My love for my blog has increased my blog reading addiction.  Not only that, but now I have fully committed to the Pinterest bug.  Pin! Pin! Pin!  There is so much to see, I am afraid I might miss the very best thing ever.  Maybe you have the same concerns?  Just in case, every Saturday, I will put up my weekly favorites so that you don’t miss something very important.  I try to limit myself to 10 but sometimes there are just too many.  Enjoy!

1. These Peas are Hollow:  Lime Glazed Mini Bundt Cakes
2. Chocolate Moosey:  Roasted Jalapeno Soup
3. Juanita’s Concina:  Comforting Broccoli Cheese Soup
4. Birds and Blooms:  Popcorn and Cranberry Wreath for the Birds
5. Oh, Bite It!:  Praline Pancakes
6. Making Memories With Your Kids:  Chocolate Peppermint Snowballs
7. Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons:  Oh Honeydew, Oh Honeydew Thy Fruits I Am Arranging 
8. Check It Out Avesta:  Andes Chocolate Chip Cookies 
9. The Fountain Avenue Kitchen:  Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche
10. Recipes for my Boys:  Chocolate Covered Peppermint 
11. Cookies and  Cups:  Bugle Santa Hat Party Mix

In case you haven’t had enough.  Or you need to go ahead and mark something new to try next year. OR they can easily be added to the Christmas menu.  Here is a recap of some of my family’s favorite sides:

Thanksgiving for my family is all about the sides and desserts.  Turkey is sort of accompaniment to the favorites!  These are a few of what we served that were new (except the Cranberry Relish) this year.  I think they were all hits and will be requested to return next year!

Pumpkin Roll

• 1/4 cup or more powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin 

Filling

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Cake:
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

For the filling:
Beat the cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Tip:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Sweet Potato Soufflé (Eggless)

I loved this dish.  It has just the right amount of flavor added with the spices and orange.  It served beautifully.  Thanks, Rocio.  It was a hit!

• 6 sweet potato — cooked, peeled and mashed
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Fruit Turkey

Adapted from: http://melissascuisine.blogspot.com/

1 pineapple
½  pound of purple and green grapes each
1 pear
2 raisins
peel of 1 apple
1 pineapple wedge
10-15 wooden skewers
1 toothpick

1. Cut the crown off the top of the pineapple. Now you have a choice: you can leave the pineapple as it is, or you can cut the fruit out of the pineapple, leaving a shell that can be refilled with the pineapple. Either way is fine: if you leave the pineapple whole, your turkey will be sturdier; if you cut out the interior fruit, you can enjoy the pineapple!

2. Wash grapes and remove them from the vine. Thread the grapes onto the wooden skewers. (The grandchildren did this)

3. Poke the skewers into the back of the pineapple to form the “feathers”. (If the pineapple is unbalanced and wants to tilt, I found that adding pineapple to the inside added enough weight to hold it still.)

4. Cut a skewer in half and insert the pointed end into the front of the pineapple. Skewer the pear, to attach the face to the pineapple body.

5. Make the turkey face by cutting a toothpick into 3 sections. Using a section of the toothpick, attach the raisins for eyes, apple peel for a gobbler, and pineapple (or cheese) wedge for a beak.

6. Place the fruit turkey on a serving tray and arrange crackers and remaining grapes around the turkey.

The Cranberry Relish is served in sherbet glasses that my Grandmother gave me ages ago.  They add a nice dimension to the table and look pretty too. I love old glass.  I’m sure it wasn’t expensive, but knowing she used it and I can pass it on is a nice thought.  This is her recipe too.

Cranberry Relish

• 1 package whole cranberries
• 2 unpeeled red delicious apples, core and stem removed
• 2 large oranges, zested then segmented
• 2 cups (or a little more) granulated sugar

Rinse the cranberries and pick through for any that are a little too ripe.  Quarter the apples and remove the core.  (Don’t peel the apples.)

Wash and completely zest the oranges.   Cut away the pith from the orange fruit. Over a bowl, segment the oranges, catching any juices.

Grind the cranberries, and apples in a food processor.  In a large mixing bowl combine the ground cranberries and apples with the orange zest, segments and juice.  Add the sugar and stir well.  Store in a covered glass bowl in the refrigerator stirring occasionally.

Transfer to a glass jar with a lid to store.  This should be made a day or two ahead of serving time.

We had more food than we could eat, but I sent home leftovers home with those who wanted them.

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I am going to ramble about this at some of these fun parties.