November 25, 2024From Dirty Dancing to dirty diapers

Thanksgiveaway 2013 (Winners Announced!)

Thanksgiveaway 2013

Update:  November 20, 2013

Thank you to everyone who participated! The winners of the gorgeous cookbooks are…

1)  gina:  “A FULL dish!!! But seriously, I could eat sweet potato casserole until I’m doubled over with a stomach ache–and still manage to eat one more bite! The toasted marshmallows seal the deal for me!”

2)  Laura:  “My mom’s green beans is a dish that I loved and I didn’t find anything similar at other thanksgivings. Steam them, then combine in sauté pan with crumbled bacon, bit of brown sugar, worcheshire sauce and thinly sliced green onions. I also enjoyed her jello mold…orange jello with peach slices in it on top of a cool whip fluff of some sort. She made it every year just for me.”

Congratulations! Please send an email to katy@katyinacorner.com to claim your prize.

———-

It’s that time again, y’all:  time for the 2nd Annual Katy in a Corner Thanksgiveaway! This tradition has lasted almost as long as my most impressive workout streak—so…twice in a row.

Okay, it’s lasted TWICE as long as my most impressive workout streak.

Before I announce the giveaway, I’ll share with you a bit of why you haven’t heard much from me these past few weeks. As you may already know, I worked on a project for my grandmother that took me about 3,574 times longer than it would have taken a professional reporter or filmmaker.

However, this was my favorite story to date, and I’m thrilled that I had the chance to travel back to Georgia to capture this moment in her life. If you haven’t watched the video already, please check it out. This is one of the most precious stories I’ve ever heard—much less had the opportunity to capture.

In the middle of all the writing, editing, publishing, and shameless promotion of that video, my parents came to Kansas for a 10-day visit. And by visit I mean that they cooked, cleaned, decorated, and babysat until we had to pump them full of ibuprofen to send them back to Georgia. Seriously, they managed to play with the kids, plan and prepare an early Thanksgiving feast, purchase and wrap the kids’ Christmas gifts, AND decorate for Christmas (and even come up with some additional decorations for the house) all within the span of time that it generally takes me to create a grocery list.

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I LOVE it when my parents visit. We (they) get so much accomplished.

Since we already had our big Thanksgiving feast with my parents (photos and post to come later this week), I figured we might forgo a second one on November 28th. I thought that, and then I found myself in the checkout lane at the grocery store yesterday with a 16 pound turkey. I know, I know. I like to keep things exciting over here.

Because I can’t think of anything more exciting than violently stuffing myself into my skinny jeans like a sausage. Come to think of it, neither can Brian.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we just lost my dad.

Speaking of “stuffing,” I thought it would be such a treat to give away a cookbook this year for my Thanksgiveaway.

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But not just any cookbook, y’all. This one is hot off the presses, and it comes to you from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, herself.

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THE most humble, gracious blogger/celebrity I’ve ever had the privilege to meet in person.

And—this is super exciting—she autographed it!

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I KNOW.

But wait, there’s more. If you act now, I’ll give away TWO of these gorgeous, holiday cookbooks!

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You read that right. TWO of my readers will receive an autographed copy of Ree Drummond’s book The Pioneer Woman Cooks:  A Year of Holidays. Absolutely free of charge.

[Ugh. This blog is worse than watching home shopping channels.]

Did I ever tell y’all that I auditioned for an on-air host position on QVC? I’ve been on lots of auditions, but that was the worst one I EVER had. I was actually embarrassed for the QVC staff members who had to watch me suffer through it.

Seriously, if that audition was like American Idol, I would have been on episode one. And they would have cut me off in the middle of my Myriah Carey song. And I would have run out of the room crying. And then my mom would have kicked the camera man and screamed, “Those judges are idiots! My baby girl can saaaaaaaang!”

It was that bad.

[Aren’t we in the middle of a giveaway here?]

Oh! There’s even an entire section in Ree’s book called “Turkey Day Leftovers,” which will come in handy since we’re celebrating Thanksgiving twice this year.

Sausage, anyone?

Also, I’ll include a copy of the crossword puzzle from Tulsa World that was completed by Ree herself (I assume). It was used to line the box of books she sent me.

