Our Thanksgiving meal...plus the good stuff (all items with sugar)

So lets just dive right in to the good stuff first. Because I love desert most we are going to start this Thanksgiving meal off with yummiest!

I started with Cherry pie mini-hearts. Believe it or not
 I found this red heart pie cutout mold online at
Avon!! I have the most awesome Avon Representative Alicia Densel (who also happens
to be my boyfriend's big sissy and mother of two of the most adorable
little boys you have ever seen). Did you know Avon sold baking
goodies? I didn't until I found this and snatched it right up!

Step 1: cut out the heart shapes with the back of the heart pie mold
Step 2: lay one cutout inside the mold and fill with desired pie filling:
I choose cherry because I love cherry pie bunches.
Step 3: lay the second heart cutout on top of the pie filled one and close
the pie mold to crimp the sides and seal the pie.
Step 4: place all mini-pies on cookie sheet or glass baking tray and
                    cook following directions of pie filling you are using. I cooked
these at 375 deg F for 15 minutes and they came
out perfect.

Now for the hearty pie. Since it is just me, Jordan and Ryan this year for
Thanksgiving I decided five different kinds of pies would be to much. Being
from the South I have to have Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potato Pie. I still though two
pies would be too much for just us three so I made one pie with both! This is
a Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie and came out super yummy.
I will make a recipe card soon and post it for y'all with the ingredients I used.

Love/Hate:
So I have a totally love hate relationship with Turkey. I have dropped them, burnt them, undercooked them and every thing in between. It really is a dang picky bird. However though years of trial error I have finally beat this bird! I am going to share my hard learned tips in case you are currently in the Turkey War Trenches like I have been for a decade.










Hello my old foe! I whooped your butt this year!

Step1: After the bird is thawed I clean it and the let it sit on the counter
for an hour before I glaze it and stick it in the oven. While it is sitting there I
place a bag of ice on the breast of the turkey and let the legs come up
to room temp. This way when the turkey is cooking they cook at the same speed.
Step 2: Glaze Cupcakes. Got to have it. It will just be a dry ole bird without.
I melted a stick of butter, added 1/2 cup of brown sugar to the melted butter
and turkey rub spices. I then slathered the bird in the glaze, poured inside the bird, and
dumped the rest on top for good measure.
Step 3: Turkey bags. Use them. Two reasons: 1: they really do help the bird
keep the juices and flavor better. 2: If you drop the damn thing it has some kind
of protection so it is not a total loss.
Step 4: Bake it upside down. That way all the juices run to the breast and it
doesn't get so dried out. I know there is a lot of debate in the
cooking universe about this but it works for me so I am going to keep doing it.

Do have a Veggie hater in your life? Well stuffing is the perfect way
to trick them into eating some good food. Ryan is Irish and if it is not a
meat or potato he could really care less about it. So I try and sneak
veggies into every meal I can. The great thing about stuffing is the flavor of the herbs is
so strong it hides the veggies most excellently.
Step1: Melt the butter and herbs (what ever herbs tickle your fancy). I used sage, rosemary and some
other Italian seasons.
Step 2: Fry up some turkey bacon. You can use regular bacon
but any chance I get to sneak some turkey bacon past Ryan I take it. The bacon
won't be the star of the stuffing so it won't be as noticeable it is turkey.
Step 3: Add your veggie. I added spinach and green peas.
Step 4: Add the stuffing or bread mix of your choice and broth.
Step 5: Sprinkle on some cheese of you choice and bake that yummy in the oven
until nice and crispy on top.



If you are just starting your Christmas shopping and are looking for some cute baking/kitchen and other fabulous items go over Avon Awesome Alicia's store and grab up the goodies before they are gone.

Be safe shopping out there Cupcakes. It is a mad world full of mad shoppers :)