A Vitala Thanksgiving

It’s not hard to find things to be thankful for around here. We are all so lucky to work as part of such an amazing team every day. And so when someone came up with the idea of having a potluck lunch to celebrate Thanksgiving last Friday, everyone raced to the kitchen white board to sign up.

 

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So just in case you hadn’t already had your fill of Thanksgiving delights this weekend, we thought we would share some of our team’s delicious recipes.

 

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Pete’s hand-picked hearty mashed potatoes

Wash and boil potatoes with two cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped, and one whole shallot. Drain and mash with 1 cup of cream and 1/4 cup butter. Add more cream if necessary. Fold through 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley. Delicious!

 

Helen’s baked vegetables

Slice up a variety of veggies – I chose rutabaga, carrots and parsnips. Add a little grape seed oil and rosemary. Spread out on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick product. Bake at 400 degrees for 20mins, stir, continue baking until done (this will depend on how big your pieces are). On a separate tray, I also roasted green peppers, garlic and onion. These cook faster but use the same preparation. Experiment with sweet potato, red peppers, even celery!

 

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Matt’s Fruit Punch

Mix 1.75L ginger ale, 1L apple juice, .5L orange juice and 1L of cranberry juice in a large punch bowl. Add apple slices to garnish (it’s all in the details).

 

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Mallory’s Green Goddess Salad

 

Dressing

 

Combine one clove minced garlic, chopped green onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream and a touch of pepper in a bowl

Salad

 

Combine chopped romaine lettuce, cucumber and croutons in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss thoroughly.

 

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Amanda’s Broccoli Salad

 

Dressing

Mix 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/4 cup white sugar, 2 tbsp of vinegar.

 

Salad

Combine one head of broccoli (cut into small pieces), 1/2 lb bacon, 1/2 red onion and 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds. Add dressing and stir. Easy peasy!

 

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Lara’s Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Thanks to All Recipes for this one. Though Lara likes to top hers with candied pecans and a dusting of cinnamon.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!