Thanksgiving Recipes

My family came over for Thanksgiving this year.  On the one hand I love having holidays at my house because I get all the leftovers that I want :) but on the other hand I hate it because I have to spend the whole day and a half before cleaning my house.  It's a fair exchange I'd say. 

Since I have a baby who LOVES sweet potatoes, I was responsible for the sweet potato casserole.  Now, my fam has never been huge on sweet potatoes.  I was a little nervous about this one because I figured most people would stick their noses up at this.  But - BUT!  Most people tried it.  And everyone who did liked it AAAAND I even had one comment - "These are the best sweet potatoes I've ever had."  (That was my sister who always has compliments for something that I do.  I love her.) 

Here is the recipe I used.  I made it up, so you can't find it anywhere but here! 

Ingredients: 

• 4 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1" cubes, boiled until tender, drained
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 large egg
• 1 heaping tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 bag mini marshmallows

Take 1/3 of your boiled potatoes, mash with half and half, egg, cinnamon, allspice, and brown sugar.  Spread about 12 or so on the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish spoon the OTHER potatoes on top of the mixture in the 9x9 dish, then spread the remaining mixture over the top.  Sprinkle the mini marshmallows over the top of the mixture (as few or as many as you want - my casserole was mostly covered with little bits of orange showing through).  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until casserole is hot and marshmallows are toasty light brown. 

My other recipe that was a hit was my snickerdoodle bars.  The story behind this one was that I sent my husband out the day before Thanksgiving to get the groceries I needed.  WITH a baby.  I know.  Bless his heart.  He did great.  On my list I had "fruit", thinking that I would get a whole plethora of mixed fresh fruits.  Instead of "fruit" he bought "apples".  So...the fruit pizza idea that I was going for was a lost cause.  Especially because I don't like apples.  Thanks, honey.  (But seriously, he rocked the grocery shopping.  I'm sure the store was packed.) 

I searched and searched the internet for an hour and a half for some sort of "bar" that I could make with a sugar cookie mix and ingredients that I had handy.  (I already had made peanut butter kiss cookies, so I was looking for something OTHER than cookies to make...I thought cookie bars would work.) 

In a flash of genius, I decided on snickerdoodle bars not because I found a recipe, but because I was tired and thought it would work.  So I made up a recipe: 

Ingredients: 

• Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix, prepared
• 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 cup half and half, plus more if needed

Add 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon to sugar cookie dough.  Mix well.  Spread in a greased oven-safe pan.  Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes - NOT AS DIRECTED ON PACKAGE (the outsides will be crispy but the insides will still be gooey if you do it their way).  Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth.  Add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla.  Mix well.  Add half and half as needed.  After the cookies are done, remove from oven.  Wait for them to cool.  I know it's tempting to just dig in.  Don't do it. It's important.  Once it's good and cool (like, GOOD and cool - I waited until the next morning), spread the frosting over the top of the cookies.  You won't need a thick layer.  People will think they're very sweet if it's too thick.  Enjoy!