Oh! Hello my dear blog! I know, you (and a few other people) have probably been wondering where on earth I had gone, but alas, here I am! Hmmm,what excuse do I start with? Flu? Too much to do? Or just plain lack of creativity? It matters not, I am here now (at 2 am on a Saturday night Sunday morning). And I can see you have all been faithfully checking in, so sorry to have disappointed. I will attempt to redeem myself and fill you in on our happenings.
The flu came and went, (about a four day bout), the short duration I attribute to large daily doses of cod liver oil and E-mergence, full of vitamins D & C. I unfortunately have been plagued by fatigue since then, that is until today, today I have a renewed energy (which I am now sabotaging by staying up all night, idiot!)
As for the small (and not so small) ones,
Samuel who has a heck of a lot of self motivation, went from being almost a week behind (thank you flu) in his schoolwork to being a week ahead. I sure wish that would rub off on me!
Jonathan has successfully wound himself around Evelyn’s little finger. She just peeps and he is there picking her up. She then proceeds to force him to hold her by whimpering and holding her legs up every time he attempts to put her down. Needless to say he is not quite caught back up on his schoolwork.
Hannah is our chicken whisperer. We’ve had many conversations on the difference between “farm” animals and pets, but we don’t live on a farm, so our chickens must be pets, right!? We have been getting two small brown eggs everyday, so far.
Simon has been learning to read and is very quick witted, a very funny guy indeed. He also has quite the temper, we’re helping him with that.
Ben is talking up a storm and sees the world through very obscure little eyes. He claims that Peter is his sister, and when he grows up, he’s going to be shoes, and when he doesn’t like what you have to say, he crosses his arms and says, “whatever”. Peter claims he gets that from me. Could be true.
Evelyn has seven teeth with an oh so cute and funky space between her top front teeth. She stands on her own and gives big wet open mouth kisses. And she spends the majority of her time torturing Jonathan.
Today I finally got my kitchen cleaned to my standards, just in time for the holiday cook off. I was in limbo about what exactly I felt like doing and decided to have a small family dinner with a few extended members. Today I decided on my menu and placed my grocery order with SPUD, which will be delivered on Tuesday. Last week I picked up my pastured turkey from the farm, and got my pastured leaf lard, which I’ll be rendering for pie crusts.
This year I decided to keep it simple and traditional. Here is the menu I am going with:
Green Salad
Salad greens with Gorgonzola, dried cranberries, candied pecans and homemade citrus dressing.
Spice Cured Turkey
I found this recipe a few years back on Martha Stewart.com and I will never prepare a turkey any other way. The turkey is soaked in brine overnight,which makes for a very tender, juicy bird. I do not stuff my bird with stuffing as Martha suggests, but with aromatics because I like a less soggy stuffing, so I cook it separately. The spiced butter rub makes for a perfectly crisp skin.
Mashed Potatoes with Cider Gravy
The cider gravy is another Martha recipe (what can I say, the woman knows good food!) It is savory and flavorful with a touch of sweetness.
Cranberry Sauce
Every year I just google a cranberry sauce recipe, it may have ginger or orange, but I always make my own. Its so simple and can be made up to a week in advance, and is way more flavorful than the canned stuff.
Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing
I am not quite sure where I got the original recipe for this stuffing, it may have been from
Sunset magazine, but it is a family tradition. My Dad loves this the morning after Thanksgiving with eggs. It makes a 9×13” casserole.6 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup each: chopped onion and celery
10 cups cooked and crumbled cornbread
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 pound italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1-13 3/4 oz. can chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350º. In large skillet melt butter. Add onion, celery and green pepper; saute 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings. Combine cornbread, vegetable mixture and sausage. Add broth; toss gently. Spoon into 9×13” pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Homemade Mac & Cheese
I am including this for my vegetarian sister and the finicky guests (not naming names).
Real Green Bean Casserole
No “cream of” soups will be involved.
Pillow Soft Dinner Rolls
When I do make dinner rolls, which isn’t very often any more, I make these, they turn out beautifully every time.
Pumpkin Pie with Real Whipped Cream
It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it!
So now that I’ve shared my menu and Thanksgiving favorites, what are some of your tried and true Thanksgiving recipes. Please share by leaving a comment (& a link if you have one), I’ll be ever so thankful if you do.
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