So very thankful
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it was lovely.
I'm so thankful to be part of so many wonderful families. D's family drives me crazy sometimes, in just the way that families do, but I always feel welcome and included and loved, and just generally like my life is enriched for being a part of theirs. I'm trying to learn that just because I don't do things the way that they do, doesn't mean that they won't love me, and I think it's getting easier and easier every year.
Last year I was so worried about just how everything was going to turn out, and this year I definitely had some pre-holiday stress, but all and all I just made some delicious food and made sure my house wasn't shamefully dirty, and then sat back and enjoyed myself.
The menu:
Turkey - Cyrena brought turkey breasts. We should do this from now on. So much quicker than a whole turkey and no carcass to deal with the next day. We all prefer white meat anyway, and the stress level is so much most tolerable. Boobies win again!
Stuffing - Mushroom wild rice stuffing. Somebody should comment and ask me for the recipe so I'm forced to type it. It's my own recipe and I do it a little differently each time, depending on my mood and what I think it needs, but it'd be good to have a digital record of the base recipe at least. Made a day ahead. Cooked for an hour during the day when the oven was free, then re-heated while the turkey was cooling.
Mashed potatoes - I did it the test kitchen way where you boil the potatoes whole and then burn the fuck out of your fingers while trying to get the peels off. This was actually easier than using a potato peeler (if more painful!) and did result in fluffier potatoes. I mashed up two little russets with soy milk and smart balance and (and garlic and pepper, naturally!) and let them keep warm in the baby crock pot, and mashed up the rest with 1/2 and 1/2 and butter (garlic, pepper) and left them to keep warm in the big crockpot. I didn't keep track of my measurements at all - just did them until they seemed right. I think I should experiment with the keep warm and low settings on my crock pot and see if one is a lower temp than the other - the potatoes did get a teeny bit crusty at the bottom. At the very least I should remember to stir (or not fix them 3 hours before we eat) next year.
Gravy - C brought Costco gravy and we mixed the turkey drippings in. This was delicious and I see no reason to change it. I made gravy last year but it was a pain and not OMG so good. Why futz with a thing that is good and that works. I had a little container of vegan gluten free gravy for Autumn that I bought at Fred Meyers that I heated in a pan. I don't think it's great, but it was better than the vegan gluten free gravy that is hard work, so it wins.
Green beans - I added too much fluid and ended up overcooking these a little this year, but I still liked them. Nobody took 2nds, but they were acceptable veggies. I made them on the stovetop by sauteing an onion and 3 cloves of garlic, adding a handful of chopped criminis, and then adding a couple of cups of chicken broth and the green-beans and cooking until the liquid was reduced. I actually did about a cup of broth and another 1.5 cups of water with better-than-bullion chicken stuff mixed in. I think half the liquid would've been ideal and netted a better result. Made this early-ish in the day and stuck in a corning-ware.Quickly re-heated in the oven while the turkey cooled.
Sweet potatoes - Roughly used this recipe: http://southernfood.about.com/od/sidedishcasseroles/r/bl90911u.htm. I started with 4 yams (I think, who knows what's what - the kind with the red skins) boiled them whole and let them cool long enough that I could squeeze the skins off without hurting myself. Used soy milk instead of milk, smart balance instead of butter, and spiced em until they tasted right. For the topping I sauteed the walnuts in a caramel sauce I made with sb and brown sugar. Put the potatoes in a 9.5 inch pie pan, coated the top with the walnut caramel mixture and then sprinkled coconut generously over the top. (So basically, didn't follow that recipe at all, I guess) Put it in the fridge overnight, baked it at 350 for an hour on T-day when the over wasn't in use, then a quick re-heating while the turkey cooled. I might use pecans instead of walnuts next year.
