Thanksgiving.

So, Thanksgiving weekend was eventful. Some loved ones had a baby, another loved one ended up in the hospital (all is okay, now), my mom ended up slipping and hurting her foot (she's alright now, but was in a lot of pain for half her trip), and I had a terrible allergic reaction to something that caused my right eyelid to swell up until I couldn't see anymore.

Food was good, though.

That there was the spread. A little much for three people, I know.

For those of you seeking details (going from left to right):

Mom's Fruit Salad (commonly known as Ambrosia)
* 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
* A "medium" tub of sour cream (I forget the ounces... 16? You'll know medium when you see it, though.)
* A large can of mixed fruit cocktail in light syrup, drained
* A medium can of pineapple chunks, drained
* A small can of mandarin orange slices, drained, divided
* A small bottle of marachino cherries, drained, sliced in half, divided
* A package of small marshmallows, divided
* A package of coconut flakes, divided

1. Mix the first two ingredients until well blended.
2. Mix in the cans of fruit cocktail and pineapple chunks to the sour-cream-cheese mixture.
3. Mix in 1/2 the orange slice can and 1/2 the cherries into the mixture.
4. Mix in 1/2 the coconut package and 1/2 the marshmallow package to the mixture.
5. Make sure everything's mixed in well.
6. Decorate with as much of the cherries, oranges, marshmallows and coconut as you want.
7. Eat.

Note: This whole recipe is basically to taste. If you don't like coconut that much, then use less coconut. Etc.

Thanksgiving Apple Cake (from Shop Rite bakery)

Spanish White Rice (in steamer)
* Jasmine rice
* 1/2 tsp. Olive oil per serving of Jasmine rice
* Salt, to taste

1. Prepare rice for steamer as usual (rinsing, etc.)
2. After putting the required amount of water in with the rice, add about 1/2 tsp. of olive oil per serving of rice, and add salt to taste (i.e., taste the water until it tastes as salty as you want your rice to be). Mix before putting in steamer.
3. Steam, and enjoy.

Beer-Can Turkey
Recipe taken from Associated Content, the only difference is that I used a 15-pound turkey instead of a 10, and I used salted butter, Adobo seasoning and dried Thyme for the rub. It makes for a really moist turkey, and the presentation is hilarious.


Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel
Recipe taken from CookingLight.com, except I used much less granulated sugar. (Basically, I doubled the amount of sweet potatoes, and I used 1 1/2 the amount of everything else except the granulated sugar, which I kept at abour 3/4 cup. It was still very sweet, so I think next time I could stand to use even less than a 3/4 cup. Oh, also I baked the sweet potatoes instead of boiled them -- 40 mins. to an hour on 400-degree heat, turning over half way.) Regardless, this was a really really good recipe, and I am willing to make it again. Like, today.

Gravy (from a packet)

Green Bean Casserole
Recipe taken from Campbell's Kitchen. I used 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup and doubled everything except the milk. I made this recipe last year and it came out watery, hence less milk. This year, it still came out watery, so maybe next year I'll use no milk. Frankly, I bet there's a better green bean casserole recipe out there, it's just not as easy to prepare.

Frijoles Negros
I have posted this recipe in the past. This time I got lazy and left out the red wine vinegar. Still delicious, especially with the rice.

Turkey Stuffing (from a box)
I hate (hate) fruit in my stuffing, and most stuffing recipes out there call for apples or pears or raisins. So since the boxed stuff never has fruit in it, I love (love) stuffing from a box. It's also super ridiculously easy to make, which is nice if you're cooking a lot and have a tiny oven.


All in all, a huge plate of awesome food.

Hope your Thanksgiving was as delicious as mine.