Wednesday ~ pies

 

 

Apple-Cranberry pie

Homemade evaporated milk using rice milk

mini pumpkin pies using rice evaporated milk

 

Pumpkin Pie for the rest of the gang

All the pies ~ hard to resist

Check and ready for tomorrow.

I had been pondering how to make pumpkin pie without the usual evaporated milk. I need a non-dairy alternative. I searched the internet and it seems you can use rice or soy milk and reduce it down to half. Most instructions called for using a crock-pot and would take six hours. I needed it sooner so I poured the rice milk into a glass bowl and heated it in the microwave for six minutes till it was boiling. I took it out and let it set on the counter while it evaporated. Repeated this about 6 times and voila! Tomorrow will be the true taste test. The mini pumpkin pies were made with the homebrew, non-dairy evaporated milk.

***Update: we tried one of the mini pies and it is very good! Now the non-dairy persons in our family have one more treat to enjoy. 

Tomorrow the stuffing will be made and , yes, we stuff our turkey and have never had any ill effect. Rolls will be baked, potatoes boiled and the finishing touches on the gravy will be made. Not to be forgotten opening the cans of jellied cranberry sauce. Yes we love the stuff...many apologies.

We are thankful for all we have. We are missing our family who are Eastward, working hard and studying. 

Hopefully we can all be together next year...

Monday Monday ~

cranberry for pie

 

veggies for gravy

make ahead gravy

 

dirty dishes

La la la la la la...singing a tune by The Mamas and the Papas...that dates me!

Today I will be preparing the make ahead items for our Thanksgiving Day Feast ~

cranberry sauce for the Apple Cranberry Pie &

Make ahead gravy

Now I vowed never to make the apple-cranberry pie after the first one. I was a test kitchen for Cook's Illustrated and in the summer months they sent out the recipe for the pie. It took longer than stated, dirtied every dish in my kitchen and I made me tired. I gave it a bad review and stated all the reasons why. In the mail came the winter quarterly magazine and in it was the very pie recipe that I hated. Since then, I have figured out how to like it, you see making the individual components ahead of time is the perfect solution. (They state this at the beginning of the recipe. Always read your recipes first.) It has been a family favorite since the very first time. I too love the flavor combination. It is a great pie for Fall celebrations.

I know it sounds weird to make the gravy days before...but it is so good and the secret is to add the juices from the turkey on the big day. It is quick and delicious. Carrot, onion and celery, butter, flour and chicken broth, yum. I do not know where I found the original recipe I use but you can find it everywhere in blog land.

Another reason to make things ahead of time is the 'dish factor'. The picture above is the second half of what I did today. whew!

I can take the rest of the day off?

What do you prepare ahead of time to make your life easier?

Tomorrow is Tuesday and 2 more item to make ahead...