Thanksgiving 2018

I've posted all the recipes I've tried for Thanksgiving - whether I was doing the whole meal or just doing a side. I wanted to do an update on what we've stuck with over the years and what we added this year.

The kids and I did yard work and odd jobs for several people (on the DL) and saved up enough money to buy Hubs/Dad a Traeger for Father's Day. So - for the first time ever - we are making a "smoked turkey" with "smoked gravy" - I'll post the recipes and our thoughts after the big day. We're doing a smaller turkey (10 lb) because my in laws are doing a traditional turkey - so we have our bases covered.

This year I'm making cranberry sauce because I just can't stand the stuff in a can. I made it today (day before Thanksgiving) and it is the BOMB. Triple Sec Cranberry Relish
http://breakingthereciperut.blogspot.com/2018/11/triple-sec-cranberry-relish_21.html

We have stuck with a few tried and true recipes also:
My 15 year old son made this Sausage and Herb stuffing we've have loved for years - ALL BY HIMSELF! Other than my homemade rolls - this is his favorite thing about Thanksgiving. A recipe I found years ago from Ina Garten.

My 10 year old made these INCREDIBLE Decadent Mashed Potatoes we've loved for years - her absolute fave. The recipe is from Ree Drummond but I TOTALLY cheat and use the "Main St. Bistro Mashed Potatoes" from Costco so I can skip all the peeling, cooking, mashing. I mean - if my 10 year old can make them - pssssh!

This turkey recipe will change your life Alton - so we're doing it exactly the same way - except instead of putting the turkey in the oven - we are putting in the smoker. The MOST important thing in that post is the BEST WAY TO CARVE YOUR TURKEY - if you haven't tried it - or heard of it - IT WILL ABSOLUTELY BLOW YOUR MIND.  

Figs Are My Jam

I bought a bag of Smyrna dried figs from Costco - thinking we would all love them - because we all love figs. None of us could get past the way they looked. I didn't want them to go to waste so I came up with this:

To rehydrate the dried figs I bought at Costco I put them in a sauce pan, covered them with water, added a little lemon juice and a little vanilla until they started to burst.

I let them cool, dried them off and sprinkled them with 1 cup of sugar and set them in the refrigerator - covered - overnight.

The next day cut the stems off the figs and juice and put them in a crock pot with 1/2 tsp lemon juice and 1/4 c vanilla extract for 2 hours.

Let that mixture cool and then blend in a blender until it reaches the consistency you like.

It's a long process - but very easy and tastes delicious!!!

I've been eating it with cheese and crackers and it's just such a treat!

Triple Sec Cranberry Relish

I know I shouldn't start a food post with a negative but we're talking cranberry sauce here. I think you either love it - or you hate it. I have NEVER like cranberry sauce - BUT my only experience has been with the canned stuff. 

This year - I decided I was going to come up with a cranberry sauce recipe I would really like. I researched A TON. Like obsessively. I finally decided on this one - a recipe from Ted Allen on the Food Network. I was tempted by the citrus element and those warm fall spices.  

I made it today (the day before Thanksgiving) and boy howdy I freakin LOVE it!! I can't wait to eat it tomorrow with my turkey and stuffing!!

Triple Sec Cranberry Relish from Ted Allen
3 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
3 cup sugar
OR *My cheat: Costco's Stonemill Cranberry Sauce (36 oz)
2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced 
1 cup Cointreau or Grand Marnier orange liqueur
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 
Grated zest of 1 lemon 
Grated zest of 1 orange 

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add apples, Cointreau, 1 cup water, the cinnamon, and cloves, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer about 10 minutes. *If you use my cheat - add the cranberry sauce now to the rest of the mix to combine the flavors and simmer for 5-10 minutes more. 
Remove from the heat, stir in the grated zests, chill if you made ahead - serve warm if not!

Dying to Cheat?

Life has been ABSOLUTELY crazier than ever since August. I have 4 kids - my oldest is 6 months away from getting his license and my youngest is 6 - just old enough to be just as busy as the rest of her siblings. 

With my youngest now in school full time - I've taken on a lot of opportunities I didn't have time for before - so while my kids are busier than every - I'm also busier than ever - but we all (including my husband) still need to eat every. single. day. LOL

These are cheats I've found that work for us in the last few months...

Costco - bulk variety pack. My kids add teriyaki sauce or a little chicken broth with sugar to make something that tastes like the Sweet Jasmine Rice they all love 

 I found these several years ago. You can just microwave these in a flash (7 minutes) but what I love to do is put them in a deep pan with milk and butter to heat them up - which only takes 15-20 minutes.

My sister in law fed these chicken skewers to my kids and they RAVED! I've bought them ever since. When I'm not home my kids will heat these up in the microwave and chow down. They are seriously so good.

These aren't really a cheat - they're more of a DELICIOUS find. I get them at the Chinese market off of 90th and 1-15 (in the frozen section). I'll make pulled pork in the crock pot and set these out to thaw when I start the crock pot in the morning. The kids grab these (they are like pillowy taco shells) fill them with pulled pork and have at it. Makes a crock pot meal into a portable dinner anytime we have a second to eat.

 My favorite of all time cheats is SOUP. I've posted so many soup recipes lately - and it's because that is what I've been making most lately! I make a huge batch - we have some for dinner the night I make it, freeze enough for dinner another night and put the rest in these cute little 12 oz tupperwares that go into one of the drawers in my refrigerator. Choose your favorite - pop it in the microwave and there you have a delicious, home made, well rounded meal any time of the day!