WILLARD started going out to everyone’s email boxes today; it takes two days for the whole list to go, and even though you might have just read yourself practically silly, you know there could be a surprise for you here, and of course, there is! ♥ But perhaps we need a little mood music? Here’s a song to dance you down the page; great soundtrack from the movie French Kiss . . .
This is a photo of my heart-shaped Lemon Pepper Tea Biscuits, just out of the oven, still warm, ready for someone to slather them with butter and Cranberry-Orange Marmalade. They are one of the recipes featured in a new cookbook I’m very excited about — it’s from Where Women Cook Magazine, and it’s called CELEBRATE!
I am one of the twenty-eight women featured in this book; honored to be included with such luminaries of the food world as Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman), Angie Dudley (Bakerella) and Molly Wizenberg (Orangette). One of the special things about this book, besides the obvious, is that each woman is pictured doing her thing in her own kitchen; there are tons of wonderful photographs, sixty recipes, and lots of tips for celebrating life, with cooking as the magical ingredient. My chapter is called “Kitchen Table Tea.” The kind of everyday celebration we have in the kitchen with our girlfriends. ♥ Each contributor chose a different theme to focus on.
(Do I like tea, really, or is it just the dishes? That’s the question!) Anyway, I have the first copy (still warm off the press) of CELEBRATIONS that was sent to me here on the island. I’m going to sign it and send it to one of YOU as a Thanksgiving present! Just leave a comment at the bottom of this post, and on Friday we’ll let the RNG (Random Number Generator) pull a name out of our hat and see in what corner of the world this book ends up. But for all of you, my girlfriends, scroll to the bottom of this post, and I’ll give you the recipe for the Lemon Pepper Tea Biscuits. ♫ Do I love you, Oh yes I love you . . . ♪
For me, the Thanksgiving countdown has begun . . . I started making my shopping list this morning . . .
Taking center stage is my grandma’s stuffing, which requires real bread that has to be air-dried for three days. Two days won’t do it. Don’t even think about putting it in the oven to dry. Those are the rules. So, I need to be ready. My ironing board does double duty as drying rack for the bread, spread out on cookie sheets in the pantry.
Plus, right now is gravy-making time; I need it for dinner, but I also need it for leftovers, so I start early and make extra. I learned to make gravy when I was very young, but still tweak it a little bit every year; a little of this a little of that; vermouth? Red wine? Plain this year? Joe always has his family’s 2¢ to add to the pot; sometimes requiring a restraining hand on his pouring arm. Shall we have sage? A teeny bit of cloves perhaps? Perfect gravy is the mark of distinction in our family — no one can describe exactly what makes it perfect, but we sure know it when we taste it!
I’m already done making the butters:
One for each biscuit plate (the baking powder kind). Yum.
I use leaves for place cards at Thanksgiving (as long as there isn’t snow on them!). I made these from rhododendron leaves, which are the perfect size, especially if you have a “Marjorie” coming to dinner, because her whole name fits on one! Plus they’re smooth and flat and don’t break too easily. I pick the leaves the day before and keep them in the fridge so they stay fresh, then write the names on as big as possible with a correction pen (after first practicing on a paper towel!).
OK, so would you like to go to the grocery store with us? This was yesterday!
We’re almost there, I kept thinking the leaf would jump off, but apparently it really wanted to get to the supermarket parking lot, and wasn’t going to give up until we were there!
OK, that’s enough of that. It’s been a red letter week for me, a feature in a new book, and another really nice article in the winter issue of Cape Cod Home Magazine. ♥ You guys must be spreading the word, something crazy is going on; so much to be grateful for. Plus, we have best friends coming from England next week! And to top it off, I already figured out what I’m giving you for Christmas! And I’m excited because I think you’ll like it!
So I am off to the City (that’s Domesticity City of course); I’m taking the day off to play with my house, nurk around in the guest room, organize the pantry, play ball with the new Kitty, hug Girl, kiss Joe, watch old movies, nap, and so on. But before I go, I want to give you that recipe and remind you to leave a comment to enter the drawing for the book — tell us the strangest, most quirky, or favorite thing you ever had at Thanksgiving — for me it’s always the same, Rainbow Jell-O, not very strange, but definitely quirky, and also a favorite. How about you?
LEMON PEPPER TEA BISCUITS
If you want your biscuits to be heart–shaped you will need a miniature muffin pan with hearts! I have this cast-iron one and I love it. This easy quick recipe makes one dozen delectable biscuits.
- 1-3oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 c. butter, softened
- grated zest of one lemon
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1 c. self-rising flour, sifted
- 1/3 c. either chopped dried cranberries or currants
- coarsely ground black pepper
- sanding sugar (opt.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a deep, medium-sized bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and zest with mixer on med speed until smooth. Scrape down bowl. Stir in sour cream. 
Gradually beat in flour until well blended. Stir in cranberries or currants. Put a heaping tsp. of dough into each cup of an ungreased miniature muffin pan, filling the space completely and leveling the surface of the dough. Grind pepper over the top. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (if desired). Bake for 15 min. or until light brown. Pop out muffins into a basket lined with a tea towel; cover to keep warm. ♥
Guess what? A foghorn is blowing, I can hear it sounding out up from the water. Later gators. ♥ have a wonderful day! xoxo
Ah, I would be so grateful to receive that Thanksgiving present! 🙂
Don’t ask me why, but biscuits taste better when they are heart-shaped!
They do!!
I have just pulled out my well loved copy of “Christmas from the Heart of the Home” to enjoy for another season 🙂 I do enjoy your stuff!
Congratulations and exciting news about the new cookbook! I will be watching my library for it, unless I win it of course !!!
A new cookbook … just what the doctor ordered to get my creative juices flowing. I’ll order it immediately!!! I wish I was coming to your house for Thanksgiving. We are having a second family Thanksgiving, an American style event to honour my Brother-in-law who is from Iowa 🙂 They are masters of the kitchen in his family; some of the best casseroles I’ve ever tasted. Wish me luck. I much prefer savoury to sage but for him I’ll make the exception. 🙂 Have a wonderful day. You are indeed my life’s muse!
Good luck Liza-Ann 🙂 ! Thank you!
The strangest thing? We went out for dinner one Thanksgiving. It wasn’t quite the same!
We went to Acapulco one Christmas; Christmas eve dinner in 96 degree weather, wasn’t right at all, never ever again!
Dear Susan
I eagerly wait for new postings on your blog, it is the highlight of my day. It is nice to know that there other domestic goddesses out there like myself, I also am a a striving artist, second career artist. Your stuffing recipe is like my mom’s, thought she was the only one who made it with fresh bread.
Mine gets dipped in boiling water and “wrung out” — how about yours?
We moisten ours with beaten egg and broth, leave a little on the dry side to moisten in the bird. Hit with my family for 40 years.
I asked because ours came from my great grandmother, and I’ve still never heard of anyone who does it that way. Just wondering . . . if you’d said yes, my next question would have been “Are you from Iowa!”
My recipe may come from my grandmother, she is no longer with us, we are from PA.
Okay, I give up! However do you “wring out” bread? 🙂
It gets so hard you dip it fast into HOT water, then crush it in your hands and get the water out of it, makes it sort of doughy, break it up into bite size pieces, drench it in butter, onions and celery. It’s in the Autumn book . . . with better directions!
We spent Thanksgiving at Disneyland last year…it was a little strange, but it was also a little magical! Thank you Susan for sharing so much with us….you are such a true blessing!
