If you are all turkeyed out (or you just don´t like it), here´s a super good, super easy recipe for crockpot ham:

2 cups brown sugar (I prefer dark brown)
1 bone-in ham, shank or butt (NOT spiral cut)
1/4 cup cold water
3 Tbsp. Cornstarch

The ham can be any size, just make sure it fits in your crockpot. Sometimes the bone in a shank ham will jut up too high and you can´t get the lid to sit tight. Don´t use spiral cut hams for this recipe because they will leak out too much liquid and end up tough.

If desired, use a crockpot liner. Pat 1 cup brown sugar on bottom of crockpot. Place ham cut side down on sugar. Pat remaining cup of sugar over top of the ham. DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUID. Close crockpot tightly and cook on low for 6 to 10 hours, or until very tender.

Remove ham to platter. Strain cooking juices and measure out about 1-1/2 cups into a small saucepan. Mix together cold water and cornstarch. Stir into juices; heat and stir until thickened. Serve sauce with ham over mashed potatoes or rice.

Best Gravy Ever!

Herb Turkey (Tarragon) Gravy

Turkey giblets and neck
10 cups water

3 onions, peeled, quartered
3 ribs celery, cut into sticks
3 carrots, peeled, in sticks
1-2 teaspoons salt
3 chicken flavored bouillon cubes
3 bay leaves
____________________
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1 cup dry white wine

Make broth a day ahead using first 8 ingredients
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, remove liver after 25 minutes and simmer broth until reduced by half.
Drain cover and chill.
To make gravy pour pan drippings from turkey into large measuring cup leaving only brown particles in pan. Spoon off fat drippings, discard. Add broth to juices to equal 4 cups, return to roasting pan. IN small bowl stir together corn starch tarragon and wine. add to roasting pan. Stir constantly bring to boil over medium heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Boil 1 minute, makes about 5 cups.

´lo Everyone!
I just heard from from Nugoddess and her perzack words were
You and Buzzard come on down to the house!
We have tons of food and drinks and loads of space.
In fact if you know anyone without an invite to dine BRING THEM ON DOWN!

So I am inviting everyone reading this to head south to Florida. Since we are leaving in a few minutes I will post signs all the way to her doorstep. :D

This is the easiest dessert to have on hand. Everyone really seems to like it since there´s never any left over.
The Cake
2 pkgs of ice cream sandwiches
2 pkgs of Heath milk chocolate pieces
1 large tub of Cool Whip

Make a layer of sandwiches and layer on the Heath pieces and Cool Whip
Do another layer of the same. Cover it tight with tinfoil and put in the freezer.
Now if you need an extra dessert or something ….


PS that evening when the Whore Squirrels made their first appearance I don´t believe I have ever laughed so hard at something online at that time.
It just came on so unexpectedly, I think all of us were sitting with our hands poised over the keyboard just howling. I couldn´t even see the keyboard.
Unexpected laughter like that event is good for the soul, I do believe.

These are really easy, and so very good:

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
4 squares Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
½ cups Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 whole Eggs plus 2 whole Egg Yolks
6 Tablespoons Flour
*****
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.
Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.
Divide between cups.
Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.
Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.
Topping:
2 cups Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Sugar, few drops of vanilla
Combine sugar,vanilla and heavy cream and whip until stiff.
Delish!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines Classic Yellow cake mix. Follow mixing directions, EXCEPT instead of using 1 cup of water, use the juice from the can of pineapple instead. You will need to add a little water to make it one cup.
1 pound brown sugar.
1 cube butter.
1 20 oz can pineapple slices with pineapple juice.
Maraschino cherries.

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Take a large cast iron skillet, I use a 12” diameter skillet, spray with non stick cooking spray.
Put it on the stove over a medium heat. Put in the butter and add the one pound of brown sugar. Use a whisk to mix up and combine the butter and sugar and bring to a low bubbling simmer. Then add about 3-4 tablespoons of pineapple juice, mix up well. Simmer on low for 3 to 5 minutes tops. While it’s simmering, prepare the cake mix as directed. After the cake mix batter is ready turn off the stove, add the pineapple rings into the pan starting with one in the center and the rest all around, put the cherries in the ring holes. Pour the cake mix in and even out all around. Pop it in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Take it out of the oven and put it on the stove burner to cool. Let it cool for one hour. Then get a large plate that is bigger in size than the skillet and place it over the top of the cake. Quickly flip it over and set it down and let it sit for 30 mins. Then lift the skillet off the top. Sometimes the pineapple will stick to the bottom of the skillet. If this happens, use a spatula to take out the rings and replace them on the cake.

Bon appetite! JediJerry

Looking for a new onion recipe I came across this at Simply Recipes. I copied it from their site. Looks interesting and will try it on Thursday - hope it works. Not keen on pearl onions as they don´t have the flavor I´m looking for so will use small yellow onions and end up baking in oven.

I was really looking for a new baked onion recipe. If anyone has one to post I will be eagerly watching out on this thread.

Thanks Ms. L. Wishing you and your amazing Staff a beautiful Thanksgiving. And to all L-Dotters everywhere. Thank you for getting me through the election; enough said about that.

Sautéed Chestnuts, Onions and Bacon Recipe
to follow
cont´d/...

CHESTNUTS, ONIONS, BACON

Sautéed Chestnuts, Onions, and Bacon Recipe
Castanhas Salteadas com Toucinho Entremeado
Add to shopping list
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound thick-sliced slab bacon or pancetta, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
1 pound pearl onions, scant 1 inch in diameter
1 pound peeled, roasted chestnuts (vacuum-packed*, jarred without sugar*, or freshly roasted)
2 tablespoons honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
*Vacuum-packed or jarred are preferred over freshly roasted.

METHOD
1 In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the fat has rendered and the meaty bits start to crisp, about 12 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2 Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice and water and set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Drop in the onions and blanch for 30 seconds. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and plop them into the ice water. To peel the onions, snip off the tip and remove the papery outer layers. Set aside the onions.

3 Raise the heat under the skillet to medium, plonk in the onions, and sauté in the bacon fat, stirring occasionally, until spotted with brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chestnuts, cooked bacon, and honey and toss to warm through, being careful not to break the nuts--they´re fragile. Season with salt and plenty of pepper and then scoop into a decorate bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8 as a side.

