• Cranberry, sausage, and apple dressing
• Creamy homemade mashed potatoes
• Cinnamon apple crisp

Hope you all have a happy, safe Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

Prep: 10 minutes
Freeze: 5-7 minutes
Serves: approximately 15 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. of semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate squares or 12 oz. bag of baking chips
• 1 pkg. of white chocolate squares or 12 oz. bag of baking chips
• 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 10 Oreo cookies, crumbled and divided

Steps

1. Microwave each type of chocolate separately until melted.
2. Add peanut butter to white chocolate and mix. Make sure not to over mix the chocolate or it will start to become runny.
3. Add half of Oreo crumble mix (five cookies each) to each chocolate mix.
4. Place a sheet of wax paper on a baking sheet.
5. Add a spoon drop of each chocolate alternately. Use a knife to swirl the chocolate around to create a marble effect.
6. Place in your freezer for five minutes or until completely hardened. Then brake into pieces and store in airtight container in your fridge until ready to serve.

Credit! Thanks to Kraft Foods for inspiration for this recipe.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: approx. 1 hour
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

• Approximately 8-10 cups french bread, cubed
• 1-1 1/2 cups sausage meat (I used Little Smokies, but turkey or pork work well here)
• 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries or raisins
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cubed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1-1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Cubed and chop all ingredients.
2. Toast walnuts in microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes (or until you can smell them).
3. In a large saute pan or skillet, melt 3 Tbsp butter in the pan and add cubed bread, coating in the butter. Brown them on each side, but make sure not to burn them. The bread should preferably be at least a day old to dry the bread out; this will help them to toast better and keep from becoming mushy.
4. In a stock pot, saute onions and celery on medium high heat with 3 Tbsp butter. Saute for around five minutes or until onions are translucent.
5. In separate pan, brown sausage. Once onions are cooked through, add sausage to the stock pot.
6. Add bread cubes, pieces, walnuts, cranberries (or raisins), and apples cubes. Once mixed, add the stock. You want to keep the stuffing moist but not too mushy. Mix in spices and seasonings.
7. Cover with a lid and turn down the heat to low. Let the stuffing simmer for an hour or so. Continually check to see if it needs more stock, and stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Change it up! This recipe is highly flexible. Add, subtract, or substitute to your likely. Try out different breads, such as wheat, sourdough, or potato bread. You can also add a splash of Chardonnay or other wines to add a little extra flavour. Another way to change up the flavour is with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice. You can also add rosemary or garlic. The list goes on for how to change the flavourings in the recipe.

How about you? What’s your favourite ingredient in your holiday stuffing/dressing? What kind of stuffing does your family make? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 8-10 minutes
Makes: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients

Cookie Dough
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Frosting

• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• Food colouring (optional)
• Sprinkles (optional)

Steps
Cookie Dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almost extract.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture.
4. Roll into two inch balls and put unto lightly greased baking sheets. Or you can always use a Christmasy cookie cutter.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light brown.

Frosting

1. In medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, almond extract and enough water to achieve desired consistency.
2. I put about four drops of red food colouring in the frosting mix. I also added some festive red coloured sugar on top. You could mix and match colours, like a combination of red, green, and white to add a more Christmasy touch. Have fun with it!

Credit! This recipe is adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook.

• Spicy spinach cheese dip with veggies and crackers
• Roasted turkey with gravy
• Sausage, apple, and cranberry stuffing
• Homemade mashed potatoes
• Homemade dinner rolls
• Sour cream and raisin pie
• Cinnamon apple crisp

Now this sounds like a lot of food for only four people, but hey, it’s Thanksgiving! And I’m sure the leftovers will be just as good. Expect to see recipes on what to do with your leftover turkey.What is your favourite family recipes? What about new ones you want to try out? What do you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? Let us know in the comments.

Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 4 hours
Makes: 20 servings

Ingredients

• 1 quart strawberries
• 2 pkg. (4-serving size each) strawberry flavoured gelatin
• Ice cubes
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 pkg. (10.75 oz.) pound cake or angel food cake, cut into small slices
• 1-1/3 cups blueberries
• 1 tub (8 oz.) whipped cream

Steps

1. Slice approximately one cup of strawberries and halve the remaining three cups.
2. Boil one and half cups of water, and stir into dry gelatin mix in large bowl for at least two minutes or until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to measure two cups. Add to gelatin and stir until ice is completely melted.
3. Refrigerate for five minutes or until gelatin is slightly thickened. Meanwhile, place cake slices 13 x 9 inch dish. Add sliced strawberries and one cup of blueberries to gelatin, and spoon over cake slices.
4. Refrigerate for four hours or until set.
5. Spread whipped cream over gelatin. Arrange strawberry and blueberries on whipped cream.

Change it up! To make this dish extra special, you can make a cream cheese topping by whisking two 8 oz. packages of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the whipped cream.

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 8-10 minutes
Makes: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients
Cookie Dough

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• Food colouring (optional)
• Sprinkles (optional)

Steps
Cookie Dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almost extract.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture.
4. Roll into two inch balls and put unto lightly greased baking sheets.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light brown.

Frosting

1. In medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, almond extract and enough water to achieve desired consistency.
2. I put about four drops of red food colouring in the frosting mix. I also added some festive red coloured sugar on top. You could mix and match colours; have fun with it!

Credit! This recipe is adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook.

This cake quite moist and flavourful. It’s an extremely rich and luxurious dessert, which is perfect for holiday parties or special occasions. You can probably have only one slice before being full, but this cake doesn’t last too long around the house. Absolutely delicious!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
Cake mix

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon rum flavored extract

Rum butter blaze

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup rum

Steps
To make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bunt pan.
2. Cream 1 cup of the butter and 2 cups of the white sugar together. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each one. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and add alternately with the buttermilk to the egg mixture. Stir in the vanilla and rum extracts.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour.
4. Remove cake from oven and pour all of the rum butter glaze over cake while still warm.

To make butter rum glaze

1. Melt the remaining 1 cup of the butter and 1 cup of white sugar over low heat.
2. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Use immediately to glaze cake.

Credit! This recipe is composed of several different ones I found on All Recipes.