Clemetines, Satsumas, or any kind of Orange. They're at their juicy best in December.
Fudge covered Ritz crackers will give you that sweet-salty crunch that we all crave.
Tillamook cheese. I love the stuff. I keep a couple of babyloaves on hand to slice up for a cheese platter. I love the Vintage White Cheddar, Pepperjack and Sharp Cheddar.
I just discovered these new crackers and I'm hooked. Along with the nutty pecan flavor, you get a subtle maple sweetness. Nut Crisps and Tillamook Cheddar are my new favorite lunch buddies.
Here's a tiny picture of Nestle Chocolate Mint Instant Cocoa Mix. I'm not normally a fan of instant cocoa mix, but this version is rich and flavorful. With some whipped cream and marshmallows, we're talking instant party.
I'll also keep olives, cashews, garlic bread, Christmas M and Ms, and frozen homemade tomato soup around for any suprise visitors. What am I missing? Leave me a comment and let me know what else I need in my holiday stockpile. Be back tomorrow with potato latkes....
4 (20 lb) turkeys
Skip the oven and the pot and make the whole darn thing in the crock pot. Add corn, cream, sugar, and salt to the crock pot and cook on low for two hours. Mix together butter and flour and stir into corn; cook on low for one more hour. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese about 10 minutes before serving. Nice and easy!
First of all, thanks for your kind words. I'm going to do a hotline more often, just to boost my self esteem.:) As for the rolls, they can happily spend two days in the fridge, just chillin' till you need them. If you haven't started them yet, run home and mix them up. Or wait till tonight. Or make them tomorrow morning. That's what I love best about them.
This year, we're trying to keep it to the minimum since we have a big group for dinner. We'll be serving Summit House Corn, Green Beans Almondine, Cornbread Stuffing with Cranberries, Traditional Sage and Celery Stuffing, along with our Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Turkey. Our most unusual side dish is my Aunt Charlotte's sweet potatoes with green apple, pecans, and orange. Why haven't I posted it yet???
Do you have a way to make canned whole-berry cranberry sauce more interesting? We can make it interesting, but can we make it delicious? Oh, yes. Since canned cranberry sauce is super sweet, think about adding some bold, bright flavors to balance it out. Stir in a tablespoon of orange zest, or a squeeze of lime juice. A few tablespoons of crushed pineapple would give it some tart zip. For textural contrast, another great option would be a few handfuls of chopped nuts and some dried cranberries. Suddenly I find myself craving canned whole-berry cranberry sauce. Now that’s interesting.
This is always the trickiest part, isn’t it? First of all, unless you’re cooking for a very small group, you need to get some of the cooking done in the days before Thanksgiving. Try making your pies, stuffing, yams, roll dough, and gravy base before the big day. (Bring everything to room temperature before serving time and then give it a good zap in the microwave to get it piping hot.) The Turkey needs priority in the oven, so make sure everything besides the rolls are baked before you put that turkey in. Tom turkey will need to rest for 30 minutes between oven and carving time, so pop your rolls in at precisely that moment. With a little luck, everything should be just perfectly piping hot as you say Amen. And if it isn’t, anyone who complains can do the dishes. For eternity. 
My sister-in-law is a terrible cook....sorry, sister, but it is true.What can I have her bring besides ice?or how do I nicely supply a specific recipe?
this may not really be a hotline question, but i've never found a good blackberry pie recipe. do you have a favorite? i don't want one with blueberries in it:)
Leave a comment with your question and I'll get back to you just as quick as you can say Prudence Pennywise...
I'm going to show you how to make my favorite holiday corn, I really am. But first, let me tell you about our weekend. We had cousins come into town early for Thanksgiving. They had barely stepped foot out of the car when we whisked them away to a Riders in the Sky concert. These are four of the silliest goofball cowpokes you ever did see. (Um, I'm not sure if I'm talking about the singers or the kids. I'll let you decide.) 
I hope I get to see them in concert again. Kids and grown-ups alike were doubled over with laughter. We left tapping our toes and humming through smiles. This weekend was also our local hospital fundraiser, The Jubilee of Trees. Talented people in the community decorate and donate trees for auction. Generous people in the community buy these decorated trees. Last year my parents bought a Peter Pan tree that I inherited this year. I'll give you a peek later (and a peek of the one they bought this year), but here's a sample of one of the themed trees available for purchase. 
I never get sick of watching them play, not at home or abroad. I'm getting my money's worth for those violin lessons. I've got my own little string duo that always owe me a favor. 
And of course, we had to take part in all of the good times at the Jubilee, in the name of charity, tut tut! I almost almost almost stood in line for face painting myself. I want a pretty snowflake on my cheek.
Boy in a plastic bubble.
All right, enough with the weekend and let's get one to the week. It is THE week. Thanksgiving is a mere few days away. Are you making pie crusts and freezing rolls and brining turkeys? I ought to be, but I'm getting a slow start due to excessive play. (See above photos.) But today, doggone it, I'm making this corn and putting it into the fridge. This recipes hails from a beautiful restaurant in Fullerton, California known as the Summit House. Some people (me) go there and order bowl fulls of the fantastic stuff. This is corn at Daddy Warbuck's house on Christmas morning. It doesn't get any better than this. It's decadent all right, but that's why I save it for holiday meals and dinner parties. Start off with a handful of easy ingredients: frozen corn, flour, butter, sugar, cream, and salt and pepper. (Sugar, where are you? Did you not want your picture taken?)
Up Next: Prudy's Online Thanksgiving Hotline-leave a comment and ask away!
They look like babes in arms compared to this year. I like them just like this, chubby cheeked and smiling. These were our guests.
and this was our dinner last year.
Here's Dad reading to the kids later in the evening. 
