Yuma Foodie shares best Thanksgiving dishes

It’s all in the memory or the same old things.

Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday. I love the memories of my extended family gathering together in our ranch house to hold hands and bow our heads in prayer, to give thanks for another year, for our time together, for the food we were about to share.

I love to remember running through the kitchen, warmed by the wood stove that was filled with pies that the aunts were making for dessert, the aromas that would tantalize your senses and the anticipation of the many tastes that were to grace our large table. Then there was watching the turkey be pulled from the oven and wonder at the size and hope for a slice with the crisp golden skin.  

Our Thanksgivings were four days of work, fun, stories, games and FOOD!

There were six families that would come together each November to share this special time. My uncles would use our many hands to fill the woodshed for the cold months ahead. My cousins and I would play games like kick the can, blindman's bluff and the crab apples in the orchard made for grand crab apple fights.

Stories were told at the end of the evening, and the uncles would play pinochle till the wee hours of the night. If we were lucky, we would get a trip to the hot springs where bathing under the stars as the snow fell around you was the end to the most perfect day.

When you get over 50 people together, they need to eat, and the aunts did a fabulous job of that. Thanksgiving dinner preparation was shared by all, each making a salad, a special dish or two to share at the dinner table. There was never a shortage of food and enough pies to last all four days!

There will be close to 20 this year blessing our Thanksgiving table here in Yuma and as that wonderful, flavorful day of thanks approaches, I work diligently to make sure each person's foodie desire is met. As you all know I love to cook, I love to meld the ingredients to make food just tingle on your taste buds and melt in your mouth. I love to watch your eyes light up as you put that first spoonful in your mouth and your palate says "Yeah!"

I love to experiment with new recipes, but like my Thanksgivings of the past, there was always the same dressing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberries and pies. My children have requested of me to do the same standard each year. I guess Thanksgiving is not the day for new tastes but the ones we keep coming back for year after year.

I would love to share with you some of our family favorites, nothing fancy or complicated to make, just plan homemade yum that will be on our table this year and probably 20 years from now too.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

So easy and once you have had these, you will never open a can again

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Bring water and sugar to a boil in Add rinsed cranberries to pan and return to boil. Boil 10 minutes turn off heat. At this point I like to take a potato masher and break any unpopped berries. Pour into serving dish. Make 2 cups.

Bread Stuffing

I like to stuff my dressing into the turkey cavity. My cousin and I would have this honor each year, and I love remembering my daughter when she was just 4, filling that bird full of goodness. If you are worried about not getting your stuffing hot enough (160 degrees), then by all means put it in a casserole pan and cook separately. I have also made my own bread, cornbread and sourdough bread to use in the preparation and have found that a box of herb-seasoned stuffing is just as good and not as much work!

Stuffing can be made the day before and kept in refrigerator until ready to use. Do not store in turkey uncooked or cooked! 

For a 15-pound turkey, I bring the neck and giblets (that bag of innards found in the turkey cavity), an onion cut into quarters, 3 ribs of celery and 2 carrots, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 3 sprigs of thyme, 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. This is my stock for both gravy and stuffing.

16 ounces bread cubes
1 onion chopped small
1 shallot chopped small
3 celery ribs chopped small
2 cloves of garlic smashed and chopped small
2 carrots grated
3 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 cube of butter
2-1/2 cups stock
2 eggs

Melt butter in pan and add onion, shallot and celery. Sauté till onions are translucent, add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Bread cubes should be in large bowl, add sautéed items, carrots, parsley and mix together. Add 1-1/2 cups of strained stock. Mix together adding more liquid till the dressing sticks together, but is not soggy.

At this point you can add cooked sausage, apples, nuts, mushrooms or whatever you would like in your dressing. Taste and add any additional salt and pepper at this time.

Slightly beat eggs and add to dressing mix eggs well into dressing. You are ready to stuff that turkey or place in casserole pan and bake covered at 325 for 40 minutes, uncover and bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned.   

Butternut Bisque
From Taste of Home

This wonderful soup is easy to make once and has a taste that pleases most everyone. I find a pot of soup on the stove Wednesday saves you from making a big dinner or having more leftovers to store somewhere in the already overflowing fridge.

3-1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed.
1 cup sliced carrots
1 medium tart apple peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large tomatoes seeded and chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1-1/4 cups half and half
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cups frozen corn
2 tablespoons minced chives
Sour cream and additional chives for garnish

In a large bowl, toss squash, carrots, apple, shallots and oil. Transfer to large roasting pan.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for one hour or until slightly brown and tender, stirring twice. Note: if using convection oven on roast setting, you will cut your roasting time close to half. Cool slightly, place in food processor and process until almost smooth.

In a large Dutch oven, cook tomatoes over medium heat for five minutes. Add the pureed vegetables, broth, cream, salt to taste and cayenne. Heat through but do not boil. Stir in corn and chives. Garnish servings with sour cream and chives. Serves 10