Thanksgiving yummies!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Dad Walley asked for my cranberry salad recipe, so I figured I'd give it and Crislyn's Banana Bread recipe. :) (The pumpkin bread came from the recipe book I cited in the response to Glynne's inquiry into bread machines, and the pie from the Libby pumpkin filling can, with spices altered to make me happy.)

Grandma Watts' Cranberry Salad


1/2 C Walnuts
2 C Cranberries (whole berry)
1 large orange, thinly sliced, thin skinned (I used most of 1 can of Mandarin oranges, drained)
1 apple, unpealed  (I used 2 Pink Lady apples- Pink Lady for sweetness, 2 for their size)
1C celery, diced  (I loathe celery & used well rinsed water chestnuts, slightly < 1C)
1/2 C sugar
3 oz lemon jello
3/4 C boiling water


Chop cranberries, orange, and apple in a food processor  
(cran become mush so quickly, I only did 1/2 of them)
Add celery, nuts, and sugar to mixture
Let set
Disolve jell-o into water
Add to fruit mixture
Pour into 9" square cake pan  (oops, I didn't read this part and did in a 9"x13", still tasty)
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Note: I love, love, love banana bread and have tried lots of recipes. I love this one so much I told my Grandma Watts I think it's the best. This may have been unwise, but it is the truth! I've made this with real butter and with margarine. It is yummy either way. I also use excessive vanilla in anything requiring it, but that's just me. This recipe can be halved into two bread pans to make two small loaves, or you can make one full sized bread loaf with it. The photo shows it as a small loaf.

Crislyn’sBanana Nut Bread

2 cupsFlour

2 Eggs

1 1/2 cupsSugar

1 teaspoonBaking Soda

1 1/2teaspoon Baking Powder

1 heapingteaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoonSalt

3/4 cupSoftened Butter

2/3 cupMilk

3 to 4large, very ripe Bananas

1 teaspoonVanilla

1/2 cupWalnuts

directions

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt,and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

2. Mash bananas in a separate bowl.

3. Place butter in a bowl and stir to soften.

4. Add well mixed dry ingredients, mashed bananas, and milkto the butter.

5. Mix everything until dry ingredients are moist (shouldtake a little over 3 minutes).

6. Add eggs, vanilla, and nuts and mix for approximately 3more minutes.

7. Put in prepared pan (butter the pan thoroughly).

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (or until insertedtoothpick comes back clean).

Thanksgiving Cheese

So we had an excellent Thanksgiving feast, with Glynne's pork ragout, Eric's fabulous family rolls, a nice green salad, green and black olives (we have pictures of olive fingers as soon as we get them on the computer), yam and apple casserole (another Eric favorite), and some lovely cheese and crackers.

Someday Eric will post roll pictures and recipe, but this time they turned out super fluffy and therefore less crescent-y than usual so he feels this batch isn't good enough for pictures. Meh.

So I really wanted to mention the cheese. We had Masdaam smoked gouda and Beehive cajun cheddar, which I'm pretty sure I've written about before. Our third cheese was Carr Valley crema kasa--I picked it up the night before Thanksgiving to round out our cheese plate (leaving Eric to continue my online scrabble with mom--she destroyed us! *sigh*). I'm pretty sure it's this but ours had bright blue wax that really impressed the kids. This was really good eatin' cheese--if you've ever had butterkase it's like that but creamier. If you've never had butterkase, itls like a cross between creamy havarti and edam. Great for munching with crackers.

Carrot & Pineapple Jell-O Salad

MOM'SCARROT & PINEAPPLE JELL-O SALAD

NOTE: I learned to make this Jell-0 salad from your grandmother Munroe (mymother).  Jell-0 salads were very popular when I was growing up andthis was the one she always made for Thanksgiving.   I made the changeto cranberry when Jell-0 began producing a cranberry flavor. When itbecame unavailable, I simply started using cranberry juice in placeof the cold water called for in making Jell-0.

