OT who is already cooking for tomorrow

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"Yoj" wrote in message
. com...
"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
On 2005-11-23, No More Retail penned:
The fires are a blazing 16 hours to go before the food goes on
and we run out to the Thanksgiving sales.


Not I, but I'm picking up a fresh turkey from Whole Foods tonight.

DH's parents are in town, and I think we're all in agreement that
we're best off if my MIL orchestrates the whole event while we kids
follow directions.

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

For the first time in I don't know how many years, I am *not* cooking
Thanksgiving dinner. My daughter saw how tired and frazzled I got last
year, and on the way home she told her husband she was going to
volunteer
to
do it this year. She had forgotten, but he reminded her a few weeks
ago.
I
am taking my frozen cranberry salad and the pumpkin pies. I made the
salad
yesterday, and the pies are baking right now.

I cheat with the pies and use a bought graham cracker crust.
Unfortunately,
that comes in a foil pan. I usually get the 10-inch size, which are
barely
manageable. This time I got a 12-inch one, and is my oven a mess! I
cleaned up as much of the spillage as I could, but I still found out
that
my
smoke alarm works.

Joy

With my daughter living with me, I have a built-in chef (somehow the
cooking
gene skipped a generation and went directly from my mother to my
daughter -
although I *do* cook a mean Thanksgiving dinner). We decided to change
dessert (I wasn't too sure about baking a pecan pie from scratch and we're
having *LOTS* of company).

So here's the new menu:

Dinner (recipes provided upon request):

Roasted Turkey (marinated with Cajun Injection marinade)
Giblet Gravy (made from scratch)
Cajun Stuffing (made from cornbread which was made from scratch, and with
pork and venison sausage, and fresh veggies and herbs - to die for!)
Stuffed Merletons (with shrimp - my daughter made this today from my
mother's recipe - *OHMYGAWD* it's good!!!)
Mashed Potatoes (tip, boil the potatoes in chicken broth)
Sweet Potato Crunch (with fresh pecans)
Baked Macaroni (recipe from a famous New Orleans restaurant)
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Homemade Rolls

Dessert (recipes provided upon request):

Homemade Chocolate Turtles
Homemade Heavenly Hash Candy
Homemade Pecan Pralines

Boy are we thankful this year!!!!! ;

Hugs,

CatNipped

That sounds wonderful! I'd love the recipes for the sweet potato crunch and
the desserts.

What are Merletons?

Joy

On 2005-11-23, CatNipped penned:

Dessert (recipes provided upon request):

Homemade Chocolate Turtles

Recipe, please!

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

"Yoj" wrote in message
. com...

That sounds wonderful! I'd love the recipes for the sweet potato crunch
and
the desserts.

What are Merletons?

Joy

Merletons are a vegetable, a type of squash, originating in New Orleans,
known in other parts of the U.S. as a chayote squash

================================================== ===================

Sweet Potato Crunch

Ingredients:
3 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 bag of mini marshmallows (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and place in buttered casserole dish.

Sprinkle with topping and bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Topping:
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup flour

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle on top of sweet potato mixture and
place in oven to bake.*

Place marshmellows on top after baking is finished and place back in oven on
broil until top of marshmellows are brown.

================================================== ===================

[For all candies you need to find some place that has *GOOD* confectioner's
chocolate - We use "The Party Shoppe".]

================================================== ===================

Chocolate Turtles

Ingredients:

Confectioner's Milk Chocolate
Whole Shelled Pecans
1 Can Condensed Milk

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Place unopened can of
condensed milk in boiling water and boil for 4 hours (you'll need to keep
adding water to the pot).

Melt chocolate in a double-boiler (if you don't use a double boiler the
chocolate will dry out) and allow to cool just enough to thicken a little,
then pour silver dollar sized drops onto a sheet of waxed paper. While
chocolate is still soft, push pecan halves into the chocolate (from the
center pointing outwards like a turtle's legs would be).

When condensed milk is boiled for 4 hours in the can, it becomes caramel.
Cool the can of condensed milk in water until it is cool enough to touch.
Open can while it is still warm (be careful not to burn yourself) and spoon
out dollops of caramel onto the centers of the chocolate drops. Allow to
cool.

Pour more melted chocolate over the top of the caramel and allow to cool (if
you put the candies in the refrigerator it will cool faster than allowing to
cool at room temperture).

================================================== ===================

Heavenly Hash Candy

Ingredients:

Confectioners milk chocolate
1 bag of large marshmallows (each marshmallow is cut into 3 pieces)
Whole shelled pecans

Line marshmallows in the bottom of a baking pan and sprinkle pecan halves on
top. Pour melted chocolate on top (remember to use a double boiler to melt
the chocolate). Place in refrigerator to cool.

================================================== ===================

Pecan Pralines

(You'll need a candy thermometer for this one.)

Ingredients:

1 cup white cane sugar
4 tablespoons of half & half
1 2/3 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
2 cups whole shelled pecans
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Mix both sugars, butter and half & half and cook in a double boiler on low
heat until temperature reaches 239F, stirring occasionally. When
temperature reaches 239F, take off stove and stir in vanilla and picans.
Mix for about 1 or 2 minutes until mixture gets a little dull looking.
Spoon into clumps (if it starts to harden too fast add 2 tablespoons of hot
water and mix some more).

================================================== ===================

Enjoy!

Hugs,

CatNipped

"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
On 2005-11-23, CatNipped penned:

Dessert (recipes provided upon request):

Homemade Chocolate Turtles

Recipe, please!

