Chocolate Pecan Chess Pie {Small Batch Thanksgiving}

Gooey chocolate and chopped pecans in a small serving size pie crust for a dessert that's just enough when you are fewer around the table.

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For the past few weeks I've been sharing recipes and tips for when you are fewer in number around the table. My Small Batch Thanksgiving series includes a couple of side dishes (Dairy Free Corn Pudding Casserole and Small Batch Sweet Potato Casserole) as well as a list of tips to help you have a successful small holiday meal without resorting to a bunch of frozen single serving side dish bags. [Though if you'd like to have a bunch of frozen single serving side dish bags as your main event I won't knock it. You do you--but save room for dessert!]

To round out my Small Batch Thanksgiving series, I'm ending--as all good meals should end--with dessert. This Small Batch Chocolate Pecan Chess Pie was inspired by Laura of Mother Would Know, coupled with a dash of All Recipes thrown in for good measure. I knew I wanted pie--and Laura's chess pie looked so luscious--but I wanted to use the small graham cracker crust and cocoa powder I had in the pantry so a little bit of creative number crunching and recipe adapting took place. Necessity is the mother of invention after all.

Tips for a Small Batch Thanksgiving

Practical ideas for cutting back, paring down, simplifying and enjoying the holiday more when you have fewer people at the Thanksgiving table.

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One of the most relaxing Thanksgivings I have had was a deliberately low key affair. Because it was my house/my kitchen/my table, we did have 2 kinds of locally sourced vegetable sides from the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share as well as stuffing and mashed potatoes and warm rolls and turkey and gravy and pie.  But not too much . . . .

It's adorable how the dogs get in line when we're serving in the kitchen.

Last year we were 3 at the Thanksgiving table. By choice. My spouse was deployed, and while we've often shared others' tables during previous deployments, I just didn't have it in me again. I wanted to relax, chill out, spend the day in my jammies, watch my friends in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and just not fuss with being at a certain place or eating at a certain time.  I felt selfish and indulgent and I went with those feelings because, when he's on his 5th deployment, I've kinda earned the right to say 'nah, thanks but no thanks, we're good staying home'. I don't need to pretend.

That's not to say I'm not grateful for the offers of well-meaning friends and family. I appreciate the love and support that surrounds us each time he's gone.  Each place we live manages to surpass my expectations of what 'support our troops' means to the families back home. As an aside, I'll offer a couple of tips if you've got a friend or neighbor who's dealing with a deployment: don't wait for her/him to ask for help. Offer concrete suggestions for ways you're comfortable lending a hand. From shoveling snow, raking leaves, mowing grass, edging the sidewalk, picking up a gallon of milk or some children's cold medicine while you're out running errands, taking and sharing your photos or recordings of the school play--there's something you can do to lighten the load of the family left behind that they'd appreciate but won't ask you to do. Show up. Offer. And if your offer is declined--offer again at another time. I'd imagine these tips would work for chronic illness or other long term situation where folks need kindness.

Small Batch Sweet Potato Casserole (Small Batch Thanksgiving)

Topped with crunchy pecans and mini marshmallows, this lightened up small batch sweet potato casserole makes a tasty side dish for a small Thanksgiving gathering.

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Our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmers over the years have some things in common. One is growing amazing sweet potatoes. It seems every year the size, shape, and sheer number of sweet potatoes in the farm share box increases. No complaints here--just compliments! We went from a family who would occasionally eat sweet potatoes at Outback Steakhouse and Boston Market's Sweet Potato Casserole to a family who enjoys Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili and Roasted Sweet Potato Nachos at home.

Since Thanksgiving is all about the side dishes for me, when I planned our Small Batch Thanksgiving I knew I'd be including a version of sweet potato casserole (alongside a full size batch of MA's Make Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole because 5 pounds of mashed potatoes for 3 people sounds about right). I like the Boston Market sweet potato casserole, so I searched Copykat Recipes for a similar one. I changed up the recipe--reducing the butter and sugar, replacing the oatmeal cookie crust with just marshmallows and nuts, shrinking it to fit in a 3 cup baking dish--and made it my own. This was a keeper last year, and will return to the Thanksgiving table this year. Our sweet potatoes in the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve (which accommodates potatoes, onions, and garlic as well as winter squash) are ready to be of service.

