Thanksgiving is just around the corner. If you have been invited to enjoy a feast at someone else’s house, you may want to bring a host gift. Anytime you are invited to dine at someone’s home, it is a great idea to bring a gift. Why not put together a gift basket with wine, cheese, crackers and homemade strawberry jam? It’s a nice touch to add something homemade. Strawberry jam is so easy to make. This gift can be opened and enjoyed right there as an appetizer. You could also put some fresh bread and biscuits into the basket for the host to enjoy for breakfast. Here is a recipe that will fill a beautiful jar of strawberry jam as a gift and still leave a little for your refrigerator as well.

Strawberry jam:

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

2 ¾ C. sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

4 Tbsp pectin (I have included a You Tube video with a pectin free recipe)

Mash the strawberries with a potato masher. Pour the strawberries into a pot on high heat. Add the sugar, pectin and lemon juice. Bring to a rolling boil. Cook as it boils, stirring constantly, for ten minutes. Skim off the foam. Turn off the heat. Pour into jars. This will last for three weeks in the refrigerator.

You may also enjoy:

·         Homemade peanut butter

·         Homemade pizza

·         Homemade everything

• 8 medium-sized washed sweet potatoes
• ½ cup of whole milk
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of melted butter
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp of melted butter

Topping Ingredients

• 1 packed cup of dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of all purpose flour   
• 1 cup of coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup of coconut flakes or toasted fresh coconut shavings

Method

2. Wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil (leave skin on.)
3. Boil potatoes in large stockpot until fork tender, about 40 minutes.
4. Remove foil and allow potatoes to cool enough to peel.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Place peeled potatoes in a large mixing bowl; use an electric mixer to beat until smooth.
7. Add sugar, milk, ½ cup butter, eggs, and extracts to mixture and beat on low speed till blended well.
8. Use ¼ tsp of butter to grease sides and bottoms of casserole dish.
9. Pour sweet potato mixture into dish.
10. In another mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients well.
11. Evenly sprinkle topping mixture over sweet potatoes.
12. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown.    

Ingredients

• 2 c fresh or frozen cranberries, washed
• 1/2 c white or light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 c water
• grated orange or lemon rind (optional)
• pinch of cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 c toasted walnut (or other nut) pieces

Method

Combine the water, sugar and rind/cinnamon if used. Bring to a full boil in a heavy saucepan. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Add the drained cranberries and cook only until the berries start to burst. Don’t overcook. Remove from the heat and mix in the toasted walnut pieces.

Allow to cool to room temperature and present in a nice bowl.

Serve Traditional Cranberry Sauce With Walnuts as part of Turkey and Trimmings.

1. Whip your cream in a big mixing bowl. For those of you not sure about when it is whipped, generally it is when you can make little peaks by pulling the whip out of the cream.
2. Squeeze approximately 2 large lemons or until you have half a cup of lemon juice.
3. In a separate bowl from the cream, empty the can of condensed milk and add the lemon juice. Mix this in well. You will see it separates slightly so as soon as it is done grab your cream.
4. Fold the condensed milk mixture into the cream and if you can’t resist, now is a good time to have a taste!

For the biscuit base, follow the steps below:

1. Put about 10-20 biscuits (depending on how much base you like) in a freezer bag and tie it up.
2. Smack the bagon the counter until the biscuits magically turn into crumbs!

Then add it all together like so:

1. To make the base, take a pie dish (or something similar) and add the crumbs to the base. Spread it evenly and if there are some bigger lumps still left, it adds a bit of chunk so no worries.
2. Spoon the cream/mixture in and level it off. With the back of the spoon spread it to the edges.
3. As a final step sprinkle any left-over crumbs over the top.
4. Refrigerate for about 2-3 hours to allow to set.

