It’s almost Thanksgiving and I’m excited. We have family coming and a few friends; there will be 10 in all. In past years, we’ve hosted as many as 20 so this seems rather small in comparison. Small is good. That means less stress and more opportunity to experiment with different recipes. The only sad aspect is that our beloved nephew, Jim, and his wife, Karri, and their two kids, Eli and Sophie, are not joining us for the first time in many years. Time is short for them with Jim’s job and two days traveling here and back to Utah for only a Thursday and Friday visit here isn’t making sense this time round. So, except for THAT, I am excited.
Sweet Sarah, our oldest daughter, will be here from Texas, and her boyfriend, who lives here, will also be joining us. Plus our two other daughters and four friends.
Yesterday, I cooked for several hours. Or better said, I prepped for cooking today. A friend was here and while he chopped onions and celery, I made cornbread and toasted bread for our stuffing. Then while he chopped more onions and pickles, I boiled eggs for stuffed eggs. Then we both chopped Granny Smith and Gala apples for cranberry sauce, which we made and, by the way, was delicious. (Recipe at the bottom of this post.) Also, I made a berry compote to go on top of a cream pie, which I’ll make today.
Today, I have students for part of the day, but the rest of the time will be devoted to more cooking. I plan to make pumpkin pies from fresh pumpkin, plus that cream pie with the mixed berries on top, along with chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I am contemplating making lemon curd, as well, to add as a layer to that berry pie. Plus, I have to make a peach pie for my daughter, Sarah, who favors peaches rather than berries. All of this dessert making has the added dimension of being either honey or maple syrup sweetened since my husband and I long ago gave up refined sugar. Still, I’m not worried that the sugar eaters will be disappointed. My experience with these desserts is that no one will not even discern a difference.
The question every year is the same. On Thanksgiving Day, how to get the turkey roasted, and the macaroni and cheese plus the dressing all baked and ready to serve HOT with only one oven. I know to roast the turkey first and let it rest. Then I usually put the mac and cheese on one oven shelf and the dressing on the other. The key is to remember that because there are two big dishes in the oven, then it will take longer than the usual hour of cooking. This means that I have to plan for that extra time or else everything sits getting cold while those two dishes languish in the oven. This is always my challenge. Serving all the food hot at the table. I hate lukewarm food that is supposed to be hot. Alas, I would cook the dressing or the mac and cheese early, but then they’ll dry out. Ah, the woes…
I love cooking, by the way. This is fun for me – all the preparation and anticipation. Having my family and friends gathered around our table makes me about as happy as anything.
So, off I go!
Cranberry Fruit Conserve
Ingredients • 1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh cranberries, cleaned • 1 3/4 cups sugar • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped • 1 orange, zest grated and juiced • 1 lemon, zest grated and juiced • 3/4 cup raisins • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions Cook the cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the skins pop open. Add the apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the raisins and nuts. Let cool, and serve chilled.
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