thankful house

this is not my turkey. my turkey is still in the refrigerator.

i had this brilliant idea that for my children and their children i was going to blog, with pictures, through making thanksgiving dinner this year. they'd have a nice keepsake, some advice, and some antiquated practices at which to laugh.

it would be fun.

but yesterday, when i started with a pumpkin cream cheese pie, it all fell apart.

i learned recently that my mother in law loves pumpkin pie. i don't like pumpkin or pecan pies. i'm unamerican. but you have to have at least one at thanksgiving. i had been doing pecan. but i've switched. now we're doing pumpkin. paul's mother said so.

so anyway.

i started making the pumpkin pie. i had the brilliant idea that i would use my immersion blender.
this model.


i was about to mix the cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla. but first i gave a safety lesson.

hey kids - the immersion blender can only hurt you if you put your finger near the blades like this.
*i put my finger near the blade*
and.....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
a chunk of my finger flew off into oblivion.

i know - too much imagery. but it's true. the pad of my left pointer finger is now gone. i have no finger prints. i could go on a one fingered crime spree.

but i've no time, because i have to be on a nine fingered cooking spree.

so, because of that, my cooking has not left a lot time for commentary and lovely picturesque photos of whole food ingredient spreads.

Pause. take a minute to relish my idiocy. or idiodacy as our recent president used to say. i blended my finger during a safety lesson for my two year old.

But, if only i had the time/energy/wasn't too maimed for my hands to appear on camera, then i would be writing and photographing through the spread.

but, i can at least report.

i have made the pumpkin cream cheese pie (in Come On In, one of my favorite cookbooks),

the apple cake (my mother's recipe, and one i requested for many birthday cakes. because i was the dorky kid requesting apple cake for birthday cake....),

a broccoli gruyere gratin, a recipe out of Real Simple this month. I usually do asparagus casserole, but paul hates it (it has in it one of the four things he doesn't like to eat: brown rice, squash, blue cheese, and..... canned asparagus). I needed a green vegetable cheesy dish and chose this one. I'll report how it turns out.,

a new potatoes in cream sauce recipe of my great grandmother's. it looks super yummy. i've never had it, but tasted the cream sauce and it was great. will report back.,

sweet potato casserole. this is ada's idea of heaven. " 'cause of the marshmallows, Mama. same reason i love hot chocolate." hard to argue with that.

cranberry sauce. not my favorite, but a staple. it's also one of those things to which i'm befuddled that there is a canned alternative. it's surprisingly simple and surpassingly superior. (go alliteration!)


i've also prepped for many of the dishes i'll make in the morning -

made the cornbread for the cornbread dressing, peeled and chopped the carrots to glaze, blanched the green beans and caramelized the onions for the green bean dish (which has blue cheese in it. i cannot help that three of the four things paul hates, i happen to adore...)

i think i did some other things, but my brain feels like my left pointer finger looks.

this thanksgiving i am thankful for.... my daughter and her dear godfather, they trimmed the green beans and peeled the sweet potatoes - AND did the awesomely fun job of crumbling the cornbread for the dressing - at least forty minutes of work i didn't have to do. And my husband who took all three children to the zoo and to sams for lunch.... Go Team!


Tomorrow!
(tomorrow! i love you tomorrow! you're only a day away!)

I'll do the turkey, finish the dressing, make corn casserole, finish green bean salad, glaze some carrots, make gravy, whip up a chocolate chess pie, and welcome Paul's family for lunch and some stragglers for supper.


Yay for food, holidays, tradition, chefdom, gas stoves, helpers, wustof knives, laughter, aprons, taco bell for supper, and wine.

yay for wine.

oh, and for bandaids.

typing with nine fingers.... oh the new skills i am mastering.