Getting Ready for Thanksgiving...

It's a chilly 38 degrees this morning. Yesterday we had teeny-tiny snow flurries, which are quite remarkable and unexpected on the coast of NC. From the excitement all over town, you would imagine several several feet of snow about, and snowmen gracing white-covered lawns. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to accumulate! I myself blinked and missed "the snow," so I will have to take everyone's word for it! :) The weather alone puts one in the Holiday spirit!

Guys (and girls), dressed in red vests, are already stationed in front of area businesses, ringing their bells with vigor. I wish that every time I walk by I could throw money in the kettles. But it does serve as a reminder of just how blessed so many of us are! ....tis the season to be Thankful!

...and tis the season for tasty Southern comfort foods. :) I would like to share a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. ....enjoy!

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Quick and Easy Cheese Biscuits

~Make Ahead Mix~

(Aunt Bo's Recipe)

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup melted butter

1 cup sour cream

2 cups self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together cheese and melted butter. Cool 2 minutes. Add sour cream and mix well. Stir in flour. Spoon into greased mini-muffin pan. Bake 18-22 minutes.

*Batter can be stored overnight in refrigerator.

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My family LOVES Party Mashed Potatoes, but they require a lot of preparation. I found the recipe below in a magazine last week. Hope that no one coming for dinner is reading this, but I may substitute this recipe this year! :)

Make-Ahead Party Mashed Potatoes

~Hungry Jack Recipe~

1 (15.3 oz.) box of Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes

6 cups water

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 tsps. each garlic salt and onion salt

2 cups milk

2 (8 oz.) packages softened cream cheese

16 oz. container sour cream

paprika

Crisco Original No-stick cooking spray

Chives (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with no stick cooking spray; set aside. Heat water, butter, garlic and onion salts to boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, milk, and sour cream, stirring until smooth.

2. Stir in potatoes, mixing until all ingredients are combined. Spread into baking dish.

3. Sprinkle with paprika and bake 1 hour until golden brown.

*Tip: Before adding paprika and baking, casserole can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours. Sprinkle with paprika and bake as directed. Can be garnished with chives.

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Yummy Hash Browns

(These certainly live up to their name! So good!)

~Aunt Janet's Recipe~

2 lb. bag of frozen hash browns, thawed

1 1/2 sticks of margarine

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 pint of sour cream

8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp. season salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 cups of corn flakes

Mix everything except 1/2 stick of margarine and corn flakes. (Personal Note: I assemble the dish the night before, excluding the topping of corn flakes and 1/2 stick of margarine, then store in the refrigerator. Next day, top with corn flakes and bake.)

Place in well-greased 9x13 pan. Melt 1/2 stick of margarine and mix with corn flakes. Put on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees (325 for glass dish) for 1 hour.

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Fresh Apple-Walnut Cake

2 cups sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp each baking soda, cinnamon, and salt

(I use cinnamon/sugar)

1 1/2 cups oil

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups chopped unpeeled apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease, but don't flour, a 10 or 12 cup bundt pan.

2. Mix sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until blended. Stir in oil, eggs and vanilla, then nuts and apples.

3. Bake 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack before inverting on rack to cool completely.

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Pineapple Orange Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

1 - 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, undrained

4 egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Topping: 1 - 20 oz. crushed pineapple, undrained

1 - 1 oz. instant pudding mix

1 - 8 oz. whipped topping

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, oranges, egg whites and applesauce on low speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a 13x9 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. In a bowl, combine pineapple and pudding mix. Fold in whipped topping just until blended. Spread over cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

*Note: Sugar-free instant pudding mix and reduced fat whipped topping, may be substituted for reduced calories.

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Watergate Salad

1 small pkg. instant pistachio pudding

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 - 2 cups of miniature marshmallows

1 large Cool Whip

1 cup pecans

Mix all ingredients, blending well. Chill.

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?" --Erma Bombeck

There are many great recipes popping up around blogland as we near Thanksgiving. Dot, at Pickets Place has listed several "make-ahead" recipes that sound delicious and are time saving.

Be sure to visit Kelli, also...for more Thanksgiving recipes, poems, quotes and inspiration.

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I close with these "Encouraging Words for Wednesday".....

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1