and Peace. A Thanksgiving Sermon, Delivered in the Presbyterian Church, September 18, 1862, Raleigh, N.C.

[Zansman]

It's ONLY peanut oil. If you have a Sam's, Costco, Wal-Mart, etc... near you, you can get large containers of it. Grocery stores tend to have only the smaller bottles. You'll probably need around 5 gallons or so depending on the size of your cajun cooker and the bird.

Your test run on a smalll chicken should be great. If you ever make chicken fried steak, catfish, or fried chicken, peanut oil gives you a really nice flavor.

Don't be afraid to fry ya up some shrimp or something for appetizers while the oils hot. Peanut oil is AWSOME for most of your frying needs. Good Luck!

[pro libertate]

Peanut oil is also a must for making popcorn on the stove.

[hergus]

mark

[Fierce Allegiance]

You like the fried turkey? I guess it's ok, but it just doesn't seem right for tahnksgiving. great for a big friends & family get together, but thanksgiving?

I geuss i am way too old-New England, have to have the smoked turkey, and some seafood stuff to go with it.

Every try clam stuffing from inside the bird?

[Fierce Allegiance]

Carlo, any tips for us non-pro's?

[1Old Pro]

try it with a small chicken for a test run.

Turkey's take 4-5 minutes per pound. Chicken requires a few more minutes per pound because the oil doesn't flow thru the bird as much. Check the recipes for the exact time.

[Mudbug]

Is that anything like oyster dressing?

[stainlessbanner]

I like your tag line. You need a Chef's Apron that says "Cooking with Beer"

[dix]

Any recipes that will work for the Adkins diet ?

[carlo3b]

Carlo, any tips for us non-pro's?

Abstinence, is the only sure way.. *<]:o)

[AppyPappy]

This is my first year eating out for Thanksgiving. It's the price of traveling.

[carlo3b]

All kinds of great recipes, some of which are ATKINS, WEIGHT WATCHERS.. etc, and tips that will help.

[carlo3b]

This is my first year eating out for Thanksgiving. It's the price of traveling.

I am also out of town town this year.. as a featured Chef on the high seas once again for a Thanksgiving cruise in the Carribean.

[fortunecookie]

Great idea!

Cornbread stuffing

Prepare 3 pkgs JIFFY brand corn bread or your favorite homemade, enough for a 9x13 pan. Cool, break or cut into cubes and allow to dry out a bit. This can be down a day or so in advance.

Saute 1lb of breakfast type sausage - ie Jimmy Dean - save a bit of the fat. (The sage and/or fennel spiced works well.)

Saute with butter and tsp sausage drippings and s&p the following:

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 stalks celery, chopped small

1 lb sliced mushrooms

2-3 apples, cubed

Add spices to saute as follows:

1 tsp sage

s& p to taste

dash nutmeg

In very large bowl, combine cornbread with sauteed items and 3 tbs chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tbs dried).

Optional - Toasted, chopped walnut or pecans, about a cup can be added at this time.

Moisten with 1 can chicken broth (12-15 oz - I use low sodium) and 1 bottle (12 oz) apple juice.

Combine, careful not to break up cornbread too much.

Bake at 350 in a well buttered 9x13 baking pan for an hour or until desired doneness. (Whether you like it moist or bone-dry) Cover with foil after 30 min if top is browning too much. Enjoy!

A nice table idea:

A simple table runner of neutral colored fabric (see remnants at dept store) stenciled with vines or autumn veggies.

Another favorite:

Trim bottom of small squashes or tiny pumpkins and hollow out. Place small votive candles inside.

Larger or taller ones can house small bouquets of autumn flowers, trimmed to fit.

A large bouquet of autumn flowers is a must.

Cranberry jello

Boil package of cranberries (picked over) until they pop. Drain and save 1 cup of liquid.

Open and drain, reserving liquid, 2 small or 1 large can mandarin oranges.

