lovely day
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We upheld all our traditions and had a new guest at our table. It was the first Thanksgiving Dave’s mom had ever spent with us and it was a joy having her here!
Just a few of our many Thanksgiving day traditions: Dave and the kids hike Pinnacle Peak while I get the turkeys into the oven and onto the grill. I always make two turkeys, not that we ever feed more than six people, it is just what we do! My dad arrives to cut up the giblets for the gravy. I make two pans of gravy, one with giblets for my dad, Dave, and this year, for his mom too. And another pan without giblets (Yuck!) for me and the kids.
We play games outside in the warm Arizona sunshine.
Dad brings the Beaujolais Nouveau, our traditional Thanksgiving wine. Connor and Marissa help me serve, get everything onto the table, and clear the plates between courses. Then they cheerfully help clean up until the last dish is dried and put away. And I’m not being sarcastic when I say cheerfully, that they are the best! To finish it all off it, at the end of the meal, my dad always says, “You done good.”
Yes, there is a lot to be thankful for and grateful for!
The actual menu doesn’t vary much from year to year. Turkey, gravy, cranberry jelly, stuffing…
Butternut squash soup with toasted walnuts and blue cheese…
Mashed Yukon gold potatoes and corn gratin.
This year there was a new sweet potato dish. So how about I give you that recipe? It would be wonderful for Christmas dinner too. I used a mix of white and red sweet potatoes, either one of the varieties or the mix of both works just the same.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
5 to 5 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup half and half
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
Place in the cut sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife.
Drain the potatoes and run them through a food mill into the same pot they were cooking in.
Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, half and half, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
Preheat broiler.
Transfer the mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish or similar size dish. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top. Broil for 2 minutes or until the sugar melts, watching carefully so as to not let the top burn. Remove from oven and let stand until the melted sugar hardens about 5 minutes.
Serves 8 to 10
2 comments
Makes me hungry all over again to see all that wonderfully delicious food. And another picture that I didn’t realize you were going to post.
Perfect Thanksgiving – as usual! Mashed potatoes & stuffing are always mu favorite!
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