Thanksgiving Sides Mashed Potato and Gravy Peas

The rest of Dana Days recipes she shared from her Thanksgiving Meal:

Of course we have mashed potatoes.  Those are pretty self explanatory right? Boil potatoes.  Skin, no skins.  Whip them up your favorite way.  I sometimes add a little whipping cream this time of year (since it is normally in the house), or cream cheese, or butter, or whatever sounds delicious.  I don't think you can mess up mashed potatoes.  We eat them probably too much in our house so its second nature.

I Sandee like to make mashed potatoes putting in sour cream and cream cheese, usually if you use a 10 lb bag of potatoes, then you would use 1 pt sour cream, 1 block sour cream. This year in the bloggy land I found this tip to try, so I will link it here http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/11/moms-mashed-potatoes/

 

Gravy. 

 Another mystery to some.  I think we eat this too often too.  HA! (Remember my favorite FAVORITE meal is Fried Chicken.)  Gravy is SO EASY.  So many people are afraid to make it.  For Turkey gravy I just use all the dripping straight out of the roasting pan.  Add it to a large skillet.  Turn up the heat. In a large cup I add flour (about half way up) and water.  Whisk it really good to get all the lumps out.  Then you just pour it in slowly into heated Turkey drippings.  Stir with your gravy whisk to combine.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If you like milk or cream in it, add it.  Gravy is honestly pretty hard to mess up unless you don't get your flour mixture mixed up well.  Some people use cornstarch for a silky gravy.  I just use flour.  

 

My husband's family loves the green bean casserole.  I won't insult your intelligence by adding the recipe.  Follow the recipe on the box of Onions you buy for it. 

 

I personally like just peas and carrots.  My Mom always just chopped carrots and boiled them and added some frozen peas. and finished cooking.  I think I like this because it is pretty.  With so many other sweet things on the table that is filled with fillers I like this is just simple.  When they are done you just put butter in them and melt it. 

 

Of course we put out the sweet pickles, cranberry sauce, olives.