"Over the river and through the woods..

🎶To Grandmother’s house we go.

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

Through the wide and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the woods,

Oh, how the wind does blow! 

Hooray for the fun! Is the pudding done? Hooray for the pumpkin pie!"🎶

To be truthful I never went over a river or through woods nor did I have a horse to get me to my mom's place. It was more like driving down 280 in the Bay Area to her condo in San Jose but once we got there all the rest was the same. The traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, my brothers and their families, my dad watching tv and my mom, my sister-in-law and myself in the small kitchen getting the food out and then afterwards cleaning up. Sound familiar?

The past years have been different. We have Thanksgiving at our house in Colorado. But this year one of our granddaughters, Gabi, will be having Thanksgiving with her boyfriend's family in Missouri. And our grandson Zach, will be having Thanksgiving in Florida with his friend's family. So, things are already changing again. There is, however, another change that wasn't here before and that is our new great grandson, Levi, who will be celebrating his first thanksgiving with his Colorado family and that is very exciting!

I've been doing the same thanksgiving menu for years. I cook two turkey breasts. No one likes the dark meat, so I switched to the breasts and its works just fine. I cook two. One probably would be sufficient, but I always fear I'll run short so two. I brine them which I'll talk about in a little bit. Then stuffing (I'm actually doing a different one this year), bourbon sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, roasted Brussel sprouts, pumpkin pie and apple pie. Homemade cranberry sauce. And I normally do an eggplant parm dish as Jen my daughter is a vegetarian and Zach loves it.

The turkey breasts.

I brine them in white wine and soy sauce. Measurements are very easy.

I use bottle of white wine (obviously something very inexpensive) and about 1/4 cup of soy sauce. I take each breast; put it breast side down in a large mixing bowl. Then I mix the wine with the soy and pour it in the bowl, pouring through the cavity of the breast. I cover with plastic wrap, leave in the fridge for a couple of days.

When I am ready to cook, I take a roasting pan, chop an onion and add some broth (about 16oz) and better than bouillon. Then set a rack over this mixture. I then take the breast out of the fridge, drain the brine from it and set it on a cutting board. Using your fingers, carefully lift the skin from the breast and sprinkle in your spices. I use sage, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder. Use whatever you like. I then add several pats of butter. Repeat on both sides. Rub a little olive oil over the breasts, sprinkle with herbs de province, a little paprika for color, and place on the rack in the roasting pan. Tent with foil. Roast at 350 until internal temp is 165. If the top has not browned, remove foil. Also, make sure you check to see if more broth or water is needed. Keep at least 16 oz in the bottom of the roasting pan to prevent dryness. When done, remove from oven and let rest about 15 minutes before slicing.

If you are looking for a delicious soup to serve this is it. This recipe comes out of a cookbook by Williams and Sonoma called "Thanksgiving It's not difficult to make but its sure to be a hit with your guests.

Butternut Squash Soup with Marsala and Thyme (Courtesy of Williams and Sonoma

1 butternut squash about 3 lbs., halved lengthwise with fibers and seeds removed.

6 slices bacon, chopped

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 12 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme

5 1/4 cups (42 fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock, or canned low sodium broth

Better than Bouillion (chicken or vegetable)

1/3 cup of heavy cream or half and half

3 Tablespoons dry Marsala or sherry

Pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the cut, cleaned squash cut side down in a baking pan with about 1/4 inch of water. Bake until the squash is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cooled, scrape out the flesh and reserve.

2. In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, sauté the bacon until the fat is rendered which is about 3 minutes. Add the onions, thyme and sauté until tender about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Transfer the onion mixture to your food processor or blender. In two or more batches, add the squash and puree until smooth.

4. Return the puree to a saucepan and over medium heat, add the stock. I add a couple of teaspoons of the Better than Boullion as well. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Stir in the cream or half and half, and the Marsala. Add the cayenne pepper and season with salt and black pepper.

