bugaboo, mini, mr & me

In honor of Thanksgiving, Yummy Monday this week is dedicated to those recipes I am generally always in charge of for the Big Feast itself.  I shared Thanksgiving recipes last year as well, but for those of you who missed it, I'm reposting.


I have no pictures of this food.  I just realized that.  What's a post without pictures???  Well, anyway, take my word for it.  They're good.

Sweet Cranberry Sauce

1 C sugar

1/2 C frozen orange juice

1/2 C water

1 12 oz bag of cranberries

Bring the sugar, OJ and water to a boil.  Add the cranberries.  Simmer while stirring, for 10 minutes.  Here’s the BIG SECRET: make sure all the cranberries “pop.”  You may have to smoosh them against the side of the pot with the spoon to force them to pop.  If you don’t do this, you will get pockets of extreme bitterness here and there and it won’t be nearly as tasty.  Chill.  Garnish with sliced oranges and serve cold.

I was always under the impression that I hated cranberry sauce.  My first Thanksgiving away from home proved me wrong, however.  I realized that I'd never HAD real cranberry sauce because my grandpa LOVED the weird gelatinous goop from a can... I'd had no idea it could be so good.  I also didn't like turkey AT ALL until I put this cranberry sauce on it.  I'd also like to mention, for mr's sake, that he is partially responsible for this recipe.  It's based in chemistry, see, because my Mom IL needed to know what would counteract the tartness and mr said something acidic was necessary.  There you go.  An everyday application for chemistry.  In case any of your kids are wondering.

The stuffing recipe is one I made up about three years ago and mr has asked for it ever since.  He and I both like our stuffing a little more on the “dry” side.  I can’t stand super mushy stuffing... it’s a consistency thing.  So here’s the version I made up.  It’s chicken stuffing, but jazzed up.

Jazzed Up Stuffing

3 TBS butter

1 small white or yellow onion, chopped well

1 C pecans, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small granny smith apple, cored and chopped well
1 box of chicken stuffing mix
1 C dried cranberries
Sauté together the above ingredients for about 1 minute.  Add the apple.  Sauté until the onion is tender and translucent.  Add the stuffing mix and the cranberries.  Stir together well.  Add the hot water to desired consistency, 4 T at a time.  (I usually only add about 8 T or so) After the water has been added and stirred and the stuffing is at the desired consistency, take off heat.
Serve warm.

For the first time this year, I am also in charge of the candied yams.  Any suggestions??  mr is also in charge of pies.  We'll see if they can measure up to his dad's crazy pumpkin pies, which I admit fully to missing.  You've never had a pumpkin pie like those... let me tell you.  mr's dad, if you're reading this, you are more than welcome to send us one of your famous snicker/reeses pieces/chocolate crust pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving.  Just so you know.


You may also want to check out these other Thanksgiving-y food ideas, which are a little less traditional.


Here are some printables for you!

Or, if you're more refined:

Or, if you, like me, do not like turkeys:

*Be sure to check just below for all the fun parties I link to!