November 24, 2010
Hello everyone! So late today! Eek!
But, guess what tomorrow is?? Thanksgiving here in America! It is, by far, my favorite holiday. Family, friends, food, and no work for anyone! 
I have to be honest though, I'm no expert on what it actually takes to pull Thanksgiving off. I've always helped a little, but I've never been in charge. So I did a little interview with my mom while she was preparing some parts of tomorrow's big meal.
Here's what our Thanksgiving meal usually consists of:
turkey
gravy
stuffing (one traditional and one cornbread, and this year one gluten-free)
cranberry sauce
sweet potatoes (with marshmallows melted on top!)
mashed potatoes
squash
peas
pearl onions
corn
dinner rolls
pies with fresh whipped cream
Did I miss anything? Oh, sometimes there's birthday cake. Maybe it's my favorite holiday because it was my first day on earth! 
So here's a little advice from my mom. She's modest. She doesn't think she's an expert. But she always pulls it off, and it's always delicious.
Me: What would you tell someone who's doing Thanksgiving for the first time?
Mary: I think the important thing is not to be intimidated by the meal. Do as much as you can the day or two before so that on Thanksgiving you have a little less to worry about. I always make the rolls early and put them in the freezer a few days before. Cranberry sauce can be made ahead of time too.
The other thing is not to try to do anything too fancy. No one will remember the fancy things - they just want the old standards. Stuffing, gravy, turkey, and lots of different vegetables. Oh, and the rolls. I think I'd be in trouble if I didn't make the rolls. The guests might mutiny!
Me: What about the timing on Thanksgiving Day?
Mary: Well, you really need to just make sure everything is done when the turkey is done. If you're new to Thanksgiving, I would map it out on paper so you know what you have to do when.
Me: Have you ever screwed it up?
Mary: One year I dropped a whole pie on the floor straight out of the oven. And then there was the year your dad brought home some free range, organic farm turkey the night before Thanksgiving and it barely fit in the oven! I think it had about an inch of room from the top of the oven and it wouldn't fit in the roasting pan! It was 32 pounds of turkey for four adults and two kids under the age of four. We were eating turkey for days!
Me: What's your favorite memory of Thanksgiving?
Mary: Well of course the day you were born! Except that day I didn't even have any food! I did make your dad mince pies so he wouldn't be hungry while I was busy having you, so he got a little taste of Thanksgiving that year!
See? It's practically my holiday.
Some of the things we have for Thanksgiving every year are standard and kind of boring but they're there because they're always there. Maybe even since the Pilgrims. But some of the things we have every year are just downright awesome. Dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and cornbread stuffing are my top three. So, here are the recipes for cranberry sauce and stuffing. Tomorrow, you get the famous dinner rolls. Gotta keep you coming back!
Cranberry Sauce
1 package cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp orange zest
Put everything together in a saucepan and turn to medium heat. Cook until the cranberries pop and start breaking down. The mixture will thicken, takes about 30 minutes.
Cornbread Stuffing with Roasted Chestnuts and Dried Cranberries
1 chopped onion
3 stalks chopped celery
1 tbsp butter
4 cups chopped cornbread
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped roasted chestnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the onion and celery until they're soft and translucent. In a large bowl, combine the onion and celery with the cornbread, roasted chestnuts, cranberries and dried herbs. Mix them to combine. Slowly pour in the chicken broth a little at a time, until the mixture is moist all the way through. Put the soggy mixture in an oven safe dish and put it in the oven at 350 (180 C) for 30 minutes until the top starts to get crispy. Then spoon out and enjoy!
So there's Thanksgiving, part one! Check back tomorrow for the famous dinner roll recipe (Greta, this one's for you!), and some thankfulness.
Images from Martha Stewart and Country Living, via Apartment Therapy.
3 comments:
It is more fun when you know the person being interviewed!!! Have a great day.
Love you! Thanks :) I'm checking back...I thought I would never learn the recipe.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, too. It is the purest holiday, focused only on family and gratitude. Your grandfather would always raise a toast "to those who have gone before!" I, too, remember the day you were born. We were all on edge the whole day until your father called with the wonderful news. Then we really toasted! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
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