We will have our regular Thursday posts tomorrow, but it’ll be big fun to write them with the fur-girls for a change. However, a lot of you are already elbow deep in the holiday baking, and others already have house guests, so I wanted to get a somewhat timely Happy Thanksgiving out there!
Un-garnished version from Christmas 2005
I’ll make my cranberry sauce tonight. I’m terribly picky; I gagged a bit earlier this month when Sandra Lee suggested just buying the canned stuff because it’s so much cheaper and no one will know the difference. Hello?! You bet I will! (And no, I’m not a big fan of Semi-Homemade, but it was on…)
It’s a very simple recipe; just follow the cooking instructions on the bag of fresh crannies, add orange zest (or a teaspoon of marmalade if you’re without a fresh orange) while cooking. Chill overnight, then garnish with finely chopped pecans or walnuts.
A hint on zesting… It really is more of an art than one might think. Do NOT add pith – the white stuff. It’s bitter!! I actually use a micro-grater and then just add a few pretty “curls” of zest to the top, along with the nuts.
I had planned a lovely pumpkin bread pudding for dessert, but the Knight announced this morning that he and his brother require their grandmother’s strawberry cake. Oh boy. It’s not always fun being the keeper of the strawberry icing. (That’s the secret… Anyone can make the cake well enough. I’m pretty sure real, fresh, unsalted butter, whipped to a frenzy is the key.)
The popular corn pudding
Do you have go-to dishes that your family expects every holiday? I’m also expecting a call tomorrow morning, asking me to make corn pudding. Aside from my cranberry sauce, I’m a baker, not a cook. (Thanks to MJ and her strange collection of holiday pot luck tables on Flickr! Without them, I would have had to use stock photos from somewhere…)
Whatever you do, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And if you’re not in the US, we’ll see you tomorrow for the usual posts!
Chan Knits 
I’m used to get togethers of twenty or more on Thanksgiving. Now it’s just Rob and me and the pups. A lot less pressure, but a little melancholy. I’ll be doing a post later after I finish my version of a pumpkin pie. It’s a pretty funny story.
All sounds delish!!!! Someone just sent me a recipe for spinanch balls, which she makes to take with her to eat instead of the stuffing from inside the bird. I’d never heard of them but will have to give them a whirl after the holiday!
I make the cranberry sauce using the recipe on the back of the bag, too. I tried it with the orange zest, but most of my eager eaters didn’t like it. And what’s the deal with Sandra Lee? How dang hard is it to pour 3 ingredients in a pot, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer for 15 minutes? Sheesh. Talk about lazy!
I’m so glad my kids all are coming home. It would be too quiet without them. I wonder what the visiting cat will add to the mix?
Happy Thanksgiving, Chan!
My homemade cranberry sauce is very similar, but after it cools, I chop up some apple and put it in there!!! 😉
Happy Thanksgiving
We are sooo agreed on the cranberry sauce! I made mine on Monday, so it will be nice and chilled for tomorrow. After the bag o berries, sugar, and water (which I short) I add either fesh OJ (this year, squeezed special) or a tablespoon or so of frozen concentrate, and then….well, it varies. This year, cinnamon and cloves. Folks either love or hate my spiced sauce. I’m in the love dept. 🙂
[…] Duckie asked so nicely, I’m sharing my cranberry sauce recipe, which also allows this post to serve as an entry in Louise’s […]