Tantalizing Turkey-Day Tidbits
By Lisa Paterson

With the holiday season fast approaching, many families enjoy a traditional meal with loved ones and friends. Sometimes the same fare of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and candied yams can get a bit boring. When that happens, it's time to start looking for additional dishes or ways to cook to spice up the family meal.

Many people have taken to deep frying their turkeys. They infuse their turkeys with many different spices and sauces ranging from maple sugar concoctions to Cajun seasonings. By infusing the turkeys before frying, the spices and seasonings help lock in the juices. Be careful doing this as the oil required to deep fry a turkey is very hot and can burn you. An outdoor fryer large enough to hold your turkey is recommended. Be sure to plan on spending some time keeping an eye on your turkey because you do not want it to burn. There are many large fryers on the market specifically for this endeavor. Research the products before making a decision and follow the directions carefully.

Oyster stuffing is a delightful treat for those seafood lovers in your family. A twist on the usual stuffing recipes, oyster stuffing tends to be moist and flavorful Only a small amount of oysters are needed and if you cannot get fresh oysters in your area, canned oysters, un-drained, can be used. This is a very popular dish in the south and has Creole origins. There are many variations of oyster stuffing recipes to be found on the Internet, ranging from very easy to very difficult. If you cannot find oysters, clams can be substituted and will give the dish a slightly different flavor.

If you have friends from another country that may not celebrate Thanksgiving, ask them if they would teach you how to make an ethnic side dish to have at your Thanksgiving meal. For example, a cool cucumber salad dish would be perfect to compliment all of the others. Easy to make with sour cream, raisins, a small amount of garlic and, or course, cucumber, this creamy Middle Eastern dish adds a fun vegetable to the table.

Creamed pearl onions are another vegetable side dish that can be added to your Thanksgiving cuisine. Prepared with a simple white sauce, pearl onions are small, sweet and melt in your mouth. They can be prepared ahead of time and set aside to make room on your stove for other items. Creamed pearl onions heat up easily in the microwave and will not last on your table.

If you are looking for something to do with the rest of the celery you didn't use to make stuffing with, have no fear. Prepare your celery by cutting them into small pieces of about two to three inches long. Then grab your jar of peanut butter or a container of flavored cream cheese and spread them on the celery. This is a favorite with the children and is a great leftover snack to go with that turkey sandwich everyone is bound to eat.

Of course, desserts usually include the standard pumpkin, apple and mince meat pies. For something fun, make a cheesecake. Or try some stuffed dates. These small sweet treats are easy to stuff with whole walnuts. Laid out on a round plate after stuffing, lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar and set them out with your deserts. This is an easy dish to make and you can teach your children how to stuff the dates and get them involved in preparing the family meal.

Start a new tradition and add a new dish to your Holiday table each year. Don't be afraid to go for the unusual or a twist on an old favorite. Everyone will appreciate the effort and maybe even go home with a new idea for their own family traditions.

When cooking your turkey be sure to remember your kitchen safety tips. And then take a look at this interesting kitchen planning guide.