Thanksgiving is one of those times that brings about memories – of family and friends coming together and having reflective gratitude. Then there are the smells….ah yes, the smells coming from the kitchen. I can still see my parents starting early in the day to prepare the meal. As I had my own household and became a working parent, it became essential to plan and organize my day. In doing so, I have developed some processes that have helped me streamline the preparation of this glorious meal. I continue to use them to this day. This will be one of my more practical posts as the season calls for it – I am in full planning mode.

I love planning and preparing ahead of a function. I do this for any tea I give, enjoying the menu development, and preparation or when I have guests come to stay at my house. The holidays provide a perfect time to use these skills and techniques – and Thanksgiving is exactly what an overthinking planner is looking for.

I begin my planning by listing out the days that I will have guests and the meals that they will be here for. Outlining each meal, breakfast – lunch – dinner, I will scour through recipes that will be delicious and more importantly that can be made ahead. For me to enjoy my guests or the holiday, I like to have as much of our meals prepared and in the freezer. Close to becoming obsessed with the process, I am grateful that my freezer is full and I am content to have filled my little pal to full capacity. If you had to ask what is my favorite kitchen utensil, I would have to say my little upright freezer! I know its not a utensil, but as my family can attest, I am crazy about freezing things.

This year, I have been working on Thanksgiving and the days and weeks prior to hosting my guests. My menus are made and I have identified those items that can be made ahead and placed in the freezer well ahead of time, up to several weeks and maybe even months.

So for breakfast, as you can imagine, we will frequently partake in scones and a breakfast meat. Within my freezer I have currant scones, toffee scones, and homemade turkey sausage patties – all of which are not cooked or baked at this point. Frozen individually first and then into a freezer bag with wax paper or parchment paper separating them. The scones will go right into the oven and the sausage will be thawed out in the refrigerator the night before. Both items will be prepared early in the morning directly before serving. I also have a large container of lemon curd in the freezer. This can be thawed in the refrigerator and good for the week.

A breakfast casserole makes for easy breakfast burritos. The breakfast casserole will be made ahead and frozen. The night before, I will place the casserole in the refrigerator along with tortillas that have been in the freezer. In the morning, I will put the casserole in the oven, warm the tortillas, set out toppings and let my guests put their own burritos together.

In addition to these items, I always have a selection of quick breads, scones and pastries prepared and in my freezer.

Lunch and dinner meals are setup with the same approach. Sausage and peppers over polenta, green chile chicken enchiladas with rice, and roasted tomato soup with toasted caprese sandwiches to name some of the meals.

For the Thanksgiving day, the menu is planned and items selected for preparation and freezing. Using the same process, I map out the meal – the prep – the freezing.

I like to use both containers and freezer bags. The bags work particularly well. Once frozen, you can stack them. I like to try freezing just about anything. I have mincemeat pie filling prepared and in a freezer bag. I have leftover buttermilk, initially frozen in ice cube trays and then in quart size bags. Goat cheese, wrapped in foil, waiting for a great appetizer – it freezes great. Green beans have been blanched and ready for that ever popular green bean casserole. Cranberry sauce has been made and is frozen in a gallon size bag, just waiting for the meal to come together. Sage and basil leaves frozen individually and then packaged for quick use in stuffing or soups. Everything labeled with a date to ensure that I use it up quickly….but with this season, it won’t take long.

For Thanksgiving (and other holidays and teas), I will set the table the night before, laying out each dish and then, much to my family’s chagrin, I will put a note in the dish for what will be served. While I endured teasing, I now see that these habits have been passed on to people dear to my heart.

Simple ideas that may seem overwhelming but once done you will find that it is a pleasure when the day comes and it gives you time to be thankful for the many blessings. When the table is set and all your prep work comes together, you are able to sit back and as I like to say – feet up. I am ready for some dessert….. Enjoy!

NOTE: I will be sharing the process and supporting documents for planning and executing a tea party in a future post, as well as the recipes. Please look forward to it.

These cookies are a fall favorite and easy to make. They have a nice flavor of orange combined with cranberry embraced in a moist chewy sugar cookie. A superb choice on a cool fall afternoon with a nice hot cup of English Breakfast tea. I take a small bite followed by a sip of tea – the flavors are delicious together.

The cookie dough comes together easily. Simple ingredients that can be combined in your mixer. I like to take the dried cranberries and chop them in my mini-chopper into a fine chop. I also keep my dried cranberries in the freezer – so they chop up very nicely. The addition of the zest and the peel bring out a nice orange flavor. Once mixed, I chill the dough for 20 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, mix the rolling sugar. Using a fork, toss the sugar and zest. You will smell the strong fragrance of orange as you combine the elements. Its a treat.

Take the dough and roll into 1 inch balls and then into the rolling sugar. Place on your baking sheet. I like to use silicon pads to ensure that the sugar won’t burn on the bottom of the cookies. I have used parchment paper and it doesn’t seem to work as well for me in preventing that little bit of sugar scorching. With the bottom of a glass, slightly flatten the cookies.

Into the oven at 350 degrees, I start by baking for 10 minutes…then check for browning around the edges. If not done, I then add by increments of 2-3 minutes. The cookie will not be completely brown, just around the edges. Once done, cool on a rack. Eaten now or in the freezer – they freeze very well.

