Our Thanksgiving will be small this year, just 9 immediate family members instead of the usual 20.  We will miss our special family members and friends who won’t be able to attend due to Covid-19. They will get zoom calls from us.  I know that it’s been a tough year.  Hopefully you are all OK.  I’m going to be upbeat and make it as festive as possible.  I’ll have to try really hard to cut the menu down, though. So hard for me.

Look how cute this is!  The kids will love it.  I found it at http://sassyeats.com/turkey-charcuterie-board/.  She is such a clever girl.  I have to hold myself back or I’d make all of the turkey ideas on her post.

My family members are basic eaters so I have to resist my urge to jazz up the menu.  Just the basics will make my group very happy.  Keep it simple will be my mantra this year.  Here is the menu:

• Turkey ~  For decades I have used the cheesecloth (aka sacrificial dish towel) soaked in butter method that my grandmother taught me and have always had a wonderful, juicy turkey.  It didn’t matter what kind of bird I used either; fresh, frozen, brined, dry rubbed…..they all came out the same fantastic way.  But last year I did something different, I used a roasting bag!  I had always considered this the lazy way to roast a turkey, but I have been converted!  It was just as juicy and it cooked faster, giving me oven space to keep the veggies warm.  Bonus!  I used the directions from 12tomatoes.com and highly recommend it.  The one thing I will add is that I always use a meat thermometer.  Not the little pop-up that comes in the turkey, you can throw that away.  This is the one I use and it is awesome.  It will call you on your phone when your meat is done!  Well, almost.  It has bluetooth connectivity.  I absolutely love this thing and use it for the grill outside and the oven inside.  Best gift ever.. How To Cook A Turkey In A Roasting Bag

Ingredients

• 1 oven roasting bag, 19×23 ½-inch
• 1 turkey (8 to 24-pounds), thawed, giblets and neck removed, rinsed and dried
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, ground ginger, and dried thyme until well combined. Set aside.
3. Shake flour inside the roasting bag. Place bag in a large 2-inch deep roasting pan.
4. Place onion wedges, garlic cloves, and carrot pieces in bottom of roasting bag.
5. Rub turkey with melted butter. Evenly spread and rub seasoning mix around whole turkey.
6. Place turkey into the bag, resting on top of onions and carrots. Roasting bag opening should face one end of the roasting pan and not open upwards.
7. Close and seal with cooking twine. Cut 4-6 slits in top of roasting bag.
8. Transfer roasting pan to oven and bake according to the weight of the turkey. (See weight and cooking times below)
9. When turkey reaches an internal temperature of 180°F in at the thickest part of the turkey thigh, remove from oven and rest in oven bag for 15 minutes to allow juices to settle back into the turkey.
10. Use a carving fork to lift turkey from bag and transfer to a carving board. Carve and enjoy!

Turkey Cooking Times

• 1.5-2 hours for 8-12 lb turkeys
• 2-2.5 hours for 12-16 lb turkeys
• 2.5-3 hours for 16-20 lb turkeys
• 3-3.5 hours for 20-24 lb turkey

• Stuffing ~ The family loves stuffing!  As long as I don’t sneak any meat or fruit into it, they are happy with Pepperidge Farm Stuffing out of the bag.  I make it according to the package directions, adding the onion and celery, and I cook it in the bird.  This year, for the first time, I’m going to make home made stuffing.  I still can’t add any fun stuff, but it will be home made.  This is the recipe I am going to use, courtesy of Buzzfeed.  I am definitely still cooking it in the bird.  I can save my Pepperidge Farm for day 2 if I need it.
• Cranberry Sauce ~ My family likes cranberry sauce!  Not the kind I make, with fresh cranberries, but the gelatinous blob that comes out of the can, complete with ridges.  Oh, they are so easy.  So I serve them what they like, but I slice it up and try to arrange it in a pretty way in a cut crystal dish.  However, I also serve my home made version because it is Thanksgiving and because I like it.  Hopefully someday one of the grandchildren will try it.

Ellie’s Simple Cranberry Sauce

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained (save juice)

2 (12 oz.) packages fresh cranberries

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Add water to saved pineapple juice to make 2 cups liquid.  

Place liquid, cranberries and sugar in saucepan and heat and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil.  Boil for about 10 minutes until most of the cranberries have burst and the mixture is thick.

Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, cloves and drained pineapple.  Stir to combine.  Transfer to bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours. 

• Mashed Potatoes ~ Everybody eats mashed potatoes!  Luckily I have one of these, which I don’t believe is sold anymore.  Westinghouse steamer/masher.  Apparently there were issues.  Too bad because I love mine, and I (actually my son does this job) use it every year.  It does everything but peel the potatoes. So simple! If you find it somewhere, (like the Amazon reviewer who said he found it at Christmas Tree Shop) pick it up.  This is the recipe I use:

• I double or triple it on Thanksgiving.  Of course, without the steamer/masher, you’ll have to do it the regular way; cook the potatoes in water for 30 minutes or until done, drain, mash and mix in other ingredients.  I generally use a ricer instead of a masher to get all the lumps out.
• Gravy ~ My daughter picks this up at a local turkey farm.  Thank you!!!  It’s delicious and frees me from this last minute job.  
• Vegetables ~ This is always a problem.  My grandchildren just don’t like them.  William said he’d prefer frozen peas this year, as in still frozen.  Enough said.  So this is what I’m serving this year:

Neither of the above recipes is difficult.  I am hoping that the added sweetness will tempt the grandkids.  However, I’ll still serve assorted frozen vegetables for them, with plenty of butter.

I was 19 and clueless in the kitchen, but I figured it out.  Over the years I have realized that I needed to make a larger batch (makes about 42) so this is how I make them now:

Ingredients:

• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, to proof the yeast
• 6 tablespoons shortening or unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 9 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (more if the dough is sticky, up to 10 cups)
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup softened butter, divided
• 2 cups brown sugar (about)
• ground cinnamon

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the 1 cup of lukewarm water.  Add a teaspoon of sugar to “proof” the yeast.  After 5 or 10 minutes, the yeast should start to foam up.  This proves that the yeast is active.  Do not skip this step!  Always have extra yeast.  If the yeast doesn’t foam up, throw it out and start again with fresh yeast.  

In a large bowl, put 6 tablespoons tablespoons shortening (I use Crisco), 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 cups very hot water.  Stir to dissolve.  Set aside to cool a bit.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.  When the water mixture is lukewarm, add eggs and yeast to it.  Then add the flour, a bit at a time, until it is no longer sticky.  You can do this by hand or with your mixer with a dough hook.  I use the mixer.

Put out on a floured pastry cloth or counter and let rest for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, soften the butter.  I use the microwave.  

Cut dough in half.  With a floured rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough into a large rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches.  Spread the softened butter over each rectangle.  Next spread a lot of brown sugar over the butter.  I wing the amount, but it’s about 1/4 inch thick or a bit more.  Sprinkle cinnamon over this.  Now roll them up so that you have 2 rolls, each approximately 18 inches long.  

Cut the rolls with a serrated knife into 1 inch wide slices and place them into greased muffin tins.  Cover with clean dish towels and let rise until double.  

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  I always start checking a few minutes early so they don’t overcook.  You want them to be just slightly brown on top.  

YUM

• Grandma’s Apple Pie ~ I always make 2

Crust:

In large bowl, put 4 cups unsifted all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 teaspoons salt.  

Add 1 and 3/4 cup crisco shortening and mix with fork until crumbly.

In separate small bowl, beat together 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Combine the 2 mixtures until well mixed.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions (makes 2 pies) and shape each into a flat round patty ready for rolling.  Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1/2 hour.  

When ready to roll out, lightly flour both sides of patty and put on lightly floured pastry cloth.  Keeping pastry round, roll from center until 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan.

Apple Pie Filling For Each Pie:

Peel, core and slice 7 cups of apples (2.5 to 3 pounds)This is what I use and it is an awesome time-saver.  I’ve been using it for decades.

Mix apples with 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Mix in 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Fill pie crust with apple filling.  Dot with 2 tablespoons butter, cut up.  Top with remaining crust.  Try to make pretty edges.  I cover the edges with foil so they don’t over brown.

Bake in preheated 425F oven for 45 to 50 minutes until apples test fork tender.  It’s a good idea to place a cookie sheet under the pie to catch drips.  

I always make the pies a few days ahead and warm them in the oven while we eat our dinner. 

I have never had a failure with this pie.  It’s not always pretty, but it’s always delicious!

From my family to yours…Have a wonderful, safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

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