Oh, how you set the mood for getting ready for Thanksgiving ! I am going to use the leaves as placecards idea for a dinner party I am having this weekend. I just LOVE to have people over….and so few people do these days. It’s a tradition I am trying to keep alive. I would just love to win the book…I would put it in a place of honor on my counter…where Autumn rests right now, and your Christmas Cook Book ( Annie Hall’s Butter Cookies !!!) will be heading soon. Craziest Thanksgiving dish was that for years I would make some kind of jello mold….cranberry, apple, whatever…and my brother in law would always tease me and say “Is this a salad or dessert ? – When am I supposed to eat it ?” Best holiday dish is my mom’s pumpkin pie…..she passed away several years ago, but oh, her crust…lard crust – so not pc now, but SO good…and the pumpkin custard filling…..What I would give to sit at a table and have a cuppa tea and a piece of pie with her again ! Glad your chapter is tea….LOVE TEA….on our last trip to London we had tea at Kensington Palace and bought a tea cozy that we use every Sunday to keep our pot warm as we read, nibble, and sip. Bilss ! Thanks again for sharing your wonderful home with us…..counting you among the many blessings in my life !
Thank you, loved your mom’s crust. . . nothing like a really goooood pie crust!
As always…love seeing your lovely teacups and dishes! And what a funny little leaf! I think last Thanksgiving was the strangest. No one invited us over, nor did I invite anyone – there is a church near us that will deliver a Thanksgiving meal free, no matter what your income! I told my husband, I’m taking a break this year, I’m laying around and watching the parade from beginning to end, and we’ll order two dinners. Well, the man brought the two dinners, but as he left he said, oh! I dropped the bag on the way up to your door! We opened our dinners and everything was all mushed together, but it still was very tasty. Just not very eye appealing. Pumpkin in the mashed potatoes, etc. Kind of strange! And no leftovers!!!!!! : – ( To say the least, I’m cooking this year and have invited guests! Hope this time is my time to win! I LOVE cookbooks!
It’s good to take a year off every so often!!
Susan, Last year, and it’s looking like this year….we had fresh tomatoes from our garden. We had a dry end-of-the-summer, and then fall rains which caused our tomatoes to “put out” again. So, everyone around, including us, who grew tomatoes marveled over having fresh tomatoes on their Thanksgiving tables last year. Right now I have a bucket of them needing to be sorted, some are ripe, some are ripening, some are green. Yesterday, when my husband checked on the rest of them in the garden, he found some cilantro that had re-seeded. I think we will be making salsa and green tomato pickles soon; I’ve never done that in November! God is good, and I’m thankful for the small ways and the big ways He blesses us. Love, Becky P.S. Thank you, Susan, for choosing to bless us with your talents!
Hmmmmm, garden tomatoes, lucky YOU!!! Thank you Rebecca!
Quirky is the right word – I make my stuffing from…. are you ready – Stovetop chicken stuffing! I know, I know, chestnuts, gizzards and necks aside – its just something that I began doing over 30 years ago when I was a single working mom with little money and little time – and now its simply part of my “tradition”. I don’t add anything to it – just the basic stuffing – however, I bake it separately so that it will have a nice crust to it and then make sure that there is plenty of turkey gravy (yes the real thing). What I need is a good cookbook. My daughter (who grew up on this Thanksgiving quirk) is married to a gourmet chef who makes his chestnut and apple stuffing from scratch (read even uses homemade bread). I visit them for Thanksgiving day and eat and exclaim over all the foods Joe has made – then I go home to my own stuffing and turkey breast and feast for days!
Love it! 🙂
PatsyAnne, one year we got more unexpected company than planned and I ended up adding Stovetop dressing to our Pepperidge Farm dressing with celery, onions, apples, and chicken broth–to make it go farther and it was really tasty! Problem was that everyone wanted the recipe, loved the seasonings, and I was really embarrassed to tell them! 🙂
(I said it was a “secret family recipe” and I was kicking Norm under the table so he wouldn’t laugh or tell on me!) 🙂
Almost caught Pat!
I have no quirky thanksgiving thanksgivings to share. I do love cornbread stuffing though. When I was growing up my mom made bread stuffing. My husband grew up with cornbread stuffing, his mom is from Georgia. After we got married I switched to cornbread! That was 32 years ago!
Susan – I just love your blog. It’s so warm and cozy, and after reading your posts, I always feel as if I’d like to pop over for a visit (from Ohio)! Have a wonderful Tuesday. ~Sally
Same to you Sally, thanks for popping by!
I love all of your books and I can only assume that any book that mentions you or that you take part in are going to be brilliant. I have the book on my wish list.
Cold chilly mornings are the best ones to start warming up the oven and that in part will warm up the house with the aroma of what is baking or cooking in the kitchen. I did exactly that yesterday with the baking of eggnog bread. (my husband loves eggnog and the bread).
Joe loves eggnog too! That bread sounds wonderful.
Oh how I love your blog!!! Anyway, last year my sister in law brought key lime pie for Thanksgiving….I live in Illinois and she in Michigan, and she thought it was perfect! Not for our Midwest upbringing…So proud of my children eating a piece, just seeing their faces and making such positive comments was a silent family riot! Not that key lime pie is bad, love it, but just not when your taste buds are ready for apple or pumpkin……
No, I understand, just wasn’t expected! 🙂
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving at our house if there wasn’t jello on the table! As the Thanksgiving day draws near, let me just say that I am thankful for you, your wonderful blog and all the kindred spirits you’ve brought together.
Awww Martha, so nice!!
Your dishes above are gorgeous! Gravy over everything (turkey, stuffing, mashed rutabaga) is always a favorite, but I love a nice crunchy salad with homemade dressing to add zip to the Thanksgiving meal. I think this year it will be mandarin salad with romaine & candied sliced almonds. Yum!
Yum is right!
I check your blog first thing every morn. I’m an Iowa girl that loves to cook and save family recipes. My Mom made a savory dressing and put it all through a meat grinder. When I married, my in-laws put in apples, raisins (the kitchen sink almost), so I evolved my recipe so it’s now a combo of the two recipes and is a hit with family. I think that is the secret–family–they love the tradition tied to dressing no matter the recipe… I’d love to add another cook book to my recipe resources, there’s always another good recipe in every new cook book!! Thanks for a cheery start to my days.
That is the secret – Family and tradition.
Tea in that perfect teacup. Yes, the cup is so important. It does bring back memories of the friend who joined me for tea and sipped gently the warm liquid. I would love to sit by the fire with my tea to read about others who enjoy foods.
A wonderful post and photos. WOW you are in a cook book how wonderful . Your blog is so homey I love it I to feel as if Papa and I would like to visit from
( Canada ). Thanx for sharing. Have a wonderful day !
You too!
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Ours was in October, but thats o.k…. :0)
This Thanksgiving funny is one that is said I think EVERY year, especially when there is someone new at the table (which happens alot).
My father loves to tell the story of years ago when they first started coming North to the cottage for Thanksgiving (which is now home to all of us… north not the cottage lol). My uncle (a teen at the time) brought a new friend who was from Japan (nothing strange there)…what happened was, the bowl of cranberries was placed in front of his plate….
So everyone has piled their plates with yummy grub (especially the “Stuffing” with “Newfie” sage…yummy)… well this young fella proceeded to EAT the entire bowl of cranberries, thinking it was his….. now one had the heart to embarrass the poor lad, so instead they all watched while secretly busting a gut with silent laughter.
So every occasion for turkey and yummy stuffing…. “the Cranberry story is told”…. and now I have shared it with you for your Thansgiving….LOL
Be Blessed!!!
That’s funny!
Raining buckets at my house at the moment, but nice and cozy inside, planning my day and reading your blog. One of our traditions for Thanksgiving Day is Kentucky Spoon Bread. My kids who are all grown still think that if there isn’t Spoon Bread on the table then it isn’t Thanksgiving. Have a great day playing in your house Susan. I did that yesterday. Bliss.
