And, we want to send a special thank you to all of our participants this year - for putting up with head colds, late replies and an extended deadline. We couldn't have done it (literally!) without you. You've welcomed us into your kitchens and homes and introduced us to your families and traditions - truly a sign of the amazing culinary community that that constantly inspires us and warms our hearts. We hope you enjoy!
Discover how our participants rocked Thanksgiving after the jump.
To explore the different ways that participants celebrate Thanksgiving, you can click on specific states on the map or select a state from the drop down menu.Alabama
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Alabama.
AlaskaLaura, "Hey, What's for Dinner Mom?"
Hello from Alaska! My name is Laura and I write "Hey, What's for Dinner Mom?" Our Thanksgiving week was off to wet and icy start with our first ever ice storm, it was really crazy out there. Luckily schools were closed and the pantry was full so we just hunkered down at home for the week. It was however good weather for brining a turkey in a cooler outside, no too hot not too cold. Our turkey was so big he had trouble fitting in the cooler, we grew him ourselves and he weighed in at a hefty 23 1/2 pounds fully dressed! Thanksgiving day brought us fresh snow and a houseful of family and friends. We were 17 strong by the time dinner rolled around, thankfully we had borrowed an extra dining room table to seat everyone. Dinner was great, the turkey was moist and tender and every dish was made with love and enjoyed by all. I tortured folks again this year by making them play the "what I'm thankful for game" in alphabetical order around the table. It continued to snow all day, it was a beautiful back drop to our party but the sun actually set around 4:15 pm signaling "pie time".
And oh how we enjoy "pie time", we had 12 different desserts to choose from-Chess Pie-Pumpkin PieX2-Apple Cranberry Pie-Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies-Orange Bars-Coconut Cream Pie-Chocolate Cream Pie-Caramel Apple Cranberry Pie-Banana Cream Pie-Pumpkin Roll-Blackberry Pie all topped with fresh whipped cream, served with fresh coffee or fresh from the cow milk. It really was a fantastic array to chose from, no one ate just one either, when the dust settled we only had 5 complete pies left! Remember though we have a teenage boy, they eat a LOT. Then it was game time, scrabble, chess and checkers were among the favorites but they ended too soon when folks had to start heading home. We ended the night reading to our two littlest boys about St. Nicholas and being thankful for our life carved out here in the frozen north. Peace.
ArizonaKriste, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Most people who live in Arizona are transplants from all over the USA. Some have retired to the warmer climate, some have come because of jobs and others have come for school. There are some who have descended from the original pioneers who braved the harsh climate and terrain, but most of us have our roots in other areas of the country.
Thanksgiving in our home has always meant one thing. Pies. Oh, we eat all of the other usual foods. There is a turkey and often a ham, too. There is a big bowl of mashed potatoes, mixed up with cream cheese, butter and milk. We have dressing and rolls and gravy and green bean casserole, too. But the things we all look forward to are the pies.
I always have a big container of dry pie crust mix in my refrigerator. I make it up in bulk so that I can make a pie easily any time of the year. At Thanksgiving, however, I will often use up the entire container of crust, making up to 10 pies...more if we have extra company besides family. The pies are baked the day before Thanksgiving so as to leave the oven free for other things on Thursday. One pumpkin pie is served for dessert on Wednesday night.
As for the kinds of pies I make, it is custom for me to make four or six pumpkin pies and two apple pies. I throw in some others according to the tastes of those attending the meal. Sometimes it will be a pecan, a key lime or a lemon meringue pie. Other times, I get requests for raspberry, banana or coconut cream pies. Other fruit pies like blue berry or razzleberry also appear some years. Growing up, my favorites were a chocolate chess pie or a lemon surprise pie that had thin slices of lemon in a sweet filling. Nowadays, I vacillate between apple and pumpkin.
Arkansas
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Arkansas.
CaliforniaEric and Tiffany, The Guerrilla Gourmet
A First Thanksgiving, of a sort
Thanksgiving was different this year. Usually my parents do almost everything – it's always delicious, but dinner runs later than planned, you can see how stressful it is for them, and the spirit of the holiday spirit can be hard to keep up. But this year they were traveling the day after the holiday. so they wanted something “simple”. Tiffany and I, on the other hand, had been waiting for an opportunity to kick it up a notch, and make the feast more flavorful and elegant than ever. On top of that, we were married this spring, so this was to be the first holiday that brought both of our sides of the family together.
So
we went for something radically different. My parents would do the turkey and stuffing, and the rest of the family would contribute the other dishes. Tiffany's parents made brussels sprouts succotash and beer cheddar soup. Grandma brought mashed potatoes, Oma and my Aunt Michelle brought pie, and Tiffany and I chipped in with citrus and candied ginger sweet potatoes, “no can” green bean casserole, baguettes, and a delightful composed salad of persimmons, bacon, walnuts, goat cheese and frisee. To streamline things, we served relaxed, spaced out courses. It was so much more relaxing and delicious than in years past, and we all actually had a chance to reflect on what we had to be thankful for. (I'm thankful Tiffany and I both have loving families that get along with each other!)
I'm also thankful that bloggers around the country were so happy to share their holidays with us!
ColoradoRebecca, From Argentina with Love
Facebook: Rebecca Caro of From Argentina With Love
Twitter: @RebeccaCaro
For the last week or so, like most Americans, I've been talking turkey. (gobble, gobble) It's because of Thanksgiving, of course! Whether you like to cook or just like to eat, food is at the center of the day. It's either a day one looks forward to (those who are eating) or dreads (those who are hosting).
