Happy Weekly Food Fun to You!
Last weeks food fun was one of my favorites in food fun – Thanksgiving.  So much food, family, fun and pies, it is all good with pies.

I generally have two to three days of food preparation for Thanksgiving dinner.  Casseroles, Pies, Turkey, mashed potatoes. Yes, mashed potatoes are in a category all of their own.   This year I had such a fun time with my son helping out more with the pies.   We do have the recipes although when it comes to seasoning we both put a little more of this or that.  I wanted a little more cinnamon on one pie and he informed me that we had enough, I was not allowed to add anything more to it, that it was just right.

Pies

Other years I have made the pie crust on Tuesday so it is chilled and ready to make pies on Wednesday.  Sad to say that did not happen this year.  We still made the pies, although not my own crusts.  Our pies for the year were Apple, Pecan, Pumpkin and my Mom made Mincemeat. (recipes HERE)

Casseroles

Always need casseroles, our family favorites are Broccoli, VegAll, Green Bean and of course Cheesy Hash brown. One of my favorites is creamed spinach. I cooked that in my cast iron skillet for the first time this year. (Recipes HERE)

Cranberry Sauce

I must have cranberry sauce with my turkey,  and yes, canned is involved.  I do make my own Pineapple Cranberry Sauce (recipe HERE), and have it right along side the canned. I have a pink dish given to us for a wedding present.  After all these years I still have it and it always serves the canned cranberry sauce.

Turkey

The key ingredient in our Thanksgiving dinner – The Turkey.  I brine it the day before (recipe HERE).  We always buy a big Turkey which will not fit into the refrigerator, so it sits in a 5 gallon bucket full of brine in a big cooler full of ice in the cold garage covered up all night.  Thanksgiving morning I make stuffing with bread, butter, poultry seasoning, onion and garlic. I do stuff the turkey, it is how I grew up, I would help my mom make it Thanksgiving morning while watching the Parade.  Then, I make a mixture of butter, garlic, lemon zest and herbs and stuff that under the top skin,  finally ready to cook in the roasting pan.  It doesn’t brown very well, if I were really ambitious I could put it under the broiler for a few minutes.  But, after the brine, roasting, smelling it cooking for 4 or so hours, my ambition is done.  The only strength I have is to carve and eat. I didn’t even take the pop up timer out of the turkey before I took a picture.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  And always enjoy the fun of food!
Now for all of the fun leftovers.