Recipes

[adoreqvc]

Dear mtc,

Thanks for posting the sweet potato tequilla recipe!

[adoreqvc]

Many Consumers are unaware, but there is a difference between yams and sweet potatoes, and  they are not from the same food group.

Yams come from different plant all together -- they're of the family Dioscoreacea, while sweet potatoes belong to the family Convolvulaceae.

The two veggies also originate from different parts of the world -- yams from Asia and Africa and sweet potatoes from the tropical Americas.

On the outside, they are actually different.

Sweet potatoes can have red purple yellow and orange skins while yams are brown and hairy.

Yams are also way harder to find -- the grocery store yam you just bought is probably a sweet potato.

Sweet potatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are starchy and dry.

The yam and sweet potato Wikipedia fiasco stems from the colonial era when the orange variety of sweet potatoes were called yams.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture went with it, labeling them as such to distinguish the two varieties.

Hope this clears up any confusion between yams and sweet potatoes, and Happy Thanksgiving.....Enjoy!

[Sooner]

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@ID2 wrote:

Now that we moved away from our kids (4 hour drive) I decided to have my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners the weekend ahead for each. Then my kids and go and do whatever with their own spouses for the actual holiday. I'm still having Turkey (must do that!) for Thanksgiving but for Christmas I decided to change it up a bit. This year I'm having, instead of standing rib roast, a honey baked ham. I haven't had an Easter dinner in years so with my ham I'll have all the goodies I usually made at Easter. 

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@ID2

What an angel you are to do that for your kids!!!!!  Bless your little heart!!!!

We don't have family any more, so for us it will be probably a ham (bologna if I have my way 'cause I hold that back for a real treat!) sandwich and put up the tree. Depending on the weather we might grill burgers! 

[butterfly123]

Thanks @adoreqvc @momtochloe

[JeanLouiseFinch]

There are some traditions you just don't mess with and Thanksgiving dinner is one of them.  We have a traditional meal that started with what my mom always served.  As we siblings all left the home for our own marriages and families, my sisters and I have continued to make the same meal.  This year our kids either have to work or have plans with in-laws.  DH and I have been invited to my niece's house for Thanksgiving so I'll be cooking our family meal on the weekend.

[IamMrsG]

A few years ago, I learned the value of creating and saving a document that has saved me work and angst since.  Our Thanksgiving dinner is fairly traditional, i.e., the same every year, so I copied/pasted the recipe name and full ingredient list for every dish onto this new document.

It is a ready-made shopping list and, every season when I first open the file, feels something like finding a $20 bill in my coat pocket.

Here's a short example (I included a link to the recipe if anyone is interested):

                        2015 Menu and shopping list

Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cherries and Cloves:
2 ½ cups cherry cider, black cherry cider or cranberry juice cocktail
8-ounce package dried tart cherries (about 2 cups)
1 cup sugar
1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cloves

Pumpkin Pies:

etc.

[Tinkrbl44]

@adoreqvc

Thanks for posting that information!

[IlliniGirl88]

Since both of our families live far away, it will be just my husband, our daugher, son, and myself fixing our Thanksgiving dinner this year, but we go all out!

We love to brine a turkey breast (Alton Brown's recipe), homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sweet potato casserole, Sister Shubert's yeast rolls, Jiffy Corn casserole, shrimp & cornbread dressing, and pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream. 

It's a lot, but we'll have leftovers and I can make up extra plates and run through the foodsaver - works great! 

[Tinkrbl44]

@IamMrsG

Sounds GREAT but I have to admit ... there's no way I'd make everything from scratch.    I just don't have the time ......  and actually  like to purchase a few things that tend to be too time consuming.   It gives me more time to spend on the things I want to prepare.    

However ...... I may have to try that cranberry sauce!  Wow!

[chrystaltree]

Sounds like fun.  I started a Thanksgiving Dinner board on Pinterest.  I do want an unconventional dinner but I also have to have something for the traditionalists.  So, for them, I'll do a turkey breast and a pan of roasted veggies and I found a recipe for mashed potato/stuffing cups that you make in a muffin tin.   For those who want to walk on the wild side with me, I plan to set up an Around The World buffet.  Foods that I love but haven't had since spring.   I'm going to make everything myself.  (wishe me luck..lol).   Right now I'm planning beef taquitos,  chicken empanadas,  my frried rice that everyone always loves,  chicken nuggets, baked mac&cheese and maybe some chinese style ribs.  It will be a lot of food but I'll get some plastic containers from the dollar store and send everyone home with food.