HEAVENLY CORN CASSEROLE

HEAVENLY CORN CASSEROLE

• 1 15 oz. Can Whole Corn (drained)
• 1 15 oz Can Cream Style Corn
• 8 oz. Sour Cream
• 1 Package Jiffy Cornbread Mix
• 2 Tbsp Sugar

Mix all together by hand until well blended. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cooks notes: Be careful not to fill up on this...it tends to be pretty addictive! *big grin*

MOLDED CRANBERRY FRUIT SALAD

MOLDED CRANBERRY FRUIT SALAD

• 1 8-ounce can Crushed Pineapple, drained, reserving juice
• 1/2 cup Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 3-ounce package Cherry-flavored Jello
• 1 16-ounce can Ocean Spray® Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans

Combine reserved pineapple juice, cranberry juice cocktail and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Break up cranberry sauce with a fork. Stir into gelatin mixture. Refrigerate until mixture begins to set. Stir in pineapple and nuts. Pour into a 4-cup mold. Chill until firm. Makes 8 servings.

Cooks notes: This recipe can easily be doubled for a larger crowd. Unfortunately, this isn't my original recipe I normally use...after looking for it for over two hours I've decided "it" has somehow fallen off the face of my kitchen - go figure.

AMAZIN' RAISIN CAKE

AMAZIN' RAISIN CAKE

• 3 Cups unsifted Flour
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1 Cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
• 1/3 Cup Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3 Cups chopped peeled Apples
• 1 Cup Sun-Maid Seedless Raisins
• 1/2 Cup coarsely chopped Walnuts

Grease and flour 2 9" baking pans. In large bowl with mixer at low speed beat first 10 ingredients 2 minutes, scraping bowl frequently, or beat vigorously 300 strokes by hand. (batter will be very thick) With spoon stir in apples, raisins, and nuts. Spoon batter into pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove; cool. Fill and frost with 2 cups Cool Whip.

Cooks notes: This is by FAR my all time favorite fall time cake. Fantastic cake recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I guaranteed if you bake it once...you'll fall in love 4 ever!

SUZY'S CRANBERRY MUFFINS

SUZY'S CRANBERRY MUFFINS

• 6 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Carnation Milk
• 4 Cups Flour
• 2 tsp Salt
• 4 tsp Baking Soda
• 4 Cups Cranberries

Cream butter and sugar, add liquids and dry ingredients. Fold in cranberries, spoon into muffin tin and bake 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

SAUCE

• 1 lb. Butter
• 4 Cups Sugar
• 2 Cups Carnation Milk

Heat above to melt butter - pour over muffins just before you serve them and ENJOY!

Cooks notes: Serve this for breakfast to your guest that are staying over and they will swear to Mergatroid that y'all are running a B and B! I mean it....these muffins rank ABOVE any we've eaten at the many bed and breakfasts or high end hotels we have been to....okay, truthfully, there's not been been that many - but trust me, these muffins are SaWEET! te he he!

TEXAN PECAN PIE

TEXAN PECAN PIE

• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Light Corn Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Flour
• 1 Cup Shelled Pecans
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2 Tbsp Oleo

Mix thoroughly and add to 9 inch unbaked shell, cook 1 hour at 325 degrees.

CRUST FOR 2 CRUST (9 INCH PIES)

• 2 Cups sifted Gold Medal Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2/3 Cup Plus 2 Tbsp Shortening
• 1/4 Cup Ice Water

Cut shortening into flour and salt. Gradually add ice water till you form a ball, do not over mix. Divide in two and roll out between two sheets of wax paper. Then line your pie tins crimping your shells nicely around the edges.

Cooks notes: This is the one thing I could always count on my dear Momma to fix on holidays. I would easily eat a half of one by myself and then she'd slip one out of hiding just before we were ready to go and give it to me. When she passed away suddenly in '97, we were still grieving her at Thanksgiving of course. It just happened to be my turn to host the T'giving dinner for my hubby's side of the family, so I attempted to bake a couple and burnt the peediddle out of them! Cry, oh my gosh, there was a river of tear...but it wasn't all about the pie. You know, sometimes as time passes loved ones are missed even more, that holds true with my Mom. Here's a saying I have on a heart shaped rock in her Memorial Garden that kinda says it all: "The Heart that Touches the Lifes of Others...Goes on Forever"

TURKEY ROASTING 101

TURKEY ROASTING 101

1. Purchasing and thawing:
The first thing you need to decide is how big should the turkey be, so calculate 1 to 1 1/2 lbs per person. Then do you want fresh or frozen? Buy the bird the day before you wish to roast it for fresh, but remember to reserve your turkey with the butcher first. A frozen turkey needs to be defrosted. The preferred method is to defrost it in the refrigerator. (Yes, the one filled with the rest of the holiday fare.)
Allow one day per 5 pounds. A 15-pound turkey will require three days to defrost thoroughly.
An alternate method is to defrost the bird in a cold water bath. Allow 30 minutes per pound. That 15-pound turkey will require only 7½ hours to defrost using this approach. It is also possible to use a combination of these methods.

