Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I know this is the day before Thanksgiving, and food has not even yet been consumed, BUT, I’m already thinking about leftovers. Due to this fact, I’ve been reading through the food blogs I follow looking for recipes and in the process I’ve found some that I thought I’d pass along for this week’s ‘Recipe of the Week’. Three from Real Mom Kitchen and one from Recipe Shoebox…I haven’t tried any of them (yet!), but they look so good I had to pass ‘em on.

From Real Mom Kitchen, here are three recipes:
- Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup
- Turkey Cranberry Quesadillas
- Ham and Cheese Potato Casserole

And from Recipe Shoebox, here’s one (it’s actually for chicken, but you could easily substitute turkey):
- Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

PLUS, here are some ideas from the top of my head–no recipes attached, but some foods Alex, Soph and I have made along with experiment ideas we’ll be trying with our left overs

Fried Breakfast Mashed Potatoes – I actually make these a lot with leftover mashed potatoes…just add some butter and fry the potatoes like you would hashbrowns; ’til they’re nice and browned…mmmm

Turkey Tacos - I’d use a cheese like Monterrey Jack, or maybe Muenster.

Wild Rice & Turkey Soup – If you make a wild rice side like we do, you can use the leftovers, along with some turkey to make a creamy, delicious soup.

Turkey Enchiladas – just thought they sounded good. I think I might be craving Mexican Food….

Turkey Pizza – With a white sauce sauce and cheese, tomatoes and maybe fresh basil. Kind of like those chicken pizzas, but with turkey.

BBQ Turkey Sandwiches – I’m thinking pulled-pork style turkey sandwiches. This will use up leftover turkey and any rolls that might be hanging around as well.

And then, for all of us who where and are  fans of “Friends”, we can’t forget the famous Thanksgiving leftover ‘Moist Maker’ Check out this eHow article from Sharon Potter-Case for the recipe.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and ideas for recipes and we wish you all a super delicious, relaxing and fun, family Thanksgiving!

P.S. Our first Christmas episode featuring Alex’s favorite Bread Pudding will air on Saturday, November 28…sign up for our list so you don’t miss it!

Some people probably think I’m crazy for even letting the kids in the kitchen while cooking the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Well if you’ve seen our show, you know that the 2 Kids family is a little crazy–and that’s just the way we like it

Alex and Soph usually help get things ready for the big meal by helping make the desserts the day before. On Thanksgiving though, I’m kind of focused on getting everything done, so they have more limited hands-on kitchen time, but here are some ways they help out:

Hors d’oeuvres
When we have family and friends over for Thanksgiving, most of the time they arrive well before the big meal. This means we like to have plenty of snacks available for our guests. Alex and Sophia love getting hors d’oeuvres ready and serving them, so that’s usually one of their duties. We usually have an assortment of things including some family favorites like pickled herring, polish sausage, assorted cheeses…nothing too fancy, just some tasty items to keep tummies from growling before the main meal.

Crudité Platter
If you’ve seen our ‘Snickety Snacks‘ episode, you know that we love the veggie trays. Alex and Soph can put together a respectable Crudité platter in no time and with lots of style, so on Thanksgiving, I make sure they do.

Beverages
At our house, a guest with an empty glass won’t be empty for long. When I’m busy cooking, the kids are free to check on each of our guests needs, refreshing sodas or waters, or letting the ‘bartender’ know someone needs a fresh beverage. This responsibility keeps our guests well hydrated and the kids busy.

Relish Tray
Pickles, olives and pickled peppers, oh my! Whatever types of pickled delicacies are traditional on your table, they need to be prepared. Just like with the Crudité Platter and Hors d’oeuvres, kids have fun making serving platters look pretty. Sophia tends to eat as much as she plates, but that’s why we buy extra

Setting the Table
I remember Thanksgivings when I was a kids. Every year we’d travel to Jackson, MN to spend the holiday with my Grandma and Grandpa. My Grandma was a bit of a stickler for a properly set table, and my sister and I always had the duty of making sure this happened. Now, I’ve passed the duty on to Alex and Sophia, BUT, I’m not quite as picky as two where they place the silverware…I’m lucky to have all the place settings matching these days

And there you have it, a few of the ways Mom (that’s me) keeps the 2 Kids (that’s Alex and Soph), busy and helping on Thanksgiving. Because, Thanksgiving is about thanks, right? And I’m most thankful to have two great kids to spend time with, both in the kitchen and out.

Have a great holiday week everyone…and Thank You for watching Two Kids Cooking!

So Thanksgiving is about turkey. We like turkey. But, we also like meatballs. Since the kids are going to be eating the ‘real thing’ on Thanksgiving day at their dad’s, we celebrated at grandma’s with the meatball variety of turkey. Watch as Alex and Soph share their secrets for our Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs…

If you want to try out Alex and Soph’s recipe, check it out: 2 Kids Cooking Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs.

And, make sure you don’t miss an episode–sign up for our weekly email, and as a gift to you, you’ll get 6 daily emails filled with menu planning ideas that your family can cook together!

Ahh, Thanksgiving, one of the tastiest times of the year. We all know there are tons of traditional foods associated with Thanksgiving, from the turkey to the green bean casserole, and most of us have a favorite. Pumpkin pie is both Alex and Sophia’s favorite and with the ginger snap crust and creamy filling, this is our best recipe ever!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie – Crust:
2 cups ginger cookie crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/8 tsp salt
5 Tbsp Butter, melted

We use a food processor or a hand chopper to convert the cookies to crumbs. We do the same with the walnuts. Melt the butter in the microwave. Mix the crumbs, walnuts, salt and butter in a deep, pie pan. Then press the crust in the pan and up the sides. Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Then take out to cool so you can pour in the filling.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie – Filling:
6 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
3/4 cup whole milk or half & half
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 dash ground cloves
1/4 salt

Beat the cream cheese until fluffy and then add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and egg yolk 1 at a time and then add the rest of the ingredients and beat until well blended. Pour filling into the crust.

We like to serve it with whip cream. You can make your own, used cool whip or the stuff in a can…whatever you serve it with, this pie is seriously delicious. We hope you think so too!

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