Cranberry sauce - cranberries, water, oj, sugar, and tons of spices. Roughly used the recipe that C left written from last year but I'd already used some of the cranberries so I halved everything, but then ended up adding more liquids and the consistency ended up being more soupy than saucy. It was still a pretty big hit though. I ended up cooking it twice when it didn't set the first time, next time I think I shall pay more attention to liquid/sugar/berry ratio and maybe try to make a day ahead (I nearly forgot the cranberries, and just had to edit this entry to add them - I don't eat cranberry sauce with my Thanksgiving dinner so it has a tendency to skip my mind)
Bread! http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-homemaking/amazing-no-knead-bread-step-by-step-recipe/ made 2 days ahead added granulated garlic, oregano, and Italian seasoning to the bread ball prior to letting it rise. Next year I should only make 1 day ahead, but it was definitely still a hit. Would've liked to heat it prior to serving but who has that kind of oven space?!?
Salad - 50/50 mix of spinach/baby greens. Little topping containers with TJ's glazed pecans, sweet and spicy pecans, and dried cranberries as well as Gorgonzola crumbles. Pear Gorgonzola and tangy citrus dressings - everybody chose the latter. It was spicier than it has been in the past, but still quite good.
Cranberry-apple crisp. Basically this: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-crisp-ii/ but with a combo of apples, cranberries, and pears, and without really paying attention to the recipe. I made a little one for Autumn that I topped with a combination of brown sugar, slivered almonds, and coconut. Baked on Wednesday and served at room temp.
Pumpkin Pie - I used Jan Lindner's recipe. It didn't turn out quite as well as my test-pie of the same recipe - I used TJ's organic pumpkin instead of libby pumpkin, I wonder if that really makes that much of a difference? I tried to bake on Wednesday but it didn't turn out, re-baked Thursday morning, served at room temp.
Vanilla ice cream and coconut bliss.
Oh and there were bunches of snacks to eat over the afternoon. I highly recommend the TJ's dark chocolate covered ginger, and their syrah toscono cheese. Seriously good shit. I should probably quit buying goat brie for holidays. I'm apparently the only one who likes it. C really liked the Tillamook white cheddar with black pepper. (She's not wrong!)
I'm so thankful to be part of so many wonderful families. D's family drives me crazy sometimes, in just the way that families do, but I always feel welcome and included and loved, and just generally like my life is enriched for being a part of theirs. I'm trying to learn that just because I don't do things the way that they do, doesn't mean that they won't love me, and I think it's getting easier and easier every year.
Last year I was so worried about just how everything was going to turn out, and this year I definitely had some pre-holiday stress, but all and all I just made some delicious food and made sure my house wasn't shamefully dirty, and then sat back and enjoyed myself.
The menu:
Turkey - Cyrena brought turkey breasts. We should do this from now on. So much quicker than a whole turkey and no carcass to deal with the next day. We all prefer white meat anyway, and the stress level is so much most tolerable. Boobies win again!
Stuffing - Mushroom wild rice stuffing. Somebody should comment and ask me for the recipe so I'm forced to type it. It's my own recipe and I do it a little differently each time, depending on my mood and what I think it needs, but it'd be good to have a digital record of the base recipe at least. Made a day ahead. Cooked for an hour during the day when the oven was free, then re-heated while the turkey was cooling.
Mashed potatoes - I did it the test kitchen way where you boil the potatoes whole and then burn the fuck out of your fingers while trying to get the peels off. This was actually easier than using a potato peeler (if more painful!) and did result in fluffier potatoes. I mashed up two little russets with soy milk and smart balance and (and garlic and pepper, naturally!) and let them keep warm in the baby crock pot, and mashed up the rest with 1/2 and 1/2 and butter (garlic, pepper) and left them to keep warm in the big crockpot. I didn't keep track of my measurements at all - just did them until they seemed right. I think I should experiment with the keep warm and low settings on my crock pot and see if one is a lower temp than the other - the potatoes did get a teeny bit crusty at the bottom. At the very least I should remember to stir (or not fix them 3 hours before we eat) next year.