Thank you Debbie! And that sounds delicious!
Happy week before Thanksgiving, Susan! So pleasantly surprised to find a new blog post and to get a virtual ride to the grocery on the Vineyard; the leaf made me think of the wafting feather in Forrest Gump… My favorite Thanksgiving decorations were the pilgrim boy and girl construction paper figures my son made in grade school. They graced the dining room wall during the holiday for many years, until they practically disintegrated. Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of them, but I can visualize them perfectly. Congratulations on your ever-expanding fame and popularity! You are precious.
I think I can picture those pilgrim boy and girl decorations too! Love that thought.
Oh my dear Susan what a wonderful post! Those biscuits look amazing! Yummmm! Sure enjoyed the trip to the store, I felt just like that little leaf hitching a ride with you and Joe! smile… Okay now then…quirky…not sure this is really quirky, but it was the first thing that came to mind! My mother always made sage dressing…(like you she air dried the bread days ahead of time!) and of course it was wonderful! One Thanksgiving we went to our aunts and when I took a big bite of dressing (thinking it would be as wonderful as my Mom’s)…I mustered all my strength I had not to spit it out…as she made hers with oysters! You can only imagine the surprise I had…and not a good one….lol The weird thing is I love oysters, in stew or fried, but just never acquired the taste of that dressing! Only my mother could make the ‘best’ dressing!
Am hoping my name gets selected…what a great Thanksgiving gift that would be! You are such a blessing to all of us! Enjoy your ‘me’ time…
Blessings,
xoxo Gert
:-)! I’m with you, I like oysters too, but they aren’t the texture I’m looking for in dressing!
I am sooo happy to have found your blog Ms Susan Branch — I adore it. It makes me so happy to know there are others out there who treasure the same things I do. I’d love to have you and your readers over for a huge party!
Anyway, as far as Thanksgiving, when I was a kid I remember seeing the giblets from the turkey go into making gravy, and I remember thinking that it was truly disgusting but somehow the finished product was wonderful!
I think we’d love to have a party at your house Angie!
OOO thank you for always thinking of us and giving us gifts. The gift of your time, your talent, your blessings and most of all of yourself! The strangest thing we have to eat at Thanksgiving is Mexican green chile. While we don’t think it’s strange as it’s just a tradition in a Hispanic home, I know other people who think it’s odd. Although once you have turkey with green chile, you’ll always remember it. LOL! Thank you again! Blessings for a wonderful holiday! Love, Ana
That does sound delicious!!! I wouldn’t mind that a bit!
I love your blog and all the delightful idea’s, inspiring quotes, romantic music….
love, love, love.
I grew up with 6 brother’s and 1 sister. Our dear mom was such a wonderful cook! Thanksgiving morning started out with home made cinnamon rolls. Can you imagine? ( warm with BUTTER, of course ) Starting a 5000 calorie day with a cinnamon roll. Bring it. We would set the table pretty, have the Macy’s parade on the t.v. – – talk, laugh, eat …. drink …. and we were very merry. I treasure the memories and they are my strength as life is very different now. I can’t think of any particular quirk – – – but !! – – – there is no such thing as too much brown sugar when it comes to sweet potatoes. Happy Thanksgiving, Susan Branch.
That’s right, a few extra morning calories can’t hurt!! Thank you Sandy! Same to you!
Favorite Thanksgiving memories are of gathering at the “Club House,” dinner always at 4p, has been for about 30 years.We’re never sure who will be there. Mostly family but always a few surprise guest. Side dish menu varies but always turkey, pork roast, venison and other assorted wild game. We are so far in the boonies there is no T.V., phone, or internet acess just lots of conversation and reconnecting. Some years we stay for days. Those are the best.
Did you know I collect cookbooks? Yep got a place waiting for your new one. Maybe it will be me!
Happy Thanks giving prepartion. The planning is so much fun. Thanks again for all the Girlfriend fun! Have a fun day!
No Karen, I didn’t know you collected cookbooks! 🙂 Will keep that in mind!
I would love to drop by for tea … Your dishes inspired me to clean up my act and rearrange my tea things … Pots, cups,saucers, etc.My housekeeping sometimes needs a positive nudge! Thanks. I will look for the new cookbook featuring your tea chapter.
My strangest Thanksgiving was spent at “Don The Beachcomber’s ” restaurant at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas about 40 years ago when I first moved there … Mai Tais and Sweet and Sour Shrimp! I’ll take turkey any day …lol Enjoy your day, Susan
LOL! Me too!
Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday. I have collected all kinds of cool and strange turkey items and put them out. My daughter comes home from college and cringes when she sees all my turkey items 🙂 I also collect animal shaped creamers and have one that is a bull, sitting in 4-leaf clovers, he is large so one year I put gravy in him and enjoyed watching all my guest at the Thanksgiving table pour gravy out of him. Happy Thanksgiving, I really enjoy your blog.
Sounds very fun Rita!
Love this morning’s post ~ all the videos ~ just ordered the magazine 🙂 and I will be making your cranberries recipe to take to family in NC where I’ll be spending Thanksgiving on the beach ~ all the real family traditions will need to wait for Christmas!
Can’t wait for Willard ♥♥♥ What a glorious time of year!!!!
It will be wonderful!
Very coincidental, but ribbon jello was also one of those things I thought was so different at Thanksgiving – I was absolutely amazed at the concept and did request the recipe and thoroughly enjoy it. Will only be DWH and I for Thanksgiving, but I will have turkey and dressing – just for the left overs – and I think I will put out place cards, candles, heart shaped butter, yeast rolls, ribbon jello and a vegetable other than green bean casserole – so tired of that. We will treat ourselves because we are special. The day after Thanksgiving is the very popular and so looked forward to “The Christmas Carosel” craft show at the fairgrounds. Really looking forward to that. Judy C
Also, the ribbon jello always reminds me Christmas is right around the corner so becomes our “connector” to the holidays. JC
I get that!
Sounds wonderful!
gratitude ~ grateful ~ glorious…
three words that describe the latest edition of Willard + your blog & all the ideas, recipes, a thoughtful gifts available on your website.
especially appreciate your downloadables… recipes, cards, etc
enjoy your stories about life on the East Coast…
Nice to hear, will try to do more of same! 🙂
Susan – This was the perfect post to ask again about your scalloped onions recipe! Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, when we all get together, it never fails that someone remembers Grammie’s scalloped onions and how we wish we had her recipe. Since you do everything so fabulously, I bet your recipe is every bit as delicious as hers was.
Thanks so much for sharing so much with us.
Karen L.
I don’t think I have a scalloped onion recipe — scalloped potatoes, or creamed onions, but no scalloped onions. Sorry!!
I saw it in the recipe box you recently gave away, darn. Now, the recipe is becoming the stuff of legend (and therefore more delicious than it probably was!) Thanks, anyway.
Karen L.
One last note before the obsession dies, it was in the box in the 10/19/11 post, and was called “onion casserole”.
KL
Ah ha! Onion Casserole, got it, SO GOOD, will do it!
No it’s really really goooood! I’ll get it up here soon! It’s not in any of my books.
This is so awesome, Susan! Thanks so much!
Karen L.
Hi Susan,
Loved your post today – this time of year is so heartwarming! I would adore having that cookbook with your autograph in it! My very favorite thing to have at Thanksgiving is fresh cranberry salad/relish. Growing up my family usually just used the canned cranberry sauce, (oh HORRORS!) but when I married and moved away, my neighbor gave us a scrumptious recipe that I wait for all year. YUMMM, and it freezes, so we make double and triple batches!!
