Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts

Thanksgiving Menu...nom nom nom... 

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 -
courtesy of The Washington Post
Turkey Day is just about here and I'm excited.  A day full of food, football, Macy's Day Parade, family and friends.  This year, we are lucky to be celebrating it with friends and family - hub's sister and our brother-in-law are driving to Indy with our beautiful nephew and our dear friends MC & RS are joining us.

Last week, I completed the menu for a day of feasting.  I'm really excited to try new dishes this year as I stray from the norm by tweaking here and there.  Here is the game plan:

Brunch
  • Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins (which were made on Sunday)
  • Mushroom, Bacon & Swiss Strata (will assemble tonight)
  • Fruit
  • Mimosa's, coffee and juice
Highlight of brunch - the pumpkin muffins.  Oh gosh, I can't wait to eat more than my fair share...all while watching the Macy's Day Parade.  Just love it.  Love.

Appetizers
Then we'll have some appetizers during football time - nothing too extravagant.  I wasn't able to find figs so that put a kink in my original plans, but I swapped it out for some baked brie.  Here is the what we have planned for munchies (but let us be honest, I'm sure some chips or something will be thrown into the mix):
  • Raspberry Baked Brie
  • Walnut, caramelized onion and bleu cheese dip 
  • Crudites

Among the football, board games, and child laughter (I hope!) dinner preparation will be happening.  Hubs and I really planned ahead this year so that we barely spend anytime in the kitchen for the big day.  I assembled as much as I could prior to our guests arrival and I'm sure it will pay off. 

Dinner
  • Pumpkin & Squash Soup (making tonight)
  • Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
  • Turkey (hubs is in charge - rotisserie style)
  • Apple Chestnut Dressing ( roasted and peeled the chestnuts last night, but assembling tonight - also using this as a base, but am tweaking for my own love)
  • Garlic Mashed Potatoes (hubs in charge)
  • Green Bean Casserole (thank you Martha!)
  • Corn Casserole (MC is bringing - yum!)
  • Cranberries (MC again)
  • Mac & Cheese (MC one more time - gluten free!)
  • Herb Buttermilk Biscuits (made these on Sunday, they are ready to be baked!)
  • Pumpkin Pie (making tomorrow morning)
  • Pecan Pie with Bourbon Cream (tomorrow morning too!)
Hubs has made some hefeweizen (nom nom nom, love hefe, especially this one if you remember) for the festivities too, so I'm excited for the batch of home brew. It is his first hefe round - I'm excited!  We are also stopping at Sun King Brewing so we can fill the kegerator - type of brew tbd.  Wine will be flowing as well.

Game plan tomorrow is to bake the pies in the morning and bake sides (dressing, beans and biscuits) in the afternoon.  I'll rewarm the soup, and that is all.  Not a lot of work on the day of - it is amazing what a little planning can do!

Am I excited?  Absolutely! I can't wait for this day of eating and relaxing.  Very thankful for lots of things in life, so why not celebrate it!?

What are your plans for Turkey Day?  Anything that you absolutely can't wait to eat?!

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Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins (aka Heaven) 

Monday, November 22, 2010 -
I love pumpkin, that is no secret.  So when I came across this recipe about a month ago, I knew I had to try.  I was then reminded of them when I was perusing my Nov. 2010 Everyday Food magazine and thought they would be perfect for Thanksgiving brunch!  Knowing that I could freeze them until the day of,  I got to work making these and some biscuits (which are so good, but different story) knowing I could mark something off my Thanksgiving Day list of "to-do's."

I gathered the ingredients (though I ended up doubling the recipe - I decided to make two batches so that we could munch on a few for breakfast and so I could bring them to work for when we decorate the office on Wednesday.)

I prepped two muffin pans and the mixing began!  Dry ingredients in one bowl, which consisted of flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and allspice (don't have allspice?  Use equal portions of cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper - pretty similar in taste - though for something like this, I would use all cinnamon instead.) Wet ingredients in another bowl and this included the pumpkin puree and buttermilk.

I then creamed together butter and brown sugar until it was fluffy.  I heart my KitchenAid mixer (though no, they didn't give me anything to write this blog, I just like their stuff and happen to own a lot of it in red!) and it works well for things like this.

Next up, add eggs.  I break these prior to adding them to ensure no shells get into the mix.  I also bring them to room temperature - I don't bake with cold eggs.  Oh, butter tip.  If you forgot to bring your butter to room temperature, cut it up in small pieces and leave it out while you prep the dry and wet ingredients.  It will be softened and at room temp in no time!  Once the eggs were incorporated, I then added the dry and wet mixes.  I alternated between the two to ensure all ingredients were incorporated.

What you are left with is some pretty thick batter.  It is gorgeous in color and smells divine, but don't be threatened by the thickness.  It will rise (I was worried, but just went with it to find that it was perfectly fine!)

I used a scoop to put batter in pans - it helps make them uniform in size which then helps them bake together.  In the oven they went, and I continued to drool as the smell of them baking was intoxicating.  When they came out, they had kept that beautiful orange color and I couldn't help but try one. 

Oh gosh, it was so good - I knew it would be better once I coated it in butter and sprinkled (okay, I really just dipped it, no sprinkling was done in this recipe) it with cinnamon and sugar. Divine. 

I only coated enough for hubs and I to snack on for breakfast (and for Monday as well.)  The rest went into the freezer (sans butter and cinnamon/sugar) for another day, more specifically, Wednesday and Thursday.  I plan on reheating them in the oven, then coating them the sugary mix so that I (and others) can indulge on them.

I can't wait.  So. Good.  If you love pumpkin, these are a must try.  So march yourself to the kitchen and get baking - these will be perfect for any brunch, snack, potluck, dinner, midnight snack....

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