Thanksgiving blessings

It sounds like everyone will be making their way home for Thanksgiving this year. I’m so excited to have a house full of hungry people and a table full of favorite dishes. I am especially thankful that many hands will be preparing the meal we share. I have to shake my head trying to comprehend when our children grew up. It feels like a few years ago when they were jockeying for a position in the kitchen next to me to help make their favorite dish. Now, they will be carrying in the pies and salads they made to share with the family around our table. I truly feel blessed to see our children carrying on a long line of family traditions shared around the table.
If I have any turkey leftovers, they will be used in these two favorite post-Thanksgiving dinner dishes.  
If you’re not ready to give up treats around the campfire, try these s’more bars. This is a great way to use up the remaining marshmallows and graham crackers from the fall treats because we all know the chocolate bars are the first thing to disappear.

Creamy turkey tetrazzini
1 package linguine, cooked
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
1 jar chopped pimentos, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Parsley
Cook linguine according to package directions. Rinse cooked noodles and mix together with remaining ingredients. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Top with extra cheese just before done if you like.

Wild rice soup (My neighbor’s, Joyce’s, recipe)
2 cups cooked wild rice
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
2 large carrots (1 cup raw) chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
2 large mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, chopped
8 cups chicken broth, plus two bouillon cubes
To cook wild rice: Wash rice in hot water. In saucepan, add rice and three times amount of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30-45 minutes until rice is tender and most of the water is absorbed. Sauté all vegetables in butter; add flour to vegetables. Slowly add broth, then rice and chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir occasionally until heated through.
    
S’more bars
8 cups Golden Grahams cereal        1/4 cup lite corn syrup
5 cups mini marshmallows        5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips        1 teaspoon vanilla    
1 cup mini marshmallows
Butter a 9-by-13 pan. Microwave 2-3 minutes: 5 cups marshmallows, chips, syrup and butter stirring every minute until smooth. Add vanilla. Pour over cereal in large bowl. Toss until evenly coated. Stir in 1 cup marshmallows. Press mixture into pan. Let cool before cutting.

S’more Texas brownies
1 cup water
1 cup butter (two sticks)
4 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sour milk
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Boil water, butter and cocoa together. Cool slightly. Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon together in mixing bowl. Pour cocoa mixture over dry ingredients. Stir together. Mix milk, soda, vanilla and eggs together. Pour over chocolate mixture. Stir together until smooth. Pour into greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat butter, cocoa and milk together. Let come to a full boil. Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar; add vanilla and spread over warm cake.
S’mores:
4-6 slices of graham crackers, broken into pieces
1-3 cups miniature marshmallows
Sprinkle graham cracker pieces and marshmallows over frosted cake. Place under oven broiler for 1-2 minutes. Keep a close eye so the marshmallows don’t burn.
    As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.