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The Thanksgiving Page
recipes collected from the fans

Salads & appetizers  - alphabetically
Bread Dip
Cranberry Sauce, Ginger & Orange
Green and White Salad

Entrees - alphabetically
Baked Butternut Squash with Apples
Candied Yams
Grilled Turkey
Pineapple Casserole
Shaker Village Corn Pudding


Desserts & Breads - alphabetically
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bread, Dairy-free, Egg-free
Pumpkin Pie, Crustless Lo-Carb
Pumpkin Pie, Non-dairy Sugar-free
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Salads   Entrees   Desserts    Traditions

Salads & Appetizers

Bread Dip

 4c sour cream
2c mayo
3tbsp dried dill (or fresh if you have it)
1tbsp parsley
2 packages of dried beef
2 1lb loaves of your favorite rye cut into chunks

Mix all but the bread together and let sit in the fridge for about half an hour and dip bread chunks in it....
- Belladonna Took
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Green and White Salad

1 3oz. pkg. lime gelatin
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 can crushed pineapple
1 pkg. lemon gelatin
1 c. boiling water
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
1/2 c. cottage cheese

Dissolve lime gelatin in 11/2 c. boiling water; cool. Add pineapple and chill until firm.  Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 c. boiling water; cool.  Whip cream, fold in with cottage cheese and add to lemon gelatin.  Pour over the firmed lime mixture and chill. 
Options:  Add finely diced celery and or pecans to the lime layer.
- Primula
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Ginger & Orange Cranberry Sauce

1 lb. fresh cranberries
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
3/4 c. orange juice
Grated zest from 1 fresh orange
1 T. finely minced fresh ginger

Mix all in a heavy saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until cranberries pop open (10-15 minutes).  Take off of heat, skim off the foam.  Cool to room temperature before refrigerating.  Cover.  Keeps in the fridge for 3 months.
- Primula
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Salads   Entrees   Desserts    

Entrees

Grilled Turkey

No recipes per se, but rather a slightly different way to cook the turkey:

A 14-pound bird takes about 3-1/2 hours to cook on the outdoor gas grill. When done properly, the skin is quite crisp, but the meat is oh-so-juicy. The key is to keep the bird to one side of the grill, with a pan of water beneath the rack it sits on, and to light only the burners on the other side of the grill...

The resulting aroma of grilled turkey drives the neighbors crazy, regardless of how much they had to eat at their own meal.
- Ennelyeyn

Other ways to cook your Turkey:

We usually do two turkeys: one roasted in the traditional manner for about 4 hours, the other deep fried in peanut oil. We brine both of the birds together in a cooler in a mix of saltwater, Orange Juice, lime slices, jalapeño slices and serrano slices. The flavor is gently added to the bird via the brining process, but there is no heat in any real sense. And they come out REALLY juicy that way. Cover the birds with ice and let them sit all night in the cooler and the next day they are good to go.

We roast one the usual way, then being to prepare the remainng bird for the deep fry by injecting the bird with cajun flavoring. We have used the Tony Sachery's stuff and it is good. We have also melted a stick of butter and added a bottle of Onion Juice and Garlic Juice to it. That has worked well too. Dry off the bird and lower it into the oil and let it cook for 3mins/pound. Pull it out, wrap it in foil and let is continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes. All told, it is ready to eat about 1hour 45 minutes after immersion. Very yummy and exceedingly juicy and flavorful.
- Doctor Gamgee
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Baked Butternut Squash with Apples

Ingredients

    * 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds butternut squash (about 2 medium)
    * 2 1/4 pounds medium-size tart green apples such as Granny Smith (6-7)
    * 3/4 cup dried currants
    * Freshly grated nutmeg
    * 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
    * 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
    * 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Peel, quarter lengthwise, seed, and cut each squash into 1/4-inch thick slices. Peel, quarter, core, and cut each apple into 1/4-inch slices.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook squash in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Combine squash, apples and currants in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Combine maple syrup, butter and lemon juice in heavy small saucepan. Whisk over low heat until butter melts. Pour syrup over squash mixture and toss to coat evenly. Season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Bake until squash and apples are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. Makes 12, 1-cup servings.

