Cinnamon Roll Turkeys and Thanksgiving Dinner

A long time ago I pinned a recipe for Cinnamon Roll Turkeys that led to the Pillsbury website. I thought it would be an easy and fun breakfast to have on Thanksgiving morning while we prepare the other food for the main meal.

Our version of the cinnamon roll turkeys turned out quite different from the food-styled pictures on the Pillsbury website. Nonetheless, it was a quick breakfast before we dove into the food preparation for the Thanksgiving dinner.

 

The ingredients include:

1 can (17.5 oz) Pillsbury Grands refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
10 slices bacon
5 candy corns
5 red mini candy-coated chocolate candies (I didn't use these)
10 candy eyeballs
15 mini pretzel sticks, cut in half

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.

Set icing aside. Separate dough into 5 rolls; place about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Unroll each roll about 1 inch; tuck dough into roll to create neck of turkey.

Bake 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towel-lined plate. Cut bacon slices in half. Tuck 4 halves of bacon into back of each cinnamon roll so they stick up and look like tail feathers.

Drizzle tops of rolls with icing. Decorate turkeys with candy eyeballs, candy corn and candy-coated chocolate candies. Before serving, place halved pretzel sticks underneath each turkey to resemble turkey’s feet.

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We had 13 people gathered at the farm for Thanksgiving.  We were missing my nephew and niece, and my nephew's girlfriend. However, my nephew's girlfriend's sister and brother attended Thanksgiving at our farm which was nice. They had never been to one of our Thanksgiving dinners before, so it was nice having them here.

There was a prayer on Pinterest that I saw that was printed onto a table runner.  It is a simple one, but one that is "general" enough to not offend anyone. It is:

Thank you for the food before us,
The family beside us, and
The love between us.

I planned on having someone say it before the meal, but it didn't work out that way. I forgot the cheesy potatoes and dressing that were staying warm in the oven, so the meal started out a bit less "formal" than I thought. That's fine...everyone was eager to begin eating anyways.

We had the traditional components to the Thanksgiving meal that family members expect or request: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, cheesy potatoes, banana bread, and salad. My brother brought the rolls and beverages; and sister brought the pies and brownies.
 

This year, I made some new recipes including: peppermint cookies and blueberry pound cake. I made molasses cookies (my grandma Olive's recipe) and oatmeal raisin cookies, but there were plenty of other desserts to choose from so we didn't offer these as an option.

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After dinner, we had a bonfire in the backyard. We had a rather large brush pile because of branches that came down due to storms this past summer.

We wanted to burn the brush pile before rabbits and birds began using it for their winter homes and spring nests. If that was the case, we'd have these huge pile of branches and sticks lasting until next Fall. They have plenty of other brush piles to use on our farm.

After we had dessert, the kids and teens played games, played the piano, and talked. There was lots of laughter which was good to hear.

My brother, sister, and I went through pictures and books that my parents had and chose ones we wanted. The others we agreed to let go. There are many more slides, photos, and books to go through still.

It is quite a process - even 2 years and 3 months after my mom died (and 5 years and 10 months after my dad died). It's the personal items - the photos, especially - that are the most difficult to go through. However, the longer it has been, it has gotten a bit easier. 

Thanks & Giving Ideas in Preparation for Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving I wanted to take some time to reflect about ways that I have been thankful and express gratitude; and ways that I have been giving. 

There was a free printable chart that I found on Pinterest that has lines for keeping track of both categories that was created by How Does She. 

I am thinking about having this list available on Thanksgiving - a blank one - so people can  fill it in. I'm not sure how well it would go over and if people would do it. Nonetheless, it would be a good tradition to start - even if it is with the immediate family.

It would be nice to be able to take a look at the list as the years go by - what changes, what stays the same, what's important, and what are ways that we have given of ourselves to others? I would have enjoyed being able to look back on what we all would have wrote five, ten, fifteen years ago. It's not to late to start creating memories and new traditions!

Highlights from Thanksgiving 2014

Last year we did a Countdown to Thanksgiving. This year, between homeschooling and trying to stay on track with all the subjects; rehearsals twice a week for the Christmas play; music lessons; the homeschool co-op; and volunteering at the nursing home, it seemed like it was just too much to try to take on doing the Countdown to Thanksgiving.

So, the only thing that we did prior to Thanksgiving was that Olivia colored a picture at one of the 4-H meetings for Color-A-Smile. 

