One Simple Question

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is a neat video of random people all asked the same question; What are you thankful for?



I am thankful for my family, my children, my husband, my friends who are practically family, since we have no blood relations here on this side of Washington. Those are some of the most important things I am thankful for this thanksgiving. The are almost the easy answers that I hope almost every one can give. Some of the others are... my home, my awesome neighbors, the snow, apple cider packets, warm blankets, that my moms surgery went well, that my brother has practically stopped drinking, that my husband has a stable job, etc... I seriously could go on and on. (I have had this post up and keep coming back to it and making it longer and then editing for length.) There are so many things to be thankful for.

So, what are YOU thankful for?

For you Holiday travelers

Or even if you're not traveling, whenever and wherever you see any of our military, be sure to thank them. Think of how you feel when someone tells you "Thank you." Small gesture, right? Maybe so, but its meaning is far-reaching.

My mom made me a wallhanging quilt that is right inside our front door that says "Give without remembering. Remember what you've been given." I know I've been given more than I can comprehend sometimes, but I also know I can be grateful for each moment as it comes.




Happy Thanksgiving.

Saying Grace

Just a simple reminder. And here's where you can find the template.

Here are the two best prayers that I know:
"Help me, help me, help me" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
- Anne Lamott in Traveling Mercies

Around the time of my high school graduation, I was doing a little soul-searching, trying to figure out what I wanted to become, where I wanted my life to go from there. With the whole world open and my entire life ahead of me, there was only one thing I was certain of: I wanted to cultivate a life of grace. I still do.

Every once in a while, I like to think of just the word: grace. It's such a little word, but it means so many big things. Here are some of my favorites:

elegance and beauty
seemliness and propriety
a disposition to kindness and compassion
the state of one who is under divine influence

Is it any surprise that the words grace and gratitude come from the same Latin word (gratus: thankful, pleasing)? Think of how the two are connected: grace as the result of gratitude. When we are grateful, we see more beauty; we become more attuned to doing what is right and proper; we have a greater disposition to kindness and compassion; our lives are divinely influenced. All in return for a simple, daily "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Simplify

Growing up, I was always the pie maker in the house. I LOVED that job. I loved making the pie. We would always use a store bought crust.

There are a few Thanksgiving's I will never forget though, like the one when I was 12 or so. I got to help my dad make the whole dinner. My mom was flying home from visiting either my dying uncle or grandpa. It was a blast. Even though the turkey was cold, slippery, and gross I was still determined to make it my own. We had so much fun.

There was also the time a few years back when we were visiting my mom and dad. The grand kids, parents and grandparents were going to go see a movie, Madagascar 2, and I forced my mom to go. My son was only a few months old, and my mom was not in the best of health, so I told her I would take care of it. I got to do almost everything as well as delegate to my siblings. It was so fun because everyone pitched in and I had a great time with my older brother for an hour or so waiting for the family to come home. There is something about making a big dinner for people you love. OK, so I know this is similar to Rachel's post, but it is so fun to include everyone in making dinner. My nieces and nephews helped roll up the rolls into crescent shapes. Some were pretty deformed, but who cares. We had a blast.

So even if you are using the Libby's pumpkin pie recipe, as well as a store bought pie crust, who cares. It does not always have to be original and labor intensive. If you can cut a few steps here and there, it can be very worth it. So amidst the craziness of thanksgiving, share the responsibilities, go easy on yourself. It is way more fun that way! I am sure you can find something for the smallest to the largest person to do.

Cheers!

Move Over Turkey!

It's Thanksgiving time again, and turkey is on everyone's mind. Oh, for the love of stuffing, what's a vegetarian family to do?

Well, for the first year of our marriage, we tried to keep it somewhat traditional and had tofurky with all the usual trimmings on the side. How was it, you ask? Um ... I think it's enough to say that we didn't do it again the next year. We were still eating some fish very rarely then, so for the next few years we made a special occasion of it with some small pieces of salmon. And then ...

(Dal with homemade cheese (paneer) and peas; homemade naan, apple salad, and the potatoes-with-gravy that I'd choose over the mashed kind any day)

... and then! One fateful year my husband decided to try cooking Indian food. It was an instant success, and that's what we've done every year since then. It's so much fun to cook, and it fills the house with the yummiest smells, and the kids roll up their sleeves and pitch in too - which means no one person is stuck in the kitchen all by his or her lonesome - and I love this tradition so much that even if the world turns upside-down and we go back to eating meat, I think we'd still make Indian food on Thanksgiving.

(Making the Naan, Thanksgiving 2008)

And so. For your reference and inspiration, here are some of our favorite books to get ideas and recipes from:

Truly, if you're going to try cooking a different cuisine - besides Mexican or Italian - Indian is the most fun and the easiest, I think, by far. I dare you to give it a try!

And for dessert, as long as we're being non-traditional, we've also abandoned pumpkin pie for this:


Which is my bunt-pan take on this cake, which I blogged on just about a year ago, right here.

The Best Brown Stuff on Earth

Thanksgiving dinner is special and highly anticipated by my husband.  In fact the food network seems to be on every night beginning Nov. 1st and the talk of turkey and "your mom's" stuffing is the topic of our conversation for weeks.  When I think about thanksgiving and autumn and coziness I tend to fall back into love with cooking.  It's the one season I seem anxious to try new recipes and make some of the old favorites.  So...as my gift to you all and so that you can plan accordingly I give you the best dish you will serve Thanksgiving day.....MY MOM'S not soggy or nasty Amazing Stuffing in all it's buttery glory.

First you will need to make...

My Gammie's Sour Dough French Bread

Dissolve 2 T. yeast in:

5 1/2 cups very warm water

1/2 cup powdered milk

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

1/4 cup sugar

Let yeast proof for 10 minutes then add:

2 T. salt

12-14 cups flour

1 cup sour dough start

Knead for 10 minutes.  Let rise in bowl until double in size.  Punch down.  Let dough rest 5 minutes.  Divide into six portions.  Flatten each into a rectangle then roll into loaves.  Place 3 on each cookie sheet.  Slice top diagonally with a sharp knife.  Cover with cloth.  let rise until double in size.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

* I know this seems labor intensive but it's soooooooo worth it.  Make the bread early in the week and then you won't have to stress over it Thanksgiving day.  This truly makes all the difference.

Then...

Mom's Homemade Bread Stuffing

 

Cut 3 loaves of homemade Sour Dough French Bread into cubes.  Dry out in 200 degree oven.

1 pound ground Italian sausage

1 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup finely minced celery

1 cup butter

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. poultry seasoning

2 tsp. ground sage

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1-2 cups chicken broth (enough for the correct- non-soggy-still-has-some-great-crunch-to-it-just-right consistency.

Brown sausage.  Cook onion and celery in butter. Combine with seasonings and bread.  Toss with enough liquid to moisten (I can't believe I just typed up that word in a recipe I love...more on my word discomfort later).  Test for seasoning (which means keeps sneaking a taste).  Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.  Serves 10 or more.

Make this and I promise you will love it.  If you hate stuffing then you have to try this.  If you Love stuffing more then anything...you still should try this.  You'll use this recipe every year I promise!  Your husband will talk about it for weeks and you'll always have people who want to be at your table on Thanksgiving day.  I love that my holiday dinner is full of tradition and even though my sweet family legacy may not be in my kitchen helping me this year it'll feel like they are and I love that.  Be sure to let me know what you think.  If you are still skeptical...come over Thanksgiving evening and take home some of my leftovers (if there is any).