Happy Thanksgiving!

Roxanne Rustand here, wishing you all safe travels, and that you will be able to arrive at your destination in good time. Listening to the weather reports has me praying for all of you out East who are facing such difficult weather.

Here in the Midwest, the sun is shining and the weather is cold, but we just have a dusting of snow. I’ve been cleaning like mad, getting the guest rooms ready, shopping, and planning our menu.

I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner! And our daughter does too, so we will be embarking on our marathon in the kitchen tonight with some of the salads, then getting up early tomorrow. What is your favorite way to prepare a turkey?

Have you ever done one in a deep fryer? P1010879 We’re doing the usual brined, herb roasted turkey and honey/maple baked ham in the oven, but my brother is bringing his new turkey fryer and we’re also giving that a go with a smaller bird.

Either we’ll have lots and lots of good leftovers, or a conflagration out in the driveway with the excitement of fire trucks. :)

I’m using some fall photos here from the Quebec-Nova Scotia-Eastern seaboard cruise we took. Quebec City is just incredible in October–I’ve never been in s city that decorated so much for the season, and it was just beautiful! I would take that cruise again in a heartbeat.

What are some of your favorite recipes for Thanksgiving? Anyone want to share? :) Here are several of ours. Actually, I make Becky’s Salad whenever I have a big enough crowd. It is wonderful, but it doesn’t keep well for the next day.

BECKY’S SALAD

1 head lettuce

1 head cauliflower–sliced thin (NOT chopped)

1 onion, diced fine

1 1/4 pounds bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

1 1/4 cups thinly sliced carrots

Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese from a shaker can (not fresh parmesan)

2 cups regular Hellmann’s mayonnaise

1 box of seasoned croutons–Add last.

Layer salad ingredients into a big plastic container with a tight lid–in the order listed above. You can do this the night before.

Just before serving, fold in the dressing, then gently fold in the croutons. Notes: A food processor, such as a Cuisinart, is super for slicing that cauliflower really thin. I’ve tried other brands of mayo, and I’ve tried the lower cal/lower fat Hellmann’s versions. And believe me, the regular, original Hellmann’s is the best one to use for this salad!

CRANBERRY FLUFF

2 cups cranberries

½ cup sugar

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 c diced pineapple

1 cup whipped topping

Using food processor, grind berries, add sugar, let stand a while. Add marshmallows. Drain PA and stir it in. Fold in whipped topping. Thoroughly chill.

Wishing you all the best! BTW–I will have my first Indie published books out this month–Comeback Cowboy and Summer at Briar Lake.