**Bumped up from last year 🙂 **
Cranberry Sauce is my expert dish for Thanksgiving. Here is the best recipe, a variation by me of one used by the very excellent Paula Deen. I also suggest replacing the apple ingredient with pear if you so choose!
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 (16-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 orange, juiced (you can also add orange zest and little bits of orange if that’s your fave!)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
Combine the sugar and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cranberries and return to a boil, then lower the heat so that the liquid simmers. Add the apples, walnuts, raisins, Grand Marnier, orange and lemon juices, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool. Makes 4-5 cups.
Mmmm….
And please do add your own special recipes for everyone in the Comments section!
Happy Thanksgiving Tammy, P.D., Snoopy & Sydney and thanks for the kick ass cranberry sauce recipe!
Thank you Tammy : ) – you are the best!
Thanks Tammy — awesome recipe. Enjoy your Thanksgiving with your loved ones and a happy Thanksgiving to all.
i was a vegetarian for years and lived with a crunchy granola crystal wearing smudge stick waving type human.( and lived to tell the tale). for sweets that are sugar free and whole grain about the best cookbook ever is ‘the common ground dessert cookbook'( out of print but a steal used on amazon for 3 bucks). many of the recipes you cannot tell are no sugar-they’re quite amazing and there are vegan options- so sugar free thanksgiving can be very delicious.
http://www.amazon.com/Common-Ground-Dessert-Cookbook/dp/0898151139
pumpkin pie
3 cups pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup maple syrup
2T blackstrap molasses
1 c. heavy cream
2t vanilla
1/4 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1t. powdered ginger
1/2t cloves scant
1/2 t allspice
blend all in blender or food processor pour into unbaked-
whole wheat pie crust( 10 inch)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 c. butter( cold or near frozen)
1T maple syrup
1/4 cup ice water.
cut butter into flour with forks until mixture is pea sized. work maple syrup in with fingers. slowly add water until comes together- form a ball. refrigerate and roll out. the less you handle it the flakier it will be.
bake at 325 for about an hour or until set.
(the cheesecake in this book is about the best i have ever had.)
Thanks, thierry…I just ordered the book. I have a friend who is a diabetic and this will be great for him.
the common ground was a hippie collective restaurant in brattleboro vermont- i know- but that book is awesome. it has some nice pen and ink work too. just don’t read anything in it besides the recipes (” The problem lies in the unequal distribution of food wealth…”).
Did you ever go to the Blue Strawbery in New Hampshire?
no, but i have been to the angry feminist vegetarian restaurant where no one degrades themselves by waiting on customers and there’s no cash register:
http://www.bloodroot.com/index.htm
they also have a series of cookbooks -the political palate- that are quite good but you need to weed out the very 80’s wimmin’s politics from the very respectable vegetarian recipes. they’ve taken up weaving now and call themselves Luddites. (so that’s what they’re calling it nowadays…)
Thanks for the link! The place looks pretty. Blue Strawbery came out with a cookbook, simply called the Blue Strawbery Cookbook: cooking fabulously without recipes…some of the recipes are so delicious and simple. I don’t think they are around anymore. .. so now you’re a one-eyed pup?
if i am going to be repeatedly called” evil looking” like ” a Clockwork Orange” mine is but to oblige: that’s Snoopy done up as Alex from “A Clockwork Orange”.
http://tinyurl.com/32e3fma
i thought this was interesting- it’s an interview with the chef of the blue strawberry. there’s a recipe for chix and duck breasts in whiskey orange sauce with fig there that looks good:
http://tinyurl.com/3xgx3wd
Thanks for sharing. Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours.
Tried the cranberry sauce. –loved it!
Good!!
Mmm, thanks for the recipe, Tammy! Below is the recipe I use for pumpkin pie each year. I LOVE how the house smells while this is in the oven!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Pumpkin Pie:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 can (12 fl oz) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell
Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake in preheated oven at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve chilled with a dollop of Cool Whip on top.
Uber Tuber, or roasted veggies…EASY
1 bag of Parsnips (the most underutilized veggie!)
1 lb Bag of baby carrots
3 or 4 good sized Sweet potatoes
a bunch of little baby red taters, or the colorful tater of your choice, about lb.
1 large red onion
any other of your favorite tuber goodness…perhaps a beet or two…
Cut all veggies up in approx 1 inch chunks/similar size so cooking will be relatively even
Toss all veggies in a bowl with some olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and some chopped fresh rosemary… not sure on amounts, just enough to evenly coat everything
Place in large roasting pan
Oven at 400 degrees… approx 30-40 minutes. stir periodically to keep stuff from sticking to pan.
Done!
Enjoy!
http://southgeek.blogspot.com/
I am totally going to try this one out, padrooga!
