Easy Guide to Planning Thanksgiving: Part Two Cooking Timeline

Thanksgiving should be about spending time with family not cooking all day in the Kitchen. Here is a great info-graph that I created to break the cooking down into an easy timeline.  This is just as example on how our family does our Thanksgiving cooking. For those of you that love to bake, we cook everything but the pumpkin pie the day before to give us more time to spend enjoying everyones company! 

Happy Cooking!! 

Planning for Turkey Day: Defrosting the Turkey

The countdown has begun. We are now three days away from a day filled of good food and family. I have to admit this will be my first time hosting our family in our new home and cooking for more than five people. I without a doubt am going to need some help and planning to make sure our turkey day goes without any bumps in the road.

After researching (well Pinteresting) Thanksgiving, I have compiled what I think will help me and others host a great Thanksgiving Day.

My husband has insisted on doing the Turkey this year. This means we will be frying our Turkey in the driveway while the men do whatever it is they do. Don’t turn up your nose just yet. We fried our Turkey last year and I have to say I have never tasked a Turkey that was so moist and full of flavor. The only draw back to frying a Turkey is that it has to be completely thawed or it will blow up in the fryer, and I would really like it if that did not happen! Here are the rules on how to defrost a turkey:  

• Put turkey in fridge to thaw
• Put turkey on large tray to catch any juice
• Keep turkey in packaging
• It takes 24 Hours per 4-5 lbs of Turkey to thaw

Come back tomorrow to see part two of "The Easy Guide to Planning Thanksgiving"!  

Yummy Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I love Pumpkin! Especially during the Fall and the Holiday season. With only a few weeks until Thanksgiving my Pumpkin cravings are starting to coming in full force. I am not the best at making pies so I thought I would try something new. Why not do a Pumpkin flavored cake…. and let me tell you this cake is AMAZING!!!!! It is the perfect combination of sweet, rich, creamy, and moist. 

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup softened butter
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 
  
• Cake Instructions:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, being sure to scrape down the edges after adding each egg. Beat in the vanilla. 
  
• In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin spice. Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once mixed,
  turn the mixer off and gently fold in the pumpkin puree. 
• Scoop batter equally into the cake pans and level with a knife. Bake in preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for several minutes. Gently remove the cake from the pans and place on a cooling rack. 
• Frosting Ingredients:
• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup butter, softened (I used 6 Tbsp salted 6 Tbsp unsalted)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 - 5 cups powdered sugar

Frosting instructions:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add cinnamon, vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Once combined increase to medium and whip until pale and thick. 

Tip: If frosting comes out runny, place in refrigerator for a few hours to thicken. Then place on cake

• Frosting and Cake inspired by Cooking Classy