Giving Thanks in 2016

2016 has brought a lot of ups and downs, not only for the country and the world but also here at home in our family. Even though it has been a tough year, there is a lot to give thanks for. This Thanksgiving, we continued the tradition of celebrating in Chicago. This year, my mother-in-law joined us for her first American Thanksgiving feast. We prepared a hybrid, traditional American and added some Indian dishes to the mix. 

Handmade centerpieces from grocery store flowers. 

The Menu:

Sausage Balls a la Jini

Idly and Assorted Chutney

Brussel Sprouts with Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Sweet Potato Cecelia (The New York Times Cookbook)

Rosemary-herb Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes 

Green Bean Casserole

Dinner Rolls (The New York Times Cookbook)

Tuscan Turkey (Cooking Light Magazine)

"Berry Good" Jello

Pumpkin Pie 

All of our sides.

Now, I have to admit, I am not a fan of Thanksgiving turkey. I only cook it because this is the one day out of the year I'll eat it. This year, if I was going to cook it, I was doing it my way. I scoured my Food and Wine Magazines, piles of cookbooks and websites. Finally I decided on Cooking Light's Tuscan turkey. Usually, my mom uses the cooking bags, to keep in moisture. This recipe requires no brining, and very little basting. I was nervous that I would have a dry turkey, but I trusted the recipe.

Pre-oven Turkey

I have to say this turkey changed the way I think about Thanksgiving. It was full of flavor and incredibly juicy. Since I went a little overboard on the red pepper flakes, it was also really spicy! This will definitely be adopted into the family traditions. We were also able to use the leftovers for a turkey curry. I froze the remaining bones and meat to make a turkey and rice soup this winter. 

Finished product

See the Cooking Light Tuscan Turkey Recipe here: http://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/tuscan-turkey