Dear Family & Friends,

For those of you coming to my house this year for Thanksgiving, I have
to warn you about a few items in advance. Brace yourselves!  Martha Stewart
will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I' m telling you in advance, so don't act surprised.
Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've had to make a few small changes.

 Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag
 luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly
done, rows of flaming  lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

 The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens,
 fancy china or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that
match and everyone will get a fork. Since this is *Thanksgiving*, we will
refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins
from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit
and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a
hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction
paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

 We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait.
I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding
Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey  hotline. Please remember that most of these
comments were made at 5:00 A.M.upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough
to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of
tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a
recording of  tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a
frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.!!

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the
start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've
also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke
alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you
like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a
separate table. In a separate room. Next door !!

 Now I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving
a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative on lookers. This
will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will
be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning:
Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh
at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my
progress. I have an electric knife..... The turkey is unarmed!! It stands to
reason that I will eventually win. When I do, WE WILL EAT !!

Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice
between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be
serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream an
small  fingerprints. You will still have a choice: take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving.
She probably won't come next year either.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Williams'
 
 


Family Favorite "Thanksgiving" Recipes


What would the holidays be without a big pot and I do mean a big pot of "Wassil" simmering on the stove? Of course, my brother will drink a gallon so here is my recipe for the way I make mine up.....

WASSIL

1 gallon apple cider
1 qt. orange juice
1 qt. pineapple juice
4 to 6 ozs. lemon juice (real lemon is ok)
1 1/2 cups sugar
Mix all together....
In a clean clothe or perferably cheese cloth add:
1 heaping tablespoon cloves
6 large stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
Tie this up with string where spices will not get into juices
and bring to a good simmer...... turn down on low
and let simmer for about an hour. I make this up
in the largest "Dutch Pot" I have and let
it simmer during the time everyone is there. We
dip it with a large ladle into cups. Wonderful. If I
have "real company" I use a karafe for keeping it heated.
Really warms you through and through and leaves a
marvelous smell in the house.

Make Ahead Creamed Potatoes

Unlike most creamed potatoes these have to be made ahead and
refrigerated. They can be made now and used for Christmas.

Ingredients:
6 large potatoes
1 3oz Cream Cheese
1 small Sour Cream
onion salt to taste
salt and pepper to taste
You can put shredded cheese on top, or sprinkle with parsle
Boil and mash the taters. add balance of ingreadients. Mix
and store. I use corningware and then bake it right in the
same dish. Bake just to heat through..... DO NOT HEAT IN MICRO-WAVE !

Frozen Cranberry-Banana Salad
5 large bananas
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits in Juice,
drained, and juice reserved
1/2 cup sugar
1 can (16 oz.) whole-berry carnberry sauce
1 pkg. (12 oz.) cool whip, thawed
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts, optional

Peel and cut bananas crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices;
combine with reserve pineapple juice. In large bowl stir
sugar into cranberry sauce. Drain banans; Stir into cranberry combined., Pour into a 12 cup freezer mold. Cover with plastic,br> wrap and freeze at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature
15 minutes before serving.


  Nana's Pecan Pie

Mix well......
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornmeal

2 eggs
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Cup dark Karo
1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup pecans, we perfer chopped

Beat eggs with the sugar/cornmeal mixture until light in color
add melted butter and stir well
Add 1 cup dark Karo and 1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour in your chopped pecans and stir. Pour into Crust
Bake at 350 degrees until center is "just" set. Over cooking
Is what makes a dry pecan pie.....
I have never given this recipe away to anyone.....
everyone has always wondered what was different about
my pies and it is the cornmeal...


Circus Peanut Salad

1 - large pkg orange jello
30 circus peanuts (candy) cut up
1 - #2 can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups hot water
2 cups drained juice, add cold water to make 2 cups
1 - 8 oz carton cool whip
Dissolve jell-O in hot water, also dissolve peanut
pieces in this. Drain pineapple.
Put juice in 2 measuring cup and add cold water
to make the 2 cups. Add to the hot mixture.
Allow to partially set; then add cool whip and drained pineapple.
Let stand until firm.


Sweet Potatoe Crunch

5 medium sweet potatoes Or
2 cans bought sweet potates
1 stick butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup pet milk
2 eggs, well beaten
2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix with potatoes
Pour into 9X 13 dish. Do not make over 1" deep.


TOPPING
Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup
margarine,
1 cup chopped pecans, and 1 cup coconut.
Mix topping together and pour over potatoes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
HMMMMM HMMMMM GOOD !
*HINT*
Milk can be substituted with orange juice rather than
zesting an orange if perferred.


Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin) Dump Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can sweet potatoes or pumpkin
1 stick butter
I can crushed pineapple, optional
1/2 to 1 cup coconut, optional
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Grease a 9x13 baking dish or pan. Mash sweet potatoes.
Stir in pecans and or pineapple. Spread in baking dish.
Sprinkle with coconut. Sprinkle cake mix over top
melt butter and pour over top of cake mix.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

I also make "dump pies". Instead of pie filling I use canned
fruit. I put a can of fruit in the baking dish along
with any "optional" I want. I sprinkle cake mix over that and pour
a stick of melted butter over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to
an hour.
You can use any combination:
Try canned Apricots with Lemon Cake Mix.
Use Canned Peaches with Spice Cake Mix
Or.... try

Nana's Quick Peach Cobbler
Ingredients:
3/4 stick oleo
1 cup water
3/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp. salt, (pinch)
1 cup sugar
1 large can sliced peaches
Direction:
Mix your flour, salt, sugar together
Melt your oleo in puddin' pan and add
one cup water into melted oleo.
Sprinkle flour/sugar mixture over oleo/water
mixture until all is used up.
Pour one Large can of sliced peaches over top of
flour mixture....... That's it, Folks!!

Bake at 425 degree for approximately 25 minutes. You
will know when the bubbles begin to thicken. Easy.
Unlike Martha Stewart my puddin' pan comes from the dollar
store and I will put my cooking up to her any ole day....

I will be adding more recipes used by my family on this page and will have a page of Christmas recipes we like.