We set aside one day of the year to focus on our thanks and gratitude. These are so important. They unlock the fullness of life.

Our thankfulness turns what we have into ENOUGH.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity.

It makes our meal into a feast, a stranger into a friend!

Jazz Great Lionel Hampton once said: “Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.”

Lets fill our hearts on this day as we share a special meal with loved ones.

When we focus on our thanks and gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.

Without planning this special meal can be filled with stress. But we know how to tame that beast with a time line and have rest periods to pause and think about what is important in our lives and homes. Follow along as slave presents a Thanksgiving in the slave quarters for 2018.

Thanksgiving dinner in slave quarters 2018!

6 PM Dinner

Test fit pans in the oven before pre heating! Line them with foil and spray

3:15PM Start prep & cutting, pre heat oven to 325

4:00PM Turkey in oven : cut up the White Castle burgers

4:15PM start dressing

4:40PM dressing sits to soak

5:00PM dressing in oven

5:25PM start green beans

5:45 PM green beans in oven – turkey & dressing out to rest – start gravy!

6PM Green beans out of oven, remove orange peel

Pop dressing out of muffin pan onto a platter

Dish gravy into a bowl

Remove string from Turkey and slice on platter

Pour drinks and ask a blessing!

This gives us order with no rushing.

Lets begin: 3:15PM

The star of the show is a 3 lbs Turkey roast completely thawed.

This is a boneless roast held together with a cotton string netting that must be remove AFTER meat is cooked. Directions are on the meat.

Open the plastic covering over the sink, so the juice wont get on the counter. Remove the gravy packet and put in refrigerator. Pat it dry with a paper towel and place on a rack in a baking pan lined with foil. Take your fingers and loosen the string on the roast. Just slide under and slightly pull away from the meat. This makes it easier to remove latter. If you wish slide a couple of pieces of bacon under the string – Num Num! Set this aside at room temperature.

Do your cutting – even if you are slow it should not take over 30 minutes to do this step so start by 3:30PM:

2 stalks of celery chopped finely – ¼ inch or less.

Slice onion thin and cut into pieces.

Peel the apple then chop and cover with a damp paper towel or squeeze with lemon if you have one.

Take the time now to set the table.

4:00PM put the turkey into the oven and start on the dressing.

Slider Dressing Pudding

1:45 to 2 hours till ready

Ingredients:

16 White castle burgers thawed

3 extra-large eggs

1 cups half & half Non - fat.

1 cup vegetable stock

1 cup celery chopped fine

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped fine

1 Tbs salt + 1 tsp sage + ½ tsp pepper

Directions:

Cut up the White Castle burgers into pieces (like a tic tac toe board) and place in large bowl.

4:15PM

Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, celery, and apple and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in salt, sage, and pepper and mix well. Turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, with a whisk, beat the eggs, half & half, and vegetable stock together in a very large mixing bowl.

Pour the vegetable mix on top of the cubed burgers and mix in.

Now add the eggs and cream and gently stir in until everything is mixed and wet.

4:40 PM

Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the bread to soak.

Take a break.

Stir and spoon into a sprayed large muffin tin.

Use about ½ cup for each to Allow room for the dressing to expand.

5:00PM dressing into oven

Sprinkle with Parmesan if you like and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is browned and the custard is set. (Insert a knife in the middle to check.) Serve hot or warm.

Take a break!

While that cooks:

5:25PM: start the green beans.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

45 minutes till done

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

1 pkg frozen green beans

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, sliced thin

3 Tbs brown sugar

1 orange

Freshly ground black pepper

Place frozen green beans into the microwave to blanch – (cook using half the time) and remove.

Heat the skillet and add the butter and olive oil until the butter has melted. Add the onions, the brown sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently until the onions caramelize, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile peel the orange and reserve the rind. Separate the sections out.

Spray a 9 x 9 baking dish. Add the green beans & onion mix. Place 4 of the orange sections around the dish and push in the big pieces of orange peel. You don't want a heavy orange flavor, this will give just a touch of bright citrus.

5:45PM

Remove the turkey and the dressing to rest.

Slide the green beans into the oven for the final 15 minutes of baking time.

Make your gravy according to the packet you have placed in the refrigerator.

6PM SERVING DINNER

Take green beans out of oven and remove the orange peel.

Pop the dressing out of the muffing pan onto a platter.

Dish the gravy into a bowl