Manila Spoon: Thanksgiving

Nov 25, 2016

15 Deliciously Creative Left-over Turkey Recipes

15 deliciously creative recipes for Thanksgiving left-over Turkey! A must-try if you want to try new and easy dishes for the family!

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!!! Now that this major holiday is over the big question is: what do we do with all these left-over Turkey? Have no fear, we've got you covered. We researched online and found 15 delicious and creative ways to use all that meat! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Bars

With a deliciously spiced pumpkin pie on the bottom and buttery swirled cake topping this super EASY Pumpkin Pie Bars will be your favorite holiday dessert! Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year perfect!

Just before we left for England in early November, I made this Pumpkin Pie Dessert Bars for my family. I was planning to post this earlier but because of the family emergency we had, everything, naturally, had to take the backseat. Nonetheless, at the back of my mind, I haven't forgotten about this truly delightful recipe and made sure to post this at least before Thanksgiving. Besides, who says pumpkin desserts are only for Fall or Thanksgiving? I love pumpkin based desserts so much, I won't even mind having them during the hottest days of summer - so for me, every season is a good season for Pumpkins!!! Agree? :)

Jam and Burrata Toasts

Just 3 ingredients and can be customized to your taste, these easy, quick and yummy Jam and Burrata Toasts are the perfect appetizers for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year or any holiday!

When fall season commences, there's a sudden anticipation of the holidays. After all, truly, they're just around the corner. In the Philippines, while we don't really have fall or winter, once the month of September comes - the holiday season begins! I am not kidding.

Apple Cheesecake Pie with Caramel Sauce

This easy and luscious fruity dessert combines the flavors of Apple Pie and Cheesecake so you can enjoy both! Make it ahead for fuss-free entertaining. Drizzle some caramel sauce on top for extra yum! | manilaspoon.com

I can't believe it's just a couple more days and 2015 is over! In some ways I am quite excited to welcome the new year as globally speaking 2015 has been quite chaotic and really challenging for so many. That is not to say there weren't many good things that happened in the past year. In fact, my habit as the year ends is always to make a list of the many things I can truly be thankful for. I can only do that if I go through the year month by month and look at the past and see how the Lord has truly blessed us. If often surprises me and in the end I often have to admit that indeed while the year past may not be perfect (it never will be!) it definitely is good and always has been good by God's grace.

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

I love cooking with spices. I just love the intense complexity in flavor that a little dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or my favorite cardamon can add to a dish. When I decided to make some condiment for Thanksgiving, I thought it had to be cranberry sauce and a spiced one, too.

Cranberry Cheese and Prosciutto Sandwich

Fruity, cheesy, savory deliciousness in one bite in this quick and easy fall and winter sandwich. Great as appetizer for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday table! | manilaspoon.com

Do you stick to one particular supermarket or grocery store when you go shopping for food on a weekly basis? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't depending on which one has a sale. I do have three favorite stores that I make my rounds on. I already know, more or less, where to go for particular products or for certain food and that helps make everything easier and convenient.

Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Naturally sweetened with honey and orange juice then studded with pecans flavored with cinnamon this delicious Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday. | manilaspoon.com

My family and I are getting excited about Thanksgiving and it's just around the corner. Since my parents and siblings are in the Philippines and hubby's parents are in England, when Thanksgiving comes we really don't have our family to celebrate with us - it's just the four of us, hubby, me and our two little Americans. We do miss them especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas as it's not often that we get to see them because the fares are astronomically high to travel abroad during holiday season.

Apple-Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

So many desserts to make, too little time. Don't you often get the feeling that there are so many types of desserts or pies that you want to make for Thanksgiving but you simply don't have the time to make each and every one of them? Or perhaps, you are looking at the feast of pies in front of you during Thanksgiving and wish you can try each slice of pumpkin, pecan or apple pie - but feel like it's way too much to eat all three in one go! I hear ya! I know the feeling!!!

Yummy Cranberry Cheesecake

Last year for the holiday season, I made a No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake as part of the 12 Cakes of December series. I joined 11 other food bloggers and we each took turn to make cakes that we felt best represented the season. I wanted a truly festive and lovely cake so I chose to make a cheesecake with cranberries - since cranberries have a deep red hue which of course is the color of Christmas. Besides, I truly love cheesecake!

20 Delicious Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Recipes

Whenever Fall/Autumn comes around, I only think of one thing - Pumpkins!!! Yes, I love Pumpkin recipes both savory and sweet. I have made quite a few tried and tested recipes using this wonderful fruit. Below you can find some delicious sweet and savory recipes all utilizing the mighty pumpkin! Hope you get to try some if not all of them.

Best Pumpkin Pie

Like many of our American readers, I've had my share of tasting so many recipes and varieties of pumpkin pie. In the Philippines, we have a lot of squashes and they are a staple in my country but we don't really grow pumpkins. Perhaps it's the weather, I don't know. So, when I had my first Thanksgiving in Michigan back in 2004 - I was truly fascinated with the concept of using pumpkin (which back then I just thought of as a regular squash) in a dessert, especially a pie. I thought it was rather strange as we only use squashes for savory dishes and never for dessert. Squashes are considered vegetables and, as such, they are never used for anything sweet. Little did I know that both pumpkin and squashes (at least some!) are actually the perfect ingredients for desserts, too! So glad I finally know.