Color-A-Smile sends pictures that children have colored and/or drawn and mails them to residents at nursing homes and veterans facilities; people who are homebound; and those who could use some cheering up.

Other than that, we focused preparing a meal and cleaning the home for family members who were joining us for a Thanksgiving meal.

The girls were excited to see their cousins.

They liked having their own table to eat together. The six youngest cousins ate together (those who were 13 years old and under).

The older cousins (15 years old and older) plus the adults ate in the dining room/living room.

It was nice having Thanksgiving up at our home again this year. Last year, because of my mom's health, she wanted to host it at her home. This year, she felt like she was able to make it up to the farm which was great.

There's something about the smell of food cooking throughout the day that makes it feel like Thanksgiving.

One thing we did differently (in addition to not doing the Countdown to Thanksgiving) was hold the dinner earlier in the afternoon so that it was closer to my mom's lunch time. Having regular meals that are on a relatively set schedule is important for her since she's diabetic. That just meant waking up a bit earlier than normal and getting the turkey in the oven a couple hours before I normally do.

It was well worth it, though. It was a nice Thanksgiving...and much more relaxed than in past years.

Countdown to Thanksgiving - Thanksgiving Day

Today marks the final day for the Countdown to Thanksgiving...as it is Thanksgiving Day. This year is the first year in 18 years that I haven't hosted Thanksgiving at the farm (minus the two years we were in China over Thanksgiving for Sophia's and Olivia's adoptions).

My Mom wanted to have it her home since being a passenger on the 50-mile trip here is taxing for her, not to mention the challenges she has with mobility and vision in a home that isn't her own.

Needless to say, it didn't quite feel like Thanksgiving because I wasn't up early making my Dad's recipe for dressing, getting a turkey in the oven, and preparing salads, vegetables, and breads.

However, it was a welcome break in the sense that I could relax and not make a meal for 15 people. My sister, her sons, and Mom did that instead this year. It ended up being a really great Thanksgiving - lots of laughter and conversation. The girls and their four younger cousins sat together for dinner, and had so much fun talking and playing with one another.

Family picture on Thanksgiving.

So, we did our final activities for this year's countdown.

Activity for the Day: 

The focus of today was to help someone without being asked. Sophia and Olivia played with their cousins - essentially babysitting them for our entire time at my Mom's home.

I helped my Mom and sister with dinner preparations once I arrived at my Mom's home.

Thanksgiving Fact: 

Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, popcorn, milk, corn on the cob, and cranberries were not foods present on the first Thanksgiving's feast table.

Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast.

Gratitude Quote: 

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanksgiving Joke: 

Knock, knock.
(Who's there?)
Dewey.
(Dewey who?)
Dewey have to wait long to eat?

Recipe: 

Make something to bring to the Thanksgiving meal. Since all the major components were taken care of by my Mom, I made two quick breads (banana and pumpkin spice). The banana bread is once I make each year and is from my Dad's mom. The pumpkin spice bread is a new recipe.

Banana Bread.

Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well-beaten
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 bananas, mashed (I used 4 very ripe bananas)
1/3 cup chopped pecans (I didn't add these)

Cream butter and sugar in bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs; mix well. Sift in flour and baking soda. Stir in bananas and pecans. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Yield: 12 servings.

Pumpkin Spice Bread.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1 can pumpkin (2 cups)
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
nuts and or raisins may be added (I didn't add either)

Cream together sugar, oil, and egg. Add pumpkin. Stir in flour, soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 12 muffins and 1 loaf pan.

Countdown to Thanksgiving - Day 12

Today is the last day of the Countdown to Thanksgiving. Since we have had a busy week so far, we chose to focus the morning on homeschooling.

We read three things: a Thanksgiving fact, gratitude quote, and Thanksgiving joke as part of the Countdown.

Thanksgiving Fact: 

The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.

A knife and spoon...two things that Pilgrims would have used when eating.

(Photo taken on October 30, 2012.)

Gratitude Quote: 

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. ~ Native American blessing.

The girls by a tipi on the way to Grand Marais.

(Taken on June 18, 2006.)

Thanksgiving Joke: 

What’s a pilgrim’s mother called? (Pilgranny)

Other Activities of the Day:

The girls spent part of the afternoon with their senior friend, Mary. She visits the girls each week and they do activities together. Sophia and Olivia enjoy their time with Mary; and I think Mary looks forward to her time with the girls as well.

