With the due date just over 2 weeks away, my desire to cook has decreased dramatically. The desire to eat, however, is as normal as ever. I haven’t really had a lot of cravings (if any)…but I can’t get enough of these potato chips from Trader Joe’s. Seriously, I eat sandwiches for lunch every day just so I have a reason to eat the chips (I’ve been able to resist eating them straight out of the bag, amazingly). ANYWAY…just thought I’d let you know these are GOOD. The weirdest part is I couldn’t STAND these chips the first trimester. Go figure.

On a pregnancy-related note…I AM craving the smell of ink. You know, really “yummy” ink that smells so good in some paperbacks, newspapers and coupons (like the value pack coupons)? I just finished a paperback that I honestly would have rather just smelled than read. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great book, but it just smelled soooo good. Sniff sniff. Baby better come quick before I get too crazy.

I know Thanksgiving is over, but as I was eating a slice of the pumpkin cheesecake I made last week, I thought I better tell you just how good the recipe is.

My friend Adrianne sent the recipe to me and it is AWESOME. A great cheesecake and super easy to make. You don’t even have to do a waterbath when you bake it, which earns lots of extra points with me.

One quick note: make sure you don’t overcook it…I took mine out a LITTLE late and the crust was a bit overcooked in the corners. I did a little research and found that you take a cheesecake out of the oven when the center 3-inches of the cake is still jiggly. Mine was firm, so I could have taken it out earlier and had better crust. Regardless, the cheesecake was great!

Phew! What a week! Thanksgiving was great, and we have TONS of leftovers to tide us over for a while. Thanks to my sister who was a big help! Amazingly, my feet didn’t swell up to the size of watermelons like they did 3 years ago. I only took one picture of all my Thanksgiving food…and this is it: smushing up the cranberries for the slush, which was as yummy as ever.

Seeing as how I’m a mere 3 weeks from my due date, not sure how much cooking I’ll be doing the next little while. Guess we’ll see! I’ll plan menus anyhow…can’t hurt to have a plan!

MONDAY:
- Turkey a la King (just going to use my Chicken a la King recipe)
- Rice
- Veggie

TUESDAY:
- More leftovers. Ugh.

WEDNESDAY:
- Spaghetti

THURSDAY:
- Chicken Cordon Bleu (from the freezer section)
- Wild & Long Grain Rice
- Veggie

FRIDAY:
- Eat out

SATURDAY:
- ???

SUNDAY:
- ???

PLEASE SHARE YOUR MENUS!!!!!!! As you can see I’m not very inspiring for all of you this week. We definitely need as many menus as we can get!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!! I will be back on Sunday with a weekly menu…until then, please post your favorite Thanksgiving recipes & traditions (click to link). Those ideas will certainly come in handy for Christmas!

If you’re brave/crazy enough to go shopping today…try not to get killed or anything.

Nate said I should have done a Thanksgiving post where everyone shares their best recipes & food traditions. Gotta admit, that’s a great idea…so now’s your chance!

My favorite Thanksgiving recipe that I make every year is Cranberry Slush. This is a Thanksgiving tradition from my mom’s family. It was my great-grandmother’s recipe and it is DELICIOUS. You’ll love it, unless, of course, you’re my sister and are CRAZY and don’t like it. She’s the only one I’ve met who doesn’t, but let’s keep in mind she actually said the following words last night: “I don’t really like chocolate.” Told you she’s crazy.

Please share your Thanksgiving Bests!

Timing is everything, right? That couldn’t be truer than when you are cooking Thanksgiving dinner. ESPECIALLY if you only have 1 oven. It is tricky. I thought I’d share my schedule - hopefully it’s helpful to some of you out there.

Quick Jane tip - once the turkey goes in the oven and I know approximate times for everything (based on schedule below), I write the schedule with specific times on post-it notes and stick that to the wall above the oven, That way I don’t forget when to do things. It helps so much!

A few days prior:
- Get that frozen turkey in the fridge! You need 1 day for every 4 pounds to defrost in the fridge, and trust me, it’s much better to defrost this way rather than in water in your sink (that’s the fast way, but truly not as effective…think, partially frozen turkey Thanksgiving morning).

Tuesday:
- Cut up bread for stuffing - leave out on cookie sheet until stale. I’m doing this Tuesday so I’m sure it will be ready for Thursday.

Wednesday:
- Make the desserts (I’ve decided to go with Pumpkin Cheesecake).
- Make any casseroles that can sit in the fridge overnight (in my case the Broccoli Casserole, minus the Ritz cracker topping. Will put the topping on on Thursday).
- Cranberry Slush - the first half of the recipe. It needs to be frozen overnight.
- Cook squash. I’m making squash rolls (on Thursday) and we’re eating squash as a side dish. Since I can cook the squash ahead of time, I’m going to.

