My Favorite Four Day Weekend

When we lived overseas, I missed Thanksgiving ever so much.  Even though we always celebrated  the weekend before or after with turkey and most of the trimmings, I found myself downright depressed and annoyed when I had to wake up early in the morning on Thursday and Friday and hustle my little darlings off to school.  Thanksgiving weekend is definitely one of the best weekends of the year in my opinion.

We spend the weekend cooking, eating, watching silly family movies, eating, pulling out a few Christmas decorations, reading, playing games, eating a bit more, and beginning to dream about the next time we will bake pumpkin pie.  The Carsons do not "do" Black Friday.  We hunker down, cuddle up, wear cozy clothes and mismatched socks, and savor the fact that we are NOT fighting crowds or being trampled by somebody's Granny who's determined to get her mitts on the last vibrating "personal massager" sale priced on aisle 4.  You're not fooling anybody, Nana!  We all know what you plan to do with that.

For us, we feel that Thanksgiving weekend is better spent catching up with friends...

"Why yes, Maelyn, I also love Dora the Explorer!  I'm so glad we had this little chat."

 

It is also an excellent time to re-connect with a favorite pet after a falling out.

"Emily, I'm really very sorry about that time I put you in a headlock and wiped my snotty nose on your delicate grey ears.  I love you!"

 

Thanksgiving weekend is also a perfect time to take a "pretend nap" with some of your favorites.

"Car-shew!  Car-shew!  Car-shew!"

(FYI This is what my daughter Sophia's fake snores sound like.)

 

To conclude, I shall leave you with three new variations of old recipes I tried out this year.  All of these got high marks, and I think we'll be seeing them again at Christmastime (or sooner).

 

The “I Don’t Even Like Sweet Potatoes, But This Is Awesome" Casserole

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds of sweet potatoes (about 5 medium)

2 TBS butter (softened)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup 2% milk

1 large egg

½ tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla

Baking spray

Topping

Mini marshmallows

OR

**Meringue: 4 egg whites + ¼ cup granulated sugar**

Preparation

1.      Preheat oven to 400 F.   Bake sweet potatoes on a baking sheet for 1 hour or until tender.  Reduce oven temp to 350 F.  Let potatoes stand until cool to the touch (~20 minutes); peel and mash with potato masher.

2.      Beat mashed sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, milk, egg, salt , and vanilla.  Spoon mixture into a prepared 11 x 7 baking dish.

3.      Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.  Remove, and let stand for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with miniature marshmallows and bake 10 more minutes.

**Another irresistible topping option: Golden Meringue topped sweet potato casserole:

Omit marshmallows. Beat 4 egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy.  Gradually add ¼ cup granulated sugar (1 TBSP at a time) and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved.  Spread meringue over sweet potato mixture and bake 10 more minutes until golden.

 

Sausage Stuffing Muffins

Ingredients:

1 lb bulk sausage (I use turkey to help assuage the holiday guilt)

4 celery ribs, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

¼ cup butter, cubed

1 package (14 oz.) cornbread stuffing

2 med. apples, peeled and chopped

5 oz. dried cranberries

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2-3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

How to:

1.       Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.  Drain.  Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

2.      In the same skillet, sauté celery and onions in butter until tender.  Transfer to the bowl.  Add the stuffing, apples, cranberries, salt and pepper.   Stir in enough broth to reach desired moistness.  Whisk eggs and baking powder; add to stuffing mixture.

3.      Spoon into 18 greased muffins cups.  Bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges to loosen.  Serve immediately.

 

Mama’s Fabulous Creamy Skillet Corn

Ingredients:

2 TBS salted butter

1 small onion, diced

4 ½ cups frozen corn (about 26 oz.), thawed

1 tsp salt

1 TBS sugar

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

 1 cup milk

½ cup heavy cream (or soy cream)

2 TBS flour

How to:

1.       In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.  When it foams add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in the corn and cook until the corn is hot.   Stir in the salt, sugar and pepper.

 

2.      Stir in the milk and cream and bring to a simmer.  Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (about 5 minutes).

3.    Serve it up with a smile.

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!!



So...October Happened

Holy Cow!  Did y'all know it was November?!  We all survived the fall rituals of pumpkin selecting, pumpkin carving, pumpkin soup eating, pumpkin costume wearing, trick-or-treating, and the most dramatic rose ceremony yet (also known as last week's presidential election).  October, for us, has been a wonderfully busy blur.  We have all managed to get to our lessons and practices, get to school on time (most days), and still participate in all of the essential seasonal activities.  My writing has suffered, but my kids are happy, and I am pleased to report that I seem to be keeping my usual seasonal depression at bay with the help of some low dose pharmaceuticals.  Can I get a whoop whoop?

So... for my friend Sonia across the pond, here is a review of our October in pictures....

We picked a peck of impeccable pumpkins at Grandma's Pumpkin Patch.

That kid struggling in the background with the 40 pound pumpkin also belongs to me.

 

Emma's friend Natalie took this lovely photo of us at Bayne's Apple Valley Farm.

There you can buy a $7 caramel apple as big as your head... if you're into that sort of thing.

 

The Sunday before Halloween we all carved our pumpkins.  Lili was much more involved and opinionated this year.

 

I was super excited about my pink pumpkin and thought it only appropriate to give her a hair bow and a set of voluptuous lips.  Lili named my pumpkin Mimi (after her grandmother) and concurred that she (the girl pumpkin) was pretty fabulous.

 

On Halloween night Dad obviously rocked the face paint.

(Sophia went as a butterfly fairy.)

 

Emma dressed as a very unique and jolly elf and was proud to pose with her French "Jacques-o-lantern."

 

Tricks and treats were enjoyed by all (including Lil's best friend Mae).

 

Of course George and I joined in with the festivities.

And for the record, he ain't afraid of no ghosts.

 

We are hopeful that November will bring just as much fun and perhaps a little more down time.  Wherever you are, I hope you are enjoying the season.  Please tell Santa Claus to hold off because everyone at my house is seriously looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Until we meet again...