Betty switches things up for Thanksgiving

 The random Betty Baker Tested loose pages I have that might be from a calendar offer a lot of holiday-appropriate recipes, so today, we're looking at a couple that would give you a little something different for your Thanksgiving table. 

After the Honey Almond Delight-topped chicken salad, I was a little worried about what Almond-Bran Stuffing might have in store.

I kind of doubt that poultry stuffed full of fortified bran cereal mixed with almonds, celery, onion, and parsley would beat out poultry stuffed with a bread-(or cornbread!)-based stuffing, but at least the Honey Almond Delight recipe puts this one in perspective. It could be worse. And it will make sure the big dinner keeps on moving through the ol' digestive system.

For those who want something pumpkinny but not desserty this year (or who just love opening cans), Colonial Pumpkin Soup could be an option.

I'm not sure how happy the people who prefer pumpkin in its sweeter incarnations would be, but at least they wouldn't be bored! Maybe fighting about whether you should go back to the more traditional Thanksgiving recipes could replace fights about politics at the table this year, so the recipes could still be a win. 

Be thankful I added some November recipes

Guess what Home Gardener's Cookbook (Marjorie Page Blanchard, 1974) has to say about November. Just guess.

The answer is absolutely nothing. The book ends at October because that's when the garden stops producing new crops and the gardener is ready to stop thinking about gardening for a while. I wanted to make the book last for a full year, though, so I held back some recipes for fall crops that can usually be stored and used into late fall and early winter, like turnips. Anybody up for Turnips in Custard?

There are no measurements for the sugar and seasonings, so you can make it as dessert-ish as you want.

If that's not your style, there's a recipe for a somewhat more traditional pairing of pumpkin and custard.

So-- pretty close to pumpkin pie without the crust, and with the fancy of step of being flambéed at the end.

If you really want a pie, the chapter offers a Hubbard Squash Pie.

This made me think of grandma, who always explained that she made her "pumpkin" pies out of squashes she'd grown in the garden, puréed, and frozen to use later. (I'm not really sure whether they were Hubbard squashes, though! She never said. I always assumed it was acorn squash for some reason, but I'm actually not sure... Could have been butternut or something else. We weren't usually visiting when she was harvesting the squashes.)

Or if you prefer to fiddle around with individual servings (because November is a good month for baking and surely you're not too busy!), there's a recipe for Pumpkin Tarts.

I was not aware ginger marmalade existed, but it sounds like a lovely addition to the bottom of a pumpkin tart!

No matter what you choose from this assortment of recipes, though, you're sure to get a blast of sweet, warm fall spices. Every day can taste like Thanksgiving, whether you want it to or not.