Well…I’ve been meaning to brag about the cooking I did on/around Thanksgiving but my crankiness and bitchiness has gotten in the way. So, let’s try it today!

Since I had family visiting in the days surrounding our Thanksgiving, I made several things in four days.

The Non-Thanksgiving Dishes I Made Over Four Days Around Thanksgiving

• White Chicken Chili (recipe on the back of the Northern Beans can)
• PDub’s Pinto Beans and Cornbread (I make sweet cornbread from the box though because I love it so much I can’t part with it.)
• Buffalo Chicken Dip (for the Iron Bowl)
• PDub’s Chicken Salad (a huge hit!)
• Mihow’s Pumpkin muffins (the non-healthy variety)
• Super-Moist Pumpkin Bread in a Bundt pan (I bought a Bundt pan!) that sat out in a cake dish all week for people to snack on. GREAT IDEA.
• NikkiZ whipped together this pumpkin dip which was yummy but it made SO MUCH we ended up throwing a lot of it away after several days.

All of this was done just to have foods for snacks, breakfasts, lunches and non-Thanksgiving dinner. I cooked three WHOLE chickens. I used my stockpot more over those four days than I had in the 5 years prior to me getting laid off. And I’m not exaggerating on that one. Now…for the Thanksgiving meal. PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE AWESOMENESS.

Thanksgiving Cooking I Did This Year

• I brined my Turkey! Just like Pioneer Woman told me to.
• I made Whoorl’s pumpkin brownies as a dessert. Wanted to do something other than pie for a change.
• Homemade and delicious mashed potatoes
• PDub’s truly amazing sweet potatoes
• Green Been Casserole (Your basic on the back of the French’s onions can)
• Broccoli/Cheese/Rice Casserole (Not at all healthy but one of my faves)
• My own personal dressing I do every year which is not at all exciting but everyone loves it. I just basically cook the dressing like the bags tell me, mix it with sliced black olives and cooked ground spicy sausage, put it in a casserole dish, pour some chicken broth over it to keep it moist, and “bake” it for 30 minutes on 350.
• I roasted my turkey in my roaster (keeps my oven free).
• Velveeta Shells and Cheese! My kids’ favorite so a necessity at dinner.

I did all of that: MYSELF. I just bought my potato masher a few weeks ago and between Thanksgiving and the homemade applesauce I made two days ago – I’ve totally justified the purchase. I cheated with three things on Thanksgiving. I did the cranberry gel in the can and the gravy out of the jar. I did these two things because I LOVE THEM. I am not a fan of homemade turkey gravy and Hormel makes some jar stuff that I fell in love with several years ago. It makes my life easier and it’s yummy! And the cranberries? I love them – only out of the can. And the third thing? I bought rolls ready to serve in a bag. Because I only have ONE oven and I was going to be cooking/warming SIX casserole dishes in it pre-dinner. I had no room for rolls and the ones I bought? SO GOOD.

I forgot to take pictures of the full spread of food – I think I was so hungry I couldn’t think straight. But, I did take a few about 30 minutes before it was all done!

I cooked successfully for 11 people that night. Everything was almost warm on time. I did get a few bites of cold potatoes (I made those the night before) but no one else mentioned them. This means I cook for very forgiving people! MrZ about died over the sweet potatoes and everyone loved the Turkey. I tried to carved it myself but I doubt I’ll try that again. My brother had to hold the legs to keep it from flopping around (that would have been a good picture) and my slices were ugly. So, the presentation looked awful but it tasted SO AMAZING. I will always brine for ever and ever, Amen! All in all it was my best Thankgsiving meal and I made no glaring Newbie in the Kitchen mistakes (that I can think of) so I say: Mission Accomplished!