Thanksgiving Dinner


November 24, 2015, posted by Gina – Sunday morning after church I got right on my grocery list and headed for Kroger. I needed frozen strawberries for my Strawberry Banana Salad. Take a look at this section in the grocery store. I could not help think that locusts or some other phenomenon came to this freezer and carried off everything:

ThanksgivingWhat this tells me is that “Maw Maw” salads are still alive and well on our Thanksgiving tables. You know how everyone rolls their eyes at the sound of a jello salad mixed with fruit and other goodies? If I tried not offering it on Thanksgiving Day, my boys would start a revolution. They eat it with their meal, for dessert and sometimes even breakfast! This was my mother-in-law’s recipe and is in her handwriting but I take credit for the food spills on the paper. She made this in a Pyrex dish and cut it into squares but I like making it in a trifle bowl since it is very pretty when complete.

Strawberry and Banana Salad:

Strawberry and Banana SaladBanana Strawberry 4

 

Crockpot Green Beans

So, you probably fall into one category or another on green beans; fresh and crunchy or canned and soft. I like them both ways, but my family likes them soft.

6 cans whole green beans

2 cups chicken broth

½ stick of butter

½ cup of vinegar

1 onion, chopped and sautéed until soft and translucent

Put green beans in a crockpot and gently stir in all other ingredients Cook the green beans on high for about 4 hours. The flavor is so delicious.

Thanksgiving 2

Sweet Potatoes
I will confess that sweet potatoes are not my favorite thing. I like the color and want to love them, but I just don’t. That does not stop my family from loving these and so I prepare them. It is a labor of love. I have never had a set recipe or even one that was handed down to me from any side of the family. A friend and frequent reader of petals and plates, shared a wonderful sweet potato recipe for me that her family prepares every year. They feed about 30 people so I changed this a bit for my 6.

Preheat oven to 400°
Scrub sweet potatoes and dry
Cover a baking pan with foil and place potatoes on top
Bake for 1 ½ hours
Take out of oven and let cool for about an hour.
Slice potatoes in half and scoop flesh out of skins and place in a large Dutch oven
Add 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 stick of butter and mash until well combined.
Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with marshmallows. Bake until marshmallows are melted and slightly brown.

Thanksgiving 7

Classic Mashed Potatoes
When I first started preparing Thanksgiving dinner over 30 years ago, I was surprised that with all the starchy vegetables, my husband still wanted mashed potatoes. Another labor of love, I prepare them for him. I like mashed potatoes but it just seems that one more starch is not necessary but my husband told me that what Thanksgiving is all about.

Thanksgiving 5

4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cleaned, peeled, cubed and cooked on low heat in just enough water to cover them for about 8 minutes or until tender
1 stick butter (yes I said the whole stick but this makes a lot of potatoes…sorry…we will eat healthy in January)
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste.

Deviled Eggs

If I made a million of these, my boys would eat every one of them. These are really easy unless you can’t get the shell off the egg. As you can see from my photo, this happened on one of them that I prepared. Thanksgiving 6I boil my eggs with a bit of salt and about a tablespoon of white vinegar for 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let them sit for another 5 and then immerse in ice water for about 30 minutes. I am not sure about the science of all that but over the years different people have given me tips and now I incorporate all of them. It helps if your eggs are at least 1 – 2 weeks old.

18 eggs, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and yolks placed in another bowl

To yolks add:

½ cup mayo

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 small sweet pickles (I chop my own as they have a different texture than the pre-made relish)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.

Mix all ingredients until creamy. You may need to add more or less of the ingredients depending upon your preferences.

We’d love to hear about your Thanksgiving recipes and traditions. Please leave us your thoughts and comments Click on the title of this post and comment form will open up at the bottom of the page.

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