Roasted Carrots with Fresh Dill

Roasted carrots tossed with fresh dill and spices makes an easy suitable for a variety of eating styles.

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Carrots are unsung vegetables. They can hang out in the crisper drawer for weeks before supporting soup stocks or transferring hummus into my face. They are one of the innocuous vegetables to encourage picky kids to eat. Rarely do they get a moment in the spotlight. A few years ago I noticed I'd amassed a bunch of bags of carrots from the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share, so I celebrated HashtagCarrotWeek and shared a variety of recipes using carrots (breakfast through dinner).

When I got a particularly uniform group of carrots from the farm share, along with yet another bunch of fresh dill, I decided to combine the two in a roasted side dish. Ok, truthfully I tossed in some French breakfast radishes to the roasting pan as well, but this post is about the carrots because they really shined with this treatment. My dad is getting more out of the weekly bunches of radishes, eaten on buttered bread, so I'll leave those to him.



I think these carrots would be a terrific holiday side dish. Since I used olive oil they are vegan, and would be useful if you need a side dish for a crowd of eaters of varying styles. I served mine with roast pork covered in a yogurt/mustard/dill sauce, a quickie version of my Make Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole (with fresh dill added) and the dill on dill action worked nicely. Stay tuned for the pork recipe--it's coming up next month!

Grilled Asparagus and Salmon with Dill Butter

Use the right tools for the job to grill a Father's day meal of Grilled Asparagus and Salmon with Dill Butter.

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Why do Father's Day foods have to be all red meat? Dads may enjoy a nice piece of fish for a change.  A healthier swap--especially with so much flavor--is a welcome addition to a summertime table. Plenty of vegetables never hurt anyone, so sharing the limelight with a fresh seasonal vegetable makes good sense and is good for you as well.

Corned Beef Hash Waffles

Leftover corned beef waffled with shredded potatoes for a savory treat for a post-St Patrick's day breakfast or brunch.

"You're making meat waffles?"

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I suppose at this point very little I do in the kitchen surprises my spouse, but this one sure did. See, I had leftover corned beef. My daughter loves hash for breakfast. I wanted to find a way to actually get good hash browns--crispy brown on the outside and cooked all the way though. This recipe is a fun combination of all of the above.

I see stylized photos on websites, and I make the assumption that behind the camera, and surrounding the beautifully garnished plate of food, are equally stylized spaces and people.  I'm here to blow up any ideas that I'm a stylized person by sharing, because my spouse took them, photos of me making these waffles.

Chocolate Cherry Beet Brownies

These fudgy brownies are topped with dried cherries and white chocolate chips, stuffed with beets, and a divinely sweet way to enjoy beets from the farm share.

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My son had a school project--to make a recipe utilizing a vegetable, document it, and write it up for submission.  Sounds like a blog post, no? Especially fitting for a blog that provides ideas and inspiration for feeding family-friendly recipes using seasonal ingredients from the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share, the farmer's market, and the garden.


I had plenty of beets from the farm share (and had not discovered this amazing Beet, Orange and Cranberry Smoothie) so I asked him to find a recipe using beets.  He found this Fudgy Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies recipe from Pinch and Swirl. I gave my thumbs up and then sat back and filmed him for his project. Leaving my kid to figure it out on his own (to be clear, the instructions in the recipe were excellent and my son followed them easily) helps create independence in the kitchen. This in turn creates independence in life, which is what I want in a kid I'm raising. I wanted to make these brownies a wee bit seasonally festive, so I had him add a topping of dried cherries and white chocolate chips before baking.


I originally was going to share this recipe for #ChristmasWeek but got distracted with My Scottish Grandma's Shortbread and decided that they'd be an excellent Valentine's day treat. Perhaps as the finish for a kid-made meal of Baked Ravioli Valentines? Just a suggestion. I'm all about the suggestions here.

Want more suggestions for beets? Try my Beet Recipes Collection, part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient. This is a resource for folks like me trying to feed them family from the farm share without getting bogged down in the same old same old. Want more recipe ideas? I've got 'em on my Pinterest boards. I'm sharing them on my FB page. I'm finding them on Instagram. Want to know How to Use this Blog?

Baked Ravioli Valentines

Heart-shaped cheese-filled ravioli dipped in a tangy sauce and coated with seasoned breadcrumbs, then baked. Serve with sauce to dunk and you've got a kid friendly vegetarian Valentine's day meal.