Twinkie link http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Hostess-Twinkie-Recipe.html

For those skeptical that poster #12, Keekng´s recipe repeated here:

Sausage Puffs.........Preheat oven to 375º

1 lb breakfast sausage
3 cups Bisquick
1 lb cheddar cheese, grated
Place all in a large bowl and mix well
form into small balls (half the size of a golf ball)

Bake 10 minutes
Can be frozen and reheated

However, one must follow certain steps:

1) They must be prepared days or weeks ahead of time, during the daytime when all children are in school and all other adults are at work. You don´t want to be interrupted.
2) It is best to prepare a double batch (or more) to ensure a sufficient amount to freeze. You know you will "sample" them, too.
3) Use aluminum foil to line the pans, so you can pull a sheet of the puffs off your pan to cool and immediately start another pan in the oven.
4) Use the same foil (not a transparent container) to wrap the cooled puffs and put them in the freezer with a label indicating the contents are something no one will open until you are ready to serve them.

Thank you. I have used these steps with success.

SWEET POTATO FRIES

6 sweet potatoes ( about 1 1/2 lbs total)
1/4 c olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425.

Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch wide sticks. Place potatoes in a large plastic bag and add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon, Seal bag and shake potatoes until coated.

Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Turn and bake another 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Here you go, #107. If I don´t make this at Thanksgiving and Christmas, my family riots. Even those who don´t like onions love this:

Gratin of Four Onions

6 leeks, white and pale green parts only, washed well and sliced crosswise
2 large onions, halved and sliced
1/2 pound shallots, peeled and sliced
1-2 tsps finely chopped garlic
1 pound bag of frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 stick butter
2 cups heavy cream
Breadcrumbs
Parsley
Nutmeg

Melt the butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add leeks, onions, shallots and sauté until limp. Add garlic and pearl onions and sauté a bit more. Pour in heavy cream and cook the mixture, stirring often, until the cream thickens. Add a dash or two of nutmeg if desired. Pour into a lightly greased casserole, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. Bake at 425 degrees until bubbling. Fight over the leftovers.

Rating - minus 10 on mooch´s list of healthy foods.

I post this recipe here every year just in case there are newcomers who haven´t seen it before.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, even though I feel like there´s a lot less to be thankful for this year. And thanks to all of you for helping to keep me sane for the last 12 plus years. God bless!

LOL, Thanks for the testimonial, #110, you have it down to a science.
You could have added.....Put 6 in baggy and freeze for a microwaveable treat when no one is looking.

When I posted earlier I neglected to wish all of my fellow LDotters a safe and blessed Thanksgiving. You are all such a wonderful group of people. Here´s one of my favorite recipes.

LEMON BARS
Ingredients
For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar *(I used 2 1/2 3 c. was way too sweet)
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners´ sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire
rack. Leave the oven on. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set.

Contd.

Let cool to room temperature. Cut into squares or triangles and dust with confectioners´ sugar.

These are the best lemon bars I have ever had. This is a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. It´s a bit labor intensive but they are absolutely incredible! You could prepare the crust the day before to save time. I use one of those new lemon "hand gripping" squeezers that makes juicing lemons a breeze. Enjoy!

Sounds great #112. You have covered it all: leeks, onions, shallots, garlic. Definitely will try this. Thank you.

Here´s wishing all the Ldot family a wonderful and peaceful Thanksgiving! I´m not sure what I would have done if I hadn´t had this oasis of sanity and like minded friends to turn to after Nov 6th.

Here is an outstanding recipe for left-over turkey:

Thanksgiving in a Pan

1 pkg (6 ozs) stuffing mix
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 cups frozen cut green beans thawed
1 jar (12 oz) turkey gravy
pepper to taste

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Transfer to a greased 11 X 7 X 2 in baking dish. Top with turkey, beans, gravy and pepper. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated thru.

I make this every year, and it is such a hit. Best of all, it´s easy!

CORNUCOPIA SALAD
1 head iceburg lettuce, washed, patted dry, and torn into pieces
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed, uncooked
2 (8-ounce) cans sliced water chestnuts
3 bananas, sliced, tossed in 1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or salted peanuts)
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chopped green onions, green part only
10 to 12 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, chopped
Dressing:
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar

In a large rectangular dish, layer salad ingredients in the order listed, stopping after the nuts. Mix dressing ingredients and let stand for 5 minutes. Spread dressing over entire top of salad, covering it completely. Sprinkle cheese, green onions, and bacon over salad. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

FORGET EVERY OTHER POTATO RECIPE YOU KNOW.

Roadside Potatoes

This recipe has been circulated in our family for nearly 50 years. No matter what the family occasion everyone calls around and asks who is bringing this dish to make sure it is available. It is the most easy recipe to make but don´t let that deceive you. It is the best.

here goes:

1 24 oz. bag of frozen shredded hash brown. They must be shredded. If you can´t find the 24 oz. size you can use the 30 oz.

3 cups half and half

1 stick butter (1/4 cup)

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup grated parmesan...don´t get too fancy - the garden variety grated will do

Method:

Thaw hash browns in baking dish. I usually double the recipe using two 30 oz. bags of hash brown in a restaurant pan that I bought at Sam´s club

Melt the butter in the half and half by gently heating and add the salt. I adjust the half and half to 3 1/2 cups for the larger size hash browns. I usually heat the pan first and put in the butter which starts to melt quickly and then pour the half in half. This speeds up the process.

Pour the half and half butter mixture over the thawed hash browns.

Sprinkle the parmesan over the top

bake at 325 degrees for about an hour until the whole top is golden brown. If you have doubled the recipe it may take 10 or so minutes longer.

Prepare to have NO leftovers.

This recipe will take five minutes to prepare and you will look like a cooking genius.

Reading this thread from the bottom (please don´t ask why - we have just had the carpet cleaning from hell and I am still in shock), I got to #104 and thought "that sounds just like yottyhere" - and, lo and behold!

I have my hand proudly in the air as one who was here the night the whore squirrels made their debut. Those were in the days of the pink Caddie and lampshade hats and virtual parties almost every weekend. We left yotty waiting for us under a lamp post and never made it back for her. Oy.

Good to see you. That cake sounds sensational and about as labor intensive as I can manage this week. Thanks!

Tell NuGoddess we cannot make it - it´s a far piece from California to Florida - but we´ll be thinking of you all fondly. And all the other LDotters who make even the worst days a bit sunny if you really pay attention.

Not sure I can manage a recipe today....we´ll see. I´m certainly enjoying yours - and Sagman´s. Wishing a happy, blessed Thanksgiving to you all...and to our gracious hostess and staff...

@Reply 31 - Posted by: aliciacolon,

How much of each ingredient???.... your recipe sounds delicious, but how much flour is a bowl of flour and how much of the other ingredients?
Thanks much!

