thanksgiving Archives • New Nostalgia

RECIPES/ Sweets

Perfect Pumpkin Pie With A Secret Ingredient

I’ve posted this Perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe before, but had to revisit it. This post has better photos and a little story about old and new neighbors, and how this is one of those recipes that have become a part of our lives, a tradition that just keeps going and giving. Funny how food can do that.

This pie was first made for us by our neighbors who recently moved away to New York. We miss them, and especially think of them this time of year. Every fall they would bring this amazing pumpkin pie over, usually warm from the oven, and it was always just the PERFECT pumpkin pie, one that I looked forward to all year.

Yes, we miss our neighbors, but we now have new neighbors that we are just getting to know; a young couple with the cutest little toddler. I wanted to take over a baked good, and decided this Perfect Pumpkin Pie would be very appropriate to take to them. It is October when everyone is craving fall flavors, it makes 2 (so we got to keep one), and it keeps the sweet tradition that my dear neighbors started. A recipe that just keeps giving!

My neighbor was kind enough to share the recipe, and when he did, there were 2 ingredients that caught my eye and I understood why this was the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had. Those 2 ingredients?

Heavy cream and molasses.

The heavy cream is a key ingredient, it makes this pie super divine, but molasses is the SECRET ingredient that gives this pie a darker- than- normal shade, and an amazing depth of flavor, almost like someone used extra EXTRA dark brown sugar. Let not leave out the spices — they are just perfect. I do not like an over-spiced pie!

I love using these organic, hearty whole wheat pie shells. They make this pie so simple to make. Don’t forget to buy two!

Maybe this can become a tradition for you and your neighbor, too?

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

{This recipe is from Open Harvest Cookbook. Nancy Sauer’s great-aunt’s recipe, handed down via grandmother and mother.}
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin puree (or 3 cups homemade pumpkin puree, see below)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons molasses

2 pie shells

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Have 2 pie crusts for 9-inch deep-dish pie ready. Mix all ingredients together and beat until smooth. Pour into waiting pie crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 degrees for 45 minutes. It is done when you can insert a knife into the center and it comes out clean. After cooling, store in refrigerator.

How to Bake Pumpkin
Cooked pumpkin can be used in many pumpkin foods besides pie, such as cakes, breads, muffins, puddings or even ice cream.

Select a variety of pumpkins for pies. (I like small sugar pumpkins) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut pumpkin in half horizontally. scoop out seeds. Select a baking dish with sides. Place pumpkin cut-side down in baking dish. Pour in water to fill about an inch high. Bake until a fork can easily be poked in the pumpkin. A 41/2 pound pumpkin will take about 11/2 hours. Drain. Cool before processing. Yields: 4 cups.

FUN/DIY/ Holidays/Parties/ Meals/ RECIPES/ Sides/ Thanksgiving

Fabulous Turkey Cranberry Stuffing Sliders

Oh how I love Thanksgiving and all the wonderful flavors of this tasty holiday! These fabulous Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry Sliders recipe taste just like Thanksgiving- in-a- sammy and makes me very, very happy!

I got the inspiration for this sandwich from Starbucks. They serve a panini sandwich this time of year that has turkey, stuffing & dried cranberries in it. I thought I could take the recipe to another level by making my Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce, taking a sandwich recipe that is already to die for, and switching the sandwich fillings up a bit.

The result was so very yummy. I am going to make these little sliders for our family’s Thanksgiving Day Brunch. They are a great way to get the traditional flavors into a non-traditional meal.

To make this recipe, you simply make your favorite stuffing recipe (mine happens to be the 5- minute- type from a box) and this Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce recipe, have some white turkey breast, swiss cheese, & Hawaiian Rolls on hand, and whip up a zesty butter sauce to brush on top of the sandwiches. You than assemble the sandwiches by slicing the rolls open, adding turkey, stuffing, cheese & cranberry sauce as the filling, adding the top roll, then brushing it with the butter sauce. After just a few minutes in the oven, you have soft,oowy gooey cheesy rolls with a bit of a crispy bottom, as some of the butter sauce drips down the sandwiches and makes the most amazing crust. The sandwiches are soft on top and filled with the savory stuffing, and the sweet but tart surprise of the cranberry sauce is what makes these sandwiches shine. I can’t tell you how wonderful this recipe is! I can’t wait to make them for my guests.

