Need Some Thanksgiving Help..quick!! (Ot)
Lounge By MominSC Updated 27 Nov 2005 , 3:44pm by NEWTODECORATING
You know, I used to work at Honey Baked (did their catering for about two years), and as good as their hams are, they aren't that hard, especially if you love to play with fire! What you do is buy a spiral sliced ham that comes with a seasoning packet. Place the ham in a baking pan, mix gthe seasoning package with sugar and sprinkle on top of the ham, then you light up your propane torch and torch all of the sugar until it's melted. Easy peasy!
As for Thanksgiving dinner itself, we are pretty non traditional. I prefer to go out to dinner, and this year we are even going to add a movie!
MominSC, I PM'd you a couple of recipes, one for City Ham and one for Scalloped Pineapple. They have always "WOW'd" 'em at our house and are permanently listed in the 'ol family cook book.
I have seen many people mention that they cook their turkey upside down the first couple of hours. Well I'd like to know how you flip it over for the last few hours. Anyone know in detailed instructions?
MominSC, i have a recipe for creamy hashbrowns that is to die for...got it from my FiL who used to cook for the Biltmore. I cook it for every big gathering and sometimes just a smaller version when i'm craving it...
orida rectangle hashbrowns
land o lakes unsalted butter, cut into squares
half & half
diced onions
salt & pepper
lawry's seasoning
parmesian cheese
start with the hashbrowns on bottom, put a pat of butter onto each one, then the diced onions, sprinkle the layer with parmesian cheese and seasonings, repeat until you have finished with hashbrowns on top. Pour the half & half in to the dish until it is level with the top of the top leyer. (pour it into the side so it don't wash away your seasonings). Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Remove foil and bake until golden brown...about 30 more mins.
Good luck and I hope this helps. 
Don't forget that yams are basically the same thing as a sweet potatoe if you decide to do yams!
A very very easy recipe i love is:
4 cans of peas
1 stick of butter
italian style breadcrumbs
2 casserole dishes
take the two casserole dishes and put 2 cans into each dish.
Spread a couple of handfuls of the italian style breadcrumbs over the peas(make sure they are covered ,but don't put to much!).
Then just spread a stick of butter(or two sticks, one stick for each dish) around the bread crumbs and peas in chunks in each dish.
Put it in the oven until the butter is metled mix and its done!
My favorite side dish!
Maybe my family is lazy ,but we always buy the ham from Honey Baked Ham just warmed up in the oven. LOL
Yams are quite different from sweet potatoes. The use if the word yam when referring to a sweet potato is actually incorrect.
Sweet potatoes originated in the Americas where as Yams originated in West Africa. They both belong to different families.
True yams are starchy and have dry texture and is definitely not sweet. It's hard to find a true yam in North American grocery stores (unless you have a large chain that services ethnic markets). As North America becomes more and more multicultural, we Are starting to see more and more ethnic/exotic produce in the mainstream market.
Anyway, if you do happen to find a true yam (or live in Africa, Caribbean or any where else where they Are easily found) do not substitute it for a north american yam (sweet potato). It will ruin your recipe.
Princess
P.S. LOL I Was gonna post to The original topic and I got distracted. My Aunt makes her ham pretty much like someone else on here described it. She always gets those hams that you have to boil for what seems like a life time to get rid of some of the salt.
Once it's boiled she places it in a roasting pan and scores the top then stick whole cloves all over. Then she mixes a paste out of Brown sugar and French's mustard and rubs it all over the ham. Then a warm beer is poured over it and it's placed in the oven to bake. She will check it at various times to baste it with the beer and juices in the pan and to rub more of The mustard/brown sugar paste on it.
I'm aware of the difference. 
What i meant by "Yams and sweet potatoes are basically the same" is that if you compare yams from the can its usually sweet potatoes. And usually when someone says yams in a recipe they mean sweet potatoes in north america. Sorry about that.
Funny how things vary from country to country.
In south america sweet potato and yams are totally different looking and tasting then the one we have here.
When i first came to america i was i bought some sweet potato
When i started peeling them i thought why is this thing ORANGE i did buy sweet potato didn't i
I wish i could get them here 
One of the things my granmother(oma) could make really good was sweet potato parboiled and then sauteed in butter with garlic, onions,salt and black pepper...hmmmmi can taste it now
AShiana
What dinner with family doesn't have homemade Macaroni and Cheese? I make mine from scratch! IT's always a hit and doesn't take long. We usually have the basics with our turkey dinner and ham dinner at Christmas. That is stuffing, mashed potatoes, gracy, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and of course tea and coffee! I hope that your dinner goes well and your family is well and happy. That is really what matters most!