5. If the soup is too thick, add a little more broth.

6. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

   
   

The stuffing. I usually use Pepperidge Farm stuffing. Have used it for years but this year I'm doing a Challah Stuffing. It's courtesy of the Smitten Kitchen. I love everything Deb makes and although I have not made this before, I know it will be fantastic!

Challah Stuffing with Leeks and Celery (courtesy of the Smitten Kitchen)

1.5 pounds challah bread cut into generous 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup turkey drippings or melted unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan

2 cups small-diced celery (from about 3 large ribs)

2 cups small-diced leeks or yellow onions (from about 2 large leeks or 1 large onion)

1 tablespoon each minced fresh rosemary, sage, thyme

1/2 cup packed, chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3 cups vegetable, chicken, or turkey broth (add a little better than Boullion to your broth especially if it is canned or store bought)

One day, two days, or even the night before: You can either spread your challah cubes on a large pan or even loosely pile them in the baking dish you’ll use for the final stuffing and leave them to dry anywhere you can find a surface. If you didn't do this and want to make right now, spread them on a baking sheet and dry them in the oven at 300°F until firm but not brown.

The day of, at any point, or an hour before you want to serve the stuffing: Heat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. I always forget to do this. Don’t forget. It will absolutely stick if you don’t. Add challah cubes to the dish.

In a large frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add celery, leeks, half the salt and pepper, and cook, stirring here at there, until the celery is mostly tender and onions are translucent and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add sage, rosemary, and thyme and cook for one minute more. Sprinkle over challah cubes along with parsley. Use your hands — it’s so much easier this way — to gently disperse the vegetables through the challah, being careful not to let all the vegetables fall through to the bottom.

Add remaining salt and pepper to broth (although if your broth is very salty, maybe you will want less) and pour it over the challah. Challah is very tender, even when stale, so it doesn’t need soaking time.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then increase the oven heat to 425°F. Remove the foil and drizzle challah with remaining 6 tablespoons of melted butter, you don’t want to skimp on this. Return the pan to the oven and bake the stuffing for another 15 minutes, until the top edges are crisped, and it’s nicely browned on top.

Serve right away or reheat when needed at 350°F (foil-on because it’s already well-browned.

Roasted Brussell Sprouts

Right from the New York times a la Mark Bittman and is perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish. If you haven’t yet figured out a go-to recipe, this simple preparation is the answer. It results in sweet, caramelized brussels sprouts that will make a believer out of anyone.

4 servings

1pint brussels sprouts (about a pound)

4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to coat bottom of pan

5 cloves garlic, peeled

Salt and pepper to taste

1tablespoon balsamic vinegar

large cast iron skillet

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim bottom of brussels sprouts, and slice each in half top to bottom. Heat oil in cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers; put sprouts cut side down in one layer in pan. Put in garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Cook, undisturbed, until sprouts begin to brown on bottom, and transfer to oven. Roast, shaking pan every 5 minutes, until sprouts are quite brown and tender, about 10 to 20 minutes.

3. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in balsamic vinegar and serve hot or warm.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Everyone has their favorite mashed potato recipe, and they all are pretty simple but once you try this one it may move up to the top of your favorite's list! I've tried this with Idaho and Yukon gold and it's just as delicious!

1 head garlic

Olive oil

2 pounds red potatoes, washed well and quartered

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Slice off the very top of the garlic head. Drizzle head with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on a sheet tray and bake until tender and fragrant, roughly 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the cloves and mash with a wooden spoon.

2. Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain. Mash the potatoes until smooth.

3. Meanwhile heat butter and cream until butter melts. Add the roasted garlic and potatoes and mash all together.

4. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

5. Makes 3 to 4 servings. Easily doubled.

I love yams and sweet potatoes about any way you can cook them. I have to say the bourbon in this recipe kicks it up more than a notch. If you're looking for something different you may want to give this one a try.

Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is courtesy of Leties Culinaria

4 to 6 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch (12-mm) thick rounds

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish

1/2 cup bourbon

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter an ovenproof gratin or casserole dish

2. Arrange the sweet potato slices in the prepared baking dish and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, bourbon, and syrup, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as the sauce begins to boil, pour it over the sweet potatoes.

4. Bake the casserole, turning the sweet potatoes and spooning the liquid over the top occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

5. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.

   
   
   
   

   If you are looking for the most decedent sweet potato side dish, look no further. You can use sweet potatoes or yams, your choice. I haven't made this one in years, but I think it may be the one for this year's table! It's also from the Williams Sonoma Thanksgiving book and although it's over the top, it's also very delicious!

   
   

   Mashed Yams with Brown Sugar and Spice

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

   6 lbs. yams or sweet potatoes

   1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar

   1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

   6 tablespoons butter at room temperature

   1 teaspoon cinnamon

   1/2 teaspoon of all spice

   1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

   1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract

   1/2 cup of chopped pecans

   
   

   Directions

   1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

   2. Place yams on a baking sheet and bake until very soft. Make sure you pierce with a fork to help the baking process. Should be finished in about one hour.

   3. Remove from the oven and let cool.

   4. Butter a 2-to-3-quart baking dish and set aside.

   5. Halve the yams and scoop the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Add 3/4 cup of the brown sugar, the cream or the half and half, the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer or potato masher, beat smooth.

   6.Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Smooth top and spread the chopped pecans and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.

   7. Bake about 30 minutes until thoroughly heated through and serve right from the dish!

   
   

   I do two pies. One is the classic apple pie, and I use Ina Gardens recipe for her perfect pie crust and perfect Apple Pie. Both are in her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook. I have everyone one of her books and they are fabulous.

   Here's the crust recipe. It's easy and works every time!

   
   

   Perfect Pie Crust from Ina Garden

   
   

   12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

   3 cups all-purpose flour

   1 teaspoon kosher salt

   1 tablespoon sugar

   1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

   6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

   
   

   Directions

   Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

   Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

   
   

   Perfect Apple Pie from Ina Garden with a little tweak

   
   

   

   
   

   I've changed this a little. I don't peel the apples, and I slice (1/4 inch) rather than quarter them, and I use a combo of apples; I don't use the orange juice or orange zest. I use a vegetable wash to clean my fruit as I never peel them in my baking.

   
   

   4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored (I use a combination of apple including Honey Crisp)

   1 tablespoon lemon zest

   2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

   1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top

   1/4 cup all-purpose flour

   1 teaspoon kosher salt

   3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

   1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

   1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

   1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

   Directions

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

   1. Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. 

   2. Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it. 

   3. Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits. 

   4. Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.

   
   

   My other pie is a pumpkin pie. My dad loved pumpkin pie and l love it too but my family was not that crazy about it until one year when I decided to add a little something to it. Chocolate. And now it's their favorite! It's very simple to do. Bake your favorite pumpkin pie recipe. I use Ina's perfect pie crust. Here is the filling I use. And then when it's completely cool, I add a chocolate grenache topping. Keep refrigerated until serving.

   
   

   Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Grenache

   
   

   

   
   

   Filling

   1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree, from a 15-ounce (425 gram) can

   2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar

   1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea or table salt

   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

   1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

   1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

   A few gratings of fresh nutmeg (or a pinch of ground nutmeg)

   1 1/3 cups (315 ml) cold heavy cream

   3 large eggs

   
   

   1. Prepare 1/2 of Ina's perfect pie crust and fit into a deep-dish pie pan.

   2. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).

   3. Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a sputtering simmer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Scoop cooked pumpkin filling into bowl, and whisk in cold cream until smooth. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.

   4. Bake pie at 400 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until only the center barely jiggles, and a toothpick inserted into it comes out pumpkin-free. (Damp is fine, but the toothpick shouldn’t have loose pumpkin batter on it.)

