Monday, December 12, 2011

My Thanksgiving Dinner

In goes the apple juice
 A few weeks ago, it was Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving, my mom, dad, sister, grandma, and I cooked all day.  We had a delicious time cooking.  First, we made the cranberry sauce.  I put a bag of cranberry's into a saucepan together with water, apple juice and sugar.  Then we watched the cranberry's pop like popcorn. We tried the cranberries and I added more and more sugar and stirred it until it was delicious.  Since I like it sweet, I kept telling my mom it needs more sugar.






Cranberry's popping
Adding the sugar to the popping cranberry's
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Cutting the vegetables for the stuffing
Next, we made the stuffing. My mom let my sister and I cut the vegetables, celery, and carrots.  Next, my mom fried the vegetables in a pan with the onions.  When the vegetables were in a bowl,  I sneaked and got a carrot.  Then my mom put the bread crumbs into the vegetables while I poured a little broth on it.  While my mom went to wash her hands,  I sneaked and got a breadcrumb. We put one secret ingredient which my other grandma uses (Grandma Mila), green apples cut into cubes.  It added a sweet surprise, and at dinner everyone kept asking, "what did you put in your stuffing?"  
Doesn't the stuffing look appetizing?




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Adding the flour
Then we baked the pumpkin bread.    First, my sister put oil, salt, 4 eggs, 1 cup of canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. (the wet ingredients)  Next, I added in the flour and sugar into the wet ingredients.  While my sister and mom weren't looking,  I quickly took a little sugar.  Then I mixed the wet ingredients with the flour and sugar.  Next, my sister added in the warm water, baking soda, and baking powder. Then I stirred and stirred until it looking like there were no lumps.  I even got to taste a tiny bit of the mixture.  Next, I put the mixture into a big loaf pan which my mom and we put it in the oven for 40 minutes.  When it was ready, we were all so anxious to try the pumpkin bread, but my mom said not until the guests come.

Mixing the ingredients for the pumpkin bread
Delicious pumpkin bread



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Dad is washing the turkey
Now was the right time to make the turkey.   My dad first washed the turkey and took the insides out.  I thought that was kind of gross.  Then he told us the the neck of the turkey would make a good "chicken" noodle soup.  He was right! We had turkey noodle soup for lunch. At just the right time, Grandma arrived and was put to work right away helping with the turkey. She helped butter up a paper bag so when it was ready to cook we would put the turkey in it.  Then my dad mixed different spices and sauces into a bowl.  With a brush,  my grandma put the spices over the turkey.  Grandma then pinned toothpicks in different places, but left a few opened.  The spaces where my grandma left opened were filled with stuffing.  Once it was all stuffed, she finished closing the turkey up and put it in the paper bag that was soaked with oil.  Then she put the turkey in the oven for a few hours to bake.


Grandma putting sauce on turkey
Pinning the turkey

Grandma with the finished turkey






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Adult Table
We had a lot of guests that night.  We had cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends  My aunt brought her famous pumpkin pie.  It was delicious.  Our Thanksgiving dinner was a lot of fun and everyone said this was the best Thanksgiving dinner.






Desert
Kids Table









What did you do on Thanksgiving?

Did you help with the cooking too?

12 comments:

  1. Dear Miriam
    I think one of the best aspects of family occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas is having everyone help to create the festive food.
    When you are grown-up you will be able to pass on the family recipes to the next generation.

    It seems you have quite a sweet tooth! Do you help to make special desserts for festive meals too?
    One of the desserts we will have for Christmas is pavlova, which is a delicious meringue-based dessert.

    warm wishes
    Mrs McKenzie from B4 in NZ

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Miriam,

    I thought this was a wonderful post because as you probably know, we do not celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia.

    I learnt a lot about how you celebrate Thanksgiving and I felt like I was there!

    I have never tried cranberries or pumpkin bread and I have never seen a turkey as big as that! Turkey isn't very popular here in Australia. Some people have it at Christmas time.

    It sounds like you have a lovely family who likes to spend time together.

    It is great that you are learning to cook. Do you prefer to cook sweet or savoury foods?

    Your friend in Australia,
    Mrs M☀rris

    ReplyDelete
  3. HI Miriam!
    I loved your post on thanksgiving! We don't celebrate it in NZ so I learnt alot from reading your post. I was most fascinated by your cranberries popping like popcorn! Why do they do that?
    Mrs Natusch
    Hamilton
    NZ
    http://room7vardonschool.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello Miriam,

    One of the greatest things we experience as we grow is learning from our parents and grandparents. Helping out when special meals are being prepared brings families together as they learn the traditional ways of doing things.

    Thank you for sharing your family experiences. Here in Australia we don't celebrate Thanksgiving but I do know it's significance and have always respected the idea of family and friends gathering to give thanks.

    On a lighter note, the turkey looks AWESOME! :)

    Ross Mannell (teacher)
    NSW, Australia

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Miriam,

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful thanksgiving Dinner with us all.

    I just loved how everyone in your family was helping out for this wonderful celebration.
    For that's what it is all about about caring, sharing with family and friends.

    I just love cranberry's I plan too also make some cranberry sauce for christmas dinner with the turkey which I also am planning to cook. Wish me luck as I really am a horribe cook.

    Take care Miriam.
    From your friend down under,
    AA.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Miriam,
    We all had a perfect Thanksgiving dinner, it's amazing that you and your sister Sarah could help to prepare a wonderful dinner for our family. I hope that you will remember how much fun it is to have a family gatherings and when you will grow up you will also continue this tradition.
    Love you,
    Your Grandma Tanya

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well done, Miriam!

    Congratulations on coming second in the Edublog Awards Best Student Blog.

    Ross Mannell (teacher)
    NSW, Australia

    ReplyDelete
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    @Mrs. Natusch,

    Thank you for leaving me a comment. The cranberries pop because they are boiling in a saucepan. We boil them with sugar so they are not so they don't taste so sour. I hope you visit again.

    From,
    Miriam
    ✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮

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    @Mrs. Morris,

    Thank you for leaving me a comment. I actually did not know that you don't celebrate thanksgiving in Australia. I also was surprised that you have never tried cranberries. If you ever try cranberries, be sure they are cooked or dried. If not they are really sour. I also like to cook both sweet foods and savory foods.

    From,
    Miriam
    P.S. 2km and 2kj have a great class blog. Congratulation on being a finalist.
    ✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮

    ReplyDelete
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    @Mrs. McKenzie,

    I think you are absolutely right. The best part of the day is the cooking and eating.

    I have tried pavlova on new years. It is delicious! I wish I could have it right now. Have you ever tried pumpkin bread?

    From,
    Miriam
    ✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮☼✿☮

    ReplyDelete
  11. @ Miriam,

    Thank you for replying and thank you for the tip about cranberries.

    We don't have Thanksgiving in Australia but we do have Australia Day to remember when Australia was settled over 220 years ago (Australia is a much "newer" country than the USA).

    Miriam, I was so proud of your achievement with the Edublog Awards. What a superstar you are. You are a role model for my students. I hope you continue to blog for a long time.

    Congratulations,
    Mrs M☀rris

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Miriam,

    I've started something called the Ultimate Blogging Challenge. You can read about it on my blog! If you want, you can sign up! Here is a link to my blog: http://www.jadensawesomeblog.blogspot.com/

    Sincerely,
    Jaden

    ReplyDelete

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