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Turkey
Dressing
Cranberries
Sweet Potatoes
Ambrosia
Celery
Relish Plate
Chocolate Pie
Coffee/Tea |
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Turkey with the
Lollypop Tail |
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Thanksgiving Challenges
Thanksgiving dinner for those dealing with a small apartment or condo
kitchen can be a challenge. Such kitchens do not provide storage space for
luxury items such as electric roasters, and large plans for preparing
stuffing. With a little ingenuity you can make do with items that
are readily available.
Whether in a full service kitchen or a scaled down one, it helps to
prepare some ideas ahead. On the day before cook the cranberry sauce and
store in quart jar/jars in refrigerator. Peel the oranges for the
ambrosia, store in quart jar/jars and wash celery and crisp in cold water
in refrigerator. If you have not guessed by now, I like jars for
refrigerator storage so I place celery in a jar, and fill with water and
refrigerate. Next prepare the pie crusts for the pies. Rolled crusts
can be stored in a large zip lock bag. Bake cornbread for dressing. Bake
sweet potatoes for casserole.
In my family the young ones think they must have chocolate pie. I
premix the dry ingredients and store for use the next day. I also premix
dry ingredients for cornbread if I am cooking the cornbread Thanksgiving
day.
For an apartment dinner, poach a Turkey breast. You will need the stock
for your crock pot dressing and gravy so poach in 2-3 quarts water. I like
stock left over to use for left overs. You may add pork for richer stock. This
is especially important if cooking a skinless breast..
Thanksgiving day chop onions, place onions in large Visions or Pyrex
container, and microwave in enough stock to just cover the onions.
Starting with tender onions shortens the cooking time for the dressing.
Crumble cornbread into crock pot, add, onions, pepper, and stock. Bake.
Use only enough stock so dressing is the right consistency when you start.
Moisture will not cook out in crock pot like it does in conventional oven.
See "get crockin" for crock pot dressing
recipe.
About an hour before dinner, bake pie crust. Finish sweet potato casserole
and bake. Microwave pie filling and place in crust. Reheat turkey,
complete ambrosia, and arrange relish tray.
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Shopping list |
Turkey breast
Cornmeal, buttermilk
Onions
Cranberries
Oranges
Pineapple
Bananas
Whipping Cream
Celery
Olives
Green Onions
Pickled Okra
Sweet Gherkins
Sweet Potatoes |
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