There’s a lot to be thankful for at Thanksgiving, and on that list is the amazing food we get to enjoy during the holiday. I wanted to share a couple of our family favorites with you.

I love easy-to-make recipes, especially during the holidays. We have enough going on trying to get everyone around the table at the same time, let alone watching a pie to keep the crust from burning. That’s why this Pumpkin Pudding recipe is one of my favorites, because all it takes is a quick mix, and then you can pour it into the crockpot and forget about it until it’s ready to serve.

Another “pour it and forget it recipe” is for cranberry salad. It puts a new twist on a traditional Turkey Day side dish.

What I like about both of these recipes is that, while the food is either warming in the crockpot or cooling in the fridge, it leaves me – and you – time to do exactly what we should be doing on Thanksgiving: enjoying time with family and friends.

Crockpot Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1, 15-oz. can solid-pack pumpkin
• 1, 12-oz. can evaporated milk
• ¾ c. sugar
• ½ c. Bisquick
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 T. butter, melted
• 2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:

Spray the slow cooker crock with non-stick spray or lightly oil the inside.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand-held mixer at low to medium speed, beat ingredients together until smooth.  Pour the mixture into the prepared crockpot.

Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or cook on High 3 to 4 hours.
Spoon into cups and top with whipped topping.
Serves 6.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Mold

Ingredients:

• 1½ c. boiling water
• 1 package (8-serving size) or 2 packages (4-serving size) JELL-O® brand Cranberry Flavor Gelatin
• 1½ c. cold water
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1 c. whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1, 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

Preparation:

Stir the boiling water into gelatin in large bowl for 2 minutes or until completely dissolved.  Stir in cold water and cinnamon.  Pour 2 cups of the gelatin into medium bowl.  Refrigerate about 1½ hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves a definite impression).  Reserve remaining 1 cup gelatin at room temperature.

Stir apple and cranberry sauce into thickened gelatin.  Spoon into 6-cup mold.  Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set but not firm (should stick to finger when touched and should mound).

Stir reserved 1 cup gelatin gradually into cream cheese in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth.  Pour over gelatin layer in mold.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Unmold.  Makes 12 servings.

My little garden provides me with big-time enjoyment.  I take great pride in producing fresh fruits and vegetables and truly enjoy using as much “home-grown produce” as I can in a single meal.  This weekend I was delighted to see the green beans were ready.  There’s nothing quite like the first picking of the season!

As I picked beans, I thought about the Hot German Green Beans my great grandma used to make.  (Of course, she didn’t use a recipe.  Thankfully, I was able to find one online at AllRecipes.com).  Memories of time spent with her in the kitchen – wearing my pint-sized, dark green apron with a pocket across the front – brought a smile to my face.  Grandma believed that cooking up a special meal was an act of love, so yesterday I treated my family to a home-grown, home-cooked feast.  To complete the meal, I baked my mom’s chocolate zucchini cake.  I have to admit that I was skeptical to try it the first time she made it, but now it’s one of my favorite desserts.

May these recipes put a smile on the faces of your family members, too!

Lemon Chicken
2 pounds chicken or chicken breasts
¼ c. flour
2 T. oil

1, 6-oz. can lemonade (thawed)
3 T. brown sugar
3 T. catsup
1 T. vinegar
2 T. cold water

Combine the flour with 1 tsp. salt.  Coat chicken thoroughly.  Brown chicken on all sides in hot oil; drain.  Transfer chicken to slow cooker.

Stir together the lemonade, brown sugar, catsup and vinegar.  Pour over the chicken and cover. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours (time varies).  Remove chicken and pour liquid into saucepan.  Return chicken to cooker and cover to keep warm.

Blend cold water slowly into cornstarch, stir in hot liquid.  Cook until thick.  Service chicken with gravy over rice.  Serves 6.

Hot German Green Beans
Ingredients:
·    1 pound fresh green or wax beans, about 2 cups frozen or canned
·    4 to 6 slices bacon
·    1 onion, chopped
·    1 tablespoon granulated sugar
·    1/4 cup cider vinegar
·    salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Cook fresh beans in a little salted water until tender; cook frozen beans according to package instructions. Drain beans; reserve about 3/4 cup of the cooking or can liquid. Cut up bacon and sauté with onion until bacon is cooked and onion has lightly browned. Add bean liquid and cook until liquid has reduced to 1/4 cup. Add next 4 ingredients and the cooked beans. Heat through and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Fresh Fruit Salad
INGREDIENTS
·    4 cups fresh strawberries, halved
·    2 cups fresh blueberries
·    2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
·    2 bananas, sliced
·    2 cups seedless grapes, halved
·    1 (8 ounce) container plain or vanilla yogurt
·    2 teaspoons lemon juice
·    1 teaspoon sugar
·    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1.    In a large salad bowl, combine strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas and grapes. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Serve with fruit.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
½ c. margarine
1 ½ c. sugar
2 eggs
½ c. oil
½ c. sour milk
1 T. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
2 T. cocoa
2 ½ c. flour
2 c. grated zucchini
½ c. nuts
½ c. chocolate chips

Cream margarine, sugar and eggs.  Add oil and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients, and add alternately with milk.  Fold in zucchini.
Pour into 9×13 cake pan.  Top with chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  Serve with whipped topping.

For those of you asparagus fans out there, now is the time to be on the hunt!

The best places to look for asparagus are along fence lines and in ditches where grass isn’t cut on a regular basis. These plants can be found towering over grass as they grow over two feet tall. The most tender finds are the slender young spears. These hold the most flavor. The more the plant ages, the thicker the stem becomes and the more the flavor will fade.

Asparagus shoots are a perennial plant. Mark your spots each year as there is a good chance that it where they will be found the following season. The plants may grow 6 to 10 inches per day. Check back to your spots every two to three days for more potential finds that have sprouted while you were away.

Store your asparagus in the refrigerator covered loosely in plastic. If you don’t plan on using your asparagus soon, make sure it stays hydrated in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare. Store for up to one week to ensure freshness.

There are many ways to use asparagus. A side-dish, afternoon snack, even an addition to a great recipe for added low-calorie, great taste. Share your recipes using asparagus with us in the comment box below!