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JennGM
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I'm about to cook and host my first Thanksgiving dinner. My mother is going through too much stress because of her mother's illness, so I'm taking over the reins. Now, I do hope to get her secrets...but I've never made a turkey!
My mother's cooking is simple and basic, but my husband has clear cut traditions and recipes that he likes to have, so I have to add them to our menu.
Our family day usually starts with morning Mass, with as many members of the family going together as possible. Eucharist means Thanksgiving, so it's an appropriate beginning! Sometimes we go out to breakfast afterwards. Then people trickle on over and there are light Hors d'oeuvres until dinner, which is around 5:00. I have seven siblings, 5 that live nearby, all with their respective spouses and children, so it will be a large gathering.
I'd love to hear menus, recipe ideas, turkey tips and anything else you'd love to share about this holiday.
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lilac hill
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With such a large group you might do well with 2 turkeys, unstuffed. I put herbs to match the dressing in the turkey cavity with a halved lemon. Do the dressing in a buttered dish, covered and baked with plenty of chicken/turkey broth to keep it moist. Uncover at the end to vent excess steam.
Making gravy ahead of time will keep from the "guests in the kitchen-lumpy gravy syndrome."
I put the cooked squash , in an ovenproof baking dish so it can go to the table.
My husband has made my Mom's stuffing his own, so has another friend of ours. BTW my Mom got the recipe her first year as a married woman. She bought a magazine not realizing it cost .25 rather than a dime because it was the holiday issue, so she had to find a recipe from it.
We just started eating in courses.Eating the salad then clearing and running the dishwasher gives a break and allows for the last minute heating.
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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Angie Mc
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Sounds like fun, Jenn! I agree that unstuffed turkey is faster cooking. I like to buy turkey fresh (no defrosting hassles) and I pop in a sliced onion and apple, S&P for flavor. Turkey's really are easy cookin'.
Gotta run...more later!
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momwise
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lilac hill wrote:
| We just started eating in courses.Eating the salad then clearing and running the dishwasher gives a break and allows for the last minute heating. |
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Ooo I like that idea! With my siblings any sort of deviation from tradition causes some pretty heated protests. I think I may proprose that idea though, just because it's over so fast once we say grace and fill our plates. We do take a break and wash dishes before dessert and then we play games.
My only advice for Jenn, since I haven't cooked Thanksgiving dinner yet is to make sure everyone is bringing the side dishes and dessert. That way you are left with turkey, stuffing and gravy which is a pretty big job in itself. Or, if you do need to do some veggies and dessert, do some of it 4-5 days ahead and freeze.
My mom sets up the table, china, silver, cups, coffemaker, etc. on Tue. and prepares the turkey and stuffing on Wed. night. They go into the oven early in the morning on Thur.
The siblings and their children bring everything else including the mashed potatoes and wine. Here's my favorite way to prepare sweet potatoes:
Bake 6 lg. sweet potatoes until tender.
Cool, peel and cut up into lg. bowl.
Mash with about 1/4 c. orange juice, a sprinkle of brown sugar, a couple tsp. of cinnamon and 2-3 tbls. softened butter. Spread into 9x13in. pan and bake until heated. Add lg. marshmallows and broil (watch carefully) until puffy and brown.....mmmmmmm. I can almost taste them 
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momwise
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Oh by the way, I heard from my aunt that my cousin soaked her turkey in brine (saltwater) and it was the best turkey they'd ever had. I'm sure you can find out plent about this method on the web.
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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Sarah
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Cook nearly everything but the Turkey the day before. I make cranberries (use the basic recipe from the back with the water & sugar in it, I can't remember the exact name) and triple (3 bags). SUPER EASY! and fabulous!!!
Make your sweet potatoes the day before-cut into 1" cubes, with spices & brown sugar. Let me know if you want the exact recipe. People go mad for this easy recipe. YOu heat it while your turkey "rests." It must "rest for 20-30 minutes before you cut it. This is when you heat the stuff you did before and make your gravy.
Make your pumpkin pie the day before- get on Eagle brand website and use their fabulous super easy pie with graham cracker crust (buy the crust!)instead of regular.
You can make your other pies the day before also.
I use, and yes this sounds lame, but Stovetop stuffing (but only stovetop brand is good). No one will know. Buy the cornbread flavor. You can sautee some onions and celery and add it to it.
Buy a turkey that feeds 1/2 pound per person. I would stuff the bird if I were you. But only place the stuffing loosely RIGHT before you put it in and cook nothing else in the oven but the bird. I have exact directions for cooking a turkey that is great if you want it.