Now that our son, Esteban, is three, one of my concerns is also trying to incorporate my husband's Argentinean culture into our family celebrations alongside my American one. It's important to both of us that both of our backgrounds are honored and that Esteban feels at home in both places. We want him not just to be proud of his lineage, but also to understand the different cultures he comes from--and hopefully he'll have 'the best of both worlds'.
Thanksgiving is a 100% American holiday. And even though we aren't one of those families that eats loads of turkey and then parks ourselves on the couch to watch football, (though if soccer were the game of choice, it would be a different story!)we enjoy all our favorite 'American style' dishes.
All the Argentineans I talked to were all planning to eat a traditional American Thanksgiving meal--turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. I have to admit I was pretty surprised to hear that none of our friends were planning to do some of the more typical Argentinean dishes for the holiday, (what do you mean, there's no asado!?)but Thanksgiving is a tradition they have adopted from being in the U.S., and they save their own favorites to share at other festivities. And much as I would have loved to make an all out Argentinean-style meal (stay tuned for Christmas!), I'm going to admit that there wasn't too much Argentinean influence at our Thanksgiving table.
Alas. I had to do something to pay homage to my husband's heritage, so I whipped up a quick dozen of these scrumptious empanadas to start off the meal. Since squash is part of the New World, and empanadas part of the Old, they were right at home with the rest of the dishes on our table. They go well with bubbly or Chardonnay, and actually, they'd be the perfect thing to bring to a holiday party where you're asked to bring something to share. (and the vegetarians will love you!) And without further ado, I bring you the recipe!
ConnecticutHannah, Bittersweet Blog
Thanksgiving can be a tough holiday for me, since I hate seeing that giant dead bird on the table every year, but for the first time ever, I wasn't the only veggie this time around. My cousin recently became a vegetarian, so I brought a dish from the restaurant I work at, Health in a Hurry, for us to share (and for anyone else who felt more adventurous)- Stuffed miniature pumpkins. The stuffing is made of brown rice, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, and herbs, and to go with it, I made a quick batch of chickpea gravy. The pumpkins turned out to be a hard sell for the omnivores among us, but the chickpea gravy flew! I think everyone enjoyed a generous serving over just about everything.
Connecticut (We felt the love from Connecticut -we had 2 responses!)
Tara, Smells Like Home
Given the choice of pumpkin pie or apple pie, I always choose apple. Always. It’s almost as if there is no need to make a choice. Pumpkin pie to me is just meh. But apple pie…how could you not love it? Sweet, tart, buttery…apple pie is the pie of choice for most of us. But can you believe I’ve only made it once? And that was years ago for a church fair where I didn’t even get to taste it! So when Kyle and I went apple picking earlier this Fall, I decided it was time to make some pie.
I couldn’t go traditional though. That would be too…conventional. I found this Sour Cream Apple Pie recipe in one of my newer cookbooks and was immediately sold.
Turns out this pie is very much like the Peach Cream Cheese Tarts I made over the summer with a baked custard filling with apples floating throughout the custard. I loved those peach tarts and I loved this pie. Did I say that it’s got a crumb topping? Yeah, it’s got a crumb topping. And I’m not talking about one of those toppings where there isn’t enough to cover the whole pie...this one has plenty of crumbs – big crumbs like you’d find on a good NY crumb cake. You’ll see by the directions below that this is a really easy pie to make. There’s no stress about whether the apple swill be soft enough or if the filling will be thick enough – everything works out beautifully with this pie!Find the recipe at: http://66.147.242.155/~smellsl2/2010/11/sour-cream-apple-pie/
DelawareJenna, Jenna Laughs
It's true. There have only been a few boys in my life that have actually held the title "boyfriend" and they have somehow all been meaningless summer flings. My relationship with Michael doesn't even compare to any of them, so in my heart Michael is the first boyfriend I've ever had. The only one that matters. The best.
I'm sure you all know that I love him something fierce. It's obvious in my other posts about him, and it's obvious when you talk to me. I want to be around him all the time and share every part of my life with him. The same is true for the holidays.
Read more at: http://www.jennalaughs.com/2010/11/my-first-thanksgiving-with-boyfriend.html
District of Columbia
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from the District of Columbia.
Stephanie, Plain Chicken
This year my family and I went to Amelia Island, FL for the holiday. We had an extremely relaxing holiday. Thanksgiving morning was spent at the spa and on the golf course. Before dinner we walked on the beach and enjoyed the day. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the hotel. It was a 5 star meal. There was a crab cake station, crab claws and shrimp, a carving station with ham, turkey and prime rib, all the traditional sides and more desserts than you could imagine! It was a great holiday and definitely stress-free!
Georgia Jessica, First Bite
My family's Thanksgiving tradition is putting on a big pot of gumbo (I write from Georgia, but usually go home to Louisiana for holidays). My mom typically does a chicken and sausage gumbo, and if she's feeling particularly generous we'll get blue crabs and shrimp thrown in as well. Gumbo serves as our "soup course" while my dad carves the turkey and I finish warming all the side dishes. Because gumbo so hearty, some family members have been known to go in for seconds...and then not have room for the main course!
(P.S. We loved Jessica's story so she's representing both LA and GA!)
HawaiiHaley, Green Plate Dinners
Over the past few years my immediate 'ohana (family) has grown to include not only myself, my mom and my big brother, but also my partner, my brother's partner and her daughter, and our good friend who moved to the islands two years ago. Although we're from Maui, my brother moved to Hawai'i island over five years ago and now calls it home. This year, we will all gather at my brother's home in Hilo to Give Thanks.