LOL Ashianadotkom, talk about culture shock. A friend of mine went to The grocery store and asked for yams. Well the poor folks in the produce department gave her sweet potatoes. She kept on telling them that's not a yam. So they are all thinking she's crazy. She gets home and calls to tell me what happen. The poor girl is on the phone telling me the grocery store people think she is crazy. I am just sitting there lmao. I had to take her to The West Indian food store.
I am not sure where you live but if you have an African/West indian store you will be able to find the sweet potatoes you are used to.
Edited so it makes sense. LOL... I think that's A sign I need to curl up in bed.
That's funny Princess i can imagine how frustrated she was!
Thanks for the tip i'll have to look into that
I live in houston so that shouldn't be hard to find..... i hope....
Got so off topic
Since it's only husband and my son in houston we usually have some friends over that are in the same boat as us
No other family member in texas
We don't like turkey(except for the fried turkey i once had that was so good)
We bake chicken or cornish game hens individually served
Marinated in soy sauce and other spices
This is the only non traditional thanksgiving food i make
Everything else is traditional
Macaroni and cheese that i only make once a year ..still don't know why cause every year i say i should make it more often (from martha stewart site is really good)
I can't imagine the look on my mom's face if i would serve her mac and cheese for diner. We never cooked anything with cheese in it.
Potato salad, mashed potato, stuffing.
And of course the cakes and pies.
This year i added another favorite ....butternut squash soup....SO GOOD!!
AShiana
Here' our traditional thanksgiving dinner...It's basically the same every year and I wouldn't change a thing!! 
Turkey - My dad usually de-bones it, fills it with stuffing and bakes...Yummmmm!!
Ham - For my grandma
mashed potatoes
candied yams
mom's famous green beans - These are fab!!
stuffing
fresh cranberry conserves - Barefoot Contessa Recipe. Once you try these you'll never go back to anything else!!
rolls
A couple types of jello salads
We have a house full of people, so there's lots of food!!
We usually do ham at Easter and always have mac n cheese from scratch. The recipe on the back of the Muellers pasta box is the best! Then we usually have the regular Thanksgiving sides, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, glazed carrots, turnips (the relatives are from Nova Scotia - whats' a holiday w/o turnips?), rolls, jello mold. Mmmm I'm getting hungry!
I have seen many people mention that they cook their turkey upside down the first couple of hours. Well I'd like to know how you flip it over for the last few hours. Anyone know in detailed instructions?
i always cook my turkey up side down the first 2 hours and then my DH and i get a pair of tongs each and stick them in each end of the turkey and flip. it makes the turkey so moist and juicy and the meat just falls off the bone when it is all done.
[quote="alracntna"]
I have seen many people mention that they cook their turkey upside down the first couple of hours. Well I'd like to know how you flip it over for the last few hours. Anyone know in detailed instructions?
I, too, cook my turkey upside down, but I also cook it sideways. This gets a bit tricky since I don't have a V-rack but I stabilize it by making some aluminum foil rolls to put against the turkey.
I first cook the turkey breast-side down for about 45 minutes, then I turn it onto its side using these prong-like things I got at Wilton. I cook it on it's side for about 30 minutes, then turn it onto its other side. I cook that side for about 30 minutes. Finally I flip the turkey breast-side up and finish cooking it that way. I've never had a dry turkey.
I also brine my turkey for about 12 hours, wash it off then dry it. I let it sit in my fridge for about 24 hours. It lets the extra salt evaporate off the turkey and once it's baked the skin is super crispy.
I hope everything makes sense. If anyone has any questions let me know.
OH!! I also make biscuits like they serve you at Red Lobster. They're deliciouis!!
I also cook my turkey upside down, until the last hour. I also do not stuff my turkey..I instead put quarter onions, celery tops, fresh dill and twigs of time and rosemary in the cavity. I also rub herbs under the skin (Dill, rosemary, sage and thyme) If you paste the turkey with a little honey the last 1/2 hour or so, it will turn a beautiful golden brown!
One of the guys i work with says he rubs mayo under the skin of his turkey..never tried it, but it sound interesting!
