15
Nov
Author: creatingyourspace / Category:
Thanksgiving
Are you having a big family gathering for Thanksgiving? Well, now is the time to lay out your plans for the day.
One way to make your holiday feel more like family time is to bring family members into the cooking process. Instead of one or two people spending all their time in the kitchen, how about involving more family members in all steps of dinner preparation?
To start, consider asking some people to bring something. It may be that Aunt Marguerite makes the best cranberry sauce, or Cousin Rita has a wonderful hand with pie pastry. Don’t hog all the glory or take on all the work.
Even if someone is not a cook, they can help. For example, this husband is doing the heavy lifting on the turkey to make basting so much easier. Chores such as setting the table, polishing the silver, or ironing napkins can be handed out to various family members.
Be sure to make any children part of the preparation as well as the festivities.
Stirring dressing, reading a recipe or even chopping celery if the child is old enough makes them feel like an important part of the holiday plans. And at dinner, it gives them the opportunity to say, “I helped,” when compliments are given.
Be sure to give family members and friends who pitched in lots of credit and compliments on the big day – then they’re so much more likely to help again next year!
16
Nov
Author: creatingyourspace / Category:
Thanksgiving
Here at Fulton Homes, we are always focusing on family and spending time at home. Thanksgiving is just a little over a week away and we thought we’d share our favorite Thanksgiving recipe with you. Perhaps you can add this to your menu and enjoy with us on your mind!
What’s the second key ingredient to your turkey, besides the turkey? Stuffing! Every turkey needs a little bit of stuffing. Here is one of our favorite stuffing recipes:
Chestnut & Sausage Stuffing
1 (1 1/4-pound) loaf country-style bread, crust discarded and bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes (8 cups)
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 turkey liver (optional), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Cognac or other brandy
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
1 (14- to 15-oz) jar peeled cooked whole chestnuts, coarsely crumbled (3 cups)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart shallow baking dish.
Spread bread cubes in a large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and bake in lower third of oven until completely dry, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
While bread bakes, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until crisp, about 10 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
Pour off and discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from skillet, then sauté onions in fat over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add celery and sauté, stirring, 3 minutes, then transfer vegetables to bowl with bacon.
Cook sausage and liver (if using) in skillet, stirring and breaking up sausage with a fork, until meat is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to onion mixture.
Pour off any remaining fat from skillet. Add Cognac (off heat), then deglaze skillet by simmering over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute, and add to sausage mixture.
Increase oven temperature to 375°F.
Soak bread cubes in half-and-half in a bowl, tossing frequently, until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Gently squeeze excess liquid from bread, then stir bread into sausage mixture, discarding remaining half-and-half. Stir together stock and eggs and add to stuffing, then stir in chestnuts, herbs, salt, and pepper until combined well.
Transfer stuffing to baking dish and cover with foil, then bake in upper third of oven 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is crisp, about 20 minutes more.
Enjoy!!!
13
Nov
Author: creatingyourspace / Category:
Thanksgiving
Would you like to decorate your home for Thanksgiving without expending a lot of money or effort? Follow these suggestions to put your home in an autumn mood.
To begin, take a look around your home for fall-looking elements you may already have. A dark-toned basket such as the one in the photo, antique elements, pottery bowls or plates, candlesticks, and even a pile of old books can help provide good background elements for your display.
The grocery store is the source for your next display elements. Pumpkins are generally half-off or less after Halloween. Gourds or squash provide variety in shape and color. Even a pound of unshelled nuts say fall when placed in a bowl or scattered in small groups on the table.
For the final touches, take a walk. Fall leaves, acorns, pinecones and branches with berries wrap up your decorating supplies. When fixing your displays, start with the largest pieces, and end by tucking in smaller elements to balance shapes and colors into an inviting look.
Now your home says Thanksgiving, and taking the time to add this touch of beauty to your home can help put you in a holiday mood! We are posting our favorite Thanksgiving recipes next week, that will add to your mood too!
Are you having a big family gathering for Thanksgiving? Well, now is the time to lay out your plans for the day.
Stirring dressing, reading a recipe or even chopping celery if the child is old enough makes them feel like an important part of the holiday plans. And at dinner, it gives them the opportunity to say, “I helped,” when compliments are given.