Oh my gosh, what sweet memories. I´ll never forget my Deedles laughing her head off and trying to explain to me about the whore squirrels.

Y´all are just the best and I love knowing you are out there somewhere.

Now, I want to change my screen name to Whore Squirrel. I´ll bet everyone does.

Happy Thanksgiving and much love to all of you!

Yes, #59, that recipe for Arizona Coleslaw looks like what I was thinking of. Thanks so much! That will give me a green dish to add to my Mexican food buffet of chicken enchiladas, roasted poblano soup, beans, rice, and white chocolate enchiladas. I´ll try to find the recipe for the white chocolate enchiladas and post later. Maybe I´ll add the cranberry salsa also. That sounds wonderful.

Storm Center, the corn slaw looks very good also. I´ll have to try that one.

Happy cooking to all! I´m sending some love out to all my L-dot friends.

CORNBREAD STUFFING

Fry up a pound or more of bacon for the drippings

BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

1 ½ cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt or to taste
1 egg
2 cups buttermilk
Bacon grease

Mix dry ingredients
Grease round pan and warm in oven.
Add egg, buttermilk, and a little bacon grease to dry ingredients. Mix well,
Pour mix in pan.
Dribble bacon grease on top and spread carefully with the back of a spoon.
Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Test for doneness with toothpick.


CORNBREAD DRESSING

1 pan buttermilk cornbread
1 pan (or more) baking powder biscuits
2 stalks celery diced fine
2 onions diced
2 tsp. sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Bacon drippings to slightly moisten

Crumble bread and biscuits.
Add onions, celery and seasoning.
Toss together very thoroughly to even sage.
Stuff bird.

You can always make another pan of cornbread and more biscuits, etc. and
make enough stuffing to have some to bake. After you stuff your bird take
the leftover stuffing and add some more liquid like chicken broth and bacon
drippings and maybe a little butter and pack into a baking dish. Cover and bake
at 350 degrees.

Just remember that all turkeys are not in the oven.

I too raise my hand, as I recall being at THAT incredible party with my bag pipes. All the singers gathered UNDER the baby grand, was memorable.

Bless everyone here as guests of our Hostess and may you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving,

Omigosh, I´d forgotten the bagpipes! How could I ever?

Who was in the fishnet stockings and feather boa?

Now that I am a Type I diabetic (four years) -- holiday recipes that are carb-free are hard to come by. This one is a guilt free appetizer that almost everyone loves. They are really pretty on a tray, also. You can make ahead, the night before, to set out while getting the big meal on.

Ham & Dill Pickle Appetizers

1 pkg rectangle-shaped Sandwich Ham Slices
1 lrg jar Dill Pickle Spears (I use Vlasic Garlic Dill)
1 pkg Cream Cheese (8oz) at room temperature

Arm yourself with paper towels, take out a ham slice & pat dry. Spread ham with a thin layer of cream cheese on one side. Lay a dill pickle spear (also patted dry) sideways on one end of the ham slice. Roll tightly & set aside. Continue, & when finished, slice rolled ham in 1/2 inch slices, then placing the triangle-shaped slices on their sides in a serving tray.

If you don´t pat them dry, the rolls won´t stay together. They look great & go well with black olives. FYI: using regular cream cheese has fewer carbs than lo-fat, but is higher in calories. If that´s a concern, you can also use turkey ham.

I just love the Thanksgiving Recipe Thread.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and your families.

Of course every L.com Thanksgiving Recipe Thread needs theWhore Squirrel Recipe. That is now a Tradition.

If my information is correct, the whore squirrels are the squirrels with the ´tramp stamp´ tattoos in the middle of their backs just above the waist.

Creamy Chicken (Turkey) Enchiladas with Green Chile sauce.

Substitute White Turkey meat for Chicken.

Ingredients:
12 corn tortillas
vegetable oil for pan-frying
3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast halves, shredded
10 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas (one at a time) for 5 seconds on each side to soften and make them pliable. Add more oil to pan as needed. Drain between layers of paper towel and keep warm.
Divide chicken, 10 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese, and onion among the 12 tortillas. Roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in a greased baking pan.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until mixture begins to boil. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a whisk until thickened. Mix in the sour cream and chiles, heat thoroughly but do not boil, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture over the enchiladas.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

Enjoy!

OK.....so does one tell a whore squirrel from a flirty one by the Brazillian bikini wax?

This is so much fun. I stumbled across the Whore Squirrels and Pink Caddy too late to comment. Love remembering!

Thank you, our Dear Hostess, for this annual thread. Thank you Dear Lucianne and your family.

Think I´ll waltz over for a Martini and Spam something or other from Igor.

I lost my recipe to King Ranch Chicken Caserole...does anyone have it. I want to make it for Christmas Eve for my friends here in Kentucky who have never heard of it.

Thanks so much in advance.

p.s. I preferred the Flirty Squirrels...not so tough as the whore ones.

Happy Thanksgiving fellow L-dotters and Lucianne and extended family!!

Dump Cake:

In a 9x9 baking dish, dump in a box of yellow cake mix, dump in a large can of cherry pie filling, dump in a large can of drained crushed pineapple. DO NOT MIX Bake @ 325 for about 35 minutes. Serve hot or cold

Happy Thanksgiving to all and thank you to Lucianne for providing this wonderful Thread. This recipe was in our local paper today, The Los Gatos Weekly Times. It was created by Bill Reynolds, chef and owner of Billy´s Boston Chowder House in Los Gatos, Ca. Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps
1T butter or canola oil
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup finely diced celery
16 diced stems from mushrooms
dash of salt
1 ounce dry white wine
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. lemon juice 4 ounces Dungeness crab or other lump crab meat
1 ounce half-and-half cream
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or other mild cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
16 stuffing mushrooms
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Melt butter or canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
3. Lower heat to low-medium and saute onion, celery and mushroom stems until translucent and soft, not brown.
4. Add wine, seasonings and lemon juice. Simmer about 3 minutes.
5. Add crab meat and mix.
6. Add half-and-half cream and 1/4 cup shredded cheese; simmer until cheese melts.
7.Add bread crumbs and stir well.
8. Lightly coat mushrooms caps in butter or canola oil,helps retain moisture. (optional)
9. Spoon mixture into mushroom caps and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
10. Bake 12-15 minutes or until cheese is lightly brown.
He suggests a cold glass of Chardonnay to go along with the crab stuffed mushroom caps.

Some great new recipes here... I was telling one of the daughters this afternoon I was getting more new recipes for them to try out!
Keep those recipes rolling....

EB...good to say hello to you! We sure did have fun back in the day ....BUT

leaving me under that streetlight and me expecting y´all back at any minute was purty mean haha



Could we have ever known all these years later we would still be LMAO over squirrels??

God Bless our Lucianne and Company ??????

TURKEY RECIPE

I thought this sounded good! Here is a turkey recipe that also
includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing ingredient -- imagine that.
When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me,
who just are not sure how to tell when turkey is thoroughly cooked,
but not dried out. Give this a try.

8 - 15 lb. turkey
1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is Good)
1 cup un-popped popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER´S LOW FAT IS BEST)
Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush turkey well with melted butter,
salt, and pepper.
Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan making sure
the neck end is toward the front of the oven, not the back.

After about 4 hours listen for the popping sounds.


When the turkey´s ass blows the oven door open and the bird flies
across the room,.... it´s done.

And, you thought I didn´t cook...

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love
truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE

I´m enjoying seeing the old and new recipes. I still get the giggles when I remember the fun of the whore squirrel, and smile thinking about the pink Cadillac, Ms. Lucianne´s Jimmy Choos and the singing by the piano.

I´m looking for lower fat recipes. Mom is away, so I will have to make my own cranberry relish. I may try the sweet potato fries.

Will post a real recipe sometime later...love this, because i love these Lil`fellows
Animal Crackers
by Christopher Morley.

Animal crackers and cocoa to drink,
That is the finest of suppers I think;
When I´m grown up and can have what I please
I think I shall always insist upon these.
What do YOU choose when you´re offered a treat?
When Mother says, "What would you like best to eat?"
Is it waffles and syrup, or cinnamon toast?
It´s cocoa and animals that I love most!

The kitchen´s the coziest place that I know;
The kettle is singing, the stove is aglow,
And there in the twilight, how jolly to see
The cocoa and animals waiting for me.

Daddy and Mother dine later in state,
With Mary to cook for them, Susan to wait;
But they don´t have nearly as much fun as I
Who eat in the kitchen with Nurse standing by;
And Daddy once said, he would like to be me
Having cocoa and animals once more for tea!

Have these every Thanksgiving, really delicious!

Christiana Campbell´s Tavern Sweet Potato Muffins from The Williamsburg Cookbook

2/3 cup canned or cooked fresh sweet potatoes, well drained
4 T. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
4 T. pecans or walnuts, chopped
4 T. raisins, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Puree the sweet potatoes in a blender. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the egg and pureed sweet potatoes. Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients alternately by hand with the milk and chopped nuts and raisins, mixing just until blended. Do not over mix. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling each tin completely full. A little sugar or cinnamon may be sprinkled on top of each muffin, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Does anyone have a recipe for whiskey cake....I had a piece of this years ago, it was so delish......can´t find a recipe for it...the cake is something between a spice cake & carrot cake texture, brown in color & sooooooooo good.

EarlyBird, Miss Lucianne may be persuaded to publish the picture of the Father Bos, as for the Fish Net stockings, dont you remember you and I used them to strain the Juice from the 5 gal jar of Olives for the assembly-line Martinis we needed to make when NY´s finest showed up to check on that "dammed" Scottish music. They agreed to drop the charges when YOU conviced them it was "all Irish" music and it was really,really "The wearin´O the Green".

My post above should be "picture of Feather Boa"

Browneyes, it was all kind of blurry that last night. And poor yotty. When we remembered her the next morning she´d already hitched a ride to NOLA with that Cajun guy - the one who was into zydeco.

Those really were the days.....

Love this thread! It´s not Thanksgiving until the LCom recipes come out. Blessings all!

Hi everyone! I got a new laptop, and haven´t copied/switched any of my recipies over to here... I´ll have to visit the Mother Ship before I can share my favorites on the Thread.

SOOO many happy memories being a part of this ongoing Thread.

I guess this is a good time to stop and think on the things that will last/are eternal, vs. those things that will pass away. That Christ died for all us sinners, and has offered us Eternal Life with Him... For that I am truly THANKFUL.

Happy Blessed Thanksgiving to each and everyone of you beloved Lucianners!!!!! All these years I have never put a recipe up. Well, in the morning, get ready! I will. I seem to remember way back it was a blast on here the first years of the Holiday threads. Election blues are GONE from our house! I see one fabulous recipes here!!!!! Yippee!!

My all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Times seem hard and there are more gray clouds on the horizon.

Keep the Lord in your life, family and friends close.

Thank You Lucianne, you forums my home page.

#134...Re: King Ranch Casserole. This site, Homesick Texan, has two good versions. Might be useful:

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/10/king-of-casseroles-king-ranch-chicken.html

And for the really adventurous (or really eggnogged), the Mail comes through for us yet again with new meal ideas:

Thinking of Thanksgiving delicacies? Then how about trying some turkey sushi, Velveeta cheesecake and Tofurky

http://tinyurl.com/app7anp

You won´t believe all the, ahem, creative dishes in this piece--nor the photos. Take your Pepcid Complete before viewing.

Wishing Lucianne and staff a very blessed Thanksgiving. Have fun everyone.....that is what life is about!!!

Quick tips for added flavors:
To marinara type tomato sauces - try adding a touch of cinnamon or even lighter touch of allspice. Key is subtle background. Works really well as a sauce for rice and meat. To your favorite chili, add a dash of unsweetened cocoa. To roast beef juices for gravy - add a splash of strong black cofee. And for the holiday sweet potatoes, mashed or casserole - top with cream cheese that has some sweet/hot red pepper jelly! Yum!

And now I´m looking for...words of wisdom or fun about foods. I love this one:
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

OK, my LDot friends - can you add other wittisisms to that? Thanks to all in advance! And a blessed Thanksgiving to all.

#32 Mrs. Cow. You will survive!!! Just over my two months with the shingles as well. Beginning to feel like a human again. Get well soon!!!

152, I peeked at the pictures. You were right. Dreadful.

Hysterical video for the icecream torte recipe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfu4rmgncMs
Robin is a contributor to TheConnection
check out her video archive recipes, you will enjoy

I always enjoy these threads and look forward to them all year.

This year we´re not able to be home or visit others on Thanksgiving, because we´re all thankful to have jobs that will keep us busy that day. My husband, son and I do have the weekend after Thanksgiving off and we plan to have a mini-feast. We´ll call our other family in California and have a long chat with all.

