462649 Wed Nov 21 06:13:00 -0800 2007 9 31 Home Cooking 0 3144831 This is what I am serving my 13 guests tomorrow in Yankee New England Connecticut. (Combining comments I made on other threads as well.) Starter: Wines, beer, fresh cider, Fresh fruit cup served in hollowed out orange halves. Includes fresh watermelon, clementines, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, pears, 3 kinds of grapes cut in half, pineapple, kiwi. Yes, this cost me a BUNDLE to buy all these components. The berries were outrageous, but the $18 watermelon brought tears to my eyes (Bought at Stew Leonard's). Please do not tell my husband. Turkey: A 19 lb . Roasted Empire Kosher Turkey, carefully plucked of pinfeathers and rinsed, with melted butter and Bell's seasoning on and under the skin, and stuffed (of course). Stuffing- Two types, mostly in their own casserole dishes, with some of one inside the bird. Sausage Bread Stuffing made with stuffing bread, and a fruity stuffing made without sausage, but containing McIntosh apples, raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, stuffing bread, butter, sage, parsely, and vegetable broth. Gravy made with the pan juices, chicken stiock, veggies in the bottom of the pan squeezed through a chinois, and flour. Seasonings adjusted if needed. Veggies: String Beans, steamed and then mixed with some butter, lemon juice and fresh ground pepper. (the very thin haricots verts type found at Stew Leonard's), Carrots, not pre-cooked in any way, but just gently sauteed in butter and maple syrup til tender then blackened slightly at the end. (This is an original recipe.) Yams, simple baked in the oven in their skins. Guests can cut them in half amongst themselves. Mashed Idaho potatoes with warmed butter, milk, salt and pepper and nothing else. Corn. Fresh not looking good, so picked up Bird's eye frozen. Will be cooked with a little butter in it. Cranberries: Wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them. i love fresh cranberries. Canned cranberry sauce, not the whole-berry kind, (Not my choice, guests demand it.) Cranberry fritters. For recipe see this thread: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/462425 Cranberry bread, this is not just for dinner, it is also served with dessert. Plus, mixing cranberry juice with some of the cider as well. Other stuff - olive, celery stick relish tray, light, fluffy buttermilk biscuits - recipe from CI. These are the tall ones made in a round pan touching, not biscuit cutter ones., and a loaf of pepperoni/cheese bread, which my nephew scarfs down. Also, last year I made fettucine alfredo for my daughter, this year she wants mac and cheese instead - she doesn't eat meat... Dessert: My mother in law, who is one of the best pie makers I know, is brining the apple and pumpkin pies. I'm making cherry, and a chocolate cream pie. Also making brownie cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies. Here is the recipe for the chocolate cream pie. My variation is I use a blind baked pie crust instead of a chocolate wafer crust. http://www.recipelink.com/cookbooks/2000/0811824497_1.html Wed Nov 21 06:13:00 -0800 2007 10726 TrishUntrapped 1 3144965 Sounds just wonderful. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Wed Nov 21 07:01:40 -0800 2007 3144831 22620 DaisyM 1 3145201 I am having a hard time getting past the 18 dollar watermelon!! I thought $5 was high! Anyway, your dinner sounds wonderful. Have a great time and enjoy. Wed Nov 21 08:19:06 -0800 2007 3144831 60784 rhnault 1 3146042 Wednesday around 3 p.m., I've got the pies and cookies cooked and instead of cranberry bread made a pumpkin bread instead. Will use the extra cranberries for muffins on Friday. Tonight will get the stuffing veggies chopped up, and the mirepoix for the turkey pan. Early in the morning tomorrow, the turkey will go in and stuffing will be prepared but only what's in the bird gets cooked, the rest waits till closer to turkey time... then time to cut and peel the fruit and then the veggies, biscuits, etc... Around 1 p.m., everyone will start eating and around 1:30 it will be time to do the dishes.... When all is said and done though, what I like about Thanksgiving is sharing the day with family and friends. Every now and then we lose someone special (grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc...) who we have spent this day with in the past. Thanksgiving gives me a chance to talk about those past experiences with others, and celebrate the people whose company we enjoyed. That's what Thanksgiving is all about. It's not about the food. So any mishaps or problems with the menu or the turkey...or whatever...they just don't matter. To everyone on this board, enjoy the experience and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! -Trish Wed Nov 21 12:32:39 -0800 2007 3144831 10726 TrishUntrapped 2 3146063 Well, you are way ahead of me - and there are just four of us - thank goodness not until 6:30 tomorrow! Enjoy! Wed Nov 21 12:39:10 -0800 2007 3146042 10985 MMRuth 1 3146505 That's it, Trish! $18 for a WATERMELON? You know it's out of season! I'm telling your husband....;) Wed Nov 21 15:15:22 -0800 2007 3144831 113872 diablo 2 3146544 What I can't believe is the 1 p.m. start to the meal and the 1:30 beginning of dish doing and clean-up. You can eat all the stuff on your menu in A HALF HOUR??? What is this? A speed-eating contest? ;+) Wed Nov 21 15:33:08 -0800 2007 3146505 10245 oakjoan 1 3146561 Sounds really great! I love reading what others serve so thanks for posting this! Wed Nov 21 15:42:21 -0800 2007 3144831 112406 Chew on That 1 3147172 Trish, your menu sounds fabulous!!! When a watermelon costs $18.00, you know you live in New England, land of overpriced fruits & veggies, LOL. BTW, where in Connecticut is there a Stew Leonard's? For the first time in many years, I won't be hosting Thanksgiving dinner...going to friends. I am cooking the turkey breast & gravy though, and taking those to contribute to the dinner. Wed Nov 21 21:50:11 -0800 2007 3144831 131124 ctflowers 2 3147512 Stew's started in CT. the stores are in Norwalk and Danbury. Thu Nov 22 07:04:01 -0800 2007 3147172 57253 lucyis