It is a well known fact I love to cook, bake and entertain. The Holidays are a perfect chance for me to indulge in my favorite things and spoil both my family and friends. The menu I have chosen to share with you this month will give you the opportunity to do the very same. Many of the dishes,as well as the desserts can be made the day before so all you have to do is heat and serve come Thanksgiving Day. I think you will really enjoy the change of pace with my Cajun Deep-Fried Turkey this year, it is a big hit at our house!! Remember to read the recipes all the way through and then check your pantry to make sure you have everything you need before getting started. Be Blessed and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast!!

Thanksgiving Feast

Turkey
Momma's Cornbread Stuffing
Giblet Gravy
Tart Cranberry Sauce
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli Casserole
Whole Grain Pan Rolls
Southern Style Carrot Cake
Rum Pecan Pie

Turkey
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2) Remove turkey from its wrapping and remove neck and giblets from inside the cavity. Set aside to make gravy later (see Related eHows).
3) Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
4) Put oven rack on lowest level of oven.
5) Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
6) Rub the outside of the turkey with olive oil
7) Salt and pepper the turkey's body and cavity
8) Roast turkey about 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees F

Tips
1) In general, a turkey should be roasted 10 to 12 minutes per pound if it is not stuffed and 12 to 15 minutes per pound if it is stuffed.
2) In general, you shouldn't cover a roasting turkey (or any roasting meat); you want the skin to get a nice, deep brown all over, and you don't want it to steam in its own juices. However, if the turkey begins to brown too quickly, well before it's likely to be done, you can cover the brown parts loosely with aluminum foil. (This is likely to happen with larger birds.) Try to cover as little of the turkey as possible so you don't create steam.

Momma's Corn Bread Dressing

2 cups corn meal
1 tsp Watkins Baking Powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp, Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
12 slices day old bread, crumbled
2 1/2 cups Watkins Chicken Soup Base (mixed to pkg directions)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Watkins Sage
1/4 tsp Watkins Pure Black Pepper
1 tsp Watkins Poultry Seasonings

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add 2 eggs, melted butter, oil and stir well. Place a well greased 10-inch cast iron skillet in a 450 degree oven for 4 minutes or until hot. Remove skillet from oven and spoon batter into skillet. Bake 450 degrees for 35 minutes or until corn bread is slightly browned. Cool, crumble into a large bowl. Saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Add sauteed veggies and remaining seven ingredients to crumbled cornbread, stirring well. Spoon dressing into a lightly greased 13x9-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 30 minutes. Yield: 8 Servings

Giblet Gravy

Giblets and neck from one turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1 hard cooked egg, chopped
1/4 tsp Watkins Pure Black Pepper
2 cups Watkins Chicken Soup Base (mixed to pkg directions)

Combine giblets (except lover), neck, onion, celery, and salt in a sauce pan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and let simmer 45 minutes or until giblets are tender. Add liver and simmer 10 minutes more. Drain, reserving broth. Remove meat from neck and coarsely chop neck meat and giblets. Discard onion and celery. Combine flour and 1/4 cup water in a medium sauce pan and stir until smooth add soup base (mixed according to package directions) and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Stir in reserved neck meat, giblets, egg and pepper. Serve hot. Yield: 2 cups

Tart Cranberry Sauce

2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries partially thawed
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
1 to 2 tbsp orange rind or 2 tsp Watkins Orange Extract
1/2 tsp Watkins Pure Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Watkins Ground Ginger
1/8 tsp Watkins Ground Cloves

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan; cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until cranberry skin pops and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or cold with turkey. Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Candied Sweet Potatoes

6 large sweet Potatoes
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup half and half or milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water to cover 30 to 45 minutes or until tender. Let cool to touch, peel and mash. Combine sweet potato, 1/2 cup sugar and next four ingredients; beat at medium speed with a electric mixer until smooth. Spoon into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Combine 1 cups brown sugar and flour; cut 1/4 cup butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans and coconut, sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly around the edges. Yield: 8 servings.

Broccoli Casserole

1 (10 ounce) packages chopped broccoli
1 1/4 cup Watkins Mushroom Soup Base (mixed by pkg directions)
1 (8 ounce can) s;iced water chestnuts, drained
1 (2.8 ounce) can french fried onions
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook broccoli according to package directions, drain. Combine broccoli, soup, water chestnuts and onions in a bowl, stirring well. Spoon into a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese; bake 2 to 3 more minutes or until cheese melts.
Yield: 8 servings

Whole Grain Pan Rolls

1 cup water
1 cup honey
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup regular oats, uncooked
2 pkgs active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all- purpose flour

Combine water, honey and flour in a small sauce pan and heat till butter melts. Remove from heat and cool to 120 degrees. Combine wheat flour, oats, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl, stir well. Gradually add hot liquid mixture; beating at a low speed with an electric mixer, add egg. Slowly add enough all-purpose flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out on to a heavily floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). Shape into 24 balls and place into a lightly greased 13x9-inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until dough has doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 2 dozen rolls

Southern Style Carrot Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Watkins Pure Ground Cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp Watkins Vanilla Extract
2 cups grated carrots
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3 1/2 ounce) can flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Buttermilk Glaze (follows this recipe)
Country Cream Cheese Frosting (follows below)

Grease three 9-inch round cake pans; line with wax paper. Lightly grease and flour paper, set aside. Stir together first 4 ingredients. Beat eggs and next four ingredients at medium speed with a electric mixer until smooth. Add four mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next three ingredients, our batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Drizzle warm Buttermilk Glaze evenly over warm cake layer; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans inverting layers. Peel off war paper; invert again, glaze side up. Cool completely. Spread Country Cream Cheese Frosting between layers, on top and sides of cake. Chill cake several hours before slicing. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings

Buttermilk Glaze

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tbsp Watkins Maple Extract
1 tsp Watkins Vanilla Extract

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly until glaze is golden. Remove from heat and stir in Vanilla. Cool slightly. Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Country Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp Watkins Vanilla Extract

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at a low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in Vanilla. Yield: 3 cups

Rum Pecan Pie

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp Watkins Vanilla Extract
3 tsp Watkins Rum Extract
1/4 tsp salt
Pastry for a 9 inch pie (recipe to follow or use store bought)
1 1/3 cups pecan halves or 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Combine first 3 ingredients; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Cool slightly. Add eggs, vanilla, rum, and salt to mixture, mix well. Pour filling into pastry shell and top with pecan halves. Bale at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until set. Serve warm or cold. Yield: 8 Servings

Pastry Pie Shell

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp shortening
3 to 4 tbsp ice water

Combine flour and salt; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; cover and chill until ready to use. Roll pastry to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place in pie plate, trim off excess edges along edges. Fold edges under and crimp.

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About the Author: LorrieAnn is a Single Mom to 5 wonderful kids. With 2 sons grown and out on their own, she resides in Florida with her 3 teenagers, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a bird. Along with her Home-Based Business, The Country Carousel, LorrieAnn also owns the HomeAndHeart Prayer List. Her hobbies include freelance writing for Christian Websites, Cooking & Baking, Gardening, Horses and anything to do with Ocean.

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