Make giblet gravy. Gravy is easy if you understand the proportions, but this is essential. You need 1/4 C. fat, 1/4 C.flour and 2 C. liquid-you'll probably triple that. The best fat is from the turkey, then supplement with butter. The liquid is from the turkey and your giblet stock. Avoid canned broth or boullion cubes or it will taste like it. Always cook your flour before adding the liquid. If you want any of these exact recipes let me know. This is my 12th THanksgiving and I've figured it out. I'm sure there are lots of better cooks posting as well. I pick easy but tasty classics since I'm a mother of small children. I'm excited for Thanksgiving!
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lilac hill
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momwise wrote:
With my siblings any sort of deviation from tradition causes some pretty heated protests. I think I may proprose that idea though, just because it's over so fast once we say grace and fill our plates.
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I did find that serving a different wine for each course, soup, salad, main course, dessert, fruit and nuts(spiced and toasted) helped ease everyone into the "course " approach.  Dinner lasts a few hours, children play in between and it is very relaxed. (AND, leftovers take on a whole new meaning  )
This year since with Rick working the from late morning til 9:30 PM we will be doing a breakfast/brunch. Of course one dd wants a turkey dinner with the trimmings too. I find having the traditional feast without dh less festive and fun but not impossible. Of course no festivities is even worse.
I know we are blessed with dh working those long shifts Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving, he has work and he will be home on the weekend, not in a few months when a tour of duty is up. So coming up with a new tradition is not necessarily a burden. 
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Viv
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JennGM
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Thanks for all the tips! I do plan on the two turkeys. Dh might deep fry one, as he's good at that, and then the traditional one. Those big ones get really dry! My mother has a nice wild rice dressing from the giblets, and I'll make stuffing balls from my m-i-l's recipes--dh's favorite. I don't know if I'll stuff the bird, though. My mother usually doesn't.
And I definitely will cook/make most almost everything beforehand that week. We always tease my m-i-l for setting the table on Sunday beforehand, but it does get it out of the way! Pie baking starts on Monday. I never understand having "hot pies" because we always bake ours ahead of time and refrigerate them during the week.
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ladybugs
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Can we come? 
Your family sounds wonderful, Jenn!
Has anyone else cooked their bird upside down? Now, c'mon, who's surprised that I mention this?
We've done it that way the last couple of times and it keeps the white meat from drying out.
Does anyone have any good recipes for stuffing?
What other side dishes do you do?
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JennGM
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ladybugs wrote:
Has anyone else cooked their bird upside down? Now, c'mon, who's surprised that I mention this?
We've done it that way the last couple of times and it keeps the white meat from drying out. |
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My mother did this. It did make a difference. It doesn't get as nice brown. We also do this with our baked chickens in foil...a regular recipe in this house.
ladybugs wrote:
Does anyone have any good recipes for stuffing?
What other side dishes do you do? |
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I never liked bread stuffing, until I had my m-i-l's stuffing balls...she also calls them "filling balls." I love them becuase they are crunchy and chewy, not goey. She has two family versions, but this one I did:
Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing Balls
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 cups dry bread cubes (make sure hard and crunchy)
3/4 cup chicken broth or water
1. Mix together all ingredients except broth. Add broth and form balls onto a cookie sheet. Dry an hour or overnight.
2. Bake at 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
We have the typical green bean dish, rolls, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, corn, sweet potato casserole, and ambrosia salad. Sometimes a green salad (lettuce) also.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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Oh...Man proposes, God disposes! Notice the date of the original posting...I was going to be so prepared for this Thanksgiving!!! Then, Grandma got cancer and just passed away this past week. It happened all so fast. So I lost all of November. My family around the table has dwindled to 6 people. My son is going to be the only child until dessert time. I'm inviting people from the highways and byways now.
And I haven't shopped, I haven't made my list...I have so much to do, I'm sitting here overwhelmed! I'm delegating...but I'm dreading the shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Elizabeth
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Jenn,
Cindy told me about an amazing turkey with a breadless stuffing! Let's see if we can get her to post the recipe here .
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Elizabeth
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lilac hill wrote:
.
