This Thanksgiving we are making crunchwraps.

I made Protein Cookies! Except I used real sugar, though cut it in half, and ran out of peanut butter and substituted half PB2 powder mixed with water, and you know what? They turned out incredible! Especially after being in the fridge, they're like delicious peanut butter fudge.

Macros were pretty great too for a pre or post workout treat at 290 calories/17g protein. Next time I would reduce the sugar a little more and use less chocolate chips to bring the calories down a little.

I started following Cooks Illustrated's Instagram account this past week and I've already learned a lot, specifically that fully cooked turkey can still be pink and how to pick a good sweet potato.

I'm the queen of the side dishes for Thanksgiving. My favorites/once a year offerings are Sweet Onion Quiche. (I use the recipe and pour it in a pie shell.) Cranberry Salad and Slow cooker cornbread dressing.

We are getting the smoked turkey from ZZQ--so excited.

Here is a family recipe that we call "Thanksgiving Juice". My father who was an excellent cook, made his marinara sauce from scratch and loved good tasting things, concocted this beverage that pairs well with the turkey, potatoes, gravy, bread that needs some counterbalance.

Mix 1 can of frozen lemonade with the recommended water and 1 can of frozen grape juice with the recommended water.

That is all.

Way too sweet for me, but I would use it to mix into a glass of seltzer.

Ridiculous, but always a favorite.

My boyfriend and I made Ina Garten's cauliflower toast recipe last night with French sourdough from Europa Crust (first time trying them--very good!) and it was TO DIE FOR. Quite heavy, but very satisfying. We used soppressata instead of prosciutto. The cheeses make a cream sauce, and the nutmeg, paprika (we used smoked), and chives gild the lily. My boyfriend kept calling them cauliflower pizzas. Highly recommend!

Cauliflower Toasts

I’m making this Fall-spiced blistered shishitos recipe for one of our Friendsgiving sides tomorrow. Very excited to try it out 🤤

Also! For anyone who needs a vegetarian friendly recipe, my great grandmother used to make these walnut patties and they’re always a hit:

• 4 eggs

• 8 oz cream cheese

• 1/2 yellow onion, grated

• 1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans!)

• 1 cup bread crumbs

• sage, garlic, salt and pepper to taste

• mix it all together and form small (2-3” across) patties. Fry with oil & butter. I usually bake them in a 8x12 smothered in a mushroom gravy.

I need a lot of poblano peppers, and I need to get to hunting those down. I like to roast and stuff them with butternut squash, farro, and cheese.

I made keto no bake peanut butter cookies for a work fundraiser. It had peanut butter(you can use hazelnut or Nutella as an alternative), coconut oil, oatmeal, crushed walnuts(I added), salt, and pure maple syrup. You melt the coconut oil, then add the ingredient to a large bowl, mix together, then refrigerate. They'll have a fudge-like texture

Tinkering with a cheese type spread to bring next weeks Thanksgiving gathering:

1 jar crema

2 fresh grated garlic cloves

3 tsp of fresh dill (rounded)

1/2 fresh lemon

pour crema in bowl, add garlic, dill and juice of the fresh lemon. Mix well and sit at room temp until it thickens like cream cheese. The type of crema you use will either make it sweeter or more tart depending on your taste. Serving with bagel chips.

Anyone got a candied yams recipe they swear by? I'm all ears

salsa chicken: one can of salsa and 2 lbs of chicken in a crock pot for 6 hours on low. Shred chicken and serve over rice with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. For extra flavor pan fry the chicken after it comes out of the crock pot to crisp it up a bit.

Thanksgiving is coming up so, the pumpkin pie recipe that has never failed me:

https://www.abcfws.com/rumchata-pumpkin-pie/rumchata-pumpkin-pie

Don’t skip the booze.

Prepping some apps ahead of time to help my mother in-law stay out of the kitchen and enjoy some family time. One of my faves is a stuffed mushrooms recipe from my mom but modified a little.

• 2 packs of mushrooms (button, large as you can find)
• 1 package of stuffing (doing gf due to family dietary restrictions)
• 1 pack of imitation crab, shredded
• idk like a stick of butter
• some cheese to shred, cheddar is a1, parm is good too

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel
3. De-stem mushrooms
4. Use a small spoon or melon baller or something like that to remove a little of the mushrooms insides to create some space to stuff
5. Prepare stuffing - usually just follow package instructions
6. Combine crab with stuffing and stuff the mushrooms
7. Place a tiny slab of butter on top of each mushrooms
8. Bake mushrooms for like 30 minutes til mushroom is tender and stuffing browns a bit.
9. Remove mushrooms and place a little shredded cheese on top, finish in oven for 5 more minutes

Thanksgiving my spouse & I are doing a round two of a very simple but absurdly delicious duck breast recipe from Hank Shaw. Doing kind of a 'surf and turf' theme with those paired with lobster tails and a bunch of usual Thanksgiving-y sides. Highly recommend this method if anyone wants a taste of duck without dealing with the whole bird.