As for quirky (according to my husband, who likes his stuffing “plain”), my sister makes hers with apples and nuts and dried cranberries, really chunky. Love it!
Sounds wonderful Lin!
My boys, who are now in their 30’s still love plain red-raspberry jello. They don’t much care for cranberry sauce. Funny story…. When I hosted my first Thanksgivng, many years ago, I forgot to remove the bag of “innards” from the turkey cavity. I roasted my beautiful bird, out came this chard, icky bag of stuff. I had no idea what it was until my mom told me. So anxious to read the new book. Thank you Susan for your inspiration.
Did the exact same thing and wrote a little story about it in my Christmas book! Too funny!
my post seems to be hanging in limbo ~ will just say Happy, Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for all you give to us ~ we are all truly thankful!!!
♥♥♥ mari
Gremlins are back, but I saw and answered your other one, so it should show up somewhere!
It did! Thanks for your responses ~ I still pinch myself and smile to think that you actually take the time to read and answer our (my) posts! thank you, thank you ♥ You’re amazing!!!
Holiday Greetings!
My goodness, you lead a charmed & blessed life! When I grow up, I want to be just like Susan Branch! Thank you for inspiring my morning. I love the JOY that this season brings. Happy Thanksgiving!
PS. Cranberry-Orange Marmalade: I seek thee! 🙂
Love, Evelyn.
He abides within Willard . . . coming to your email box soon (I hope, if you’re signed up!)
Good Morning,
The oddest thing I have ever had served to me is jello made from dissolved red hot candies (yes those little red heart shaped candies). I was awestruck (it was terrible!!). To counter-balance that memory, best food tradition is Frost on the Pumpkin Pie, a pumpkin chiffon pie recipe handed down from my grandmother.
Mmm, definitely I would go for the Pie!
Love the hitchhiker leaf – I am having family for Thanksgiving ; a niece, her husband and great-nephew. It will be a wonderful time.
I have several of your books on my Christmas list and would love to receive “Where Women Cook” too! My happiness barometer always goes up when I stop by here. 🙂
Very nice to hear!
Oh – thank you so much for giving us the chance to win this wonderful book! Your little Jack looks very much like my Jazz and if he’s anything like my Jazz…good luck to you and your house! Ha Ha Ha!!!
Thank you again, I have been a fan of yours for years and look forward to being a fan for many more!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
I think they might be related as I have to peel jack off the ceiling sometimes.
Lets see, just love your kitties, miss mine. Missed winning the receipe box in the last drawing, had to go to the thrift store and find one, which I did, also found an old Bisquick one. Good for you getting in a new cookbook which looks like a real winner, and a magazine!! You are having a very good Month. Sooooo if I don’t win this cookbook I will be off to the bookstore or Amazon and get it. Thankyou for your nice blog, and for the gifts you give us a chance to win. HI JOE.
Nancy Jo
Thanks Nancy Jo, and I will tell Joe you said HI!!
What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on your wall at Thanksgiving time! I’m excited about this year because we are having family for the first time in several years. Now that we live closer to everyone, we can get together. Yippee for me!!!
So happy for you Ellen! Yipee!
Hi Susan,
Hands down, our favorite food has to be the mashed potato casserole. It’s the favorite of all the men and nephews (and me too). I think it’s got something to do with the onion and bacon and cheese 🙂
I love tea, and tea cups and tea pots and tea biscuits! Your red and white cups are really pretty.
By the way, your last blog totally cracked me up. I think I anticipated the ending and that just made it funnier.
Enjoy your day off!!
Thank you Barb . . . that casserole sounds delicious!
The strangest item of food I ever had on Thanksgiving? Well, I can tell you the strangest item of food I DIDN’T have since it was so strange! It’s actually quite common too: candied yams. The whole idea of marshmellows and potatoes have always made me wretch! 😛
I don’t do it either Erin. My mom made it, but why would you do that to either a perfectly good marshmallow OR and perfectly nice sweet potato! But lots of people love it.
I know it’s the holidays because your cookbooks–all of them but Summer–AND your “Homemade recipes” binder are out. They started on the kitchen table (my great-grandma’s oak, you know exactly what it looks like), but now they are everywhere, fanning out from whatever chair I’ve collapsed into to contemplate the perfect menu. The binder has all the secret recipes–the ones no one could invent today. Including “Aunt Marcia’s salad,” which we gobbled up every Thanksgiving. I was in high school before I questioned that something with marshmallows, mayonnaise, whipping cream, cherries (not fresh–must come from a jar and be bright red and green), and nuts (frozen) could be termed a “salad”. But then, we always put it on a lettuce leaf. It’s yummy, has virtually no nutritional value, and I’m thinking of making it this year! It comes out a faint pink-y color, slightly crunchy and icy. Hope your Thanksgiving is warm and joyous! Including you on the “Thanks for,,,” list! xo
xoxo Thank you JoEllen, love the sound of that salad! Festive!
Oooooh, how I’d love to win so here’s my name just in case I’m the lucky one drawn.
The ironing board being used in the kitchen reminded me of when I was a small girl and the Sundays my mom and dad would drive to the next town to have dinner at my grandma’s house. She lived in a little old cottage type house, not at all fancy, not in the least, but she could cook. She would make us homemade chicken and egg noodles and always had so many pies. When there were several of us little cousins there at the same time, sometimes she’d get out the ironing board and it would be used as a kids’ table perhaps, or to hold food, or stretched out on chairs to make a little bench for us to sit on. Her little house was full of love and family and food and laughter. Those days are so long gone but the memories are still fresh in my heart and mind. Grandma was special in that she made each of her little grands feel they were her favorite. I miss her now that she’s gone.
I can tell you do Connie, and I know the feeling.
how exciting for you to be included in so
many publications! HUGE congrats! it’s not
surprising though…you may have noticed
that there are a lot of us, out here in the
ether, who love to read about your adventures
in domesticity! ;} gosh, those little pats of
butter are adorable! but i think they’d be
lost on on our family since my sister spends
2 days making the enough rolls and when they
come out of the oven…they are devoured…well,
after they’ve been drown in gravy the is!
and our gravy is a three-sister process!
“more salt?”
“no, more pepper.”
“add some broth…”
“does it need to be whisked more”
“no, but it needs more pepper!”
this goes on for 15 minutes every Thanksgiving
and Christmas…but the result is magical! ;}
m ^..^
Sounds absolutely perfect!
Treasure of treasures the Thanksgiving “Giveaway” would be to me. For my Thanksgiving feast is an inspiration of your receipes that will grace my table on this wonderful day. Each day to me is a day of thanksgiving to you for giving me and all like me, such wonderful inspirations to keep us joyous, motivated, and happy, happy, happy – my day is off to a great start when it is started with your words, music, videos, and sharing Marthas Vineyard with me- you know visiting Marthas Vineyard has always been a life long dream of mine, I will soon retire after working for 36 years-and I would love to just sit in one spot on the beach and just do my watercolors-well I just shared with you my dream- Dream, thats the thing to do- I believe there is a tune that goes like that, not sure, but these are my words – luv, luv, luv ya – c and many thanks-for you
You will just have to do that one day! Like in the movie Shirley Valentine….a chair by the sea.