We won´t be smoking a turkey this year, but I will still make sweet potatoes with fresh-squeezed tangerine or orange juice, depending on how the produce looks in our local grocery store.

I scrub the yams clean, bake them until brown on the outside and mushy on the inside, mash them and whip them with a mixer using tangerine juice, Splenda brown sugar (or stevia mixed with a couple of teaspoons brown sugar) to taste. Then I put the mixture in a glass oven dish, sprinkle more brown sugar mixture over the top and toast in the over for a few minutes. It´s good and sweet without processed sugar and high in vitamin A.

We´ll probably eat a small smoked turkey breast and have a few other trimmings. I´m sure hubby´s relatives here will drop by with treats as well. Life is good.

#128

My husband´s a Type II diabetic. I´ll have to try your recipe!

Oh yes, #73, they can definitely be frozen then reheated....provided they have been hidden from the hungry masses.

On Thanksgiving week in 1954, NBC aired a holiday-themed “Father Knows Best”

As the family sits around the kitchen table, the father leads the family in prayer:

“Oh Lord, we give thee thanks from the depths of our humble hearts for all the blessings thou has seen fit to bestow upon us. We thank thee for the food, which graces our table, the roof, which covers our head.


“We thank thee for the privilege of living as free men in a country which respects our freedom and our personal rights to worship and think and speak as we choose.

“We thank thee for making us a family, for giving us sincerity and understanding.

“But most of all, dear Lord, we thank thee for giving us the greatest gift a family may know--the gift of love for one another. Amen.”

#141 Sherlock, too funny that you posted that poem! I homeschool, and my little 5 y/o memorized the first stanza this week. Love it!

Headed off to Daily Mass, will pray for all of you, and this country.

All of you "scoundrels" are just too funny! You´ve made my week. Suffering with a rather lengthy bout of kidney stones here but still struggling through the cooking of the pies and the trimmings. I really, really needed a good laugh and this thread provided many! It´s nice to laugh with others who are hurting after this last disastrous election - with or without kidney stones.

One of my favorite casseroles (and very easy to make). My mother made this years ago and passed along the recipe to me, but found it posted on Cooks.com just now:

Shoepeg Corn Casserole

1 can shoepeg corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 can French green beans
8 oz. grated Cheddar cheese
1 stick butter

Drain vegetables and mix all together. Spread mixture into casserole dish. Crush Ritz crackers and spread evenly over top. Drizzle melted butter over the crackers. Bake 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

I typically double the order for a family-sized serving. Everyone raves about it, but takes no effort at all.

Since these pickles are best after sitting for three or four days, It´s too late for Thanksgiving, but they are good anytime.

FIRE & ICE PICKLES

1 (32 oz.) jar medium sized whole dill pickles, drained. Discard juice.
2 cups sugar
1 Tblsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Cut pickles in 1/4 inch slices.
Combine sugar, hot sauce, garlic and pepper flakes in large bowl. Stir in pickle slices.

Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every fifteen minutes.

Spoon mixture back into empty jar. refrigerate for up to a month or more.

Better to wait 3 or 4 days before eating.

Happy Thanksgiving, fellow L-dotters.

Thank you to Lucianne, family and staff.

Much to be grateful for this year. Pregnant and never looked forward to Thanksgiving dinner so much - can you say "stretchy pants"!?.

So I have a recipe for the leftover turkey and mashed potatoes.

Shepherds Pie (w/Turkey) UK/ South American style.

Left over turkey (approx one pound - dark meat works best).
1/4 c of golden raisins
1/2 onion chopped fine
1 large carrot chopped fine
1 large celery stalk chopped fine
S&P to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 - 1/2 stick of butter
1/4 c of parmesean cheese (fine)
1/8 c chopped (fine) green olives with pimentos (optional)
1 can of diced stewed tomatoes (with juice)
garlic - optional (mas o menos depending on preference)
2-3 hardboiled eggs (optional)
Left over corn will work with this recipe too! 1/4 to 1/2 c
Left over mashed potatoes (you can also add some boiled sqauash or boiled pumpkin for a little orange color, flavor and to augment some extra to spread over the top.

Shepherds Pie (w/Turkey) UK/ South American style (cont’d)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

saute the onion, garlic, carrots and celery w/EVOO in a large skillet until soft - med hi heat. Add turkey and cook for one minute (if left over corn - can add here). Reduce heat to medium. Add herbs, S&P, rasins and olives. Saute for 1-2 minutes. (if your turkey is on the dry side, add a little chicken broth).

Now add in can of peeled tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes on Med/Med Hi heat until simmering. Place in a casserole dish that will fit the filling at least half way up.

Slice hardboiled eggs. lay over the top of the filling, in one sparse layer. Add mashed potatoes - spread over the top until filling is completely covered. Should have a layer of potatoes approx 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick (minimum) .

Slice butter (thin) and place pats of butter over the top of the potatoes evenly. Add grated parmesean cheese evenly on the top.

Bake for approx 20 minutes. For the last 3-5 minutes I like to turn the heat up to broil to get a nice brown crust on the top of the pie = but this is completely optional.

I enjoy this with a nice mixed green salad with a nice light dressing. Serious comfort food. And it´s even better the next day - if you have leftovers.

(PS. If you are making this without turkey - you would just use 1lbs of ground beef instead of turkey!).

I ain´t much of a cook, but this is my ace-in-the-hole for those times when I need a dish for a potluck supper, family reunion, etc.
It´s a night "light" dessert and many people prefer it to heavier pies, etc. after a hearty meal.
This recipe has never let me down...in fact, once to my eternal mortification, I was offered a marriage proposal by a complete stranger with the condition that I would make this every day.
I declined....like I said...I ain´t much of a cook.

Lemon Pineapple Dessert

1 (20 oz) can crushed Pineapple
1-1/4c. pineapple juice (drained from above)
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon Jell-o
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk, chilled
1/2 c. sugar
1 (12 oz.) box vanilla wafers*, crushed
1 stick butter, melted

Heat pineapple juice to boiling. Dissolve the Jell-o in the juice and chill until SLIGHTLY thickened. Whip the chilled evaporated milk until stiff. Beat in the sugar. Blend in the Jell-o and drained pineapple.

Mix vanilla wafer crumbs with melted butter. Cover the bottom of a 9"x13" pan with half of crumb mixture and pat down. Bake until lightly browned at 375° for about 8 minutes. Cool.
Pour in the filling. Top with remaining crumbs. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Stand back and wait for compliments and marriage proposals.
*in a pinch, I´ve used Graham cracker crumbs.

