The hunt for recipes begins

After spending the weekend with my dad in Houston, I realized I needed to get crackin' on finding the recipes I use year after year.  Normally, this would involve opening my recipe box on my cookbook shelf and pulling out the recipes I intend to use.  This year, however, after a move in June and wanting to change things up a little bit, I resorted to Google to relocate some of my favorites.

In doing so, I came up with some new twists on old favorites, and I'm so excited to make them for my family and friends who will be with me on Thanksgiving!  My dad makes the turkey every year, and I assist...mostly as poison checker for the dressing and I'm a pretty awesome butter slicer, if I do say so myself.  My mom makes the gravy and the rolls, two things that require patience I do not possess.  I get why the whole rising process is important, but to sit there, smelling the delicious aroma of rising bread dough, is a torture I'd rather not force upon myself.  Thanks, mom!

Somewhere down the line, my sister was dubbed as the "green bean casserole maker," so every year, I automatically put her name down next to that tasty concoction.  I'm the maker of all things potato: always have been, always will be, and I typically make any other sides we're having.  As far as appetizers go, I'll make spinach artichoke dip, which sort of mirrors the T.G.I.Fridays version, with a few twists of my own, and my Aunt Patty's super-delicious veggie dip for veggies, chips, crackers, and whatever else we come up with.  It's seriously that good.  My mom will be making stuffed mushrooms, which are (quite possibly) my favorite appetizer of all time.  I don't know, it's a toss-up between her mushrooms, spinach artichoke dip, and the shrimp & crawfish fondeaux from Pappadeaux.  Have you ever had that?  Holy cow!

I'm also in charge of desserts.  As far as families go, my sister has always been more of a cook (although I do love to cook) and I've always been the baker of the family.  I don't really like to eat sweet stuff, but I can make it all day long.  For as long as I can remember, my dad has always requested the same thing on his birthday: a three layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting.   He was telling me this week that he wanted to be sure that he had his own dessert for his birthday and B had his own dessert as well.  Two of my favorite guys, two birthdays: November 25 (dad), and November 26 (B).

My dad's other long-time favorites include banana pudding (his mom used to make it, and I've come close to duplicating it, but not quite) and coconut cream pie.  I have made a version of coconut cream pie in the past, and it was good, but not the way he likes it to be made.  When I asked him what he wanted this year, he told me he wanted coconut cream pie, so I started looking at recipes today.  My idea was to test it out first, to be sure I could make it without it being soupy.  See, I attempted this several years ago, from a recipe a friend gave me, and I couldn't get it to set.  This is probably another one of those "patience" things, and like I said, I don't "do" things like that very well. 

I finally found a recipe and decided to give it a try.  I know I'll have no shortage of "poison checkers" so I was pretty excited.  It didn't really take that long, but it felt like FOREVER stirring the concoction on the stove.

It finally thickened, and I poured it into my pie crust and put it in the refrigerator to set.  Y'all, I think it's going to work!  If it does, I'm all set for my dad for his birthday/Thanksgiving!  Also, please excuse the ziploc bag over the top to help it set evenly...I ran out of saran wrap, and got creative. 

I'm also making a pumpkin pie with a cheesecake layer on the bottom, a.k.a. Longhorn pie for my favorite brother-in-law.  I made it the first year he came to Thanksgiving with our family, and it's become tradition.  He really likes it.  I really don't like anything pumpkin, but there's very rarely any left over.  Last, but not least, I asked B what he wanted for his birthday treat, and he said, "Ice skating."  When I explained I meant a cake, cupcakes, a cookie cake, etc, he said he wanted a Captain America.  Okay, I can work with that...  I can't wait for him to see what I come up with.

What are your favorite recipes/your favorite Thanksgiving "must haves" every year?  I'd love to be able to add to my arsenal!

To wrap things up, I'm going to be doing a lot of cooking and baking for the next week or so.  I personally think any Texas girl should have one of these:

Is that not the cutest apron?  All Texas flag-ish, with a yellow rose on the pocket and red and white ruffles...seriously, a "must" have in my opinion!  Side note: I need some aprons.  The more "interesting" the better.  There are a couple aprons that my mom has that I love.  In fact, I've said (on more than one occasion), "Wouldn't these be so super-cute as a dress?!"  Really, I mean it!  Also, don't ask why I'm posing with a ladder.  Originally, I was going to climb it, but it was precarious, and probably the staff at Bed, Bath, & Beyond would not have appreciated it.  And, no, I hadn't been consuming alcohol...yet.

Aubs