Our Favorite Thanksgiving Day Recipes
Thanksgiving is around the corner, and the time for food prep is near! Rather than fret over what recipes you can add to your menu this year, we're sharing an assortment of our favorites. From tasty desserts to scrumptious side dishes, check out our favorite Thanksgiving recipes below! No Bake - Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Ingredients 1 Keebler Ready Crust Pie Crust Graham +2 Servings 1 30 oz pumpkin pie mix 4 oz Cream Cheese 1 cup and 1tbs of milk 1 tablespoon sugar 1 ½ cups of Cool whip 2 small instant vanilla puddings Instructions Mix 4 oz cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of milk with a hand mixer Beat cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in a large bowl with a whisk until blended. Then mix in 1 ½ cups of COOL WHIP. Spread onto the bottom of the crust. Whisk the remaining milk, pumpkin pie mix, and dry pudding mix with a whisk. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over the cream cheese layer. Creamy Green Bean Casserole from Scratch | Sallys Baking Addiction Ingredients 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt, divided 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and halved 2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced into halves or quarters* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced (minced roasted garlic is great here) 2 Tablespoons (15g) of all-purpose flour 3/4 cup (180ml) chicken or vegetable broth 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) half-and-half* Instructions Preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. For the onions: (while the onions bake, you can blanch the green beans– step 4.) Thinly slice the onion. Pour flour in one small bowl, Panko + salt + pepper into a medium bowl, and whisk the egg and milk together in another small bowl. To bread the onion slices, you’ll want to use one hand for dry and one hand for wet. It helps things move a little quicker and easier. First, dip a few slices into the flour. Then into the egg mixture. And finally, give them a nice dunk into the Panko and coat them well. Place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the onions. Bake onions until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Flip them twice during this time. Set them aside. Reduce oven to 400°F (204°C). Bring a gallon of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately place into a large bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside. For the casserole: Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in a large 10 – 12 inch ovenproof skillet. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the mushrooms begin to give off some of their moisture– about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir until combined. The flour will soak up all the moisture. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Stirring occasionally, cook until the mixture is thick– about 10 minutes or maybe more if you prefer a thicker sauce. Remove from the heat and add 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Give it a nice stir, combining the sauce and beans. Top with pre-baked onion topping. Remove from the oven and enjoy! Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat as desired. Mac and Cheese | Modified Patti Labelle Edition Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound elbow macaroni 8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoon butter 8 ounces shredded Muenster cheese 8 ounces shredded mild Cheddar cheese 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes 2 large eggs , lightly beaten 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x13 pyrex dish.Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Add more salt than called for above. Season with extra salt to taste Take half of the macaroni and pour it into the casserole dish. Then take the shredded cheese and cover the first layer completely with shredded cheese you should see no pasta. Now take the rest of the macaroni and put it on top of the layer of shredded cheese. Spread it evenly and then cover it with another full layer of cheese to finish up all the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining two tablespoons of butter.Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot. Cranberry Sauce from Scratch Ingredients 1 Package Cranberries 1 Cup Orange Juice 1 cup Sugar 1 chopped Orange ½ an orange peel diced Instructions Mix all ingredients in a pot over medium heat until the cranberries pop. Once the cranberries have popped, remove them from the heat. Place in a Tupperware container in the fridge overnight. When ready, remove from fridge and serve. Mrs. Cubbison's Stuffing Casserole Ingredients 1 box (12 oz.) of Mrs. Cubbison's Traditional Seasoned Stuffing or Seasoned Corn Bread Stuffing 1 cup (2 sticks); melted butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups; chopped celery 1 cup; chopped onion 1 1/2 cups; broth, fruit juice, or water 1 Cup Mushrooms Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine dressing with butter or margarine and vegetables and/or fruit of your choosing. Stir the liquid in gradually. Spoon into a 2 1/2- or 3-quart greased casserole dish and cover. Bake on the middle rack of preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove the cover and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer for a crisper top.
