November 30, 2015

Is Thanksgiving Over Already?!

My son and I admire our “Thanksgiving turkey”, post-assembly.
November 2, 2015

Is it really possible that Thanksgiving is already over, and today is the final day of November?   I am hoping that your Thanksgiving weekend was  enjoyable and happy.  Mine was.:o)
(Overseas friends, not familiar with Thanksgiving, can read about this very American holiday, here.)
Please follow my Thanksgiving 2015 from preparations through the celebration, via the photo album below.

Decorating for the Big Day

Turkeys and Mr. Pilgrim for Thanksgiving.
Our entryway table changes with the season.

For the free center Thanksgiving printable, click here.
For the free turkey background printable, click here.

Chandler, my youngest son, performs the taxing task of assembling our November front-step decor, and then relaxes with Kali afterwards.

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day

Watching the Thanksgiving Parade is tradition at our house on Thanksgiving morning, as dinner preparations take place.

My youngest and eldest enjoy another family tradition;
beginning our Thanksgiving morning with
Monkey Bread and  Christmas Bacon and Eggs Casserole.

For the Monkey Bread and the Christmas Bacon and Eggs Casserole
recipes click here .

My hubby, with help from his assistants, grilled one turkey (my personal favorite), and fried another. Both were delicious!

We enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner with our three sons, daughter in-law and grand daughter.
(Our daughter was celebrating with her husband’s family in Minnesota this year.)

My Thanksgiving  Menu

A big part of Thanksgiving is the food.  Preparing the feast is a labor of love for my family.  (The clean up after that dinner, not so much.  ha)
My Thanksgiving menu remains pretty much the same each year.
In fact, it is also basically the same for our Christmas dinner, too,
except I change out the pumpkin pie for Hershey Mint Dessert.
I like to keep it informal and buffet style.

Annette’s Thanksgiving Menu

Rotisserie and Fried Turkey
(Dale’s job)

Midwestern Dressing
(I make first thing in the morning and put in crockpot on low, lined with parchment paper, and sprayed with PAM.)
(My favorite thing on the menu!)
For the recipe for the Midwestern Dressing, click here.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
( I make these both ahead and put in crockpots on low-the potatoes in a parchment lined one and sprayed with PAM, and gravy in a heated gravy boat crock.)
Still not 100% thrilled with mashed potatoes kept hot this way.)

Green Bean Casserole
(Made day before, minus the french fried onions.)

Sweet Potato Casserole
(Made day before.)

Cranberries
(Made two days before.)

Recipe for cranberries is below.

Orange Jello Salad
(Made day before.)

Chilled Black/Ripe Olives

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Place on parchment paper and keep checking while in the oven.
The baking time is usually much less than is indicated on the package.
(Done at the last minute, but I delegate this to someone else.)

Desserts/Sweets

Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
For the recipe for Pumpkin Pie, click here.
(Hershey Mint Dessert for Christmas, instead.)
(I make the fresh pumpkin two days before, and the pie the day before.)

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
(I make one, or two, days ahead.)

Goodies
I make all, or some of these each Thanksgiving and Christmas,
including my favorite dessert item,

Dark Chocolate Peanut Clusters
(Made and frozen two days, or more, ahead.)
For the recipe for the Dark Chocolate Peanut Clusters, click here.

Thanksgiving/Christmas Trash
For the recipe for Thanksgiving Trash, click here.

Belly Buttons

Cranberry & Pistachio Snowfall Almond Bark

Louisiana Trash

Beverage

Chilled Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider

I would love for you to share with me and the other readers
(in the comment section at the bottom of this post)
about your own Thanksgiving menu.
What items are a necessary Thanksgiving must for you and your family?

Thanksgiving Weekend

Taking a Friday stroll. The Maryland weather was beautiful!

Watching the Ohio State-Michigan Football Game on Saturday is a Thanksgiving week-end MUST from way back,
since I began dating Dale in 1977, in fact.

Making Homemade Cranberry Sauce

A couple of days before Thanksgiving, I put on a Thanksgiving DVD like this episode of The Brady Bunch: The Un-Underground Movie, and begin cooking.  I often begin with preparing the cranberries.

I always begin with a bag of fresh Ocean Spray cranberries.

Rinse and remove the soft ones.

The cranberries just out of the oven.

The Recipe

Fresh Candied Cranberries

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe many years ago.

INGREDIENTS:

Butter

12 oz. pkg. of fresh cranberries

1+3/4 cups + 2 Tbsp. of sugar

 

DIRECTIONS:

• Lightly butter a shallow casserole, preferably one with a lid.
• Rinse cranberries, remove soft ones, and spread berries in casserole.
• Sprinkle with sugar.
• Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cover with lid, or aluminum foil, if you have no lid.
• Bake berries 35-50 minutes, uncovering and stirring occasionally, until sauce is clear.
• Remove from oven and cool.
• Chill.
• This will keep for one week in the refrigerator, and freezes pretty well.

Makes about 3 cups

Enjoy!

It is now onward to Christmas!
Let the watching of Christmas movies begin!
(For Christmas movie suggestions click here and here.

To read my past Thanksgiving posts that include movie recommendations, and recipes, click here and here.

Thanks so much for reading ! :o)

Annette

I attempt to post my blog bi-monthly, but with the holidays approaching, … Look for my December post on, or around, December 18, maybe.

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Good Golly, this canvas, makes me smile. :o)
I purchased it in England earlier this year.
It was created by a local artisan there,
and was hanging on a restaurant wall for sale.
Buying it was the easy part,
shipping it home…

To read about that England trip, click here.