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After sharing the contents of my fridge--as is--on my Instagram feed and Facebook page I figured I'd pan back from the tight Polish Pottery hearts photo to instead show the real state of one of my cookbook shelves.

For the past few years we've been eating this simple supper on Valentine's day. It's festive, but easy to get in the oven and it cooks quickly. I usually don't take photos--after all, I just picked up the package of ravioli at Costco and didn't make them myself--but I figured I'd share since the idea is a simple and good one. I got the idea from this recipe.

Sauerkraut and Summer Sausage Pizza

Ball park flavors in a home made pizza. This pie takes the sausage & sauerkraut combo and tops it with smoked mozzarella for a new twist on pizza night. If you've got holiday leftovers you're nearly ready to bake.

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In addition to the chocolate oranges, My Mother's Lefse and the Swedish meatballs, another traditional holiday food is a beef stick or summer sausage. If I don't get one, I pick one up at the store. A quick snack of a few slices of sausage + cheese + crackers + fruit is a welcome treat this time of year.

The sauerkraut is a slightly different topping for pizza. I was inspired to use it watching the folks at Dewey's Pizza make a ball park pizza using mustard as sauce and topping with bratwurst and kraut. It tasted pretty darn awesome, and I wanted to make a version at home. When I learned that folks around the region eat sauerkraut during the holidays and at New Year's, I figured I had my topping combo for a pizza. Getting a marked down ball of smoked mozzarella from the fancy cheese counter was just bonus, you know?

Fresh Grapefruit Pomegranate Margarita

A seasonal winter holiday cocktail--fresh grapefruit blended in a margarita and finished with a splash of pomegranate juice. It's tart and refreshing while using the fruits of the season.

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I had an idea to try a winter holiday version of my Cheater Margarita Smoothie using some of the Band Fruit Fundraiser grapefruit. It stands to reason that grapefruit and lime, both being tart citrus fruits, ought to play nicely together. On a whim I picked up a bottle of pomegranate juice and decided to add a splash of that for color (and additional tartness). I really liked the result.

Then my friend gave me a margarita glass for my birthday (because my friends rock) and I decided I'd throw the recipe up on the blog while grapefruit and pomegranates are still in season and did some day drinking to have good light for the photos. Oh, the things I do to provide free recipes using seasonal ingredients! Unfortunately for my photos, but fortunately for me, a friend called to tell me the good news of her impending move back here and I pretty much lost the light. I'm sharing the recipe anyway, and if I feel like taking more photos I will.

In the past I have put up a Year In Review post (please enjoy last year's post and the 2013 post) and then taken time off over the holidays.  This year will be a little different--I enjoy sharing muffin recipes and participating in Muffin Monday, which happens the last Monday of the month, so I will be back to share a muffin recipe on December 28th. I'm not sure if it will be Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Butter Muffins or something citrus-y that has yet to be made. When I have the mental energy I'll assemble a year in Review post.  But for now, because I'm still recovering from (and sharing around social media) #ChristmasWeek -- have you entered the $800 Amazon gift card giveaway? There's still time -- for now, though, please join me in raising a glass to celebrate the season.

Cheers.

Caramel Pumpkin Butter Stuffed Bread

This lightly sweet braided bread is stuffed with caramel pumpkin butter and makes a terrific addition to a brunch or served with morning coffee or tea.

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I'll get to the recipe in a moment, but first I've got something else on my mind. I'm sharing this photo of the dogs for 2 reasons. First, I want to remind at least 3 people who've been thinking they ought to take a bag down to their local food drive to JUST DO IT. If 1 out of 3 people follows through, that'd be terrific. Second, I post this to illustrate the fact that despite holiday food drives THERE ARE HUNGRY PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR. Scroll below the recipe for ways you can reduce hunger in your town.

Fresh Cranberry Mini Scones

Tiny tender scones stuffed with chopped fresh cranberries and brightened with orange zest. Make these scones bite size to serve at holiday brunches or coffees.

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This recipe wraps up #ChristmasWeek, a event started in 2012 and hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Kiss My Smoke. She gathered a bunch of us bloggers together to share holiday sweets for 6 days straight. We also chipped in for $800 worth of Amazon Gift Cards for a Giveaway. 