Re #168, oy!
Should read "a nice light dessert". Or is that "night lice dessert"?
I don´t even know what a "night light dessert" is...
maybe night lights create a subtle ambience for those wild and crazy whore squirrel parties, under the concert grand piano.

PEAR CRISP

6 large pears (about 2-1/2 pounds) peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup warm water
1 lemon, juiced
2 cup rolled oats
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine pears, water and lemon juice in an 8 by 8-inch baking pan. In a bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and stir to make a crumbly mixture. Spread the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the topping is crisp and browned

From the Los Angeles Times a few years ago:

Creamed Spinach

Servings: 6 to 8

Part 1: Spinach base

1/2 pound smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 bunch (about 10 small) green onions, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1. Fry the chopped bacon over medium-high heat until browned stirring frequently.
2. Add the green onion, onion, chopped garlic, salt and pepper and simmer, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in the butter, then puree the mixture in a blender.

Part 2:

the above Spinach base
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup half and half
2 pounds spinach, cleaned and chopped

1. Warm the spinach base in a large skillet over medium heat if necessary. Gradually whisk in the flour then cook over medium heat for 10 minutes to cook out the flour taste, stirring frequently.
2. While the base is heating, scald the milk in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat but keep warm on the stove.
3. When the flour is cooked, whisk in the hot milk and half and half, mixing thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened to a cream sauce consistency, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the spinach, a little at a time, until all is added. Continue to cook until the creamed spinach begins to bubble, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Lime-coconut sweet potatoes: Ingredients = sweet potatoes, extra virgin coconut oil, coconut milk, 1-2 limes.

Heat oven 350F. Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise, put face up onto baking sheet(s). Brush coconut oil onto upturned sweet potatoes. Cover with foil, bake 1 hr. Remove foil, bake 30 min more. Cool, peel, mash, add coconut milk and squeeze lime juice into it. YUM.

Despite a few hurdles in the road this year, we still have a lot for which to be thankful - not the least is this wonderful L.dot family, our hostess, and her crew.

I, too, was online during the original "whore squirrel" recipe and "pink caddie/ virtual cocktail party" threads and they truly were hilarious.

I found this recipe in "South Carolina Woman" magazine (Sept/12 issue) and have made it twice already. Pretty sweet, but easy to make ---

PECAN PIE COOKIES

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
FILLING
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instruction following

I´ve been wanting to do this for a couple of years. Here´s my own reciepe for Holiday Cornbread.

1/2 cup flour
2 Cups white corn meal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 and 1/4 cups eggnog
1 10oz can Rotel

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together flour, cornmeal, salt, soda,
baking powder, and sugar. In another bowl mix together egg and eggnog then add to dry ingredients. Mix together until mositened then add Rotel. Grease the bottom and side of a 10 inch iron skillet. (If using cooking spray coat well) Pour cornbread misture into skillet and bake for 20- 25min. This makes a nice thick cake like pone of corn bread.

Muffin tins may also be used. be sure to coat well with cooking spray or grease.
Muffins take about 18-20min. to bake. Makes a dozen muffins.

Enjoy Y´all, Happy Thanksgiving

Instructions for Pecan Pie Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix. Reduce speed to low and add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed Combine all the filling ingredients (pecans through vanilla) in a small bowl and mix well

Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls (Use this size if you want larger cookies) Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Use a teaspoon to create a small indentation in each cookie for the filling. Fill each cookie with 1 rounded teaspoon of filling.

Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute of baking sheet (important) then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

If you want to see a picture of these cookies, they´re shown on P.23 of this URL:
https://scwomanmagazine.com/SeptCW12.pdf

By the way, I just use a med. size ice cream scoop to put the dough on the baking sheet, and that makes up to 20 or so cookies. Recipe says it will make about 24 larger cookies or 36 smaller cookies.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. Have already copied some recipes, and will check from time-to-time for other goodies. Lots to do today in prep for tomorrow!!!!

#143 ... Have been making a delicious "whiskey" cake for years, but the recipe calls for dark rum. Hope you like it!

BACARDI RUM CAKE

Cake:
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 18-1/2 oz pkg yellow cake mix*
1 3-3/4 pkg Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup Wesson oil
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)

* If using yellow cake mix with pudding ALREADY in the mix: omit instant pudding, use 3 eggs instead of 4, 1/3 cup oil instead of 1/2.

Glaze:
4 oz butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10" tube or 12-cup Bundt pan. sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool. Invert on serving plate. Use tooth pick to poke deep holes on top. Spoon and brush glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze. Repeat till glaze is used up.

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum.

Optional: Decorate with border of sugar frosting or whipped cream.

Thank you Ms. Lucianne and thank you staff for another Thanksgiving recipe thread.

We are off to visit our children but I will post a recipe later today.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Ldot family!

#110 -- many thanks. This is why it´s so important to consult with experienced cooks.

Cornbread Stuffing

1 tablespoon Canola or Veg Oil
1 medium Sweet Onion, finely diced
3 ribs Celery, finely diced
1/3 cup diced Liver, Chicken or Turkey
6 cups coarsely crumbled Cornbread
2 tablespoons fresh Sage, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
3 cups hot low sodium Chicken Broth
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Butter

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook until translucent about 8 minutes. And liver and cook until browned about 4 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion mixture, cornbread and sage. Pour the hot broth over the mixture. Stir until combined. Salt & pepper to taste. Butter a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Fold the mixture into the baking dish. Bake until golden brown about 40 to 45 minutes.

You can assemble this dish tonight up to putting the mixture into the baking dish. You can refrigerate over night. Allow the dish to warm to about room temp before putting in the oven.

I remember the night of the Whore Squirrel recipe. Almost laughed merlot all over the laptop. It just got funnier as the night went on!

Everytime I look at squirrels this time of year, I wonder... Is that squirrel winking at me? flirty or whore?


Here is one of my favorite recipes from a Lucianne thread years ago..

Cranberry Chutney
16oz cranberries
1c sugar
1c water
1c orange juice
1c golden raisins
1c chopped celery
1 medium apple chopped
1 tbsp orange peel grated
1 tsp fresh ginger grated


Heat cranberries, water, sugar bring to boil, reduce heat- simmer 15 minutes. ( love the sound of popping cranberries)
Remove from heat, stir in remaining ingredients. Chill.

Better the 2nd or 3rd day... Serve over cream cheese- eat with crackers.
Great with turkey or ham or by the spoonful.