Nutrition data for 1/12th recipe:

    * Calories: 147
    * Fat: 4g
    * Sodium: 25 mg
    * Carbs: 31g
    * Fiber: 5g
    * Protein: 1.5g

There is no way to describe what this smells like when it is baking. It tastes even better. - Yaralindi

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Candied Yams (or Sweet Potatoes)

8-10 yams, not too huge or they get woody.
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter (half a cube)
1/2 t. salt

Scrub yams, cut off any woody parts and cook by boiling, whole, in just enough water to cover until tender (maybe 30 min or less). Drain, peel and slice into fat slices, 1/2-1 inch thick. Put half of it in a casserole dish. Cover with half of each of the ingredients above. Repeat.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Top with:

12+ big marshmallows

Return to oven for about 5-10 minutes or until marshmallows lightly brown.
- Primula
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Pineapple Casserole

1 large can of Pineapple Chunks (100% juice)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. Flour
3 Tbsp. Butter
3-4 slices of sandwich bread cubed (no need to cut off crust)
4 more Tbsp of Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the juice from the can of pineapple and mix it with the sugar, flour, and 3 Tbsp of butter in saucepan. Cook on stovetop until slightly thickened, stirring constantly (Don't worry about getting it super-thick).

Add pineapple, marshmallows and cheese, Pour into an 8x8 baking dish. Melt the remaining butter and pour over bread cubes, letting the bread cubes soak it up for a couple of minutes. Pour the bread cubes over the casserole in a thin layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until the top begins to lightly brown). Enjoy!

Note from my mother-in-law (who is right!):

If you triple the recipe, and add an additional cup of cheese, it will fill two 13x9 pans, which is a good amount even for a small number of guests because you will want enough for leftovers for yourself after you have (grudgingly) sent some home with people.
- Doctor Gamgee
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Shaker Village Corn Pudding

2 cups corn scraped from cob, milk removed
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion or 1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk or cream
1 tablespoon butter
6 saltine crackers, crumbled
Herb mix (recipe below) or herbs of your choice, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

Yield: 6 servings


Hancock Shaker Village Herb Mix

1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried summer savory
1/2 tablespoon dried tarragon
1/2 tablespoon dried sage
Mix the herbs together and store in an air-tight jar.

Yield: about 1/2 cup
- Ashlyn
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Salads   Entrees   Desserts    

Desserts & Breads


Pumpkin Bread

2/3 Cup soft margarine (1 tub) – Do not melt
1 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Unsulfured Molasses
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups canned pumpkin (1 can)

Flour Mixture – 3 1/3 Cups White Flour or
• 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 Cups White Flour
• 1/3 Cup Raw Wheat Germ
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9” x 5” loaf pans with cooking spray.
Cream shortening (margarine), sugar and molasses until light and fluffy.
Blend in eggs and pumpkin.
Stir together remaining dry ingredients.
Combine flour mixture with Creamed mixture and blend until dry ingredients are moistened
Pour into two loaf pans and bake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until a toothpick comes out of loaf clean.
Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out of pan and cool completely before slicing.
Will also yield 8 “mini” loaves.
- MithrandirCQ
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Dairy-free, Egg-free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

    * 2 cups cooked pumpkin
    * 3/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup (I use Maple Grove Farms)
    * 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum (can be omitted, but increase gelatin to 2 tbsp)
    * 4 tsp unflavored gelatin
    * 2 cups soy or almond milk
    * 2 cups cornmeal
    * 1 1/2 cups flour
    * 2 tsp cinnamon
    * 1 tsp ginger
    * 1 tsp nutmeg
    * 1 tsp baking soda (or 2 tsp sodium-free baking soda)
    * 1/4 tsp salt (or salt substitute)
    * 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit

Preparation

    * Preheat the oven to 350 F. LIghtly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
    * In a blender, combine the pumpkin, syrup, xanthan gum, gelatin, and soy milk and process until well blended and thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
    * In a small-medium mixing bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda and salt until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Fold in the raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Great warm, at room temperature, or cold!


