Thanksgiving Day

Happy December! Are you as excited as I am about the start of this month? I plan on enjoying every minute of the season, but first, I'd like to say how grateful I am to my parents, who drove all the way up from Florida to spend Thanksgiving with us. The last four years we spent Thanksgiving with friends and my in-laws. I was thrilled to share the holiday with my Mom, Dad, and brother this year. 

I prepped as much as I could days before, setting the table, making the sweet potato casserole, and stuffing the days leading up to Thanksgiving. So, on Thursday morning, I woke up, threw some cinnamon rolls in the oven (not everything has to be homemade, right!?) and watched the parade, stress-free! 

I seem to be using that word a lot lately, but I hate being stressed, especially during the holidays. Around 1:00, I showered, then went back downstairs to get the turkey ready!

The dining room looked so pretty that afternoon, with the sunlight shining through. We were lucky to have beautiful weather, even though it was pretty cold.

Right before crunch time, we all got dressed and ready for family photos. The turkey was out and resting on the stove. The sweet potatoes, stuffing, and rolls were in the oven baking. Miss A was cheerful, running around, in her new red dress. It was the perfect time for pictures!

I think she started getting blinded by all the flashes! After awhile she'd crinkle up her eyes whenever I'd shout, "Cheese!" 

No more pictures Mom! Unless they're with Dad.

I mean, how priceless is this picture? Getting framed for sure.

Then, it was time to eat! I set everything up in the kitchen so we could serve ourselves as much, or as little (!) as we wanted. The first thing to go- the carrots! Oops. I'll have to make more next time. For our menu, click here. 

Here's my plate! Oh, how I LOVE sweet potatoes and marshmallows. I pile them on!

My only disappointment- Miss A wasn't into her turkey dinner like I expected her to be! You never know what to expect with this girl. Bread, and singing at the table, was all she wanted to do! 

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I'm so ready for everything Christmas! We put up our tree and started decorating the house. I love this time of year. 

How was your Thanksgiving?

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Yesterday I shared tips on how to have a stress-free Thanksgiving, if you're hosting. Today I'm sharing with you the recipes I've used every year, tired and true classics. I love not having to worry about trying out a recipe weeks before and stressing over it not turning out right the day of. I'm sure one year I'll get bored and toss them out, but for now, I'm sticking with these. 

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Roasted Turkey with Cranberry Glaze

This turkey recipe is from Paula Dean. The first year I hosted Thanksgiving, I watched the Food Network every single day after work to prepare myself. I watched Paula make this turkey and knew I had to make it myself. She made it look so easy! And it is easy, once you've done it, you'll feel like a pro. There is only one thing I do differently than Paula- I brine my turkey overnight. The turkey goes into a liquid mixture of water, salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano, and basil and sits in the fridge until Turkey Day. I wash the turkey well and get to work on Paula's recipe. It's the most flavorful, moist turkey I've ever had!

Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes

These sweet potatoes are TO DIE for!! I just love them and look forward to making them every year, with marshmallows and all. Don't like marshmallows on your sweet potatoes? Leave them out, it won't affect the dish at all!

Maple Glazed Carrots & Apple and Onion Stuffing

I like to change up the veggie side dish every year, but I usually stick with carrots or corn on the cob, in an effort to keep it easy, since everything else requires more work! As I mentioned yesterday, sometimes friends will be in charge of the veggie, and I'll leave it up to them!

Desserts

Deciding on what to make for dessert is always the hardest part for me! I want to bake all the things and I have a tough time narrowing down what to make for Thanksgiving. This year is no different. I still have no idea what I'm going to end up doing. I love having cheesecake on Thanksgiving, as it was a traditional dessert my mom made every year, but I also like having something unexpected, like cranberry bars, or even cookies, which I've done over the years. Since I'm not sure what I'll be making for this Thanksgiving, here are a few dessert recipes I've made in the past for you to check out.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Cranberry Bliss Bars

What are you looking forward to eating the most this year? Will you be cooking or baking?

5 Stress-free Thanksgiving Hosting Tips

This is going to be my fifth year hosting Thanksgiving. The first year we hosted Thanksgiving, our friends came up from Miami to spend the holiday with us in Michigan. We had NO clue what we were doing (which goes against tip #5, but we were fully prepared to order a pizza if it didn't go well!) none of us had ever made a turkey before. I was confident we could do it- my best friend and I (the men sat on the couch and played video games) gathered as much advice as we could and got to work.

It was the best Thanksgiving meal I've ever had. Since then I've been hooked. Thanksgiving is my holiday. I can't imagine NOT cooking the big meal and you know what- I love every minute of it. Sure, I get a little crazy at the end, barking out orders, running around the kitchen making sure everything makes it to the table piping HOT, shoving everyone out of my way. It's chaotic and crazy- but only at the end, I promise. Then I sit down, relax, and enjoy the meal.

After hosting for the past four years, I realized I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve. So, if you're hosting this year, I hope this helps!

