FRIDAY FINDS

So, I'm not entirely sure what happened, but apparently Thanksgiving is next week. I am rather shocked. So I guess that means I better spend some time this weekend figuring out what kind of pie (or pies) I'm going to make. That's my contribution to the meal. One year I made the turkey. It was terrible. Now I stick with pie and we're all happy with that arrangement.

But if you are hosting Thanksgiving, you must check out the to-do list of Mr. Thanksgiving himself, Stephen. He's so organized he actually has time to take some photos and post on his blog on Thanksgiving. Sometimes I aspire to be this organized but then I realize it's better to just surround yourself with people who will do this kind of organizing for you, because some people are cut out for it and others, like me, just aren't.

I want oyster cornbread dressing. So much that I may make it for dinner some night. Is that weird? By the way, if you are on the looking for basic Thanksgiving info, the New York Times has amassed a ton of information and recipes.

I am opposed to both eating dessert out of mason jars and to using light cream cheese for cheesecake. But these still sound good to me.

I shared this picture on Instagram earlier this week. Would you believe I took that photo of one of my 'Cafe au Lait' dahlias last weekend? They have no business blooming like that in the middle of November but I wasn't going to tell them. Of course shortly after that I harvested all the flowers and cut off the stalks so I can dig the tubers soon.

This is an interesting spin on holiday decorating. It wouldn't work in every house and it's certainly not traditional, but changing it up can be good.

It seems like soap-making is quite the thing lately, but these from Garden Therapy are pretty much the most gorgeous soaps I've ever seen.

I can't help it ... I get all sappy around the holidays and I love this Thanksgiving story.

Did you catch my Etsy gift guide for gardeners earlier in the week? If you're eyeing some of those things up, don't delay because they all take time to make. I'll have more gift guides, including some Black Friday deals next week. In the meantime, do you have Amazon Prime? I'll be honest, it sort of ruins you for anything other than two-day shipping and it's way too easy to just buy it on Amazon rather than seeking something out locally (which I try not to do), but it is very handy for some things and we've been using it for a lot for the movies and television. And Amazon has pretty phenomenal Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals. Here's an affiliate link for a 30-day trial, which would get you through the holiday shopping season, if you're interested in checking it out.

After a high of almost 70 yesterday and a warm day forecasted for today, a cold front is due to come through in the evening and I'll be dealing with more leaves tomorrow in 38-degree temperatures. It's not like I didn't know it was coming but that doesn't make me like it any more. What are you doing for Thanksgiving and what are your plans for the weekend?

THE HAPPIEST OF THANKSGIVINGS TO YOU

It's Thanksgiving in the U.S. tomorrow so a lot of people are running around like chickens turkeys with their heads cut off trying to get the last minute details out of the way.

We'll be going to my parents house for the largest family gathering we've had in years. All three of my dad's sisters and their spouses will be there in addition to the usual suspects. My mom had split up the cooking duties between me and my brother and his wife and herself so no one has to do it all.

I'm in charge of apple pie and although I was only told to bring one, I'll probably bring two because honestly, it's not that much more work to make two than it is to make one. We're also in charge of mashed potatoes, which we'll make at home and bring in a crockpot (we're doing buffet style this year because of the number of people). That will work out very good because my mom is a health nut and thinks  you make mashed potatoes with skim milk. Every year we sneak butter and cream into them and she proclaims that the potatoes are so good, why would you need to add more calories. My mom's in great shape and that alone is testament to the importance of a healthy diet but for crying out loud, if you can't eat a few extra calories on Thanksgiving when can you.

My grandma with four of her nine grandchildren. The littlest one is me and that's my brother to my left.

I'm also making creamed pearl onions, which is a throwback to the Thanksgivings of my childhood at my grandma's house. I loved Thanksgiving as a kid. We always made place cards (hand turkeys, etc.) and got to sit at the kids table which was super fun. I remember my grandma almost never sat down for dinner. She was constantly popping up to refill a dish or get something from the kitchen that she had forgotten, even though everyone told her to just sit down. She always overcooked the green beans and let me tell you, she never made mashed potatoes with skim milk.

Many years later, this photo of her with four of her five granddaughters was taken. I think this may have been her 90th birthday and she was stylish even then. See what cream and butter in mashed potatoes does for you? 

We'll miss her this Thanksgiving, as we have in all of the six years since she died, but I'm sure she'd be happy to see her whole family together again for Thanksgiving.

And this is the part where I'm going to exercise serious restraint and not get into how I feel about stores opening on Thanksgiving, meaning that those employees cannot be with their families on the holiday. What would I rather have: One more Thanksgiving where I got to sit around the table with grandma or a $300 giant television? There's no contest.

And I leave you with this fantastic video, one I hope to recreate for you tonight because we are definitely going to try this.

