We have so many things to be thankful for during this exciting time of the year, but this article is highlighting the wonderful neighborhood we call home in midtown Jackson, Woodland Hills. We are a small but very active and closeknit neighborhood and I am quite thankful for my “neighborhood family.”
Last November, our Garden Club decided to host our first Neighborhood Thanksgiving meal or Friendsgiving. We had heard of others doing this and thought it would be fun. A “Friendsgiving” is basically all the food and fun of a traditional Thanksgiving meal but with friends instead of family.
The neighborhood went all out for the party. We rented tables and chairs, decorated with lots of pumpkins, candles, and twinkle lights. We asked everyone to bring their favorite Thanksgiving dish and to plan to share a story about the dish. Children were invited and of course we had the “kids table” where I can remember tricking our cousins into trying new dishes.
Most Thanksgiving family recipes have a story behind them. Whether it is funny sweet, or even sad because you are missing someone special, each one has a place at the table and allowed us to draw closer together.
Thanksgiving is a busy time of the year. Many people travel. Some people are missing family, and fellowship with a neighbor is one way to reconnect this time of the year.
These are some of our neighborhood’s favorite recipes and a few of the stories behind them.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Rachel Gresset brought her maternal grandmother’s recipe, Louisa Sudbeck (from Lexington), I think it may have been the first thing on my plate.
1 large can of yams in syrup
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of sugar
1 stick of butter
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs well beaten
Drain yams and mash until smooth. Mix together all other ingredients. Pour into baking dish and top with the following mixture
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup of chopped pecans
Dot the top with 1/4 stick butter cut into small pieces
Bake at 350 degrees until it no longer shimmies in the middle.
Green Bean Casserole
Most Thanksgiving tables would not be complete without green bean casserole, and Hollidae Morrison provided ours. She explained that “the recipe is old school, nothing to it really,” but those are the best kind.
4 cans whole green beans (low salt - optional)
1 can mushroom soup
8 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Drain green beans. Mix sour cream, garlic salt and soup together. Lay out green beans in a casserole dish, top with soup mixture. Top with cheese.
Melt one stick of butter and mix with one sleeve of broken saltine crackers. Spread over green bean mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until top is brown and casserole is bubbly.
Oyster Dressing
Dorothy Wafford brought her family’s oyster dressing. She explained that the oyster dressing was passed down from her mother’s side of the family with east coast and coastal Virginia roots. It was a staple at their Thanksgiving, one that all the kids hated. But as they grew up it just tasted like tradition and familiarity. And now, Dorothy cannot imagine a Thanksgiving without it.
3 pints jarred oysters- drain but keep about 1/2 cup of the oyster liquid
4 sleeves ritz, crushed up (this is Dorothy’s kids’ job, as they love to stomp on it)
3 sticks melted butter
1.5 cups half and half
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
Mix melted butter and ritz in a bowl. Lay 1/3 cracker mixture down in a casserole dish, then half the oysters, another 1/3 of ritz then the rest of the oysters, top with the rest of the ritz.
Combine oyster liquid, half and half and Worcestershire, pour over top. Bake uncovered 55-60 minutes.
Curried Fruit Bake
You can count on Mary Alice White to bring something special from her archives of recipes. This is a great side dish and Mary Alice explains that it is great with any meat, such as lamb, ham, or poultry.
1 regular can peach halves
1 regular can pineapple slices
1 regular can pear halves
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 maraschino cherries
1/3 cup butter
4 teaspoons curry powder
The day before: preheat oven to 325°. Drain fruit and dry well on a paper towel. Arrange the fruit in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Melt butter and add brown sugar and curry powder and stir well. Spoon over fruit. Bake one hour uncovered.
Remove and cool and refrigerate overnight.
30 minutes before serving, reheat the casserole in a 350° oven for 30 minutes.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Kay Whittington brought an Ina Garten fall salad recipe and it was absolutely spectacular. Recipes do not have to be old or original to be a family favorite.
1 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and dried
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Pre-oven to 400°. Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper and toss. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes turning occasionally until the squash is tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last five minutes. While the squash is roasting, make the salad dressing.
Combine the apple cider or apple juice, the cider vinegar, and the shallots in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
When ready to serve, place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan cheese. Spoon vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Fruit Kabobs
Erin Dehon and Lisa Wiggington often bring the same thing to our neighborhood parties. They are genius in the simplicity, yet always a perfect addition. Kids and adults love them and they are fresh and easy to prepare.