I'm sharing the recipe first because I've got a story that is only tangentially related to the recipe. Reading my story will not affect your ability to make the scones, so skip it if you'd like. If you're just here to try and win $500 or use some fresh cranberries up go on about your business, don't mind my ramblings after the recipe. This is the blah-ggy part of blogging. Sometimes life ain't sunshine and rainbows.

Cranberry Chai Tea Cookies with an Amazon Gift Card Giveaway for #ChristmasWeek

Cranberry chai blended into a lightly sweet buttery cookie dough. This delectable cookie is tasty with afternoon tea or morning coffee. The Holiday Embrace tea I used in this cookie was given to me by Plum Deluxe without obligation. 

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This is my 4th recipe for #ChristmasWeek. Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Kiss My Smoke gathered a bunch of us together to share a week's worth of holiday sweets and treats. We all chipped in for a massive Amazon Gift Card Giveaway. 

Dare to be different. You do you. I've realized that I aim for non-conformity in my life. I do not like to be 'one of the herd'. I strive to be just a little different, a little outside of the norm. If "everyone" is running to the Next Big Thing you can bet I'll be standing off to the side, watching and evaluating. When the brunch waitress wants to fill my cup with coffee--no thanks, I prefer tea.

When I was thinking about what kinds of recipes to share for #ChristmasWeek I knew I wanted an old family recipe [my Grandma's Scottish Shortbread], a recipe celebrating locally-sourced ingredients [the Maple Doodles], a recipe celebrating seasonal produce [the Fresh Cranberry Mini Scones coming up soon], a no bake treat, and a treat that would be an unusual addition to a cookie plate.

Grandma's Scottish Shortbread with Amazon Gift Card Giveaway for #ChristmasWeek

Scottish shortbread made the way my Scottish grandma made it--3 to 4 simple ingredients, small pieces, and plenty of time to ripen before serving. This is the ultimate make ahead Christmas cookie.

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Are you wondering what happened to the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share-centric recipes you've come to expect when stopping by the blog? I've been taken over by pod people in the form of joined with Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Kiss My Smoke, who is hosting #ChristmasWeek. Head on over to the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient for veggie-centric recipes, and scroll down for holiday sweets!

Many folks get their ethnic on especially during the holidays, and I am in this crowd. No matter if it's a new tradition or an old one, this time of year is the time to celebrate my heritage through food. Most of the holiday-specific recipes I've shared on the blog are Scandinavian [I even have a Scandinavian Holiday Pinterest board--follow me!] because 75% of my grandparents trace their lineage back to Scandinavian countries. The other 25% is my mom's mom. Alison Brown Grant emigrated from Scotland to Canada when she was 13, and from her I have my tradition of shortbread at Christmas time.

Shortbread is a pretty simple cookie--it's just flour, sugar, and butter. My aunt Ruth (mom's sister) added in the cornstarch, but My Mom's Sister's Version of her Scottish Mom's Shortbread is just not really an SEO friendly title. The key with shortbread is that it needs to ripen. Do not bake it and plan to serve right away. It will taste utterly boring and bland and is probably why so many people are in a rush to doctor it up with chocolate or nuts or something, which is silly. Appreciate shortbread for what it is, and be patient. If you put that plain cookie in an airtight tin and stick it in a cool dry place for a while . . . well, when you bring the tin back out a magical alchemy will have occurred and those 3-4 ingredients will have aged into a lovely little bite.

Growing up, my mom would bake shortbread around Thanksgiving weekend and store it, wrapped in plastic wrap, in coffee cans in the coat closet. She'd bring it out for the Christmas Eve smorgasbord and we'd enjoy it on the cookie tray alongside a bowl of Scandinavian Fruit Soup. One year she forgot about a tin, and she swears those 13 month old shortbread cookies were the best ever. Any cookie that gets better with age, that I can make in the early stage of the holiday rush, is a win in my book.

Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix and Giveaway for #ChristmasWeek

Give the gift of hot cocoa to the entire family with this allergen-friendly mix. Add a bottle of the spike of your choice so that the entire family can enjoy a treat. This post is the start of #ChristmasWeek, a sweets-filled extravaganza hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Kiss My Smoke. 

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Note: I am taking a break from my usual routine of posting recipes using local produce from my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share, the farmer's market, and the garden. If you've got a pile of veggies you're looking to use, may I suggest checking out my Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient? 

Does this photo look like the chaos that ensues during tree trimming time?  It's supposed to. Or maybe that's just my house.

