Sights and Smells of Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving.  The atmosphere, the sights, the smells, and eating as much as you possibly can.  Just a few pics of my favorite Thanksgiving things...

Pumpkin:

  Apple:

 Pecan:

Goody 'jars' for guests to take home.  A Bruschetta mix. 

 Turkey!

 My dessert plate.  Yes, I had one slice of each pie!



Sugar Pumpkin

After reading a friend's blog post about roasting sugar pumpkins and making her own puree, I knew I had to give it a shot.  I have never used fresh pumpkin to make a pie.  I never even thought about it since you can buy pumpkin puree in a can.  There was only one sugar pumpkin in the grocery store so I figured I better buy it and try it.

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet and add water about 1/4-1/2" deep.  Bake in the oven at 375 for 45minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

When you take the pumpkin out of the oven they'll look a little deflated.  Let them cool and then scoop out the flesh and store in an air tight container in the fridge.  Follow your favorite recipes calling for pumpkin puree.

The pie I made with fresh pumpkin puree was by far the best pumpkin pie I have ever tasted.  I hope to never use pumpkin out of a can again! 

Happy Birthday to C!

My little baby turns one today, and we're having a big family party tonight.  Just like her brother I drew the invitations and made fondant decorations that match the design for the cake. 

For the big cake I used three - 9" rounds, dividing each layer to put frosting betweeen.  For C's mini cake I used one - 9" round and cut out two small circles using a ramekin as a guide.  I then stacked the two smaller circles on top of each other.

A fun idea for a birthday party.  Take one photo from each month of the child's life, or one photo from each year for an older child.  Here I took a photo from Charlotte's birth, and then a random photo from each month and glued the number of the month on the pics. 

The cakes and the invite waiting for the party to begin.

Want to surprise your guests?  Make each layer of your cake a different color!  This is fun for birthdays, football games (team colors!), 4th of July, etc.  If you're making a cake with two - 9" rounds, divide the batter in half and add food coloring to each.  Bake, divide the cakes and then alternate the cake layers as you frost. 

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl.  Hopefully you can use some of these ideas for a future celebration!

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Looking for a great sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving?  Then stop what you're doing because I've got the perfect dish for you.

I'm someone who loves sweet potatoes and yams.  I love them even more if they've got a topping of roasted marshmallows.  That may gross some of you out. But don't fear, you can exclude them from this recipe, or just cover half the dish with those fluffy white clouds of sugar.  This Sweet Potato Soufflé will knock the socks off your relatives.  Enjoy!


Sweet Potato Soufflé

3 large sweet potatoes cooked and whipped
1 c. sugar – try less sugar and brown
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 bag marshmallows
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional (I typically don't include)

Cook potatoes until tender. Scoop out flesh and whip (discard the skins). Add sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix well and put in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. Place marshmallows and pecans on top and return to oven for about 5 minutes or until brown on top.

Birthday Dinner

Today is my birthday, and my mom cooked us an amazing meal.  I asked for something simple.  Maybe teriyaki chicken.  Instead I got my mom's kind of 'simple'.  Filet Mignon topped with seared sea scallops and lemon zest.  Roasted red potato with sour cream and green onions, with roasted root vegetables.

DIVINE!

Now you know where I get some of my cooking skills from...

Early Turkey Day with Friends

Tonight we hosted a fun early Thanksgiving dinner with some friends.  This was also my first turkey. GULP.

I brined the turkey for 24 hours with Williams-Sonoma dry brine rub.  It smelled divine!  Simmering the gizzards and neck for a few hours to get broth did not smell divine...

After rinsing the turkey I coated both under and over the skin with an butter mixed with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.  This bird  was smelling amazing!  Then it was time to pop it in the oven.  I am addicted to our wireless thermometer (similar to this one).  It is very easy to use and work in the oven or bbq!

The pies were patiently waiting.  Pumpkin and...

Apple.

The bird looked beautiful and was ready to rest for a few minutes before carving and while the gravy was made.

I used the orange-cranberry sauce from Williams-Sonoma (very good), as well as their gravy base to get a little more gravy from the bird (also very good).

Meanwhile, the kids made their own placemats with fall themed cutouts and crayons.  It entertained them for a few minutes! :)

Where are you!?

Sorry folks.  Life has been hectic lately.  Making a Thomas the Train costume for B, Halloween and surrounding festivities, Husky games, and life in general have been keeping me occupied.  And... I've been too hungry to just sit around and take pictures during the meal making process!  Hang in there.  I'm back and back to making the family wait while I photograph our food. :)