What?  No, Stove Top?  No more store bought stuffing after you try this yummy recipe!  My whole life I thought stuffing came in a box.  Imagine my surprise on my first Thanksgiving with my in-laws, when I tasted “homemade” stuffing.  Totally different experience!  For years, my husband begged me to learn his family recipe, but I was always too intimidated.  I finally overcame my fear and learned how to make this super easy recipe.  What was I scared of?  It’s super moist and tastes the best when cooking inside the turkey.  I hope your family loves it too!  

1 bag seasoned stuffing crumbs

3-4 celery – roughly diced

1 onion – roughly diced

sage

1 can chicken broth

1 egg – beaten

1/4 cube shortening – melted

In a large bowl mix the stuffing crumbs, celery and onion.  Sprinkle with sage.  Pour shortening over crumbs and mix well.  Combine egg with chicken broth.  Pour over crumbs and mix well. May add more broth if it seems too dry.  Stuff crumbs inside the turkey or place stuffing in baking dish.  Bake with turkey until turkey is cooked or bake in pan for  30 minutes at 350 degrees.

I LOVE homemade mashed potatoes. I HATE the long process of making them. I don’t know what it is about them, but if I had to choose between fixing them and fixing pre-packaged stuff, I would choose the pre-packaged for ease of time. Yet, the taste of homemade mashed potatoes cannot compare to anything at all. This year I will be making mine the day before, so my Thanksgiving Dinner isn’t filled with me in the kitchen all day long. This recipe can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready for them. I am sure it’s all a mental thing, but sometimes we need those mental times to help us along life’s road.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 8oz. package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. garlic salt
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients. Mix well and place in a large, greased casserole dish. If making ahead, refrigerate. Otherwise, cover and bake at 325 for 45 minutes. (If refrigerated first, let stand 30 minutes at room temperature and then bake as directed.) Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Your family will “gobble up” this amazing recipe for your holiday dinner.  The turkey ends up with a wonderful flavor and is so moist.  The turkey won’t be the only one “stuffed” on Thanksgiving Day!

1 whole turkey (any weight)

2-3 cloves garlic  pressed/minced

2 whole bay leaves

3 cloves garlic – crushed lightly

1/4 lb. butter

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. marjoram

1 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 tsp.  thyme

1 tsp. oregano leaves

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. sage

Rinse the cavity of the thawed turkey in cold water.  Dry inside and out with paper towels.   Rub the pressed garlic over the outside of the bird.  Place the bay leaves and crushed garlic in the cavity (you may also salt the cavity as well.)  In a small saucepan, heat all of the remaining ingredients until the butter has melted.  Place turkey in an oven bag and put into a roasting pan.  Brush or daub the sauce over the entire bird.  Cook turkey according to directions on the oven bag.  Enjoy!

Are you looking for a new recipe that you will truly be grateful for? I found this recipe many years ago and it’s become a family tradition that I bring my yams on Thanksgiving Day. My family always raves about them, even those who are not big fans of the yam. I promise you that you will give thanks at your Thanksgiving feast (not only for this great recipe, but for all your many blessings as well)!

3 c. cooked, mashed yams

1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. butter – melted

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

1 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. butter – melted

1/3 c. flour

1 c. nuts – chopped (I use pecans)

In boiling water, cook yams in skins. When soft, peel and mash with electric mixer. Add sugar, milk, butter, eggs and vanilla. Spray a 9×13 baking pan. Pour yams into pan. Using mixer, blend brown sugar, butter, flour and nuts until crumbly. Sprinkle over yam mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Are you looking for a new recipe that you will truly be grateful for?  I found this recipe many years ago and it’s become a family tradition that I bring my yams on Thanksgiving Day.  My family always raves about them, even those who are not big fans of the yam.  I promise you that you will give thanks at your Thanksgiving feast (not only for this great recipe, but for all your many blessings as well)!

3 c. cooked, mashed yams

1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. butter – melted

2 eggs 

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

1 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. butter – melted

1/3 c. flour

1 c. nuts – chopped (I use pecans)

In boiling water, cook yams in skins.  When soft, peel and mash with electric mixer.  Add sugar, milk, butter, eggs and vanilla.  Spray a 9×13 baking pan.  Pour yams into pan.  Using mixer, blend brown sugar, butter, flour and nuts until crumbly.  Sprinkle over yam mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.  Enjoy!

Since today is an organizing tip.  I wanted to share one of my favorites with you.  I LOVE our Holiday Organizer.  Not only does it come with fantastic pages to help you organize your holidays better, there is a place for everything you have related to your holidays.  Not including your decorations of course.  But there is a place to help you organize your decorations as well in our Holiday Organizer.  I am talking about all those Bingo games, Tom the Turkeys, Halloween Scavenger Hunts, Valentine’s Love Notes, St. Patrick’s day Neighborhood Lucky Leprechaun game, and the list goes on with our products.  Then if you have additional stuff besides that, you have a lot to keep track of.  I found a way to utilize our Holiday Organizer even better by keeping everything together.  Doesn’t that sound familiar?  After dividing my organizer into two binders, January through June and July through December, I have taken ordinary photo holders, page protectors and page pockets and turned them into my storage of holiday ideas and games.  I then placed each of my holiday games and ideas in front of the cooresponding month folder for that particular holiday.  It’s the perfect way to keep everything organized and keep it handy in one place.  I love being able to go to that month and see all my fun games and ideas without having to search endlessly for where I put them last.  Even they can get lost or even forgotten in a tote full of decorations.  To give you a better idea, I took some pictures of how I put mine together.  However, make it work for you and your personality.  Feel free to comment about what has worked for you or you are always welcome to ask questions in the comment section and we will answer them for you.