Thanksgiving Week in the Kitchen

Happy Thanksgiving week! I’ve had several recipe posts in mind leading up to this week, but with our busy school schedule and a computer crash, I just haven’t been able to make them happen. However, I’m excited to report this week that not only are we on our holiday break from school, but I’m also sporting a new computer. So, hold on to your seats because you’re about to get several recipe posts in one!

The table above is from last year’s Thanksgiving gathering. We hosted my husband’s side of the family and enjoyed so many blessings from the time together. This year, we’ll be eating with my side of the family at my parents’ home and are expecting a large crowd.

My parents have always been extremely hospitable, especially during the holidays, inviting anyone who does not have family or can’t make it home for the holidays. They often invite several friends from their church, and encourage us to do the same with our church family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. My sister’s husband is a campus minister at a large university and they bring some of their international students with them. Last year they brought 6 students who were eager to experience an American Thanksgiving. They loved it! And apparently word got around because this year they’re bringing 10 international students!
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But before we even head to my mom’s for the big lunch, we’ll begin our day with our Thanksgiving breakfast traditions at home that morning. Because the morning is spent with last minute lunch preparations, getting everyone ready, and packing the van, we found it most ideal years ago to just put out foods that are no fuss and easy to eat, but still special. We play Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Miracle on 34th Street (original version) throughout the morning while working and munching.

So, our three must haves for Thanksgiving breakfast are Rosemary Sausage Balls, Pumpkin Bread, and Acorn Doughnuts! My oldest daughter always mixes and freezes the Sausage Balls a few days in advance, and then we just pop them in the oven Thanksgiving morning. She makes the best ever, and uses this recipe for Rosemary Sausage Balls .

For the Acorn Doughnuts, we just purchase doughnut holes, spread some chocolate icing on top, dip into toffee bits, and stick part of a pretzel stick into the top for the stem. My younger daughter always makes these. So cute and yummy!

I have several pumpkin bread recipes, but Pumpkin-Cranberry Bread is our favorite!

Pumpkin-Cranberry Bread 

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

1 can pumpkin

1 cup oil

3 eggs 

1 bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained

-Stir together dry ingredients.

-With mixer, ad in pumpkin, oil, and eggs unto well blended.

-Fold in cranberries.

-Spray 2 bread pans with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust!

-Divide batter between the 2 pans. Bake @ 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven. Let cool and run a knife along sides before removing from pans.
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For general holiday snacking or for a lunch appetizer, I like to make a cheese ball and shape it into a pumpkin. You can make any cheese ball recipe (a quick one is softened cream cheese, ranch dip mix, bacon bits, and 2 cups shredded cheddar), roll into a ball, and wrap in plastic. Let it chill for an hour or so, and then place rubber bands around it to make the indentions like a pumpkin has. Place back in the fridge to chill longer until serving.

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For Thanksgiving lunch, all the women (and some of the men) contribute several dishes and desserts each. This year I’m taking Creamy Confetti Corn, Seafood Wild Rice Casserole, Pumpkin Rolls, and a dessert or two. The photo above is the Creamy Confetti Corn I made last year, but without the peppers and green onions. This year I’ll be adding back in some pepper and green onions for that confetti color! (Update: We did add the colorful red peppers and  green onions back in this year and it was so delicious and much prettier. I’ve replaced the photo above has been replaced with this year’s dish) Click on the link for the recipe but just note that I did thin out the cream cheese a bit with cream or milk  because it was getting too thick. But it was so delicious!!

You might be wondering why I would take a seafood dish for Thanksgiving, but several year ago, after studying the first Pilgrim Thanksgiving with my kids, and reading about how they had seafood with their turkey, we decided we needed seafood at our Thanksgiving. So I started making this Seafood Wild Rice Casserole  and we love it with all the ham, turkey, and sides. (I use imitation crab meat when making it for a crowd, and we like it just fine)

Last year I tried two new roll recipes and loved them both! Make-Ahead Butterhorns from Denise at Refresh Her are amazing! You must try them! And the Pumpkin Rolls are not only adorable, but tasty too. Believe it or not, we found this recipe in my son’s Focus on The Family Club House magazine. I served both rolls with Orange Pecan Butter (below). My sister-in-law’s mother is bringing some yeast rolls already, so I’m just taking the pumpkin rolls this year. But the butterhorns are great year round!

Pumpkin Rolls

Ingredients:

1 packet instant yeast

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

4 Tbsp butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

pecan pieces 

-In an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine yeast, milk, pumpkin, butter, sugar, and one egg. 

-Gradually add flour and salt. Knead on low speed until dough pulls away from the bowl. Rest 3-5 minutes., then knead for 5 more minutes.

-Move dough to a greased bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. 

-Punch down the dough. Divide into 16 pieces and shape into balls.

-Flatten balls slightly. Make eight cuts around the perimeter of each. Place on a greased pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. 

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Make indention in each center with pinkie finger. Beat remaining egg and brush over rolls.

-Bake 15-20 minutes. Add pecan stem to each and serve with warm honey butter (we like them with orange pecan butter! Recipe to follow).

Orange Pecan Butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup orange marmalade

2 tsp. finely chopped pecans, toasted 

-Mix all ingredients and mold into a pumpkin if serving for Thanksgiving.
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I don’t always take a “grown-up dessert” to Thanksgiving because we usually so many, but my kids have always had fun making crafty desserts for the little cousins to enjoy.

Pilgrim hats are just marshmallows dipped in chocolate and dried onto a fudge stripe cookie with a yellow buckle piped on front.

Candy acorns are a fun, munchy teat to have around all week. Just attach a Hershey kiss to a mini vanilla wafer with some melted chocolate. Then add a pretzel stem on top with more chocolate.

And in the bottom right photo you see our Mayflower cupcakes. Just ice any flavor cupcake with blue icing for water. Then craft a little Mayflower ship with a candy orange slice for the boat, and then cut Fruit Roll Ups into sails and use toothpicks for the masts.

I’m not sure which of the above we’ll make this year, if any, but we’ll have to decide soon! I am going to try these super-cute Rice Krispy Turkey Pops that Memory Makin’ Momma posted on Instagram. Go check her out if you haven’t already. Are they not the cutest?! I’m putting together some fun little doodads and activity sheets for the little kids’ table, and when I showed theses to my son, he was definitely on board with helping me make these.

SO, there you have it! And I want to also share that as I made this lists and pulled recipes all last week, I also listened to a very powerful message on the Revive Our Hearts Podcast from Asheritah Ciuciu about keeping our food consumption in proper spiritual perspective. Wow, I could tell you so much more, but it would make for another blog post. But it was truly a blessing to hear her message right before the holidays, and if you want to check it out, just google Revive Our Hearts and Asheritah Ciuciu. There are 4 episodes. Enjoy!

I apologize for the ginormous photos lately, haha! I’ll be adjusting my media settings this week.