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I plan to laminate and/or frame it.

To Enter:

Simply answer the following question in the comment section below.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? 

Mine is that gelatinized cranberry goop that plops out of the can and is filled with nothing but atrocious chemicals but is still somehow delectable at 3 o’clock in the morning the day after Thanksgiving.

Also, I like my “World Famous” Chocolate Pecan Pie (recipe to follow this week as well) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Rules:

Post comments by midnight Central time on Tuesday, November 19. Winner will be announced Wednesday, November 20, 2013.

Giveaway open to US Residents only. Sorry, international friends.

This giveaway is brought to you by the very generous Pioneer Woman who gifted me these gorgeous, autographed books so I could gift them to you! This is regifting at its finest, people.

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Showing 74 comments

  • Laurie

    Bring on the pumpkin pie (but do love a chocolate pecan pie, too–looking to compare recipes!.) Hope my odds of winning Ree’s cookbook are better than the 3 in 32,000 on the recent Thanksgiving giveaway on her website!!

  • Marrissa

    How can you pic ONE favorite dish at Thanksgiving??? There are sooo many delicious dishes that we have with my family get-togethers! (We are going to have 3 dinners this year…talk about sausage. yikes!) Anyways, one of my favorites is actually something my dad makes for us. That would be his mashed sweet potato secret recipe. Well, he says it’s secret but tells everyone what’s in it LOL. Anyways, of course there is butter and brown sugar, and a few splashes…ok possibly more than a few splashes, of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. SO YUMMY! He tops one side with pecans and one side with marshmallows. Can’t wait for Thanksgiving this year!

  • Brandie Reynolds

    My favorite Thanksgiving dish is the stuffing, mmmmmmmmm carbohydrates to the max. My first taste of real homemade stuffing was when I started dating my husband. Oh it was so good, cornbread dressing, how had I missed out on this heaven before. I tried to cook it once myself, the children cried in horror.
    “How could I mess up dressing? What kind of mother was I?”
    I felt their pain, so did my palate. All was saved by a quick trip across town to grab some of Gram’s cornbread dressing.
    I no longer attempt to make it, I think my four year old at the time tried to talk the older three girls into an uprising. Better safe than sorry!

  • Jen

    By FAR the sweet potato casserole with the melted marshmallows on top that my husband’s grandmother (and mother) makes!!

  • Myriah

    Ah, Thanksgiving… The best thing about Thanksgiving food is that everything on the plate tastes good together. That’s the sign of a great meal, if you ask me. My favorite dish is probably my Granny’s Dressing, made with cornbread and buttermilk biscuits. I have to close my eyes and sigh, just thinking about it. My Mama and I have made it together since she passed away, almost 20 years ago. Every time I make it, it’s a tribute to her.

  • Debra Woods

    My to-die-for favorite is sweet potato casserole. How did that ever make it as a side dish instead of a dessert?!

  • Lori

    My fave is definitely the corn and green bean casserole. No. Not the yucky one with the cream of mushroom soup and the crunchy onions. This is different and so much better. Shoepeg corn, sour cream and cheese are just a few of the yummy ingredients. It’s always “all gone” regardless of how many I’m feeding. Its not a holiday here without it.

  • Caroline Skinner

    Hey Katy!
    Got super pumped when I saw you were given away Ree’s latest cookbook… I just got this as a gift for someone and was contemplating photocopying every single page for me, because I’m cheap like that 😉

    My favorite Thanksgiving dish, is actually the meal and many meals after Thanksgiving. The Cordle’s love to fry the leftover Honeybaked ham and make a fried ham and egg sandwich. So delicious!

    I hope you and your family are doing well. Love reading your blog!

    Caroline

  • Christy Bell

    I think my favorite would have to be Shoe peg corn casserole. My grandmother used to make it for me and now my mom does. One year I hid it in the oven at lunch so no one else would see it. That way I had it and all the leftovers to myself!!

  • Kim

    Oh I have to pick just one? That’s tough! Its a toss up between the deep fried turkey we make at my moms or the pecan pie my mother in law makes! I would love some new recipes to make my own dish that could be the new favorite!

