November 24, 2011: Last Minute Decoration Ideas For Your Thanksgiving Dinner Table

Have you got your turkey in the oven? The stuffing made? Dessert ready for the table? What about a centerpiece and decorations for your Thanksgiving table?

If you’ve thought of everything but how your table is going to be decorated, don’t despair. Chances are you’ve got the perfect decorations to make a last minute centerpiece right in your own home or yard.

Take a look at these ideas to make your Thanksgiving table a bit more festive:

*Take a walk outside and gather up pinecones, cattails, wildflowers or leafy plants. Take a large glass vase and fill it with apples or oranges, then stick your outdoor plant items in between. This makes a lovely, natural centerpiece.

*Core several apples and brush insides with lemon juice to prevent browning. Place a votive candle inside the hollowed out opening. Line them up on a mirror or pretty platter and light just before eating.

*Don’t have enough napkin rings to go around? Use a pretty ribbon tied around each napkin to place on dinner plates. This makes even paper napkins look nice!

*Head to the pantry for centerpiece or décor inspiration. Use cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, herb sprigs and cinnamon candies to sprinkle on a platter with a candle or flower arrangement in the center. Or stud oranges with cloves. Not only do these look nice, they smell good, too!

*For an even more festive dining room, use your scrapbooking skills to make Thanksgiving pictures like this one.

And, as a special Thanksgiving bonus for my readers, I’ve included here a free Designer Pack courtesy of My Memories software. To download it, just click on the picture below; this designer pack is compatible with any type of scrapbooking software. If you want to order the My Memories Suite (the latest version just came out!) use code STMMMS98943 at checkout to receive a $10 discount, courtesy of me!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

November 23, 2011: Sweet Potato, Cheddar and Cider Gratin Recipe

I’m not a fan of gooey, super sweet yams with marshmallows on top. There, I’ve said it.

Unfortunately, my husband loves my DMIL’s recipe for yams in a buttery, sugary sauce. At least there’s no marshmallows on top, but for my tastes it is just too sweet.

If you’re like me, you’re going to love this savory sweet potato casserole for your Thanksgiving meal.

Sweet Potato, Cheddar and Cider Gratin

4 T. olive oil

2 large onions (sweet Vidalia or white), peeled and thinly sliced

2 – 2 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and thinly sliced

½ pound cheddar cheese (extra sharp or smoked)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ground nutmeg to taste

1 ½ cups apple cider

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush one tablespoon of olive oil over bottom and sides of a 13x9 inch baking pan.

Heat remaining oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 15 minutes.

To make the gratin, make alternating layers of onion, sweet potatoes and cheese in prepared pan. Sprinkle each layer with salt, pepper and nutmeg. End layers with sweet potatoes on top and reserve last t bit of cheese. Pour cider over all.

Cover pan and bake for ½ to one hour, until vegetables are quite tender when pierced with a knife. Uncover and bake another half hour. During final 15 minutes of baking, add reserved cheese.

Serves 8 to 10

November 22, 2011: Turkey Gravy Recipe

There’s an art to making good gravy. It’s a skill that took me quite some time to learn. When I first started making Thanksgiving dinner, I made the mistake of not skimming the fat from the turkey pan juices. The result was a thick glop of gravy that was quite dense and, well, fatty. Yuck! So don’t skip that step. If you’re worried about your ability to separate the liquid from the fat, invest in one of those fancy cups that does it for you; it looks like a measuring cup with two compartments and is available just about anywhere (I saw one at my local Ace Hardware store the other day).

The trick to making a silky smooth great-tasting gravy? Make sure the flour or cornstarch is completely incorporated before bringing the liquid to a boil and stir constantly to avoid lumps.If you don't fully incorporate the flour into the pan grease, it will taste like "raw" flour.

Tip (BIG tip): Just in case your gravy does turn out lumpy, pass it through a strainer before serving and no one will ever know the difference!

Turkey Gravy

Use the juices in the bottom of the turkey roasting pan to make gravy.

Skim off fat. Reserve ¼ cup of the fat; place it in a saucepot and reheat to medium low. When hot, add ¼ cup flour, mixing well. Stir over low heat for two minutes. Slowly add in reserved pan juices (about two cups of liquid); bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for two more minutes. If gravy is too thick, add water or chicken broth until gravy is desired consistency. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Alternate gravy recipe: Place pan juices, less fat, in a saucepot and heat over low. Mix together 1/3 cup water and ¼ cup cornstarch until smooth; slowly stir into pan. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook and stir for a minute longer. If the gravy is too thick, add chicken broth.

