The best Thanksgiving dinner ever

Article Photos

GLADSTONE - Let's see

The address for snail-mail is: Taste of Home, 5400 60th St., Greendale, Wis.

Or better yet, maybe I'll try a faster waye-mail. That's editor@tasteofhome.com.

Every year, editors of Taste of Home magazine publish holiday recipes from its readers and I'm sure I have a collection of perfect recipes for the popular cooking magazine's 2010 edition. When I recently visited the kindergarten classroom of Carol LaBay at the Cameron School in Gladstone, I knew right off the bat that I had some future chefs seated before me - all willing to share their culinary advice with me as to how to put on the best Thanksgiving feast ever.

In addition, I hear that "Taste of Home" often offers cash prizes for winning recipes. Let's seeif a $100 prize is offered to a winning recipe, when you multiply that winning prize by 18 pint-size chefs, I'm sure that school principal, Donna Flannery, would love to have $1,800 added to the school's coffers. Or maybe the school cooks could use some expert assistants in the kitchen. Either way, it's a win-win situation.

While they stand ready to prepare their choice recipes on Thanksgiving day at their own homes or at Grandma's, they were happy to give a preview sample to Daily Press readers. So break out the bowls and baking dishes and prepare yourselves for the "Best Thanksgiving Feast Ever."

Garet Borchert

Garet is prepared to fix dinner at his dad's house this year and will purchase his Thanksgiving turkey at the Gladstone Super Value. To prepare the turkey, Garet says you first have to put water on it and then dry it off before putting it in the oven. Bake it at 6 degrees for 1 hour. "But first you have to put the stuffing in it," he said. Make the stuffing out of meat, but he's not sure what kind. When the turkey is done, Garet said his dad will cut it up for you.

To make mashed potatoes, Garet said he can't remember if they are cooked on top of the stove or in the oven. Either way, when they're done, you mash them with a fork. "That's my mom's idea," he said. Serve with carrots.

For dessert, Garet said his mom or dad is prepared to buy a cake at the store - "maybe chocolate or vanilla" and you put your own frosting on it. Wash your meal down with pop.

Michael Brazeau

You're all invited to Michael's grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner even though Michael is prepared to do all the cooking.

Michael said his dad will probably shoot a turkey and will also take all the feathers off "with a knife" before cooking it. Michael will cook the bird in the oven on 4 degrees for about 2 hours. "Then you wait 'til it cools down and then you all go and eat it," he said.

But first, you must stuff the bird with "some green stuff with a little bit of carrots in it."

Cook your mashed potatoes first on the stove and mash them with a masher while they're still cooking. Serve with carrots.

For dessert, Michael said he will serve brownies. "My gramma is going to make them because she makes real good brownies." For drinks, Michael suggests "bug juice."

Alesha Marenger

Asesha is prepared to purchase a turkey for dinner at the grocery store because she really doesn't want to go through the bother of removing the feathers from it. Bake your turkey in the oven at 5 degrees for 1 minute. She's never had stuffing, so she suggests you just forget about it.

To cook your mashed potatoes, put them in a pot in the oven for 5 minutes. "But my mom will mash them for me 'cause I don't think I can," she said. Serve with broccoli.

Alesha suggests you serve vanilla ice cream for dessert, along with a bit glass of white milk.

Mitchell Cryderman

There's an open invitation for you to go to Mitchell's gramma and grandpa's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Mitchell will be going to Walgreen's to purchase the Thanksgiving turkey and will cook it in a pan on top of the stove for 10 minutes. But before he cooks it, he will purchase his stuffing at Wal-Mart.

To prepare your potatoes, you "just cook 'em." Mitchell said his mom cooks them for 8 minutes, but his dad cooks them for 9 minutes. Don't bother to mash them. Instead, "just wrap them up in that silver stuff and you won't have to." Serve with broccoli.

For dessert, Mitchell would like rainbow ice cream. Mitchell recommends that you try making your own from his secret recipe, using "butter and eggs and then cooking it for 8 hours - that's all." Wash your meal down with water.

Samantha Gillis

We'll be heading off to grandma's house along with Samantha on Thanksgiving day. "I always help her cook and clean," she said. Her dad will be shooting a turkey in the woods, and the bird will be served along with ham. Her brother will help her dad pull the feathers off the turkey because Samantha said it's ease to do. "Then you take the legs off," she added. Samantha said her mother sometimes cooks the turkey on the stove, but she suggested you put it in the oven at 3,000 degrees and cook it for 60 hours. Don't bother with stuffing because Samantha doesn't like it anyway and hasn't liked it "since I was a baby."

To prepare your potatoes, Samantha said you must first "take off the crust" and bake them for 10 hours. Carrots are Samantha's vegetable of choice.

For dessert, Samantha suggests you serve vanilla ice cream "with brown and pink in it" and sprinkle with "all kinds of nuts."

For drinks, Samantha said her family "usually has pop or chocolate milk," but be careful if you're allergic. Her particular favorite is "black pop, but not Sprite."

Christopher Gray

You're all invited over to Christopher's house for dinner. But please don't expect the traditional Thanksgiving fare because Christopher will be purchasing cheese and pepperoni pizza "from the pizza store and nothing else."

But never fear - Christopher will be serving white cake with white frosting for dessert, as well as orange juice.

Karlee Hughes

Grandma's house will be open for Thanksgiving dinner, according to Karlee. Don't worry about purchasing a turkey because Karlee said "they already got one from Alissa's dad and it's a fat one!" Karlee will cook the turkey on the stove for 5 minutes. Buy your stuffing at the "regular store," but Karlee said she's not sure if you cook the stuffing first or after the turkey is done cooking.