  • Bobbi Jo

    My favorite thing is my mom’s coconut cream pie. I absolutely love it!

  • Chanda D

    I love thanksgiving stuffing. But I am weird and liked it not cooked, so every year momma takes a bowl out for me before she shoves it in the turkey’s butt. Yummm!! I am so ready for thanksgiving!!

  • Monica K

    Absolute favorite would be my daddy’s gravy!! Oh my gracious what I’d give to have that one more time. That and momma can cook a mean dressing!

  • Lisa P.

    I love the stuffing!!

  • Kelley Statham

    I always make Patti Labelle’s Over the Rainbow mac and cheese and pecan pie. I would be so happy just eating those 2 things!!!

  • Judy

    My absolute favorite thanksgiving dish is a desert my family makes. Its a chocolate eclair cake. Yummy graham craker crumbs, vanilla pudding, and yummy chocolate topping. Makes my mouth water with every bite and makes me thankful everytime I have it. But a close second is the canned cranberry sauce. My family made homemade cranberry sauce one year and it just wasn’t the same give me the canned stuff everytime. lol

  • Kasaundra

    I love the chemically created sauce as well!!! But – I’m going to have to say mac n cheese really makes the holiday for me. Thanks for the opportunity at the awesome giveaway!!

  • Stephanie

    I love the mashed potatoes! Of course, they aren’t exclusive to Thanksgiving, but I could stuff my face with just mashed potatoes with a bit of turkey on the side and call the dinner done! Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without them.

  • Michelle

    I look forward to green bean cassock role and sneaking black olives.

  • Carolyn Armitage

    First, favorite Thanksgiving dish? My Momma’s cranberry salad. Tart, sweet, a little crunchy, and absolutely perfect!!!

    Second, thank you, Katy, for.keeping me laughing and plugging along. I have 4 beautiful girls, a sort-of fulltime job, and an elderly mil that lives with us. Your doses of reality and humor really help on those days when nothing goes as planned.

  • Jenny

    English Pea & Asparagus casserole. It sounds disgusting…. but it’s AMAZING. Too bad we are “scaling back” Thanksgiving this year at my mom’s house and it’s not on the menu?! 🙁 Guess I’ll have to make it another day…. hmmm…. Christmas breakfast?

  • Connie

    My absolute favorite is my grandma’s german dressing!!! Soo tasty and it’s one of those dishes that only gets better the longer it sits!!!

  • Elissa R

    My favorite is pecan pie. I’m not a big fan of turkey and chicken, I love red meat, so for that holiday, I rather eat a whole pecan pie. Two years ago I tried a recipe for cranberry sauce that was a total hit!
    Growing up i Mexico, I didn’t cook any of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes, so whenever I cook for Thanksgiving and my dishes are better than my mother and sister in law, it’s a big accomplishment!!

  • Toni

    #1 for me is savory stuffing of course! My family, during my growing up years, used to stuff a perfectly good turkey with a bizarre mixture of hamburger meat and mashed potatoes. Imagine my delight when I discovered the savory deliciousness of bread stuffing – thanks Swanson frozen dinners. So, at that time, since Stove Top stuffing had not yet been invented, I learned how to make the savory deliciousness from scratch. YUM! And a close second is apple pie or apple crisp.

  • Katy

    My favorite is my Grandma’s famous Raspberry-Applesauce Jello salad…Norwegian-American Grandmas create magical jello creations. I love everything about Thanksgiving, but Grandma’s jello salad is super special 🙂

  • Jennifer Lukens

    I love my mom’s artichoke stuffing! So yummy. I’m not a huge fan of turkey, so my next favorite dish is the ham she makes for those of us who aren’t crazy about turkey.

  • Kristi Brown

    DESSERT!! Pumpkin or pecan pie, or persimmon pudding…..it’s hard to choose….so maybe a little of each! 😉

  • Alicia smith

    Pineapple glazed ham, and dressing, and the green beans. Food, all the food is my answer

  • Shea

    I love me some corny cornbread! Maybe there is a recipe in the cookbook?!

  • Jennifer

    My mom has mastered the art of making dressing and it has become my favorite over sweet potato soufflé (half with pecans, half with marshmallows because who can pick just bow delectable topping when you can have both?!). 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!