Salivating already,
~Maven
alleric to walnuts so I’d substitute some toasted almonds. we don’t have cranberries here, we have lingonberries which are great, not as tart and sour add a bit of orange zest to it and almonds or hazelnuts for special occassions.
making pumpkin bread mini loaves and one pie, my Mom has a recipe for pumpkin squares, sort of like an apple crumble, it goes allot farther.
just waiting for the pumpkin to arrive.
anyone have a recipe for sweet potato pie?
mary mcleod bethune’s sweet potato pie ( from the black family reunion cookbook, NCNW)
makes 2-3 pies
4 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup/ 2 sticks butter, soft
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs. beaten
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
boil, peel and mash sweet potatoes.
mix sugars and spices and combine with butter- beat until creamy. beat in mashed sweet potatoes. beat in eggs. slowly beat in milk and vanilla- (warm the milk a little, not hot, if it’s too cold- it will mix better and not make hard butter lumps)
spoon into unbaked pie shells. bake 325 40-50 minutes or until set. (can be made as a baked pudding. after 1 hour or until set- top with marshmallows and return to oven until light brown)
Recipe for an easy kind of Southern Dressing from a friend in Virginia
1 one pound loaf of white bread, cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick of butter
1 Tablespoon dried thyme (may want to add less, but I love thyme!)
Put bread cubes in large bowl. Add grated onion and 2 eggs. Melt stick of butter, add to bowl. Then add thyme and enough water or chicken broth to moisten well. Bake at 350 in greased pan until done. Enjoy!
Snicker Salad, formerly called Candy Apple Salad, this stuff is completely addictive. Original recipe called for 6 apples and 6 full sized Snickers bars. I double the Snickers and halve the apples. Don’t make the day before, the snickers will start to melt into the dressing. It’s still excellent that way but you can eat it with the melted Snickers after the big day and the company goes home. There are online versions of Candy Apple Salad that call for using cool whip only — no no no. No. It’s cool whip, cream cheese, and marshmallow cream.
SNICKERS SALAD
12 full sized Snickers candy bars, chopped
3-4 tart apples i.e. Granny Smith, cored and chopped (peel if you prefer)
1 large container Cool Whip, thawed
1 block cream cheese, softened, the 8 oz size
1 jar marshmallow cream — I use the large, but the smaller one will work too; how
much do you like marshmallow?
Chop the Snickers and the apples, put in large serving bowl and mix. Beat cool whip, cream cheese, and marshmallow cream together on high until smooth and creamy. Fold into snickers mix, refrigerate until serving time.
this will totally get you sent to the Food Re-education Camps by Beloved Partner of Dear Leader.
You know she’d be eating it hand over fist.
if only there was a way to batter dip it and then deep fry it in lard…
Can you substitute DayQuil for Grand Marnier ?
LOL! Probably but why would you ?
Try this one: healthy fruit. Sugar cookie crust, cheesecake filling, apple pie filling on top, but not the canned stuff. Sliced fresh crisp tart apples with cinnamon and sugar. Once you taste this stuff, you will never make another apple pie, you’ll make this instead.
BAVARIAN APPLE TORTE
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
3/4 cup butter — softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
FILLING
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese — softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
TOPPING
3 cups tart apples — peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine the first four ingredients. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9 inch springform pan. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour over crust. Combine topping ingredients; spoon over filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 65 mintues or until the center is set. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Cut into wedges with a serrated knive.
NOTES : This dessert is fabulous. Even a tight fitting springform pan may leak. To prevent drips on the bottom of the oven, place the pan on a baking sheet in the oven. Spray the baking sheet with Pam, then line with tin foil. Don’t skip the Pam, the foil may stick to the baking sheet without it. Or place a sheet of tin foil on the rack below the cheesecake to catch any drips.
Here’s the family recipe for Southern Banana Pudding!
My mouth is watering already…
Banana Pudding
60 to 70 vanilla wafers (about 2 boxes)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 12 oz. cans evaporated milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 ripe but firm bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
LINE bottom and sides of 2 1/2-quart glass bowl with about 40 wafers.
COMBINE sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in evaporated milk to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in eggs. Add butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low; bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Let cool slightly.
POUR half of pudding over wafers. Top with half of bananas. Layer remaining vanilla wafers over bananas. Combine remaining pudding and bananas; spoon over wafers. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Top with whipped topping.
My mother’s from North Carolina and barbeque is VERY different there. Here is her recipe for replicating NC barbeque using a pork roast.
Carolina BBQ
1 3-6Lbs Pork Shoulder or Boston butt roast
Rub Ingredients
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 Tbs of Paprika
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
Sauce Ingredients
1 cup cider vinegar (experiment to your taste)
1 cup white vinegar
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
½ t dry mustard
½ t garlic salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne red pepper
Combine Rub ingredients and stir to mix well. Rub over entire pork roast. Drizzle about 1/3 of Sauce over roast. Cover and refrigerate remaining mixture.