Today they went to the library - both to return books as well as check out some new ones.

Countdown to Thanksgiving - Day 11

Today was the 12th anniversary of Sophia's adoption day.

Sophia's referral picture.

So, her special day - rather than the Countdown to Thanksgiving - was our focus for the day.

Moments after the nanny brought Sophia into the room,

she was placed in my arms.

Sophia holding up the cardigan that she wore on her adoption day.

However, we did read the Thanksgiving fact, gratitude quote, and Thanksgiving joke.

Thanksgiving Fact: 

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.

Gratitude Quote: 

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

Thanksgiving Joke: 

What kind of tan did pilgrims get at the beach? (Puritan.)

Other Activities We Did:

In the morning, we started with a breakfast that Sophia requested for her adoption day anniversary: an egg bake casserole.

Afterwards, she opened a couple of presents.

We took Cooper to agility training. He did very well.

Sophia with Cooper on the smaller, puppy-size walk.

He had a chance to do the taller, regulation size one 

which he enjoyed doing.

He was particularly excited about doing the A-frame ramp and walking platform.

Doing the jumps at the end of the class.

Another favorite activity.

Cooper was wiped out after the end of class.

Cooper resting on one of the back seats in the car.

Olivia went to the local elementary school to get some help with math, reading, and speech. After that, she went to her Learn to Draw class through community education. She's enjoyed taking that class for the past two months.

While Olivia was at school, I took Sophia to harp lessons. After that we stopped at the co-op at picked up some essential oil to make homemade Thieves Oil.

Five essential oils that are needed to make homemade Thieves Oil.

Then we went to the nursing home to check on one of the people we enjoy visiting. He had been in the hospital for several days with pneumonia and an infection. He's back at the nursing home so it was nice to see him a bit more alert and responsive. We also visited another resident who we have been seeing since November 2012.

For dinner, Sophia wanted to go to Applebees, so we went there and had a delicious meal to celebrate her adoption day.

Sophia and me at Applebees.

When we came back home, we looked through her bin of items that we brought back from China.

Sophia and Olivia playing Chinese instruments.

She chose two items from the bin to keep out and enjoy. One is a jade bracelet.

Sophia with the jade bracelet that she picked out.

The other is a sphere that is painted from the inside. The image is a dragon, and Sophia's name - both in Chinese and English are hand-painted on it.

The hand-painted dragon in the globe with 

Sophia's given and Chinese names.

The man who painted the image and her name had only one hand. It was impressive and inspiring to see him paint with such detail and only be able to use one hand.

Countdown to Thanksgiving - Day 10

Today was the tenth day in the Countdown to Thanksgiving, and for over half the day the girls were at the homeschool co-op. When Sophia came home she had a very headache and ended up laying down for the rest of the afternoon.

So, today we just focused on three things: the Thanksgiving fact, gratitude quote, and Thanksgiving joke. It felt like enough for the day.

Thanksgiving Fact: 

A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.

Turkey that I made on Thanksgiving 2012.

Gratitude Quote: 

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. ~ Oprah Winfrey

Thanksgiving Joke: 

What does Dracula call Thanksgiving? (Fangs-giving)

Countdown to Thanksgiving - Day 9

We are nearing the end of our Countdown to Thanksgiving. Here we are on Day 9 out of 12 already. Here is what we did today:

Recipe of the Day: 

Today we made Fruit Cornucopias. The idea came from a pin on Pinterest. The concept is simple: put a variety of fruit (like strawberries, grapes, and mandarin oranges) in a pointed ice cream cone.

Three cornucopias filled with strawberries,

mandarin oranges, and grapes.

If you wet the pointed end for 20 seconds and then put the cone in the microwave, you can turn the end around a pencil to make it look more like a cornucopia.

I had two small cones on hand, and then needed to use a larger cone to make a third cornucopia. In terms of serving size, the small cones had a more-than-sufficient amount of fruit in them.

The cones with their ends turned up to resemble cornucopias.

The smaller ones were easier to bend than the larger one.

I cut the strawberries and grapes into eights and halves respectively so a wider variety of fruit could fit into each cone.

Activities for the Day: 

We all played Thanksgiving Bingo. There are free Bingo cards and calling cards at Making Friends.