  • Julia Jet Ski

    Making my mom’s cranberry relish. The recipe was one our Great-Grandmother Anna B. Walsh made every year.

  • Alyssa

    Katy,

    Your post makes me want to go out and buy a turkey! Seriously. My favorite Thanksgiving dish is the sweet potato dish with melted marshmallows. I usually love pumpkin everything- especially the pie but I am 13 weeks pregnant and this baby loves chocolate. We are going to have a chocolate silk pie in addition to pumpkin and apple this year. Love the sweets!

  • Amy

    Without a doubt, pumpkin pie is the best!

  • Mary

    I love all the different Thanksgiving Pies!!! I am so ready for Thanksgiving, even if my waist line isn’t! Happy Early Thanksgiving everyone!

  • Becky

    I can never get enough classic pumpkin pie! With whipped cream of course!

  • Shannon

    Stuffing is my weakness!

  • Robin Lockwood

    Candied yams…complete with toasted marshmallows on top!

  • Rachel Fish

    Corn and Greenbean Casserole or Mashed Potatoes, both are favorites.
    I LOVE the Pioneer Woman, loved her episode on Saturday about Thanksgiving Leftovers, but don’t worry, I don’t love her as much as I love you! Ok, I didn’t mean that creepy 🙂

  • Carol Whitney

    I disengage my jaw like a snake to EAT.AS.MUCH.PUMPKIN.PIE as possible!!! So good:)

  • Betsy Olmeda

    My favorite holiday dish would be anything with pumpkin in it! I prefer pumpkin pie, but will engorge on cheescake, muffins, bread, dips, seriously I probably need help! ..just has to have pumpkin in it! Haha!

  • Colleen M.

    Fried corn!

  • Pam

    My stuffing – I only make it once a year, but it is YUMMY!

  • Bekah Kirkland

    Green Bean Casserole! I know that sounds boring, but I LOVE it- canned green beans, canned mushroom soup, and canned french onions. I recently realized that since it’s all CANNED, it’s cheap and I really could make it any time I want. I made it one time for dinner, and my husband was like, “is it Thanksgiving?” It threw us WAY off. So, it’s now reserved only for Thanksgiving, and I’m counting down the days!!

  • Cyndi

    My maternal grandmother’s banana salad. I have no idea if she created (or borrowed) this scrumptious recipe but it tastes absolutely divine. Truly the one dish I so look forward to at every Thanksgiving meal.

  • Trish @theOldPostRoad

    Dressing is my favorite! (In the south it is served out of a 9×13 Pyrex!)

  • Heather Hunter

    David makes Ree’s pecan pie with a few slight tweaks to the recipe and it is SO good! Definitely one of my favorite Thanksgiving items. I also love my grandmother’s creamed corn.

  • Jen

    I love my Great-Grandma’s rolls! She came up with the recipe and has passed it on to all of us. Honestly, none of us can quite get them to taste as good as she made them. But she passed them on along with her memories of the many fun Thanksgivings’ spent with her!

  • whitney g

    Stuffing oh and pumpkin crunch dump cake (yum-o) …. I need to send u the recipe 😉 pioneer women is my favorite btw 😉

  • mcmops@yahoo.com

    Gravy. Gravy on mashed potatoes. Gravy on rutabaga. Gravy on stuffing. Gravy on turkey. Gravy to dip my roll in. Love me some gravy.

  • Shirley Dixon

    Chicken and dressing! (Which is what we call stuffing in the Deep South).

  • Laura

    My mom’s green beans is a dish that I loved and I didn’t find anything similar at other thanksgivings. Steam them, then combine in sauté pan with crumbled bacon, bit of brown sugar, worcheshire sauce and thinly sliced green onions. I also enjoyed her jello mold…orange jello with peach slices in it on top of a cool whip fluff of some sort. She made it every year just for me.

  • Dan

    Favorite dish? Sweet potato “pie” with toasted marshmallows on top! Favorite part is cooking everything for the family 😀

  • Brandie Jessie

    I love my mom’s dressing and also cabbage au gratin which sounds gross but is soooooooo yummy!