Gravy - C brought Costco gravy and we mixed the turkey drippings in. This was delicious and I see no reason to change it. I made gravy last year but it was a pain and not OMG so good. Why futz with a thing that is good and that works. I had a little container of vegan gluten free gravy for Autumn that I bought at Fred Meyers that I heated in a pan. I don't think it's great, but it was better than the vegan gluten free gravy that is hard work, so it wins.
Green beans - I added too much fluid and ended up overcooking these a little this year, but I still liked them. Nobody took 2nds, but they were acceptable veggies. I made them on the stovetop by sauteing an onion and 3 cloves of garlic, adding a handful of chopped criminis, and then adding a couple of cups of chicken broth and the green-beans and cooking until the liquid was reduced. I actually did about a cup of broth and another 1.5 cups of water with better-than-bullion chicken stuff mixed in. I think half the liquid would've been ideal and netted a better result. Made this early-ish in the day and stuck in a corning-ware.Quickly re-heated in the oven while the turkey cooled.
Sweet potatoes - Roughly used this recipe: http://southernfood.about.com/od/sidedishcasseroles/r/bl90911u.htm. I started with 4 yams (I think, who knows what's what - the kind with the red skins) boiled them whole and let them cool long enough that I could squeeze the skins off without hurting myself. Used soy milk instead of milk, smart balance instead of butter, and spiced em until they tasted right. For the topping I sauteed the walnuts in a caramel sauce I made with sb and brown sugar. Put the potatoes in a 9.5 inch pie pan, coated the top with the walnut caramel mixture and then sprinkled coconut generously over the top. (So basically, didn't follow that recipe at all, I guess) Put it in the fridge overnight, baked it at 350 for an hour on T-day when the over wasn't in use, then a quick re-heating while the turkey cooled. I might use pecans instead of walnuts next year.
Cranberry sauce - cranberries, water, oj, sugar, and tons of spices. Roughly used the recipe that C left written from last year but I'd already used some of the cranberries so I halved everything, but then ended up adding more liquids and the consistency ended up being more soupy than saucy. It was still a pretty big hit though. I ended up cooking it twice when it didn't set the first time, next time I think I shall pay more attention to liquid/sugar/berry ratio and maybe try to make a day ahead (I nearly forgot the cranberries, and just had to edit this entry to add them - I don't eat cranberry sauce with my Thanksgiving dinner so it has a tendency to skip my mind)
Bread! http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-homemaking/amazing-no-knead-bread-step-by-step-recipe/ made 2 days ahead added granulated garlic, oregano, and Italian seasoning to the bread ball prior to letting it rise. Next year I should only make 1 day ahead, but it was definitely still a hit. Would've liked to heat it prior to serving but who has that kind of oven space?!?
Salad - 50/50 mix of spinach/baby greens. Little topping containers with TJ's glazed pecans, sweet and spicy pecans, and dried cranberries as well as Gorgonzola crumbles. Pear Gorgonzola and tangy citrus dressings - everybody chose the latter. It was spicier than it has been in the past, but still quite good.
Cranberry-apple crisp. Basically this: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-crisp-ii/ but with a combo of apples, cranberries, and pears, and without really paying attention to the recipe. I made a little one for Autumn that I topped with a combination of brown sugar, slivered almonds, and coconut. Baked on Wednesday and served at room temp.
Pumpkin Pie - I used Jan Lindner's recipe. It didn't turn out quite as well as my test-pie of the same recipe - I used TJ's organic pumpkin instead of libby pumpkin, I wonder if that really makes that much of a difference? I tried to bake on Wednesday but it didn't turn out, re-baked Thursday morning, served at room temp.
Vanilla ice cream and coconut bliss.
Oh and there were bunches of snacks to eat over the afternoon. I highly recommend the TJ's dark chocolate covered ginger, and their syrah toscono cheese. Seriously good shit. I should probably quit buying goat brie for holidays. I'm apparently the only one who likes it. C really liked the Tillamook white cheddar with black pepper. (She's not wrong!)