Thanksgiving Menus (glass, buy, better, kitchen)

[maggie2101]

Butter, flour, and water??? Gack!

[Ginge McFantaPants]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Oh Jesus Lord. What is the thought process you are using?
You remind me of my former DIL. She was making turkey for the first time. Her mother told her to drain off all the pan drippings, then make gravy with butter, flour and water. Thank God I was there to stop her.

I don't know if it's a Vermont thing or just if it's just what my peeps did, but that is just the way it's done

[Debsi]

We made a bacon wrapped turkey last year - it turned out great, very juicy, and the gravy didn't taste like bacon either.

We prefer white meat, and it may just be the two of us this year, so I'm thinking of a bacon-wrapped turkey breast with all the usual trimmings. My favorite part is whole berry cranberry sauce made in my special "wreath of roses" jello mold which I use 1-2 times per year.

[Debsi]

My bacon-wrapped turkey.

[Ginge McFantaPants]

My son took over the cranberry sauce last year, so that's his job now. It's funny, because my in-laws had no idea one can make cranberry sauce... and until I met them, I hadn't heard of the stuff that comes in a can. So, it's a yearly battle: they show up with a can and refuse to touch the homemade stuff because it's not the familiar cylindrical shape

[Debsi]

My pretty cranberry sauce. Sorry for all the posts, I couldn't figure out how to attach more than one photo at once.

[Lost Roses]

Originally Posted by Ms.Mathlete

My son took over the cranberry sauce last year, so that's his job now. It's funny, because my in-laws had no idea one can make cranberry sauce... and until I met them, I hadn't heard of the stuff that comes in a can. So, it's a yearly battle: they show up with a can and refuse to touch the homemade stuff because it's not the familiar cylindrical shape

With the circular lines impressed on it from the can. Yum! None of those hard little berries for me.

[IslandCityGirl]

Originally Posted by Ms.Mathlete

My son took over the cranberry sauce last year, so that's his job now. It's funny, because my in-laws had no idea one can make cranberry sauce... and until I met them, I hadn't heard of the stuff that comes in a can. So, it's a yearly battle: they show up with a can and refuse to touch the homemade stuff because it's not the familiar cylindrical shape

I've made all kinds of jellied cranberries, cranberry jams, cranberry sauces, cranberry relishes... too, and they're great, AND I'm usually a strong devotee to all things fresh and scratch-made, but I have to admit, there is something familiarly delicious about the canned jellied cranberries. Honestly, I'd probably pick a round slab of that, can lines and all, over most homemade cranberry options at the Thanksgiving table too.

My usual menu:

- Brined, roasted turkey (cavity either filled with the a slight amount of stuffing or onions, garlic, lemons, and a ton of fresh herbs, or both) with the most delicious, buttery crispy skin (a lattice of bacon would totally ruin the skin AND the drippings - yikes).
-Gravy, most definitely using the delicious, flavorful pan drippings.
- Canned cranberry jelly and a homemade cranberry jam
- Dressing with chorizo sausage, day-old baguette, loads of microscopically chopped mirepoix, and lots of butter and fresh herbs (this one is a must every year, or I'm in the dog house)
- Sautéed fresh green beans with charred onions, garlic, pepper, toasted sliced almonds, finished a tiny bit of butter and some lemon zest OR sautéed or roasted brussel sprouts
- MASHED POTATOES
- roasted yams with rosemary and either bleu cheese or parmesan
- Grandma's recipe for dinner rolls (IMO, this is all we need for the whole dang menu. They are more addictive than crack and worse for your waste line, but oh so worth it.)
- a broccoli and rice casserole made with good old Velveeta (oh how I love Velveeta, I don't care what anyone thinks!) that has been a must at my family's Thanksgiving table my whole life.

Dessert (usually handled by the talented pastry chefs - Mom and Sis - NOT me ):
- Chocolate Pots du creme with Frangelico
- Pumpkin Pie (home-grown pumpkins, courtesy of Dad's garden)
- Apple Pie (yep, home-grown apples too)

It's all pretty traditional, but that's kind of what's special about it.

[Debsi]

Boy, cranberries are sure divisive! I'm not too precious to eat the canned jelly version, but it would be the very last choice, after all other cranberry options have been exhausted.

The one I make is a very traditional cooked version - just cranberries, sugar, water, and a little lemon or orange rind. I like the canned whole berry stuff pretty well in a pinch.

Don't tell me a cranberry Jell-O salad is cranberry sauce, and we'll all be just fine.

[IslandCityGirl]

Originally Posted by Debsi

Boy, cranberries are sure divisive! I'm not too precious to eat the canned jelly version, but it would be the very last choice, after all other cranberry options have been exhausted.

The one I make is a very traditional cooked version - just cranberries, sugar, water, and a little lemon or orange rind. I like the canned whole berry stuff pretty well in a pinch.

Don't tell me a cranberry Jell-O salad is cranberry sauce, and we'll all be just fine.

Debsi, I had forgotten to mention that your cranberry roses are beautiful!