Oh, what a fun way to start my day! First reading the Willard, and then your fun Blog! I just want to go get out all my good dishes, and start setting my Thanksgiving table NOW! 🙂 Your creative ideas always inspire me, and I add more of your touches to my own collection every year. I am going to add the butter molds this year too, and I will make them early like you have done. Would it work to pat the butter into my small leaf, and turkey cookie cutters? That was my original thought….I don’t have leaf molds like you have showed. How do you pack the butter into the molds?? Get the butter at room temp. and pack away?? I need a lesson, and I am sure it can’t be that hard, LOL! What an adorable idea though! Thank you for sharing your amazing inspirations to the rest of us! And yes, we too have always had some sort of jello salad on our Thanksgiving dinner menu. They were always our kid’s favorite addition to our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners when they were growing up. My mom started that tradition when we were kids! I guess every kid that grew up in the 50’s and 60’s got in on that one! 🙂
I know you are having fun with Jack, and I am so happy you have found a new ‘Kitten of your Heart!’ ♥ Our little Punkin is so entertaining, it is hard to get everything done these days! Have a wonderful day Sue, and don’t forget how much we all love you! ♥ xoxo
Yes, just soften the butter and “pack away” as you say 🙂 easy!!! Then freeze them and they pop right out. I won’t forget Bonnie, don’t worry about that! xoxox
I have started drying my bread too! Sourdough for mine. However, it is about to get moved: on my ironing board and in the pantry. Then i can say the phrase i use when utterly delighted with a little home project, “Oooo! That loks very Susan Branch!”
The quirky dish on my Thanksgiving menu is celery stuffed with “that chese stuff”. That is what I call it because i can never remember the proper name and as i buy it only once a year, it requires a hunting expedition in the grocery store which usually ends in defeat with me asking the first person in an apron, “where is that cheese stuff (with my hand up pretending to hold…) you know, that comes in a little glass jar with a thin metal lid…”
Apparently, it started with my grandfather who liked it, but it was a “luxury” item and so was only at the Thanksgiving table my mom sat at growing up. So she had it at the Thanksgiving meal she later provided for her family, and so on.
Blessings to you & Joe and kitties for a Thanksgiving gathering filled with love& laughter.
melinda
Thank you Melinda, same to you and yours. I think we had that same celery, although sometimes with cream cheese, which I have to say, I still do, because what would Thanksgiving be without it? Black olives too. The kind that fit on the ends of fingers. 🙂
Oh, my goodness, you just hit another heart string! Yes, the black olives are right along side the celery with “that cheese stuff”. But they always quickly go from the table to fingers. As each of my three girls hit about two years, i marveled with a giggle as they instinctively capped their little fingers with olives. Shouldn’t olives be renamed “finger magnets”?
Probably!
Hi Susan 🙂
Howdy from Texas. I wrote to you earlier in the year to get suggestions for my family all girls trip to MV and Nantucket. We came and went in September, but I want you to know that we all fell in love with the island. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog, your videos, they are often the highlight of my day with 3 little ones running around :)….I can’t wait to get back there, it kind of “calls” to me if you know what I mean. My heart aches to get back to that angelic place. Your blog is a blessing that I am grateful for this Thanksgiving. Thank you for giving us a all a little taste of you life.
Sincerely,
Lauren Etter, Flower Mound, Texas
I know exactly what you mean, that’s why I tell everyone how dangerous it is here. Can make a heart ache! I’m so happy you loved it!
Good Morning Susan and thank you for your comfy morning visit!!!
Our quirky favorite is cucumbers, from my summer garden, (cut in bite size pieces and frozen)……you’d be amazed how good:):)…thawed and mixed with mayonniase, salt and pepper!! How yummy they are, when they happen to mix with the mashed potatoes and gravy……and perhaps the stuffing:):):) As important on our Thanksgiving table as the turkey:):):) !!!!
Happy Thanksgiving Susan, to you and Joe, and all your dear friends:):) and your sweet kitties too!!!!
Might hav to try that, something cold and crunchy is always good at Thanksgiving!
The funniest thing we ever had was the first year we were married and I decided to make homemade rolls…from a bread recipe. I cooked them just as long as it said to bake the bread. They were a bit “dark” on the bottom and could be used as a baseball! The best thing I must have is my sister’s Pumpkin Cheesecake. It is divine… with a pecan crumb topping. It’s fussy to make so I never do and she loves me so she always does!
A good sister! Mine makes this Caramel Apple Mountain recipe that is Julia Child’s — for the same reason, because she loves me!
congratulations on the book! what fun for you….and thinking what fun i would have reading it….tee hee Well, you are getting me in the mood for that big dinner. I can’t think of anything really that i do differently, except i do bake my stuffing in a muffin pan. that way I can count one out for everyone and it’s crunchy for everyone…got that idea years ago from Rachel Ray….. well, i’m off to check my email……can’t wait to read Willard….thank you Susan..you put fun in the day……
That sounds delicious!
well just finished reading willard….. sitting here sniffing… that was so beautiful….the tears just rolled, you standing outside looking in…. ahhhh…you are just beautiful and oh so blessed….and the sketch of Jack….just perfect…. thank you for willard and for being you….
Now you’re making me cry!
My dad always had to have mince pie with a Turkey dinner. It was a must for him.
Wasnt my cup of tea but he loved it. Loved the trip to the market. Nice to see the area you live in. would love to win this book you are in.
We’ll work on it!
I saw where someone mentioned oyster dressing. My mom always made that because my dad likes it. I just never got it. Kinda slimy. 🙂 Before we moved away from Texas this year, we spent nearly every Thanksgiving with my husband’s family, and his mother, without fail, would dump that can of cranberry sauce (jelly? glue?) onto a plate, and it would make that gross sound as it slid out of the can, and she just left it that way, with the ridges still intact! Nasty! 🙂 So I’d have to say that tops my list of quirky Thanksgiving food. “CAN-berry” sauce.
When I first moved away from home, a group of us would have a “Friends-giving” since we all worked retail and had to be at work the next morning. We were thrilled to be on our own, and able to decide for ourselves what we would eat. None of us liked yams, so we dubbed our first feast “The First of Many-No Yams Thanksgiving Rebellion.” One of my girlfriends who started this with me reminded me of that last week. It’s been 25 years and we still think it’s funny. (We’re easily amused…) 🙂
Are you still all living the yam-free livestyle?
I am! 🙂 I think what turned me off to them was my mom’s yam casserole that she made when we were growing up, and she put those little infant marshmallows all over the top. I just thought it was weird. 🙂 In truth, I should probably try the yam thing again now that I’m an adult. I believe we should always eat the very best version of something before we decide whether we like it or not. Do you have a recipe for delicious yams or sweet potatoes? If so, I might become a convert! 🙂
I’d leave the infants off them for your best chance of success! 🙂 I have an amazing recipe for a sweet potato casserole . . . if you have my Autumn Book it’s on page 65. I can’t imagine anyone not loving them, but you and your friends would be the true test!!!
I do have your Autumn book, as well as all of your other books! 🙂 I’ll try that recipe and report back my findings. 🙂
Yay! Thank you!
I can’t recall a strange Thanksgiving dish, but one year, as a new homemaker, I tried this recipe for turkey where you slow roast it at a low temp. I actually had to get up at 3am or something to put it in the oven. My mother-in-law (an expert cook) came over that day. “It looks like a cat!!” was her helpful comment. The turkey had sort of folded in on itself with that slow-roasting (picture meat falling off of bone). It tasted good, but I had to put up with other relatives calling to say, “I heard your turkey looked like a cat.” Nice. And no offense intended toward the kitty lovers in the group. 🙂
I, for one, think it’s hysterical . . . “helpful comment!” 🙂
I just loved today’s blog! So many similarities to my life & passions. I am a franco-file, so French Kiss is one of my very Favorite soundtracks! I loved the trip to the grocery store, I was just in V.Haven in August and went there myself and also discovered the Scottish Bakehouse ~ loved that beyond ~!! You’re love of red & white china is like mine, only I am a blue & white girl ~ and did you get that RLI charger plate at The Pink Kitty Gift Shop ~ maybe I waited on you , I was the manager there 25 years ago!! Can’t wait to make the tea biscuits for my little B&B, my guests will be impressed! I don’t usually host Thanksgiving, but I always bring my Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie, it is made with sweet potatoes , carrots, and butternut squash, kind of sweet and ginger tasting~ covers the orange vegetables department:)
I just received my first issue of Where Women Cook and LOVE it!! Love the cooks/authors in this new magazine and would love to win, Susan. Thanks so much for the chance!