  • Heather McD

    Mashed Potatoes! And gravy! And TURKEY! I get a little bit of each on my fork and eat it all in the same bite, so I consider it to be all the same ‘dish’ 🙂 It’s not specific to Thanksgiving, but it’s still my favorite part. I could eat that once a week for the rest of my life and be happy. Fat, no doubt, but happy 🙂

  • Lacey

    It was great hearing you speak at our MOMS meeting a couple weeks ago! Glad you made it to GA!!

    I can’t pick one dish…mashed potatoes piled high with corn and gravy, cornbread casserole, broccoli and rice casserole, pumpkin and cherry pie! I’m so hungry now!

    Ree’s cooking is amazing…I’m always trying new recipes made by her.

  • Lucy

    I love sweet potatoes but not with marshmallows on top. I also love mashed potatoes and green bean casserole and oh wait, you asked for one!

  • Billie Wilson

    I love the turkey. I only eat it on Thanksgiving, and I savor every delicious bite.

  • Merrie Beth

    Anything that requires and extra helping of cheese to be “sprinkled on top and baked for an additional 5 minutes or until melted.” Bonus points if the dish is already 2/3 cheese plus some fake-vegtables (like fried green beans)!

  • Katie

    My favorite is the sandwich the next day — leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, and mustard! Weird, I know! Threw one of these together after visiting friends years ago and it became a favorite Now, I’m desperate for the QVC audition tape. Of you think we can find that somewhere?? !

  • Susan

    It’s pitiful, But my favorite dish is crescent rolls! And maybe stuffed celery as a runner up. Obviously I need a cookbook to broaden my horizons! 🙂

  • Kelly

    I love leftover sandwiches the next day 🙂

  • LaLa

    I never win anything…but I will definitely try! Love the PW fiercly and would love to have her new cookbook. I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday year-round…the weather, the football, the large gelatinous mounds of orange-colored food, the calorie-induced coma. it’s all good! We have started a family tradition in recent years where my Aunt Libby makes the cake on the front of the December edition of Southern Living. Last year it was a gingerbread something, one year it was a pumpkin cheesecake. This year it is a FIVE LAYER red velvet/cheesecake which I’m sure we will all be regretting on Black Friday. To answer your original question, my favorite dish at T’giving is definitely sweet potato casserole. Marshmallows a must; candied pecans optional. I could eat it by the bowl!! Love from GA, LL

  • Jessica

    I love fresh cranberry sauce. All the other thanksgiving treats I can make year round, but we only get fresh cranberries at this time of year. 🙂

  • Vicki

    I love almost all Thanksgiving foods but the one that gets fought over most at our house would be collard greens and my mother-in-law’s dressing.

  • Kristen Secrist

    Cheesy, baked macaroni cheese with walnuts on top!

  • gina

    A FULL dish!!! 😉 But seriously, I could eat sweet potato casserole until I’m doubled over with a stomach ache–and still manage to eat one more bite! The toasted marshmallows seal the deal for me!

  • Amanda Whitley

    My favorite dish is my mom’s stuffing. It has so much sage in it that it’s green! But it is so delicious!!!!

  • Terri Foschini

    Love the invisible bowl of strong blessings!

  • Beth

    My favorite Thanksgiving dish was my Momma’s dressing!!!! Yummy!!! I have tried to make it but have never been able to duplicate!!!

  • Jennifer Lukens

    Oh how could I forget hot rolls!

  • Sarah

    I love mashed rutabaga!

  • Kathleen Norris

    I just got my computer back…argh!!! But my favorite Thanksgiving food is my grandma’s homemade noodles which she taught me how to make before she passed. I now carry on the tradition and make noodles for the holiday dinners.

  • Kathleen Norris

    I guess I should have said the computer is back because the power is finally back. We were hard hit by the tornado weather that went through the midwest on Sunday. Thankfully no one died in Indiana, but Illinois was not so lucky. At this holiday time, please remember those who lost loved ones in the horrible storms of Sunday Nov. 17th.

    • Katy in a Corner

      So sorry to hear that, Kathleen! We communicated with Brian’s family who also live in Indiana. They heard the tornado sirens, but all were unharmed. And you’re right that we should remember those poor families in our prayers…especially with the holidays approaching.

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