1. Set the Table

This is a quick and easy tip. If you have a dining room that you don't use on a daily basis, set the table! You could set the table a week before if you like (which would mean tomorrow), giving you one less thing to worry about. Keep it simple; no one wants to crane their neck around a large flower arrangement or fear knocking over tall candles to grab more gravy. Scatter a few miniature pumpkins here and there, some pinecones, and small votives to set the scene.

2. Chicken Stock is Your Best Friend

Seriously, it is. I love watching Rachael Ray's talk show because she offers SO many tips throughout the whole month of November in preparation of Thanksgiving. Stock up on chicken stock! After you carve the turkey, taste a piece. Is it dry (I hope not!)? If it is, heat up some chicken stock in a small saucepan and pour it over the carved turkey slices. No one will know the difference, and your turkey will be moist and flavorful!

3. Get Help

From the store, from your husband, from whoever you're inviting over. Hosting Thanksgiving doesn't mean you have to do everything. Buy a gravy packet from the store. Order a pie from a bakery. And this is a tip within a tip- start early, like days before early! There are plenty of side dishes that can be made days in advance. After your Thanksgiving grocery haul, ask your husband to chop the onions, celery, apples, and carrots. All your veggies will be ready to go and they can hang out in the fridge for days. And, by all means, if your guests offer to bring something, say YES!

Thanksgiving 2012- our friends were in charge of the veggie side dishes

4. Clean Your Oven

During my second year hosting Thanksgiving, my oven started to smoke right before the turkey was about to go in. Talk about embarrassing! Something had fallen down below the night before and I had no idea. So, clean your oven- this is also something you can do up to a week before. Also, on the day of, make sure to put any sort of casserole on a baking sheet before it goes into the oven. That way, if it bubbles over, you won't have to worry about cleaning the oven before the next dish can go in!

5. Stick With What You Know

A tired and true rule whenever company is coming over- don't try out a new recipe! Stick with what you know. If you don't know how to make stuffing from scratch, don't do it, OR, try it out weeks before. You might need to try a recipe several times before you get it right or to your liking. This goes for desserts as well. I was thinking about making these cranberry blondies for this Thanksgiving and I've never made before. I tried it out yesterday and low and behold- the bake time wasn't working for me. That would've stressed me out on the big day! I'm glad I know now to bake it an extra ten minutes longer.

Hope this helps!

What are some of your tips to a stress-free Thanksgiving? I'd love to hear them!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars

Oh hello there before-Thanksgiving-prep-day.

I'm so glad I had the day off. I can't imagine running around my house like a turkey with it's head cut off (haha) the day of. I've got my turkey brining, the house is relatively clean, and dessert is done! Tomorrow I'll make the sweet potatoes and set the table. 

I thought I'd share these with you now justincase. You know, in case you want to add another dessert and make another trip to the store. These bars smelled amazing as they were baking and even better after they came out of the oven. Once they cooled I had to test them and see if they were good...let's just say, I don't think I'll have any left over tomorrow!

Source: Beantown Baker
Servings: 24

2 cups flour
1/2 + 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup cold butter
11/2 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
pinch of cloves
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar; cut butter into mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and pecans. Remove 3/4 cup of mixture and add in butterscotch chips. Set aside and reserve for topping. Press remaining mixture into bottom of parchment lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Combine cream cheese and pumpkin; add remaining sugar, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, cloves and vanilla and mix until well blended. Pour over crust and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle reserved oat crumb mixture and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before storing. Cut into 2×2 squares and serve.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Recap

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I have not had a chance to share how it all went! I am very happy to report that there were no incidents, no melt-downs, and no mishaps. Every single dish came out perfectly! The desserts were made the night before. The sweet potatoes were made the morning of and hung out in the fridge until it was their turn to go into the oven. I had the turkey in later in the afternoon and basted it during it's final hour. The stuffing and carrots were made about an hour before we ate. Everything was delish- especially those sweet potatoes!! Oh, and the cranberry bars were AMAZING, I think I might make them again for Christmas because I am already craving them! All the recipes I used can be found here.

Here are some pictures of the day.

 The Proud Chef next to her turkey!

 Before the sweet potatoes went into the oven.

 Turkey is done and resting before carving.

 The buffet server all ready to go.

 The sweet potatoes were the first to go!

 Our beautiful table. :)

Hope your Thanksgiving went just as well! Now on to planning for Christmas!

My Thanksgiving Menu

My in-laws are flying in from Miami to spend Thanksgiving with us. As I mentioned in a previous post, last year was my first year hosting Thanksgiving. Now that I've got a year of experience under my belt I'm feeling pretty confident about it....at least, I should be! :) My best friend helped every step of the way so without her I may feel a little lost. I'm counting on the hubby to help prep dishes the day before.

