When in doubt, go southern…

Thanksgiving was, well, an adventure.  Beachboy and I had a house filled beyond capacity as 13 of us piled inside for 4 days.  That’s a lot of mouths to feed, especially when you’re making all the food alone. 

((We had planned Thanksgiving as a day-after celebration to be held at a local park, but the weather had other ideas– namely rain.  Nonetheless, we needed a picnic menu to feed a crowd))

What does one make for a southern style holiday the day after said holiday?  Needing a hearty side, I dug through my recipe pile and pulled out a simply written recipe I’d snagged from a Georgia Peach in 2001 while she was a host-family for my church’s inner-city ministry project. 

It was a hit, just as I remember it being at the Peach’s house, so I’m passing it along to you.  Enjoy the simplicity of her ‘from memory’ recipe. It will be typed as written.  (Trust me, you can’t mess this up.)

Potato Salad

• 4 lbs. New Potatoes
• 4 Ribs of Celery
• 1 Small Red Onion
• 1 1/4 tsp Lowery’s Season Salt
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Coarsely Ground Pepper
• 1 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Mayo
• 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

Use new potatoes–do not overcook.  Chop celery and onion.  Mix all ingredients–best if it sits overnight.

 

Thanksgiving with a Twist

This year, Beachboy and I are giving up on the idea of having everyone over for Thanksgiving.  His 3 brothers are in the habit of being with their in-laws for the holiday, so we just aren’t going to push the envelope. Instead, we’re planning an evening picnic at their favorite park for the day AFTER Thanksgiving.  Since everyone will be traveling, I’ll be stuck making all of the food again this year.  That said, we too will be traveling almost an hour to reach the park.

The challenge? Planning a menu with a Fall flair without screaming of Turkey and stuffing or causing travel challenges. 

Here are some recipes of interest I have found so far.  Do you have any ideas to add to the list?

 

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

 

 

Katie posted this yummy chicken, and Beachboy and I are both smitten with it.  I’m considering traveling with the bag of marinade & meat and throwing on the grill when we get to the park.

 

 

 

I wonder if CLSTAR’s pretty potatoes could be made on the grill instead of in the oven.

The other option is Pioneer Woman’s Crash Potato– an instant hit with Beachboy and a recipe which could be converted to the grill.

 

Martha’s Corn, Bacon, and Scallions looked like a warm but light side dish option.

 

Or, we could do a grilled version of her Zucchini with thyme, grilling them on skewers instead of roasting them.

 

What’s for dessert?  Well, you’ll have to come back for a special recipe which I’ll be posting soon.  Beachboy took me to an orchard this weekend for fresh apples, and I have an apple cake recipe which I can’t wait to try out!