The long weekend will be a celebration of life!
[Soul] We will all be spending true quality time with each other (a rare occurrance with our busy schedules nowadays) from the flight over, to a shared hale, to the inevitable - getting lost.
[Spirit] We will rejuvenate our spirits and give thanks for all that we have by exploring new territory and trying new things. As you can see in the photo, my 'ohana is big on hiking and adventure. We will give thanks to our bodies while enjoying all that Hawai'i island has to offer by fishing, diving, hiking, and running.
[Body] Of course, we'll also celebrate by fueling our bodies with healthful, nutritious foods! Mom just finished reading our copy of "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer, and as a direct result, she will be having her first meat-free Thanksgiving!
[Local] Our Thanksgiving feast will include locally caught fish and locally farmed fresh fruit and veggies to give thanks to the 'aina as well as support sustainability for our island home.
Mahalo nui for the opportunity to share! Wherever you are, whoever you're with, and whatever you do, I extend my deepest aloha during this season of gratitude.
Idaho
Sadly, we had no submissions from Idaho.
Illinois
Sadly, we had no submissions from Illinois.
IndianaRachel C., Balance and Blueberries
Thanksgiving means lots of kitchen time for our family. Each year, it tends to be something different (after we finish up the turkey and mashed potatoes, that is!) This Thanksgiving, it was a huge batch of apple butter that my dad and I made. After we finished, we canned the butter, and now have some tasty Christmas presents for the neighbors and coworkers.
IowaAmanda, Vegacious
My holiday dish is Apple-Orange Spiced Cranberry Sauce. This is something I have made every year since my husband and I met. Little did I know at the time, this dish would be something his family would continue to request every year. They never had fresh cranberry sauce, because not many people liked it...until I came along. :) This dish takes your traditional cranberry sauce to the next level by adding apples, fresh orange, and cinnamon. It is perfect for any turkey lover, or if you are a vegan like myself, you may enjoy it with fresh bread or even plain (as I'm known to eat it...). I hope your family will enjoy this dish for years to come!
KansasBeau, Something Edible
Spreadable Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine: My Thanksgiving Necessity.
As much as I love me a roast turkey (and the pints of stock that follow), it just isn't Thanksgiving without a good whole-berry cranberry sauce. Right before things get crazy leading up to T-day, I'll make a few jars and keep 'em in the fridge so that I've always got something to bring to whatever family event we happen to be attending. Making this cranberry sauce is always fun, and it's simplicity to success ratio is good for one's self-esteem. As soon as you pour it into the jar, the pectins in the cranberries go to work, and the sauce will thicken into something spreadable and even-textured as it cools. When it's this easy to achieve perfection with simple ingredients, it really makes you wonder why so many "sauce" recipes you see use J-e-l-l-o as a crutch.
The balance of sweet and tart in my cranberry sauce is mediated with red wine, which adds a subtle fruitiness and depth that you don't get from cranberries and sugar alone. Likewise, the addition of a vanilla bean and crystallized ginger creates spicy and floral flavors that allow this sauce to play nice with both sweet and savory dishes. Try it mixed with some horseradish mayo for one of the best turkey sandwiches ever!
Visit Something Edible for the full recipe and preparation details.
KentuckyPeggy, My Fiance Likes it So It Must Be Good!
When having a significant other, it's sometimes hard to decide what to do for the holidays. To go to his parents or her parents, it's sometimes a difficult decision for couples. We are actually pretty lucky because for the past 3 years, my fiance's family has been a part of our Thanksgiving tradition, celebrating with my family. This was the first year we decided to get a free-range bird from a local farm, as opposed to the usual frozen bird at the grocery. I tell you what, there's a big difference in flavor there. Everyone absolutely loved it, not to mention the sheer size of the thing - a whopping 25 pounds! It's just nice to be with family during these types of holidays, and I think we're lucky and thankful that we both got to spend it with both of our families at once!
Read more about our holiday at My Fiance Likes it So It Must Be Good!.
LouisianaJessica, First Bite
My family's Thanksgiving tradition is putting on a big pot of gumbo (I write from Georgia, but usually go home to Louisiana for holidays). My mom typically does a chicken and sausage gumbo, and if she's feeling particularly generous we'll get blue crabs and shrimp thrown in as well. Gumbo serves as our "soup course" while my dad carves the turkey and I finish warming all the side dishes. Because gumbo so hearty, some family members have been known to go in for seconds...and then not have room for the main course!
(P.S. We loved Jessica's story so she's representing both LA and GA!)
MaineManang, Kusina Ni Manang
Our family spends the major holidays with our relatives - four families in all, with the addition of the great granpa -- that's four generations. The four families take turns hosting the major holidays. My mother-in-law volunteered to host Thanksgiving this year (God bless her heart!). Menu always has the turkey as the main entreé (no deviations!) with stuffing, homemade white bread, mashed potatoes (from our own gardens), boiled onions (a Tibbetts family traditions that I, a Filipina, have a hard time assimilating), mashed turnips, pitted olives, cranberry salad, and bread and butter pickles that we canned ourselves. Dessert includes various pies (pecan, pumpkin and raspberry for this year). My younger son was expecting pumpkin whoopie pies (whoopie pies, I believe, are very Maine-ly), so I made these the next day and promised him that from now on, these will be part of our Thanksgiving tradition.
