Thanksgiving Recipes

I have also found that making sure all the ingredients are together before my children join me to bake to be a winning tip.

The turkey…we made a very successful turkey by following the Pioneer Woman’s turkey cooking photo tutorial. We also used her stuffing and gravy recipes.

Cranberry bread
This cranberry bread recipe came out of a children’s book that we adjusted for our taste.

2 cups of sifted cake flour
1 cup of sugar
1.5 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup of butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
3 cups of cranberries

Sift the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add all the other ingredients, except the cranberries. When the dough is mixed add the cranberries.

Bake in a bread tin at 180 deg Celsius (350 F) for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.

Corn bread
This corn bread is not only a thanksgiving recipe, but an all year favourite especially with home made baked beans!

2 c ground corn meal
2 c flour
2 t bicarb
2 t cream of tartar
2 t salt
2 c buttermilk/yoghurt/sour milk
2 c milk
4 t lemon juice
3-4 c grated mature cheese, herbs and spices of your choice, such as oregano and cumin, chilli, etc
1/3-1/2 c melted butter/oil

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then quickly mix together and place into 200’C hot oven. Bake until golden brown. Cut and enjoy while warm.

Sweet potatoes
Yummy yummy sweet potatoes, simply baked with a twist on top!

Scrub about 10 sweet potatoes and place them on a baking sheet. Bake your sweet potatoes in the oven until they are soft. Let them cool for a bit until you can handle them.

Cut them in half and scrape out the flesh into a bowl. Mash with butter, salt and pepper. Sprinkle a bag of mini marshmallows over the top of the sweet potatoes and then return to your hot oven until the marshmallows melt.

I originally got this combination from another American friend when she kindly shared some of her traditional Thanksgiving recipes with me. There is no meaning behind the marshmallows....it's just very yummy.

Corn on the cob or cream style sweetcorn
Last December our vegetable garden yielded so much corn that we were eating it daily. This is one vegetable that you can never get enough of! Whether you want to eat it on the cob (my preference) or make your own creamstyle corn, just make sure some type of corn is on your thanksgiving table.

Sesame green beans
In a non stick pan add your beans that have been topped and tailed. Drizzle with olive oil and stir fry until just cooked but still crunchy. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds, black pepper and some lemon juice.

Pumpkin pie
This is a simple pumpkin pie recipe for you and your children to make together. Better yet, make sure you find a farm this Fall and go and pick your own pumpkin...You can even plan to grow your own for next year if you don’t have a vegetable garden yet.

3.5 cups of cooked mashed pumpkin
1 cup of cream
1 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of caramel essence

Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients together. Add the dry to the wet and stir until just blended. Pour this batter into a well greased pie dish. Bake at 180 deg Celsius for 40 – 60 minutes until set.

Allow to cool and serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream as a pudding.

Take a look at my Thanksgiving crafts
Thankful cards
Thankful tree
Thanksgiving placemats
Thanksgiving decorations