1   large (6-oz.) or 2 small (3-oz.) boxes of orange Jell-O

1   cup shredded carrots(approximate measure)

1   cup crushed pineapple,drained (more if you like)

1   cups cranberry juice (use in place of cold water in mixing the Jell-O)

1   tablespoon applecider vinegar

1   teaspoon salt

Dissolve Jell-O in 1 ¾cups boiling water. Add the cranberry juice, vinegar, and salt. Stir in the carrots and pineapple. Chill until set.

NOTE:At other times of the year, I make this salad using cold waterinstead of cranberry juice. Another variation would be to combineorange and lemon Jell-O. Sometimes, I use pineapple chunks ortidbits, drained. I used the juice as part of the cold water to beadded.  Being diabetic, Dad and I now substitute sugar free Jell-O and use "Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice."

Corn Bread - Mom's

MOM'S CORN BREAD RECIPE

Albers® Corn Bread

(Makes 12 servings) 

This moist corn bread can be served with salads, soups, stews, chilies, or southern fried chicken. Try it toasted and spread with butter and jam in the morning.

• 1 cup Albers® White or Yellow Corn Meal    *Mom always uses yellow! 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.
COMBINE meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and egg in small bowl; mix well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.
BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.
NOTE Recipe may be doubled. Use greased 13x9-inch baking pan; bake as above.


FOR MUFFINS:
SPOON batter into 10 to 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 15 minutes.

Corn Bread Stuffing - Mom's

Thanksgiving at theWalleys !

Read this and you will know why the recipe is called "Grandma Helen's"!  As you read, be sure to follow my notes.

Friday,November 18, 2011, Glynne posted on my facebook wall, “CanI get your Thanksgiving stuffing recipe? I think you gave it to meyears ago, but I can't find it.”

Havinginsomnia, I read that about midnight and had a good chuckle. When Itold Dad the next morning, he laughed and said, “Whatrecipe?”

Exactly!

OnSaturday, this was my response to Glynne's question: “Uh Oh!!! That would be the stuffing that has no recipe - the one Ilearned by helping my mother! The Japanese curry that you and Dadmake is pretty much learned the same way - by doing. However, I willspend some time giving instructions as best I can tomorrow (Sunday).Glad you asked - how flattering to me and your grandmother Munroe."

ThanJoanna said, “Ooh,put it on the food blog. I think we'd all like the tips. :)”

Glynneand I had a nice chat last night (Sunday) about how I make thestuffing and I think I gave him enough guidelines that he new what tobuy at the grocery store. I had planned to give what directions Icould on the family food blog yesterday but didn't feel well in theevening and put it off until today. I'm glad that I did because,after I talked with Glynne, I finally got around to reading ParadeMagazinefrom our Sunday paper and, lo and behold, there was a recipe in itthat is very helpful in giving you approximate amounts for thestuffing.

SO – HERE GOES!!!

Grandma Helen's CornBread Stuffing

by: ElizabethMitchell

Photo by: Kat Keutsch forPARADE

In my family (ElizabethMitchell), we've cooked turkey every which way, but we alwaysmake Grandma Helen's stuffing. It tastes like home, and I crave itall year long. Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without it.

ingredients:

1½ (8-inch square) panscorn bread *About the same amount I use
4 slicesItalian bread with sesame seeds, torn into very small pieces *Iuse regular bread or usually a prepackaged bag of herbed stuffingmix, usually Pepperidge Farm
4 hard-boiled eggs (use just2 of the whites), mashed *I've never heard of this but I do addone or two raw eggs after I'm done tasting and before putting in abaking pan
1 tsp seasoned salt *I salt to taste
1/4tsp white pepper *I pepper to taste with black pepper
1Tbsp chopped sage *I do add sage seasoning totaste.....probably about the same amount
1 cup choppedparsley *I've never used parsley but it might be worth a try
21/2 cups chopped celery *I probably use one to twocups.....depends on taste
1 cup chopped Spanish onion*Perhaps a little more........yellow onion.....we loveonions
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, divided *Iuse a similar amount but melted and included in the dressing
1(14-oz) can chicken or turkey broth *Dad cooks the giblets! Heand the dog eat the heart, liver, and gizzard........ugh! He pullsand shreds meat from the neck and adds it to the dressing. We usethe broth that's left from this to add to the dressing and then addcanned broth if we need more moisture. Beyond that, water can beadded if need be.

directions:

1. Crumble corn bread into a largebowl; combine with Italian bread pieces. Add mashed egg yolks andwhites. Sprinkle with seasoned salt, white pepper, sage, and parsley.Toss gently to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Setaside.