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Cranberry Orange Sugar Cookies

A short bread cookie flavored with chopped cranberries and orange, dusted with orange sugar.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookie, cranberry, orange zest, sugar

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped I use a small chopper to finely chop
• 1 tbsp grated orange zest
• 1 tbsp dried orange peel

Rolling Sugar

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp grated orange zest
• 1 tsp dried orange peel

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°
• Using electric mixer, mix butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, add egg.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, orange zest and orange peel in separate bowl. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined. Add cranberries.
• Combine ½ cup sugar, orange zest, and orange peel in bowl. Using fork, mix until well blended and you can smell the orange.
• Chill dough for 20 minutes. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar mixture. Place on baking sheet – I use silicon pads. Flatten ball slightly with bottom of glass.
• Bake for 10-13 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire rack.

Notes

These cookies freeze very well!  

There is nothing better than a bright tart lemon curd paired with a sweet scone. I like my curd very tart and very lemony. I have tried other curds but always come back to the tried and true lemon curd. I make a huge batch and put it in the freezer but not without making sure that I take a small bowl to sample. Savoring each bite, I assure myself this is for a taste test but honestly know its just my treat.

The ingredients for lemon curd are simple – butter, sugar, eggs and of course lemons. I don’t worry about the size of the lemons – just the amount of juice. And I never use bottled lemon juice – always fresh.

The tools are simple – a zester, juicer, whisk, and strainer. This will all make sense as I explain the process.

I zest the lemons – this will be included in the cooking but will be strained from the curd at the end. Many recipes do not include the zest but I find that it gives that extra tartness that sets this recipe apart. So I zest….and zest….and zest, especially if I am making a large amount.

Once zested, the lemons are juiced. I like to use a juicer that is manual and fits over my measuring cup. I have other handheld juicers like pictured, but the one listed in my products works the best for me. I have listed both if you have a preference. At times depending on how ripe the lemons are, I will microwave the lemons for 20 seconds to help maximize getting the most juice out. Don’t worry about the seeds – they will come out at the end

Now take your saucepan and mix the lemon juice, zest and sugar together. Then put the butter into the saucepan and allow to melt. Crack your eggs in a separate bowl, lightly whisk, and then pour into the mixture. Stirring constantly, you want the mixture to heat through without boiling – this will burn easily and that is not the taste you want in your curd. You cook through until the mixture coats the back of your spoon. Remove from the heat and then strain out the zest, any cooked egg and seeds. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.

Cool completely before serving (though sampling warm is not a bad thing at all). This mixture can also be frozen – just bring to room temp, stir through and serve.

This recipe is obviously great with scones, but also in tarts and other recipes. Fold in one cup of curd with a pint of whipped cream and you have a delicious lemon mousse.

These products were used in making this recipe:

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Lemon Curd

A tart lemon fruit spread used for scones, pies and toppings.

Course Dessert

Keyword curd, lemon flavored, scones, tart

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 7 tbsp butter

Instructions

• Zest and juice lemons
• In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and butter.
• Mix eggs and add to mixture. Stir together.
• Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly until thick enough to hold marks on the back of your spoon.
• Remove from heat, strain to remove zest and cooked egg remnants
• Cool and store in containers

Notes

This recipe can be increased to accommodate many servings. Follow the same instructions – just adjust the ingredients.

Below are the recipe adjustments for 20 and 36 servings:

20 servings
1 -1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and zest
1 -1/4 cup sugar
5 eggs
3/4 cup and 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed.

32 servings
2 cups fresh lemon juice and zest
2 cups of sugar   

8 eggs 

1- 1/3 cup unsalted butter cubed

6 average size lemons will yield 1 cup juice.

NOTE: Store cooled curd in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. The curd can be frozen for up to 10 months.

Continuing with sharing of fall inspired recipes, this is definitely one of my all time favorite quick breads – Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread. It makes 2 delightfully full and rich loaves that freeze well – if it will last that long.

I used to travel for a job I once had. I would make several loaves up ahead of time and store them in the freezer. On each visit, I would take a loaf of bread to share. I am told that folks would wait for my breads….and the Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread was a favorite.

This recipe goes together easily and quickly. You can put all the ingredients into the mixer at once and its done. Add some extra ingredients in nuts or dried cranberries if you like, but plain is just as good.

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4.84 from 6 votes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

A quick and easy quick bread with the seasonal flavors mixed with a blend of wheat and white flours. Generally for fall but good for any season. Yields 2 loaves of a moist and delicious bread.

Course Breakfast, quick bread

Keyword fall, pumpkin, quick bread, spices, white flour, whole wheat

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 1¾ cup all purpose flour
• 2¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 can 1 lb solid packed pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 cup dried cranberries optional – dust with flour before adding
• 1 cup chopped nuts optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 2 – 9×5 loaf pans with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper.
• Mix wet ingredients in mixer. Eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar, and pumpkin.
• In separate bowl, take all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice and combine.
• Mix dry ingredients in with wet ingredients. Using paddle, mix until completely combined.
• If adding nuts and cranberries, add now. Fold until combined.
• Divide batter into two prepared loaf pans.
• Bake for 70-75 minutes until tester or wooden skewer comes out clean
• Cool on rack for 20 minutes. Then remove from pan and allow to finish cooling.

Notes

I begin testing doneness at the 70 minutes mark.  Don’t over bake – it will be dry for sure.

This recipe yields two full loaves and freezes excellently.  Enjoy!