Using a 12 inch bamboo skewer, alternate your choice of fresh fruit.
Good choices include blueberries, apple chunks (tossed in lemon-lime soda or lemon juice), green and red, grapes, pineapple chunks, strawberries, mango, honeydew or cantaloupe chunks, or any other sturdy fruit that can go on a skewer.
I love raspberries, kiwis and bananas, but they may not hold up on something like this.
Grammy's Squash Casserole
Meredith Aldridge brought a fan favorite with her grandmother’s old timey squash casserole.
2 lbs. squash, sliced and cooked
1 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup bread crumbs
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)
Mix all ingredients, put into greased 9x13 casserole. Bake on 375 for 40 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.
Curried Cheese with Cranberry Chutney
Melissa Huchinson brought an old family favorite. When she sent me a photo of the recipe card, I could can tell it had been used for many years. This is a deliciously unusual combination of flavors with a beautiful red color. Perfect for any holiday gathering.
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons dry sherry
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Cranberry Chutney, or enough to cover top
Green onions, thinly sliced
Blend together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sherry, curry powder and salt.
Shape into a half-inch thick circle on serving platter. Spread chutney over entire surface. Sprinkle with onions.
Serve with crackers.
Shrimp Crackers
Madeline and Will Nichols brought these spicy but delicious shrimp on crackers. The original appetizer came from the old Southern Sideboards Cookbook, but they kicked it up with a few extra dashes of hot sauce and other spices. This is the Nichols version.
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup parsley, chopped very fine
1/2 cup finely chopped chives or green onions
3 tablespoons horseradish
1 (5 1/4 ounce) jar Zatarians Creole Mustard
3 to 4 dashes of Crystal Hot Sauce
A dash of Lee and Perrin
Lemon juice to taste
2 pounds medium shrimp, boiled and deveined
Mix all of ingredients together except the shrimp. Fold in the shrimp gently, and marinate for at least 24 hours.
When ready to serve remove shrimp from refrigerator and serve on a Ritz cracker, one shrimp per cracker.
They are delicious and feel free to adjust the seasoning to your taste, but the Nichols Family likes it spicy.
Lu Wile’s Rum Cake
Hailey Allin brought her mother’s rum cake recipe, Lu Wile. Hailey explained that she grew up thinking that it was a special family recipe until someone found it on the side of the Bacardi Rum bottle. A recipe does not have to be secret to be great.
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (18 1/2 oz) package Duncan Hines yellow cake mix (no pudding)
1 3.4 oz package vanilla instant pudding & pie filling mix
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salad oil
4 eggs
Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan; sprinkle chopped nuts over bottom. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, rum, water, salad oil, and eggs; beat 2-4 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer. Pour batter into pan; bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes. Pour hot rum glaze over hot cake. Allow cake to cool in pan for 30 minutes before turning out.
Hot Rum Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup water
Boil two to three minutes; pour over hot cake
Mary Zimmerman’s (AND Nancy Maloney Emidy’s) Broccoli Casserole
Margaret Zimerman Smith brought a family favorite and explained that Ms. Emidy had been a family friend from the 1980s. Ms. Emidy must have brought the dish to her mother’s family after their grandmother died in 1988. Margaret does not know anyone else who makes it this way except her mom so we decided to give it an additional name of Mary Zimmerman’s Broccoli Casserole.
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz.) jar Cheese Whiz
1 cup Minute Rice
Pour one cup boiling water over frozen broccoli and let stand. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté celery and onion in butter until tender and transparent. Turn off heat, but leave skillet on stove while you add broccoli, water, and soup. Stir in Cheese Whiz and rice. Pour in large casserole and bake at 350° for 30 to 45 minutes.
Hotdog Bun Breadsticks
Jen McGehee is one of the best cooks I know and I can still remember when I first heard about these. We all laughed when she presented these “silly hot dog buns” to a group years ago. We were overwhelmed with how yummy they tasted, and every time I serve them, I still get a kick out of this simple yet delicious treat.
You might be tempted to laugh when you look at the ingredients, but please trust me, they are truly good. I do not know how ordinary hot dog buns can be transformed into a gourmet treat, but they are. Please follow the recipe instructions and enjoy these crunchy treats.
2 sticks unsalted butter
8 hot dog buns
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Melt butter and pour into a shallow bowl. Open and quarter hot dog buns lengthwise. Dip edges into bowl of butter. Place on a cookie sheet with buttered edge up. Sprinkle top of sticks with seasoning and bake at 225° for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container.
Danelle’s Friendsgiving Salad
Danelle is a top notch cook and I think her salads are one of the best things she prepares. They are always fresh and delicious with just the right flavor combinations.
Fresh lettuces and arugula
Toasted pine nuts
Chopped sun dried tomatoes
Chopped sweet olive mix (Danelle picks up from Whole Foods Mediterranean Bar)
Shaved parmesan
Chopped salami
Sweetie drops (Marinated sweet red peppers from the Mediterranean Bar)
Chopped pickled onions
J Olive Pomegranate Quince vinegar and J Olive plain Olive Oil
All ingredients optional or add what you like!
Mix and toss with equal amounts of oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• These recipes are only a sampling of the food that we shared.
I volunteered to bring the meat options for the meal and chose a couple of tried-and-true recipes.
Katty’s Baked Ham
My late mother- in- law became a fabulous home cook. Through lots of trial and error, a love of food, curiosity, and a hungry family, she became quite the hostess and chef! She loved all types of cuisine but I think she specialized in traditional southern food.
1/2 ham, butt or shank
2-3 t. tart jelly, such as plum
1 onion, quartered
1 tart apple, quartered
Black pepper
Water or 1/4 -1/2 cup white wine or sherry
Rinse Ham thoroughly. Place in a roasting pan and rub with jelly. Place onion and apple around ham, add wine or sherry and add water to pan to depth of 1-inch. Cover tightly and cook 20 minutes per pound in a 325-degree preheated oven. This may take longer depending on water content of ham. Check after 2 hours. Ham is done when skin is loose and fork pierces meat easily.
Overnight Turkey
Several years ago, I read about a turkey that you cook overnight. It may not make the most attractive bird for Thanksgiving but it is easy and guarantees to be a moist and delicious treat.
14-pound turkey, rinsed and thawed
1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt and black pepper, or any other seasonings you prefer
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2-3 pieces of fresh rosemary
1 onion, quartered
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups boiling water
Preheat your oven to 450°. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and rub with melted butter. Sprinkle inside and out of the turkey with the salt and pepper or seasoning mixture. Put celery, rosemary, and onion inside the cavity of the bird. When oven is preheated, pour boiling water around the turkey cover the pan tightly and cook for two hours. After cooking time, turn off the heat and do not open the oven door. Leave the turkey in the closed oven overnight or for at least eight hours. In the morning, the turkey will be ready to slice and refrigerate. Save any pan drippings to make delicious turkey gravy.
Crock Pot - Pot Roast
This was a last-minute addition to my main dish plan and it was a big hit. Not a drop of roast remained after the Friendsgiving dinner.
1- large (5-6 lbs.) beef roast, trimmed and cut in large cubes
1 can beef broth
1 onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 envelope au jus gravy mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
Put first 6 ingredients in the crock pot and cook for about 4 hours or until the meat is almost tender. Add carrots and potatoes and cook an additional hour or until meat is very tender and potatoes are cooked.
Serve immediately.
* If you are watching your salt in-take, feel free to substitute low sodium broth and gravy mix.
Not everything at our dinner was homemade. Please remember that purchased food items are absolutely suitable for a Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving. Not everyone likes to cook or has the time. Some of the best food at the table was purchased. Derek Grey brought a Chantilly cake from a well-known bakery in New Orleans and I still cannot stop thinking about that that decadent yet light cake. We had pumpkin pies and apple pies and all sorts of foods that people picked up. Homemade is good but store-bought or semi-homemade works as well. The main thing is to show up to a Friendsgiving and to get to know your friends and neighbors. It’s not what you bring. It’s that you’re there and having fun.
I hope that each reader lives in a neighborhood or in a town where you know most of your neighbors. Neighbors you can count on if you are in a bind. People you can call when you need a ride to the airport or someone to pick up your newspaper. Neighbors that know when you are home and when you are not and can watch your house. Neighbors that you care about and know they care about you. We celebrate Neighborhood Night Out, have an Easter Parade and a glow in the dark Easter Egg hunt. The neighborhood children trick or treat as a group on Halloween and carol together at Christmas. In the summer, neighbors are generous with their pools, and invite everyone to join in. Our neighborhood parties are not difficult or complicated, but most are just come as you are; sometimes with children and sometimes without. That is the kind of neighborhood I live in and I am so thankful and grateful for it. Happy Thanksgiving!
