Getting married often means splitting holiday time between each other's families. We wanted to be on the same holiday schedule as Derek and Mary, so we decided to spend Thanksgiving with my family in St. George this year. However, whether you like it or not, life doesn't always go according to plan. Scott's viral head cold from a few weeks ago decided to make itself comfy in his inner ear and turned into a nasty case of vertigo on the Monday before Turkey Day... making it impossible for us to go ANYWHERE, let alone spend 4.5 hrs in a car. Those of you (the 3 or 4 people that actually read this blog) familiar with vertigo know how absolutely debilitating it is... those of you who aren't should read THIS.
Well, as the saying goes: When life gives you lemons... make an elaborate Thanksgiving spread for two (or something like that). Thank goodness we received a whole bunch of great kitchen stuff for our wedding!
I was in denial that we weren't going to St. G for Thanksgiving (Scott gradually got better, but wasn't quite well enough to travel), so I didn't do any shopping for our dinner until Wednesday after work. I probably spent 3+ hours wandering around several grocery stores, the Honeybaked Ham store (they have awesome Honey Mustard and Cranberry Walnut Chutney), Target (thanks to all of you who gave us Target gift cards for our wedding!), and Costco. I called my Mom SO many times go make sure I was getting all the right ingredients for the dishes I wanted to make. Thanks Mom!
I LOVE the Food Network and have learned so much from my favorite TV chefs. Particularly, the importance of making a 'game plan' for how the meal will come together. As our kitchen is smaller than my Honda, I had to be really creative with how I utilized the counter space and heat sources.
I was feeling particularly ambitious and decided to use this as an opportunity to make my first homemade pumpkin pie.
I used Alton Brown's pie crust recipe... SOOOO flaky and wonderfully yummy! I have never made anything with lard before... eew. However, Alton has yet to disappoint, so I took his word for it. I must admit, this recipe would not be nearly as delicious without the lard. Oh well, Thanksgiving comes but once a year.
I used Paula Deen's Pumpkin Pie recipe for the filling... AMAZING! This was quite possibly the best pumpkin pie I have ever tasted. Ever. Do yourself a favor and try it sometime soon. (FYI, I added a dash of nutmeg to the filling b/c I just think it's wrong to have a pumpkin pie with no nutmeg.)
I made this pie again using a pre-made Marie Calendar's pie crust from the freezer section of the grocery store and deliciousness was enjoyed by all. It's nice to make your own crust but who honestly has time for that!?!
No holiday meal is complete without...
STAPLES FAMOUS STUFFED POTATOES
-Bake about 8-10 cleaned and scrubbed potatoes ahead of time so you can let them cool enough to cut (lay on the side and cut in half)
-Scoop insides out carefully with a large spoon without tearing the skin
-Line potato skins on cookie sheets covered in aluminum foil for easy cleanup
-Put the scooped out insides into a large mixing bowl
ingredients for stuffing:
- 1 cube (1/2 C) butter
- 1-2 T dehydrated onion
- 1-2 T dehydrated parsley (not fresh)
- garlic salt & lemon pepper to taste
- 1/2 -3/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 pint light or fat free sour cream
- 1/2 - 3/4 C scalded fat free milk
-enough shredded cheddar cheese for topping the potatoes
-Turn oven on to 350 or 375
-Add ingredients to potatoes and blend with mixer of your choice... hand mixer, hand blender, kitchen aid, Bosch, etc.
-Spoon potato mixture into the skins
-Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of each stuffed potato (optional, but highly recommended)
-Bake for up to 30 minutes, checking often... you want them to get hot all the way through, but not too browned on top.
These are SO great for leftovers!
ICEBOX ROLLS
Cream together:
1 C shortening
3/4 C sugar
2 tsp salt
Add 1 C boiling water, stirring until smooth. Allow mixture to cool enough to promote yeast growth - still quite warm.
Mix 2 yeast packages in 1/2 C warm water. Add to cooling shortening mixture.
Add 4 beaten eggs
Then you'll need:
7 1/2 C flour
1 C cold water
Add water and flour alternately
Stir until smooth, adding more flour if necessary - so it pulls away from the bowl and not too sticky. (I used our Bosch on the lowest speed)
Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Put dough in the bowl, cover with a wet towel or plastic wrap. Put in "icebox" (fridge) overnight.
To prepare, roll the dough (or push out with hands) on floured board or counter to desired thickness (about 1/2 inch). Cut into circles using top rim of a glass or a cookie cutter), dip each side in lightly melted butter.
Fold in half, pinch outer edge slightly to hold together. Place on greased cookie sheet, pie tins, or glass pans. Cover with plastic wrap (spray cooking spray on side that faces down on the rolls so it won't stick when removing) and let rise about 2 1/2 hours.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. Checking often so you won't burn them. Makes about 50-60 rolls.
These rolls make the BEST leftover turkey, cranberry, stuffing, etc. sandwiches the next day.
I didn't have time to thaw a whole turkey, so I bought a lovely fresh turkey breast from Costco. It... was... AMAZING! Who loves Costco? ME!
I made parmesan crisps for one of my favorite green bean dishes...
Giada De Laurentiis' Sauteed Green Beans with Tomato and Basil, Served with Parmesan Crisps is so delicious and fresh and went perfectly with our Thanksgiving meal. I suggest trying it A.S.A.P. (FYI, I sauteed the shallots and garlic for a LOT longer than Giada recommended... about 15 minutes on med-low until they were nice and caramelized. SO AWESOME! Just be careful not to burn the garlic.)
Ta Da! After cooking pretty much non-stop from 9pm on Wednesday until 5PM on Thursday we had a lovely little Thanksgiving spread for 10 people... excessive, I know. However, in my own defense, it was therapeutic to just cook until I could cook no more. Plus, we had enough food left over to last the rest of the weekend. Good thing we both enjoy leftovers.
We used our wedding china for the first time (thanks Rod and & Michelle!) to make the occasion seem more fancy pants.
In the end we both enjoyed our first Thanksgiving adventure together. Scott made a full recovery and was able to get back to work on Monday. -phew!-
4 comments:
I can feel for Scott...I had a similar experience when Ethan was 5 weeks old. It landed me in the hospital because it was that bad.
Yummy food. Sorry you had to miss your family gathering, but your food looks delish.
Katie, pretty much, I love you... this reminds me of Turkey in Feb/March... and "Hey Meg, I wanna make a meatloaf (or many other delightful creations), come over for dinner..." Usually we had a project due, haha... you are rad.
You deserve to be on the Food Network with your own show! I know the food tasted wonderful, but your photos prove that you make it look good too! Glad you pulled it together, but it sure was hard to not have you here. You know I am always a phone call away for whatever you need!
Loved the recap Katie! And thanks for sharing the delicious recipes. I'm going to try them out.
Post a Comment