Places to Give Back this November
November is a time to give thanks, and what better way to do it than by giving back? Spend some time in your local community this season with a number of charitable organizations. From donating to volunteering, we’ve compiled a list of the top charities to contribute to this November. Baby2Baby This organization works year-round to ensure that no child is without the basic necessities of childhood; accepting donations all year long for items that will benefit children (infants to age 12), including but not limited to car seats, clothing (children’s and maternity), hygiene items (toothpaste, soap, sunscreen), coats, and more. Food on Foot Donating gently used clothing, shoes, blankets, as well as food! You can sign up to volunteer anytime, and it usually costs $25 (which serves as funds to feed about five people per day). Union Station Homeless Services San Gabriel Valley’s largest social services agency offers year-round community meal programs and other services for the area’s homeless population: including emergency shelter, children’s education and recreational activity, and adult classes in parenting, nutrition, and money management. Union Station Homeless Services has also hosted Dinner in the Park for over four decades, named the biggest potluck in the nation by the Los Angeles Times: This organization helps give warm holiday meals to more than 7,000 homeless, low-income, and senior citizens. Midnight Mission Downtown’s midnight mission offers counseling education and job placement to the city’s homeless population, as well as food, shelter, personal hygiene, and medical care. For the holidays, the Mission holds special events in addition to regular meal services and food donation drives. Note: Midnight Mission asks that female volunteers come with a companion since this is an all-male facility. Fred Jordan Mission The Fred Jordan Mission has provided clothing, blankets, and food to the homeless for more than 50 years. For the holidays, volunteers hand out food bags, toys, and blankets and sing carols! L.A. Regional Food Bank Come help distribute food this holiday season with L.A. Regional Food Bank. Volunteers are needed for special events, food sorting, and food drives: including the organization’s yearly Operation Gobble, where volunteers will help inspect, sort, and repackage food for delivery during the holiday. Holidays From the Heart (CHLA) This program aims to lighten up the holidays for chronically ill children and their families. There are a number of ways you can help, including sponsoring a family or providing bulk gift items (clothing, diapers, making a monetary donation, or serving as a volunteer (shopping for gifts, distributing gifts). Crayon Collection Upcycle gently used crayons, providing children with crayons and saving our landfills. Being a part of the Crayon Collection allows families with children of all ages an easy way to volunteer and make a difference. Brighten the Holidays (Salvation Army) This program helps families who are experiencing hard times due to unemployment, medical issues, homelessness, or other challenges. From generously providing family dinners to donating toys to put under the tree, help the Salvation Army lend a hand with holiday events to those who need it most.
Our Favorite Halloween Decor
Get into the spooky spirit with Halloween decor! You’ll be sure to bewitch your guests once they see how stylish your home is this October. Read our blog below for a few of our favorite decor ideas for All Hallows Eve! Spooky Porch Decor Most neighbors and friends may not get into all the rooms to appreciate the work and Halloween home decor ideas in each room; they will surely see the porch. Colorful rugs at the entrance with colorful pumpkins and pillows are a great idea. Juxtapose the floor designs with some great flowers or gnarled plants on the side to create a more natural scenery. Floating Witch hat Luminaries Lighting is one of the simplest ways to transform a dull place into a magnificent creation. No matter how cramped the space in a room is, it is possible and necessary to have luminaries or light sources for Halloween. Rather than having a traditional lampshade, it is a great idea to use Floating hat luminaries to increase the spooky Halloween feeling without necessarily scaring the kids at home. Many lamp-shaped hats can be bought from the store or even have a DIY transformation. You can hang the lampshades on the porch, in the living room, and in the hallways. Try to ensure the selected hat colors match the rest of the room decor whenever possible. Halloween Themed Crockery Switch up your cutlery and dishware for something spooky. Incorporate your own DIY Halloween-themed tumblers, mugs, cups, and plates with a customized feel. A webbing pattern with a few spiders and the addition of a glowing dye is going to fascinate guests and families for many years to come. Wine Bottle Candlesticks Sprucing up the Halloween home decor depends on how much of the decor is affected and is visible to everyone. Simply paint Halloween bottles in matte black spray paint and insert an orange taper candle once dry. The design will surely bring an eerie feeling irrespective of the place you place the candles in the room. Horror Novel Door Think of the chill that ran down your spine reading horror novels. Why not relive the moments by transforming your door into a faux library? We recommend using gold paint for the book titles on craft paper. Add some plants at the door entrance, and you've created the illusion of library books. Halloween home decor ideas like this can stay long after Halloween.
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