Thanksgiving was a success!

When does anything ever go as planned?

Last night, I found out my mom wasn't feeling well, so I would have to supply the pie and rolls as well as the turkey. I had a whole menu planned out, but I had to pare back some of it.

So this morning, I braved Stater Bros. for the pie, rolls, and the onion and apple I needed for the turkey (more on that later).

Cranberry Sauce with Apple (from Cozi Family Calendar)

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce bag for fresh cranberries 
• 1 large apple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (I used Macintosh)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water

Directions (with my modifications)

1. Line a 8x4 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and spray the plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray. (I skipped this step. I put the finished sauce in a plastic container with a lid, since we were traveling to grandma's with it.)
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries (reserve 6-8 cranberries for garnish) with the apple, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the cranberries are completely broken down and the sauce is very thick, about 15 minutes.
3. Scrape the cranberry sauce into the prepared pan and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. Invert the jelly onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Place the reserved cranberries on top of the mold. Slice with a serrated knife before serving.

Brined Turkey with Sage-Thyme Butter (from Cozi Family Calendar)

 I used all the ingredients called for, except for the items needed to make gravy. I also added half a Granny Smith apple, 1 lemon, and half a white onion (all quartered) to the cavity of the bird.

My turkey was bone-in breast only, so I have a lot of the sage-thyme butter left over. I have chicken breasts in the freezer, so I plan on using it for a yet-to-be-created recipe.

The turkey taking a rest before heading to grandma's.

All carved up...

With the stuffing (boxed - made with 1 cup butter and veggie broth and the other half of the onion from the turkey).

All done!

Time for dessert. I saw this on Pinterest. The original had what looked like brown M&Ms on the eyes and nose, but this was close enough.

All in all, the kids liked the turkey. There were some bits of the sage and thyme under the skin (since I didn't have a food processor, I couldn't blend it until smooth), but they just brushed that off. I had a hard time getting them to try the cranberry sauce, but Big Sis eventually ate it with her turkey. They didn't try the stuffing or grandma's potatoes. They did enjoy the fox pumpkin pie, too. :)