Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving... time for warm meals, cooler days and family gatherings.
It’s a time to take a deep breath and a long, grateful look at the blessings and beautiful things in our lives.
We are thankful that you have chosen us to supply the highest-quality, American-made flags and flagpoles to express your patriotism this holiday season and throughout the year.
Generational Gifts
While most of us have a turkey recipe that is set in stone — or at least that is editable only by the family chef — many of us don't have quite the same certainty when it comes to our side dishes.
So we're offering a few quick recipes from our table that just might liven up someone else's too... What a wonderful feeling to think we might be sharing a meal with someone across the country from us... Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Zakharian Family Sage Dressing Recipe
“This is the only kind Mama ever made and the only kind I like and make.”
-Charlotte
1 cup sliced celery, coarse chopped – about 4 stalks
1 large yellow onion, coarse chopped – about 1 cup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp celery seed
3 large eggs
1/2 cup butter
2 cans, 14.5 ounces each, chicken broth (add more if dressing mixture seems dry)
1 loaf white bread, cubed and dried
1 box “Jiffy” corn muffin mix – prepared in baking dish per box instructions, cool then crumble
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Preheat oven to 300º.
Cube bread slices and layer on baking sheets along with crumbled cornbread. Bake about 30 minutes to dry. Remove and set aside to cool. Cubes will be dry but not crisp like a crouton. Once cool, place in a large bowl.
Sauté
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and saute together until onion is soft and translucent– about 10-min. Stir in sage, celery seed, and pepper – continue to saute 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow ingredients to cool about 5 min.
Mix
Whisk 3 eggs in a bowl and then stir in chicken broth. Pour egg/chicken broth combination over bread cubes. Pour sautéingredients over bread cubes. Toss/mix ingredients together.
Bake
Butter a 9”x2”x13” baking dish and spoon dressing mixture into the dish. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 350º about 30 minutes with foil – remove foil and continue baking about 15 minutes.
Serve
Serve warm, with the rest of the meal.
Crispy Potato Skins
This is incredibly easy, can be made with potatoes that will end up mashed, and can help tide over rumbling tummies while they wait.
Bake
Bake several Russet potatoes long enough to loosen the skin from the insides and allow them to cool to the touch.
Clean
Hollow out the shells and save the insides to add to your mashed potatoes (further down)...
Baste
Cut the skins into long strips. Rub a generous amount of olive oil over the skins and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
Bake Again
Bake again at 375º until crisp. The timing will depend on how long they were baked before the skins were peeled.
Serve
These can be served as-is, or they can be topped with cheese, chives, sour cream, or anything else that's appetizing...
Miss Virginia's Dinner Rolls
The recipe for these rolls has been passed down several generations — we are lucky enough to have been in Miss Virginia's company and for her to have shared this delicious gem.
1 T instant yeast
1-1/2 C warm water
1/4 C regular white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 C vegetable oil
2-1/2 C all-purpose flour
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Prep
Place the warm water into a large bowl, sprinkle with yeast and rest for about five minutes – it will appear foamy.
Stir
Stir the dry ingredients together in a separate large bowl. Then add and stir the dry ingredients one cup at a time into the yeast mixture.
Knead & Rise
Turn out and knead on a floured surface (1/4 – 1/3 C flour) until smooth, 5-10 minutes. Place the dough in bowl, cover with damp towel and rest to rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Punch, Divide, Repeat
Punch the dough down. Divide the dough into 12 equal, round portions and space them in pan about 2” apart. Rest to rise for 1-1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
Bake & Serve
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes – until the roll tops are light, golden brown. Serve these wonderful rolls alongside any or all the other dishes on your table.
Pumpkin-spice Beverage Recipe
Beloved for its warmth and comfort, here's the secret to pumpkin-spicing up any drink. We've listed whole milk as the main ingredient in this version, but substitute non-dairy milk, coffee, cider, or other options to suit. Of course, adjust the sweetness or spices to taste as well...
1 cup whole milk, very warm
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (ground blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and optional black pepper)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract Whipped cream & cinnamon to garnish (optional)
Blend
Place the milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, spices, and vanilla extract in the blender. Leave the center cap off to allow steam to escape (use a towel to prevent splatter as needed). Start at a low speed and steadily increase to high, blending until frothy.
Transfer, Garnish, & Serve
Pour the frothy blend into the mug of your choice. Top with whipped cream, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice as desired. Enjoy!
Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
This is a delicious twist on a Thanksgiving classic. If this recipe isn't exactly to your liking, pluck the nuances you do like and add them to your existing recipe!
4 T. unsalted butter
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1-3/4 lbs. Russet potatoes, (with or without peels) cut into cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 C. warm milk
2 oz. (1/2 C.) Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
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Melt
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add rosemary to the butter and set the mixture aside.
Boil
Place russet potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water and add salt. Boil over medium-high heat until tender, usually about 15 minutes. Drain the water and transfer the potatoes to a large bowl.
Mash
Add milk and mash with a potato masher.
Season
Add the Parmesan cheese and the rosemary butter, mixing gently. Then season with salt and pepper.
Serve
Serve these warm along with the rest of Thanksgiving dinner.
Crumble-top Apple Pie
What dessert is more American than apple pie? This recipe borrows from traditional Dutch Apple Pie recipes, with some modifications to make it our own. You'll be astonished at how easy it is to prepare — and have a fresh appreciation for the phrase, "easy as pie!."
6 C. Apples (about 3.5 apples)
3/4 C Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Salt
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C All Purpose Flour
4 Tbsp Butter
Chopped almonds to taste (optional)
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Cut
Peel and slice six cups of apples and place them in a pastry shell. Either make a homemade crust or buy one in a grocery store.
Season
Mix a generous amount of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and sprinkle it over the fruit. For better coverage, toss the apples in the mixture before placing in the pastry shell.
Craft
Create your custom pie-topping of sugar, brown sugar, flour, and butter (with optional almonds as desired) and crumble this combination over the spice mixture.
Bake
Bake at 400º for 45 to 60 minutes — until the fruit is tender and the crust is lightly brown.
Serve
Let the pie cool for about 30 minutes, protect it from ravaging family members as long as you can, and serve on its own or with ice cream or whipped topping.
Happy Thanksgiving!
That's it!
Hopefully one or more of these will put the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving meal. We are so glad to share and thankful to have you to share with!
Photo Call
Send us your pictures of Thanksgiving, American flags, flagpoles, ropes, or other accessories! We would be honored to feature your photography in our blog or on Facebook. Remember, photos of damaged flags and accessories are valuable, too.
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