I know we are blessed with dh working those long shifts Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving, he has work and he will be home on the weekend, not in a few months when a tour of duty is up. So coming up with a new tradition is not necessarily a burden. |
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If it's any consolation Viv, my dh will be working too. Someone actually puts those football games on television  . He's working Christmas Eve too, televising Mass from the Basilica for EWTN. It's a 10:00 Mass with pre-production time beforehand. I'm not sure how we're going to handle that since it's too late to go Mass with the kids but he won't be home to do the Vigil Mass with the family that we usually do...
I don't consider football a ministry but I do fully support his work at the Basilica on feast days. Usually, the children and I go and it's kinda cool that they are now associating the big, beautiful church with feasts...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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ladybugs
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Does anyone have a recipe for pumpkin muffins?
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MaryM
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Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup pumpkin mash
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter or oil
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
spices - optional (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg)
(We also add about a half cup chocolate chips to ours - yummy)
Mix pumpkin, melted butter, sugar, & eggs. In separate bowl sift flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes at 375.
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Cay Gibson
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I always do Christmas for the family. We had Thanksgiving with my dh's side of the family this past weekend.
My brother has his girls this week so he's barbecuing for Thanksgiving. I only have to bring a green bean casserole, corn dish, and the salad.
My oldest dd was so looking forward to the traditional turkey that my dh told her we'd cook again at our house on Friday. Since my dh is doing that dinner, I get to relax. 
Talk about stuffin'
Opa has been wanting to try a Tur-Duc-Hen for years. So this year I bought one! We'll do it for Christmas. I haven't planned the rest of my menu but the main part is sitting in the freezer.
This is the one we'll be eating.
Tur-Duc-Hen stuffed with Crawfish & Shrimp Dressing
Leave it to those crazy cajuns to come up with the delicacy. Imagine taking a deboned turkey, duck & chicken and combining them to make one entrée!
The ultimate Cajun feast! Comes ready to cook, easy to prepare, turns every cook into a gourmet chef!! That's a de-boned chicken, stuffed inside a de-boned duck, stuffed inside a de-boned turkey, all three birds are stuffed with Crawfish & Shrimp Dressing. You'll have 15 lbs. of solid meat and the best Crawfish & Shrimp Dressing on the market today!! Arrives fresh and requires cooking. Serve for dinner or buffet style. The best center piece for any holiday affair. Feeds 15-20 adults. Requires cooking!!
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Cay Gibson
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JennGM
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Cay Gibson wrote:
Opa has been wanting to try a Tur-Duc-Hen for years. So this year I bought one! We'll do it for Christmas. I haven't planned the rest of my menu but the main part is sitting in the freezer.
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We are frying one turkey and roasting a traditional one. My father has been talking about a Turducken for years, so my brother in CA sent one for Christmas last year, and will be doing the same again. It was delicious!
I think it was October's National Geographic that featured Maurice, LA, home of the original Turducken. See Article. My brother ordered his from [rul=http://www.cajungrocer.com/]Cajun Grocer[/url].
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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MaryM wrote:
Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup pumpkin mash |
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Mary,
Can you give detailed directions on how to make pumpkin mash? I bought nice little pumpkins and I wanted to try to make homemade pumpkin pie, but I don't know the first thing about getting the insides out, like which part to use, etc.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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Does anyone have a good wild rice dressing that includes the turkey giblets or broth, but not bacon, sausage or bread/croutons? My dad's mother had a recipe, but I don't have a copy...It had things like pecans, celery, onions, mushrooms, but a search on Google keeps pulling out all the extra ingredients!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Mary G
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Cay Gibson wrote:
Opa has been wanting to try a Tur-Duc-Hen for years. So this year I bought one! We'll do it for Christmas. I haven't planned the rest of my menu but the main part is sitting in the freezer.
This is the one we'll be eating.
Tur-Duc-Hen stuffed with Crawfish & Shrimp Dressing
Leave it to those crazy cajuns to come up with the delicacy. Imagine taking a deboned turkey, duck & chicken and combining them to make one entrée!
The ultimate Cajun feast! Comes ready to cook, easy to prepare, turns every cook into a gourmet chef!! That's a de-boned chicken, stuffed inside a de-boned duck, stuffed inside a de-boned turkey, all three birds are stuffed with Crawfish & Shrimp Dressing. You'll have 15 lbs. of solid meat and the best Crawfish & Shrimp Dressing on the market today!! Arrives fresh and requires cooking. Serve for dinner or buffet style. The best center piece for any holiday affair. Feeds 15-20 adults. Requires cooking!!
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Cay --
This sounds like an awesome Christmas present for my dh! Thanks for the link!
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MaryG
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Thanksgiving!
