OT what's cooking?

We are joining some friends who host an "orphans' dinner" on Thanksgiving. Everyone brings something to share, the host/ess provide turkey, ham and such. I am making fresh dinner rolls, probably 2 different kinds. Also DH's family recipe for ambrosia salad. ("His" family recipe involves fresh coconut, fresh navel oranges and some sugar. "My" family recipe for ambrosia involves canned pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, pecans, shredded coconut, mini marshmallows and sour cream. Marischino cherries are optional in both. ) I may also make something else..... not sure. Perhaps sweet potato pudding. maybe..... it has been a standard in my family for years. But the fresh yams with apples and cranberries is good too............ Thinking about making a cranberry with orange zest sauce, to put into a trifle, possibly with orange custard, for a holiday party a couple of weeks later.

Pati, in Phx

I think you might be right about Paula Dean and butter. She uses a lot of that stuff. Dh is doing really great all considered. Thanks, Taria

Sounds like "ANOTHER Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat!" 8^P

Ok, time to cancel some membership cards...

There's always ostrich. ;-)

Doc

your will, though.

That's... a whole 'nother ball-o-worms. I am the last male in our line (dating back to ~1800), so when I die, so does the family name. :-(

... portion snipped ...

The following website has quite a bit of information on rhubarb ...

are a lot of desert recipes, including numerous pie recipes. My mom made hers with sugar, flour, a pinch of salt, 1-egg, 2-3 cups rhubarb -- no vanilla or butter. She always baked hers in a lattice pie crust (maybe to readily differentiate from the apple pies that she baked at the same time). The filling has to bubble up through the lattice -- yummy!!!!

Bev in TX

Now there is a thing. When I was growing up multiple pies for the holidays were differentiated by the scroll cut in the top as a steam vent. Apple got your standard oak leaf, strawberry-rhubarb got the double scroll with three dashes between, cherry got a big C with dashes north south east and west, mince got the hole in the middle with the four rays off it, elderberry or blackberry got the pie bird, and so on.

Anybody else have a pie code?

NightMist has an aberrant pie bird, it is white

Yes, but I took sub nyquil ad pie code is geddig much bedder, tanx!

Doc [ducking for cover...]

Taria, I hope your DH continues to heal and that you can both find a diet that feels good and tastes good and keeps your hearts healthy. It's a struggle to eat "right." This time of year, the temptations are everywhere. But our Thanksgivings are just the four of us, and typically it's a restrained meal with nothing particularly unusual. Broccoli, some compromise meat, mashed potatoes, gravy, my yams, green salad, and that pretty much covers it. We're not big holiday-ers.

Sunny

For the first time in years I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Hope I remember everything. For many years we met the extended family at a local country club for a Thanksgiving Buffet. We learned that some relatives act better in public. The last few years since Mom couldn't go out my son cooked. This year he is busy painting his new condo so it is either order the dinner package from Jewel grocery store or make it myself. Guess I better get out the old recipe box. Sorry Polly but the pies will be store bought. There is a limit to my creativity.

Susan

Well, then, Susan, Just a Reminder. It is an important family tradition to put the dinner rolls in the oven at the last minute and remember them when you're asking the blessing and the smoke alarm goes off. Polly

Do you have to cook it all yourself? Our family has always shared the load and everyone brings something. I usually make the pies because we're the ones that usually travel and they're easy to do ahead. Anyhow I think pie is just about the easiest part -- I buy the refrigerated crusts, add the filling, and bake.

Julia > For the first time in years I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

Howdy!

I like to cook it all, myself. At our table we've pared down to what we really like: turkey, green salad w/ veggie crudités, dressing (son's request) & gravy; baked yams/sweet potatoes (no marshmallows; god, they're good this way!); homemade cranberry sauce; pumpkin & mincemeat pies w/ real whipped cream. No extra bread, no white 'taters, no gloopy green bean casser-yuck, no groaning sideboard, no extra junk that none of us really liked anyway. I used to fix twice as many dishes, & got stuck w/ the leftovers - which none of us ate. We love roast turkey, one of the easiest things in the world to cook. It goes in the oven about 8 a.m., then I sit down and quilt thru' the parades, esp. Macy's; check the turkey, answer the door, quilt. Quilt. Quilt. Visit, talk, quilt. Pull out the nice dishes & cloth napkins. Eat. Clean up. Visit & quilt. Take a walk, visit w/ neighbors, quilt. Eat more turkey; watch movies in the evening, quilt. There's a pretty, quilted tablerunner in front of us, luscious autumnal colors (I don't do placemats; the old wooden table w/ its scars has character- why cover it up? Easy to wipe up spills, too); the glasses sparkle extra purty, the fancy silverware glows, the Spode Blue Italian dishes speak of tradition & special times; the number of guests changes every year; everyone is filled w/ a good time. Reminder: enjoy; it's a holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

R/Sandy - I love to feed people... and quilt ;-D