Fabulous Turkey Cranberry Stuffing Sliders

2 packages of King Hawaiian Rolls (12 count each)

2 -7 oz packages sliced turkey breast (about 24 slices) OR (about 2 cups shredded, cooked turkey)

6 slices swiss cheese (cut in 1/4’s)

2 cups stuffing (one box of stuffing usually makes about 3 cups)

1 cup cranberry sauce (I used my Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce (recipe below–make ahead and cool to let flavors meld))

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Butter melted

1/2 tablespoon Onion Powder

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Step 1
Brush 9×13 baking dish with a bit of the butter mixture. Slice rolls in half (keeping them attached to each other while cutting all at once is much easier than slicing each individually) and place bottom of rolls in buttered pan. Place a slice or two of turkey (or layer shredded turkey over rolls evenly) and top with stuffing, layering it evenly over the turkey. Drop small spoonfuls of the cranberry sauce evenly over the stuffing, then add a slice of swiss cheese on top of each roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into the buttered baking dish.

Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce.

Step 3
Brush the rest of the sauce over tops of the rolls. Cover with foil.

Step 4
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and the bottom of sandwiches are slightly crisp. Watch closely and avoid over-browning. Serve warm.

HALL OF FAME CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 1/4 cups brown sugar (original recipe calls for white sugar. I was out so I used brown, and it was so delicious that I will always use brown!)

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries

Zest of 1 orange (orange part only)

~In a large saucepan, add sugar, water and spices. Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to a rolling boil, about 3 minutes.

~In a colander, rinse and pick over the cranberries to remove any mushy ones.

~Add cranberries to boiling syrup and continue cooking, uncovered, just until they begin to pop, about 2-3 minutes (set the timer). Be careful not to cook them to long of they will get mushy. I allowed mine to pop quite a bit, as I wanted the syrup to ooze into the cracks to infiltrate the cranberries.

~Remove from heat, stir in the orange zest.

Note: Syrup will thicken and turn a beautiful cranberry color once cooled and refrigerated.

Optional: mash some of the berries, keeping some of them whole. How much to mash? This depends on the consistency you personally like. I like half of them mashed, and half left whole.

~Cool to room temperature, uncovered.

~Ladle into clean jars and refrigerate until serving time.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of sauce, enough to serve 6-8 people.

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What are your Thanksgiving Day Plans? What is a favorite recipe that you are making or look forward to each year?

FUN/DIY/ Holidays/Parties/ RECIPES/ Sides

Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce

This Cranberry Sauce recipe certainly deserves its dramatic title. I made the recipe about 3 days ago and I cannot stop getting into my refrigerator to take “just one more taste.” I may or may not have my own secret jar stashed in the back of the refrigerator that I grab and just dig in with a spoon!

I found the recipe at Shockingly Delicious, and she sold me on it once I read these words:

“I’ve experimented with dozens of versions of cranberry sauce over the years – with Port, with Grand Marnier, with blueberries, with cherries, with raisins and nuts, making it a chutney, with sour cream and onions – even doing a cranberry sauce taste test with three different versions a few years in a row. While the taste tests were certainly fun and delicious, it soon became clear that everyone kept reaching for the same dish repeatedly, year after year.”

My cranberry sauce experience has not been as extensive as Dorthy’s above, as I have never made it from scratch. Back in the day, I just bought the canned version, and it acted more like a table decoration than actual food! I bought it because everyone expected it, and it looked pretty and added color to the Thanksgiving table. The problem was, it never got eaten! What a waste. The last few years I have bought Trader Joes Cranberry Sauce, which was a huge improvement from canned, and I thought it was quite good, UNTIL I TASTED THIS HALL OF FAME VERSION!

This recipe is simple and easy to make, so it is surprising that it is so delicious. It has just the right amount of spices. It is the perfect balance of tart and sweet. It is not mushy & has a great balance of crushed cranberries and whole cranberries. It tastes amazing on a turkey sandwich, spread on toast, and drizzled over vanilla ice cream.

I plan on making another double batch for our Thanksgiving brunch, to use in our Turkey Stuffing Cranberry Sliders (recipe coming in the next couple of days) and in our Jaw-Droppingly Good Cranberry Simosas — also from Dorthy at Shockingly Delicious.

This sauce would also make a great hostess gift for the holidays. It is so pretty just in a simple mason jar. Wrap around the jar a few times with some jute and tie a bow. The color of the cranberries in the jar against the naturalness of the jute is just enough decoration. I did this at a little holiday blog party I went to last night & it was fun to show up with something tasty and festive.

