Thanksgiving Menu

Getting ready for Thanksgiving is like preparing to paint a room, first I see who's coming and then I make a list.......... starting with a menu, I can gently start buying items that are non perishable. I'm going to post my steps and the recipes this year. Our family keeps growing! There will be fifty of us this year. My favorite holiday by far!

Menu

Shrimp with dip
Cheese with Crackers
Vegetables with dip
Spring Rolls
Mexican Dip with Corn Chips
Turnip/hot pepper/hummus platter

Turkey (3) 2 steamed by Chris and 1 roasted in oven.
Stuffing
Gravy (Jason)
Tabuli with Romaine Lettuce
Peas
Creamed Corn
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato & Leek Gratin
Sweet Potato and Peaches
Mashed Yams
Cranberry Relish
Creamy Cranberry Relish
Fresh Cranberry Sauce (Jason)
Jellied and Berry Cranberry Sauce

Cheese Cake (2)
Pumpkin Pie (2)
Pecan Pie (2)
Apple Pie (2)
Fruit Platter
Marmoul (Nuwal)


I make the Cranberry Relish first and keep it in a large jar in the fridge.


Cranberry Relish

Make this seven days before eating, can be stored in refrigerator for 2 -3 weeks

Ingredients

2 12 oz packages fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 12oz frozen orange juice
2 cups raisins

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups chopped celery stalks
2 cups chopped pineapple
2 cups chopped apple
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Wash cranberries first, discard any berries that are not firm.
Then in a saucepan put 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water and the drained cranberries. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Let cranberries cool while you are chopping the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, place the frozen orange juice and add the cranberry mixture to the frozen orange juice. This speeds up the thawing process.
Add remaining ingredients, mix well and then refrigerate for at least one week. This can be stored for up to 3 weeks.

I also make the cheese cake and put it in the freezer. Cheese cake freezes really well.

Cheese Cake
This is from Vincent Price’s Cookbook, now out of print, but a fabulous recipe book. This cheese cake is unusually light, not dense or heavy. I make this every Thanksgiving, it freezes well so I make this ahead of time. This can be made up to a month ahead and kept in the freezer.

I doubled Vincent Price’s recipe so I used a 12 inch spring form cake pan instead of an 8 inch pan. Using a 12 inch spring form cake pan, grease the inside of the pan with 2 tablespoons butter and then coat the butter with graham cracker crumbs. Coat the sides first by turning the pan on its side, and shake the pan so the crumbs can stick, keep turning the pan and adding more crumbs as needed. When the sides are well coated, shake a light coating of crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Put spring form cake pan in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
If you want to make this recipe with an 8 inch cake pan, cut the ingredient amounts in half.Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
24 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 egg yolks
4 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
Put 24 oz cream cheese in a large bowl and let it come to room temperature.

Pour 4 cups heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat, not allowing the cream to boil.

In a separate bowl, separate 8 egg yolks and the egg white.
To the cream cheese and egg yolks, add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 tablespoon flour, 3 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat thoroughly until with an electric mixer until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Turn speed to lowest and gradually pour in 4 cups scalded cream

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Add to cream cheese mixture and fold the egg whites in lightly.

Pour mixture into prepared spring form cake pan, then set pan in a shallow pan containing 1 inch of hot water.
Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.