Turkey Pot Pie & Veggie Sausage Pot Pie

Okay, not a Thanksgiving menu item, but a left-over Turkey item!!  Mel loved the beef pot pie so much that I wanted to make a turkey pie for him.  He loved it and said it was even better than the beef one.  I also used left over turkey gravy in it.  I made a veggie sausage with mixed veggies and cranberries one for me.  The berries were way too tart and I picked them out, but the rest of it was good. My mom joined us for lunch yesterday and had a slice of each and also loved them both (also picked out the tart berries!).  Mel gave his pie a 10, and I gave mine a 9! P.S. Veggie pie has a "V" - 4th & 6th photos, and turkey has a "T" - 5th & 7th photos.

Bobby Flay's Pumpkin Pie With Cinnamon Crunch and Maple Whipped Cream

This is another new recipe for me.  (on the right in the bottom photo) I now know why Bobby Flay is so popular - this is an amazing recipe.  Everyone said it was the best pumpkin pie they had ever had!  I agree!  By the way, I'm not being conceited by giving all these recipes good reviews, the talent lies a lot in the recipe, not necessarily the chef!  I think most people can follow directions to make a good pie!  Anyway, this was so amazing!  I will definitely make it again!  Mel gave it a 12 and I gave it a 10+!!

Deep Dish Pear & Apple Pie

I made this once before when I first got my food processor.  It was so good I knew I wanted to make it for Thanksgiving this year.  It was another big hit!  (On the left in the bottom photo.) Mel gave it a 12 (!) and  gave it a 9 1/2! P.S. Notice my turkey on the pie... as a vegetarian, this was my joke to put a turkey on a fruit pie.  In other words, it was the only turkey I'd be eating!  I just pressed a cookie cutter onto the crust and traced it with a knife to make it stand out.  It was more obvious in person.

Robin Miller's Green Bean Casserole With Roasted Panko-Parmesan Onions

This is another new dish this year.  I may or may not make it again.  I changed it quite a bit.  Part of the problem is that I ripped part of the recipe when I tore it out of the magazine and didn't realize it until the magazine was long gone with the trash.  You're supposed to make homemade onion rings coated in cheese and bread crumbs, but I didn't quite have the directions on how to do so.  Also, it was the last dish I made after 10 hours in the kitchen and was pretty tired of cooking at this point.  I'm sure I could have figured it out, but didn't have the energy.  I just chopped the onions and  added them to the casserole and used the cheese and bread crumbs in the layering.  Also, after it was done, it seemed a little boring, so I created my own honey-lemon-lime-butter with dreied cranberry dressing.  Mel says he hates green bean casserole, but love this dish.  We both give it a 9!  The homemade onion rings would have been a great touch and most likely made it a 10.

Garnet Yams With Maple Syrup, Walnuts, & Brandied Raisins

This recipe came from the same 2010 "bon appetit" magazines that I lost.  I also looked this up on  their web site and copied it over.  This is also the 3rd year I have made this and it is also always successful.  And Mel & I also gave it a 10! It calls for brown & golden raisins, but I couldn't find the golden again this year, so I used the brown only.  Also, as usual, I soaked the raisins in maple syrup instead of brandy. This year I didn't drain them.  This was my contribution to the church's Thanksgiving dinner.  I think because they look dark in color, no one wanted to try them.  I was a little sad no one wanted them because they are so yummy.  Oh well, we love our church family yams or no yams! (sorry, lame joke)

Sourdough Stuffing With Sausage, Apples, & Raisins

This recipe came from one of my older "bon appetit" magazines (from 2010, I think).  But I lost it along with the new cookbook.  So I looked this up on  their web site and copied it over.  This is the 3rd year I have made this and it is always successful.  This year I stuck with my usual tradition of making cornbread (from a mix) instead of using sour dough bread.  And, of course, I make it with veggie sausage.  I also added almonds and dried cranberries this year.  And I also used part veggie broth & part apple cider this year for the liquid.  Everyone loved it, and Mel & I gave it a 10!

Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

I originally saw this recipe in the first Thanksgiving cookbook I had purchased and lost.  I was determined to make this for Mel since he loves jalapenos.  I got on-line and found a bunch of similar recipes and chose this one.  I didn't try it, but mom said Frank loved it.  Mel later told me he doesn't like cranberries (oops, live and learn!), but he still gave this dish a 7 1/2.  I guess I'll just make it for Frank next year!!

