Gratitude

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My sister, Sandi, was here again this year and we had a marvelous time just hangin around the house --- cooking, eating, playing with Buddy, doing chicken and guinea chores, playing Sequence, visiting and of course, drinking some wine.

We made a beautiful bay and lemon brined bird this year that I failed to capture in photographs (why oh why didn't I think of it?). I've never had a turkey with such a rich mahogany color plus the turkey was moist. I will brine again.

Sandi furnished a delicious sweet potato recipe that was the hit of the meal since it was a different twist to the traditional sweet potato recipe. Here's the recipe...

Sweet Potatoes
1 (28 oz) can cut yams, mashed or better yet, 3 cups fresh sweet potatoes that have been roasted first, then mashed
1/2 cup sugar
2 T butter
2 eggs, beaten (or egg substitute)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk (or non-dairy creamer)
Topping
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine mashed sweet potatoes with sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk.
Spoon into greased 8 1/2 by 11 inch baking dish.
Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of the potato mixture. Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until topping is lightly browned.

Makes 10-12 servings

Our meal also included dressing, my fresh cranberry relish with wine and star anise, green beans with wild mushroom sauce, fresh sweet peppers, and finished with Midnight Pumpkin Pie which is the traditional pumpkin pie only with chocolate! Yum! Tradition with a twist.

We had the good fortune to have two Thanksgiving meals this year. We celebrated with our dear friends and their family on TG day with a bounty of food that was delicious and company that was lively.  Sandi arrived late on Thanksgiving Day so we had a small supper and had our Thanksgiving meal together on Friday.

I try to feel gratitude every day not just at Thanksgiving. I love and appreciate my friends, some who are Family of the Heart. I feel gratitude for my relatives and family including my three wonderful special sisters--- Marcine, Bonnie and Sandi; also for my husband, Mark, for the gift of his love and friendship. I know that I have so much as a citizen of the United States - I am grateful for the freedom and abundance. I love my simple life surrounded by nature.

Speaking of nature, today I'm watering the saplings since we haven't had rain in a long time. The birds followed the hose to each sapling to drink and play in the water. We put a tomato cage around each of the small saplings so the deer and Buddy won't chew on them this winter.
For all this, I am thankful.
Delores