Thanksgiving Menu Planning

I've already started thinking about my menu for Thanksgiving. This is a big deal holiday to me, since I get to host at my house! I love times like this, when I'm not always the "kid" but I get to be the grown-up.

I know, having 3 kids of my own should make me a grown up already, but the double-edged sword of living near my entire family means that I spend a ton of time with my parents, and that doesn't always make me feel like the adult I am:)

Anyways, back to Thanksgiving.

Last year I hosted 2 meals, a brunch for 14 with my dad, stepmom, little sisters, grandma....the list kept going, you get the idea. Then I hosted a "dinner" at 4pm for my mom, stepdad, sister and brother-in-law, brother-in-law's parents.... Oh and I had a 3 week old baby.

So this year will be much easier, not the least least of which because I won't have a teensy-tinesy baby:)

This year I have the pleasure of being a part of a campaign that brings Country Crock into my menu.

Here are my two recipes: an apple, pear, cranberry crumble and roasted acorn squash.

To Roast Acorn Squash:




Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then place a pat of Country Crock spread inside with a spoonful of brown sugar.

Roast in a roasting pan, casserole, or on a baking sheet at 375 for about 45 minutes.

I have in the past, made an apple, pear, cranberry crumble. I made something similar except that I made more of a cobbler topping. I love Ina Garten, and will take any excuse to adapt one of her recipes:)

Apple, Pear, Cranberry Cobbler: 

Ingredients-

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (about 4)

2 pounds firm Macoun apples (about 6)

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 teaspoon grated orange zest 

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (from the orange you just zested)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup oats

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat oven to 350. Peel, core and cube pears and apples. Mix with other filling ingredients in a big bowl. Let sit while you make the topping. Combine all topping ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until butter is the size of peas. Pour or spoon filling into desired containers (this will make one 9x13 baking dish, or 3 smaller cobblers as I made). Crumble topping over the top of filling with your fingers. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

I made three smaller cobbler, one to eat that very night, and two to freeze and pull out on Thanksgiving!

What are you planning for Thanksgiving? Any good ideas?

Jessica

Thanks for stopping by! I love to keep in touch. 

    

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member ofClever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I link to these awesome parties:

Monday: DIY Showoff,  Thrifty Decor Chick, Home Stories A to Z  Tuesday: Nest for Less,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Centsational Girl Wednesday: Savvy Southern Style Thursday: House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue,  Crafty, Scrappy, Happy Friday:  Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello