Friends-Giving!

This is the first holiday season in our new home. Naturally, I am very excited about this. Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for this time of year. So when my mom had asked me to host Thanksgiving this year, I jumped right into. After agreeing, I decided I should have a test run. It would after all be my first Thanksgiving dinner that I cook entirely on my own. This is when I decided I would host "Friends-Giving"! We like to have "family" dinner whenever possible, so why not host the biggest dinner event of the year! This way I could test out some of my recipes on a large group of people and have fun while doing it. 

The evening started out with a handful of people, but quickly turned into a lovely dinner party. I asked that everyone contribute in some way. I cooked the turkey (along with a few side dishes) and everyone else brought various other desserts, beverages, and accompaniments. 

Below is what our menu looked like:

Two turkey breasts: One roasted, another was cooked in the slow cooker.

Stuffing

Mashed potatoes

Sweet Potato Hash (This dish was previously mentioned in the last "My Week of Dinners" post made by Deirdre)

Macaroni and Cheese

Green Bean Casserole

Pulled Pork

Cranberry Sauce

Crescent Rolls

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Apple Tart

Strawberry Cream Pie

Every last bit of it was delicious. And of course, we were all stuffed to the brim upon finishing. It turned out to be a lovely evening with a great group of friends. Quattro of course was enjoying the company as well. 

After cleaning up, I realized I had two breast bones left over. I decided that I would not let them go to waste. Tonight I made turkey stock which I figured will be perfect for various dishes on actual Thanksgiving next week. It was pretty simple too!

Turkey Stock

Ingredients

Turkey breast bones

1/2 onion, cut in half

3 carrots, roughly chopped

3 celery sticks, roughly chopped

8 sprigs of time

Palm full of whole peppercorns

Water

Directions

Place all of the ingredients in a stock pot. Fill the pot with water until the turkey bones are covered. Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for about 2-3 hours. Strain the liquid into a container and seal. Refrigerate or freeze once cooled. 

This recipe can easily be used for chicken stock as well. If using a whole turkey carcass, double up on the veggies.