Thanksgiving Day:
- Make the stuffing. (Whatever stuffing doesn’t fit in the turkey, refrigerate until later.)
- Prep & stuff turkey in the morning and get in the oven. Butterball has an awesome online guide, which includes a calculator to determine how long you need to cook your turkey. My 13 pound stuffed turkey will take 3 3/4 - 4 1/2 hours at 325 degrees.
- Prepare corn souffle & top broccoli casserole - keep in fridge until later.
- ~2 hours before turkey is done, start making the squash rolls.
- ~1 hour before turkey is done - prepare & cook mashed potatoes. Keep in pan with lid on until dinner.
- When turkey is done, take out and cover with foil until later. Casseroles & Stuffing into the oven (make sure stuffing doesn’t burn - probably won’t cook as long). When casseroles are done, put rolls in the oven.
- Mix and heat up butternut squash that’s already been cooked (will just heat in the microwave)
- Make gravy while casseroles are cooking.
- Make husband carve the turkey.
- Mix cranberry slush at the VERY END as your about to eat.

Just writing this up is making me tired. Glad I have my sister here as sous-chef. Even though it’s a lot of work, it is totally worth it - I can’t wait to eat it all!

Time to talk dessert. I have no idea what I’m going to do this year for dessert, so I can’t really give you my plan yet. I love dessert, but I always get so worn out from making the dinner that I tend to cheat a bit when it comes to the sweets. Hence, no real dessert insight here on the blog.

I WILL provide you with an amazing (and easy) French Silk Pie recipe from my sis-in-law Cora’s family (see below). And as far as pumpkin pie goes, I always just follow the directions on the can of pumpkin and it comes out just fine (and yes, I buy pre-made crust). See, I am certainly no Thanksgiving dessert expert. Today I’m counting on YOU to share your best Thanksgiving dessert recipes! Please post!!!

French Silk Pie
- 3. oz unsweetened chocolate squares (melted and cooled)
- 1/2 C butter
- 1 C sugar
- 1 T vanilla
- 4 Eggs

Melt and cool chocolate. Cream butter - add sugar and vanilla and mix. Add chocolate. Add 2 eggs and beat on high 5 mins. Add 2 more eggs beat on high 5 minutes. I use a pre-made graham cracker crust. Top with whipped cream. Keep refrigerated.

I can’t wait to eat all the food we have planned for Thursday! My little sister is coming to town and I’m going to work her hard on Thursday. It will be really fun cooking with her and having all those yummy leftovers afterwards!

And now, ladies & gentlemen…the Menu. Click on the bold titles to see recipes!

- Turkey
- Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes: I make with warm cream (milk if I don’t have cream), melted butter, salt & pepper, and a splash of soy sauce
- Stuffing
- Corn Souffle
- Broccoli Casserole
- Butternut Squash: Just going to cook it, mash it, add butter salt & pepper
- Cranberry sauce: This year we’re going canned whole sauce, but click through for a yummy recipe for Cranberry Orange Relish that I normally make, when I’m not about to have a baby.
- Cranberry Slush: This is one of my family’s traditions, going back to my great-grandmother. It is amazing. I have friends who have been known to spike it for extra kick - Great Grandma’s rollin’ in her grave!
- Squash Rolls

I’m also going to make some Rhodes rolls on Friday to use for leftovers - good for making little turkey sandwiches. Again, I normally make Butterhorn Rolls from the Better Homes & Gardnes cookbook, but I need to take it easy this year.

Hope the menu is helpful and that the recipes come in handy! They are all excellent. Tomorrow we’re talking dessert - get ready to share your favorite recipes! Tuesday will be scheduling the cooking - the least fun but most essential part of a successful Thanksgiving dinner.

Short menu this week since it’s all about Thanksgiving.

MONDAY:
- Leftover beef stew and chicken piccata from last week

TUESDAY:
- Spaghetti
- Salad
- Garlic bread

WEDNESDAY:
- Eat out

THURSDAY:
- THANKSGIVING!

FRIDAY:
- Leftovers

SATURDAY:
- Leftovers

SUNDAY:
- Dinner at a friend’s home

Below is my mom’s stuffing recipe. This is what I make every year - it’s not fancy, but it is so good. There are TONS of fancier recipes out there that I’m sure are delicious, but I like my stuffing simple & straightforward. As with all my mom’s recipes, there are no measurements. So sorry!!! Also, there’s lots of good info in the comments on the Gravy post, so make sure you read them!

Quick note on more Thanksgiving Prep posts to come: Tomorrow I will share my entire menu for Thanksgiving, including recipes. Monday is all about dessert - so get your favorite recipes to share ready! Tuesday is about timing the meal prep - this is probably the trickiest part of cooking on Thanksgiving. Wednesday…we may be done, we shall see! The coutdown begins!