Everything Thanksgiving - Recipes, Decor, Crafts, Ideas and so much more!

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. It is indeed one of the most looked-forward to holidays of the year and understandably, the preparation leading to the day itself can be quite stressful sometimes if not enough planning is done. So to help some of you decide on what to do or serve for Thanksgiving, here are some helpful ideas - from what decor to use, tips on hosting, crafts to make and what glorious food to serve. I have so enjoyed researching about all these and I hope you find it quite handy for your Thanksgiving preparation. Enjoy!

Cranberry Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we were reminded of our trip to Plymouth, Massachusetts back in July, 2005. Abigail was six months pregnant with William and we took advantage of the chance to travel to New England before the baby arrived. We chose to go to Plymouth because we wanted to visit the site where the Pilgrims first settled and learn about their history. We were so impressed by the courage of the Pilgrims in the face of many hardships that we were inspired to name our son, William, after William Bradford the second governor of the Plymouth Colony. During their arduous 60 day sea crossing Bradford wrote in his journal, "All great and honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties and must be both enterprised and overcome with answerable courages". Their Christian faith enabled them to perservere in the midst of great adversity and establish a community where they were free to worship God according to His Word.

While in Plymouth we stayed at the Governor Bradford Inn. It overlooks the historic Plymouth Harbor where the Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II are located.

The Mayflower II is a reproduction of the original Mayflower vessel. It has been recreated to give a sense of what the original 17th century ship was like. Seeing the inside of this very small vessel meant to carry only about 50-60 passengers, (there were about 104 on board), we were amazed at how the Pilgrims managed to survive the journey. We also saw the cramped passengers' quarters, the "hold" where they stored food, clothing and other items needed to start the colony, and the very crude tools used in 17th century navigation. The photo below shows the Mayflower II journeying from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachussets in 1957.

On board the Mayflower II, you will meet actors dressed in period costumes speaking in 17th century English who will share with you what life was like during the voyage. We met Captain Myles Standish, the military advisor for the Plymouth Colony. He shared with us his experiences while on board and the death of his wife Rose upon arrival at Plymouth.

A monument to the Pilgrims who died during the first year in the Plymouth Colony.

Over all, it was a very successful trip and we're glad we went. It is a trip that is a highly recommended.

Now to a lighter note, here's a lovely recipe that's great for the holidays - Cranberry Banana Muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup plus 3 Tbsp sugar (I use white)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs (room temp)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup banana, mashed (about 1 1/2 bananas - you can use 2 bananas if you prefer)
1/4 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips or pieces (optional)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Mix all dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs and beat lightly just until combined. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients (yogurt, banana, oil, vanilla) and continue to beat in medium speed until it's smooth and there are no big banana lumps roughly 1-2 minutes.

Adjust the speed to low and then slowly pour in the flour mixture. I try to do this in three parts to prevent the flour from splattering all over the place. Scrape the sides with a spatula after adding each flour. When everything is just combined, stop the the mixer. Fold in the cranberries and the chocolate chips/pieces, if using.

Divide evenly into a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Bake at 400 for about 18-22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Oven heating/temperatures vary so adjust the time accordingly. I use a Demarle Flexipan - the muffin cooks faster here so you may have to adjust the time a bit if using a regular muffin pan. Let this serve as a guide. A friend of mine who made this recipe said it took about 22 minutes for her muffin to fully cook.

Leave it to cool a bit in the pan for about 7-10 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. The muffins may feel soft when you lift them up but don't worry they will harden as they cool down.

I love that this is just a balance of sweet-tart flavors and comes out really moist even after you have left it standing for a few hours. On occasion when I am feeling rather indulgent, I add 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips! Moist and delicious cranberry muffins!

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Thanksgiving and Global Cuisine - Recipe Round-up

Frikadelles (South African Braised Meatballs)

Yesterday we had a celebration in our Manila Spoon Facebook Page featuring Thanksgiving and International Recipes. What a happy day it was for we received so many lovely recipes! I love all the Thanksgiving dishes and the exotic and delicious global cuisine samples we got. I am sure that some of you would like to see these lovely recipes again, perhaps to try them yourselves or to use them as inspiration to create your own dish but it can be quite difficult to access them on the Facebook page itself. It's certainly not going to be much fun scrolling down the page just to find the recipes you want so I thought I'd make a post of all the recipes we received with their corresponding photos and the links to the blogs they came from. I have posted these recipes according to the order I have received them. Hope you find this post helpful and do check out these lovely blogs. Many thanks again to all of you for making our Foodie Party a success!

Please note: To get the recipe, find the photo below of the yummy sweet treat you are looking for and then click on the link underneath. That should lead you to the recipe. This is a collection of recipes from our blog and other amazing food bloggers.