Thanksgiving 2009

It is that time of year again and I am so excited. Is there something wrong with me? I love planning our Thanksgiving Dinner Menu! Do you? I think planning ahead really helps me out. I try to make a menu and then write down what I need for each item I am making. I like to make a few different things each year but of course most want the traditional Thanksgiving food. This is what I am planning so far. Stay tuned for changes and updates.




Turkey-I going to brine it this year
Dressing
Ham
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Grandma Minnie's Sweet Potato Casserole
Some green veggie type casserole
Homemade Rolls
Cranberry Sauce-I am changing this a little this year but here is last year's recipe
7 Layer Salad
5 Cup Salad
Deviled Eggs
Pineapple Casserole
Granny West's Corn Casserole
Pumpkin Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Pecan Pie
Chocolate Chip Pie
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake-I have never made one but thought I would give it a try

Challah

I really like to eat Challah right out of the oven. The honey in it makes for a sweet but moist bread! I put poppy seeds on mine and Raven loved the crunch. This recipe comes from the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" cookbook. Give this one a try on soup night! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 3/4 cup warm water

1 1/2 T yeast

1 1/2 T salt

4 large eggs beaten-I use free range

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup oil-I used vegetable

7 cups all purpose flour

egg wash-1 egg beaten with 1 T water

Poppy or Sesame seeds

Mix yeast, salt, water, eggs, honey, and oil in your Kitchen Aid mixer. Now add in flour a cup at a time until all of the flour has been added. Cover and let double in size. You can now break off 3 orange size balls of dough. Place the rest in a covered bowl and place in fridge for later use. I took each of my orange size balls and rolled them in my hands to make ropes that were pretty equal in size. Next I joined them together and braided them together on a parchment lined baking sheet. Braiding bread is just like hair. Same technique. Looks fancy but is really pretty simple. Brush on eggs wash and sprinkle on as many poppy seeds or sesame seeds as you like. Bake at 350' for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden and sounds hollow when tapped.

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

I love rice pudding and always remember my mom making it for me when I was getting over some sort of illness. The raisins were one of my favorite parts. I thought that adding pumpkin to the mix would make it even better and it did!! I think this would make yet another side dish to add to the list for Thanksgiving. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

3 quarts water
3 cups rice-not minute rice
10 cups whole milk
2 t vanilla
2 t salt
4 cups sugar
1 can pumpkin puree
2 T ground cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1 cup raisins

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat and add the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 7 minutes. Don't drain, now add in your milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla and simmer over medium heat until rice begins to soften. This happens in about 30 minutes, now stir in your pumpkin, raisins, and spices. Bake at 350' in a 9x13 pan that has been buttered. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Serve warm.

Crock Pot Orange Chicken

I came up with this recipe out of sheer desperation. I wanted me some ORANGE CHICKEN!! Living in a rural area is great until you want something that is an hour drive away. I thought to myself, "how hard could this be? " Self answered, "not that hard!" Give this a try the next time you have to be gone all day. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

6 boneless chicken breasts

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 T pepper

6 cups orange juice

3/4 cup sugar

1 T soy sauce

4 T cornstarch

2 cups mandarin oranges

Steamed Rice

Put chicken, ginger, salt, pepper and orange juice in slow-cooking crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours. The last hour or so I add in 4 T cornstarch to 1/8 cup of the cool orange juice just to thicken up the sauce. Serve chicken over hot steamed rice on platter. Top with mandarin orange segments .

Popcorn Balls

We like to make popcorn balls around Halloween and the kiddos always look forward to it. I will usually make them orange but this year Raine wanted them plain. Have you ever tried arguing with a two year old? She was the perfect little helper so plain popcorn balls it was. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

6 cups air popped popcorn

1 bag of marshmallows

1 stick of butter

1 t vanilla

Melt marshmallows and butter in a pan over medium heat. When melted stir in vanilla. Pour over popcorn and stir until coated. Butter up your hands because this is going to get messy. Scoop a cup of coated popcorn in your buttered hands and press like their is no tomorrow to form a ball. Store them in an air tight container.

Pumpkin Pancakes

I have made pumpkin pancakes each Fall since there have been little ones in our home. Raven and Raine just love them, this was actually Raine's first year to eat them. Maybe they are a girl thing because Sean and Ransome just want plain pancakes with no pumpkin, no blueberries, nothing else added. This is a great Fall recipe idea and is perfect for this time of year. Give it a try this weekend. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:

1 cups all purpose flour

1/2 t salt

2 t baking powder-I use Rumsford

1/2 cup sugar

2 t cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 T oil

1/2 cup pumpkin

Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Now add the wet. Stir just until all comes together. I measure out 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles appear and then flip. I cook mine over medium heat on a caste iron griddle. Butter and a good dose of syrup and you are ready to go.

Sugar Cookies to die for!!!!

I LOVE iced sugar cookies! I can eat my weight in these cookies and let me tell you, that is a LOT of sugar cookies. :) This recipe's trick is to make sure you leave the dough in the fridge overnight and then roll it out. I make this recipe every holiday for the kiddos, ya right, the kiddos. This will be one of your favorites too. Make some for Halloween and surprise your little ghouls. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 1/2 cups butter-room temperature
2 t vanilla
4 eggs-I use free range
5 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 t salt
2 t baking powder-I use Rumsford

Cream butter, sugars, salt, and eggs until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups of flour and mix well. Add your last 3 cups of flour and your baking powder and mix until all come together. Place in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch and cutout with desired cookie cutters. Bake at 350' for 8 minutes. They will look a little soft when you take them out but will crisp up nicely as they cool. Ice with butter cream, my favorite, or royal icing.