The flavor of this Cranberry Sauce gets better over time, so you can make it ahead of time for Thanksgiving. It can stay stored in your refrigerator in a jar for up to two months.

Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce

1 1/4 cups brown sugar (original recipe calls for white sugar. I was out so I used brown, and it was so delicious that I will always use brown!)

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries

Zest of 1 orange (orange part only)

~In a large saucepan, add sugar, water and spices. Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to a rolling boil, about 3 minutes.

~In a colander, rinse and pick over the cranberries to remove any mushy ones.

~Remove from heat, stir in the orange zest.

Note: Syrup will thicken and turn a beautiful cranberry color once cooled and refrigerated.

Optional: mash some of the berries, keeping some of them whole. How much to mash? This depends on the consistency you personally like. I like half of them mashed, and half left whole.

~Cool to room temperature, uncovered.

~Ladle into clean jars and refrigerate until serving time.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of sauce, enough to serve 6-8 people.

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Do you have Cranberry Sauce during the Thanksgiving holiday? Do you make it or buy it? What is a favorite recipe you making for Thanksgiving?

Brunch/ Holidays/Parties/ Meals/ RECIPES/ Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving Day Brunch Menu – 11 Great Recipes!

I am having my family over for Thanksgiving Brunch this year. I have 3 sisters and their families coming, and my Mom & Mother-in-Law. I’m truly looking forward to some fun family time. I have the most precious nieces and nephews, 3 are teens and 3 are under the age of 4. I can’t wait to see them all!

I’m excited to switch up our regular menu and come up with some great breakfast/brunch recipe ideas. I have a few ideas of my own that I will need to experiment with before Thanksgiving day, and I also found some amazing recipes on Pinterest that I want to try.

Here is the menu

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Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

Jaw Droppinly Good Cranberry Mimosas

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Spiced Chai

Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry Sauced Sliders

Oven Scrambled Eggs

Cornflake Topped Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Apple Kale Slaw With Curried Almond Dressing

Deviled Eggs

Easy Elegant Yogurt Berry Parfait in a Trifle

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Perfect Ancestral Pumpkin Pie

Coffee | Hot Tea

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Best Ever Cranberry Sauce – Hall Of Fame Version

After trying many different cranberry sauce recipes, this one is by far my favorite. Everyone who tastes it asks for the recipe. It is the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Some cranberries are left whole, some and smashed. It is not too spicy with just a touch of cinnamon. It is perfection, and thick enough to smear on a piece of toast like a jam.

Jaw Droppingly Good Cranberry Mimosa

This is also a recipe from Shockingly Delicious. She takes a tablespoon of the Best Every Cranberry Sauce recipe above, puts it in the bottom of a champagne flute, adds some sparkling wine (I plan on using Moscato) & serve! Can’t get much easier than that. The color of these Mimosa’s is so pretty, & I plan on adding a spiral of orange peel to each glass to make them look even more festive.

Turkey, Stuffing, & Cranberry Sliders

This is a recipe I will need to experiment with. Update: I did! Here it is. I was inspired by Starbucks Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry Panini– a sandwich that tastes like Thanksgiving! I will be making these for dinner next week & will post the recipe if they turn out yummy!

Oven Scrambled Eggs

Sometimes simple is better. I was going to make quiche or a breakfast casserole, but with so many other rich recipes that we will be having, I thought I would keep the eggs pure and simple. I love this recipe. It makes enough for a crowd and couldn’t be easier.

Cornflake Topped Cheesey Hashbrown Casserole

This recipe has been made by our family for years. It is so far from good for you, but boy, it sure tastes good! I like to ask my sister to bring this. She makes it the best, and then I don’t have to face how junky the ingredients really are for you! Those cream of ‘something’ soups get me every time, but it IS a celebration, so bring it on.

Apple Kale Slaw With Curried Almond Dressing

I must have some greens on the plate at any holiday celebration. This recipe for Apple Kale Slaw is really hearty, delicious & beautiful to look at. I am going to leave out the tomatoes and add dried cranberries or maybe pomegranate seeds. Mmmm!

Deviled Eggs

We always have deviled eggs at our family Thanksgiving celebrations. My older sister makes these the best, too! Her secret ingredient? Instead of using regular mustard, she uses a bit of honey mustard. The teens go nuts over these so she usually makes a couple dozen.

