A time to give thanks and debate....ridged vs. real

The great debate...how do you prefer your cranberry sauce? I have always been partial to a sauce with some whole berries in it, however many of my family members disagree and prefer the canned. Apparently it isn't Thanksgiving unless you have ridges on your cranberry sauce and it makes the suction sound as it comes out of the can:

However, the one jelly sauce mold that I did enjoy was Mary's Cranberry Jelly (recipe to follow the obvious Thanksgiving explanation). Every Thanksgiving eve, I would stay at Mary's house and help her get ready for our dinner the next day. Preparations included:

• setting the table
• making place cards
• placing doilies (which later went on our heads) on the plates
• dishing out the fruit cocktail (which came in a huge jar and contained grapefruit ...nasty)!
• and helping Mary make her Cranberry Jelly. 

On the day, everyone would amass at Mary's in the early afternoon with dinner served around 1pm. When all of the grandchildren were small, we could sit around a table (with the addition of a "kids table" which consisted of 4 adult family members at a card table on the porch). After consuming mounds of food everyone would retreat to their designated napping spots until evening when the hors devours and leftovers came out...yes, we ate twice!
Now, we all assemble at my Aunt Kathy's house where she puts out a lovely spread at 3pm, we eat via buffet because there are too many of us, and we only have a few hors devours in the evening (much more reasonable).

 (notice the two different cranberry sauces)

Upon arrival, we are each given a leaf to write what we are thankful for. This has been a banner year for me with my wedding, graduate degree, great news from a best friend about a little one on the way, and finding Mary's recipes! There is a lot to give thanks for. However, my family is not the sappy type and we usually end of thanking Kappy's Liquor Store, The Anchor Restaurant for serving cheap food and cocktails, and having a plentiful stock in the bar.

This year for Thanksgiving, I have been assigned dessert (trifle) and appetizers so I won't be making any  Mary recipes. My cousin Jack will make sure that she is well represented as he is making her molasses crinkles. For our annual Friends' Thanksgiving tonight, I have been asked to make my cranberry sauce...THE REAL KIND (see...there are lovers of whole berry sauce out there). Even though I won't be making Mary's recipes for Thanksgiving, I did want to post them in case anyone wanted to test her Cranberry Jelly and Stuffing!

Cranberry Jelly (Thanksgiving Kind)
(written on plain recipe card)
4 cups cranberries (1 lb)
2 cups sugar
1 cup water.
Wash the berries, add sugar and water. Boil for 12 minutes. Strain, (you have to force the berries through the strainer until all you have left is the pulp). Place in a mold and refrigerate. Makes very firm mold.
Mary used a variety of molds: Turkeys, Pineapples, Circles, etc. 


Moist Bread Stuffing (Makes 10 cups)
(written on a personalized recipe card From the kitchen of Mary Wilson with a cake and cupcake embellishment)
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup parsley
2 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
18 cups bread crumbs
3 eggs slightly beaten

1. Melt butter over medium heat and add in celery and onions. Cook until tender @ 10 minutes
2. Add parsley, salt, seasoning and pepper. Stir until thoroughly mixed
3. Stir in bread crumbs and egg. Mix together well .
Now, from this point on, there are no additional instructions so I am guessing you either stuff it in the bird or you bake it in the oven (probably 350 for about 30-40 minutes?...you would have to google that one)


If you prefer chunky cranberry sauce, here is my recipe:
(from  Lori Lange "recipegirl")

12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2¼ tsp finely grated orange peel
½ tsp coarse kosher salt
dash of allspice

1. Bring all ingredients to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir every couple of minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until most of the cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
2. Transfer sauce to medium container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield: 2 1/4 cups

 (picture courtesy of Lori Lange)

"I know what boys like, I know what guys want, I know what boys like...

boys like, boys like...baked goods"

This weekend Matt and my cousin Mark are venturing up to the lovely state of Maine for my cousin Nicholas' bachelor party...a weekend full of video games, beer, and burping aka Dork Fest. I will be spending the weekend babysitting Henry and Gus..a weekend full of coloring, milk, and burping. Huh, come to think of it there isn't much of a difference between a bunch of 20 and 30 somethings from a 1 and 5 year old!

 

 (Rachel & Nick aka Cheech & Diddy 1983)

For Dork Fest, I decided to bake up a batch of Mary's Molasses Crinkles. This is one of those recipes that I remember making with Mary MANY times. Around this time of the year, she frequently baked these for the family and holidays. My 12 year old cousin Jack will actually be baking these up for Thanksgiving this year. The tradition continues and that would make Mary very happy! If you only make one recipe from this entire blog, make these...

Molasses Crinkles:

(written on index card/recipes card)

3/4 cup soft shortening (I use margarine)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp clove

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

granulated ginger

Mix shortening, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses. Sift dry ingredients and blend into wet mixture. Chill for about 1 hour or more. 

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/4" (it really says the exact measurement! You can change it up a little). Dip top of ball into sugar. Place balls sugar side up 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle each with 2 drops of water. Bake 11-12 minutes or just until set.

Makes 4 dozen (probably really 2 dozen...remember that these are Mary measurements).   

Now, the first batch came out crinkly, but very round. I remember the cookie being flatter:

The second batch I smooshed down, but they didn't crinkle:

The last batch I smooshed down just a little and they came out perfect:

The infamous mint pie

Tonight we celebrated my mom's birthday (Happy belated birthday mom)

  (My dad, mom, and I circa @ 1984)

 (My mom is a certified ski instructor for Maine Handicapped Skiing)

(my mom and her "irish twin" brother, Rick)

We had a lovely evening with drinks, dinner, and Mary's Chocolate Mint Pie. Now this isn't just any ordinary pie! This is a pie that comes with quite a history.

On Sunday nights Mary used to have family dinners at her house. My grandparents, aunts, and uncles would gather for drinks, dinner, and dessert before making the long 1 minute trek back to their house. On one occasion, my aunt made her chocolate mint pie and dished a piece out to everyone. My mother, being the acclaimed "wild child" was unhappy with the size that she received. Rather than asking for more, she threw the pie across the table and "ran away" to Salem Willows Park (a 3 minute walk from their house) where she bought a thing of fries and ate them on the pier.

I found it only fitting that I make this pie to celebrate my mother's birthday!

Chocolate Mint Pie
 (written on an recipe card adorned with an italian motif)

Baked 9" pie shell
2 cups milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatine
1/4 cup cold water
1/3 cup sugar
4 egg yolks slightly beaten
3/4 cup chocolate bits
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp peppermint
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup chocolate bits
1 tsp cornstarch
4 egg whites

1. Scald the milk (I had to google how to do this...basically you want to cook it until it is almost boiling)
2. sprinkle gelatin on water to soften
3. Combine 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir into egg wolk then slowly stir in some of the scalded milk. Return to the stove, cook stirring 8-10 minutes or until mixture coats a metal spoon and is slighltly thickened.
4. Into 1 cup of this custard mixture, stir in 3/4 cup chocolate bits until melted and set aside.
5. With remaining custard blend softened gelatin with vanilla and peppermint extract. Refrigerate until it mounds slightly.
6. Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed. Gradually add 1/3 cups sugar beating constantly. Fold into gelatin mixture.
7. Pour chocolate mixture into the pie shell. Pour gelatin mixture on top of chocolate mixture. Arrange 1/4 cup chocolate bits to resemble polka dots.
8. Refrigerate until firm.
 

 I have heard many stories about this pie, but I had never eaten it! It was very good! Choice beverages tonight were Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc, Oktoberfest, and Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka on Ice!