Thanksgiving is only a week away and I am stressing out a little bit. I start a new job on Monday, so I think I need to have most of my shopping done before I start. Darrell and I got an invite to go to a friend's home for Thanksgiving dinner, but I really enjoy making (and eating) all my usual foods. It just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving if I don't have the dinner I make. Ok, if my mom or anyone in my family makes the dinner, it still feels the same, because we have the same things. But a friend. Not quite. So we will join some friends for dessert and we can call it all good.
So here is my Thanksgiving Dinner, as planned so far.
*Turkey breast, brined and smoked on the grill--oh so tender this way!
*Mashed potatoes--Yukon golds with butter and sour cream (I will use light sour cream to cut a couple of calories)
*Cornbread stuffing. I will make the stuffing on Tuesday probably to give it time to dry out. I need to remember to make less than I think I need since I usually end up with way too much!
*Turkey gravy. I'm AWFUL at making gravy. This year I will try to make some from turkey (or chicken) stock from a box. I will have some packaged, just-add-water-mix handy though, just in case.
*Green beans with shallots, bacon and either almonds or sesame seeds.
*Candied yams. Or I may just bake a sweet potato to save a calorie or two and because Darrell doesn't care for the yam/sweet potato.
*Cranberry sauce. I intend to make my own this year. Still trying to decide on the recipe to use. Do I go with simple (cranberries, sugar and water) or complex (orange juice/zest, nuts, etc)?
*Rolls. Homemade. Hot. MMMMM.
For dessert, I want to make:
*Pumpkin Pie. I have been waiting a very long time for this. Last year I made a tragic mistake and bought it from Costco. It seemed like in years past, it was as good as homemade. Not last year. In the time it took to wander the Costco while they baked a fresh batch, I could have made one at home and loved it.
*Deep Dish Apple Pie. I seriously wanted only one pie this year-pumpkin. Until I got a copy of Cook's Illustrated, in which they describe how to make the perfect DDAP. It sounds so yummy that I have to make it.
*I will, of course, make some whipped cream. With just the right amount of sugar and vanilla. Perfect to add to either pie.
*And because Darrell doesn't like pie, I will make the dessert of his choice. It will probably be white cake from a mix and white frosting from the tub. This is one of his favorite desserts. The cake is pretty good. It's the frosting that I can't stand. But it is his dessert and I don't have to eat any of it, since I will have more than enough of my own.
I do have some other foods that I want sometime between now and the end of the year:
Pumpkin bread
Cranberry nut bread
Pretzel jello salad
Almost any pumpkin dessert
We'll see what happens.
I will post more about what I end up making and how everything turns out. I will share any recipes I use and hope that I don't end up the size of a Buick.
4 comments:
Call me and I will give you the pointers on the gravy. You decide what seasonings to add but I can get you through the hardest part!
I made a yummy gravy this year. It had all kinds of fresh herbs & was made with a roux so that helps eliminate the lumps. There was also some cream. So it's not your typical gravy, but very tasty.
I ended up making gravy from a package. I did add a sage leaf at the very end to help add some extra flavor. I just don't do it well. Plus when you smoke a turkey, there aren't any drippings to use for the gravy. Not to mention that when it is time to make the gravy, I am too tired to care if it is homemade or just powdered.
I know what you mean about needing your traditional food on Thanksgiving. I've gone to my in-laws the last few years, and it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving without the things my mom makes!!
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