K.I.S.S. Sweet potato casserole

I guess one of the reasons my Mom's food was so delicious was because she always kept things simple....

One of the most popular items on our family's Thanksgiving menu is the Sweet Potato Casserole. My sister has to make 2 of them just to have enough! It's is delicious, cheap, and oh, so easy to make!

Ball Gravy

Hahaha...I knew that would get your attention! Of all the Thanksgiving memories I have, I think the funniest was the fact that when I was little, I would call the cranberry sauce "Ball Gravy".  In fact, I can barely contain myself while I am typing this.  Man, I was soooo cute!

Well, enough about me, let's talk cranberries shall we?  One of the most popular staples at Thanksgiving dinner has to be the cranberries.  Although I couldn't get enough of them as a child, I am not a big fan, but  the people who DO like them, though, REALLY like them, so I make them :)

Some prefer the jellied kind, you know the ones that come in a can with the handy cutting marks down the side...

Photo provided by Flickr user busbeytheelder

My  Mom always served these, and the whole cranberries, which she made from scratch.  Super easy, just buy a bag of fresh cranberries, rinse them, then put them in a saucepan with 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of sugar.  Turn the heat to med-high, stir, and keep an eye on them.  When the berries start bursting, wait about a minute and then turn the heat off.  Sort of like popcorn, the berries should continue to burst.  When they are cooled off, put them straight into your serving dish and refrigerate.

I will have to say, though, my favorite version of Cranberries has to be my Friend Terri A.'s Portofino Cranberry and Jell-o mold.  It is so delicious, but unfortunately I don't have a photo, so you will just have to take my word for it!  Here is the recipe:

Portofino Cranberry and Jello Mold

Ingredients:

2-  3 oz Packages Raspberry Jello

1 ¼ Cup Boiling Water

1 Can (20 oz.) Crushed Pineapple, undrained

1 Can 1# Whole Cranberry Sauce

¾ Cup Port Wine

1 Cup Chopped Pecans

8 oz. Package Cream Cheese

1 Cup Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Dissolve jello in boiling water

2. Stir in pineapple, cranberry sauce and wine

3. Chill until slightly thickened

4. Fold in nuts and turn into a 9X13 Pyrex.  Chill until firm

5. Beat softened cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.

6. Spread over set Jello mold and chill

Cut in squares and serve.

Thanks Terri!

If you have any recipes to share, just click on the "Thanksgiving Recipes" tab at the top and put it in the "Comments"

Stay tuned for more Thanksgiving recipes, tips and tricks from now until Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving Pre-Planning Guide

Thanksgiving is just 4 weeks away!  Can you believe it?  Since we are only in the planning stage, I felt it appropriate to start the series off with these tips:

Whether you are an amateur or a seasoned professional, planning and preparing a Thanksgiving feast is not as difficult as it sounds.  Most of the foods you will prepare are similar to any other meal.  The only difference is you will be doing it on a larger scale.  When you have cooked as long as I have, you get a feel for how much food to make.  Sometimes, I refer to a little cookbook I purchased years ago at my daughters school.  In the back of the book it lists quantities to feed 100 people.  I just do a little math according to how many I will be feeding.

Take a deep breath and follow these simple guidelines.  You will be surprised at how easy it will be to produce a delicious meal for your family this Thanksgiving.