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Sweet Potatoes for Thanksgiving “Grandma’s Recipes”

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Cranberry Pecan Salad Molds for Thanksgiving

Traditonal Thanksgiving meals must include cranberries! I use cranberries in dressings, breads, relish and salads, but my favorite two recipes are cranberry fruit molds that can be made the day before. Being from the south, I had to have pecans with my cranberries. One recipe is more chucky and tart with fresh cranberries and one is made with whole berry sauce.

Fresh Crunchy Cranberry Salad Mold<

3 cups fresh cranberries coarsely chopped (pluse in food processor)/>
1 cup sugar (you may add a little extra if you like it sweeter)
1-3 oz package rasberry flavored gelatin
1-3 0z package cranberry flavored gelatin
1 3\4 cups apple, orange or pineapple juice
1 8oz can chunk pineapple drained
4 oranges peeled ,seeded and chopped (food processor)
1 cup chopped pecans

First dissolve gelatins into boiling juice mixture and place in refrigerator while mixing other ingredients
Chop cranberries, oranges and pecans by hand or in food processor leaving chunky
Add sugar and pineapple ,set aside
Spray mold or bundt pan with oil
Mixed gelatin mixture with fruit and nut mixture and pour into mold
Regrigerate overnight or until congealed. I often rush it along by putting it in the freeezer for 1\2 hour
To unmold , let warm water run over back of mold to release, then place lettuce lined cake plate over the top and flip over , decorate with fresh cranberries, grapes or combination of the two. Enjoy!

Cranberry Apple Pecan Mold

1 3oz package rasberry gelatin (sugerfree is ok)
3\4 cup boiling water
1 can wholeberry cranberry sauce
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1\2 cup chopped celery (optional)
1 large apple chopped unpeeled (I chop in food processor)
1tsp fresh grated orange peel
A dash of salt, cinnamon, ground cloves
Add sugar or artificial sweetner to taste

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and place in the refrigerator
Mix cranberry sauce, pineapple, chopped apple,celery,orange peel and spice
Combine with gelatin mixture and pour into 4 cup mold or double the recipe for a bundt pan
Cover and refrigerate until firm(best overnight)
Unmold on plate or cake plate and garnish with fresh cranberries,lettuce ,orange slices or kumquats and enjoy!

Seafood gumbo recipe for Thanksgiving

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons flour
3 sweet onions finely chopped
2 green peppers finely chopped
6 stalks celery finely chopped
2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes
1 bag frozen cut okra
2-4 lbs peeled and de-veined shrimp
1-2 lbs lump crabmeat
1-2 lbs raw oysters (optional)
1-2 teaspoons salt to taste
pepper to taste or red pepper to taste
1 lb crab claws as a topping (optional)

Start with the roux, mix the equal parts of oil and flour in a mircosafe bowl . I sometimes cook extra roux in case I want to add extra later if I don’t feel it is thick enough.I start by microwaving the mixture for 3 minutes and stir then continue microwaving at 30 sec to 1 minute intervals until the roux is almost a chocolate brown. Be careful not to burn yourself or burn the roux. If you wish you can finish the roux in a heavy skillet. This is slower but safer.
After you brown the roux add to a skillet then add chopped vegetables, onion, celery, bell pepper and cook until tender.
In a separate large soup pot add can tomatoes, 2 quarts chicken broth, 1 quart water and okra and bring to a boil. Cook until tomatoes have broken down approximately 20 minutes. Turn temp down to medium .
Add liquid 1 cup at a time to roux stirring constantly. Then add roux to soup pot . Start to add seafood in small amounts but save oysters until the last 20 minutes. Add about 1\4 of your total seafood and cook for at least 1 hour. I like to see my seafood and I don’t like my shrimp chewy so I add most of my seafood about 20 minutes before serving. I add crab claws about 5 minutes before serving and try to place them on the top of the bowl for looks. I hope you can find fresh seafood . Serve over rice in a soup bowl . Enjoy!
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Thanksgiving decorating tricks make memories special

Making the holidays memorable involves family,food and decorating traditions. Collecting traditional decorations and the way in which you use them make the holidays a special event. Thanksgiving decorations can include pilgrims, turkeys, pumpkins, gourds, cranberries and cornucopias. Fall colored leaves and flowers can add flavor to any of these collectable decorations. Pilgrims work great in centerpieces or on mantles mixed with fall foliages and flowers. I personally I love the variety found in pumpkins. I use real orange or white around my outside doorways and on mantles. As Thanksgiving approaches I add wooden pilgrims and turkeys . Ceramic glazed cream pumpkins have a more formal look and can be enhanced with cut greenery like varigated pittisporum perfect for a dessert buffet. Natural clay glazed or unglazed pumpkins with fall foliage like crepe myrtles tucked around the groupings are not only colorful but their draping clusters of pod like berries add grace to a displayl. Cake plates work great to give varying heights to the pumpkins and I also use them with flowers. If you have an older turkey that has lost his color you may want to spray him with a gold spray paint. Try making my pineapple turkey for a special treat. Cornucopias filled with vegatables can be a great project for everyone. Try making a cone shape of foil and coveing it with ready bake refrigerated bread sticks or unrolled crescent rolls and bake for an edible cornucopia. Your family will love to get involed, especially children. Make this year the first year of great memorable Thanksgiving decorations and watch their eyes beam with excitement. Just know they will expect the same great decorations next year! Happy Decorating!

Remembering Katrina…..at Thanksgiving

My boys, Josh and Aaron ,were students at Tulane when Katrina hit New Orleans. Aaron went with fraternity brothers to Houston and Josh went to Tuscaloosa and stayed with friends. After the storm, they both came home to help us. Soon we got them in to Cornell in Ithaca N.Y. Schools across the country took Tulane students . My boys told their SAE fraternity brothers and a large group went together. There friends were scattered across the northeast and met on weekends to spend time together until they could return to New Orleans.

When we finally got into the city, Josh’s apartment was destroyed. The side of the house and roof had collapsed. Someone had even opened tuna cans in his kitchen. Everything was covered with mold. The refrigerators had to be wrapped in ducktape and placed on the street for the city to pick up. While we were there the salvation army lunch trucks and national guard were everywhere. On returning to Tulane , the students did community service. Josh volunteered on Saturday mornings at a volunteer headquarters where people came from around the country to help. They tore out the inside of flooded houses so families could rebuild. Katrina had an effect on the way my boys look at life. They were thankful to Cornell and all the people that helped Tulane and New Orleans survive. We will forever be thankful for all the kindness.

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