I will do several updated throughout the day.

The festivities I have been looking forward to, is here. As soon as I am done with this post I will turn the Thanksgiving parade on and get in the kitchen with the Cisco Kid and start cooking.
The Braciole was in the process of cooking on my last post. Now that it is done here are some pictures.
I updated this post at 9:00 a.m. this morning.

I have put the turkey in a nice big pot last night and let it soak with some salt and spices.
This morning I rinsed the turkey off and stuff it with onions, celery, carrots, parsley, basil & garlic. Stuffing the turkey with spices and vegetables makes the gravy delicious. take about four pads of butter and place it under the breast skin. I put a light coating of olive oil on the big bird and rub Mrs Dash tomato basil all over it. I love cooking my turkey in the baking bags. The turkey always comes out juicy. Big bird looking good. I updated this post at 12:30 p.m. This is our Thanksgiving Brunch.

Enjoy your day and Happy Thanksgiving.

This is posted Friday morning.

Everyone around the fire pit relaxing after stuffing themselves. The kids are always ready for something sweet. They have been looking forward to roasting marshmallows all day.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

The love of traditions

Tomorrow is the big feast.

I am ready to enjoy the company of our family and friends. Thanksgiving has been one of my favorite holidays. I am thankful to have this holiday in my home. It has been a cherished tradition every year. I love when my house is full of family and friends, I love the smell of food through out the house, I love the family time we get hanging out in the kitchen cooking Thanksgiving day, I love the thanksgiving parade, I love going out doors and playing games with the kids, I love at the end of the day just sitting around the table and talking. I love that the Thanksgiving celebration starts at 11:00 a.m. and ends around 10:00 p.m. I love the way all the food brings people together.

That brings me to tell you about my menu. I have all my food prepared as much as I could. The rest will be done on Thursday morning.

Yesterday I made the Braciole and prepped the stuffing for the calzones. Today I will cook the Braciole in my homemade tomato sauce that I have in the freezer. I will post the recipe of the Braciole when it is done cooking in the tomato sauce.

Calzone....I will post the recipe for the Calzone next week.
Pineapple & Cherries make for a great after dinner fresh taste.

This is some of the Crystal I washed that I will be using for Thanksgiving.

Thursday morning I will rise with the roosters and put my 20 lb. turkey in the oven.
I will have the following completed by 11:00 a.m. when our Thanksgiving brunch starts. I will make the calzones, complete the deviled eggs, put the ham in the oven, cook the glazed carrots, and Put together the Tomato, basil and mozzarella salad. Everything else for the brunch is completed.
This is what I am doing for the dinner.
Today I am going to peal and cube all the potatoes for the mashed potatoes. Then I will put them in a large freezer bag with some water. Freeze them until it is time to make the mashed potatoes. I will put the frozen potatoes in a large pot and boil them. I am going to make the Macaroni and cheese and put it in the fridge until it is ready to bake tomorrow. I am going to put the corn in a corning pot with all the seasonings and put it back in the freezer.
One hour before dinner on Thursday all I will have to do is put the stuffing together, cook and mash the potatoes, put the corn on the stove, bake the rolls, put the macaroni and cheese in the oven, make the turkey gravy and carve the bird.

Have happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Braciole

Braciole. This is a very popular meat in my house. It is so tasty and melts in your mouth tender.

1 Beef roast long in length and sliced ¼ in think.
8 cloves of garlic, generously sprinkle garlic on the meat.
Pepper, generously sprinkle pepper on the meat.
Parnassian cheese, sprinkle a layer over the surface of the meat.
Mozzarella cheese, sprinkle a layer over the surface of the meat.
Use a meat tenderizing mallet and fatten the meat slightly.
Place plastic wrap over the meat prior to using the meat tenderizer.
String to tie the Braciole closed.

Layer all ingredients on the meat. Roll and tie with a string. Tie one end and start wrapping to the opposite end then tie the beginning end the last end.

Braise the meat until a golden brown.
Place them in a pot of tomato sauce and cook for at least two hours. I use a crock pot and let it cook for four hours.

Chocolate dipped Pumpkin cookies

Williams Sonoma cute fall cookie presses
The Pumpkin Cookies are a very simple sugar cookie with yellow and red food coloring to make orange dough.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 heaping tablespoon of caned or fresh pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Center Chocolate:
Bark Chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together all the wet ingredients. Beat the Butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, pumpkin, orange and vanilla extract. Add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring to get a nice bright orange color. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients into the wet. Roll the dough out and use Williams Sonoma fall cutters and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until slightly golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Center Directions:
Once the Cookies are cooled, make the Bark Chocolate according to the direction on the package. Dip on side of the leaf cookie in the chocolate and place another leaf on top. Put on cooling rack until harden.