Thanksgiving Issue

This time of year Canyonland Editors are reading recipes! We wanted to share some of our favorites with you!

Traditions
By Mary Martinez
One of our traditions is Candied Yams. Last year at Thanksgiving, I added a twist--well I didn't dare cut out the candied ones or my kids would never forgive me. So I had two dishes. Traditional and Jamaica Yams. I thought I'd share the recipes.

Candied Yams
4 large yams cleaned, peeled an sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 bag of miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
dash of cinnamon
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a row of sliced yams on the bottom of an oven safe baking dish. Put bits of butter over them, sprinkle with brown sugar and add a row of marshmallows. Repeat until the dish is filled. sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for an hour.

Jamaican Yams
4 Yams cleaned, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Canola butter
1 1/2 tsp Jamaican spice
Add a row of yams to the bottom of a oven safe baking dish, then add some low cal butter and sprinkle with Jamaican spice, then repeat until dish is full.
Spice:
1/8 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/8 tsp Clove (Ground)
1/2 tsp Ground Chili's
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder.
Use mortar and pestle to grind until powdering.
After sprinkling you should have some left. Great rubbed into pork and then grilled.
Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving

The most EXCELLENT Turkey!
by Marie Higgins

I'll start off by saying - I can't take credit for the best tasting turkey I've ever had because my youngest daughter surprised us all and cooked her turkey this way - and well...now SHE is the one who cooks it every year. :) Thanks, Heather!!

DIRECTIONS:
* Buy turkey. (that's a given, right?)
* Get your turkey pan and pour 2-3 boxes of Chicken Broth (amount of broth will depend how big or small your turkey is)
* After washing off turkey and patting it dry with papertowels, rub down with butter (or margarine - it's your pick).
* Take 2 Apples, 2 unpealed oranges, and 2 peeled onions and cut them in half. (yes, just in half - although you might want to take out the apple seeds.) Now you'll take these halves and stuff them inside the turkey with 1/2 cube of butter (or margarine) cut up in smaller cubes.
* Put turkey in the baking bag and poke holes it in then set inside the pan that has the Chicken Broth already inside.
* Cook turkey according to the directions that were on the bag when you purchased it. :)
And, lastly... ENJOY the BEST tasting turkey EVER!

Thanksgiving Desserts
By Anna Sugg
Thanksgiving dinner at our house is festive with enough food to feed more than the 11 or 12 people that set around our table. A traditional dessert that I’m required to bake is the Carrot Cake recipe that I received from my sister thirty years ago. I must admit, it’s my favorite too. Let me know if you try it. I call it, Sherry’s Carrot Cake…and a homemade Chocolate Pie, my dad’s favorite, bless his soul.

Sherry’s Carrot Cake
2 cups of sugar
1 ¼ cups of vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 ½ cups cake flour
2 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon 3 cups finely shredded carrots
3 ½ cups black walnuts
Combined sugar, oil, egg (one at a time) Mix well after each egg. Stir in carrots, Add nuts. Sift together: flour, baking soda, cinnamon. Stir into mixture Pour into 3 greased 9 inch round cake pans
Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool

Cake Icing
1 8oz package cream cheese – softened
¼ cup butter – softened
1 lb box soft confection sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon lemon juice
Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth
Add sugar, gradually mixing
Stir in lemon and vanilla
If frosting seems too soft – refrigerate for a few minutes
Enjoy

Dad’s Chocolate Pie
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 1oz squares unsweetened chocolate (or four tablespoons of Hershey’s Cocoa)
1 ½ cups milk
3 slightly beaten yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 9” baked pastry shell
Meringue (3 egg whites)
In a saucepan combine sugar, flour, chocolate, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat till bubbly. Cook and stir 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Stir small amount of hot mixture into yolks. Immediately return to hot mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Pour into cooled baked pastry shell. Spread meringue atop pie.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool or, omit meringue and serve with whipped cream
Enjoy. May you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Holiday Tradition
by Amy Durham
I love this French Coconut pie for the holidays. It's SO easy, and it's SO good served warm!!

French Coconut Pie
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 (3 1/2–ounce) can shredded sweetened coconut (about 1 cup)
1 cup milk
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell (Make your own, or buy it pre-made)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, eggs, flour, sugar, coconut, and milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake until firm, about 45 to 60 minutes.

From all of us at Canyonland Press