RUNNEMEDE REMEMBERED

Growing up in a small town in Southern New Jersey


Monday, November 24, 2008

My favorite holiday

Once again it's time to opine about my favorite holiday -- Thanksgiving. But before I do, let me put into this BLOG, before I forget, the best ever, easiest recipe for pumpkin pie. It's online at: http://www.eaglebrand.com/detail.asp?rid=696. You must, if you can cook at all, use this recipe. And I recommend using Pillsbury ready-made pie crust -- so simple -- for the crust -- which is always flaky and perfect. You get the pie crust in the biscuit section of the grocery store, the same section where the "we make, you bake" cookies are.

So, I love Thanksgiving, even though this year will be very quiet for Alan and me. We've been invited to my daughter's (Becky's) in-law's for the day, but Alan is not up for the trip, nor am I, so we're going to stay home and I'm going to, hopefully, make a great dinner. We'll have cranberry sauce (already made, last week), pumpkin pie (in the oven right now), turkey (I have a turkey breast thawing in the fridge), stuffing (Stove-top with added nuts and applies), apple pie (yet to be made), corn, coleslaw, and rolls. What's missing?

Well, when I was growing up we always had pickled beets. I love them, but Alan doesn't, so I'll not waste the effort to make them. We always had a dish of pickles and olives and celery sticks. While I have all those ingredients in the fridge, I don't think I want to dirty another dish and I don't want to just stick the jars on the table. We can do without them. Ginger ale and cranberry juice -- may have these, but I'm not sure yet what we'll have to drink. Since we both prefer water to anything else, I'll probably just stick to ice in a glass topped with water. Mashed potatoes? Too much trouble for two people. Sweet potato casserole? That's a maybe. I'm not partial to sweet potatoes in a casserole, I prefer them baked, straight from the oven, slatthered with loads of butter. Alan loves all the sweetnes of the casserole, so I may, if I'm up for it include that in his dinner. He loves them as left-overs as well.

Mostly what we'll be missing is 30 people around the table, all talking at once, laughing hilariously at something someone said, and my father's 30 minute grace wherein he thanked God for everything He every made and gave in my dad's lifetime.

2 comments:

Fro said...

Have to comment about the pumpkin pie recipe. While you really can't go wrong with it, a friend gave me her recipe, which more-or-less replaces the sweetened condensed milk with half-and-half and heavy cream (and sugar, of course). Richer, yet lighter/fluffier. You oughtta try it. :)

Judi Hahn said...

Okay, but that adds another step to the pie making procedure -- actually two. Three ingredients in place of the SCM. And, I always have SCM in the pantry. Can't say that I have heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 around all the time. Although I do use 1/2 and 1/2 in a lot of my recipes, so that ingredient would probably be available. Hmmm. I'll give it a try.