Read more about our holiday at Kusina Ni Manang.
Maryland
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Maryland.
Massachusetts
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Massachusetts.
MichiganMaggie, Dog Hill Kitchen
These are the corn husk dolls that my son Alex and I made this year for Thanksgiving. We used husks from the heirloom variety corn we grew ourselves. It was a chance to use materials from the fall harvest and try out a native American craft. We also cooked up Cherry Pie Lattice cookies with the cornmeal from our harvested Bloody Butcher corn. Read more about it here: http://doghillkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/cherry-pie-lattice-cookies-with-iron.html
Michigan (We felt the love from Michigan- we had 2 responses!)
Emily, Emily Diaczun Styling
I have been a photo stylist for almost 10 years and only by chance ended up working with food in front of the camera. As I became more and more immersed in the world of food styling, I began blogging as an outlet for my culinary experimentation and to learn how to use my camera. It truly is a diary of an accidental foodie.
Today's goal was to make a Thanksgiving inspired cupcake. I decided to make a list of the first five flavors I associate with the holiday. Here's how the list shook out: salty, sweet, sage, citrus, and maple. As a non-baker trying to make a cupcake, I started with a boxed yellow cake mix to which I added fresh sage and orange zest. Homemade maple buttercream was in order to counteract my previous shortcut. Perched on the fluffy icing was a small piece of bacon that delivered the final salty punch. All in all, not a bad little cupcake.
Continue reading the rest of the post >>
MinnesotaClaudia, Journey of an Italian Cook
My Midwestern husband insists on a very American, traditional Thanksgiving - which I provide. But I sneak in a little bit of my NYC Italian Thanksgivings. The appetizers are Italian cheeses and a truffle concoction, there's Italian sausage in the stuffing and the pumpkin pie contains mascarpone. And when all is consumed, the cannolis come out. The guests put the pastry cream in the cannoli shells themselves. I'm done for the evening!
Claudia is a refugee from New York City who writes and directs plays for young performers. She keeps a mostly Italian food blog: http://journeyofanitaliancook.blogspot.com which has enriched her life with new friendships and enticing new recipes. She lives in White Bear Lake, MN.
MississippiErin, Gidget Eats
Jackson, Mississippi is...different.
Whenever someone asks me about the South, that has been my automatic response.
It's definitely different.
Approximately one year and three months ago I packed up my life in the Midwest and unpacked it in the deep South. A career change took my then fiance, back to his home state of Mississippi, and naturally I decided to join him. Three months after moving we got married, two months later I landed a new job. Needless to say life has changed more rapidly than Rihanna changes her hair.
Living in the South has been more of an adjustment than I anticipated, there's different food, customs, accents and worldviews. Suddenly I was transported to high school again; unsure, awkward and having a difficult time fitting in. On top of that, it's unnatural for it to be 80 degrees in November.
Slowly but surely I've found more solid ground, casually use "y'all" in conversation and can make a mean pot of red beans and rice. Although it's not home, it's growing on me, and I certainly don't miss the Midwest 30 degree weather.This Thanksgiving I noticed how far I've come.
My mom and brother were able to fly down to celebrate with my husband's family, and we ate two meals on turkey day. I enjoyed introducing them to new dishes such as squash casserole, corn pudding, butter beans, skillet apple pie and caramel cake. We watched Saints football and discussed the SEC. And being the epitome of Southern hospitality, my husband's families opened their homes to share the holiday together.
By the end of the day we were full in so many ways. There was more food than we could consume, more football than we could watch, and more blessings than we could count. Most importantly, despite differences and no matter the location, I was utterly thankful to have the people I love in the same place.There may be some things Only in the South, and at times I may feel like a fish out of water, but it's not so bad after all.
I'm reminded different can be good, and besides, everyone can appreciate a good caramel cake.
I hope y'all had a happy Thanksgiving and enjoyed every bite as much as I did!
MissouriChris, The Pantry Raider
Since I am a cook, and we are open for Thanksgiving, I work. After, I go to my mom’s for dinner. We have a pretty basic Thanksgiving dinner. Of course I am also on a gluten-free diet, which complicates things a bit. Amy’s family has Thanksgiving dinner while I am at work, and she comes to our dinner late. It works out well enough. I don’t get to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner of my own, but I try to cook something that feels nice and fall-like. This year I decided to take a shot at gluten-free butternut squash ravioli, and a sage beurre blanc. This was the second time I have made pasta, and the first time gluten-free. Read the recipe and more at: http://thepantryraider.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/gluten-free-butternut-squash-ravioli/
I'm a 37 year old cook, musician, disc golfer, and will be returning to school for a degree in dietetics. Working as a cook has helped me develop some interesting skills, and also a taste for culinary adventure. Since going gluten-free I realized that the skills I developed working the line can help me, and other people like me eat better.
Montana
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Montana.
NebraksaLizz, Leading the Good Life
In a lot of ways, my family does not have a typical Thanksgiving dinner.
- I have never seen my mom make a green bean casserole.
-We've been known to start the meal with shrimp cocktail and homemade Caesar salad.
-Our main course has varied between creamy lemon pasta, filet mignon, pork tenderloin, standing rib roast, and crab legs.
-You will never see anything with marshmallows as an ingredient on our table.
-No one in my family cares for pumpkin pie.
-And until this year, we have never had a turkey. (Well not one that we kids can remember.)