2. Sauté celery and onion in ½ cupbutter until soft.

3. Add onion and celeryto bread mixture and toss. Pour in most of broth and mix well. Addmore if mixture seems dry.

4. Grease a9-by-13-inch baking pan with 1 Tbsp butter. Transfer stuffing topan. Lightly moisten with more broth if needed. Dot top with rest ofbutter.

5. Bake at 325°F for 30 to 40minutes, until browned on top, or stuff in a turkey and cook untildone.

Elizabeth's Tips:

• When my grandmother makes this stuffing, she tops it with little bits of butter, which then melts.
• Grandma Helen makes her corn bread with white cornmeal, not yellow.
• Mix wet and dry ingredients gently with your hands or a large fork to keep the stuffing light

MOM'SNotes!!!

1. I don't use boiled eggs. I use black pepper. I haven't ever used parsley but it might be good. I do add Poultry Seasoning in addition to the Sage.........to taste.
2. I do not saute' the celery and onion..........just add it after chopping in the food processor.
3. I use PAM to grease the pan. I've never dotted butter on top or added both at that stage..........you might want to experiment.
4. Usually I bake at 350ºF for about an hour.........until a knife comes out fairly clean as in testing a cake.

Webake a pan of dressing in the morning and eat it hot out of the ovenat lunch.....with cranberry sauce. Leftover cornbread, too. Howmuch cornbread and dressing we make depends on how many people we'llfeed and how much we want to eat aside from the actual Thanksgivingmeal. Leftover dressing sometimes gets frozen at our house to besliced and fried later on. We sometimes add it to Dad's turkey soup.

Idon't know what else I can tell you but you can always call with anyquestions. Good luck! I am also posting my standard cornbreadrecipe.........the one you grew up eating. However, we often useJiffy mix cornbread nowadays.

Bread maker question

We're thinking of buying a bread machine. We don't have one. We're kind of snooty about bread - we love yuppie bakeries, of which we have a plethora here in the 'Gene. But at the same time there's nothing like fresh and homemade, or at least so say our cocooning instincts.

So my question to those of you who have bread machines is: are they worth it? Does the bread that comes out of it satisfy a snooty bread eater? Can you make the same variety of bread in one that you can get in a yuppie bakery? (Sourdough? Seedy? Olive bread? Potato-flour bread? Etc.?) Is it cheaper to get the ingredients and make it in a bread machine than to buy a loaf from a yuppie bakery?

Any advice on makes and features?

Anadama Bread

So! I decided to surprise Cherilyn with an unusual new homemade bread when she came home! One problem, the flour and yeast were in the fridge and did not have time to get to room temp. So I attempted to gently heat said flour and yeast. I unfortunately burnt some flour, leaving a burnt popcorn like smell in the house...

End result is the bread machine got opened in attempt to locate the smell. This was during the second rise cycle, so I took the bread out, had it rise the old fashioned way, and put it in the oven. The only problem was this as a 1.5 lb loaf recipe, and I had only one loaf pan. You see what came out. =D

Despite looking like a potato or Super Mario Bro's mushroom, it was quite tasty!

According to Wiki, the name of this bread is a bit of a legend, originating from Massachusetts fishing communities. Anna kept feeding her husband cornmeal and molasses and he got mad one day and, while adding flour and salt, said Anna damn it, quit feeding me this stuff! The townspeople decided to bake it, it was yummy and the name and legend were born!
(Bad paraphrasing care of yours truly!)

Bread machine recipe:
1 1/2 lb version:
1 1/2C water
1/4 C dark molasses
3 Tbsp shortening
3 C bread flour (I used all purpose, worked fine)
1/2 C corn meal
3/4 t salt
1 t yeast.

Add according to your bread machine instructions. :)