Happy Thanksgiving!
Hehe! I got caught standing in front of an open refrigerator eating straight from the pie plate. Yummy pumpkin! You know, there’s really no need to dirty another plate when it gets down to the last piece and all’s fair in the pursuit of the last piece of pie.
I had already baked the pies/breads/cookies earlier in the week so today I only had to do the turkey, dressing, ham, and sweet potato casserole. My mom and sister fixed the rest of the rolls/veggies/desserts. We cook everything at our own homes and then take everything to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner.
I know many people have to travel for the holidays to be with family but I’m pretty lucky in that respect. Have I ever mentioned that my parents, sister, brother, and a few other aunts/uncles/cousins live in the same neighborhood that I do? (It’s okay, really - I like them all. :P) It’s the same neighborhood where my grandmother raised her family. My mother grew up here, as did I, and now my son. One uncle still lives in the family home. That’s the same house where my grandmother taught me to cook at an early age while preparing the Sunday dinners. Now life is rushed and the extended family doesn’t meet for dinner every week like we did when Gran was here. Now we get together when we can and for holidays. Thanksgiving is one of those special times of the year when the family gathers, traditions are kept, and we’re reminded of the blessings we have. I have much to be thankful for - life is good. Great family, friends, job, home, etc. All things that make me happy.
I know living that close to your parents and siblings could have a …ahem, downside? :P Somehow though we’ve managed to be there for each other but still give each other space. We seem to have found a good balance for staying a close family AND good neighbors. Often a week will go by before I’ll realize I’ve not seen any of them. A week is a long time though, for me to not see my adorable niece and nephew. :) We all have different things going on in our lives but even if I don’t see my family every day, it’s really nice knowing they’re nearby, okay, and there if I need them. I’m not saying they never annoy me or worry me but it's always minor stuff. I’ll gladly deal with those times though because they also love me unconditionally, support me without question, and encourage me to do whatever makes me happy. They always have. A person has to be thankful to be surrounded by people like that.
Okay. *blinks* Love ‘em and all that.
Back to food. And an exceptionally wonderful recipe for leftover turkey…
This dish is so good I baked an extra turkey breast today just for this.
Hot Turkey Salad
2 cups prepared turkey, cubed
1 cup mayonnaise
2 large stalks celery, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped onion
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 cup soft fresh bread crumbs (2 slices bread)
2 T. melted butter
Preheat the oven to 350o F. In a mixing bowl, combine the turkey, mayo, celery, onion, nuts, cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Place the mixture in an ungreased casserole dish or 8”x8”x2” baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs with the melted butter. Top the casserole with buttered bread crumbs and bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
Tip #1: Double or triple the recipe using your leftover turkey. It’s that delicious; you will want more. You will need to increase the baking time according to the amount you’re baking. If you double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan, it will take about 35 minutes.
Tip #2: It’s really good served with rice of your choice and sliced French bread. Yum!
Tip #3: You can use other nut/cheese variations too; I’ve tried swiss cheese/sliced almonds which were good but I prefer the cheddar/pecan version.
Happy Thanksgiving, Flist! Hope everyone had a great day.
I had already baked the pies/breads/cookies earlier in the week so today I only had to do the turkey, dressing, ham, and sweet potato casserole. My mom and sister fixed the rest of the rolls/veggies/desserts. We cook everything at our own homes and then take everything to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner.
I know many people have to travel for the holidays to be with family but I’m pretty lucky in that respect. Have I ever mentioned that my parents, sister, brother, and a few other aunts/uncles/cousins live in the same neighborhood that I do? (It’s okay, really - I like them all. :P) It’s the same neighborhood where my grandmother raised her family. My mother grew up here, as did I, and now my son. One uncle still lives in the family home. That’s the same house where my grandmother taught me to cook at an early age while preparing the Sunday dinners. Now life is rushed and the extended family doesn’t meet for dinner every week like we did when Gran was here. Now we get together when we can and for holidays. Thanksgiving is one of those special times of the year when the family gathers, traditions are kept, and we’re reminded of the blessings we have. I have much to be thankful for - life is good. Great family, friends, job, home, etc. All things that make me happy.
I know living that close to your parents and siblings could have a …ahem, downside? :P Somehow though we’ve managed to be there for each other but still give each other space. We seem to have found a good balance for staying a close family AND good neighbors. Often a week will go by before I’ll realize I’ve not seen any of them. A week is a long time though, for me to not see my adorable niece and nephew. :) We all have different things going on in our lives but even if I don’t see my family every day, it’s really nice knowing they’re nearby, okay, and there if I need them. I’m not saying they never annoy me or worry me but it's always minor stuff. I’ll gladly deal with those times though because they also love me unconditionally, support me without question, and encourage me to do whatever makes me happy. They always have. A person has to be thankful to be surrounded by people like that.
Okay. *blinks* Love ‘em and all that.
Back to food. And an exceptionally wonderful recipe for leftover turkey…
This dish is so good I baked an extra turkey breast today just for this.
Hot Turkey Salad
2 cups prepared turkey, cubed
1 cup mayonnaise
2 large stalks celery, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped onion
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 cup soft fresh bread crumbs (2 slices bread)
2 T. melted butter
Preheat the oven to 350o F. In a mixing bowl, combine the turkey, mayo, celery, onion, nuts, cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Place the mixture in an ungreased casserole dish or 8”x8”x2” baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs with the melted butter. Top the casserole with buttered bread crumbs and bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
Tip #1: Double or triple the recipe using your leftover turkey. It’s that delicious; you will want more. You will need to increase the baking time according to the amount you’re baking. If you double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan, it will take about 35 minutes.
Tip #2: It’s really good served with rice of your choice and sliced French bread. Yum!
Tip #3: You can use other nut/cheese variations too; I’ve tried swiss cheese/sliced almonds which were good but I prefer the cheddar/pecan version.
Happy Thanksgiving, Flist! Hope everyone had a great day.