Throw in the fact that I'm a vegetarian living in the Midwest amongst a family of omnivores, and you've got quite a menu! :)
This year's pecan wood smoked turkey was accompanied by such traditional dishes as gravy, creamed corn, canned cranberry jelly, and cornbread stuffing. We held onto some of our odd family traditions, by serving shrimp cocktail and crab legs. Cranberry orange chutney, broccoli casserole, loaded mashed potatoes, and warm rolls make it onto every holiday menu lately, and this year was no different.
But we were also determined try some new things. Recipes for warm Brussels sprout salad, maple roasted squash, and oyster stuffing were tested and well received. Not to mention dessert, which was a bread pudding featuring our pear place card holders and a homemade caramel sauce. (Without a pie in sight!)
Nevada
Kim, Life as a Foodie
To say we have a traditional holiday might be somewhat true. Arriving at my in-laws home late in the afternoon there were five of us ready to scarf down turkey and an abundance of carbs to put us to sleep. But in its own way, we are far from traditional. This year, Thanksgiving consisted of myself, my husband, his parents, and one of my best friends. Thankfully we don’t have a crazy relative table discussing something inappropriate or a grandparent falling asleep in the recliner watching football. Granted the game was on but I doubt anyone was paying much attention.
Our evening started with a plate of fresh veggies and dip with a little bit of ribbing my friend as I pointed out what a vegetable was (he’s notorious for eating a lot of fast food and peanut butter). My mother in-law jokingly yelled at me for giving my friend a hard time. Not long after arriving, we made our way to the table and began serving ourselves. The usual Thanksgiving foods were served: turkey, homemade stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, and mashed potatoes. My husband and I killed..er, drank our wine while the rest enjoyed their beverage of choice.
It was a fun evening filled with laughter and gratitude for the meal in front of us and the good times with family and friends. Considering this was our first ever Thanksgiving together as a family, this will likely become an annual holiday tradition. We’re a little off the wall, a little goofy, but the elements of Thanksgiving tradition with a turkey and taters galore will always be present on our table.
New HampshireMelissa, Made in Mel's Kitchen
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This was my first year cooking a whole turkey, and although I have prepared turkey breasts in the past, they do not compare to roasting the entire bird! I am happy to report that the turkey was a success, as was most everything else on the menu.
There were definitely some disasters as well though. For one, I forgot to take the bread cubes for stuffing out of the oven when I pre-heated it to 500 degrees for the turkey. We didn’t notice until they were nearly black, oops! Luckily, I had enough extra bread to make another batch. I also confirmed my hatred of pie crust this year. I love to bake almost anything, but seem to have the worst luck with pie crust! Thankfully my pies still tasted good, and it is amazing what some well-placed whipped cream will do for presentation! Read more about it here: http://www.madeinmelskitchen.com/2010/11/thanksgiving-2010-recap/
New JerseyPup, A Happy Girl and Loving Life
A family tradition we have is eating our desserts first! Every year it would seem that we would all be too full to enjoy dessert after dinner, so a few years ago we started eating our pies and cakes for lunch!!
The new dessert we had this year was: Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Upside Down Cake. Check out the recipe here: http://archintrain.blogspot.com/2010/11/cranberry-pecan-pumpkin-uside-down-cake.html
New Jersey (We felt the love from New Jersey - we had 2 responses!)Donna, My Tasty Journey
Our Thanksgiving mornings always start the same way. With pumpkin pancakes, while watching the Macy’s parade…
….all in our pajamas along with our puppy, Penny
Even though the parade is only a train ride away, you can’t really beat the view OR the dress code right from in front of your TV. ONE year I’ll be there in person;)
For our contribution to Thanksgiving this year, we took inspiration from one of our favorite foodie shows: “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” And after Jeff Henderson mentioned a Sweet Potato Cheesecake layer pie from Inglewood, California on the “What I’m Thankful For” episode this week, I knew I HADDDD to try it. AND since squeezing in a trip to Cali would have been a little rough this week, I decided to do some research and came up with my own version....starting with a graham cracker crust, a layer of cheese cake, a layer of sweet potato pie:
All topped with homemade maple whipped cream made for a super RICH AND DECADENT end to the meal!And what a meal it was!
Hope everyone had a wonderful, warm and delicious holiday!
New MexicoKirk, Albukirky
Thanksgiving is an ensemble cast with the turkey receiving top billing, however, no star lights up the big screen alone and a good supporting cast is necessary to make them shine. This year's Thanksgiving was a culinary success due to a great turkey and some solid performances from outstanding supporting dishes. The stand out performance this year goes to *drum roll, please* the Brussels Spouts! Also providing solid performances were the triple corn spoonbread, Cheryl's house rolls, and gravy. A cast this good adds up to one blockbuster feast! Over all, this was one of the best Thanksgiving feasts we have made yet and they seem to get better every year. We will continue to rewrite our recipes and refine our supporting cast of dishes so that next year's feast is even better. Will this year's performance receive a coveted Academy Award? Not sure, but it damn well deserves a nomination. Eat hearty, my friends!
New YorkJennifer, A Girl and Her Carrot
“Overstuffing the Pie Hole.”
If I’m being frank, Thanksgiving is not my favorite of holidays, while I love the family atmosphere this holiday seems to celebrate the wrong thing, overstuffing yourself til you either pass out on a couch somewhere or are regretting that you ate 3 slices of pie and your skinny jeans now feel like a scuba suit does not a holiday make. I’m just sayin'.