Easy & Elegant Yogurt Parfait

I love the idea of using a classic trifle dish to make this pretty parfait! Just simply layer in granola, fruit & yogurt. Can’t get any easier!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting

I may put my 13-year-old baker to work on these the day before Thanksgiving. She is a super gifted baker and would do a great job. This recipe caught my eye because they can be rolled out and sliced the night before, then raise for an hour in the morning, then baked. I like the idea of greeting my guests with the scent for freshly baked cinnamon rolls!

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Spiced Chai

I plan on brewing this ahead of time and keeping it warm in the crockpot for guests to help themselves. It is such a warming, comforting drink! It tastes like fall!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie With A Secret Ingredient

Gotta have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving! This recipe is my all-time favorite recipe for Pumpkin Pie. My sweet neighbors spoil us by delivering pumpkin pie during the holiday season, and it was by far the best pumpkin pie I had ever tasted. I asked for the recipe & then of course, had to write a blog post about it. It uses a secret ingredient! Click through to see what it is.

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I’m so ready for Thanksgiving Day Brunch with my sweet family. Cannot wait to savor the food & the moments with them!

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What are YOUR Thanksgiving Plans?

What is your FAVORITE Thanksgiving Day Recipe?

FUN/DIY/ Holidays/Parties/ Thanksgiving

It’s My Birthday I Can Do What I Want To

My birthday landed on Thanksgiving day this year, just like the day I was born. My Mom tells the story every Thanksgiving with a twinkle in her eye, how I interrupted her Thanksgiving meal with my untimely arrival. We’ve heard it a million times and it never gets old.

I did get to do what I wanted to this year. Having my dear family in my home on Thanksgiving Day to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for is exactly how I would choose to spend my birthday. We had Thanksgiving Day brunch, something we have never done. It was my idea; a way to get out of peeling those dreaded potatoes. Have I told you that potatoes make my hands break out and itch? It’s awful. It was also a way to get out of making turkey. Not that it is hard to make a turkey, but I just don’t quite enjoy handling a raw turkey. Blech. It really was a great idea, as we had eaten and dishes were done by noon! It left the afternoon to just chill, play games, and enjoy each other.

We had turkey breast sandwiches & potato casserole in place of the whole bird and mashed potatoes. Trader Joes has a whole turkey breast that is fully cooked, all you have to do is heat it. I also made a breakfast egg casserole, potato casserole, stuffing, jalapeno cranberry sauce drizzled over a block of cream cheese with pita crisps to dip (another great food item Trader Joes!) & a mac -n- cheese corn casserole. My little sis Laurie, made some amazing mini apple pies–they were adorable–and Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon roll recipe, which was A-MA-ZING. My Mom brought a pumpkin pie and my older sister brought corn casserole, pecan struesel topped sweet potato casserole, some amazing chocolate drizzled kettle corn, & cinnamon beer bread (heaven). Last but not least, my next-to-youngest sister, Kathy of Nudge Media (I have 3 sisters) brought fruit, Lucky Charms cereal, & a Twinkie cake. As you can tell, Kathy is a favorite aunt with my kids, as she is known for having sugar in her pockets & bringing the stuff that kids like best; like the time she made a pyramid out of McDonald’s cheeseburgers for our family Christmas pot luck. Yeah–that happened–and they were the most popular food item there!

Kathy’s Twinkie cake was hilarious. She is an amazing cook, can handle a grill the best of anyone I know, and makes a mean Pad Thai, but I don’t know if baking birthday cakes is something she should continue to pursue. Don’t get me wrong; her Twinkie cake–actually, make that a Twinkie Jello Poke Cake–was delicious. Her downfall was in the decorating. She used black–like the color of tar– for the lettering. She then drizzled red glaze over the top for pretty; except the glaze was too runny, and her cake ended up looking like a murder scene. I laughed so hard. I was so touched she took the time to make a cake, and I loved that wherever Kathy goes, laughter follows. Hers was my favorite birthday cake to date–by far.

Having my little niece and nephew (2&4) around for the holiday & my birthday was another by-far favorite. They are just so precious and amazing. They bring such joy as only little ones can.

My Mom-in-Law came, too. Her calm presence is always refreshing and she is such a server. I can’t tell you how many times she has done my dishes. She also spoiled me with two new chairs for a small table I recently put in my dining room–I will show you them soon. It is my new favorite place to sit with my morning coffee.

My sisters & mom also spoiled me with gifts. My mom got me some kitchen accessories & a much-needed new front door mat. She always knows the things I need and will love. My oldest sister gave me a super sweet necklace from Origami Owl. The packaging was beautiful and the message that came with each charm was chosen specifically for me. I just love it. My sister Kathy brought me a rosemary plant in the shape of a Christmas tree–I’ve eyed them and so wanted one. It makes the whole living room smell amazing! My lil’ sis gave me a super soft scarf, some makeup & nail polish and a great CD that I am now crushing on called The Undoing by Staphanie Gretzinger.