My craziest Thanksgiving dish…I tried to make homemade cranberry sauce at about 5 in the morning on Thanksgiving. I should have used your recipe…this came out like GLUE! I had to throw the pot away! But I served it and everyone politely tried it. Then my husband discretely opened a can of it. Needless to say, I never try to cook at 5 a.m.!!
Have a great day!
XO,
Jane
Those cans do come in handy sometimes!!!:-)
The only strange thing I can think of is the very fact of mingling the two family traditions together. My Mother always got up early and stuffed the turkey, my Mother-in-Law insisted on cooking the turkey days before so she could use the stock to make the “dressing”. I did not like having cold turkey on Thanksgiving Day but was pleasantly surprised to find the “dressing” and “stuffing” taste almost the same and delicious! Surprising since one was from Florida by way of South Carolina and the other from Alabama!
Congratulations on the book and magazine! More fun for me!
Interesting . . . that’s what makes a Thanksgiving isn’t it, the co-mingling of traditions to make new ones.
Even though I live in Northern Indiana my family is all from the south so we enjoy a down home souhern Thanksgiving! Love the sweet potatoes, pies, cakes, mashed potatoes, chicken and noodles…I could go on and on! Will definitely be getting this book! Thanks so much for brightening my days!
Thanks Tina!
Well…..We had an ovenfire where the trukey was residing!!! And, with only a couple of hours to go before 29 came to dinner, we made and e-m-e-r-g-e-n-c-y run to the only grocery store still open by just minutes and bought a prime rib (not time to roast a 30lb turkey!) Lots of cleaning up, scurrying around, and no time to panic. By the time everyone arrived, dinner was ready to serve on time. Of course, brothers being brothers exclaimed to all at the dinner table, “We must be THE ONLY people in America not having turkey today!” And 15 years later, we still have to hear that story over and over again at the Thanksgiving table each year. My husband even bought a scrawning little turkey figurine that has a sign around it’s neck saying “Eat Beef!” …He is our Thanksgiving mascot now. Gotta loooove mishaps!?!
Yes, you do, LOL, too cute!
My younger sister gave me tart tins a few years after I was married for a Christmas present and I have been making tarts (Raspberry and Lemon) for the past 39 years now for Thanksgiving! To my kids and grand-kids, it isn’t Thanksgiving without my tarts! We also have the rainbow jello and have for years and years …. that is definitely a must! I love Thanksgiving and have so much to be thankful for! Thanks for making us happy with your blog …. you are such an inspiration!
Thank you so much Addie Lynn! Mmmm, tarts!!!
OMG–My great grandmother dried her bread too!!!! And she used lots of SAGE. My Mom grew enough sage to dry and rub for our family and my aunt’s family. My Mom loved to SHARE! Your holiday excitement is wonderful! Love your posts and LOVE the look of the new book, CELEBRATIONS.
Yes, we use dried sage, and rub it too! Thank you Nancy!
I love reading all these Thanksgiving stories and traditions, although with our recent weather (highs in the upper 70’s and 80’s) it doesn’t feel very Fall-ish.
We’re fans of Pepperidge Farms Herb Stuffing. From there I add sauted mushrooms, celery, and onions. Then add some chicken broth, butter and dried cranberries. I’m a huge fan of cranberries and they show up everywhere. Tossed into a green salad, as a topping for baked sweet potatoes and of course, home made cranberry-orange relish!
Eat at my house and you’re going to get a healthy dose of anti-oxidants and Vitamin C! 🙂
I think I can speak for all the girlfriends in that we all wish we had leaf with our name on it at your Thanksgiving table.
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Marilyn (in Dallas)
Awwww, that’s so nice! I wish so too, we’ll just have to do it virtually!
It would be hard to say if it is the tea or the dishes. I do have a thing for dishes. One Thanksgiving many years ago we were in Phoenix with my father in law. We had spinach fetticune noodles as a side dish … still haven’t figured that one out. Oh, well, it’s things like that that make memories.
That’s for sure! And I rarely meet a noodle I don’t like!
Hi Susan!
I ♥ everything about this post!! Our Thanksgiving meal is NOT allowed to change at all. Tradition reigns supreme. Roast turkey, sausage stuffing (YUM), mashed potatoes, butternut squash, sweet potatoes… Last year my daughter was a rebel with a cause and decided to add a new flavor pie to the mix. Peanut Butter Pie. It was gone in two seconds. I think Pumpkin Pie felt neglected 🙂
The Where Women Cook book looks amazing!!! Can’t wait to take a peek!
Happy Tuesday!!
Good to throw a little cog into the wheel sometimes, peanut butter pie would do it!
Thankful for another year with my family. I have been fighting bone cancer for three years and am so thankful for each and everyday. Love cookbooks and hope to have another one soon.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Cynthia
Love to you Cynthia, all my best to you, brave girl. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
I’m thankful for your beautiful attitude towards your circumstances, Cynthia!
Inch thick sugar cookies with about that much icing!!! Yummmmm.
Bravo! & warm Congrats!! To have all that talent in one book ♥♥♥
Thank you Lisa!!
Hello Susan!
One year, my Aunt prepared
“Springfield (Mo) Cashew Chicken” for her Thanksgiving feast. It was yummy!
Have a happy day fluffing your nest!
Sounds good to me!
Well, it is a little ho-hum but the only thing I can think of (sadly) is burnt rolls. Juggling too many things at the last minute. The oddest thing we ever had was a FROZEN lasagne at my Mother-in Laws at Christmas dinner. It was very odd. hee hee. She got a lot of guff for it from all the dissapointed guys.
Susan, the French Kiss music was wonderful-Thank You!
The book looks beautiful too!
OH, and the MAGIC LEAF! You gave me a chuckle this morning! (((Hugs)))
xoxo Debbie,!
Susan, you are such an inspiration to so many of us, your artistic talent is very special – looking at everything you do feels just like a warm hug.
One thing that was always a treat for us at the holidays was the candy dish with the green spearmint leaves (some kind of jelly like substance) and they are coated with sugar. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only time they made an appearance.
Of course there was also the “meat pies” and that same pie filling served as the turkey stuffing. We loved to spread it on toast in the morning too. My meme was from Canada and I do miss her version of this tastey tradition.
Blessings to you and your family for the holidays and all the year through!
Same to you Jeanne, thank you!
Good morning! A newish family tradition includes serving your recipe for corn pudding at Thanksgiving! I typically only like corn as corn, not as an ingredient in something else but since all your recipes are so yummy I decided to give the corn pudding a try. WOW! WOW! WOW! My taste buds went crazy! Now it is dish that gets served all the time, including Thanksgiving. Thank you for the gift of this oh-so-heavenly recipe.
If you like that, try the corn chowder — it’s another surprising one! You are so welcome!
Good Morning! Just dropping by to check on Jack and Girl. How are things progressing? Give them big precious kitty hugs for me 🙂 Up until recently (for our family – lots of fams still do it) since Texas A&M University and the University of Texas played each other in football on Thanksgiving Day, we had Thanksgiving Tailgate. It was the whole nine yards with all the accruments, but it was a tailgate. It seemed especially exciting when I was little – and we didn’t realize for the longest that most people were in dining rooms and chairs 🙂
I think it sounds wonderful, love being outdoors on Thanksgiving . . . did that a few years ago in California, ate outside near a creek, under trees, with leaves coming down. It was heaven. Too cold here for that! Kitties are excellent. Just adjusting. Slowly!! Nice to hear from you Patricia!
