October came and went in a flash!
But that’s ok, because I’m ready (oh-so-ready) for all of the fun the holidays bring!
We have so many fun things planned over the next couple of weeks that each morning I wake up with an extra pep in my step knowing that I’m one day closer to camping trips, cooking Thanksgiving dinner, a cabin in the mountains getaway, and of course, CHRISTMAS!
With all of these plans, we’re certainly living up to “mooooooooooooooooost wonderful timmmmmmmmmmmme of the yearrrrrrrrrrrrr” status!
Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet. After all, Thanksgiving has the spotlight right now, so sorry Christmas, you’ll have to wait a couple more weeks for your turn.
This year we’re spending Thanksgiving with family up in Inverness, FL. My father spends the month of November at Tillis Hills campground attempting to hunt for deer. Thankfully the main dish of our Thanksgiving holiday is turkey, because we’d be ALL out of luck if we had to depend on dad for a kill. (I secretly think he enjoys just being out there in the great wild- having no intention on actually killing anything- just enjoying some peace and quiet). 😉
I’m starting to pull together my tried-and-true Thanksgiving favorites while I decide what I want to prepare. My father has a camper with a small kitchen, but I’m going to prepare and cook everything at home, then pack it all up in a cooler and re-heat as needed when we arrive at the campground. I was watching The Kitchen yesterday on Food Network and LOVED the idea of placing hot food items into a cooler to stay warm! Genius!
Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes that I’m perusing through at the moment!
First up, appetizers!
Eggplant stuffed mushrooms
Grain-free sausage balls
Jalapeno bites
Creamy vegetable tartlets
Next up, side dishes!
Spicy, crispy cauliflower
Honey Dijon Brussels sprouts
Mashed acorn squash with honey and roasted garlic
And of course, my mom’s favorite turkey recipe! Ina Garten’s perfect roast turkey is, well, PERFECT! My mom discovered this recipe a long time ago, and we’ve been making it ever since. It’s SO flavorful, juicy and delicious. It’s the last turkey recipe you will EVER need! 
What about bread? Well I have a treat for YOU… a new recipe! And because Thanksgiving doesn’t have to involve boring, same old same old dinner rolls, why not shake things up with a skillet cornbread! This recipe is PACKED with dried cranberries, pecans, scallions and warm spices like cinnamon, smoked paprika and nutmeg! I promise you will LOVE it!
- 1¼ cup of ground cornmeal
- ¾ cup of gluten-free flour (or use AP flour)
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. of sea salt
- 3 tsps. of baking powder
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 2 eggs
- 1â…“ cup of buttermilk
- 8tbsp. of melted unsalted butter + 1tbsp. solid butter to grease the skillet
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/8 cup diced scallions
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- Prep: Prior to cooking, pre-heat oven to 400. Place the ungreased cast iron skillet in the oven while it's pre-heating. Melt the butter and let cool, dice the scallions. If you don't have buttermilk, measure out the same amount of regular milk and add 2 tbsp. of lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes and you'll have a perfect buttermilk replacement!
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and spices.
- Whisk in the buttermilk, honey, eggs and butter until well combined. Stir in the cranberries, pecans and scallions. Set aside.
- Remove skillet from the oven with an oven mitt (it's going to be super hot!) and reduce oven temperature to 375. Spread the extra tbsp. of butter on the skillet to coat.
- Pour cornbread batter into the skillet, and place it in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick test proves done.
- Serve with honey butter for an extra something, something!
Your menu looks AH-mazing! So festive and fall! YUM!
What an interesting twist on cornbread, perfect for the holidays.