Thankful for Leftovers

This year, I'm very thankful for the support of family and friends who have helped us celebrate courage and joy in spite of a very difficult year.  This Thanksgiving, I honor the importance of these friendships.  Turns out, that this was a common thread that was woven throughout my family at Thanksgiving this year, and proudly displayed on our Tree of Thanks.  I have had the honor of hosting Thanksgiving in recent years, and this year, I put some of the many downed twigs and branches to good use by arranging them nicely in a ceramic vase to create a tree.  Then, I cut leaves from colored construction paper, punched a hole at the bottom and tied strings through them.  Each of us wrote what we were thankful for and tied it to the Tree.

Second on my list would be Thanksgiving leftovers.  Who doesn't love a good turkey sandwich made with stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy? I came up with some other ideas for leftovers during the weekend to change up the same old, same old:

• Use turkey, vegetables and gravy to create a Shepard's Pie, topped with mashed potatoes (and cheese, if you like).
• A new twist on Turkey Frame soup: pipe stuffing (pulsed slightly in the food processor) onto homemade pasta sheets and seal to create little raviolis.  Drop into simmering water to cook and add to soup.
• Tired of pumpkin pie and want a lighter dessert, reminiscent of the holiday?  Mix 1 container of marscapone cheese into 1 can pumpkin pie filling with 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice.  Crumble molasses or ginger cookies and put in bottom of parfait glasses, top with pumpkin, chopped pecans and whipped cream.  Repeat and refrigerate.
• Not enough gravy? Make a Maple Bourbon Glaze: 1 c bourbon, 2/3 c maple syrup, 2/3 c ketchup, 1/3 c soy sauce, 2 T chopped fresh ginger (or 2 tsp. ground ginger), and 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar.  Combine all ingredients and simmer 5 minutes.  Can also be used to glaze the turkey during the final 15 minutes of cooking.  Pssssst.... this is the secret to my gravy: mix 1/2 c of glaze into skimmed pan drippings, thicken and add 2 Tbsp. butter.