Toast in dry pan 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - must be watched carefully, they toast quickly and burn even faster!

Prepare 1 large package of raspberry jello (or your favorite red jello) as directed but use reserved cranberry water (mixed with regular water as needed for measurement) for 'hot' jello step, and use reserved mandarin orange liquid (water mixed in as needed) for 'cold' jello step.

Fold in cranberries, oranges, optional nuts, and 1 cup mini marshmallows.

Use decorative mold if available and chill well. Unmold and serve. Can be made ahead.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

[Rebelbase]

I've got smoker and fryer duty this thanksgiving.

I have a 20 lb. bird that I'll cut in half, and put in the smoker w/mesiquite (maybe hickory, have'nt made up my mind on that) after I've marinade injected it more times than a drunk mad-scientist. Also, I have a 10lb. brisket to smoke.

My girlfriend is hooked on fried turkey, so I'll cooking a 10lb bird in the fryer.

The biggest trick this year will be getting everything thawed in time to allow it to marinade without keeping unthawed for more than a day or two before cooking.

[Fierce Allegiance]

It's like oyster stuffing, but the flavor of a thw clams (quahogs) isn't as strong and overpowering the turkey juices. better texture too.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

My Favorite Smashed Spuds
Warning: Not for the diet conscious!

Prepare the day before.
Peal and Cube, 5 pounds of Red Spuds.
Put spuds into salted cold water.
Bring water to boil and cook till spuds are fork tender.
Drain well and Rice the spuds. (That is, run the spuds through a potato ricer.)
While still hot, mix in 2 sticks of Butter (Yep, a full half pound of Butter)
After the butter is melted and well incorporated, mix in one 8oz brick of softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
After the Cream Cheese has been incorporated, mix in a large container of Sour Cream. (I use “Hell-Of-A-Good” brand)
When this has all been mixed well, if spuds are still too stiff, mix in a little milk.
When spuds are to the consistence of your liking, then fold in one to two cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Salt and pepper to taste, and pour mixture into a covered oven safe baking dish. Refrigerate overnight.
Then one hour before you sit down to your feast, dot the top of the spuds with another stick of butter cut into slices and then re-heat in a 350 degree oven till piping hot.
Enjoy! (Hey, I did warn you this was not for the diet conscious!)

[CARDINALRULES]

Happy Salad

1 bag frozen cranberries (12 oz?)
1 orange --optional
6 stalks celery- chopped thin
1 ½ cups cashew nuts - chopped--DON'T over do them!
1 ¼ cups sugar --I use less -about 3/4 cup
2 pkg of any flavor gelatin -Cranberry, cherry, orange, pineapple, and lemon all work --lime makes it a brownish color
1 ½ cups cranberry or pineapple juice
2 cups hot water

Chop cranberries, orange, celery, and nuts
Add sugar , mix well.
Dissolve gelatin in the water
Add to the mixture, then add the juice
Mix well, can place in a mold or a large bowl with a lid works , place in fridge over night -- I like to stir it a few times the first few hours until it starts to set up some.

Can serve plain or it is also good with whipped topping --trust me --the kids like it that way best.
I also leave out the orange most of the time.

Now I just have to change the recipe again to cut some of the carbs....or maybe I'll just have it as a treat. ;-`)

One of my sisters and I changed and combined 2 family recipes for Christmas 1997.

[CobaltBlue]

I have been craving old fashioned baked ham, you know, with pineapple rings and cherries stuck in with toothpicks, but have been wondering whether it is a good idea to brine a fresh (unsmoked) ham.

I've seen recipes going both ways, and given that we're talking about a huge piece of meat, am afraid to ruin it.

I will say that here in Virginia everybody raves about Virginia style cured ham, which you can keep, as far as I am concerned. I want a fresh ham, baked slow until it almost collapses.

[Beaker]

How To Cook A Turkey A Roast Turkey Recipe for Non Cooks
Hahahaha. I'm going to hang that on my fridge.