Nutrition info (1/12th of recipe - your slice size may vary!)

    * Calories: 194
    * Fat: 1.7g
    * Sodium: 59mg
    * Carbs: 39.5
    * Fiber: 4g
    * Protein: 6.5g
- Yaralindi

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These take a little time but are well worth the effort. The smell and taste are wonderful and the calorie count is very reasonable, as bread go. They can also be made 1-2 weeks ahead of time, frozen, and reheated. I use the coolrise method for most of my breads because there is nothing better than the smell of warm bread in the morning.

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup soy milk
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups (or more) white whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
  • 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons quick-rising active dry yeast (from two 1/4-ounce envelopes)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt or salt substitute
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 large egg white, whisked with 1 tablespoon water (for glaze)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
Preparation

Bring 3/4 cup soy milk and 3/4 cup water to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add butter and sugar; stir until melted. Attach instant-read thermometer to inside of pan; let milk cool until thermometer registers 120°F to 130°F. Add egg yolk and blend. Add yeast and let sit one minute.

Meanwhile, combine 3 cups flour, potato flakes, dry milk powder, and salt in large bowl; whisk to blend. Add warm milk mixture. Stir to blend. Knead mixture in bowl until dough comes together (dough will be sticky). Turn out onto floured work surface and knead until very smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls as needed. (about 8 minutes) Place dough in buttered bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Place in middle rear of refrigerator overnight to coolrise; in the morning, take out and allow to come to room temperature before continuing. If time is an issue, simply let the dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Butter 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan or small baking sheet. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and divide in half. Knead each piece lightly until smooth. Cut each dough half into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into almost smooth ball. Arrange dough rounds in 4 lengthwise and 4 crosswise rows in prepared pan, spacing about 3/4 to 1 inch apart (rolls will not fill pan). Cover shaped rolls with kitchen towel. Again, place in middle rear of refrigerator to coolrise overnight or let rise in warm draft-free area until rolls have almost doubled in volume and have expanded enough to touch each other, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Gently brush rolls with egg-white glaze, then sprinkle generously with oats. If coolrise method was used, let dough warm to room temperature on counter while oven preheats. Bake dinner rolls until light golden brown, about 28 minutes. Let rolls cool in pan 5 minutes, then pull rolls apart and cool on rack at least 15 minutes.

Note: White whole wheat flour is milled from 100 percent hard white wheat. It contains all of the germ and bran (and nutritional value) of regular whole wheat, but has a naturally lighter color and milder flavor. It's available at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores and from kingarthurflour.com.

Nutrition data for 1/16 of recipe:
  • Calories: 136
  • Fat: 3g
  • Sodium: 26mg
  • Carbs: 20g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 5g


Crustless Lo-Carb Pumpkin Pie

3 eggs (or 3/4 c. eggbeaters)
1/4 c. brown sugar (I replaced with fructose)
15 packets of splenda
1 T. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 1/4 heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, grease a pie pan. Lightly bear eggs, sweeteners, spices and a shake or two of salt. Add pumpkin and cream. Pour into pan. Bake for 45-55 inutes until a knife in the center comes out clean. Keeps about 3-4 days in the fridge, if you want to make it ahead for a gathering.

This one is crustless, but you can make a low-carb crust using ground almonds, coconut and other goodies if you like.
- Primula
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Non-dairy, Sugar-free Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

    * 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
    * 2 cups cooked pumpkin
    * 2 eggs (or egg substitute)
    * 1/3 cup sugar-free maple syrup (I use Maple Grove Farms], honey, or rice syrup
    * Pinch of salt
    * 1-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    * 1 pkg (12-14oz) silken firm tofu

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Blend all filling ingredients in a blender. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 45 minutes or until set.

