Thanks for all the lovely delights

Happy day before Thanksgiving!

This year, once again, the husband is working on the day of, so I will be celebrating partially without him, until he gets off in the late afternoon. The hospital employee's work is never done, folks! Fortunately, we are giving thanks with a huge crew, 14 adults and 6 kids, friends of ours from church, so there will be plenty of people around to keep me occupied.

Our hostess is taking on entirely too much of the food preparation, but that means I have very little to do, which is fine by me. As it is, I have expanded what I was planning on bringing because, well, have you met me? So here are my contributions (recipes available upon request):

Cranberry Jello Mold

This is actually a weight watchers recipe I have co-opted and turned into one of my holiday favorites. I normally do not like jello all that much and jello salad even less, but this combination is fruity and crunchy and easy, and I have suspended my dislike on its behalf. It's made with cranberry jello, a seasonal offering (buy now if you like it) but can be made with any red flavor, chopped strawberries, chopped granny smith apples, and chopped pecans, all mixed into a bundt pan, unmolded with panache, and served with whipped cream in the center. Nummy!

Sweet Potato Bar

This idea came from my college's holiday party last year, at which they served mashed sweet potatoes to which you could add all your favorite toppings, as much or as little as you liked. I have adopted the recipe for myself, and the toppings are marshmallows, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips. I may also do some savory options, like butter and/or sour cream. The beauty of this dish is you don't have to be concerned about nut allergies or the inevitable person who had some sort of traumatic run-in with melted marshmallows as a child (seriously!). And it's interactive and fun!

Trio of Dips/Tortilla Chips and Salsa Dip

I will be serving roasted red pepper hummus, spinach dip, and, if I can get in touch with Mrs. TG in time, her signature white bean dip (or some version of my own), all of which will be accompanied by toasted pita triangles. In addition, I am bringing tortilla chips to be served with this odd dish that is partially based on a recipe from our local church's cookbook. It involves sour cream, black beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning. I knows, sounds strange, but it's actually quite addictive.

Marie Callendar's Frazzleberry Pie

Yep, straight from the package. Have you had this pie? It is incredible, and I defy you to find a better berry pie someone made from scratch!

So these aren't my mom's "none better" rolls, but they will have to do. More on how the complete menu shaped up after-the-fact. In the meantime, what are YOU having??