I'm going to come across as a total booze hound in this post and I apologize in advance. I know that turning to alcohol will not solve any of life's petty little annoyances nor cure any chronic behavior issues. I know that alcohol is not a long term coping solution for any of life's stressors. If you are concerned about giving a gift with alcohol, please feel free to substitute any of the flavored syrups posted below as your spike of choice. Those flavored syrups are going in our Christmas stockings (and hopefully my kids aren't reading this).

With that caveat out of the way . . . it can be pretty damn hard to solo parent teens, or really kids in general, and the extra activities of the holidays make it doubly hard. Please consider giving the gift of a jar of Spiked Hot Cocoa Mix to anyone you know who would enjoy it--even yourself. What a wonderful way to unwind after a busy holiday than with a cup of hot cocoa--spiked with a little something for mom & dad, [mom & mom, dad & dad, solo parent] left plain for the kids. I've had such fun working on this recipe and I looked forward to my nightly recipe testing!

You'll notice a couple of subtle changes from the standard hot cocoa gift mix recipe. First off, there is no powdered milk in this recipe. That means you need to get to mix it with the milk of your choice. An extra step to be sure, but I have my reasons. I grew up drinking the occasional milk-stretched-with-powdered-milk and personally can't stand the taste of reconstituted milk. I'll bake with it no problem, but I will not drink it by choice. I'd rather literally walk a mile down the street to pick up a gallon of organic milk for me and my kids. [It's good exercise for the dogs, too.] If you have a dairy allergy or are avoiding cow's milk, this mix is for you as it is dairy free. Please feel free to mix up your hot cocoa with the rice, soy, or nut milk of your choice.

Beet, Pickled Herring, and Potato Salad

Roasted beets and blue potatoes from the farm share, mixed with pickled herring chunks and red onion in a potato salad perhaps only a Scandinavian would love.

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My family Christmas Eve tradition is a Scandinavian style smorgasbord reflecting our Norwegian and Swedish heritage with Danish and Finnish influences and the occasional Icelandic cheese. It is not an official competition, but you get bonus points for all the various ways you can serve herring at your table. [None of the ways involve dessert, ease your mind.]

When I got blue potatoes in the last Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share of the year, I thought it would be fun to add another herring dish to the spread by making a beet & potato salad with pickled herring. I already know beets and pickled herring go well together from my Quick Pickled Beet and Herring Salad. I've enjoyed a shockingly pink sildesalat which combines smoked herring, potatoes and beets. So this combination is not a stretch--if you're used to the above--which is why I thought it appropriate to serve at my family celebration last year. With so many herring lovers around the table alongside me, my spouse and kids were in the minority and the salad was seen as a normal addition, not something far out.

Eggnog Sourdough Waffles

Tangy sweet waffles made with eggnog and sourdough starter. A fun way to enjoy eggnog during the holiday season--and marked down eggnog after the new year!

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I'm a sucker for magical markdown stickers. Where some people see 'oh it's about to go bad' I see opportunity. I picked up a half gallon of eggnog with no clear purpose. Buying food not on a previously thought out list is NOT a good way to Reduce Food Waste, however it is a source of inspiration to me so I'll keep on doing it. Within reason. Walking to the grocery store as I have been for the past 2 months when all I need is a gallon of milk has really cut down on impulse purchases.

I've used eggnog in waffles before--my Pumpkin Eggnog Waffles with Chocolate Chips made it onto the blog, but the Pumpkin Effnog waffles I never did find in my earlier photo searches, even though I was pretty sure I'd made some before. [Note to bloggers, when pulling photos off your camera, check the spelling as you add labels.] Eggnog in French toast? You bet I went there. What about oven pancakes? Yes, I've used eggnog in my Finnish Oven Pancake. Heck, I've even used eggnog in savory pizza dough with butternut squash. I do drink it, though it may not seem that way by all of these recipes.

I have to interrupt my flow with a behind the scenes photo--Robert Barker eyeing the bacon. Don't let the short legs fool ya. He swiped a piece of coconut cream pie off the counter last month. He's a dickens and I love him.

Cream and Cereal Muffins #Muffin Monday

Got leftover cream? Got leftover cereal? This is milk and cereal with an edge. Save money and eat well by shopping your pantry first and combining your leftovers in a sweet-yet-wholesome breakfast snack.