Hazelnut and Fresh Herb Popovers

These were another new dish & will become another new tradition!  I have actually never made popovers before & wasn't even sure what to expect.  They are so light and fluffy!  I looked in 3 different stores for hazelnuts and couldn't find them so I used macadamia nuts instead.  And the stores all seemed to be out of parsley as well, so I used extra chives.  We all loved these at my mom & Frank's.  I didn't ask anyone their ratings on any of dishes, but Mel gives these a 10, and I give them a 9! P.S.  Presentation on most of the Thanksgiving dishes is boring, but I spent 10 hours in the kitchen & wasn't too concerned about taking better pics!

Paula Deen's Yam Casserole With Pecan Crumble

The posting of the Thanksgiving menu begins... Ta dah!!  This was a new dish for me this year.  It will become a new tradition!!  I made it the day after Thanksgiving for our dinner with dad because I didn't have enough of the other yam dish left.  It is so yummy!!  My only complaint is that it called for a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.  I couldn't even taste it, but it gives me horrible heartburn every time!  Next time I'll skip the cayenne! You are supposed to layer this dish like a lasagna, but my yams were only enough for 1 layer.  Also, I doubled the ingredients for the topping.  Oh, and you're re supposed to pour a cream topping over the yams, but I was around a 1/4 of a cup short, so I made up the difference with veggie broth. Mel & I both give it a 10!

Thanksgiving Menu

I always end up over-extending myself with my Thanksgiving menu that I plan.  But  also always have a lot of fun cooking lots of dishes.  I bought a small Thanksgiving cookbook (for about $5) and was also going to use my "bon appetit" magazine from 2010.  But somehow I lost them both.  I found the 2 recipes I wanted from "b.a." on-line and bought a cheaper magazine that had a few good recipes in it.  The crazy cooking marathon will begin Wednesday.  Mel & I have 3 Thanksgiving dinners this year: Thursday with our church (my dad really wanted to join them this year), Friday with mom & Frank, & Saturday with dad.  Should be lots of fun!  And it will be my best Thanksgiving so far since I am married the most wonderful man!!!

Sicilian Caponata

I made this dish yesterday.  I changed it a little bit, but sort of unintentionally.  For some reason, when buying the ingredients to make this (My dad bought the ingredients because he wanted to try this dish after reading the "Little Green Dog" menu board on my refrigerator! I made it at his house.), I was thinking it was a pasta dish, so I got fettuccine.  But after reading the recipe right before making it, I realized it was supposed to be a veggie mix used as a sort of dip for crusty bread, which would also be really good.  But instead, I placed it over pasta.  I added the bratwurst to the guys' dish because there was a little left over from the soup (with meat 4th photo, meatless bottom photo).  This was so yummy with all the veggies and a little bit of balsamic vinegar.  Mel, dad, & I all gave it a 10!  We are all huge fans of Chef Ramsay's cookbook!!  The recipe called for capers, which I think are a veggie of some sort, but I couldn't find any.  I followed the rest of the recipe except for adding 2 peppers instead of 1 and extra celery.

Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies

I also made these on Saturday. My mom bought me the cool whoopie pie pan with the recipe. They were supposed to be flat to make sandwiches, but I over-filled the pans so they were too "pouffy" to fill. So I just iced the top like mini cakes. Mel, dad, and I all gave these a 10!

Lima Bean, Chorizo, & Red Onion Siup

I don't usually write anything personal on this blog since this is simply my cooking blog & personal issues are reserved for my other blog, but I do have a quick personal note. My step-mom, Vickey passed away Nov. 1. Therefore, my husband and I are spending as much time as possible with my dad to help him during this sad time. So, for a while, I will have three people to rate all my cooking.

I finally got to use my Chef Ramsay cookbook. I have been wanting one of his cookbooks for a long time. This is the first recipe I have tried. I made this on Saturday for Mel, Dad, and me. It was a huge hit. Mel gave it a 12! Dad gave it a 10, and I gave it a 9. It's supposed to have chorizo in it, but we couldn't find any this time, so Mel picked out the bratwurst. It was also Mel's idea to use both butter beans and lima beans. That was an excellent idea! I followed the rest of the recipe the same except that my bowl had veggie sausage (my bowl with veggie sausage on the left and in the pot, with the meat is on the right)! Mel says it is his favorite soup ever and requests I make it often!!!