Our Thanksgiving Spread
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After nearly two months without cooking, I had a lot of pent up culinary energy! I started off the morning by walking in the “Great Turkey Challenge” 5k with some friends and coworkers, then hurried home to help my Mom in the kitchen. We tried some new things, but also had plenty of family favorites. I had such a great time spending hours in the kitchen with her! Unfortunately my Dad was feeling under the weather, so all the prep was left to us. Cooking/communicating is stressful. We only raised our voices once or twice, and Dad never had to play referee in earnest. I feel so blessed to be able to cook with my Mom! She is a Steel Magnolia for sure: domestic goddess, career woman, caring mother (Farmville champion – yes, le sigh), and I am so glad that we’re able to enjoy a shared passion for food.
Our meal coming together during a lull in the active cooking time. This puppy has more buttons and knobs than the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
So excited to break in our new range.
I think we have a pretty traditional southern Thanksgiving repotoire, our cornbread dressing is the star!
There is no recipe for our family’s cornbread dressing, yet each year it is a monument of dressing perfection. I hope I can pull it off as well as my Mom does some day.
I’ve made the fresh cranberry sauce every year since I was 10 or so. This year I put a lil hooch in it – good decision. Very good decision. I’ll share the recipe tomorrow.
I made Parker House rolls from scratch for the first time this year. They gave me a hard time, but eventually I willed them to rise and bake up nicely. Good thing I made 24 rolls for 3 people.
Another new addition to our spread this year was a Cauliflower Gratin. We don’t usually have green been casserole and we never have macaroni and cheese at our Thanksgiving table – I think this dish was sort of a nod in the direction of mac & cheese.
Isn’t it fascinating how people have different traditions? I’m sure some of you are shocked that we don’t have green bean casserole because you can’t imagine Thanksgiving without it. A vegetable side that I can’t imagine Thanksgiving without would definitely be Le Sueur peas.
I know! I know! Lil miss homemade loves canned peas on Thanksgiving. But obviously per this vintage advert, Le Sueur peas are some canned classy peas. It’s only one day a year.
Because there were only 3 of us this year, we opted for a turkey breast rather than a whole turkey.
Shocking confession: Even though it was golden and lovely, I didn’t have a single bite of the turkey. I just don’t like turkey really. I’m probably some sort of communist for forsaking turkey on Thanksgiving, but I just don’t need it. Leave me more room for mashed potatoes. I do, however, hold turkey in the highest regards – for that turkey gives of itself so that we might make gravy from the pan drippings. Oh lord. My Mom makes amazing turkey gravy.
We tried a new dessert this year: Pumpkin Chocolate Walnut Pie. Though it looked gorgeous, it really didn’t turn out. The recipe was flawed, and it was more trouble than it was worth. Oh well. Win some, lose some.
I didn’t get a photo of everything set out on the table. I was too ready to eat at that point. One year I would like to don an apron and pearls (as I’m known to do) and get a shot of me bringing the turkey to an immaculately set table full of loved ones – think Saturday Evening Post, but for now these snapshots will have to do.
2 Responses to “Our Thanksgiving Spread”
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A blog about food, the good life and wasp style. Meet Elizabeth... 
oh we SOOO think alike. . . I love the idea of the apron and the pearls, heels, and bringing the turkey into the lovely table!
You weren’t the only one who put turkey to the side. This Thanksgiving heathen opted for beef tenderloin and makes no apologies for it. Gorgeous pics toots! The Parker House rolls made my heart skip a beat.