To cook potatoes, Karlee said you should "first take the skin off and then put them in the microwave and then use that mashing thing." Serve with carrots, pickles and broccoli.

Chocolate ice cream is Karlee's dessert of choice "with whipped cream and a cherry on top."

Raeanna Mako

Raeanna will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at her house this year. Her grandpa is prepared to go out to hunt for the Thanksgiving turkey. "After you shoot one, you grab the feathers with pliers and take them off - but not too hard," she suggested. Cook the bird in the oven at 5,000 degrees for 6 minutes. Forget the stuffing, however, because Raeanna doesn't like it anyway.

To make mashed potatoes, Raeanna said you first "take off the peelings with that thing you take the peelings off carrots with." Cook for 5 minutes and them put them in a bowl and "just smash them up." Serve with carrots.

To prepare your dessert of pumpkin pie, Raeanna said you first get some pumpkin at the pumpkin patch. "My mom can make the crust because I don't know how." Bake it at 5 or 6 seconds, and then serve with whipped cream. Wash your meal down with water.

Christopher McCracken

Let's all head out to Christopher's grandma's house on Thanksgiving day because if his dad is home, he will "go hunting for a turkey and then pull off the feathers." Put the turkey in the oven and bake at 3 degrees for 5 minutes. Just go out and buy your stuffing from the store - "maybe Wal-Mart" - because Christopher has no idea how to make it,

Don't bother with potatoes, but if you simply must have some, Christopher suggests that you just get some and "smash 'em up." His veggies of choice? Carrots and grapes.

You won't have to make the brownies that Christopher would like for dessert because "my gramma makes good ones." Serve with red juice.

Leesa McCracken

Leese said she will be enjoying Thanksgiving dinner at her Aunt Sandy's house, or "else at grandma's." But don't expect turkey because Leesa said "we're going to have just plain meat - kinda like hamburger, but it's not cooked on the stove." Leesa said she's not sure how to cook it, but however it's done, it should be cooked for 8 minutes.

To make mashed potatoes, Leesa said you must first take the skin off because "grandpa can't chew the skin." Then use a masher to "smush them up." Serve with carrots and broccoli.

For dessert, Leesa prefers chocolate pudding. "I help my gramma make it all the time," she said. "But we already have pudding at our house and we just put it in the microwave." Serve with soda and juice.

Anden Minnick

Anden said he's going to gramma and grandpa's house for Thanksgiving dinner. "My dad will be going out to shoot a turkey for us," he said. "But you gotta take everything off and the eyeballs, too." Pull off the feathers with your hands, but Anden said you can also cut them off as well. Cook the turkey on top of the stove for 14 minutes.

To make the 'tatoes,' you must first put grave on them and then "smash them with that thing with the lines on it and smash them down." Serve with broccoli and carrots.

Frozen ice cream is Anden's choice for dessert. But first put "that red and white stuff on it and then put a cherry on top." Serve it all with milk.

McKenzie Ross

Head on out to grandma's house because McKenzie said that's where she will be enjoying her Thanksgiving dinner. Get a turkey at the grocery store and cook it in the microwave for 10 hours.

Although McKenzie said she likes potatoes, she doesn't want to have any with her turkey. But she would like to have broccoli on the dinner table, though.

She would also like to have vanilla cake with chocolate frosting for dessert, however she doesn't have any idea how to make it. "But my mom and sister can help 'cause they know how," she said. Enjoy your dinner with grape juice.

Rian Ross

Rian is also going to grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner. His turkey will be purchased at Wal-Mart, and he will cook it in the microwave for 10 or 11 hours.

To make mashed potatoes and gravy, Rian said you must first peel the potatoes with a "peeler thing" and then mash them with an apple masher before you cook them "because it's easier that way." But Rian said you must first cook them for "about 10 days." Serve with peas and corn.

Strawberry cupcakes are Rian's dessert of choice. To make them, you must first "take bread and turn it into cupcakes and then bake 'em for like 2 minutes." Frost them with strawberry frosting. Wash your meal down with juice, water, and chocolate and white milk.

Isaac Tyson

Isaac will be whipping up a super Thanksgiving dinner at his grandma's house. He is prepared to purchase a turkey at the grocery store and then cook it on top of the stove for 16 hours.

Isaac maintains you can get his favorite "green potatoes" at a new restaurant in Escanaba. His veggie of choice? Oranges.

For dessert, Isaac said you can get a pizza at the pizza store - pepperoni of course. Serve pop with your dinner.

Nick VanBrocklin

Nick's going to his aunt's house for Thanksgiving dinner and you're invited. Nick will be purchasing his Thanksgiving turkey at Shopko. He will then cook it in the oven at 500 degrees for "just a little bit." To prepare your stuffing, Nick said you must first "get some of that brown stuff."

To make mashed potatoes, Nick suggested you cut the skins off and cook them "probably about an hour." Then you mash them with a fork. Nick prefers tomatoes as a vegetable.

You can purchase your dessert of chocolate cake with white frosting at the grocery store. Serve it all with milk.

Daytona Young

You're all invited to Dayton's house for Thanksgiving dinner. "Sometimes my mom cooks and sometimes my dad does," he said. But don't expect turkey or ham for dinner. Daytona said his choice of meat will be beef sticks because that's what he really, really likes. "You can get two kinds, but I usually take the tall ones. But the tall ones taste just like the little ones," he said.

Don't bother cooking potatoes. Daytona said, Instead you can just go over to McDonald's and get some French fries. "'Cause then you can get a free toy with it," he said. "But make sure you get a boy's toy and not a girl's." Daytona will, however, serve corn with his beef sticks and French fries.

He is prepared to serve vanilla ice cream for dessert. "You can get that at McDonald's, too," he suggested. Wash your dinner down with water, pop, root beer, and Cherry Coke.