Thanksgiving Day . . . Then and Now

Today is the day I look back at the traditions of my family and the traditions that the husband and I have started.

It starts with getting the bread ready for making dressing. (Not stuffing. I am glad the husband likes his dressing made by itself, not stuffing pushed up a turkey's behind.) 

As I "break the bread," I always mentally sing the church hymn :Let Us Break Bread together."

Mom and I would stand by the sink doing the same thing, for years, and one of us would start singing and then we would sing and laugh at ourselves.

Next is the Cranberry Relish . . . not as good as it used to be, the "official" cranberry relish glass bowl broke. So now, I put it in an old tinware bowl/pan that Grandma used to keep her flour and flour sifter in. The pan and sifter were always on the shelf in the pantry ready to "bread" some meat for supper, or sift some flour for a recipe.

Not mine, but it sure looks like it.
In a food grinder, or food processor, grind 1 pound of raw cranberries
and the fruit of an orange, no pith allowed.
Mix together and add sugar to taste . . . let stand 8 - 24 hours before serving.

By now, my work for the husband's and my Thanksgiving has been done.

If I remember, I won't lick my fingers after grinding the cranberries . . . I have ALWAYS loved Cranberries . . . cooked or raw in relish. I can still remember, and I was quite young, bothering Mom while she was at the stove cooking the cranberries until they popped. I wanted to know what a raw cranberry tasted like. She told me I wouldn't like it, but, of course, I thought how could it taste bad when they taste so good when cooked?

Found out on one bite that I would NEVER eat a raw cranberry again . . . man, those puppies are N*A*S*T*Y when raw with no sugar on them.

Since the husband and I have been married, I have had to convince him to "trim down" the Thanksgiving menu. On our 1st one, (or maybe it was Christmas, the menu's run together for me) he was cooking (he is the cook in the family) and I wasn't paying attention to what h e was making or putting in the fridge.

When we "sat the table" we not only sat the table but we "sat the top of the stereo cabinet." We had more food for two people than would fit on our table in the dining room. I about died. We both decided "we" would not make as much the next year.

Well, "we" have gotten better. We are now down to this for Thanksgiving Dinner 2014: turkey breast, dressing (and we used 2 loaves of bread so we will have leftovers which we both love), green beans that came from our garden this summer, cranberries and mashed potatoes. We would have had baked sweet potatoes but our super market had a special on frozen/microwave instant potatoes so we are going that route this year. And for dessert, pumpkin pie. This year it isn't from scratch (I do love to take a pie pumpkin and make it into pumpkin puree . . . it is SO TASTY!)

I always lose  my directions for the actual pie so I think I will list some possible "resources" here:

My FAVORITE recipe . . . since I found it there will be no more "resources" needed . . . LOLOL. When reading the page it looks SO COMPLICATED, but, in reality, it is so simple. I know, when we move back to Indiana, I will be making the pumpkin pies (from scratch) for the family Thanksgiving with my brother and his family. They will be amazed that "Aunt Paula" can make something so good.

Now, it's time to go back to my Thanksgiving Christmas crocheting . . . for years I have crocheted Christmas presents today. This year, I'm finishing the last basketball hat for my nephew and his family. Next, I start on the hat's I'm giving to Miss E, her momma and her 2 aunts (my nieces.)

Later Taters . . . had to use a food phrase for today :)

Pumpkin Pike

I have to show you our Thanksgiving table . . . set with serving dishes that came from my paternal grandfather when he worked on the Pennsylvania Railroad (platters from the serving car) and a green bowl that belonged to Mom and Dad . . . our Cranberry bowl broke a year or so ago, so this is the new replacement.

I know, I know, you are asking yourself, "What is Pumpkin Pike . . some newly found orange fish?"

Nope . . . it is the newly christened name of my recent Pumpkin Pie recipe. I had so much pie filling that I knew it would be to much for one pie and probably to much for two pies, so, necessity is the mother of invention . . . I took 2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts, placed them in a 9" x 13" dish and filled it with the "Pumpkin Glop."

Our Abby has a thyroid problem and has lost quite a bit of weight since 2006. I have medicine to give her, but that is pretty traumatic for her, so I do it when I can, and then feed her whatever she wants to eat form our table scraps. Oh, and she likes milk products, so I  put extra Cool Whip on the pie for her . . . looks like she likes it, doesn't it?

I LOVE how the picture caught her in mid lick.

Earlier I posted pictures of the process of putting the "pike" together, but I don't think I included the recipe . . . so here goes.

0.5 C Domino Light Sugar with Stevia (0.75 C Honey)
1.5 tsp Cinnamon - I like more
1 tsp Nutmeg - I like a lot more
4 Eggs (3 Eggs)
3 C Pumpkin Glop . . . my name for homemade Pumpkin Puree
1 Can Evaporated Milk
0.5 tsp Vanilla - I like more
(If you want a denser "pike" use ingredients in parenthesis.)

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Pour mixture into an ungreased 9" x 13" baking  pan.
3. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes then lower temp to 350 degrees F and cook for another 45 - 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Cool and serve . . . or, when cool, place "saran wrap" closely over the filling and place "pike" in a freezer bag, or freezer paper, and freeze.

You will notice the "pike" in the picture has a crust . . . the husband wanted a crust where I like mine without . . . for this, place two Pillsbury Pie Crusts in the bottom of the pan before filling with mixture.

 

If you want ONLY the printed recipe,

click the MAGIC button above.