Show Us Your Life - Thanksgiving

I'm linking up to Kelly's Korner for her "Show Us Your Life - Thanksgiving Recipes and Traditions".  Thanksgiving is one of my FAVORITE holidays!!!

I think I've mentioned it before, but my mom's side of the family has been going down to Kiawah Island, SC for the past 21 years.  It's a tradition that my mom's parents started when they lived in Charleston and wanted their three grown kids (my mom and her brother and sister) and their families to all get together for Thanksgiving.  We decided to rent a big house at Kiawah (which is about 30 miles outside of Charleston), and the rest is history - we've done it every year since, and even though my grandparents are no longer alive, the tradition stands and it is because of them that this wonderful Thanksgiving vacation happens every year.  It's a time filled with golf for the guys, a spa appointment for the girls and lots of good laughs and great eats for everyone! 

Our Thanksgiving menu is the same every year:

Turkey and gravy

Creamed spinach

Baked cheese grits (don't bash 'em until you try the recipe below!!)

Cranberry sauce

Sister Schubert rolls (YUM)

Homemade jello salad

Lemon Tea Bread and Pecan Pie for dessert

I'm going to post the recipes for the baked cheese grits and the Lemon Tea Bread.  Grits are a southern thing, but if you're from the north and have never tried grits, I promise...you will love these.  People generally think of grits as a breakfast food, but we serve it with our Thanksgiving dinner and BOY! are they good!

The Lemon Tea Bread is a recipe that has been passed down through several generations.  It is so yummy.  The recipe makes one loaf, but we always make three because it's so popular with our family.  I have to be honest - I probably consume about a loaf all by myself in a matter of a couple days.  It's not the most healthy recipe, but it's worth it.  I'm just keepin' it real.

Baked Cheese Grits

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Quick Grits

6 cups boiling water

8 oz Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheese, grated

1 stick butter

3 eggs, beaten

2 tsp salt

3 tsp seasoned salt

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Directions:

Add grits to boiling water.  Cook for 5 minutes (covered) and remove from fire.

Add cheese, butter, eggs, salt, seasoned salt and Tabasco sauce, stir well.

Pour into baking pan and cook at 250 degrees for one hour, uncovered.  If desired, sprinkle paprika on top for pizazz.

Lemon Tea Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, softened

1 lemon (1 tbsp grated lemon peel (2 tbsp if you want a more lemon-y taste) needed, and the juice from the lemon is also needed)

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Cream sugar with butter in large bowl.  Add grated lemon peel.  Beat in eggs.  Mix dry ingredients together in a 2nd bowl.  Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, alternating with the addition of the milk.  Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
After removing from oven, while bread is still hot, mix 1/4 cup sugar with the juice of one lemon.  Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves.  Pour warm glaze over bread and let cool.

Enjoy!

Are there any special Thanksgiving traditions that you and your families have?