Don’t get me wrong, I obviously love food, I cook it, eat it, photograph it. I guess there are some things a Dietitian thinks about more than the average person. Fine, I sometimes fall into that stereotype but I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ll never catch me measuring out half a cup of rice, however, I’m likely more aware of how much I’m putting in my “pie hole.”
Read more about it at A Girl and Her Carrot Holiday Recap
North CarolinaKelly, Foodie Fresh
This Thanksgiving, we celebrated by continuing an old family tradition of cooking with family. Just as I grew up baking pies with my mother, I made my contribution to Thursday's feast with my youngest cousin, Ashlyn. I baked her classic pecan pie, which I've been making every year for my family since I was in middle school. I also made a sweet potato pie, whose recipe I developed this year by blending my family's pie recipe with my mother-in-law's recipe. The recipe collection of a newlywed is never complete when two families of fabulous cooks are joined in marriage.
The pies were a great success on Thanksgiving day. My family celebrated with typical southern Thanksgiving food and more desserts than any family could ever take down. My dad remarked that this was my best pecan pie yet, which may be due to the homemade whole wheat crust. My husband Brad loved the marriage of his family's sweet potato pie recipe and mine; the best of both worlds all wrapped up in a pie.
See my classic pecan pie recipe and my adapted sweet potato pie recipe here.
North DakotaKate, Hola Jalapeno
We didn’t think it was going to happen. They were predicting ground blizzards and white out conditions from Utah to Minnesota; so traveling from Wyoming (as my parents were supposed to do) was not looking good. Determined to eat turkey together and mainly motivated by the possibility of seeing their granddaughter, they made it through two days of harrowing travel. We sipped cider and ate very well—Bay-Brined Turkey, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Whisky Gravy were on the menu all accompanied by a lovely salad of pickled shallots, tangerines and pomegranates. As for dessert, pumpkin pie with a cream cheese crust and mounds of fluffy freshly whipped cream.
OhioMaybelle's Mom, Feeding Maybelle
Maybelle's Mom writes in Cleveland, Ohio about her life cooking for and with her two young daughters. Her dishes are influenced by her own Indian heritage, a wildly rebellious streak, and an abiding desire to make people swoon.
Thanksgiving Recipe:
Dry curry Brussels Sprouts
Steam:
1 lb Brussels sprouts
½ lb tiny potatoes
In a skillet or wok, add:
2 T oil
1 t turmeric
1 t black mustard seeds
1/2 t cumin powder
Once the spices brown slightly, add:
1.5 T tomato paste
1.5 T whole grain mustard
2 small onions sliced in thin rings
Pinch sugar
Salt
1 T ginger
1.5 T garlic
Let onions caramelize. Once onions have browned, add Brussels sprouts and potatoes. Let brown slightly. Then add ½ cup water or coconut milk. Simmer.
In a separate skillet, dry fry a handful of tomatoes.
Add the browned, wilted tomatoes to the brussel sprouts. Serve warm.
OklahomaChef Candace Conley, Girl Can Cook
So...you say you can't get your kids to eat vegetables? You just have to make it fun and unusual!
I love this time of year for many reasons but a big one is the availability of Brussels sprouts on the stalk. I have to believe that they taste so much better because they are so fresh...that's my story and I'm sticking to it...but I just love to cut those little darlings off the stalk! I cook them many different ways but my favorite is a simple French bistro braise starting with bacon. You can finish them with anything from dried fruits to cream but shred them, use some chicken broth and finish at the very least with butter. Even if you have "heels dug in", no vegetable eating folks...these are so delish...I always have at least a couple of converts at the Thanksgiving table.
Trust me, I grew up in a family of great cooks but, as my mother describes herself, she's just a plain, country cook and the way to cook vegetables (mostly) is to stew them. Now, I really like green beans that way with ham hock, new potatoes and onions but
"no, thank you" on most others, especially Brussels sprouts. I am happy to say that my very petit choux are now a staple on our holiday tables and the more I experiment, the better everyone likes them so...keep cooking those yucky vegetables from your childhood...it's not their fault!
OregonDarlene, Blazing Hot Wok
We normally spend Thanksgiving with friends. It’s always a chaotic affair, complete with screaming kids, meltdowns and, consequently, plenty of wine to calm parental nerves. This year, however, we decided to go intimate since Mother-in-law would be joining us. She traveled all the way from Denmark and this would be her first Thanksgiving ever. Clearly, this called for something special, something a little more dazzling than roast turkey. I decided on turkey confit because what screams special occasion! better than hindquarters poached in olive oil for eight hours?
And oh, was it special! Beyond special— it was fantabulous!— and I’m not just saying that to make myself look good. I’ve done confit before, but never with turkey and never using olive oil. Let’s face it, turkey can be bland and the flavor of the olive oil could have been overwhelming, but thank the Universe it wasn’t! The meat was well seasoned—not too salty— and fall-off-the-bone tender while the skin was wonderfully crisp. As an added bonus, unctuous turkey juices collected at the bottom of the pan—perfect for making gravy.
To go with our fantabulous turkey confit: mashed potatoes and parsnips, mushroom gravy, cranberry-orange relish, roasted brussels sprouts tossed with dijon mustard, honey and sherry vinegar and winter greens with blue cheese and toasted pecans and sherry vinaigrette. Pumpkin pie and Meyer lemon tart finished it the meal.
Pennsylvania
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Pennsylvania.
Rhode Island
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Rhode Island.
South CarolinaLiz Bridges, Confessions of a Former Couch Potato
Greetings from South Carolina! I sure hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! (Had to throw a "y'all" in there... otherwise it wouldn't be the south!) Thanks to Eric and Tiffany for putting this cool map together! I am so excited to see what all the other states are eating this year! I am so excited to represent South Carolina!
