tech.tarts

The crisp autumn air brings chunky sweaters, fanatic football lovers shouting at televisions, and fall fare like chili and stew.  But the real sign of the season is Thanksgiving Dinner.  Turkey, and stuffing, and cranberry jelly (do people really eat that?  Really?) And we all save room for one thing, and it ain’t the turkey, it’s the pumpkin pie with huge dollops of whipped cream and sprinkles of cinnamon.

Maybe this year it’s your turn to run around like a headless turkey, preparing to feed the maddening hordes you call family.   Maybe you’ve done it before and it’s old hat, or maybe you’re already pre-freaking, and have been since Halloween.  But that’s why you love us.  Because we’re here to make Thanksgiving just a little easier, with some tartastic twists on tradition, and some new ideas that might become tradition in your house from the yummiest food sites on the web.

Delicious Blogger SmittenKitchen has an entire page full of Thanksgiving dinner menu ideas, but her true genius shines through in her Roasted Stuffed Onions.  Flexible enough to be carnivorous or vegetarian, these bring a whole new layer of decadence to the humble onion.  She stuffs her sulphurous beauties with complicated homemade stuffing, but I bet you could pull it off with Stouffers if you were really pressed for time.   Plus, they can pull double duty as an appetizer on the big day and are hearty enough to be a leftovers main event.

Speaking of the main event, first time turkey prep can be traumatic, even for the savviest of us.  My first turkey was named Tulip because of how gingerly I tip-toed around her before taking the plunge and finding the gizzards.  PRO TIP: Look for a note on the label that says they’ve bagged the gizzards and other related grody inners for you.  Makes gravy easy, and will also save on therapy bills later on in life.  For a new spin, try wrapping your meat in meat, with this bacon wrapped turkey from bacontarian.com, or go the traditional turkey route with The Pioneer Woman, who walks you through it with photos and a bonus printable PDF.

CHOW will clue you in on carving your bird with this no hacking allowed video .  Still don’t trust yourself? Step into the cooking forum at Bake Space and rub flour covered elbows with other turkey day crazies pulling a magnificent dinner together with the same wild hair and eyes as you.

But just like a lead actress will never win an Oscar without a supporting cast, your perfect turkey is nothing without fantastic sides.   Now, you could go the classic route, with basic mashed potatoes, or you could take a hint from the Vegan Nutrionista, and make these splendid Spicy Mashed Sweet Potatoes.   Bonus, you get a handy lesson in the differences between sweet potatoes and yams.

Any hostess with the mostest or guest for that matter would not be tartilicious with out a good bottle of wine.  Bubbles to begin, white or red, even curious to see what bottle was consumed the most by all last Thanksgiving?  Ask the doctor, Dr. Vino that is, for the cure all wine selection for your holiday feast or fussy family and friends hosting you, while AnotherWineBlog has the one sentence answer to your what wine goes best with turkey dinner question.

Although sweet potatoes are sweet, there’s nothing sweeter than dessert.  Speaking from experience, you basically can’t go wrong with pie on Thanksgiving Day.  Everybody loves pie.  Pumpkin, apple, pecan, meringue, the possibilities are endless.  But, if you’re feeling daring, and especially if you’ve got tiny tots in the meal plan, Bakerella has won the Internets with her THANKSGIVING CAKE LOLLIPOP TURKIES!  Yeah.  I said it.  Cake. Lollipop.  It’s adorable, and she makes it look crazy easy.  She uses espresso beans for the heads, but I have it on good authority, milk duds work basically the same.

Eat.Drink.Better has excellent left over ideas, including a leftover sandwich, and turkey pot pie over biscuits.

We hope these yummy treats inspire you to go forth, and whip up your own tasty traditions this holiday season.

xoxoxo

tech.tarts