via eighteen25

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Tuesday Tip - Ready for Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Dinner 101

via graphic fairy

Serve up a crowd-pleasing holiday spread

with this helpful cooking guide from
 Woman's Day:

A Classic Thanksgiving Spread

8 Essential Turkey Cooking Tools

4 Common Turkey Questions—Answered

7 Thanksgiving Blunders to Avoid

4 Turkey Preparation Pointers

3 Tips for Timing Your Thanksgiving Meal

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Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

via purple onion

Cute Thanksgiving Place Cards

via Holly Mathis Interiors

Remember these from last year:

via Martha Stewart

To help you create decorative place cards for the Thanksgiving table,

Martha Stewart has free clip art. Download and print the place cards

(cream or neutral-colored card stock will work best),

cut along the dotted line, inscribe your guest's name,

and score down the middle with a bone folder.
You can also make a flat card with a border by using double-sided tape to affix the place-card design to a piece of card stock 1/4 inch larger than the place card. You can punch a hole in it and use twine to tie it to a napkin, or simply tuck it into the napkin.

via picky palate

note from Jenny at Picky Palate: 
Another simple recipe that’s perfect for brunch or any 

time of  day for that matter.  The cream cheese frosting on top is good enough to keep on hand for dipping fruit or crackers.

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Breakfast Rolls

Rolls:

• 2 packages/cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
• 4 0z cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 Cup brown sugar
• 1/4 Cup canned pumpkin (Libby’s)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Unroll crescent rolls to form 4 rectangles placed side by side.  Pinch seams together to form one long rectangle.  Place cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixer; beat until well combined.  Spread mixture over crescents leaving a 1/2 inch border around edges.  Starting at long end, roll up then cut into 1 inch pieces.  Place around 2 9 inch cake pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray.  I left the centers open so the rolls form a circle.
2. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.  Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.  Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting recipe below.

Frosting

• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon canned pumpkin (Libby’s)

 Mix all ingredients into a large bowl until smooth.  Spread over warm rolls.

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So Sweet Potato~

 I love that you're rated

#1 by Nutritionist, because I 'm so in l♥ve with you!

{A nutritional All-Star — one of the best vegetables you can eat. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.}

Sweet-Potato Gratin

via Real Simple

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 4 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups Cheddar, shredded (8 ounces)
• 1 slice whole-wheat bread, ground in a food processor (1/2 cup)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F.
2. Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
3. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion; cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk, rosemary, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Heat to boiling, whisking constantly. Stir in the sweet potatoes.
4. Transfer to the baking dish and sprinkle with the Cheddar and bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden

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The Kid's Table

Thanksgiving Tables for Kids

via PBK

 Finger Puppet Favors

via Martha Stewart

Click HERE for instructions 

via Country Living
To accommodate your youngest guests' abbreviated attention spans (and your desire to linger over dessert), cover the children's dining surface with kraft paper and set out pots of crayons for tic-tac-toe. Bonus: This tablecloth is a cinch to clean up. Stamped birch name cards ensure kids feel as special as grown-ups. 

Turkey Trivia Place Card

via Martha Stewart

These place cards beckon kids to their seats and give them something to think about while the turkey is being carved.

Go HERE to make these 

 Too Cute!

via HipHipHooray Blog

 Check it Out

via Tip Junkie

 There's MORE ...Check it Out!

 The Paper Bag Turkey

via One Charming Party

 Tutorial HERE

Print this free Thanksgiving kit 

from PaperGlitter

image via South Shore Mamas

 

via fiskars

 Get the details HERE 

 

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Corn & Candle?

Simple Centerpiece for Thanksgiving

via BHG

Elevate a basic pillar candle to Thanksgiving-worthy status. Hot-glue ears of Indian corn around a pillar candle and tie twine around the arrangement. For a more elegant look, substitute pretty satin ribbon for the twine.

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For You Pumpkin

 

 FABULOUS

Pumpkin Recipes

via Paul Deen

•  Pumpkin Baked Ziti 
• Pumpkin Roll Cake 
• Souffled Pumpkin Pancake  
• Pumpkin Pecan Pie 

 * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Paula's Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional

1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.
For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.
Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time: 50 min

 * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Aunt Trina’s Holiday Pumpkin Crunch  

An old Alabama favorite given to Paula from her Aunt Trina.

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can fresh pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, cut into pieces
FROSTING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, evaporated milk, cinnamon and sugar until well combined.  Add eggs and mix well.
Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish prepared with a non stick spray. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over entire top. Sprinkle nuts evenly over cake mix and top with butter pieces.  Bake at 350º F for 50-60 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
Prepare frosting while cake is cooling.  In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, whip cream cheese until light.  Add in whipping cream and continue to whip until fully combined and thickening.  Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and whip until smooth.
To Serve:  Scoop out a slice of the pumpkin crunch and top with a dollop of the cream cheese frosting, or frost the entire pumpkin crunch with the frosting.
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hour

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Sweet Little Turkeys

Sweet T.O.M. Turkeys

via Family Fun 

almost too cute to eat

Just couldn't resist these adorable Thanksgiving Cupcakes from Family Fun Magazine!

Their candy corn plumage and shortbread wings guarantee that these irresistible Treat of the Month Turkeys (T.O.M.s for short) will be gobbled up as soon as they land on the dessert table.

                Ingredients:

• Cupcake
• Chocolate frosting
• 3 oval shortbread cookies (we used Keebler Sandies Right Bites Shortbread)
• 6 to 10 candy corn pieces

• White icing
• Black decorators' gel
• Red fruit leather (we used strawberry Fruit by the Foot)
  
  
  
  

  

                  Instructions:

  1. Frost the cupcake, then press in a cookie head and 2 cookie wings.
     
  2. Press in a row or two of candy corn tail feathers.
     
  3. To make an eye, add a small dot of white icing to the head, then add a dot of black decorators' gel for a pupil.
     
  4. For a beak, cut the white tip from a piece of candy corn and press it in place.
     
  5. To make the wattle, cut a 1-inch square of fruit leather. Roll it into a tube and stick it in place over the beak.
     

Tuesday Tip- Be ready for Thanksgiving

 Be ready for Thanksgiving 

How to:  Quick-Clean Your Oven

via Good Housekeeping

Remove the racks and drip pans, and clean them with a damp paper towel. Wipe down all surfaces inside your oven. If you see a small bit of burned-on gunk, remove with a nonabrasive scrubber. Use a scrub brush to clean the racks, dry, and put back in.

Heloise Hint: If something spills over while baking, pour table salt on it, and when the oven is cool, you will have a much quicker cleanup. Give the oven window a good rubdown with vinegar and water.

I still love you pumpkin...

some pumpkin inspiration

photos via Martha Stewart,Coutnry Living and Better Homes & Gardens