a simple menu & recipe

I get easily overwhelmed.  The thought of preparing and making a huge bird for Thanksgiving is more than I want to think about.  Instead, last year we had the most delicious, big, tender, melt in your mouth, juicy, turkey breast ever.  And it was super easy to make~I brined it (not necessary though) and stuck it in the crock pot on low heat early Thanksgiving morning.  My local grocery store carries huge turkey breasts on sale around the holidays that are large enough to fit in my big crock pot. (and if you're having lots of people, you can use your sister in law's crock pot and cook another breast at the same time!~though one was more than enough for our two families~including leftovers)

I also printed up my menu ahead of time (see above), mounted it on pretty scrapbook paper, and framed it, so that I can remember each year what we will be having! (and it looks pretty displayed too).

I put "Dessert Buffet" on the menu, because I like to try different desserts.  This year I think we will include this Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake.  Doesn't it look good?

Here is the recipe...

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

38 ginger snaps, finely crushed

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 c. butter, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz. ea.) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup thawed cool whip

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch spring form pan.  Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended.  Add pumpkin, spice, and vanilla; mix well.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each just until blended.  Pour  into crust.  Bake 1 hour 20 min. to 1 hour 30 min. or until center is almost set.  Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.  Serve with a dollop of cool whip and a dusting of nutmeg.

Here is the menu I typed up and printed in Microsoft Word.  (To make things even simpler, I fry sausage and add it to a box of Stove top cornbread stuffing, and we use Rhode's frozen dinner rolls.  I use frozen green beans from my garden.  I also add dried cranberries to a bag of mixed salad~ it looks really festive and tastes yummy).  Can a Thanksgiving dinner get any easier than this? Well, maybe if you go out! 

Thanksgiving

Menu

Mixed Greens with pine nuts

& blue cheese dressing

Brined turkey breast

Cornbread stuffing with sausage

Green Beans

Rolls with honey butter

Mashed potatoes

Dessert Buffet

With pumpkin pie

linking to
tatertots and jello
the shabby nest

someday crafts