Can’t wait to try the tea biscuits – having tea is my favorite thing! I too, love all the “stuff” that goes with it 🙂 Kitchen Love!
xoxo!
Congratulations on being included in Celebrate!! I’m afraid I do love the dishes (dishaholic??) but tea is good too. Thanks for offering a signed copy. It would make such a lovely addition to my book collection 🙂
Dishes!!!
Hello Susan,
I love receiving Willard, I have everyone you have written put in a special 3 ring binder. They use to come by snail mail at first, now I just print them out from my PC.
I have the book Where Women Cook, I love the article they did about you.
I am definitely going to make your Lemon Pepper Tea Biscuits for our Saturday morning breakfast club here at my senior community. I am sure they will all be wanting the recipe.
Thanksgiving is pretty traditional for me here in New England. A few years back before my Mother passed away I decided to go to Florida and make a big Thanksgiving dinner for my family of 15 there. It was so much fun, we all got together and took my Mom to her favorite park nearby her apartment and we had a Thanksgiving picnic….it was 86 degrees. We cooked everything in my rented condo and packed it all up in a rented van and drove it to the park. One of my most fondest memories of Thanksgiving.
Love that, thank you Carol!
I want to hear the fog horns on the Vineyard, watch the Islander come in while sitting at the Black Dog eating quahog chowder…..go to Shirley’s hardware store and poke through…….and I’d love to have the cookbook!!! Like so many of the other readers, I have the cookbooks out- Have a wonderful Turkey Day!!!
I hear homesickness in there . . . shall I go take pics of Shirley’s?
Please do!!!!! I do love the vineyard…..
Thank you for adding the beautiful and fun part to each day. I love reading your blog. Wish I could enjoy one of your Lemon Pepper Tea Biscot while watching Margret paint. 🙂
:-)!
One of our traditions at Thanksgiving is, homemade stuffing with wild rice in it, along with fresh mushrooms too!
When I was a little girl we would go to my grandparents for this holiday and my grandfather would serve all of us Mogan David grape wine. His comment was “if it is good enough for God’s house it is good enough for mine!”
It was the communion wine at his church.
Have a wonderful yummy holiday@
LOL, good enough for God, good enough for your grandfather, love that!
Ooooh, I’d love to get the book!
My quirky Thanksgiving….hmmmm, not quirky but a neat tradition is the men in our family arriving early Thanksgiving Day. They go out pheasant hunting while us gals stay busy in the kitchen. The men feel like the hunters/gatherers I guess and whether they come home with pheasant or not; they’ve had good family fun together. We then sit down for our Thanksgiving Feast together.
That feels very old fashioned to me! Love it!
Love your blog ! It totally makes my day when I see a new entry! I don’t know if it is quirky, but we like to have mashed and creamed turnips on Thanksgiving. Goes great with turkey!
Sounds delicious!
Where does the time go…Thanksgiving NEXT week?! Yikes, I’d better start shopping. Thanks for sharing your recipe and congrats on the exciting new book!
Our favorite/traditional dishes are homemade noodles and oyster dressing. The kids help roll out and cut noodles, then the noodles dry overnight. Tossed with plenty of flour, and dropped in broth, they cook until they’re plump and the broth has thickened. Yum…it just wouldn’t be the same without them. And the dressing…oh how the aroma fills the house. I can hardly wait! Over the river, and through the woods, indeed!
Mmmmmm, those homemade noodles sound fantastic!
Dear Susan, I would love a Thanksgiving present from you because 1.) this is my first year hosting Thanksgiving and 2.) the day after Thanksgiving is my golden birthday 🙂
Oh boy, two wonderful events! Happy Birthday!!
thankyou!
I save bits of bread…the heel, leftover parts of loaves of bread and put them in the freezer in a “dressing” bag. Then I still use fresh bread, dried the same way you do it. I quit stuffing the bird years ago and now make two big pans of it. After the holiday is over, I cut it into squares and wrap and freeze them. Then I can pull out a couple of chunks now and then and serve as a side dish.
The wierdest thing I ever had for Thanksgiving dinner was a corn and oyster casserole “thing”. It was just the worst….about gagged me. Another year I made pearl onions with a balsamic glaze and they were pretty bad too. The dog would even eat them! LOL!!!!
The cookbook looks so lovely! I would be tickled to be lucky enough to win it!
Have a restful day! Hugs, Sue K
LOL, you picked some good ones not to like!
We use mustard and water chestnuts in our stuffing. A new cookbook, look forward to winning or buying :-)!
Hi Dearest Susan..love your blog today. Well, love it everyday but that goes without saying. Tee Hee!! I love stuffing…I have stuffing with every bite of food. Like mashed potatoes and stuffing or corn and stuffing or turkey, gravy and stuffing. It is kind of like the “perfect” bite for me. Silly, I know and kinda quirky but that is what makes Thanksgiving dinner for me. Yummo!!
How exciting for you to have all of this press!! You deserve it because you are absolutely wonderful!! I know we “girlfriends” all agree!! Have a wonderful day and thank you again for always sharing with us!! GOD Bless!! Love and Hugs, Tricia B.
Thank you Tricia, so nice! Me too on the stuffing . . . my absolute favorite. On sandwiches too, with turkey and cranberry sauce.
I have a wonderful daughter who helps me every Thanksgiving with all the dishes that need to be made. I invested into her life while she was growing up to make her a wonderful cook and baker. The return on my investment has really paid off. She is always coming up with new ideas for the holidays. A lovely new cookbook would be a special treat for both of us.
Love that!
Our Thanksgiving is pretty traditional…the biggest changes are usually with dessert, we have the variations on pumpkin pie, sometimes cheesecake, sometimes other pumpkin dessert. There’s always an apple and usually a pecan. Veggies always include my nieces corn (since she was little–she now makes it herself!). The turkey varies also, depending on who makes it. I just look forward to it being a day to spend with family.
Lovely.
The quirkiest thing we ALWAYS have is apple pickle relish. Even the in-laws insist on it now. Equal parts of chopped apples, pickles, and onions with white vinegar and a little sugar sprinkled over.
Yum!
Our craziest thing is the dressing. My dad is nearly 90 and his mother always made oyster stuffing. So, I grew up on that but my husband doesn’t go for it. So, I make the “regular” kind, I make oyster for my daddy, I make plain for my vegetarian daughter who won’t have anything to do with chicken or turkey broth, one son will only eat “Stove Top” with no vegetables in it and another son won’t eat any! It is CRAZY! I figure if I can manage a great “gravy” – it will all taste good to me! All those different dressings/stuffings are my gift to them! I always miss my mother and grandmother so much on Thanksgiving. The day doesn’t seem the same without them but I always feel their presence guiding me the day before when I’m cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Thank you Susan Branch for this blog. I love it. It’s a little hyacinth for my soul – every day.
I understand the feeling of being guided, my grandmother, too, just like you are saying. You are so dear to say “hyacinth for my soul” . . . xoxo
🙂
Strangest thing? I have two. First our family used to get together in my uncle’s hotel in the huge conference room for Thanksgiving. About 60 (more or less) would show up, have grace and gobble everything up. We all brought different dishes and had hotel staff to set up buffet tables and wash the plates & cutlery afterwards. Strange not to have to do dishes with so many guests! (but really really good not to have to do much washing up!)