Place roast in crock pot on high for 6-7 hours. Recommend placing on Low for 10-11 hours. In a Dutch oven, brown roast on all sides in hot oil for a nice crust.
When Pork roast is very tender, with a fork, remove roast. Chop roast into a very fine degree (basically as much as you can cut it with a sharp knife and fork). Then apply sauce over the chopped roast to your taste. Remaining vinegar sauce may be reserved to pass or baste
Hot stuff! I’ll be trying this, thanks!
I have two sweet potato recipes for you. One has been posted in the Thanksgiving thread here on the blog before and like Tammy’s cranberry sauce, it also calls for Grand Marnier. Here’s that one:
GRAND MARNIER SWEET POTATOES
Ingredients:
1. 12 sweet potatoes
2. ½ lb. Turkish dried apricots
3. ½ cup orange juice
4. 1 stick butter
5. Rinds of 2 oranges
6. ¼ cup Grand Marnier
7. Brown sugar (to taste)
8. Salt (to taste)
9. Walnuts (to taste)
Directions:
1. Boil sweet potatoes in skins until done.
2. Cool, peel, put in bowl and chop coarsely.
3. Pulse apricots in blender/food processor.
4. Put apricots into microwave bowl with orange juice, butter, orange rinds, brown sugar and Grand Marnier.
5. Heat in microwave for about 3 minutes.
6. Fold mixture into potatoes and add salt. (This is very important.)
7. Dot with brown sugar, butter and coarsely chopped walnuts.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.
And this is a sweet potato souffle from a place in Atlanta called Mary Mac’s Tearoom. It’s very easy and I’m making it for the second year in a row.
SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE′ (Makes 4 to 5 servings)
Cover with water in large pot:
* 2 pounds small sweet potatoes, washed (I couldn’t find small so I just picked up large ones)
Boil, covered, for about 1 hour, until soft. Drain, slip skins off, and mash in large bowl. Preheat oven to 350°.
Add:
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 4 to 5 tablespoons sugar, to taste
* 1/3 cup light cream (I could only find regular cream)
* 2 eggs beaten
* Pinch of ground cinnamon and/or ground allspice
This recipe involves a lot of tasting, because the sugar content of sweet potatoes varies by season and region, so it’s up to your own taste to decide how much sugar to add.
Pour into buttered 2-quart baking dish and bake until center of souffle′ is set, 30 to 40 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 475°.
Place on top to cover:
* Miniature mashmallows.
Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes to brown.
You can also add ½ cup raisins or ½ cup toasted pecans folded in. If you do this, you may want to leave out the spice and marshmallows since it might make it too rich.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
This looks delic! I’ll try it for Christmas! Thx Kelly
I look forward to hearing how you like it. Your recipes look delicious too.
Have a great Thanksgiving. (Love your avi, btw.)
Oh thank you Tammy! Was so glad to see this posted again! I have never cared for cranberry sauce…until your recipe!! Hope you and your family have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!!
Ann
Ok, this is one of the best pumpkin breads I have ever tasted!! Hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did! You can also make it in one big angel food cake pan instead of three little loaves, it just takes a little longer to cook. Check after 1 hour to see if knive or skewer comes out clean. Enjoy!!
Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Delightful (low-fat) Very Orange Cranberry Muffins [adapted; hat tip food.com]
2 cups flour (I use 1 c. whole wheat pastry; 1 c. all purpose)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 c. dark brown + 1/2 c. granulated – LOL)
2 tablespoons margarine, melted (I used butter, unsalted)
1 cup orange juice (I use 1/2 c. concentrate + 1/2 c. H2O)
1 teaspoon chopped orange rind (I used 2 slightly rounded t. dried orange peel – in jar)
1 1/4 cups halved fresh cranberries or 1 1/4 cups frozen and thawed cranberries (NOT too wet!)
1/4 c. (or a tad more — pecans, chopped well; optional)
1/4 t. nutmeg (opt.)…and a smidge more 😀
Preheat oven to 400. Coat a 12-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. (or 14 maybe 🙂
Whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
Beat the egg, sugar, and margarine with an electric mixer set on medium until smooth. Add the orange juice and orange peel and beat again.
Mix the flour and cranberries into the batter by hand just until combined.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups so that each is about two-thirds full.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned, puff up, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin set on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the tin; eat them warm or let them cool completely on wire rack.
I play w/ my food: added a T. or so of ground flax seed to each cup b4 measuring the flour. I like very orange, so I often use concentrate when it calls for a small amt. to flavor a recipe a little. Also added the nuts and nutmeg. My brand new oven baked ’em in 15 minutes PERFECTLY! Boy, am I thankful to replace the 1976 El Cheapo model original to the house!
By the way, was ObaMao handing out cash under the table or sumpthin’? Half the recipes have GM in them LOL . No, wait…