Mama’s Pocketbook - Give Thanks Party!

Hello, I am a little late to the party but, what else is new?!!
I absolutely love Thanksgiving and it is a big holiday for my family. My family has a reunion every year at Thanksgiving, usually at my brother Don’s house in Alabama, but sometimes we have all traveled and joined together at various cabins in Pine Mountain, Georgia, and we all went to Gatlinburg, TN one year! As often as he can, my oldest brother Mike and his wife Janet will come out from Dallas, Tx along with my niece, Stephanie and her family. This year it will be a smaller gathering than last year when we had everyone together except my kids. They will be with us this year, so we are really looking forward to a few days in the country, laughing, sharing family videos, cooking and eating the best food on the face of the earth!
I’ll share some recipes at the bottom of this post, but for now I’d like to share some family photos. YES! I’m that boring relative who makes you watch her family movies! SIT DOWN AND ENJOY IT! Here’s some coffee and cake … now pretend you are loving my photos!
Every year at the Prather Family gathering we take a family group picture and I think we probably laugh more when trying to coordinate setting up all the cameras and getting all the kids to be still and everyone smiling at the same time, than any other part of the time we are together. Thanks for looking and don’t forget to scroll down for some awesome recipes! (Warning, there are LOTS of photos here)
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Prather Family
Thanksgiving 2002
We gathered together in Pine Mountain and rented some cabins, which is a favorite way for us to get together. The kids can be messy and loud and we can all relax together!







 
2002 - Each year we try – TRY – to corral all the kids and get them together for a group photo of their own.
This one has Taylor, Lauren, Caden, Gavin, Kylie & Fischer (left to right )


 
2002 - Me and my brothers (L to R) Mike, Me, Don and James
Why am I so short? I inherited all the short genes of the family apparently!






2002 - Me and My Grandma Nell (my mother’s sweet sweet step-mother)!










In 2003, we all met up again at a different set of cabins in Pine Mountain, GA. This is about as close to a family shot as I could find! LOL, everyone milling about and eating! My kids were not with us that year, they were with their dad & paternal grandmother.


2003 - My brother’s birthday is Dec.  2nd, so we celebrated his 50th and surprised him! Here he is with the kids who were there this year. (L to R) Maddie, Caden, Fischer, Gavin and Kylie! My nephew put together the most touching video I’ve ever seen with photos and videos of “PawPaw” and Linda, and the whole family from their wedding day back in 1971, all the way up through 2003. We were all crying and laughing and it was really one of my best memories of our family celebrating together.


2004 – 2 years since the last gathering of the kids in one photo! They were taking turns riding horses out at my brother’s place and didn’t want to be bothered with photo shoots!
(L to R) Taylor, Gavin, Kylie, Lauren, Fischer and Caden

 

My little Taylor on a big horse. He was not scared at all. I am slightly afraid of horses myself. But he and Lauren loved riding them.


 







2004 - My lovely sister-in-law Janet with her two dogs, Tess and Sophie (gosh I hope I got their names right!)









2004 – Prather Family Group Photo. This year we had our Aunt Nikki, Uncle Wes, their daughter Denise and her family, and Grandma Nell join us for Thanksgiving! They live in Baltimore, MD, so we don’t get to see them nearly enough!




2004 - The kids favorite part of Thanksgiving – roasting marshmallows &telling scary stories around the fire.






Warning, this is what tryptophan and marshmallows will do to you!  Doesn’t Taylor look absolutely the most comfortable ever!







2004 -Took Lauren & Taylor to North Carolina to ride the Thanksgiving Polar Express. All the kids dressed in their pajamas for the train ride, just like the boy in the story. It was really great fun! (Yes, my son is ALWAYS wearing some form of camoflage!)



2004 - Had to put this one in… Lauren will kill me for exposing her earlier, so uncool,  pajama picture with her goofy little brother. LOL!


 


2005 – We all traveled to Gatlinburg & Sevierville TN for Thanksgiving! This is the kids group photo (L to R) Lauren, Kylie, Gavin, Taylor, Caden and Fischer.


 

We had this great big cabin, with a pool table and very slippery wooden  winding staircase. I think everyone fell on that thing at least once!


 

2005 – Tennessee Thanksgiving Prather Family Photo.



 



2006 – Gathering once again at my brother’s house in Alabama. I had just had eye surgery, so I have black, blue, green and purple eyes – nice!!  I don’t have as many photos for this year’s gathering (wonder why!)

I think we did not make it to the family gathering in 2007 and I have to find the photos for 2008 & 2009
SOOOO…. Thank you for browsing my family Thanksgivings, and now the part You really wanted to see… Thanksgiving Recipes!!

Sweet Onion Corn Bake

This tasty corn and cornbread casserole is flavored with sweet onions, cream-style corn and cheddar cheese.Makes a great side-dish for any meat entree.
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large Vidalia or sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 can(14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
• 1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn-bread/muffin mix
• 4 drops hot pepper sauce (Optional)

PREPARATION:

• In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until tender, over medium/high heat
• In a small bowl, combine sour cream, milk, dill and salt
• Add this sour cream mixture to the skillet with the sauted onions. Reduce heat to medium and stir together well to blend
• Add 1 cup cheddar cheese into the onion mixture, stir just until blended evenly
• Remove mixture from heat and set aside
• In a bowl, combine egg, corn, corn-bread mix and hot pepper sauce
• Pour corn/corn-bread mixture into a greased 13"x9"x2" baking dish
• Spoon onion mixture over top of corn/cornbread mix
• Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese
• Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until top is set and lightly brown. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly before cutting.

Dilled New Potatoes and Peas

My family loves my delicious dilled new potatoes and peas recipe. This is very easy to make and the dill flavor is perfect.
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 8 oz. pkg frozen peas
• 1 pound small red potatoes, quarter cut leave skin on
• 1 tablespoon softened butter or margarine
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill or 1 tsp. dill weed
• 2 teaspoons minced chives
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

PREPARATION:

• Prepare frozen peas according to package directions.
• Place potatoes in saucepan, cover with water
• Bring potatoes to a boil over medium heat
• Reduce heat to low, simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender
• Blend condensed soup and milk in a small bowl
• Drain potatoes
• Add soup mixture to potatoes, simmer and stir until heated through
• Stir in cooked peas
• Add butter, dill, chives, salt and pepper
• Mix gently and serve

Easy Turkey Ranch Pie (Bisquick Recipe)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups cut-up cooked turkey
• 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup Bisquick Original baking mix
• 1 envelope ranch dressing mix
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs

DIRECTIONS

• Heat oven to 400°.
• Grease 9-inch pie plate.
• Stir turkey and mixed vegetables together in a medium bowl, spoon into pie plate.
• Sprinkle shredded cheese over mixture.
• Stir Bisquick® and dry ranch dressing mix together
• Stir milk and eggs together and then stir together with dry ingredients mixture until blended. Pour into pie plate over meat, vegetables and cheese mixture.
• Bake 33 to 38 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Allow pie to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Caramel-Glazed Pear Cake

Moist, Melt in Your Mouth Goodness!
INGREDIENTS

• 4 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE

• Toss together pears and 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand 5 minutes
• Beat eggs, 2 cups sugar, and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended
• Combine flour, salt, and baking soda, and add to egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended
• Fold in pears, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract
• Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan
• Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean
• Remove from pan, and drizzle Caramel Glaze over warm cake

CARAMEL GLAZE
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS FOR GLAZE

• Stir together brown sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat
• Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 1/2 minutes or until sugar dissolves

Your family and friends will request this cake often.