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The idea behind these muffins is to make a warm breakfast bread out of something you've got on hand after the holidays. After countless pre-Thanksgiving trips to the grocery store [where every year without fail I overhear some confused man on the phone asking his spouse about the difference between heavy cream and whipping cream--while his harried spouse is probably thinking 'I should have just gone but these pies won't bake themselves'] the last thing I feel like doing is yet another run. One way to Reduce Food Waste (link to my recent post about reducing food waste) is to shop your fridge and pantry first. That's how these muffins were born.

Deep Dish Easter Leftovers Pizza

A deep dish pizza with ham, green beans and sweet potatoes sandwiched between a mashed potato-spread pizza crust and a layer of provolone cheese. Turn those leftovers into a Friday Night Pizza!

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You may be wondering why, the day after Thanksgiving, I'm talking about Easter. It's quite simple--last year we had multiple Thanksgiving celebrations and I ended up with leftovers of both ham and turkey. I used the turkey, cranberry, and stuffing in my Deep Dish Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza and made a different version with ham & green beans. I'm calling it Easter Leftovers Pizza because for Easter we usually serve ham, green beans, sweet potatoes and of course no holiday is complete without MA's Make Ahead Irish Mashed Potato Casserole.

Finding ways to repurpose your leftovers into something the family will enjoy is one way to reduce food waste. For more ways, please check out my Food For Thought--Reducing Food Waste post.

I must say I preferred this pizza, with ham & Alanna's World's Best Green Bean Casserole, to the turkey, cranberry, and stuffing version. I'm not sure why, taste is subjective after all. Perhaps it's because I just really love my turkey leftovers in sandwiches spread with Cranberry Salsa.

As an aside, I had my first Thanksgiving Leftovers sandwich last night, on a Buttermilk Potato Roll--recipe from Donna Currie's Make Ahead Bread: 100 Recipes for Bake-It-When-You-Want-It Yeast Breads (Amazon affiliate link) spread with both cranberry salsa and sweet potato casserole. Yum. This book was an early birthday present to me from my daughter, and I'm really looking forward to baking more from it. Consider it as a Christmas gift for the baker--or wannabe baker--in your life!

For more pizza recipes, arranged in categories like Pizza Dough recipes, Savory Pizzas with Fruit, Pizzas with Meat and Vegetarian Pizzas, all alphabetical with thumbnail photos because that's how I roll--please check out my Visual Pizza Recipe Index. I've also got a Friday Night Pizza Night board on Pinterest, if you follow me there. I suppose I ought to include here that I'm now on Instagram. And, as ever, I'm sharing stuff that catches my eye on my FB page. Would you like to know how to Use This Blog best? 

Simple Creamed Spinach from Scratch

A vintage recipe for creamed spinach using just 6 ingredients and a bit of time on the stove. Make this while you've got other pots-needing-stirring on the fire, and you'll have a fresh green side dish to add to your holiday table in 15 minutes or so.

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Forrest Gump had the way of it. Life--with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share--is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. Some things are a given--you won't get tomatoes in May. You won't get corn in October. You will get turnips and beets . . .

Yesterday I learned what would be delivered in the Thanksgiving farm share box. On Tuesday I'll get my fresh turkey and a bunch of veggies. Now that I have a clue what I'll be working with, I can finalize my menu. Of course we'll have potatoes. My kids ask for MA's Make Ahead Irish Mashed Potato Casserole year round. No green beans this year--my spouse and I are the primary eaters of Alanna's World's Best Green Bean Casserole and I just don't have it in me to eat an entire batch alone.

I will make a corn pudding--dairy free and vegetarian--to share with a neighbor who is hosting folks with a variety of special diets. I will use a bag of Multigrain Sourdough Bread cubes from the freezer to make a small batch of stuffing. I've already made a half batch of Apple Cider Beet Cranberry Sauce--substituting dried pineapple for the dried apricots and grated raw beet for the roasted beets--and updated the photos for that post.

I'll need something green, though, and as a salad probably won't happen I plan to make creamed spinach. This recipe, from my 1950 edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, listed as Spinach (French method) "makes most anyone enjoy spinach". It's easy to make if you're already at the stove for something else. Last year, when my spouse took the action shots below, I was making Alanna's World's Best Green Bean Casserole and my Apple Sausage Cornbread Stuffing. Why not add a third recipe while I'm multitasking?