2. Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

(that's right, do it tonight and get it over with!)

Ingredients

    * 3 pounds russet (Idaho) potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled

    * 1 1/2 cups half and half, plus extra if necessary

    * Salt, to taste

    * 6 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a large pan with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender when pierced with a thin-bladed knife, 20 to 30 minutes.

   2. Heat half and half in microwave.

   3. Process unpeeled potatoes through a food mill into a medium bowl. (Or, using a potholder, peel and drop them into a bowl. Puree using a potato masher or standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.) Stir in half and half and a sprinkling of salt (or beat, if using mixer) until smooth and fluffy. (Can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.)

   4. Thirty minutes before serving, microwave until warm. Transfer to a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir in butter to melt. Cover with plastic wrap. Keep warm until serving time.

(By USA Weekend columnist Pam Anderson)

Gwenn Garland, Delmarva.MomsLikeMe admin

 Stuffing - just use Stove Top, I mean really! Are you trying to make life harder for yourself? OK, if not, start now because the bread needs to dry out: 

Easy Old-Fashioned Stuffing

Ingredients

 *   30 slices white bread, lightly toasted

    * 2 tablespoons butter

    * 1 large onion, finely chopped

    * 2 stalks celery, finely chopped

    * 2 eggs, lightly beaten

    * 2 cups chicken broth

    * 2 teaspoons rubbed sage

    * 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    * salt and pepper to taste

Directions

   1. Allow the toasted bread to sit approximately 24 hours, until hard.

   2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

   3. Crush the bread into crumbs with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs in a large bowl.

   4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery and slowly cook until soft. Remove from heat and drain.

   5. Mix the eggs and chicken broth into the bread crumbs. The mixture should be moist, but not mushy. Use water, if necessary, to attain desired consistency. Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

   6. Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp.

 Easy Butternut Squash

This is a VERY New England-y thing, even though i know everyone around here has sweet potatoes, but, hey - we invented Thanksgiving, so bear with me! And as Yo Gabba Gabba would say, try it, you'll like it. It's not in the recipe, but my secret ingredient is cumin. Nutmeg is also crucial. 

6 c. butternut squash meat, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 to 1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/3 c. maple syrup, or to taste

3 tablespoons dark rum

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Salt, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg to taste

Steam or boil the peeled butternut squash until tender. Drain excess liquid.

Puree squash in food processor, blender, or mash by hand. Return to saucepan and stir in remaining ingredients. Blend well. Turn into an ovenproof serving dish. Dish may be prepared up to a day ahead and refrigerated (covered tightly with plastic wrap) or baked immediately for serving.

Bake in 325°F oven for about 20 minutes (if the squash is still hot, or if prepared in advance and squash is cold, bake for 30 minutes. Serve with a tablespoon of butter, if desired.

-cooks.com

Gwenn Garland, Delmarva.MomsLikeMe admin

 Easy Apple Pie

You know how they say something is as easy as pie? Well, yeah. Buy frozen or refrigerated crusts, and that saying is right on the money. Pumpkin might even be easier since you can just buy the filling already made; same as cherry. But if you have older kids, you can get them to help you peel apples and they have a lot of fun feeling like they helped.

2 9-inch pie crusts (one for the top crust, one for the bottom crust)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups thinly sliced and cored apple

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2.  Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt. Stir in the apples.

3. Place into pie crust, dot with butter. Cover with top crust, and slit evenly to let steam escape. Seal the top crust to the bottom by pinching the edges together.

3. Cover edge of the crust with a three inch strip of aluminum foil.

4. Bake 40-50 minutes, until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through top.  

Gwenn Garland, Delmarva.MomsLikeMe admin

 Bonus round! Here are some links to good recipe sites.

Allrecipes.com - All recipes, really, the name doesn't lie. I've been using this site for like 15 years, since the Internet was invented practically, and it was called SOAR. You can find anything here.

Kraft Foods - they have a whole Thanksgiving section with everything from turkey to trimmings, and especially good desserts. Also a Turkey 101.

Cooks.com has tons of recipes and things like "How to Carve a Turkey."

Gwenn Garland, Delmarva.MomsLikeMe admin

 OH! And add your favorite recipes, please. You can see my own tastes in cooking run to the basic. Where is the green bean casserole? The Hayman? The monkey bread and candied carrots? Share please!

One more bonus: The Butterball Turkey Hotline online or by phone: 1-800-288-8372 (1-800-BUTTERBALL).

Gwenn Garland, Delmarva.MomsLikeMe admin

 Oops, sorry, I forgot to post my grandmother's monkey bread recipe.  Here it is:

Gimmy's Monkey Bread

Put 2 cups warm H2O and 1/2 cup sugar in mixing bowl.

Add 1 package dry yeast and mix

Beat 2 eggs slightly and add to mixture

Sift in 3 cups of flour and beat well

Add 4 tbsp. melted butter

Then stir in 1 tbsp. salt and 4 cups more flower.  Mix.

Let dough rise until double in bulk (I put it in a warmed oven)

Melt 1 cube margarine in each of 2 bundt pans

Roll out dough 1/2 inch thick and cut with 2 inch biscuit cutter (I use a drinking glass)

Put layer of rolls standing upright, like a wheel in each pan.  Let rise again until doubled.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.