Thanksgiving Favorites

I am very excited for the Thanksgiving so I thought I would share some recipes that we have enjoyed over the past holidays. All the recipes come from the Junior League of Sioux City cookbook "Cornsilk" published way back in 1985.

Green Bean Casserole



Here's what you need:
2 16 oz. cans French cut green beans, drained
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
12 oz. sour cream
1 Tbsp. onion flakes
1 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crushed corn flakes

Directions:
Put beans in buttered 9x13 baking dish. Cover with cheese. In saucepan, mix remaining ingredients except corn flakes and butter and cook over low heat until thick. Pour over cheese layer. Top with corn flakes. Dot with butter. Bake at 350degrees for 25-30 minutes.


Oven Mashed Potatoes



Here's what you need:
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
1 cup half and half
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp. minced dry onions
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt
Paprika

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Cook potatoes until tender but firm, about 15 minutes; drain. In large bowl, mash potatoes with half of the melted butter and the half and half. With hand mixer, beat in softened cream cheese and seasonings. Beat until very fluffy. Pile in large casserole dish. Add rest of butter on top and a dash of paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Potatoes should be slightly browned on top when done. These can be made the night before and reheated the next day.

Sweet Potato Rum Nut Casserole



Here's what you need:
3 18-ounce cans sweet potatoes
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
6 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 cup rum


Directions:
Mash sweet potatoes. Add salt, pepper, 1 cup brown sugar and pecans. Spread in 9x13 pan, making 3 or 4 indentations down length of casserole. Melt butter and stir in flour and remaining brown sugar. Add evaporated milk and cook until quite thick. Thin with rum and pour over casserole. Garnish with whole pecans. Bake for 1/2 hour or until hot at 300 degrees.


Pumpkin Chiffon Pie



Here's what you need:
1 8-inch pie shell, baked or graham cracker crust
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1/4 tsp. salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cream of tartar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar


Directions:
In a saucepan stir together brown sugar, gelatin, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend pumpkin, egg yolks, and milk; stir into brown sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture boils. Place pan in a bowl of ice and water or chill in refrigerator stirring occasionally, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from spoon. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Fold pumpkin mixture into meringue. Pile into baked pie shell. Chill at least 3 hours or until set.


For more of our favorite Thanksgiving  recipes visit my Crockpot Cornbread Stuffing or Thanksgiving Appetizers posts.   You can also sneak a peak at my Christmas menu by clicking HERE. 


For more Thanksgiving recipes and traditions, please visit It's So Very Cheri who is hosting a Thanksgiving Traditions Event.

Cornbread Stuffing
The recipe for crockpot cornbread stuffing is from Southern Living. This is a great recipe to use on Thanksgiving. It's tasty and easy. I put it in the crockpot about 4 hours before dinner and literally forget about it.




You will need:
4 1/2 cups cornbread crumbs
1 (16-ounce) package herb stuffing mix
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut up


Preparation:
Stir together cornbread crumbs, stuffing mix, and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl.


Pour cornbread mixture into a lightly greased 5 1/2- or 6-quart slow cooker. Dot with butter. Cook, covered, on LOW 4 hours or until cooked through and set. Dish up and enjoy with your Thanksgiving dinner!


For more holiday recipes, visit my Thanksgiving Favorites post.

Go Higlanders!

Last Thursday, The Woodlands won their final game going undefeated for the season. USA Today ranks them 5th in Texas and 23rd in the nation. Way to go boys! As for the Highsteppers, they gave an amazing halftime performance (following a great band production). They did a prop dance using a band. What makes it more special to us is the fact that our daughter choreographed this dance! You can watch it below. She is in the front, fourth from the right. You'll need to pause my music on my sidebar first so you can hear the band playing while the girls perform. Enjoy!

Our California Trip ~ Day 1 Oct. 16th Coronado Beach/San Diego Harbor

For my 40th birthday my husband took me back to my where I am originally from, California.  We arrived in San Diego on October 16th on a beautiful California day and ventured to Hotel del Coronado to peek at the stunning resort, beach and surrounding area.

A look at the resort from the dunes on the beach.

These are villas you can rent at the hotel...all I can say is wow!

Here is a peek at the homes on the street leading to the hotel.

The beach is just wonderful as you can see!

We then headed to the harbor in San Diego.

We spotted a seal having some fun in the harbor amoung the ships.

To see more pictures of our trip then just click on any one of the following links: Newport/Catalina, Hollywood/Santa Monica, Venus Beach/Disney, Pacific Coast Highway.