I didn’t really plan ahead on this one. I should have taken some pictures of the final product last year–with my good camera–I promise to take some this year! BUT…I have some iphone snaps! I’ll post them below. We’ll also flash back a couple of years. I’m really bothered by the images I am going to share–& hopefully I can help you see what’s “technically” wrong so you don’t make the same mistakes I did back when I was just learning the basics!
[taken in 2008 with a Canon Rebel xti + 28mm f/1.8; it’s bugging me that the runner is not centered in the bottom of the frame & the curtains were not centered behind the chair. It would have only taken a couple steps to the right!)
Most of my Thanksgiving Dinner is courtesy of the internet which makes it super easy to share–so I thought I would! I am always looking for tried & true recipes for turkey day…and these are mine! I often cook on the fly & I know that I made my own tweaks to just about everything. What I can remember, I will note below the link, but what I can’t…I’m sorry! There’s always next year. ;)
I’m also going to be posting over on The Creative Mama this week–ON Thanksgiving Day. I’ll be sharing my 2011 table & giving you some inspiration for setting yours on the fly. If you need a little help (& a hint) just go to the store & grab a yard or two of burlap & some gourds. ;) I’ll show you what to do with the goods!
Now–the recipes. Hope you enjoy!
The Perfect Turkey
[brining at least 24 hours & roasting it upside down are the big secret weapons–& I add more carrots because we love them.]
The Best Mashed Potatoes
[I did add some whole milk & mashed by hand. I also roasted the garlic in foil with the turkey for an hour or so before using]
Martha’s Pan Gravy made with Giblet Stock
[I may have added a little kitchen bouquet to brown it up]
Grandma’s Stuffing
[a family recipe–sorry! It’s very close to this Cornbread Stuffing, ours is just 1/2lb sausage + 1/2lb ground beef, no poultry seasoning & we fold a beaten egg into the mix before we bake it]
Sweet Potato Casserole
[I roasted the sweet potatoes in the oven with the turkey (bringing out their carmel-ly sugars), which allowed me to use 1/4 the amount of sugar recommended]
Green Beans
[I like my green stuff pretty naked–so I mix w/ olive oil, pepper & garlic salt, then roast at 450° for about 20 min]
Creamed Corn
[I added a little milk to thin them out]
& the 2011 experiment: Jellied Cranberry Sauce
[go ahead and gag now, but I was raised on the jellied cranberry sauce out of the can & I just can’t have thanksgiving without it! I am hell bent on a 100% homemade holiday meal, so this year, I’m taking a stab at it myself. :)]
Pumpkin Cheesecake
[served with fresh whipped cream, this gets RAVE reviews wherever I take it…but my hubs won’t eat it, he’s a chocolate guy, so he requests the following…]
Chocolate Mousse
[a holiday staple in this house! I’m not much of a chocolate gal, but even I’ll eat a few bites when I make it.]
[& this was taken in 2008 on a canon rebel xti + 28mm f/1.4. I shot jpeg back then & the white balance was all jacked up. I still don’t like it after adjustments made here. I love shooting RAW! I also LOVE my full frame 5DMKII–I feel like this is cropped too tight.]
& a little extra sassy little recipe–Whipped Dill Butter
[if you are one to serve rolls, this makes a nice little addition to the mix. My garden was overflowing with Dill back when I made this & I got all crazy & made some delicious whipped butter to go on the rolls. It was tasty with turkey leftovers!]
[& this was taken in 2008 on a canon rebel xti + 28mm f/1.4. I still love the dishes & DOF but rookie mistake: cut off part of the ramekin on the bottom. No bueno. It would look so much better if the whole thing was in the frame!]
& this was last year’s turkey day as seen on my iphone…if you take just ONE thing away from this series of images please let it be the:
You will thank me later. It made my day in the kitchen a breeze, thanks to eight labeled timers that ran at the same time!
Hope you are off to some good grocery shopping this week! & don’t forget the burlap…you can do all sorts of beautiful things with it in ten minutes or less! Just tune into The Creative Mama on Thursday morning & I’ll give you some ideas!