Another Cranberry Salsa
from Pomom years ago:

1 16 oz whole cranberry sauce
2 tbsp mined red onion
1-2 seeded fresh/minced jalepeno
1tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp fresh cilantro minced

Combine, set aside for 30 minutes... store up to 1 week in fridge.

Great with chips... turkey... ham... anything!!!!!!


And Finally... to finish out the cranberry theme

Smoked Turkey Spread with Cranberries

8 oz cream cheese
1/4 c mayo
1 c. chopped smoked turkey
1 tsp green onion minced
1/2 c roasted pecans
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c dried cranberries chopped

Mix, chill ... serve with crackers or bread


Love to all, MMC

Nightvision, you are definately one of us! Your "typo" is exactly what produced the "whore squirrel". Lets see: what could happen with just a "night light" while in the kitchen, with all the stirring, mixing,blending going on?

Particularly in an apron!

My Mom´s Cheese Cake - Makes two cakes

Crust:

2 boxes graham cracker crumbs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsps cinnamon
1.25 lb unsalted butter or good oleo
Mix together and press into two 10" spring pans

Filling:

6 lb cream cheese, softened
6 eggs
6 tsps vanilla
2.5 cups granulated sugar
2 tsps lemon juice
Mix until well blended and divide into the two crusts. Bake 1 hour in 350 degree oven. Watch near the end of baking time and remove when colored slightly tan.

Topping:

2 cups sour cream
0.5 cup sugar
2 tsps vanilla
2 tsps lemon juice
Mix well, spread on top of cakes and return to oven for 10 minutes.

For a key lime version, substitute 1 tsp of grated lime peel and 2 tsps lime juice per pound of cream cheese for the lemon juice in the filling and use lime juice instead of lemon juice in the topping.

According to my mom, will not add pounds or inches if eaten between Thanksgiving and New Years. And it´s an established fact that mom knows best.

Whoo hoo! So THANKFUL for our wonderful L-Dot Hostess, Staff and L-dotters! Ditto to every sentiment of being our oasis of sanity in this turbulent times...words seem inadequate, but then, you-all know exactly what is meant!

Thanksgiving Blessings for each and all, your families and our country - we truly have much to be thankful for -- from East TN residents´ VeritasMatters and DWIM!

Made Ms. Goldberg´s Pumpkin Pudding - it is excellent and so easy! Thanks for a real keeper. Delighted to ´read´ from so many long-time L-dottes and our newbies!

Okay -- her´s my funny Thanksgiving story:

My first set of in-laws used to tell this hilarious story of "The Pine Sol Incident" on a Thanksgiving when someone poured Pine Sol into the Turkey Dressing thinking it was a bottle of oil. (Don´t think this isn´t easy to do with this huge crazy Italian family. Some are cleaning, some are cooking & they´re all laughing & talking loudly, etc.)

Once the raw Dressing was repurchased & remade, everybody was getting such a kick out of the story, that they re-enacted it for the new ones coming into the house. When the Pine Sol was held over the new batch, the lid wasn’t screwed on, so they ruined a SECOND batch!

Of course, as you can imagine by now, alcohol was flowing freely (a little too freely), which is a large reason they are my first set of in-laws. But I still love them dearly, even though I´ve been happily married to my second husband for 23 years.

First of all....Happy Thanksgiving to all my LDot friends. You are like my family to me.

My beloved mother made scalloped oysters every holiday. After she passed away, I couldn´t find her recipe but this one from Paula Deen is very close.

Scalloped Oysters
6 servings.
Ingredients
1 quart shucked oysters in their liquor
2 cups coarsely crushed saltine crackers
1 cup dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup cream
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Celery salt, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pick oysters free of any shells.

In a deep buttered casserole, mix together crackers, bread crumbs, and melted butter. Place a thin layer of crumb mixture in the bottom of the casserole. Cover it with half of the oysters. Season cream with nutmeg, salt, pepper and celery salt (if using). Pour half of this mixture over the oysters. On the next layer, use the oysters, 3/4 of the remaining crumb mixture and cover that with seasoned cream. Top with the remaining crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

DELTA ROASTED TURKEY WITH MILLION DOLLAR GRAVY

This recipe is from Elizabeth Heiskell, cookbook author, and has appeared in Southern Living and Garden and Gun. Recipe is fabulous. Happy Thanksgiving to all Ldotters everywhere who give strength, knowledge, laughter and love to our ‘family’ here.

Ingredients

Cheesecloth
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
5 thick hickory-smoked bacon slices
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 (14-lb.) whole fresh or frozen turkey, thawed
Kitchen string
2 cups dry white wine
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
4 fresh thyme sprigs
4 fresh parsley sprigs
1 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened

1. Cut cheesecloth into a 3- x 3-ft. square. (Cheesecloth should be large enough to wrap around entire turkey.) Soak cheesecloth in 1 cup broth 15 minutes. Wring out cheesecloth, discarding excess broth. Lay cheesecloth on top of a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Place bacon in center of cheesecloth.
2. Preheat oven to 500°. Combine 1/2 cup softened butter, salt, and pepper. Remove giblets and neck from turkey, and pat turkey dry with paper towels. Loosen and lift skin from turkey breast with fingers, without totally detaching skin; rub about one-third of butter mixture underneath skin. Carefully replace skin, and rub remaining butter mixture over outside of turkey. Tie ends of legs together with kitchen string; tuck wingtips under. Place turkey, breast side down, on top of bacon in roasting pan. Lift sides of cheesecloth up and over turkey. Twist ends of cheesecloth together, and secure tightly with string. Trim excess cheesecloth and string.
3. Stir together wine, next 4 ingredients, and 1 cup broth. Pour into roasting pan.

#168 - thanks for the giggle (can’t imagine the response if one were to ask their partner if they would be interested in a ‘night light dessert’...)

#186 Continued Delta Roasted Turkey w/Million Dollar Gravy.


4. Bake turkey at 500° for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup broth in a saucepan over low heat just until butter is melted. Pour mixture over turkey. Reduce oven temperature to 300º, and bake 2 1/2 hours, basting with pan drippings every 30 minutes.
6. Remove turkey from oven, and increase oven temperature to 400°. Carefully transfer turkey to a cutting board, using clean dish towels. Remove and discard cheesecloth and bacon. Carefully return turkey, breast side up, to roasting pan.
7. Bake turkey at 400° for 30 minutes or until skin is golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of thigh registers 170° to 175°. Transfer turkey to a serving platter, reserving pan drippings in roasting pan. Let turkey stand 20 minutes before carving.
8. Pour pan drippings through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove excess fat from surface of drippings.
9. Pour 2 cups drippings into a medium saucepan; stir in remaining 1 cup broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine flour and 2 Tbsp. butter to form a smooth paste. Whisk butter mixture into broth mixture, and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with turkey.

