Thanksgiving Potluck—Some of the Many Treats

We celebrated the fourth annual Friends' Thanksgiving Potluck this year, incorporating some family and a few new friends. Here are some of the treats that were had—and enjoyed—by all:

A Starter from Candle...which I enjoyed throughout the night...
HOT ARTICHOKE DIP 2 lg. cans quartered artichokes (in water, not marinated) 15 oz jar Hellmann's mayonnaise 12 oz. whipped cream cheese5 oz Parmesan cheese3-4 handfuls Shredded Italian 6 cheese blend (some for in the dip and some for on top) Garlic powder or Granulated Garlic (to taste) Rinse quartered artichokes well and pat dry. Mix artichokes, mayo, whipped cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1-2 handfuls of shredded cheese, and garlic power or granulated garlic in a bowl. Pour into casserole dish (or pie plate) and top with shredded cheese. Bake 350 degrees 20-30 minutes. Dip will turn golden brown and bubble. If not golden brown and bubbly after 30 minutes, switch oven to broil (low if your oven has the setting) for a couple of minutes. Serve hot with crackers.

Desiree's Lovely Salad
Pomegranate, Orange, Papaya, and Kiwi Green Salad

1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup oil
1 ½ quarts mixed greens
2 oranges, peeled and sliced
2 medium papaya, peeled and sliced
4 kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 medium pomegranate
To make dressing, combine first 4 ingredients. Whisk in oil. Toss greens with 2 ½ tablespoons dressing. Alternate oranges, papaya, kiwi. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serves 6


Jen's Amazing Sweet Potatoes
SCALLOPED SWEET POTATOES WITH APPLES 3 large sweet potatoes3 Granny Smith Apples3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar1 tablespoon grated orange rind1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water to cover 45 minutes; drain and cool slightly.Peel sweet potatoes, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Core and slice apples.Combine brown sugar, orange rind, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.Arrange half of potato slices and half of apple slices in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish.Sprinkle with half of brown sugar mixture, and dot evenly with half of butter. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients.Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve warm.

My mom's cranberries...recipe courtesy of my grandma
Fruity Cranberry Relish

1 # cranberries raw (pkg is 12 oz usually)
1cup of sugar (or more if too tart)
1-2 oranges, (peeled) plus some orange zest from rind.
2 apples (peeled)

In food processor grind the cranberries, (freeze first, then grind; less messy) and the oranges, and apples. Mix with sugar, and refrigerate. Will keep for a week or longer in refrigerator.

A bit more to come...