Thanksgiving Dinner in New Jersey

Lou and I headed to NJ this year for Thanksgiving because my sister Kira and her family were going to be there with us. Kira and I told my mom we would cook dinner this year. Here was our menu. Turkey

Grandma's stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
dinner rolls with cranberry butter
Carrots, Celery and Walnuts
Pat Peabody's cranberry sauce
and a family tradition, Turnips.

For dessert we did all homemade pies and topped
them with fresh whipped cream spiked with a little brandy.


Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Pecan Pie

Here is the feast with some recipes! Because my brother in law
Chris is lactose intolerant, we used smart balance and soy milk in all recipes, except the fresh whipped cream.

For the Mashed potatoes we don't have a secret recipe, we just beat the heck out of them with a hand mixer and add a little butter and milk. This year the smart balance and soy milk, didn't change the flavor at all.

Our turkey was a 19 pounder which my mom told me was 23 pounds. I woke up about an hour earlier than I would have for that extra 6 pounds! The price was actually $23, unless you are my frugal mom, who got it for free. When cooking a turkey, I don't do much. I clean out the parts, rub the inside with salt, stuff the heck out of it, and rub it down with olive oil. 325 degree oven and about 18 minutes per pound. Makes for a golden brown, juicy turkey! I do baste it about every half hour too.

The stuffing is my Grandma Burke's recipe. I don't know where she got the recipe from. It is simple compared to what a lot of people do today, but I love it! We just cube a loaf of white bread, add 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped onions, 2 cups of finely chopped celery, 1 1/2 sticks of butter(this year smart balance) and a whole lot of poultry season. I used about 1/2 of a container. Then we stuff that bird like crazy.

This was a new recipe. Kira made whipped sweet potato bake with two toppings, marshmallows, and a crunchy topping made of pecans, brown sugar, and frosted flakes. This was her Georgia influence since she lives there now.

This next picture is a family favorite, Turnips! These have been around for years, and I think my father's grandmother came up with the recipe. It is a family tradition, and no matter where we eat, who we eat with, or what we are eating, we all make these turnips. You start by peeling and cubing two large turnips. Boil the cubed pieces like you would boil potatoes until they are soft. You don't want them to fall apart, just soft enough to eat. Next you fry up about 5 pieces of bacon extra crispy. Set it aside and reserve about 2 tbsp of bacon grease. In the same pan you cooked the bacon with the reserved bacon grease, add one small sliced onion. push the rings out so they are separate. Cook the onion until it begins to get soft and transparent. Add the cooked turnips, and crumble the cooked bacon into the pan.

Salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well mixed and hot, then serve. These turnips always taste better the second day, so feel free to make them ahead of time and heat them in the microwave before serving.

This next dish is a new tradition, about 5 years now, and I have to thank my colleague Pat Peabody from Texas for giving me the recipe. It is homemade cranberry sauce. After the meal it is GREAT over icecream!

1 pkg fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 cinnamon sticks

3 to 4 whole cloves

Juice of half an orange.

Bring all ingredients to a boil then cook on low until cranberries pop.

Set off the stove and add 1/4 cup brandy.

This dish has become tradition like our turnips, but was started about 15 to 20 years ago in our generation. We take equal parts celery and carrots. Boil

or steam them until they are al dente, put them in a frying pan with a little butter and toss in walnuts. The ratio is about 1/3 walnuts, 2/3 carrots and celery.

Kira took some of the cranberry sauce I made this year and stuck it in the cuisinart with smart balance to make cranberry butter! No measurements, she just eyed it.

These were our store bought dinner rolls, I could leave them out:)

And finally, the Thanksgiving dinner of a 4 year old! My 4 year old nephew that is. He isn't a big fan of turkey. Apples, Carrots, Ham Steak and a Chocolate Crescent roll. What can I say, the kid is adorable, he can have whatever he wants. .