Thanksgiving Goodness ~~ The Meal

ONE WEEK PEOPLE!!!!!

ONE WEEK!!

Okay come down off the cabinet,

its ok.

I didn't mean to scare you =)

I have a couple of GREAT recipes for you from our

featured guest:

the beautiful, talented, HILARIOUS, and gorgeous redhead

Rebecca Jo.

Seriously if her and Deidre and I don't meet this side of heaven,

wait,

 can you imagine the three of us meeting this side of heaven?

We should sell tickets!!

How fun would that be?

I mean seriously, we mean business when it comes to Jesus.

The sweet Presence AMAZING!!

And laughter.

Oh the humor.

God has a sense of one ya know?

Ok the brain took a detour.

anyway.....

So when I contacted these two lovelies,

they were both so completely on board with my Thanksgiving ways,

and I didn't even know that Rebecca was a Thanksgiving Scrooge.

HILARIOUS!!!

She wrote a post about it

here.

Cracked.me.up.

Rebecca Jo is a vegetarian,

so I was so excited she agreed to share a couple of

recipes with us.  

Sometimes it can be quite challenging to enjoy a traditional

Thanksgiving meal if you are vegetarian or vegan.

But I believe new, healthier traditions can be made. 

It is a beautiful thing.

Honeyed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes & apples get baked with a drizzle of honey & a sprinkling of cinnamon, then pureed to a creamy consistency.

(You had me at Honey) =) 
Serves 8
2 large sweet potatoes - peeled & cut into large chunks (2 lb)
2 large Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored & cut into large chunks
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
 
Preheat oven to 350 - Place potato & apple chunks in 13x9 baking dish & drizzle with oil & honey.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, & season with salt if desired.  Cover with foil, & bake 30 minutes.  Remove foil & bake 30 minutes more, or until tender.  Cool 5 minutes.  Transfer mixture to food processor & puree until smooth
 
(I've also cut the chunks into small pieces & left that way instead of pureeing it)
 

So I have not had the opportunity to make these lovely recipes this week,

but I did find these picture of Honeyed Sweet Potatoes (the not pureed version)

on Pinterest.

I mean seriously look at these yummies!!

I am hoping to get this made and tried this weekend.

I LOVE sweet potatoes!!!

And the second recipe she sent was:

Whole-Grain Stuffing with Caramelized Onions & Pecans
 
Serves 8
1/4 cup olive oil
6 large onions, peeled, quartered & sliced (10 cups)
2 tsp dried thyme
1 16-oz loaf whole grain bread, cubed
1-1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
 
 1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions & thyme, season with salt (if desired) & reduce heat to medium low.  Cook 30 minutes or until deep brown, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in 2 cups water & increase heat to medium.  Simmer 10 minutes.
3. Pour onion mixture over bread cubes in bowl & stir until liquid is absorbed.  
Stir in pecans & season generously with freshly ground black pepper
4. Preheat over to 350 - Coat 11x7 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread stuffing in preparing baking dish, & bake 30-45 minutes, or until crisp & brown on top.  Cool 5 minutes before serving.
 
(Prep tip - you can assemble this stuffing dish a day ahead, then bake it just before serving!)

Look at this lovely.

I am kind of a stuffing snob.

 I am a mid-western girl (grew up city)

and had only had Stove Top 

for the first up-teenth years of my life.

So when I was finally introduced to the real thing,

well.....

I thought it was disgusting.

Yep, I'm cool like that.

It was gummy and pasty and I wanted Stove Top back.

Then I developed a lovely allergy to MSG,

and out went the Stove Top as it takes a bath in the stuff.

So I set about making my own.

And since I adore corn bread,

it pretty much makes the food world spin for me,

and enlarges the hips

(another story, another day)

I decided I'd try Cornbread Stuffing.

Oh good gravy train!!!!!

FAVORITE!!

I started making it,

and bathing in it,

=)

(not really that last one,

but you know) .....

And became a lover of the stuffin' 

as stuffin' should be.

And then RJ (Rebecca Jo)

brought this into my life.

I can't wait to try it.

Do you see in the pic?

No gummy, pasty mess.

Nope just stuffin' goodness.

Can't wait to try this bit of loveliness. 

Now let's talk all things turkey for a minute.

(RJ look away-skip to the bottom my vegetarian friend)

My family are carnivores at their finest.

Me not so much.

I was actually a vegetarian for years,

and was even vegan for about 2 years,

but because of major surgeries and my

completely depleted immune system,

I started eating a little organic meat again.

A little fish and chicken and turkey,

but I really do not enjoy Thanksgiving turkey that much.

I'm not sure what it is about it.

But not my favorite.

Now I LOVE all the accoutriments,

ya know the sweet taters,

mashed potatoes and gravy (kinda)

STUFFIN' (made right)  =)

Sweet Corn

Cranberry Salad (not the gelled stuff)

(What is up with that?)

ROLLS ('nuff said)

But turkey,

eh.....take it or leave it really.

And usually I leave it,

but I can cook a mean turkey.

Turkeys are a lot of easy work.

If ya know what I mean.

You wash 'em,

baste 'em,

talk nice to 'em,

(at least I do)

And then stuff with some herbs and an apple or 

orange or lemon or some such goodness,

and slap that whole business in the oven.

But you do have to watch said bird, 

because dry turkeys are YUCK!!

And it happens quickly.

Brining helps.....

A LOT!!!!!

If you have a big enough fridge for such business.

So take a look at this beaut.

Turkey all basted up nice like in orange juice.

You can find the recipe here.

I think it sounds amazing,

but my boys would never go for it.

They like straight up turkey,

no funny business.  

So if y'all are hosting this year,

kuddos to you.

I usually do, but this year we are going to my FIL's

and then hopefully make it to my sweet mama's

for dessert.

You could say a prayer for her,

my sweet mama.

Will chat more about that later.

She could just use 'em.

Anyway, before I get weepy.....

I love y'all 

and

Next Thursday is THANKSGIVING!!!

So get to shopping and planning!!

Oh boy, even though I'm not hosting,

I have a lot to do before then as well.

Love y'all!!

Have a Blessed and Beautiful Day ~~