I finally got a chance to sit down and decide on the menu for Thanksgiving Day and even ordered my groceries, so I’m starting to feel a bit more organized. Phew! Here’s the plan:
Pre-Dinner Munchies
Sweet Onion Tartlets
Sausage Cheese Puffs
Antipasto Platter
Overnight Turkey with Elsa’s Poulet Sauce
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Broccoli Salad
Apple and Onion Stuffin’ Muffins
Cranberry Conserve
Roasted Butternut Squash
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Tried to keep the menu simple and manageable, particularly because last years’ feast went well and was relaxing – that’s a trend I’d like to continue! Hoping to get 3 or 4 of the recipes done tomorrow night, and then Thursday will be a breeze. Usually we do Thanksgiving here, but Mom isn’t quite ready to make the climb of 30 steps to our front door, so we’ll be bringing the feast to their house instead.
Tonight Nicholas and I made small goodie bags for his classmates, filling them with mini puzzles, super balls, a crazy straw, pencil and playdoh. He had a lot of fun coloring the turkeys on the tags and putting them together with me.
For dinner, I wanted to keep it simple, and went with a new recipe, Ziti with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola. The recipe comes from the Taste of Italia magazine and besides being perfect for the ARF/5-A-Day roundup, it’s fitting for a weeknight meal, hitting the table in just about 20 minutes.
Before I forget, I have put together and had printed a small desktop calendar (2007) that is now available for sale. Featuring 13 pictures of our lovable Eli, they are $7.50 (includes shipping). A portion of the profit will go towards a Bernese Mountain Dog Rescue Group. If you’d like to order one (or more), just drop me a line. Perfect for holiday gift giving!
OK folks, all for tonight. On with the ARF/5-A-Day roundup. Just a few participants this week; no doubt everyone is getting started on their Thanksgiving menu cooking.
Until tomorrow…
P.S. Now it’s your turn … what’s on YOUR Thanksgiving menu?
The Chocolate Lady from New York City gets in the spirit with Pumpkin Pie and mini pies:
A Transition to Vegan picks up the Thanksgiving theme with her Cranberry Sauce:
From Up A Creek Without a PatL, we have Honeyed Walnuts:
Cucina Bella is back, this time with her Olive Pesto Hummus Dip:
Mixed Salad Annie joins in the fun with
Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower dish:
Newcomer A Foodie in Lowcountry joins us with a hearty tummy-warming Chicken Soup:
And lastly, Cooking is Medicine from Mississippi shares her Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers:
Ziti with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola
Ziti con Pomodori e Gorgonzola
Serves 4
1/2 pound ziti
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup basil leaves, packed
Cook ziti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, combine olive oil, pine nuts and garlic; cook for 5 minutes on medium low. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes with olive oil mixture, stirring to mix well (I skipped this step and added tomatoes to skillet instead, to soften them a bit). When pasta is done, drain and add to bowl. Add cheese, salt and pepper, stirring to coat well. Add basil leaves and serve.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Any chance that you could post the recipe for your cranberry broccoli salad? Thanks in advance. :)
We’re doing dinner at my mom’s, but I’m helping her cook. The menu is the exact same every year (we’re big on tradition):
turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, carrots roasted with the turkey, baked sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce (the Ocean Spray from a can), rolls and homemade gravy.
Merry – absolutely! Here it is:
Cranberry Broccoli Salad
1-1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups broccoli florets
4 cups coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage with carrots)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
6 slices of bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled (I double the amount of bacon)
Dressing:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
In a small bowl, combine the fresh cranberries and sugar; cover and chill in fridge until serving time (berries will juice out). In a large bowl, combine broccoli, shredded cabbage, walnuts, raisins and onion. To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the salad and mix. Chill covered at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Just before serving, gently fold in bacon and cranberry mixture.
The Home Cook – tradition is wonderful, and your menu looks delicious!