Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was very peaceful and quiet at my house this year. No fighting or complaining...well almost David started fighting about the Xbox, sometimes I wonder how old he is and then I hear my husband arguing with the boys on the Xbox. I think it is going to go out in the trash if they cannot behave and act right while playing it. So do men ever grow up is the question of the week. lol

So I made homemade crescent rolls, Soaked my Turkey in a brine over night, if you have never made a turkey this way you will have to try it. I made other things I do not have on here but since I am so tired I will only add some of the stuff. I also made three pies, they are all gone so they must have been good. You really need to try this recipe for your turkey. Make sure you store it in the fridge while it is soaking in the brine, cannot remember if I typed that with the instructions or not. Enjoy

Crandberry Salad

1 8oz cool whip

1 bag cranberries

1 can crushed pineapples, drained

1 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 bag marshmallows

Chop cranberries in blender. Place in a large bowl; cover with sugar. Let stand one hour. Add pineapple, nuts and marshmallows to berries, add cool whip mix well. Chill one hour before serving.
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Brine for Turkey:

1 cup salt

1 cup brown sugar

2 oranges, quartered

2 lemons, quartered

6 sprigs thyme

4 sprigs rosemary
To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

Turkey
1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths

1 large orange, cut into 8ths 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs thyme

1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting Turkey Broth:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth 3 cups water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.

Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups sweet potatoes or yams (I like yams)

1 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 T Vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping

1 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup flour

1 Cup chopped pecans

1/3 C butter

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, lightly beaten eggs,vanilla and butter; mix well. Pour into a butter 1 1/2 qt casserole. Combine all topping ingredients and mix with a fork. Sprinkle crumbs on top of sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Artichoke, Sausage, and Parmesan Cheese Stuffing

15 cups 1-inch cubes crustless sourdough bread (from two 1-pound loaves)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds Italian sweet sausages, casings removed

2 cups chopped onions

3/4 cup chopped celery

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 8-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread between 2 baking sheets. Bake until cubes are dry but not hard, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until cooked through, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Sauté until celery is soft, about 10 minutes. Mix in artichokes, thyme, and mint; sauté 2 minutes longer. Transfer sausage mixture to large bowl. (Bread and sausage mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately. Store bread at room temperature. Refrigerate sausage mixture and reheat to lukewarm before continuing.)Add bread to sausage mixture; toss to blend well. Mix in cheese, then 1 cup broth. Season with salt and pepper.To bake stuffing in turkey:Loosely fill main cavity and neck cavity of turkey with stuffing. Add enough broth to remaining stuffing to moisten slightly (1/4 cup to 3/4 cup, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Generously butter baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish — alongside turkey or while turkey is resting — until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover stuffing in dish. Bake until top of stuffing is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.To bake stuffing in dish:Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add enough extra broth to stuffing to moisten (3/4 cup to 1 1/4 cups). Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer.