With thanksgiving coming up our minds turn to family, football, giant balloon characters, tryptophan and, if you're cooking: prepping and menus.

What is one food that it just wouldn't be thanksgiving without? (If you're not American or don't celebrate thanksgiving, what food would a special family dinner not be the same without?)

In my family, it's the pumpkin pie and berry cobbler. My mom makes them from scratch, using Amish flour for the crust, pumpkins and hand picked (got some scratch scars to prove it) raspberries or blackberries. Also my grandmother's grandmother's roll recipe.

Stuffing, homemade rolls and greenbean caserol

Cranberry sauce or homemade cranberry relish, pumpkin pie, and of course turkey.

Red hot candied apples.

Gotta have the stuffin! O and the cassants! Lol

homemade rolls (my job to make this year... yikes!!)
and pickles, we call them Christmas pickles, it's basically a pickled pickle... lol. it's a recipe my grandpa made up. lol.

@countrymusicgirl88: red hot candied apples? Like cinnamon flavored candy apples?

@mrb: i do not envy you that task, lol. I still haven't been entrusted with our family recipe. And how do you pickle a pickle?

@bigmomma19: lmao. it's not hard, I help every year, just on me to make um alone this time...
and you drain the pickle juices and add vinegar, sugar and spices. And you add flavors into the pickle. lol. you pickle a pickle lmao.

though i havent seen my family in over 11 years, ive kept my grandmothers tradition of making candied yams and her homemade fudge. my kids are extatic every year to get grannys famous fudge. theyve never met her but her fudge always brings her essence to my family. thank you gramma! the secret will always be safe with me!

GrannyWomens Mississippi Mud Cake for dessert. A must have!