<p>^^^
wow, bw, love potato pancakes. They were big in my family. But they were made with raw grated potatoes, using a hand grater, and that seemed like so much work to me. Last time I tried this, the potatoes were brown by the time I was finished! How do you make them?</p>
<p>I have a small Cuisanart grater. Peel bag of potatoes, onions, a little flour. salt, pepper. Fill omelet pans halfway (1"-1 1/2"). If I cook beforehand, then I put my 6 or 7" pancakes in oven to reheat. I invented the big pancakes, as cook with much less oil and only way to make a huge batch.</p>
<p>My son was surprised to find these pancakes in Switzerland.</p>
<p>bookworm - Rosti is a Swiss national dish. I used to love Rosti when I went skiing in Zermat many ( 30+ - Gosh I’m getting old) years ago. After reading this thread I need to try cooking them. Thanks for the reminder.</p>
<p>bookworm…do you mean a piece for your Food Processor or a hand grater?</p>
<p>Never heard of the artichokes appetizer in Wisconsin. Maybe in other parts of the Midwest, but not here. btw- #1 cranberry state- WI in recent years. I buy canned…</p>
<p>I stumbled upon a system that works for me a couple of years ago when I realized that my turkey was not going to fit into either one of my double ovens. I brought it over to my mom’s the day before and she showed up on Thanksgiving with a beautifully roasted and carved turkey. That freed up my two ovens to make the stuffing, potatoes, veggies, etc. Now I’m more relaxed because I have full use of my ovens and I’m not sweating when the turkey will get done. This year, I’m swapping out the customary mashed potato dish with a southern mac 'n cheese recipe. We’ll still have sweet potato casserole and stuffing.</p>
<p>My kids have fond memories of the Thanksgiving we spent camping at Big Sur – I made the whole dinner ahead of time and brought it in pans which we heated up over the fire. It was fun!</p>
<p>So last year, on my son’s insistence, we went from picking him and his gf up at the train station the night before T-Day right to Walmart to buy a weber grill and the whole nine yards (we are just that crazy). The kids had fun doing all the cooking and the one son who is a mashed-potato fanatic did those “his way” (you don’t want to know how much butter and salt!). I had made the pies ahead of time, so we just ate when we felt like it.</p>
<p>We’ll probably do that again this year.</p>
<p>i made a really good cran sauce one year (recipe from Epicurious I think). But most of my family loves the canned stuff (in particular the jelly stuff sliced). So I put that out too. Never again will I waste my time. No jelly stuff left…lots of homemade leftovers.</p>
<p>toneranger, I hear you.</p>
<p>Bumping this up, to thank mom2m, and workinprogress for your recipes. I made the gravy, and cranberry relish. It turned out very well and is now in my freezer.</p>
<p>Glad the reciepe worked for you…have a terrific Thanksgiving!</p>
<p>Mom2M, wishing you and all other CC posters a Happy Thanksgiving too!</p>
<p>Northeastmom - hope your family likes the cranberry relish as much as our family does. As I said in an earlier post, at first they were skeptical. All of my nieces and nephews had only ever had the jellied sauce, so they each took a teaspoon (So did the adults). We had a lot left over that year. Now, they love it and I make two batches. My one nephew always asks a couple of weeks before if I am still bring the cranberry relish for thanksgiving. My SIL jokes that she makes all this food and all her kids care about is whether I am bringing the cranberries.</p>
<p>workn, I usually have a cranberry relish and I still put out the canned relish too. I have stewed the cranberries with other fruits, but I usually make the recipe that has been on the Ocean Spray bag for years (oranges, cranberries, and lots of sugar). Your recipe I felt cut down on the work and mess. My mother and I love the taste of cloves and cinammon, not to mention nuts. I know that my mother will LOVE your recipe. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. BTW, I am going to keep your recipe for future Thanksgivings.</p>
<p>OK…even though I tried a homemade cranberry relish before and I had lots of leftovers…I’m going to try it again. WIP…that recipe looks terrific…at least I know I will like it.
The make ahead gravy looks good too…will get that done this weekend.
Hey…a question. If I’m making this stuff on Sat/Sun, it can be put in the fridge vs the freezer right?
WIP…any possibility that we can get you to post that soup recipe? Not for thanksgiving…but maybe for my Christmas buffet. I don’t mind freezing soup!</p>
<p>While we’re at it…does anybody out there roast their turkey upside down? I tried it last year but it didn’t look pretty and I didn’t detect a big change in how it came out (stilll kinda dry for the white meat…thank god for gravy). I know that I will NOT use my convection oven setting this year…I’ve used it 2 years in a row and it overbrowns the turkey AND it has come out less moist than in prior years.</p>
<p>I don’t feel safe eating food that was prepared more than 3 days in advance. Perhaps, I am crazy, but if I’m in doubt I throw it out. I don’t see a problem with freezing and just sticking it in the fridge the Wed. night.</p>
<p>The way I cook my turkey is breast side up. I put olive oil on the skin and then I put my herbs on top of that. I put water on the bottom of the roasting pan (as much as possible without have the bird look partially submerged). I guess that might be 1.5-2 cups of water. I tent the entire pan and bird with foil. I have found that if I do this, I do not need to baste, but I usually baste once and recover. I take the foil off 30 minutes prior to taking the bird out of the oven so that the skin browns. I have always found the turkey to be moist. Oh, I check to see if I need to add more water about half way through the cooking process. I usually end up needing to add about 3/4 cup and retenting. For me this really no fuss, easy way to cook turkey.</p>
<p>NYT article about 100 things you can cook ahead for turkey day.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/dining/18mini.html?_r=1&8dpc[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/dining/18mini.html?_r=1&8dpc</a></p>
<p>^That link is great Northstar! Expecially like the sweet potatoes wrapped in prosciutto (great yummy idea!)</p>
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<p>That’s my motto - when in doubt, throw it out. I had one bout of food poisoning in my life after a seafood dinner at a restaurant and I thought I was going to die. No, I actually thought dying sounded like a good plan. </p>
<p>Here’s my Butternut Squash Soup recipe
2 bunches of leeks, white and very light part only, sliced.
1 celery rib, chopped
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 butternut squash, peeled and chunked
2 32 oz. cartons of low sodium vegetable broth ( I use Pacific brand)
1 Tablespoon of thyme
1/2 T. of sage</p>
<p>Non-fat sour creme
Chives or </p>
<p>Bread Cubes made from cinnamon bread. </p>
<p>(or at another time of year, substitute coriander and cumin for spices or garam masala, add juice of lime and then serve with sour cream and chives or cilantro.) </p>
<p>Saute leeks and celery until softened. Place in crock pot with all other ingredients except sour cream and chives. Cook on low about 6 hours. Using a handheld blender blend until smooth. If really ambitious, use a sieve after blending. </p>
<p>Garnish and serve</p>
<p>I really LIKE dry turkey. It soaks up gravy so well!</p>
<p>But if you want moist turkey, brining works very well. One year I bought just a turkey breast, brined it, and it was moist… but not as much fun.</p>