My Todd and girls shopped for me the night before and bought me some of my favorite things from Trader Joes, like flowers and chocolate covered coffee beans. They also picked up a paperweight bulb kit and I cannot wait to watch it grow.

As you can see, I am a very spoiled girl. Today, it continues.

This morning my mother-in-law, Kathy, took me out to breakfast at the Green Gateau. It is only opened for breakfast on Saturday’s, and they sure know how to do it right. She gave me a card with money in it, which they do every year. It is so much fun to take the money and shop!

Tonight Todd and I will join his brother and wife and my other mother-in-law. Yes, I’m spoiled enough to be loved on by 2! His brother and I have birthdays very close together, so our tradition is Sharon treating us all to dinner at the restaurant of our choice. Can’t wait!

Yep, very spoiled. I feel so very loved.

I pray you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Know that I am so, so thankful for each and every one of YOU! Thank you for your support of this blog and caring about me and my story.

RECIPES/ Sweets

Perfect Pumpkin Pie (a secret ingredient!)

We have the best neighbors, for many reasons. One being, they bring homemade goodies over occasionally. This recipe for Perfect Pumpkin Pie IS perfect. Our neighbors made it for us and after one bite I knew I had to have the recipe. I like pumpkin pie, but this pie…I LOVED! I even hid the last couple pieces and had one for breakfast. {sneaky grin.}

I eat a high-plant, low sugar diet, so it takes a very special recipe to get me to cheat. This recipe did just that! It is only for special occasions, but hey, it DOES have pumpkin in it. A plant!! 😉

The secret ingredient is molasses. I knew there was something special in it, that made it extra good… I kept thinking brown sugar, because of the depth of almost caramel-like flavor. The spices are just perfect… I do not like an over-spiced pie. The heavy cream is another key ingredient, it makes this pie super divine.

Ancestral Pumpkin Pie
{This recipe is from Open Harvest Cookbook. Nancy Sauer’s great-aunt’s recipe, handed down via grandmother and mother.}

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin puree (or 11/2 cups homemade pumpkin puree, see below)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons molasses

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Have pie crust for 9-inch deep-dish pie ready. Mix all ingredients together and beat until smooth. Pour into waiting pie crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 degrees for 45 minutes. It is done when you can insert a knife into the center and it comes out clean. After cooling, store in the refrigerator.

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How to Bake Pumpkin
Cooked pumpkin can be used in many pumpkin foods besides pie, such as cakes, breads, muffins, puddings or even ice cream.

{For Your Pinning Pleasure}

Too Much Pumpkin?!?

***this post is from last fall. I’ve been busy having fun with my girls on their fall break, too busy to write new posts!!

If you love pumpkin, this post is for you! I am planning on going crazy during the remainder of this fall with the whole pumpkin food theme. I have collected a few recipes that have caught my eye, and now that it is pumpkin eatin’ season, its time to try a few!

Every year when it comes time to carve pumpkins and scoop out all those pumpkin guts, I have great intentions of saving the seeds and making them into some kind of roasted goodness. And every year, my good intentions go right out the window after a long night of carving, and even longer time of cleaning up all those pumpkin guts. This year I am FOR SURE going to do it. I have Old Bay Seasoning sitting in my cupboard, which is what I need to make Maryland Pumpkin Seeds.
*I made these and they were yummy!

This Creamy Pumpkin Pasta recipe is one I am very excited about. Doesn’t that sound so very comforting?
*This pasta is one we will have at least once every fall. I made it and it was creamy goodness..

We are all about pancakes in this house, so Fluffy Light Pumpkin Pancakes are a must try!
*These are everything their name says they are. So good!

The picture of these Soft Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies has not left my brain since I first got a glimpse of it, I really hope they taste as good as they look! (I am going to use applesauce in place of the oil and maybe some maple syrup instead of all that sugar!)
*I replaced 1/2 the oil with applesauce and used pure cane sugar (sucanat) instead of sugar. I made them last fall and I am hoping to get the energy to make them again, seeing the picture again makes me remember how wonderful they were!

This Black Bean Pumpkin Soup I have made, and it is to die for. It got two thumbs up from my husband, and it is very healthy. (I used a small amount of bacon instead of the ham)