CLASSIC STUFFING
From Phyllis Wallin, my mom
- Bag cubed bread loaf
- 1 medium onion
- diced celery
- grated carrots
- salt
- pepper
- sage
- 1 stick butter melted
- chicken stock if needed
- 1 egg well beaten

I (Jane) buy a loaf of cheap white bread, cut into cubes and let dry out for a day before making the stuffing. I use less than a whole onion (nate doesn’t like onion that much) and then a few carrots & celery. Sautee the onion and celery in the butter. Mix all the ingredients together. I don’t think I’ve ever needed to add chicken stock. As I mentioned in the Turkey post, I put as much stuffing in the turkey as I can (don’t forget you can stuff the neck too!) and then I put the rest in a casserole dish, cover with foil and bake until it’s hot all the way through - then when turkey is done, mix all the stuffing together. Enjoy!

Let’s talk gravy. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without good gravy. And it’s not that hard to make! I’ll walk through how I do it - keep in mind this not a very exact recipe, but hopefully enough info to be useful.

1) Reserve your juices from the turkey. Skim the fat off the top, if you can. I have to admit I don’t usually do this because there isn’t always that much, and my gravy always comes out fine. There are techniques for separating the fat - but I don’t remember them. Sorry! (Maybe some of you out there can share your tricks of the trade.)

2) Thickening - you can go two ways:

SLURRY: For good gravy. Simply whisk together some water & flour (kinda thick, but thin enough you can pour it). Add to your simmering meat juices to thicken. You may need to use a sieve at the end to take out lumps.

ROUX: For fantastic, smooth-as-silk gravy. Yummier and truly not any harder. Here’s what you do: Cook equal parts butter & flour in a saucepan on low heat, whisking constantly. 3-5 mins to make a white roux. You can cook a few minutes longer for a nuttier flavor, but the longer you cook roux the less it will thicken your gravy.
You can refrigerate or freeze unused roux for later. Like the slurry, add in small parts to your meat juices to desired thickness (and remember, your gravy will thicken over time and once it cools). How much roux? Well, I’m going to make 4 T butter/4 T flour next week. If it’s too much, I’ll save for later. If not enough, easy to make more!

3) Getting the right amount of gravy is usually a challenge, especially at Thanksgiving with many guests. You want a lot, but there aren’t THAT many juices from your turkey. You can add some chicken broth to your juices, but I think that’s sad - detracts from your delicious turkey flavor. Last year I used a turkey gravy base from Williams-Sonoma to increase the amount of gravy. It tasted great. This year I noticed in the Trader Joe’s Thanksgiving flyer that they have a jarred turkey gravy - haven’t tried it, but I think I will as I’m CERTAIN it will be less espensive than good ole Williams-Sonoma. Just make sure you use these products as supplements to your homemade gravy - it will taste much better than just using these handy gravy products alone!

Another way to get more volume…I simmer the neck and giblets that come with the turkey - enough water to cover. I use that broth as well as the pan drippings and that helps make lots more gravy without having to resort to using chicken broth.

4) Seasoning is simple - salt and pepper.

It’s not hard to make good gravy. I promise! If you haven’t done it before, give it a try. If you are a gravy expert, please share your tips!

Today is all about the turkey. To those of you out there who will be doing this for the first time this year, have no fear - it’s not that hard. You’ll do great!

Jane’s Turkey Confession: I always buy a Butterball (which is already brined, etc) and just follow the directions on the package. Done and done. I’ve never had one come out badly - always juicy and yummy. If you buy a frozen turkey, make sure you read the thawing instructions and give yourself time to let it thaw!!!

I DO put my stuffing in the bird…actually only about half of the stuffing I make fits into the turkey, so I bake the rest of it. When the turkey is done, I combine the two stuffings together - that way you get the juicy turkey stuffing, but you’ll still have enough for everyone. I’ll share my stuffing recipe with later…

Here are two great tips from some friends!

Tip #1 (from friend’s hubby Aaron): Cook the turkey upside down (breast down). It won’t be pretty when you’re done, but most of us carve the turkey before dinner is served anyway. I haven’t done this but have heard that it makes for VERY moist and yummy meat. Aaron also said he cooks the turkey at a lower temperature for a much longer time.

Tip #2 (from my Boston friend Dottie): A tip for great turkeys without losing precious sleep from a friend we both know.
1) Stuff your turkey and do whatever else you do to make it tasty
2) Place the turkey in a brown paper grocery bag on the roasting pan. If the bag’s not big enough, put another paper grocery bag at the uncovered end, and hopefully over the other bag.
3) Staple the bag closed.
4) Cover entire bag with cooking oil. I usually don’t get the underside that’s actually hitting the pan.
5) Bake at 425 degrees F.

A 22 lb. stuffed turkey is done in 3 hours. (adjust time accordingly for the size of your turkey). I (Dottie) have been doing this for over 10 years and the results are always fantastic. The skin is crisp, the meat is always moist. If I’ve overcooked the turkey, the meat is still moist, the skin perfect but the meat is falling off the bones.

Thanks for the tips, Aaron & Dottie! Now, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, recipes, anything - please share!