Good morning everyone, and happy Thanksgiving! She's family has been put on the spot this year to create some appetizers before today's feast. Luckily, we have these recipes handy, and we'd like to share them with you. Please note that the ratios and measurements for these aren't set in stone. If you prefer more or less of one thing, or if you want to do some replacements and omissions, that is perfectly okay.
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Sweet and Smoky Pumpkin Seeds
If you have some leftover pumpkins from Halloween, this is the recipe for you. We discovered that two medium-sized pumpkins will yield about 2 cups of the seeds. Make sure they are rinsed well and pat them slightly dry with a paper towel. The seeds will still be sticky, but they will hold the seasoning better than pre-roasted seeds.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups washed and dried fresh pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, set aside
- 1/4 heaping teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 heaping teaspoon ginger
- hearty sprinkle cayenne pepper
- sprinkle of sea salt
- sprinkle of black pepper
- Preheat the oven 300 degrees Fahrenheit and spread the pumpkin seeds out as evenly as possible on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper
- Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds with salt and pepper in about a 3-1 ratio. Turn the seeds over a little with a spatula in order to evenly season them
- Bake the seeds for about 20 minutes. This will help to dry out the insides and keep them crunchy
- When they are finished, put the olive oil into a large saucepan on medium heat. When the oil starts flowing more freely, pour in the cooked pumpkin seeds
- Stir well, allowing the oil to coat all of the seeds. While it is roasting, combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the remainder of the spices into a large bowl
- Toss the 3 tablespoons of sugar over the oily seeds. Stir until the sugar starts to crystalize over the seeds, but don't let it get to a caramel color
- When the sugar crystals form, dump the seeds into the bowl of spices and mix until they are evenly coated in the seasoning
- Serve at room temperature with a refreshing glass of apple cider or a drink of your choice
Rosemary Garlic Cream Cheese Spread
She's family always get a cheese platter with crackers to munch on during the Macy's parade. This flavorful spread is by She's own invention- works well with crackers or crunchy veggies like cucumber and baby carrots.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces of cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoons dried dill
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons garlic clove (we used canned garlic)
- handful of finely shredded cheddar cheese
- sprinkle of sea salt
- sprinkle of black pepper
- Take the cream cheese out of the package and put it into a small-medium mixing bowl. Let soften
- Using a fork or a standing mixer, mash up the cream cheese
- Add all of the spices, stirring constantly
- Cover and refrigerate when not eating
Turkey Feathers Trail Mix
This trail mix is so easy to make that you could include the kiddos. Tell them that the pretzel sticks are "turkey feathers" and they will love to help out in the kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Reese's pieces candies (or any other candy-coated peanut butter pieces)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks
- 1/3 cup unsalted almonds
- 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts
- handful of pretzel sticks
- Toss all the ingredients into a container with a lid. Add more of a certain ingredient if you would prefer. (You can never have enough chocolate.)
- Shake it up thoroughly. The pretzel sticks may tend to stay at the top, but you could also take the lid off and give it a good stir
- Serve or store for later. Replace with green and red M&Ms for a Christmas treat!
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