I put all the candy recipes in my reply to Joy. Let me know if you don't
see it.

Hugs,

CatNipped

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

Jo Firey wrote:
"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
On 2005-11-23, No More Retail penned:
The fires are a blazing 16 hours to go before the food goes on
and we run out to the Thanksgiving sales.


Not I, but I'm picking up a fresh turkey from Whole Foods tonight.

DH's parents are in town, and I think we're all in agreement that
we're best off if my MIL orchestrates the whole event while we kids
follow directions.


Wah!!

I want my mommy!

She did the very best Thanksgivings in the whole wide world. And
directed some epic feasts after she was past able to do it all
herself. We have a huge family so 25 or 30 for dinner wasn't unheard
of.

Jo

I'm sorry you miss your mom, Jo. She must have been a great cook!

Mine never did anything spectacular at the holidays, especially since she
discovered frozen and boxed foodstuffs in the 1970's. And that canned
chilled cranberry sauce that came out, well, looking like a CAN. And
somehow she always managed to burn the rolls (frozen, not from scratch).
Hello, it's called a TIMER? She used packets of dry gravy mix for the
turkey and instant mashed potatoes. I'm not opposed to convenience foods
but this doesn't evoke any especially fond holiday memories for me.

Jill

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Jo Firey wrote:
"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
On 2005-11-23, No More Retail penned:
The fires are a blazing 16 hours to go before the food goes on
and we run out to the Thanksgiving sales.


Not I, but I'm picking up a fresh turkey from Whole Foods tonight.

DH's parents are in town, and I think we're all in agreement that
we're best off if my MIL orchestrates the whole event while we kids
follow directions.


Wah!!

I want my mommy!

She did the very best Thanksgivings in the whole wide world. And
directed some epic feasts after she was past able to do it all
herself. We have a huge family so 25 or 30 for dinner wasn't unheard
of.

Jo

I'm sorry you miss your mom, Jo. She must have been a great cook!

Mine never did anything spectacular at the holidays, especially since she
discovered frozen and boxed foodstuffs in the 1970's. And that canned
chilled cranberry sauce that came out, well, looking like a CAN. And
somehow she always managed to burn the rolls (frozen, not from scratch).
Hello, it's called a TIMER? She used packets of dry gravy mix for the
turkey and instant mashed potatoes. I'm not opposed to convenience foods
but this doesn't evoke any especially fond holiday memories for me.

Jill

OHMYGAWD! That border on child abuse! ;

Hugs,

CatNipped

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Jo Firey wrote:
"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
On 2005-11-23, No More Retail penned:
The fires are a blazing 16 hours to go before the food goes on
and we run out to the Thanksgiving sales.


Not I, but I'm picking up a fresh turkey from Whole Foods tonight.

DH's parents are in town, and I think we're all in agreement that
we're best off if my MIL orchestrates the whole event while we kids
follow directions.


Wah!!

I want my mommy!

She did the very best Thanksgivings in the whole wide world. And
directed some epic feasts after she was past able to do it all
herself. We have a huge family so 25 or 30 for dinner wasn't unheard
of.

Jo

I'm sorry you miss your mom, Jo. She must have been a great cook!

Mine never did anything spectacular at the holidays, especially since she
discovered frozen and boxed foodstuffs in the 1970's. And that canned
chilled cranberry sauce that came out, well, looking like a CAN. And
somehow she always managed to burn the rolls (frozen, not from scratch).
Hello, it's called a TIMER? She used packets of dry gravy mix for the
turkey and instant mashed potatoes. I'm not opposed to convenience foods
but this doesn't evoke any especially fond holiday memories for me.

Jill



No wonder you learned how to cook. Self defense!

Have a wonderful holiday.

Jo

I'm really curious about what you call the merletons. I have seen them
called chayote squash but was never sure what to do with them. Would
like to try out your recipe...sounds delicious!. Thanks! Have a good
holiday!

-PatM

No more recipes I have too much I am cooking right now to keep adding all
the goodies you all post :-)
"PatM" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm really curious about what you call the merletons. I have seen them
called chayote squash but was never sure what to do with them. Would
like to try out your recipe...sounds delicious!. Thanks! Have a good
holiday!

-PatM

Jo Firey wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Jo Firey wrote:
"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
On 2005-11-23, No More Retail penned:
The fires are a blazing 16 hours to go before the food goes on
and we run out to the Thanksgiving sales.


Not I, but I'm picking up a fresh turkey from Whole Foods tonight.

DH's parents are in town, and I think we're all in agreement that
we're best off if my MIL orchestrates the whole event while we kids
follow directions.


Wah!!

I want my mommy!

She did the very best Thanksgivings in the whole wide world. And
directed some epic feasts after she was past able to do it all
herself. We have a huge family so 25 or 30 for dinner wasn't
unheard of.

Jo

I'm sorry you miss your mom, Jo. She must have been a great cook!

Mine never did anything spectacular at the holidays, especially
since she discovered frozen and boxed foodstuffs in the 1970's. And
that canned chilled cranberry sauce that came out, well, looking
like a CAN. And somehow she always managed to burn the rolls
(frozen, not from scratch). Hello, it's called a TIMER? She used
packets of dry gravy mix for the turkey and instant mashed potatoes.
I'm not opposed to convenience foods but this doesn't evoke any
especially fond holiday memories for me.

Jill



No wonder you learned how to cook. Self defense!

Have a wonderful holiday.

Jo

Mom still wonders where I got my "cooking gene". But, woo-hoo! We had
"real butter" for the vegetables and rolls on holidays! ROFL

Jill