Happy Thanksgiving!

Eric worked all week taking travelers to their families, so we postponed our Thanksgiving feast until this evening. Most of it turned out pretty good. The only casualty was when I tried to make dinner rolls using Eric's mom's recipe. Eric filled me in on a few missing steps, so hopefully the next time I make them, they won't be as dense as hockey pucks.

Now for some recipes and shortcuts:
* Turkey- Had my mom make it and bring it with her when my parents visited at the beginning of the week. In my never-ending quest to avoid cooking poultry, this is the best trick I have up my sleeve. Thanks, Ma!
* Corn- Steamer bag in frozen food section.
* Dressing- Stove Top.
* Gravy- Made from packet mix.
* Cranberry Sauce- Ocean Spray, with whole berries.
* Mashed Potatoes- My first true success in making mashed potatoes. They have not been so great in the past. 6-7 potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Put in pot of cold water. Turn on heat and check frequently with a fork until they are mashable. Drain water. Have husband use electric mixer while I add a little half and half (somewhere between 1/2 and 1 cup) and butter (2 Tbsp) until the consistency is just right.

Dessert recipes from my friend Sandy:

* Double-Layer Pumpkin Pie

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. milk, divided
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

BEAT cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in large bowl with whisk until blended. Stir in half the COOL WHIP. Spread into crust.

WHISK remaining milk, pumpkin, pudding mixes and spices 2 min. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over cream cheese layer.

REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until set. If desire, top with remaining COOL WHIP just before serving.

*Cran-Raspberry Pie

1 pkg (3 oz.) raspberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 c whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 can (8 oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1 graham cracker crust
2 c mini marshmallows
1/4 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c heavy whipping cream, whipped

In a large bowl, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cranberry sauce and pineapple. Chill until partially set. Pour into crust. Refrigerate until set. Meanwhile, in saucepan, combine marshmallows and milk. Cook and stir over med-low heat until marshmallows are melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover and let stand until cooled to room temp. Whisk in a third of the whipped cream until smooth (mixture will be stringy at first.) Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spread over gelatin layer. Refrigerate until set.