Sophia playing Thanksgiving Bingo

with Eenie looking on.

After printing and cutting out the calling cards, we were ready to play a few games of bingo after dinner.

Olivia using dry navy beans to mark the spaces 

on her Thanksgiving Bingo card.

We did four-in-a-row, corner, and cover-all bingo twice each. The cover pieces were dry navy beans.

The girls (with Eenie and Cooper - behind Olivia)

intent on trying to win the cover-all round.

The girls enjoyed playing bingo and are excited to bring some extra cards and navy beans to Thanksgiving, and play some rounds with their cousins.

Thanksgiving Fact: 

Native Hawaiians had their own Thanksgiving festival, one vastly predating the pilgrim celebration. It’s called “Makahiki” (meaning “year”) and lasts for four months, from October or November through February or March, making it the longest Thanksgiving celebration in history.

For these months, Hawaiians were forbidden to work, and instead spent their time dancing, playing sports, feasting or making peace offerings to the chief.

Gratitude Quote: 

Let us be grateful to people to make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust

Photo I took of a flower after a day-time rainstorm.

Thanksgiving Joke: 

Why can’t you take a turkey to church? (Because they use such fowl language!)

Countdown to Thanksgiving - Day 8

Today we celebrated the eighth day of the Countdown to Thanksgiving by doing the following things:

Recipe of the Day: 

Today we made Turkey Muffins. The idea came from a pin on Pinterest that led to One More Hand.

Turkey muffins that I made.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin muffins or another type of muffin (I made cheddar muffins)
• Red apple
• Green apple
• Green grape
• Sliver of carrot
• Squeezable icing (for the eyes) (our turkeys didn't have eyes)

Directions:

From each apple, cut a slice from the side of the apple. Set flat and cut squared-off, tapered feathers. Cut a small beak from a thin slice of carrot. Make a slit in the end of a green grape and dab off excess moisture. Insert beak into grape. Poke small ends of feathers into muffin and set head on muffin, resting on the muffin paper. Once assembled, add tiny dot eyes with icing and enjoy!

Note: The apple slices are significantly thinner than was shown in the original recipe. However, I had so many leftover from making the apple tarts that I wanted to use some of those rather than slicing a new apple.

We also made the turkey apple tarts that we were supposed to make yesterday, but didn't have enough time to do. Here's how they turned out:

Apple tart made to look like a turkey. 

The apples are the feathers, the raisins are the eyes, and 

the dough is the body. Made a mistake by using powdered sugar

rather than granulated sugar...thus, the blobs of sugar.

The recipe is on yesterday's Countdown to Thanksgiving.

Activity for the Day: 

Today we went to the Waldorf school for the annual Holiday Fair. We have gone every year since the girls were in the early education program there.

We always see interesting costumes at the Waldorf school.

When the girls were younger, they did many of the activities designed for little children - like the gnome cave; watching the puppet and staff plays; making beeswax lanterns, and decorating cookies.

Olivia taking aim at the knights.

Now, they do some of the activities for older children. Their favorite activity is using these foam-bullet guns where they shoot the knights off the castle.

Sophia figuring out what knight she wants to knock off the castle.

They didn't knock any knights off the castle, but they had a lot of fun trying.

I always enjoy seeing the handiwork that the students do. These three-legged stools were sitting in the hallway. They were all very well made.

Three-legged stools.

This year I saw a couple of these plaques entitled "Live Life with Love" - which is the school's Code of Compassion.

The school's Code of Compassion.

There were some interesting ideas and values spelled out for the students to read, remember, and live by - not only at school, but in their daily lives.

Thanksgiving Fact:

In 1939, President Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving would take place on November 23rd, not November 30th, as a way to spur economic growth and extend the Christmas shopping season.

Gratitude Quote: 

You have a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” ~William A. War

Thank you card that I made years ago.

Thanksgiving Joke: 

What did the turkey say to the turkey hunter? (“Quack, quack, quack!”)

Countdown to Thanksgiving - Day 7

Activity for the Day: 

Today we volunteered at the nursing home/assisted living facility and did cat therapy. Eenie (the cat) is the only cat visitor there and does a great job. The seniors enjoy seeing him and visiting with us.

Sophia, Betty, and Olivia with Eenie.

We were so happy to see some of the seniors who have been resting a lot recently and having trouble expressing themselves so alert and talkative today. It was truly a joy!