Nutrition data for 1/8th of pie (less pie crust which varies with what you prefer)

    * Calories: 52.6
    * Fat: 1g
    * Sodium: 77mg
    * Carbs: 6.5g
    * Fiber: 2.2
    * Protein: 5.5g
- Yaralindi
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Traditions we've had for the Thanksgiving Holiday

  Family traditions: spend a day or more cooking, baking and yelling at everyone to get out of the kitchen - eating Thanksgiving dinner early in the afternoon so we can collapse in front of the tube to watch football - eating again later in the evening - yelling at everyone to get into the kitchen to wash the dishes - swearing that this is the last time we're doing this and looking forward to next year when we can all get together again.
- Traevynn

as far as traditions go ... as a child giant :

my immediate family always went to a long-time family friend's "cabin" in the "woods" in central-upstate New York. arnold's cabin had no electricity ... we used kerosene lamps ... fire / wood cooking stove ... snow was USUALLY up to the knees ... no tv ... no radio ... just wonderful times, pleasant conversations and remarkable aromas all through the late morning and afternoon until we'd have our feast ... which was usually ready shortly before sunset ....

also:

usually about mid-afternoon as i recall, we'd all go out on foot - except for mom ... who'd keep an eye on things as they cooked - on Arnold's rather extensive property and pick out and cut down the family's gentle Christmas tree for that year; rather like the Griswold's ... although dad invariably remembered the saw AND had a very good idea of the size and height of our cave's living room!

nowadays:

as far as gentler-half is concerned, i watch WAY too much football already ... especially college football. so i usually make a point NOT to watch any on Thanksgiving Day. for about the last five or six years, though, we've always managed to watch the movie Planes, Tranes and Automobiles ... if not ON the actual holiday, then within just a few days of it ....
- gentle-giant

Living where we do, my family and I have no one to share Thanksgiving with (not a holiday in Denmark!) but we always make ourselves a lovely Thanksgiving dinner every year. There was no way I was going to miss Thanksgiving dinner!

We couldn't for our life find a turkey anywhere, so we settled for some Cornish hens (yummy, those!) and duck legs. Plus cornbread muffins, cranberry salad, a host of smaller dishes and vegetables and of course pumpkin pie. My favorite!!
- Froda Baggins

We decorate with fall themes and little pilgrims.  My mom likes to watch the Macys parade on tv, and when my uncles are there they spend the day watching football, but otherwise the tv turned off and we gather around for rounds of Uno, dominoes, Monopoly, etc. If we have a crowd, we bring out the big bingo game with its wire cage that can be cranked - the kids like that one.   Traditional Thanksgiving fare rules the day - turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, stuffing, yams with brown sugar and marshmallows, green-beans with bacon, and some form of jello... and then the pumpkin pie, pecan pie and pumpkin cheesecake! You are making me hungry just thinking about it.
- Primula

 I get a little football in on Thanksgiving, after the Macy's parade, and March of the Wooden Soldiers. In between courses of the traditional meal served around chicken instead of turkey, Dallas and Detroit games are a fun part of our family tradition (that and a little trivial pursuit over pie and tea)...I'm just remembering that either Christmas or Thanksgiving has College ball, but I don't remember which...guess I'll find out on Thursday...
- Erech the Undead

 Besides football my favorite family tradition is my mom's french apple pie and my aunt ellen's sausage stuffing! Oh yeah and cuddling with sleepy kids once they are done eating turkey...
- Belladonna Took

Everyone loves to cook except me. I do the flower arrangements (which are already finished and ready to go) and I do dishes. So I can relax and let the rest of them worry and argue about recipes, ingredients, timing, etc.   There's no football involved in our Thanksgiving but after dinner we'll probably play some board games and watch a movie. And then our daughter will start singing Christmas carols - she always starts on Thanksgiving.
- Mathom

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