Countdown to Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and I can hardly wait! I have so much to be thankful for, and I am so blessed to be able to spend this holiday with my wonderful family. Gathering around the table, talking, laughing, and reminiscing about old times are wonderful ways to spend the day. Preparing for Thanksgiving can be a busy, stressful time but if you slow down enough to take it all in, it can truly be a wonderful experience. Shopping for just the right turkey, gathering all your yummy ingredients, the delicious scents as everything is baking! Cooking the cranberry sauce on the stove fills the house with smells of this season…bringing to mind images of cheery fires, ice skating, and hot cocoa. And bonus..it can be made a day ahead leaving more time for watching the 83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! I love the parade. The dancers, the floats, the music. Sitting around with my niece and nephew and watching their faces light up as they see Dora the Explorer or Spiderman go by! And finally…Santa! Santa marks the end of the parade, but the beginning of the Christmas season (for most people…I myself have been celebrating it for months!) Sitting here writing this I am getting more and more excited for Thanksgiving! I’d like to take a moment to remind everyone that while delicious food is of course a very enjoyable part of the day; it is more importantly a day to remember all those things that you are thankful for. Last year, we started a tradition with my niece and nephew of baking cookies for our local Police Officers. A small way for us to say thank you to the men and women who devote thier lives to keeping our cities safe. This year we will continue this tradition, with one change…my church is getting in on the action! We are having a  “Cookie Exchange”, but instead of keeping the cookies we will be bringing them to our local Police Department. Which reminds me, I still need to decide what treats to make! And speaking of food, you are probably wondering what I am making for Thanksgiving! Well, this year, we are celebrating at my sister’s house and she and I are sharing the cooking responsibilities. On my list? Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, and Pumpkin Cookies. On a quest last year to find the very best side dishes, I scoured my favorite website…foodnetwork.com =-D Looking to my cooking heroes (Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, and Tyler Florence) for inspiration I finally found some delicious recipes that made my Thanksgiving! All of them will be making a comeback this year (as my NEW Thanksgiving  traditions!), and my pumpkin cookies will see their very first holiday gathering! So, I’m off to gather my recipes and double check my ingredients…but not before sharing my favorite recipes with you =-D

Happy Cooking!

Green Bean Casserole (Paula Deen)

• 1/3 stick butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups sliced green beans
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
• Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 cup grated Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.
House Seasoning

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

• 8 Russet potatoes (more or less depending on how many people you are serving)
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• 5 garlic cloves (you can use more or less, depending on how much you like garlic!)
• Fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups milk (Heavy cream or half and half can be substituted)
• Extra virgin olive oil

In a large pot, combine the potatoes, 2 tsp. salt, and enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender. In the meantime, roast the 5 garlic cloves (peeled) with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt for 10 minutes in a 400 F oven. Remove the garlic from oven, smash into a paste and set aside. When the potatoes are done, drain them and return them to the pot. Shake the pot over medium heat for about a minute to dry the potatoes. Transfer potatoes to a bowl. Put the milk and butter in a saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat until the butter melts and the milk is hot. Remove pan from heat. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher and add in the milk, butter, and garlic paste. Sprinkle in freshly grated parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.

Cranberry Sauce (Norma Jean Harden, Foodnetwork.com)

• 1 pound (4 cups) fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 whole orange, unpeeled, seeds removed, and chopped fine
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Sprinkle ground cinnamon

Wash cranberries and set aside.
Bring sugar and water to a boil. Add cranberries, oranges, and cloves. Simmer over a high flame, stirring frequently, until berries pop open. Add crushed pineapple, walnuts, and cinnamon, and blend. Cool and serve.

For Pumpkin Cookie recipe see “Tis the season for…PUMPKIN COOKIES!” blog