Thanksgiving 2010

I had a great Thanksgiving this year!  It was extra special because one of my best friends, Dayna, came with her new husband Jeff, from Las Vegas to celebrate it with us in our new home.  We had a blast cooking all morning and then taking a break and relaxing and then finishing up at dinner time and having our Thanksgiving Feast together.  We decided that cooking Thanksgiving and having it possible to eat in the afternoon has to take more than one oven.  It really was okay that we had it about 6:30 pm with me.  In fact, I think I was less likely to stuff myself since I had eaten all my meals at a normal time that day and not held off because of the big meal.

Here’s an awful picture of Me and Dayna after cooking all day….right before I ran off to take a shower and freshen up…only to realize that I hadn’t found the box with my blow-dryer in it yet!

Here’s my husband carving the Turkey at the island.

These are my kids waiting pretty patiently for their meal (I gave the baby some faux gourds to play with).  I also am in love with her cute Turkey bib from Carters!

Speaking of faux gourds, I was really proud of myself for noticing some on the bottom self at Joann’s the Monday after Halloween.  They were 75% off and about the same price as gourds from the grocery store but the best thing about these is they will never fade, rot, and are pretty tough.  Love them!  Perfect decorations for a fall flavor.

This is Dayna and Jeff as he is trying to get the “oysters” off of the turkey.

 

My boy, checking out all of the food on the island and hoping to eat soon.  Really, I think he’s eyeing those sweet-potatoes that are my grandma’s amazing recipe.   They are so yummy.  When Dayna and I were figuring out what we wanted to serve for Thanksgiving she mentioned that she and Jeff both didn’t really care for sweet potatoes and I said that we HAD to make my grandma’s recipe and they would be converted, I was right (most people call them yams but I hear that’s technically incorrect so in order to try not to confuse those who call them sweet potatoes and have had really yams, I’ll just call them sweet potatoes).  Jeff went back for more sweet potatoes than anything else during the meal and even got more in the morning with his breakfast he liked them so much.  They are super easy.   Here’s the recipe:

My Grandma’s Sweet-Potatoes (or Thanksgiving Yams)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash 6 sweet potatoes and pierce with a fork.   Bake Sweet Potatoes on a cookie sheet for 1-2 hrs until soft…just keep an eye on them, it really depends on the mass of them and how dense they are how long it takes but they start smelling sweet when they are getting softer.

2.  Let baked sweet potatoes cool.  Peel off skins or scoop out pulp.  Place pulp in a bowl.  Add melted butter, salt, and milk to desired consistency (just as you would make mashed potatoes).

3.  Grease a 9x13x2 pan and spread sweet potatoes out.  Sprinkle with marshmallows (about 3/4 of a package).  Bake in a 350 degree oven until marshmallows start looking toasty (about 25 minutes).

4.  Let cool for 10 minutes.  Serve and enjoy.

 

I’m so Thankful that we got to have our great friends join us for the holiday.  It was lots of fun, even if I was feeling a little nutty after moving a week and a half before.  It was wonderful to have them!

Add a little protein to your diet with something easy and delicious…

I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a while as it is one of my favorites and is really healthy.  When we lived with the 93-year-old woman who’s son and DIL were on their mission, part of the deal was that we have Sunday dinner together every week and then have the same thing for Monday night and then have a weekly game of scrabble.  She made the salads which was really great because I honestly hate to chop.  It has something to do with being a klutz and needing my fingers intact to play the violin…  So anyway, she introduced us to some very interesting, some very boring and some delicious recipes in the 18 months we lived there.  This recipe is by far my favorite one that she shared (I honestly am addicted).   I changed it around a little (as I do almost everything I cook).  What I really like to do with this is double it and have it for dinner and then for lunch the next day.  For those of you on diets, this is full of protein, fiber and good oils.  Bon appétit. 

 

White Bean Tuna Salad

2-3 Servings

-1 can white beans rinsed and drained well (or you can use dried that you’ve soaked overnight and boiled for at least an hour though I usually do two).

-1 can tuna  (Preferably Italian in Olive oil)

-1 cup of parsley, fresh, chopped (or to taste I usually only do about 1/4 cup)

-1/4 cup finely diced red onion (green onions are good too and then you only need 1-2 chopped)

Dressing:

-3 Tbs olive oil

-2 Tbs lemon juice

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse beans in colander until no foam appears.  Let drain, pat dry  with paper towels.

2. Drain oil from tuna and discard; put tuna in mixing bowl.

3. Add beans chopped parsley, onion, and gently combine.

4. In small bowl, whisk olive oil and lemon juice.  Gently mix dressing into salad.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5.  Will stay good in refrigerator for a day or two.