Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a wonderful event...full of great family and friends, wonderful food, fun, and just being together. This year, we celebrated at Ethan and Cameo's house...doesn't that sound just so good!!! They purchased their own house...and it's the home Cameo was raised in: already full of wonderful memories, and more memories to be made.

We brought...a roast turkey...

 New recipe: I mixed chopped fresh rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper, rubbed it inside the turkey, as well as under the skin. I roasted it, without a bag - a first, and basted it every hour. I thought it tasted great...and Ethan smoked a turkey, which was awesome.

Cranberry Salad

Dee is my official heavy cream whipper every Thanksgiving. Sorry, we were busy with the turkey at the end, so no pic of the salad.   But, here is the recipe:

Christmas Cranberry Salad

1 pound fresh cranberries, finely ground

1 cup white sugar (recipe called for 2, but my daughter did it with less, and it tasted great)

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple

1 package (16 oz) miniature marshmallows

1 pint whipping cream, beaten stiff with a little powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Mix together the cranberries and sugar; cover and refrigerate overnight

2. The next day, combine marshmallows with the whipped cream and refrigerate, covered.

3. Right before serving, mix drained pineapple and cranberry/sugar mixture. Then add whipped cream/marshmallow mixture. Pour into bowl and refrigerate till ready to use.

4. You can add walnuts or pecans to this. The walnuts are awesome with the cranberries. (I have two kids with walnut allergies, so no walnuts here!)

Nate's Pumpkin Pie

Nate started making the pumpkin pies years ago. First we bought a sugar pumpkin. Then, one year, the crop was bad, so he used canned. Last year, he grew the pumpkins...ended up costing about 50 bucks per pumpkin! This year, we got one at Food City...Here is his recipe...

Pampered Pie Pumpkin

Cut pumpkin in half without stem. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Place, cut side down, on foil lined baking sheets. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F. til tender - about an hour to an hour and a half. Cool. Scoop out flesh and mash with potato masher or food processor until smooth. Drain if too watery. 

Beat together until just smooth: 

1 1/3 cup smooth pumpkin

1 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (Nate used fat free...tasted great)

1 egg (fresh from our chickens)

1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (ours came right from India...we think it's the best...thank you Mike Ferrell!)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 cup hot water

Beat together all together until smooth. Pour into a 9" pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes. (Center will still move slightly) Cool and enjoy!

Nate did this ALL BY HIMSELF this year! Dad and I were on our annual hike (I call it the "turkey trek". In fact, he had some extra pumpkin, so he filled in with canned pumpkin and made two!

We met at their home...assembled our contributions, and said a prayer of gratitude, and then dug in!

 Ethan's "man cave" ...Cam gave it her own special touch!

 That's root beer my son is drinking.

It was sooooo wonderful.


We sat after dinner, moaning, looked at ads for the Black Friday Sales, played video games (Ethan and Cam have the PERFECT set up!) and even, later, watched "Toy Story 3" (they have an AWESOME set up to watch a movie too!

 Jade, Liz, and Cameo. 

We were talking at dinner...got on the subject of pregnancy...Liz said she ate liver throughout her pregnancy. Sure looks like liver makes for some beautiful babies!

There are so many things to be thankful for...health, safety, a beautiful family, jobs, food on the table, cars that work, rooves over our heads...Thank you, dearest Heavenly Father, for the many, many bounteous blessings!