My Mom makes the best turkey ever !! and I'm not saying this because she is my mom..... her secret is that she soaks it in water with salt, half a bottle of cooking wine, and a seasoning she makes (recipe below). The turkey is soaked for three days .. and yes regrigerating this is a pain but you manage. once you start cooking the turkey it must be basted very, very often. Her turkeys are always juicy tender and full of flavor.
the condiment my mom makes is:
one large onion
2 tomatoes
2 spigs of celery
green,red,yellow peper
garlic
carrot
parsley
cilantro
scallion
salt
pepper
cummin
all of this ingredients should be put in the food processor then put in a pot brought to a boil.... I use half of this mixture to put in the soaking water and the other half for the day that I actually cook it.....
I never heard of turning the turkey ... but then I've never felt the need to invent since the above mentioned recipe works so well ... no matter how you put it ... making a turkey is alot of work
Lots of yummy recipes posted here! I have cooked family dinners for years and catered a few. I always brine my bird. Take a bucket or igloo water cooler (the kind construction workers use) about a 5 gallon one, add a gallon of apple cider, 2 cups of coarse salt, 2 cups brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and a handful of herbs of choice. Mix it all up and add about 1/2 bag of ice. Submerge the turkey in this, making sure no turkey part is sticking up. I put a plate on top of the turkey and push down. Cover and place in the garage or cool place for 4 to 12 hours. We let ours sit over night. Rinse the bird, rub with melted butter and roast covered. It will cook much faster than a unbrined bird. Good luck and have fun.
Sssh! Here's a little secret that will help with dessert...
Winn Dixie's Prestige Brand Pecan Pie...it tastes almost like homemade.
I used it once and my MIL thought I made it b/c she saw me taking it from the oven (I heat it in the oven like the directions on the box suggests)
Take a deep breath, honey! Everything will turn out fine.
I brined my turkey for the first time a few weeks ago for a pre-THanksgiving for the inlaws that were going away for the winter. Used Alton Brown's method on Good Eats. It came out pretty good. I thought it a little salty but it was very moist and no one else complained. Never thought of using apple cider. I brined it for 6 hrs as directed, but wondered if you can leave it overnight as i really don't want to pull an all-nighter over turkey, LOL!
As an alternative to jell-o mold:
I use a watergate salad:
Pistachio Pudding Mix (dry)
1 lg. can crushed pineapple
Med. Cool Whip
8 oz. Plain yogurt (optional)
Mix well and refrigerate overnight.
You can toss in some miniature marshmallows and/or toasted nuts. I use pecan pieces in mine.
My son calls it, So-so. Because he says it's soooo good!
This is a new addition to our Turkey Day dinner:
1 bunch broccoli - the stores usually put 3 in a bunch
1 head cauliflower
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 pound crisp bacon - crumbled
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
---------------------
Break broccoli and cauliflower into small pieces.
Mix together mayo, sugar, and vinegar. Pour over broccoli and cauliflower, mix well, and chill.
Before serving, mix in cheese and bacon. Serve!
I have to say, this is a hard topic for me...we go to a church hall and celebrate with DH's family. Everyone brings one side dish and dessert, so I eat a lot of different sides, but don't make them all...
green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cheesy potatoes, broccoli/rice/cheese dish, etc, etc, etc...
Good Luck!!!
My best advice is to start early! You can start chopping vegetables today and store them in the fridge. Sort them into the appropriate quantity for each recipe so that all you do is grab a baggie (or container) and add it at the appropriate time! Remember that on Thursday your oven will be consumed with the turkey so try to have everything else cooked on Wednesday. Then you'll just need to reheat it in the oven once the turkey is finished.
And if you find that you are very stressed and cannot possibly make all of the side dishes, you may want to consider outsourcing! Whole Foods makes some amazing, gourmet side dishes that they sell in their deli case. Or offer to pay a friend to make some for you. You can make a few yourself and buy some others. Your family may never know the difference.
Either way, I admire you for taking on such a huge endeavor!
Best wishes!
Brined turkeys can be a bit salty. Just use 1 cup of salt with the apple cider, brown sugar and pepper flakes. If the gallon of cider and ice aren't enough to cover the turkey, add water and stir. You can let it sit over night as long as the temp is below 40. That is where the ice comes in. I have done this for years and always have a moist bird.
As an alternative to jell-o mold:
I use a watergate salad:
Pistachio Pudding Mix (dry)
1 lg. can crushed pineapple
Med. Cool Whip
8 oz. Plain yogurt (optional)
Mix well and refrigerate overnight.
You can toss in some miniature marshmallows and/or toasted nuts. I use pecan pieces in mine.
My son calls it, So-so. Because he says it's soooo good!
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