Please note that it does not set solidly, but is oh so yummy. Also remember that you don’t have to add so much lemon if you don’t like lemon, but it thins it out a little and gives it a tang. I’m not a lemon fan either. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• giblets from one turkey: neck and stomach/gizzard, plus any trimmings. Reserve the liver for the stuffing.
• 1/2 c minced onion and celery
• butter or vegetable oil
• 2 c/1 pint chicken or turkey stock
• 1 bay leaf
• turkey (or chicken) drippings
• 1/2 c heavy cream
• salt, freshly-ground black pepper

Method

Wash the neck and stomach/gizzard. Break the neck into a few sections, chop the stomach/gizzard into small pieces. Heat a small amount of butter, oil or a mixture of the two in a heavy sauce pan. Saute the giblet pieces until lightly browned. Remove them from the pan and sweat the onion/celery mixture in the remaining butter/oil.

Add back the giblets, 1 bay leaf and the stock. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, cover and let the gravy simmer until the giblets are tender. It can be made ahead of time at this point and reheated before serving.

When ready to serve, remove the neck pieces, heat the gravy and add any pan drippings from the roast. Reduce over medium heat if desired. Whisk in some heavy cream and season with salt/pepper.

Serve with Turkey and Trimmings.

Now, it has become a favorite with children everywhere. It’s great in a sandwich, on celery, and in cookies. There are so many different brands of peanut butter available at the grocery story. Many have added sugars and preservatives. If you are trying to guide your family toward a more natural diet, stick to the peanut butter with very few ingredients, like peanuts, oil and salt. However, if you want to take it one step further, make homemade peanut butter. It is simple and tastes better than the store bought brands. Besides, you will know exactly what is in it. For more homemade recipes please visit my blog.

Homemade peanut butter:

(1 C. peanuts = ½ C. peanut butter; so, adjust accordingly)

1 C. unsalted, dry roasted peanuts, shelled

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 ½ tsp. honey/brown sugar

1 Tbsp canola/peanut oil

Pour the peanuts into a food processor. Blend well. Add salt and sugar or honey. Blend again. Pour in the oil and blend again. It should be creamy and delicious. Pour into a jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 c milk/2 pints
• 1/2 stick/2 oz unsalted butter
• 8 shallots, peeled
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and white pepper to taste
• 10 slices fresh white bread, crusts removed, diced

Method

Heat the milk, butter, shallots, nutmeg, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper in a heavy pan over low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove and throw away the bay leaf.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Add the diced bread. Pulse until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if needed. The sauce should be pourable, not glue-like. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, rewarm gently over low heat or microwave in a covered bowl at low power. Either way stir the sauce during heating. Present the sauce in a nice sauce or gravy boat.

Serve with Turkey and Trimmings for a festive holiday meal.

Ingredients

• 2 lb large baking potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 2-in chunks
• 5–6 tbs fat, such as roast drippings, olive oil, duck fat etc
• chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, marjoram
• minced garlic (optional)
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method

Oven at 425 F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Parboil the potatoes for about 8 minutes, until slightly cooked. Don’t cook through. Drain well and cut a few shallow slashes in the surfaces of the potatoes. This increases the crispness of the finished Roast Potatoes.

While the potatoes are boiling, put the fat, to a depth of about 1/2 inch, into a large roasting pan/tin. Place into the hot oven to preheat the fat.

When the fat is nearly smoking hot, add the drained potatoes and turn them over to coat. Put the pan into the oven and roast for about 15–20 minutes. Turn the potatoes over again to keep them coated in the fat.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 F and replace the potatoes*. Continue roasting, turning the potatoes every 15 minutes or so for about an hour. Season with the herbs, garlic if used, salt and pepper during the last 15 minutes, mixing well. The chunks of potato should be crisp and nicely browned.

*If making Traditional Roast Potatoes along with a turkey, roast the potatoes for an hour at the temperature needed for the meat. While the meat is resting, turn the oven up to 425–450 F, to finish and crisp the potatoes.

Serve with Turkey and Trimmings for a festive holiday meal.