Sunday, November 22, 2009

My Thanksgiving Recipes




Okay folks, again, I love Thanksgiving and being the creature of habit that I am, I usually make the same things every year, but I love them all so it is truly a treat to cook and eat! I wanted to share my menu and recipes with you, just in case you may be looking for something new to try. I have made well over 25 Thanksgiving dinners and these are my favorite recipes. Hope you enjoy!

Here is my menu:

Brined Turkey
Sausage and herb savory stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Candied sweet potatoes
Mixed fresh greens
Greenbean casserole (French onion one)
Jellied and berried cranberry sauce
Gravy
Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Reese peanut butter ice cream pie
Banana pudding
Punch

Okay, I cook the a lot of my dinner on Wednesday afternoon / evening so we will start there:

Brine the turkey: I just started brining my turkey a couple of years ago and it comes out wonderfully. In the past, I have used the majority of ingredients in this Bobby Flay recipe, the kosher salt, sugar, water, and brown sugar....But this year I am going with Alton Brown because I like the extras that he has in his recipe, seems more Thanksgivingy to me. I put my turkey in a double thickness trash bag because I do not have a container big enough to put it in and it fits right back in my refrigerator in my roasting pan, for extra security so that nothing will leak out. I put it right side up first then flip it to breast side up to rest overnight in the brine.

Stuffing: Now, I really do not have measurements for my stuffing. I use one package of sage sausage and saute that along with about 3 diced onions and several diced stalks of celery. I also add sliced mushrooms. The spices I like to add include sage, garlic, Mrs. Dash or any other season salt you like, salt and pepper to taste, and I do plenty of tasting and adding while cooking this. I also use real butter, not margarine, in my stuffing, following the package, using bagged sage stuffing mix. Nothing too elaborate like dicing up my own bread and whatnot. Pretty simple to make and delicious.

Greens: Again, really no measuring, just making this to taste. I saute some type of ham hocks, then, I cover the ham hocks in water and let simmer about 15 minutes while I slice up more onions (ugh, I know, my least favorite job). I like to use fresh collard and kale greens. I wash the greens and do not cut them up too much, just a bit. I keep adding them and layer the greens with onions and with season salt(Mrs. Dash), salt, and pepper with a bit of water so the pan is about 1/3 filled with water. Now, I put the top on the pan while I am washing and cutting the greens and onions so that they will simmer down and reduce in volume so I can add more.
These cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until they are cooked to your desired consistency. Season them to taste. Refrigerate after cooking so they will be just ready for heating on Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Pie: Nothing spectacular, just follow the directions on the canned pumpkin with the graham cracker crust.

Reese Peanut Butter Cup No Bake Pie: This super easy recipe is always a hit!


Banana Pudding: I use one box of instant vanilla pudding, 1 can of evaporated milk, 3/4 can sweetened condensed milk, mix and let set. Fold in 1 tub of cool whip. Layer into your serving dish with the Vanilla wafers cookies at the bottom, bananas, then mixture all the way to the top with the banana layer with cookies at the very top. Cover and refrigerate for the next day, make sure to make a little cup for you to enjoy in the evening before Thanksgiving with a little bit of egg nog!



Thanksgiving Day:
Turkey: Remove from the Brine and pat dry, I put butter under the skin of the breast along with some celery leaves and onion in the cavity, rub the entire turkey with butter and season. In pot heat white wine and 2 sticks of real butter, remove from heat, submerge cheese cloth and cover the turkey with the cheese cloth. I do add stuffing to my bird, but it is a personal preference.

Mashed potatoes: Boil Idaho potatoes, then remove skin, dice. Mash them along with real butter, milk, and Miracle Whip (yes, it has to be Miracle Whip) and season with salt and pepper to taste while combining.

Candied potatoes: Emerils recipe is very similar to my own, except I use canned sweet potatoes., just easier for me.

Punch: I combine frozen concentrated 2 cans grape juice, 1 lemonade, 1 cranberry, 1 lime and whatever else catches my fancy. Add Gingerale, sliced lemon, lime. (squeeze a lemon, lime, tangerine and whatever else you may like inside as well)


So, put on a great movie (I love My Fair Lady the night before), just do pizza that night as well so I can just relax while cooking that night with a nice glass of wine.

Here are a couple of songs for this favorite of mine! Hope you love it, if you have not seen it, please do if you get a chance.

The next day, I enjoy the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade with a great breakfast, then start cooking the next part of my meal (the turkey) after the parade while watching Miracle on 31st Street.



The next day after Thanksgiving, I put up my tree, enjoy the lights and some egg nog with delicious leftovers and Holiday music, this is my favorite time of the year.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!




Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street


Sesame Street has been around for as long as I can remember. I can recall vividly rushing in from elementary school so I could watch Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. While Mr. Rogers is no longer with us; Sesame Street remains. I have watched this as a child, with my children, and now with my granddaughter.

Sesame Street premiered on November 10, 1969 and is the longest running children's program on US television and here is to another 40! I have some wonderful charm bracelets in my online studio that you can receive free (please see shop announcements for details), these are the Sesame Street characters I have and below is a sample bracelet, your choice of charm would be crafted with complementing beading .



I wanted to share some vintage Sesame Street clips with you that hopefully will bring a smile. Enjoy!


Two Little Girls and a Little Dollhouse, ahh the memories.

My First Rollercoaster


Not so Vintage, but was my son's favorite over 20 years ago! New way to sing the ABCs, still love it.


Sunday, November 1, 2009

Thanksgiving Treasures


I love the month of November! We begin to get a bit of crispness in the air here in Florida; even though I have yet to see the leaves change colors here as they do for my friends up North, I can remember what a breathtaking sight that is from my childhood in W.Va.

November holds claim to another event close to my heart, Thanksgiving: the official start of the Christmas season. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning with a delicious breakfast, working on the turkey while watching Miracle on 34th Street and the IAMS dog show. Thanksgiving is all about family, great food, and spending time with loved ones.

This month, I am featuring wonderful Thanksgiving offerings from my fellow artisans. Enjoy!


Colorful Digital Print, perfect to display in the office or home


Fanciful Bountiful Fall Accessories






Beautiful Fall Earrings









Red and Orange Autumn Earrings




















Having a bad hair day? This will take the focus away from any flaws and show your love for autumn.





















































Wishes for the Season for the Foyer or Table Display




Table Settings: The perfect basket to adorn any Thanksgiving banquet and fun coasters to keep the tabletops safe.








I mentioned earlier how I love Thanksgiving for the past few years, after the parade, they show Miracle on 34th Street, now, while I have this on DVD, I still watch it every year while cooking and really enjoy my Thanksgiving Day. I wanted to share this fantastic trailer with you that is really special and includes a cameo from Rex Harrison (one of my favs!)

I hope that you enjoyed these offerings and that you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

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Favorite Films

Favorite Films
These are some of my favorites. Enjoy

All About Eve

Sense and Sensibility

LOTR Return of the King