Nina Simone and Thanksgiving! Something to be thankful for!

AAAh, Thanksgiving what a wonderful holiday. I think my favorite! It is a beautiful day in Nashville and people I care for are coming over with empty tummies and bottles of wine...waiting to be wowed by the food. Sounds like a challenge for some and the wheelhouse for others. OOOh, it makes me want to squeal with excitement

This year is extra special for me. The last four, have been with dear friends, but this year it was time to break out and grab the hosting wand. Thankfully, I am splitting the responsibilities with my friend Amanda. She happens to be a great cook herself.

My responsibilites are the turkey (who has been named Elliot), gravy, corn pudding, dressing, and pumpkin cheesecake. I kind of cheated and had Crystal from Fido make the cheesecake. This is her specialty. I am not much for baking...but I knew it had to be a part of the meal. This is all a learning process for me as well! Thank God for Williams Sonoma and Alton Brown. I think I would die a slow roasting death if it wasn't for those recipes.

On Monday I started preparing first recipe Corn Pudding...was accompanied by Madeleine Peyroux and her stunning vocals. Cornbread Dressing was Ella Fitzgerald and the GRAND FINALE the turkey was a roasted to a NIna Simone medley. OOOH...sing it girl!

Corn Pudding

3 cans of creamed corn
1 can of corn
8 eggs
1 1/4 cups of butter
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of sugar

Mix everything together and pour in a casserole dish. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees

This is an old Southern recipe that I got from Charles and Adele my Memphis parents! Love you guys


Cornbread Dressing

8 cups of corn bread
6 pieces of white bread pulled apart
2 onions chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
3 cups of chicken stock
2 carrots chopped
2 eggs
1 cup butter melted
3 tbsp. of sage chopped
3 tbsp. of parsley chopped



Toast the breads until crispy and the edges are browned. Heat the chicken stock on medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the two eggs. Sautee onions, celery in oil until onions are translucent and celery softened. Add herbs and let settle in the oil and vegetables. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

Maple Glazed Turkey with Aromatics

One Brined Turkey 14-16 lbs
2 Honeycrisp apples
1 onion quartered
6 sage leaves
6 rosemary sprigs
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup of maple syrup


Remove all innards and discard..unless you like to save the neck and gizzard for gravy...eeeeks! Not me! Rinse the turkey thoroughly and pat dry. Move turkey from sink to roasting pan and prep. Salt and Pepper the cavity. Microwave the aromatics for five minutes. Stuff full of aromatics i.e. the apples, onion, sage, and cinnamon stick. I tried to put some of the juice in the cavity but it was a little tough and it ended up on the bottom of the pan. That should be fine, because it will be used for the gravy.