May 2010 Weddings
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Thanksgiving Recipes-Side Dishes
So I'm out here trying to find the post that we all talked about how we make mashed potatoes and I can't find it anywhere! And we're all talking about what we are making for T-Day. So I think it's time we do a post with our recipes..if you're willing to share. 
And in case you didn't catch it, I'm looking for mashed potato "recipes." Someone used cream cheese and I'm specifically interested in that one.
Re: Thanksgiving Recipes-Side Dishes
Green beans with almonds! My official "recipe" is at home, but I'm pretty sure I remember how to do it.
Ingredients:
Slivered almonds
Butter
Canned green beans (I like French-cut)
Directions:
Put a spoonful of butter in a small skillet and melt. Add a handful of slivered almonds. Stir until almonds are toasted a pretty golden-brown.
Drain the green beans. Dump them into the skillet. Heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.
Serve.
See why I'm confident about this one? It looks and tastes fancy, too.
I don't have a mashed potato recipe, but here is my sweet potato recipe I make every year!
Whipped Sweet Potato Bake (from Kraft Food magazine)
3 cans (15 oz. each) sweet potatoes, drained
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 c. mini marshmallows
Heat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mash potatoes, butter and spice in a large bowl until blended.
Spoon into greased 1 1/2-qt. casserole dish; top with marshmallows.
Bake 15 to 20 min. or until potato mixture is heated through and marshmallows are lightly browned.
Enjoy!
Here is my sweet potato recipe:
Mix 6 cups of cooked/mashed sweet potatoes with: 2 cups sugar, 1 cup
butter, 2/3 cup evaporated milk, 4 eggs (beaten), and 2 tsp vanilla
extract. Spread in greased 9x13 dish.
Mix 2/3 cup melted butter, 2 cups pecans, 2 cups light brown sugar, and
1 cup flour. Spoon onto mixture in pan.
Bake 25-30 minutes at 350
It is sweet, almost more of a dessert than side.
Mashed Potatoes
3 lbs Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
I cook them in a large pot of water until appropriate consistency (which I test by stabbing one with a fork - ha), drain, mash with a fork or potato masher until chunky - then gently mix in some butter, milk and sour cream and a little salt to taste. I have no real measurements as I just eyeball it and taste as I go.
The thing to remember with potatoes, as they are a starch, is not to overhandle them - no vigorous whipping or mashing or they'll end up gluey. Be gentle ;-)
Yep that was me that uses the Cream Cheese.
I had some once and it needed to be used so I dumped it in there and everyone loved it been doing it ever since.
I am not a measure of things and I would say for a 5 pound bag of potatoes I would make mashed potatoes the way you normally do then stir in half of a block of cream cheese. Cut it into cubes or slices so it melts faster and easier as you are adding the butter. I also put about tablespoon of fresh minced garlic in my taters as well. Love that garlic. They make them nice n creamy! Taste once you have mixed in the cream cheese. If you feel it needs more you can always add more.
Thanks Pam!
And just to clarify - I meant for this post to be for you guys to post recipes to your favorite side dishes - not just the potatoes I was looking for.