Put on your elastic pants, it's time for Thanksgiving

When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was a much more formal affair. We always went to my grandmother's house (just down the lane from our house), dressed up in uncomfortable clothes (oh how I hated tights), sat at a kids' table, which we all hated until my grandma wisened up and gave us our own bowl of mashed potatoes and hovered around my dad snitching bits of turkey as he carved the bird in the kitchen.

Those were big family gatherings that included extended relatives and they were very formal affairs.

These days, though, it's usually just my parents, us and my brother and his family, which means it's a lot like a Sunday family dinner. Because of that, it has gotten a bit more casual. Although my sense of nostalgia wants to relive those Thanksgivings of my childhood, the practical adult in me is very thankful for more casual gatherings that allow for dressy jeans and laughs instead of tears when some minor kitchen disaster occurs.

We go to my parents' house so my mom handles the lion's share of duties, including setting the table. But if I were setting the table, I'd want it to be special but reflect the casualness of what our holidays have become. No flower arrangement ordered a week in advance. Just pretty linens, a low centerpiece or series of small centerpieces (I hate when I can't see the people on the other side of the table), and lots of room for all the food.

I love the feel of this table, even if it's not particularly Thanksgiving-y. I don't know what the New York Times thing is but let's pretend that's a mini pumpkin or something, OK?

Source

And I like this one too, although even more pared down because you have to have a place to put the turkey platter!

I guess it's clear that I like a little cleaner look, but that's only because I think the food is so beautiful that it should be the real star!

My contribution is always dessert. Even though we have a small group and we could get by with just one pie, I'll be making a few options. The beauty of being the baker is that you don't have to make anything you don't like and I really do not like pumpkin pie. Anyone else is welcome to bring a pumpkin pie, but it won't be me.

This recipe appeared like magic on my desk so I'm taking that as a hint that someone would like me to make it for Thanksgiving and I'm willing to give it a try. I'm not going to make the slab version though, just a regular pie.

I'll also make a regular apple pie for the less adventurous eaters (and I make a pretty good apple pie). And if I'm feeling really ambitious, I'm going to make Ina Garten's gingerbread cupcakes because I love gingerbread and cream cheese frosting. I kind of hate raisins in things though, so I'm torn. Because the only thing you use the rum for is to soak the raisins and if you don't add the raisins, how are you going to get the rum in there? And I'm pretty sure you want the rum in there.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your friends and families!

And one quick note: Libby won the Minted giveaway! Congratulations, Libby. Check your email!

Let the eating begin

It's the day before Thanksgiving so if there were ever a time to talk about food for the first time on the blog, I guess this is it.

We go to my parents' house for Thanksgiving every year and even though we have a rather small gathering, we of course make way too much food and eat far more than we should. That's also why a Thanksgiving morning walk on the beach has also become a tradition! I'm going to put in a few extra miles tomorrow and actually walk down the beach to the beach that we're meeting at to go for a walk so that I can incur a little less guilt come dinnertime.

When it comes to cooking, I excel in the baking area so it's no real surprise that I pretty much always bring dessert to every event. Trust me, it's better that way (I do not have nearly the cooking talent of my in-laws). I can also make a pretty good mashed potato. And I'll tell you why they are good: because I put fairly liberal amounts of half and half and butter in them. I'm sorry folks, that's just what it takes to make a good mashed potato and if you're going to eat something on Thanksgiving then I think it should taste as good as it can even if it's really bad for you.

The funny thing about the mashed potatoes is that there is a fair amount of sneaking involved in the making of the potatoes. I can tell you the rest of the story here because my mom always forgets to read my blog and therefore this secret is still safe. My mom doesn't think "you need all that fattening stuff" in mashed potatoes. Her idea of mashed potatoes is potatoes and skim milk. I kid you not. A few years ago my sister-in-law and I established a routine that involves one of us distracting my mom in the kitchen while the other dumps the naughty stuff in the mashed potatoes and mixes it in before my mom notices. And then we try not to giggle when my mom mentions how good the mashed potatoes are.

This year I'm bringing pumpkin cheesecake and pecan pie for dessert. I hate pumpkin pie but cheesecake is a whole other animal. I made one of these several years ago but I can't figure out what recipe I used, so I'm going to use this one from Bon Appetit minus the marshmallow topping (gag). The gingersnap crust is key. Sooo yummy. And we have a few non-cheesecake lovers in the family so I'm also bringing pecan pie. I've yet to make a REALLY good pecan pie, but I keep trying every year. I know that I like lots of pecans (and that toasting them first makes them pretty darn good) and shot of orange zest really keeps the sweetness in check.

So what are you cooking for Thanksgiving? And if you're a "neighbor to the north" what's your favorite dish to bring to a party?