Our menu is pretty similar to the one from last year. I've already shared the sweet potato dish and the turkey. Here is our menu:

Main Course/Side Dishes:
Roasted Turkey with Cranberry Glaze
Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes
Apple and Onion Stuffing
Maple Glazed Carrots
Buttered Up Corn on the Cob
Assorted Dinner Rolls

Desserts:
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Cranberry Bliss Bars

Drinks:
Red/White Wine
Apple Cider

The sweet potatoes and desserts will be made ahead of time on Tuesday and Wednesday. The rest will be made on Thanksgiving day. The stuffing and sweet potatoes will go into the oven after the turkey is done and cooling. The veggies are both pretty simple and quick to make. My only concern is the turkey, I hope it will be just as good as last year!

Today and tomorrow I'll be prepping the house for our family. The turkey will be purchased on Monday to give it time to defrost safely in the fridge. I'm ready for the holidays to begin!

What's on your Thanksgiving menu? Are you feeling ready for the day? Have you done all your shopping?

Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Last year was my first time hosting Thanksgiving. It was my first turkey, my first sweet potato casserole, and my first pumpkin cheesecake. Our best friends from Miami flew up to spend the holiday with us. My best friend and I cooked up the best Thanksgiving dinner we've ever had. We spun around in the kitchen together, washing pots and pans, stirring this and mixing that. We jumped for joy when the turkey came out beautifully browned and as the meat fell off the bones. We made this sweet potato dish the day before and popped it into the oven after the turkey came out. When it was time to eat, we inhaled it. For days and then months after Thanksgiving we would call each other and say, "Remember those sweet potatoes!!" They.are.heavenly.

I swear this is THE BEST sweet potato dish you will ever have. And I'm SO excited to make it again, even though my best friend will not be here this year. I'll Fed-Ex you some love. ;p

Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes

• 2 3/4  pounds sweet potatoes
• 1/4  cup half-and-half
• 3  tablespoons butter, melted
• 3  tablespoons maple syrup
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8  teaspoon ground allspice
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  cup mini-marshmallows
• 2  tablespoons chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly; peel and mash in a large bowl.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

4. Stir half-and-half and the next 8 ingredients (through egg) into sweet potatoes. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the top with mini-marshmallows and chopped pecans; bake 12 minutes or until the mini-marshmallows are slightly melted. Serve immediately.

Paula Dean's Roasted Turkey with Maple Cranberry Glaze

I know I'm going a little backwards here, but in case you were thinking of making a turkey any time soon (maybe?), I wanted to share with you the turkey recipe I used this past Thanksgiving! This was my first year hosting Thanksgiving (which also means my first time making a turkey!), in our apartment! Our best friends flew up to spend the holiday with us and I prepared myself for their arrival by watching all of Food Network's Thanksgiving specials and leafing through Thanksgiving special edition cooking magazines. I DVR'ed one of Paula Dean's Thanksgiving episodes and it so happened to be the one where she made a buttery, garlicky, spread for her turkey. It looked so easy and so full of flavor! I immediately bookmarked her recipe but kept my eyes out for another turkey recipe, just in case. Needless to say, I'm glad I went with her recipe in the end. It was d i v i n e.



Now, we did add a bit to Paula Dean's recipe. First, we brined the turkey overnight in a huge pot of salted water and basil (thanks to Kim for telling us this secret!). We made sure to turn the turkey upside down so that both sides could brine equally in the water. Then we followed Paula's directions exactly and stuffed it with oranges and apples, as you can see in the picture. When the turkey started to brown up a bit in the oven, we covered it loosely with tin foil and used a thermometer just to be sure our turkey was done.


The hubbs beginning to carve the turkey. The meat fell right off the bones.

The glaze was ready before the turkey was done, as we used it to baste the turkey during it's final hour (not in the recipe, but we thought it would be a good idea). The glaze was super easy to make; we used dried cranberries, apple cranberry juice (couldn't find apple cider vinegar), and the rest of the ingredients in Paula's recipe. It was d e l i c i o u s!



This will always be my go-to recipe for a Thanksgiving turkey!

Paula Dean's Roasted Turkey with Maple Cranberry Glaze

Difficulty: Moderate (time consuming, it is a turkey!)
Taste: Divine
Overall Satisfaction: Mouth-watering

Ingredients

Turkey:

nocoupons

• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves
• 1 (15-pound) turkey
• Stuffing, if desired

Glaze:

nocoupons

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 (12-ounce bag) cranberries
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup cranberry juice
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Turkey:

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl combine the butter, House Seasoning, parsley, shallots, and garlic. Thoroughly rinse and dry the turkey. Tuck the wings underneath the body and place the turkey in a roasting pan. Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey. Stuff, if desired.

Roast for 18 minutes per pound (including stuffing weight, if using). The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (and deep into the stuffing) and registers 165 degrees F. and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and loosely tent with foil. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer until the cranberries burst, about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve and let cool. Reserve for turkey.

House Seasoning:

nocoupons

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Recipe taken from the Food Network.

Want to know what other recipes I used on Thanksgiving? Go here, here, and here.