Florence loves cats, and was so talkative today.

She shared a lot about her family (especially her children) and 

about times on the farm when she was a young girl.

We also signed and handed out Thanksgiving cards to ten people who we have developed deeper relationships and connections with at the nursing home and assisted living facility.

Florence was delighted to receive a Thanksgiving card.

Each person was excited to receive a card, and we could tell with many of them that it was greatly appreciated. It is something so simple - a card - yet to see how happy they were was such a powerful lesson for us all.

Iva was so excited to get the card, and 

said she was going to put it up as soon as she got back to her room.

John, one of the seniors who we enjoy visiting each time we are at the nursing home, was transferred to the attached hospital because of an infection and pneumonia. We walked over to the hospital and were able to visit him. Because he has pneumonia, we all were strongly encouraged to wear face masks.

We gave him a Thanksgiving card and visited with him for awhile. It was difficult to see him struggling to breathe. It certainly was a different type of visit (we have never gone to the hospital to visit any of the seniors), but one that - judging from John's facial expressions - meant a lot to him.

Thanksgiving Fact: 

The pilgrims didn’t dress in all black with funny hats and oversized buckles all over everything. This representation of pilgrims began in the 19th century, when illustrators needed to create an image for the European settlers, who were becoming more recognizable as part of the Thanksgiving myth.

This style of clothing was popular among fashionable classes in England in the 17th century, one that artists were more familiar with and appropriated for illustrated use. For instance, buckles would have been too expensive for poor settlers, and leather laces and straps for shoes and pants would have been more likely.

Gratitude Quote: 

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Joke: 

Why was the turkey the drummer in the band? (Because he had drumsticks.)

Recipe: 

We planned on making the Thanksgiving Apple Tart that I saw on a pin on Pinterest. It led to Miranda Made, and is one that is a cute idea for kids to make and eat.

Since Sophia's allergy shots and the visit to the nursing home took the entire morning and part of the early afternoon, we will make the apple tarts tomorrow afternoon.

One of the Thanksgiving Apple Tarts I made. 

I mistakenly read "powdered sugar" instead of "granulated sugar"

so there's white blobs of sugar over each of the tarts. 

Until then, here's the recipe:

3 apples: two green - like granny smith, one red - like gala (we had a lot of apples leftover. Half that amount would have been sufficient)
Apple jelly (we used apricot jelly since that's what we had on hand)
2 egg yolks (again, way too much. Half this amount would have been fine)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (did not use)
granulated sugar (by accident, used powdered sugar)
round cookie cutters, various sizes.
unbaked pie dough, store bought or from your favorite recipe (used homemade pie dough)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash, core and slice the apples as thinly as possible. Leave the skins on to give the turkey a festive, colorful tail.

Roll out the unbaked pie dough and cut out circles of dough with a 4 1/2" diameter. The top of a plastic sour cream container is the perfect size for cutting circles.

If you're using store-bought dough you'll have two rounds. You should be able to get 3 or 4 circles from each round.

Place the cut circles of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Note: we didn't have any on hand, so we just sprayed the baking sheet. For the most part, the tarts came off easily. Parchment paper would have made removing the tarts much easier, though.)

Add a few tablespoons of water to the egg yolks and beat, making an egg wash.

Put 1 teaspoons of the apple jelly in the center of the pie dough. Spread the jelly leaving a 1/2" edge around the perimeter of the dough.

Layer sliced apples on the jelly in a single layer, but slightly overlapping. The apple slices will look like the feathers of the turkey's tail.

Use a fondant or cookie cutter to cut 2 1/4" circles and a 1 1/2" circles from the remaining dough. You will need a large circle (body) and small circle (head) for each turkey tart. Use the egg wash like glue to attach the head to the body.

Add a triangle of dough for a beak, a tear drop shaped piece of dough for the turkey's gobbler and a raisin cut into pieces for the eyes.

The egg wash will give the dough a golden color when baked. Add a bit of egg wash to the beak and gobbler to make them stand out.

Use a pastry brush to spread butter over the apples and dough and then sprinkle granulated sugar on top.

Crimp in the edges of the free-form tart and add egg wash to the edges.

Bake the tarts in a 400 degree oven on parchment-lined baking sheets for 15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the apples are tender.

Serve individual Turkey tarts on plates with scoops of vanilla ice cream.