Written by Cathy Brown
Photography by Lori Guscio
hanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for a number of reasons. One, I love to cook. I love to see the satisfied looks on the faces of everyone around my dinner table. Another reason is the wonderful feelings Thanksgiving resurrects when I walk in from the outside and smell that fabulous aroma.
We were always surrounded by our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was just a way of life in my family for Thanksgiving dinner to be at grandma’s house and everyone would be there. My mom and her sisters would be there from early morning baking, cooking, laughing, talking. The dads would be watching football while the gang of cousins would hang out in the backyard playing.
As we came in from the outside to eat, we were hit in the face with that familiar aroma of the turkey roasting, cinnamon wafting through the air from the fresh pumpkin pie baking in the oven, the nutty smell of roasted pecans. All the smells combined for what I call that “Thanksgiving State of Mind”. It was heavenly! And it still is.
I have altered some recipes over the years and have started new traditions with my four children. I don’t always have the good fortune of having ALL mine home for Thanksgiving, but when they come through my door, guess what they say? “Oooh, it smells like Thanksgiving in here.” SUCCESS!! I have passed down to MY children that wonderful comforting “Thanksgiving State of Mind.”
I hope you enjoy these recipes of my Thanksgivings, past and present. They are the ones that my grandma and mom have passed down through the years and the ones we absolutely can not do without. Oh, and by the way, Thanksgiving is NOT the time for diets. Forget the low fat, low carb for JUST ONE DAY! Enjoy!
CORN FRITTERS
My family’s absolute favorite. Serve warm with hot maple syrup. Can be eaten with dinner or before as an appetizer.
1 c flour
1 t. baking powder
1⁄2 t salt
2 T sugar
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1 T oil
1-12 oz. can niblet corn, well drained.
Mix flour with next 3 ingredients. Beat egg, add milk and oil. Add flour mixture and beat until just smooth. Fold in corn. Drop by spoonfuls in hot oil (360 degrees) Fritters will float. Flip over when bottom side is golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (Makes approx. 12 fritters)
SAUSAGE STUFFING - I make this stuffing on the side. I don’t stuff my bird with it.
1-1/4 lb. White bread, cubed and placed in 300 degree oven for 10 minutes to dry
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
2 c chopped onion
2 c chopped celery
3 eggs, beaten
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 t salt
2 t poultry seasoning
2 c turkey drippings or chicken broth
Saute the pork sausage until cooked, add the onion and celery and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Mix together all ingredients and place in a buttered casserole dish. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
CROWN JEWEL MOLD
This was mine and is now my kids favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. It’s an ancient jello gelatin dessert. I have altered it so that it works everytime, never falls when I unmold it. It started out to be a dessert, but we could never wait to eat it so it became part of our dinner. We can’t eat turkey without it. THIS MUST BE MADE THE DAY BEFORE SO THAT IT CAN SIT IN FRIDGE ALL NIGHT.
STEP 1
1-3 oz package each of orange,
raspberry, lime, black cherry jello
Prepare these flavors separately,
using 1 c boiling water and 1⁄2 c cold water for each package. Pour each flavor into an 8” square pan and chill till firm.
STEP 2
Don’t begin this step until the jello is firm and ready to go.
1 c pineapple juice
1⁄4 c sugar
1 3 oz. package lemon jello
Mix pineapple juice and sugar in small pot. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and dissolve lemon hello into the hot juice, then add 1⁄2 cup cold water. Chill over bowl of ice until slightly thickened.
STEP 3
While lemon jello/pineapple juice mixture is thickening over the ice, do the following:
Mix 1-1/2 c graham cracker crumbs with 1/3 cup softened butter. Mix to resemble corn meal. Press into bottom of 9-10” springform pan.
Whip up 2 cups heavy whipping cream. Set aside.
STEP 4
Cut the firm jello in the 8” square pans into 1⁄2 “ cubes.
Blend the whipped cream with the now slightly thickened lemon jello mixture. Fold in the jello cubes. Pour into the springform pan. Sprinkle some extra graham crumbs on top. Chill overnight. To unmold, run a wet knife or spatula along the inside of the pan and remove side. Cut into wedges, like a cake. IF it did not hold as it should, just put it in a bowl and scoop it out. They’ll love it anyway.
CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE - Just a slight deviation of the traditional with a little chocolate added.
1-9” deep dish pie crust
3 oz. Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate
3 T butter
1 c light corn syrup
3⁄4 c sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 c pecans, chopped coarsely
Additional pecan halves to decorate top
Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl either in the microwave, double boiler, or in the oven as it’s preheating. Heat the sugar and corn syrup in a small pot, bringing it to a simmer and stirring constantly over the heat for about 2 minutes. (Use a wooden spoon so you don’t burn your hands) Beat the eggs and add the melted chocolate/butter mixture. Mix well and add the corn syrup mixture. Add the vanilla and chopped pecans. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Decorate the top of the mixture with the pecan halves any way you want and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. It could be as much as an hour depending on your oven. The filling needs to be set. 
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