November 21, 2011: The Secret to the Best, Juiciest Turkey Recipe

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post with my mother’s stuffing recipe, I’ve been in charge of making the Thanksgiving dinner for quite some time. It was back in 1986 that I was first pressed into service and I’ve been doing it alone ever since (which I love, by the way – cooking is the best part of Thanksgiving as far as I’m concerned!). Over the years I’ve experimented with different ways of roasting the turkey so it would come out both flavorful and moist. By far, the secret I’m about to share with you is the best way I have ever roasted a turkey.

The secret? Brining.

Just as brining chicken makes it melt-in-your-mouth moist, so does it work for turkey. The only difference is that you’re working with a bigger bird so you have to start the day before to ensure that all those wonderful flavors in the brine are incorporated in your turkey.

There are no exact measurements to this recipe; just try throwing in a handful of herbs and spices at a time, adding a bit more for a large (16 lbs. or more) turkey or less for a small (12 lbs. or under) one.

Roasted Brined Turkey

The day before roasting, clean the turkey and remove giblets. Cook and save for dressing (see stuffing recipe) or as a treat for your dogs.

Brine

Enough water to cover your turkey in brining container (at least 2 gallons)

1 ½ cups kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

Juniper berries

Black peppercorns

Allspice berries

Whole cloves

Fresh thyme and rosemary leaves

Garlic cloves

Bay leaves

Mix together the brining solution in a large container, big enough to hold your turkey. If you can, store it in your refrigerator overnight; otherwise, if it’s cold enough (38 degrees or less), you can store the covered container outside. An ice chest works really well for this because it’s insulated and won’t allow the turkey to refreeze if left outdoors overnight.

Roasting the Turkey

The next day, remove the turkey from the brining solution (discard - I usually dump it in the yard) and pat dry. Stuff the inside cavity with slices of orange and lemon, along with smashed garlic cloves and fresh sage leaves. Place the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Take softened butter and rub it all over the skin. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and cover loosely with foil. Place in low oven, about 275 degrees. Roast one half hour for every pound, removing each hour and basting with pan juices.

When drumsticks move freely and meat begins to pull away from the bone, the turkey is done. Remove it from the oven and let sit on a platter, tented with foil, for up to half an hour.

November 20, 2011: Mom’s Classic Turkey Stuffing Recipe

Everyone has their traditional stuffing recipe, which seems to vary greatly according to location. When I was growing up in Wisconsin, this is the recipe my mother made every year. After years of watching her do it, I was pressed into making the entire Thanksgiving dinner just before she died and had to call upon my memory to make it just like she used to. Since she never measured the ingredients and neither do I, I’m estimating here so please feel free to experiment with seasonings that are to your liking.

Please note you can use a box of dressing, such as Mrs. Cubbison’s brand, instead of the plain bread cubes but I prefer the unseasoned kind, which I can find in my grocery store’s bakery at Thanksgiving time. Also, my mom always chopped the turkey giblets and added them to the stuffing but my family just wouldn’t eat it knowing they were in there so I usually omit them. But if you’re willing to try it, you really can’t taste the giblets alone, although they do impart a good flavor to the stuffing.

Mom’s Turkey Stuffing

One 1 lb. package bread cubes, unseasoned

Giblets from turkey, cooked and finely minced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 medium-sized Granny Smith apple, diced

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

Salt, to taste (about a teaspoon)

1 t. dried sage or 1 T. fresh sage, minced

2 t. dehydrated parsley or 2 T. fresh parsley, minced

1 t. poultry seasoning

1 can chicken broth

3 T. butter

Toss bread cubes with remaining ingredients. Let sit for five minutes, so bread has time to absorb liquid, before stuffing into turkey. Place any remaining stuffing in a greased casserole dish and bake alongside the turkey during the last hour of roasting.

November 2, 2011: Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Do you love mashed potatoes rich enough to be delicious even without gravy? Then these “smashed” potatoes are perfect. Try this recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner this year for a traditional side dish that is just a bit different.

Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

1 head garlic

Olive oil

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 T. chicken bouillon (or chicken stock base)

2 T. butter

½ t. garlic salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. dried minced parsley

½ cup heavy cream

Place the garlic, unpeeled, in a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over it. Close the foil to make a package and place in a 350 degree oven (ideally, roast the garlic while you’re baking other dishes in the oven). Bake for about 30 minutes, until cloves are completely soft.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes, cauliflower and chicken bouillon. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Continue to gently boil until vegetables are tender. Drain.

Return the pot with the potatoes to the warm burner. Allow moisture to evaporate, about one minute. Add the butter, seasonings, and heavy cream. With a fork or potato masher, smash until creamy but still slightly chunky. Serve with a dollop of butter in the middle of the mound of potatoes.

Serves 4

BTW, today is my husband’s birthday. Happy Birthday, my dear sweet husband! His favorite food is hamburgers so that's what we're having tonight - as I stand outside in the dark and freeze in order to grill his burger!