Giving Thanks - Thursday

I've been having difficulty finding time to participate in Kelli's Thanksgiving feature this week, and I do want to share a few things. Today I'm sharing our family's Traditional Thanksgiving and/or Christmas menu and recipes that are always on our table each year, no matter which house we are having the family gathering. The little salt and pepper shakers above are on our Thanksgiving table yearly.

After the recipes I'm sharing something special my grandson Tanner read at our Thanksgiving dinner a few years ago, "The Legend of the Kernels of Corn."

Stuffed Celery:
3 oz. softened cream cheese
2 tsp. catsup
2 drops Worchestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Mix all together, let set a few hours (I leave it overnight)

Stuff into 3-inch celery pieces.

Cranberry Relish
1 bag fresh cranberries, frozen
1 orange
1 red jello (strawberry, cherry, cranberry, etc.)
1 small can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Zest peeling from orange (reserve),
then peel the orange, remove seeds, chop
Grind the frozen cranberries in a food processor
Add the chopped orange and grind.
Dissolve Jello in 1 cup boiling water.
Add 1/2 cup sugar
Add crushed pineapple with juice.
Add the cranberries and orange
Add chopped pecans

Mix well, store in refrigerator. You can make this
several days in advance. I serve it in a relish dish, but
it can be made into a molded salad, just use two
packages of Jello.

Cornbread Dressing ( this is like Stuffing,

but we don’t stuff the bird with it)
8 cups crumbled biscuits
8 cups crumbled cornbread
8 to 10 cups chicken/turkey broth
1 stick butter melted
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon (or more) salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
(a little sage, if desired, I can’t use it as it upsets my stomach!)

The night before I bake biscuits (I use Bisquick, double the biscuit recipe.)
Also bake the cornbread (I use 2 Martha White Cotton Pickin’ Cornbread mix,
these are small packages. Make sure the cornbread doesn’t have sugar in it.
(Do not use the Jiffy Corn Muffin mix!)

Next day (Thanksgiving/Christmas) Mix the above ingredients all together
with the broth, etc. Add more broth as needed to make a very moist mixture.
Pour into a 9x13 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees
about 30 - 35 minutes until brown on top.

Our Holiday Menu
Turkey and Dressing
Turkey Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Peas Or Baby Limas (sometimes both!)
Sweet Potato Casserole with marshmallows
Cranberry Relish
Stuffed Celery
Green and Black Olives
Crescent Rolls and Butter
Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Apple Pie!
Sometimes we have Green Bean Casserole

Below is a little reading I found in Dear Abby a few year's ago. I had my grandson, Tanner, read it before our Thanksgiving meal. You place five kernels of corn at each person's place at the table. (I couldn't find it this morning, so I googled and found the site at the bottom, it has more ideas you might like as well.)

THE LEGENDS OF THE 5 KERNELS
"It was very cold for the Pilgrims that first winter. Food was in short supply. Some days, they had only five kernels of corn. When spring came, the Pilgrims planted the remaining corn. The sun and rain helped the seeds to grow and much food was harvested in the fall. Every Thanksgiving thereafter, the Pilgrims placed five kernels of corn beside each plate to remind them of their blessings:

The first kernel reminded them of the autumn beauty.

The second kernel reminded them of their love for each other.

The third kernel reminds of their family's love.

The fourth kernel reminded them of their friends ... especially their Indian brothers.

The fifth kernel reminded them of their freedom.

Go here for more ideas for children: http://www.just4kidsmagazine.com/nov.html

Thank you for your interest, please leave a comment! And please do return soon!
Katherine