All went smoothly yesterday. I finally got to bed at 6 a.m. Thursday morning, sure that I would be up within an hour or two to get those pies done in the morning. Somehow, I didn't have to wake up until 10 or so (not sure how that happened but the family was very obliging) and, of course, the pies still beckoned.
Pumpkin pie is easy enough to throw together but the blueberry took more preparation and was our first time working with a double crust that you roll out and cut slits in, etc. (Zoya was my helper.) I had lofty visions of curly, gorgeous edges to this pie, but after about 15 minutes in the oven, a chunk of the crust fell off and allowed blueberry goop to spill out onto the oven floor. It did not seriously hamper the taste. :)
In went the turkey, which has left me convinced that all meat should come with a little built-in timer that pops out when it's cooked just perfectly. (I'll save a bad joke about the perfect goal of genetic engineering.)
Beyond that, there wasn't much to do while the turkey cooked because everything was made already. The stuffing cooked in the slow cooker and the cranberries and sweet potato casserole went in when the turkey was finished. Alex took the kids on a long 2 hour walk in the snow.
A cranberry crisis ensued when Noah called to wish a happy Thanksgiving, which caused me to forget about everything on the stove. Once I hung up, Alex peered into the smoking pot..."What's in here?" "AUUUUGHHH!!" Turned out to be exactly what the cranberries needed in order to gelatanize just right. Sadly, the pot looks doomed, so if anyone has a suggestion for how to get the burnt blackness off the bottom, please let me know! The marshmallows had to temporarily come off the sweet potatoes in order that they finish heating up. In the final moments, we realized that mashed potatoes and gravy hadn't made the list so we whipped that up and put it all out and, good Lord, it all tasted great.
So in the wake of our Thanksgiving engorgement, I'd like to share a list of what I'm grateful for. This is certainly not complete but it's a start.
- It is not lost on me that my children are blessed with abundant food. This places them in the minority in this world, for which I am humbly thankful.
- My husband who is also my best friend and the love of my life.
- All my kids!
- My husband's job; the fact that he supports me staying home with the children
- If I can't have Noah here, I have the next best thing: knowing Noah has a great dad who takes care of him and all of my family who loves and looks out for him.
- My friends new and old; our family down in CA.
- Indoor plumbing, heating, and all the comforts of home
- Our church and church family, and the many people who take the time to enrich our children's experience there.
- Living in a free land where I can choose who, how, and where to worship.
- Being able to read and write.
- Being able to go to school and get health care.
- Being free to dream a dream and knowing it just might come true.
- Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the mighty Savior.
- All the ways God grows and stretches us.
These are all the "big rocks," so to speak. Here's the more "kick back" list. :)
- 4-Wheel Drive
- Coffee
- Alaska
- Eagles, moose, and the rare bear sighting
- The internet
- Klove radio & talk radio
- High quality distance education options
- DVR cable and the ability to skip commercials
- Our down comforter and crocheted orangey blanket
- Snow, seasons, and the weather
- Blogging, both my own and all the wonderful ones I get to read
- Grey's Anatomy. Yep, I admit it. It makes the list.
- Wool socks. I am all about the wool socks.
- Costco and their reasonably priced produce
This photo has persuaded me that I may have a future in food journalism. I love food. I love writing about it. I love taking pictures of it. I love eating it. :)
Bethany kept Wolfgang's spoon while he was feeding her some of his mashed potatoes.
Me and the cute, potato-covered baby
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