2. Roasting:
To prepare the turkey for roasting, first remove the giblets! One time my dear mother accidentally left them in and we found these paper-wrapped lumps when carving the bird - and poor momma never lived it down! So remove them and set aside if you wish to use the giblets in your gravy or stuffing. Next, rinse the bird inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. If you are stuffing the bird, stuff it loosely, allowing about ½ to ¾ cup stuffing per pound of turkey. Gently cut pockets into the skin where it is loose, such as under the breast and legs. Then insert pats of butter in the pockets. Brush the skin with melted butter. Season inside and out with a mixture of garlic powder, poultry seasoning and ground pepper. Tie drumsticks together with string. Lastly, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. The thermometer should point towards the body, and should not touch the bone.
Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan, and into a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven. Use the following chart to estimate the time required for baking.
Bake until the skin is a light golden color, and then cover loosely with a foil tent. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but helps promote even browning.
Weight of Bird
Roasting Time (Unstuffed)
Roasting Time(Stuffed)

• 10-18 lbs
  3-3.5 hours
  3.75-4.5 hours
• 15-22 lbs
  3.5-4 hours
  4.5-5 hours
• 22-24 lbs
  4-4.5 hours
  5-5.5 hours
• 24-29 lbs
  4.5-5 hours
  5.5-6.25 hours

3. It's almost Turkey time!
The only reliable test for doneness is the temperature of the meat, not the color of the skin. The turkey is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F, and when the breast meat reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. If your turkey has been stuffed, it is important to check the temperature of the dressing. The stuffing should be 165 degrees F. When the turkey is done, remove from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes. This resting time allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.Sit Tight
Once the bird is removed from the oven, it should stand for 20 to 35 minutes, depending on its size. This gives the proteins time to relax and allows the juices to redistribute throughout the bird, resulting in succulent slices of meat. Before you begin carving, have a warm serving platter ready.

4. Carving the Bird:

• Legs First
  Arrange the turkey, breast side up, on a cutting board. Steady the turkey with a carving fork. Using a sharp knife, slice through the meat between the breast and the leg. Next, using a large knife as an aid, press the thigh outward to find the hip joint. Slice down through the joint and remove the leg. Cut between the thigh bone and drumstick bone to divide the leg into one thigh piece and one drumstick. To carve the drumstick, steady it with a carving fork and cut a thick slice of meat from one side, along the bone. Next, turn the drumstick over so that the cut side faces down. Cut off another thick slice of meat. Repeat, turning the drumstick onto a flat side and cutting off meat, carving a total of four thick slices. To slice the thigh, place it flat side down on a cutting board. Steady the thigh with a carving fork. With a knife, cut parallel to the bone and slice off the meat. Be sure to place all the cuts on the warmed serving platter as you work.
• Wings Take Off
  Before you carve the breast, the wings must be removed. Slice diagonally down through the edge of the breast toward the wing. Using a knife as an aid, press the wing out to find the shoulder joint; cut through the joint and remove the wing.
• Carve the Breast
  To carve the breast meat, hold the back of the carving fork against the breastbone. Starting parallel to the breastbone, slice diagonally through the meat. Lift off each slice, holding it between the knife and fork, and layer them on the warm serving platter. Continue until you have carved all the meat on one side of the breast. Carve the other side of breast the same way. And let the feasting begin!

Cooks notes: All this sounds like a lot of work, but it's not really bad once you get the hang of it. Also, don't discard the carcass - seriously, I boil it and make what the kids used to call "bone soup". What it really does is boils a those little pieces of meat off the bone plus you get that good old bone marrow that make such wonderfully rich broth. Just remove all the bones and skin, add a good and thick egg noodle (I use the frozen) some chopped carrots for color and health and leftover turkey. You will not believe the flavor of this soup! Wow - y'all are getting two recipes in one here today...what a deal!

BEST SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

BEST SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
YOU'LL EVER SINK YOUR TEETH INTO

• 3 Cups Fresh Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• 3/4 Stick Margarine
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

Mix all together well. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Topping

• 1 Cup crushed Corn Flakes
• 1/2 Cup pecan pieces
• 1/2 light brown sugar
• 3/4 stick margarine - melted

Mix all together and spread over the top of potatoes. Bake an additional 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Cooks notes: To get the mashed sweet potatoes you can either bake and scrape out the insides or peel, chop and boil til done (first choice is by far the easiest). Now what I'm about to tell you is no lie - I had folks, young and old, eatting sweet potatoes for the FIRST time and loving them! This dish is almost in the dessert catagory, it is so rich, creamy WITH crunch too, and then the sweetness - oh my, I'm getting hungry for it already - come on T'giving!

JOE'S FAVORITE PEANUT BRITTLE

JOE'S FAVORITE PEANUT BRITTLE

• 2 Cups Sugar


• 1 Cup White Karo Syrup


• 1/2 Cup Water


• 2 Cups Raw Peanuts


• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda


• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Combine sugar, syrup, and water in a large pan or kettle (this will all for frothing when the baking soda is added later). Cook over a medium to high heat, depending on your stove, until it spins a thread or 238 degrees. Add peanuts and cook until mixture turns golden brown or 290 degrees, this will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Quickly remove from heat and add the salt, soda, and vanilla. Stir, working fast, spread the candy into buttered cookie sheets to cool. In approx. 1 hour when cool...just turn over and hit on the backside with the butt end of a butter knife to break into desired sizes...this is Yumm-O!

Cooks notes: I always use my thick bottomed stainless steel pans for this. I also have everything measured before I take the mixture off the stove and usually have help for this part as you'll find out it can get pretty tricky!