My husband and I have the pleasure of having TWO Thanksgiving dinners every year-- one with his family and one with mine. We have so many wonderful dishes represented, it was hard to decide what I should share with you.
The first dish is a classic southern vegetable dish... fried okra! I have to say, my mother-in-law makes the most fabulous fried okra. My father-in-law grows the okra in his garden, and they are able to freeze lots of it each year. They freeze it already cut into one-inch sections. My mother-in-law, Sandra says there is a special process to making her okra.Here's how to do it: Take the bag of frozen okra and fill it with water. Let the okra defrost in water. Then poke holes in the bottom of the bag and drain the water. Roll the wet okra in self-rising flour. Then pan-fry it in vegetable or canola oil. Fill a skillet with oil that is about 1/2 inch deep. Sandra turns each piece of okra individually with tongs as it browns. When it is nice and crispy, she lays the okra on sheets of paper towels to cool and drain.
If you've never had fried okra, then... you are missing out! It's like popcorn... so addictive!
Now, my second dish I'd like to feature is something that I DID cook, but I did not invent this recipe.
Pumpkin-Maple Bread Pudding is a recipe from Sandra Lee, of the Food Network. Click here for the recipe. I believe Sandra is the queen of bread pudding recipes. Every time I have tried one of hers, it turns out to be amazing.
I chose to make bread pudding this year because my father-in-law (and I) love it. He always says that his mother used to make the best bread pudding. This recipe from Sandra Lee is fabulous. It is perfect for fall gatherings. It has a wonderful pumpkin flavor and the maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness without making it TOO sweet. Sandra tops this with a Brandied Hard Sauce, but I opted for whipped cream instead, and it was fabulous.
Thanks to Sandra Lee for this amazing pudding. Sandra has been a major influence for me... I love the way she makes "Semi-Homemade" meals. On my blog I create what I call "Sorta-Homemade" dishes... as a little tribute to her.
So that's a little taste of our Thanksgiving dinner here in South Carolina. Hope you enjoyed every bite! And if you're hungry for seconds, I hope you'll stop by my blog, Confessions of a Former Couch Potato, sometime.
Happy holidays to you and yours, y'all!
South DakotaRachel Roe, Trampling Rose
Since my husband and I usually work the day after Thanksgiving, we
prefer to spend Thanksgiving at home, with our son. I usually make a
pumpkin pie that morning, then slack off until about 4, when I start
the rest of the meal. There are only the 3 of us, so I roast a turkey
breast (even though I don't like turkey at all), make mashed potatoes,
stuffing, another vegetable, open the can of cranberry sauce. This year, we've added putting up the Christmas tree, decorating
the house, in between the pie-making & dinner!
TennesseeJane Gaither, Gourmet Gadget Gal
I have long adored Thanksgiving in Tennessee with our buffet table bursting with roasted turkey, sweet potatoes with praline pecan topping, country ham, homemade green bean casserole, cranberry compote, and angel biscuits. We used to have baked cheese grits too, but in an effort to lighten up the heaviness of so many casseroles I created a new side dish that’s been a huge hit with our family – Yellow Grits Souffle with Sourwood Honey Drizzle. Here at home, yellow grits are, as we say , “common as mud” and very often served with butter and cheese . Even if you are not familiar with them, grits truly fit in as a traditional offering at Thanksgiving as they were the first American food; In 1607 the settlers at Jamestown were greeted by Native Americans with a steaming bowl full of this well-known Southern comfort dish.
TexasJoel, Vegan Good Eats
It's amazing the things that happen when you are not paying attention. Things change, people change, some enter our lives, and some exit. This years Thanksgiving plans were thwarted and moved from my home in Houston to a frenzy of familial celebration to welcome the slightly early twins my sister had been carrying.
We had more reason to give thanks as everyone was healthy and conversations flew from reckless uncontrollable reminiscing laughter to contagious tears. In my family, if one member cries, it spreads like peanut butter.
While growing-up in Lima, Peru, "alfajores" were given to us at special occasions. These delightful dulce de leche filled shortbread cookies tease the palate and fill the soul with sweet goodness. It was only appropriate that I whip up a batch of my doctored up vegan version without telling anyone.
Read more at: http://vegangoodeats.com/2010/06/vegan-alfajores-peruvian-sandwich-cookies/
Utah
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Utah.
VermontJenn Campus, http://theopensourcekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/welcome-to-our-biggest-project-in_07.html, Creative Cook, Social Networking Guru
Blog Sparks Network LLC, co-owner, Blogging Sparks
Creator and Manager of The Foodie Blogroll
Author, Leftover Queen
After moving to Vermont, and finding out that our suspicions were right about the how easy and enjoyable it is to eat a mainly local diet, we decided to really celebrate the Thanksgiving harvest the locavore way! We are looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving here in Vermont for years to come for friends and family. We ordered a heritage turkey from a local farm. We picked it up on Wednesday, and shopped at the farm store for the rest of our menu as well. Here is our Thanksgiving Menu:
Maple Roasted Heritage Turkey- maple, turkey, butter and rosemary all from Vermont
Cornbread Stuffing - Corn grits, butter and herbs are local to Vermont, the stock homemade and from local poultry bones
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy - Potatoes from our garden, gravy made from turkey giblets
Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Vermont sprouts and butter
Fresh Cranberry Sauce - Cranberries and maple sugar from Vermont
Maple Crème Caramel for dessert- eggs from our own hens, cream, maple and milk from Vermont. For the recipe check out: http://www.leftoverqueen.com/2010/11/08/maple-creme-caramel
VirginiaBrittany, Eating Bird Food
This Thanksgiving my boyfriend and I will be traveling to Norfolk, VA to celebrate with his family. We'll eat the standard America meal of thanks with all the good stuff. And, for an appetizer, we'll be enjoying a pumpkin spice cashew cheese dip with apples for dipping – delicious!
