A Menu for Thanksgiving: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 21)

Where did Fall go?

Whooosh - time is just flying by! It is hard for me to believe that our high school soccer season is over, Halloween decorations have been replaced by Thanksgiving ones, and the view out our windows is now a wintery scene.  Some thoughts about fall today ... and every recipe you'll need to prepare a complete Thanksgiving meal!

Not quite what they hoped for - but still a great result!

Many thanks, by the way, to everyone who expressed good luck wishes for my son's soccer team at the State Championship, and inquired how it went. They made it all the way into the finals and ended up in second place in Montana, with only one goal against them in the final game. 

It's not too early to be thinking about Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving less than three weeks away, it is not too early to start planning a Thanksgiving meal. I have many favorite recipes that I make each year, but I have come across a lot of new ones that I would like to try. 

Today, for my list of Fabulous Finds, I am sharing the links to some of these.  I haven't yet made any of them (except the soup) - but they look amazing to me. All together, I suspect they would make quite a delicious feast!

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Appetizer: a Whimsical Cheese-Tray Turkey

This appetizer from the blog "Also, That's It" looks very easy to make and is such a cute turkey shape that it would almost be a shame to eat it!

• Cheese Tray Turkey Appetizer

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~ ~ Roasted Butternut-Apple Soup

Looking through my "Thanksgiving" Pinterest board, I came across my own recipe for this soup. I had forgotten all about it - but once my memory was jogged, I remembered how good it was, and how it would be the perfect soup course for a fancy Thanksgiving meal!

• Roasted Butternut-Apple Soup

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~ ~ Dinner rolls: Almost Mandatory on Thanksgiving

The directions in this recipe for homemade dinner rolls from Cooking Classy looks easy to follow - and I love the cresent shapes! 

• Amazing Dinner Rolls

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~ ~ No one likes dried out turkey meat!

I have tried all sorts of ways to cook a turkey.  My favorite way is to sear it briefly at a high heat, and then cook it slowly at a lower temperature, basting frequently. I have never injected one, but this method explained on the blog Confessions of an Over-Worked Mom sounds interesting to try.

• How to Inject a Turkey

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~ ~ Do you make your own cranberry sauce?

When I was growing up, we always had a dish of cranberry jelly from a can, and another with my mother's homemade cranberry sauce on the table.  I always assumed everyone always ate both!  Although I have perfected my own homemade sauce recipe over the years, I think this one from Kitchen Treaty using maple syrup could be even better!

• Orange-Maple Cranberry Sauce

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~ ~ A traditional Green Bean Casserole - but better

I was on the treadmill this week watching the Today Show, when they made this recipe.  Fresh green beans replace canned, and everything is from scratch, even the crispy onion (shallot) topping. Sounds like a winner to me!

• Siri Pinter's Green Bean Casserole with crispy shallots

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~ ~ A Very Pretty Side Dish

This recipe from the blog Peas and Crayons caught my eye because it is so colorful, and I love the idea of combining squash, cranberries, and feta. I might not wait to Thanksgiving to try it ... especially since it would be so easy to make using the pre-cubed butternut squash that is available in stores right now.

•  Honey roasted butternut squash with cranberries and feta

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 ~ ~ Avoid the last minute stress of mashing the potatoes!
When preparing the Thanksgiving meal, I can stay pretty organized until it comes time to mash the potatoes. Unfortunately, that ususally needs to happen just as guests are arriving and there are other last minute details to attend to. This recipe from The Kitchn sounds delicious and can be prepared ahead!

• Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

For the most amazing mashed potato consistency, some cooks suggest using a food mill or ricer.

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~ ~ Sweet potatoes must be on the menu
For me, turkey dinner is not complete without sweet potatoes or yams.  My kids (and I) love the traditional sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows casserole - but this recipe from Simply Stacie looks like a yummy one to try.

• Twice-baked sweet potatoes

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~ ~ Save room for dessert!

Last year I wrote about the pumpkin pie I baked in my college kitchen, to take to my grandmothers for Thanksgiving... and I have made it nearly every year since. Pecan pie, apple pie and pumpkin pies are always favorites of ours during the holidays, but I also love to try new dessert recipes.  

This pumpkin cheesecake from Something Swanky looks good enough to eat right off the computer screen - and the turkeys on Your Cup of Cake's Turkey cupcake creations would delight people of all ages.

• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Turkey cupcakes

Of course, instead of baking dessert, you could do like we did one year while visiting Columbus, Ohio.  Some of our family members ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. We won not one - but FIVE pumpkin pies! Good thing there were a lot of mouths to feed that year.

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So - there you have it. A full menu of ideas for a complete Thanksgiving menu!

• If you need a little advice on how to roast your turkey, there is lots of advice on-line or you could check out the Butterball website. 

• Does making gravy intimidate you? Martha Stewart has published some easy Thanksgiving gravy recipes that might help.

• Wondering what wine to serve with the Thanksgiving meal? Bon Appetit suggests a Pinot Noir.

Whether you are hosting a small or large group, or eating away from home, I hope you have a wonderful meal, and you are able to count many blessings this year. 

Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving - I think these recipes look scrumptious enough for any day.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving or Fall recipe?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!