Two: Thanksgiving as a traveling picnic. My Mom lives an hour or so away. She asked me to cook and bring the turkey a few years back (after my uncle sold the hotel). We split into smaller family units so I wasn’t cooking for 60. Cooking a turkey, making the gravy and stuffing fell to me but I had a hard time transporting all the cooked foods for over an hour. Ths dishes would slide, spill out their containers, get cold, etc.etc. I started brining the turkey and it seemed to help keep the turkey really moist, esp. for the traveling “picnic”. Even with insulated dishes, towels, newspapers, boxes and all, it was difficult. We tried all sorts of things – carving before the trip, carving at Mom’s, new roasting pans, UGH!!
This year, we’re going to my cousins house! YIPPEE!!
I just need to prepare one dish of vegetables! And two pies to make! Whew! This is my turn for a break! So it’s feeling a little strange not to have to work out the” traveling Thanksgiving picnic” logistics this year!
I get the glee in that YIPPEE!! Congratulations! Have fun!!!
Being a transplant from England, means that basically everything about Thanksgiving is quirky to me! I end up making essentially what I always had for Christmas dinner, for my family on Thanksgiving day! My one addition is homemade bread. I love it!
Perhaps the most quirky thing that I think goes with turkey though, is bread sauce. My mum tells me when I was little, I thought she was putting porridge on my dinner!
Such an old fashioned thing, I didn’t know anyone made that any more!!
Mum still does- me, well my family was not a fan 🙂 I still love it!
And onion sauce on my cauliflower too!
Good Morning You Busy~Bee! ☼ First I’m so Excited about The New “Willard”…Yay! 🙂 Ok Second..Congratz Sweet♥Sue for Being Featured in “Where Women Cook” Perfection! ok…Those Little Heart♥ Lemon Pepper Biscuits look Scrumptious! May I have Three Please? 🙂 I Love the French~Kiss ♫Music…♪(Love that Movie!) Thank You! Your Grand~Ma’s Stuffing I Know has to Be Beyond Delicious…Love how Joe adds his Chef~Touch! Herbster Demands that I Make Oyster~Dressing…so I do & it is Yummy! 🙂 I Love the Leaf stuck on Your Windshield…off to The Grocery Store…The Perfect Touch of Autumn Magic! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! 🙂 & thoseLeaf Place~Cards…so Charming…So Cute…Very Exciting about Your Friends from England Sharing Yours & Joe’s Thanksgiving Feast…Yumminess Everywhere! Your Chapter…”Kitchen Table Tea” Sweet Perfection Sweet♥Sue! ok …a Signed Copy of “Celebrations” Oh My Goodness! Which Ever One of Us is Lucky Enough to Win…Sweet Sue it will Be Truly~Treasured….Forever! ok let’s see I L♥ve Everything that I Cook Bake & Roast for Our Thanksgiving Day Feast…But My Most Favorite…is right From Your Autumn Book….Page 54 (I have it Memorized) 🙂 Your Oh So Scrumptious “Corn~Pudding” My Baby Sister Jenny gave Me Your Autumn Book in 2004…& It has Become a “Tradition” in Our Family…I Make it Every Thanksgiving(& through out The year) & Now Most all The Gals In Our Family Make it toooooooooo! so Yummy…so Good! Pure Yumminess Sweet♥Sue…ahhhhhhhhhh ok Off I go…tons of Errandsto do Today…We are Shopping Tomorrow…Oh How I L♥ve L♥ve L♥ve this Time of The Year!….Breathe In All The Magic! Kitty~Kisses to Kitty & Jack!(Meow Meow) Autumn Pixie~Dust Everywhere! & Sweet♥Sue I Am “Thankful” for You! xoxo Poof!♫♥♪☼
Thank you Angie, but please, darling, come up with some enthusiasm next time, OK?
♫♥♪☼♫♥♪☼ 🙂 ♫♥♪☼♫♥♪☼ I’m Laughing with Tears of Joy rolling down My Face! 🙂 ♥
:-)!!!!
Somehow I picture Angie flitting around it a pink and purple tutu and a sparkly wand as she’s writing her posts! They’re so full of sparkle! I LOVE it, Angie! You’re so cute! xoxo…kp
🙂 Pixie~Dust Everywhere Sweetest♥Sue & Thanks Karen P. ! I do wear TuTus & I too have a Magic Wand! it’s Filled with Holiday Pixie~Dust!…Hugzzzzzzzzzzzzz! xoxo Poof! 🙂
Hi Susan,
I feel like we are friends…has anyone ever told you, you have that special way with people!! 🙂 I know everyday, right? Well about 20 years ago I was in a Barnes and Noble and I had no idea my life was about to change due to a little book called Christmas Joy. That night I was up (morning, night? it confuses me in the dark) probably in the wee hours of the morning I read that book cover to cover and I met a friend that night. (OK morning!) Her name was Susan Branch. I hadn’t even had tea with her yet but I liked her. I related to her. I am about to turn 50 in a couple of weeks and my children are grown now but my love for cookbooks is still there. I have every cookbook and calendar you have written. If I don’t get your new one that you are featured in, well lets just say I now know what I want for my birthday!
I loved in this blog that you shared with us your special moment with nature and God before you joined your family and friends for a Thanksgiving feast.
We have one thing for sure in common…
I also have a special Joe in my life to love. My husband’s name is Joe too! 🙂
Thank you for being that special person that YOU are to all of us out here.
You are quite the inspiration.
Love, (see I really do feel like I know you)
Anne
It is very strange, but I have always felt like I know all of you. That’s just the way it is. That was so nice Anne, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
🙂 You are welcome. I meant it from the bottom of mine.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Not sure but does any one know why my comment would say awaiting moderation?
We get so much spam, like there’s one right here below yours you can’t see “Gucci shoes for men” — not bad stuff, just nonsensical; and although we have blockers, they don’t work! So all the comments have to wait until we can do away with the spam! Sorry!
Oh you poor girl! It must consume your day to have to go over all these comments! (And here I am adding to it….oh well…)
I work in a tearoom and we make dozens of fresh tea sandwiches everyday. Around mid-October the alarm goes out that Betsy is collecting bread ends! None are to be tossed! The staff knows the holidays are coming when the collecting begins. I bring the bounty home, put it in the freezer and my husband makes his Pennsylvania renowned stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner. He uses rye, white, wheat, oatmeal and of course cinnamon. Yum! The sad part is that there is never any leftover for breakfast the next day. Susan, you are right…..it’s a tough call with the pretty teacups and the wonderful tea out there which is the bigger attraction. I would say it’s an even split. Happy Turkey Day To All!!!
I would hate to every have to make a real choice, luckily, they belong together!
our strangest thanksgiving meal was homemade turkey & noodle soup. i was 15 years old and my folks had just gone through a nasty divorce. us kids were all bummed out not being together as an entire family, but my mom new just what to do to make it all better, making her turkey & noodle soup. the day before thanksgiving she spent the day making and drying the noodles so they were perfect for us! it takes a lot of time and love to get those noodles right, and she sure showed us how much she loved us that year. we were in no mood to have the traditional meal, so the turkey & noodles hit the spot and put a much needed smile on our face!
thanks susan, for all your inspiration!
What a smart mom you have!! She kept it, but changed it just perfectly, all comfort food. xoxo
I LOVE Thankgiving!!! The colors make everything seem so alive!!! Sometimes i read them over and over and over………… so as not to miss anything..Well, for the last 4 years my son and his wife have been hosting our family get together. Everyone brings a certain dish…..This year my son, Jerry, will make the whole dinner himself. He is becoming a great cook because of meantors like you, The Pioneer Woman, Tom Perini and many others!!!! He loves to cook and my granddaoughter and daughter(inlaw) love it. I can hardly wait to see what comes our way!! I know it will be wonderful.
Keep inspiring us!!!
How fun to be surprised by someone who loves to cook!