Washington
Sadly, we did not receive any submissions from Washington.
West VirginiaErica, Gee I'm Hungry
Hello, this is Erica, and these are my adventures as am amateur chef. My blog was started after my Facebook friends complained I tantalized them too much with descriptions of the dinners I was making on a day to day basis. They wanted me to at least post pictures. As a devotee of The Pioneer Woman and Maki of JustHungry.com, I decided to up the ante and made my own food blog to post both pictures AND recipes. My blog is my outlet and my inspiration.
My Thanksgiving holiday was spent quietly. This year I was actually off kitchen duty, as my father decided to absorb it. Dinner was small, being my father, my brother, and myself, and it was probably the closest we've been as a family for several years, since I've moved out and my brother had attempted his own move. And frankly, this is how I preferred it: A small, quiet dinner amongst the people I love the most.
Read more at http://geeimhungry.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/thanksgiving-mashed-potatoes/
WisconsinPeef and Lo, Burp! Where Food Happens
Facebook: facebook.com/burpblog
Twitter: @Burp_Blog
Peef and I were married the day after (American) Thanksgiving in 1998. So, while some people spend the holiday pulling out all the stops, Thanksgiving Day has become a relatively intimate affair at our house. No huge family gatherings. No record-breaking turkeys. No controversy over whole cranberry sauce versus cranberry jelly. No battle between the white and dark meat folks. And no copious leftovers. Instead, Thanksgiving day ends up being just the two of us chatting and sipping a bit of wine as we cook up a little feast. Often, we do slightly more adventurous (and less traditional) dishes -- rabbit ragu, turkey mole, or meltingly tender roasted pork shoulder. and inevitably, Thanksgiving dinner at Burp! is usually an unapologetically seasonal affair -- with all meats, fruits, and vegetables sourced as locally as possible
This year's dinner, featuring turkey with Riesling and sauerkraut, payed homage to both traditional holiday fare and Peef's German ancestry. The apple and kraut stuffed turkey was crowned with slices of delicious double-smoked bacon, and braised in a bath of caramelized onions and Riesling. It was aromatic and tender. And, paired with some of the most delicious homemade herbed dressing in history, it was truly a Thanksgiving feast to remember ... Read more at
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At heart, Peef and Lo (aka Paul and Lori Fredrich) are just two devoted Milwaukeeans who share a passion for seasonal cooking, local eating, and fantastic entertaining. They haunt farmer’s markets in the summer, and befriend local farmers, restaurateurs, and food artisans every chance they get. And there’s nothing they love more than inviting friends and family over for a bite to eat.
They started the Burp! blog in 2007 as a way to keep track of all the recipes they were cooking up in the kitchen. Three years later, their whim has evolved into a full-time hobby. Their work has been featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel food section, and their original recipes have appeared in Cooking Light magazine, on the Marx Foods blog, and on the menu at Il Mito Enoteca in Wauwatosa, WI. You can find their food photography online at Tastespotting, Foodgawker, and Photograzing. Lo also writes a community blog for Milwaukee Magazine, entitled FOODCrush, in which she features information about local food products, events, and interesting foodie facts.
In real life, Paul and Lori both work as marketing and communication professionals in the Milwaukee area. They spend their free time flipping through cookbooks, tending their urban garden, and making whimsical birthday cakes for their nieces and nephews.
Wisconsin (We really felt the love from Wisconsin - we recieved 2 responses!)Kristi, Healthy Krit
I started my blog almost 3 years ago as a way to track my progress while I was a member of the weight watcher program. Since then I have become certified in wellness and nutrition and have been able to assist people with the wellness needs. My blog focuses on healthy living-not just eating. I wanted to show people that you could have a piece of cheesecake without worry about the aftermath-everything in moderation is the way to be! You will see through my blog that I am very family oriented person, especially around the holidays. Since Gregg and I have been together for 6 years, we have our holidays scheduled. We spend Thanksgiving with his family and it is always an adventure. We will go to one of his aunts houses to celebrate the holiday, catch up, eat awesome food and drink plenty of wine. Thanksgiving is not official if there isn't a game of Euchre or poker going on and we can't leave until me or Gregg win a hand. It's a great time to lay low and enjoy the company of the people you are with.
WyomingMichelle, Oh, Mishka
This Thanksgiving, my boyfriend and I planned to visit family in Montana, but thanks to a crazy snowstorm, we had to stay in Wyoming. That meant we had to cook our own Thanksgiving dinner and, to be honest, we were pretty intimidated. Luckily, I had some wonderful phone calls with our moms, who talked me through everything.
On Thanksgiving morning we woke up bright and early to prepare the turkey and put it in the oven, then we spent the day playing board games, watching football, and eventually making the rest of our meal. Everything turned out perfect and we couldn't have been happier! (Well, except that we forgot about the stuffing and left it in the turkey, so we had plenty of leftovers there.) Thanksgiving was a lovely day and is now my very favorite memory of my boyfriend and me.
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