I’m hosting the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five this week!

This week’s Friday Five is because of my preparations for our Thanksgiving dinner celebration, which here in the US will be next Thursday, November 28th.

1. Turkey: love it? hate it? self-basted? fry it or roast it? Tofu-turkey?

I’ve only had one roasted turkey come out totally delish… I’ll be scouring my RevGals and Pals posts for their ideas.

2. Stuffing: bagged? homemade? sage? sausage? cornbread? oysters? nuts?

I usually go with a bagged stuffing, ready to add my own sauteed onions, garlic and celery. I don’t tend to get exotic on stuffing.

3. Cranberries: When we celebrated Thanksgiving in Europe one year, our French friends thought we were nuts to choose a very sour berry and then load it with sugar. (Let alone the stuff that comes out of a can in a blob of gelatinous ooze!) What do you do with cranberries?

I just “RTP” (read the package) and follow the directions.

4. Potatoes: (Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew…) What’s your pleasure?

I love plain baked sweet potatoes. Wash them, prick the skin with a fork and bake on a foil-covered cookie sheet. Serve hot with plenty of butter and maple sugar on the side. MMMMmmmm….

5. Pie: I’m married to the Pie Man. Anything but coconut pie floats his boat. What do you make? (or buy?) Pumpkin? Pecan? Apple?

I love a good HOMEMADE apple pie. I don’t like bakery pies very much as they tend to be too sweet and gooey. And I like a slice of sharp cheese on the side, a habit I picked up from my dad, who also rarely met a pie he didn’t like, like my beloved Pie Man.

BONUS: A recipe that you’ve tried out and will make it to your table this year.

I just tried a “Pumpkin Dump Cake” which is really more like a pumpkin custard pie with a cakey-crunchy topping. Or a cake-y pie. Whatever… The Pie Man has named it “Pumpkin Pike” and has approved it. 

PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE (aka PUMPKIN PIKE)

1 – 29 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 – can of evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar (some versions of this recipe use part brown sugar and part white sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
spices to taste – 2 teaspoons total of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger (you choose – I tend to leave out the ginger)
1 package yellow or spice cake mix (I made it with yellow cake mix)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter

Mix the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and spices. Pour into greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Spread out chopped pecans on top of that. Drizzle melted butter over all.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes (so that the pumpkin “sets”). This is more like a pumpkin pie with a crunchy topping. (drool)