   4. Let pie cool on a rack completely. You can hasten this along in the fridge. This pie is now ready to serve, but if you want to gild the lily a little, make the topping as well.

   5. Chocolate topping. Take 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chip and put in small bowl. Take 1/2 cup of heavy cream and heat on stove until tiny bubble start to form. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for about a minute and llstart to whisk. Blend thoroughly and pour over the top of the pie. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add some whip cream if desired!

   
   

   And if you need it... The easiest and most delicious eggplant parm. Jen, my daughter, is a vegetarian so I always have a dish she can dig into. Zach my grandson loves this too so I'll need to freeze some for him as he won't be here. Courtesy of the Smitten Kitchen.

   
   

   Easy Eggplant Parm Casserole with a couple of tweaks

   
   

   

   
   

   2 pounds eggplant, cut into generous 1/2-inch slices (I would add one more eggplant after having made it)

   Kosher salt

   Olive oil

   Freshly ground black pepper

   1 small onion, finely chopped

   3 garlic cloves, minced

   1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

   1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes (I added an extra 15 oz can as I served this with pasta and wanted enough for some sauce)

   1 teaspoon dried oregano

   Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

   1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

   8 ounces grated or thinly sliced mozzarella (I actually used 1 lb. of the sliced mozzarella, and it was delicious)

   
   

   Prepare the eggplant: Arrange eggplant slices on a large (half-sheet) baking pan in one layer. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons kosher salt and set aside for 30 minutes.

   Roast eggplant: Transfer eggplant slices to paper towels and blot them of as much excess water as possible. Dry the baking sheet, too, and coat it with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle the oil with several grinds of black pepper. Arrange eggplant slices in one layer. Drizzle with 2 more tablespoons of oil and more grinds of black pepper. Roast until nicely browned underneath, 20 to 25 minutes. Use a thin spatula to turn eggplant slices over and roast until browned underneath on the second side, another 10 minutes. It’s okay if they’re not cooked through yet. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (175°C).

   Meanwhile, make sauce: While eggplant roasts, open your can of tomatoes and use kitchen shears or very well-washed scissors to chop the tomatoes into small bits. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium/large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and cook until it softens, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook another minute. Add tomatoes (beware the splatter!), oregano, and season with 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste. Let mixture simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you’d like the sauce smoother than it is now, you can mash the tomatoes further with a potato masher as it cooks, or use an immersion blender for a completely smooth sauce. Stir in basil then taste the sauce; adjust salt and pepper to taste.

   Assemble: In a 1.5- to 2-quart baking dish (holding 6 to 8 cups; I’m using this), spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Arrange about half of the eggplant slices, slightly overlapped, in one layer. Spoon another 1/2 cup sauce over and spread it evenly. Arrange remaining eggplant slices, then ladle more sauce over it so it’s as saucy as you like. [Keep unused sauce in fridge for another day; it will keep for 4 to 5 days.] Sprinkle top with mozzarella and parmesan.

   Bake: For 30 minutes, until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbling all over. For more color on top, you can run it briefly under your oven’s broiler.

   To serve: Once baked, let the eggplant parmesan rest at room temperature, if you can bear it, for 15 minutes before digging in — this helps the ingredients settle and come together more. It’s not mandatory, but this is excellent with a side of garlic bread.

   Do ahead: Eggplant parmesan keeps fantastically in the fridge for up to 5 days. Rewarm in a 350-degree oven, covered for the first half of the time, for about 25 to 30 minutes. You can also freeze it, well wrapped, for a few months.

   
   
   
   

   Thats's it! My gravy is just the drippings from the breasts. The cranberry sauce is the recipe on the back of the bag. The wine and prosecco are from Costco! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I'll see you on the other side of the feast!

   
   

   Bon Appetite! 🦃

   Liz ❤️

   
   
   
   

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