Great recipes. Love them all.

Elephant Stew:
Cut elephant into bites size pieces.
Put in very large tub and cover with water.
Boil until pieces are tender.
Add two truckloads loads of potatoes, carrots, and onions.
Add salt, pepper and other seasonings.
Serve with fresh made hot rolls.

Makes approximately 10,000 servings

Many thanks for the Ldotters!

Karin´s Medieval Marinade for turkey parts:

one bottle white wine (savignon blanc my fave)
one - two tblsp fresh sage
one - two tblsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup smashed juniper berries
1/3 cup olive oil
marinate overnight and grill - thighs are awsome

Karin is gone now but her cooking lives on.

Pre-cholesterol Green Bean Casserole:

one can cut green beans
one can whole green beans
one can French cut green beans
One can condensed cream of celery soup
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Mix and spread in 9x12 glass pan, top with fried onions, bake 30 mins at 350.

Found this in my mom´s recipe box, hand written, no attribution -it´s the cheese.

DON´T FORGET PUNKIN CHUNKIN ON SCIENCE CHANNEL

Thank you for these WONDERFUL goodies.
Many new ones and old favorites.

Another contribution...the TRUE story of Thanksgiving as printed years ago. If one listens to Rush´s show, they have heard this recount of history many, many times.

http://www.landandfreedom.org/news/112204.htm

Remember Squanto? Raymond still meets him from time to time

Happy Thanksgiving. Blessings to you.

Hand up here, too, for being present on that infamous ‘whore squirrel’ night. What fun those nights were – spam here, spam there, spam here and everywhere; our hostess making us feel welcome as we entered; everyone gathered around the piano for song fests; great food and recipes; glasses clinking; raucous laughter; feather boas; rhinestone shoes; friends waiting under light posts for rides to the parties; so many wonderful memories to last a lifetime. Thank you, dear Lucianne, dear staff, and dear L-Dotters, one and all.

#190, finally a use for my juniper berries. Bought a jar at a French specialty store, soon forgot where the recipe had gone (for which I´d purchased them), and there they sit.

Sounde delicious. And we like dark turkey meat. Thanks!

While I love a good green bean casserole, sometimes that just seems to be too heavy, so I opt for a much lighter dish:

Green Beans Caesar

1 1/2 lb fresh green beans cut in 1 in pieces
2 tbs salad oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs instant minced onion
1/4 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbs dry bread crumbs (or crushed pork rinds)
2 tbs parmesean cheese
1 tbs butter
paprika to taste

Mix together and bake, covered, in 350 oven for 45 minutes

Seeing as how #104 so generously offered our home for the holidays (of course y´all are welcomed here!) I have been busy making pies - pumpkin, chocolate cream, and a Spam casserole for Igor. (Mmmmmm, Spam: Surgically processed ham.

Also, because we will probably have a couple of heavy drinkers (cough, cough, Yottyhere, cough!) just know that we check the keys at the door. There will be plenty of beds and I even promised a certain Pug-loving mama that our ´´guest room´´ will be ready (y´all know that the ´´guest room´´ is really our shed but Yotty made me promise to put a fan in the window.)

So sorry, fellow Ldotters. Did not know anyone was requesting details on scone recipe #31. I don´t pay attention to amounts anymore but here´s close to it. I start with 3 cups self-rising flour, 1 can of cream soda (any soda will do, even diet.( original recipe called for Sprite) and I add the cream after the soda just enough to make flour look like biscuit dough. No matter what amount I do use , they turn out great-according to my family. Now i just wing it. Cheers

I don´t know the amount. Just enough to wet the dough after the soda. You should have at least a pint handy

My family asks for this again and again
Sweet Restaurant Slaw
1 16 oz bag coleslaw mix
2 tbs diced onion (opt)
2/3 c creamy salad dressing or mayo
3 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 c white sugar
1 tbs white vinegar (I use 2-3)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp poppy seeds (I use celery seed)

Mix all ingredients together and chill.

with H/T to Cap with reference to our Alicia:
My Mom´s Waldorf Salad

(remember, I was the 5th of 14 kids. Mom never used a measuring device. That kind of precision would be wasted on several different levels. I love Alicia Colon’s measuring on her scones, though I’m not a fan of scones.)Chop up a whole bunch of:

Apples

Pecans (and/or walnuts)

Celery

Throw it in a big bowl

Add in a large box of raisins

If you want, you can add just about any kind of lettuce, chopped. Don’t let the leaves be large, they just make a mess.

Stir into that mixture a dressing made of:

1 can orange juice (thawed)

About the same amount of mayonnaise

Sprinkle in small quantities of 1-3 of whatever herbs come to mind at the time.

( and hand salute )

Another Thanksgiving Recipe Thread - yeah! I was a lurker in the days of the original Weekend Round Table and felt like such an outsider peeping in, jealous of the camaraderie! I too am thankful for this place of similar-minded individuals - we aren´t robots here so there are often disagreements. But I think we all love the original idea of America as a place where people could live free of state intrusion. A million thanks to Ms. Lucianne for sharing her gracious salon.

This year I am in N. Va. with my sister and B-I-L, joined with our Mom who is turning 80 in a few days. We´ve been reminiscing about some of our favorite Thanksgiving mashed potato leftovers and I´ll share one of them here - although Mom never had a recipe either, she just used whatever amounts were available.

Leftover Mashed Potato Patties

Leftover mashed potatoes (about 1 quart)
1 onion, diced
1 egg
Flour
butter
Salt and pepper

Combine mashed potatoes, onion, egg and cheese. Shape into large size balls. Roll into flour and flatten into patties. Melt butter in frying pan and brown for about 5 minutes on each side. Salt and pepper to taste. Optional: 1 c. shredded cheese or bacon bits.

And as a turkey farmer´s daughter I say EAT A LOT OF TURKEY!
Ramona (the Pest)

#189, if you´d like a ´variation´ on your elephant stew, I´ve got one.
This was posted on a ´Foodie Thread´ way back when...

Elephant Stew

1 - 2Ton Elephant
2 - Rabbits
Salt & Pepper

Cut elephant into bite-sided pieces.
Stir fry at 360° over kerosene flame.
Add salt and pepper and cook for 12 more minutes.
Serves 3,800 people.

If unexpected guests show up, add the 2 rabbits, but don´t expect people to like it.
Most people don´t like hare in their stew.