Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving! Like I mentioned in my last post, I host Thanksgiving for 50+ people. It is so much fun. Every year there is lots of food, football and family time! Here are some pics from our Thanksgiving this year. 



Turkey veggie tray. Don't worry, I'll do a post on how to do this.

Three turkeys ready to carve.

 

Family enjoying appetizers before the meal.

Dessert and Beverage table. That plate of lefse was gone in about 5 minutes of being placed on the table.

Our buffet set up. With 50+ people there is no way we can have a sit down dinner. My hubby went last and was upset that there was no potatoes and gravy left. Auntie Sylvia, you will have to make more potatoes next year. Apparently he hasn't had potatoes and gravy for Thanksgiving in three years. It's always the first to go!

Everyone relaxing and visiting after the big meal.

Someone saw grandma eating pumpkin pie and had to come over and get some.

So, we gave them both their own piece of pumpkin pie. I think they liked it.

Despite the fact that it was 10 degrees, the brave youngins and some older folks played our annual football game. Of course we had a fire going to warm everyone up.

Diggin some holes to mark the boundaries.

Looks like a pretty serious football game.

Love the cousins!

It was such a great Thanksgiving this year. I have so much to be thankful for. I have the best husband a girl could ask for and two amazing kiddos. I have wonderful parents, sister and bro in law and an amazing extended family that makes holidays so much fun. I have so much to be grateful for! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

The Day Before T-Day

As a lot of you know, I host my family for Thanksgiving. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I have a pretty large family, which means about 50+ people come for Thanksgiving. It's crazy, but so much fun. We eat pretty early, around noon, then we have our annual football game. With that many people coming to a holiday, we have a good amount of people playing football. It's a blast and so much fun seeing everybody. I get asked a lot, how do I host Thanksgiving for 50+ people? Well, here's how I do it.

We always get three turkeys and thanks to a friend, we have 18 lbs of butter for tomorrow.

1. Have an amazing husband who takes the day before Thanksgiving off to help get ready. My husband worked hard today to get the house clean, shovel snow, change light bulbs and run errands. I definitely couldn't do this without him.

2. Have awesome parents who will take the kids for a day so you can actually get stuff done and prevent them from messing up the house. Every year my parents take the kids for a day so we can get ready for the big day.

3. Have all the guest bring something. All of our holidays are potluck. The host usually makes the main dish (turkey, ham, etc) and everyone else brings, sides, desserts, salads, paper plates and beverages. That way the host isn't stuck doing everything.

4. Have super cool aunties that not only bring a ton of things, but organize who brings what. They call and get a count of who is coming and let them all know what to bring. I just provide the house and the main dish and they take care of the rest. I am so lucky to have such fantastic aunties.

5. Get as much done ahead of time as possible. I get as much food prepared ahead of time as possible. I brine the turkey, have the veggie tray ready, get the stuffing ingredients all ready to put together and cranberry is sauce done. I also set up all the tables so they are ready to go.

All the tables are ready to go.

6. When it's all done, relax, preferable with a glass of wine :)

Come back tomorrow to check out our Thanksgiving festivities!

Over the weekend I'll be posting some fantastic recipes for all of that leftover turkey. Whatever you do, don't throw away that turkey carcass. Throw it in a large storage bag, then into your freezer. I'll show you what you can do with it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie

This is seriously the best pumpkin pie I have ever made and is freakin' fantastic! It is not your typical pumpkin pie. The filling has a much lighter consistency than your typical pumpkin pie. The filling almost has the consistency of a mousse or a light cheesecake. My husband, who has hated pumpkin pie since the day he was born, had two slices of this pie and declared that I was the best wife in the world for bringing him back to pumpkin pie. Ok, he didn't say that last part, but he did have two slices and said that it was really good. If you are looking for a better pumpkin pie recipe than you have made in the past try this out, it will change your life or at least your view on the typical pumpkin pie.

Now, I always make my pumpkin pies from fresh pumpkins. I will first show you how to get pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkins. This time of year, most grocery stores will have fresh pie pumpkins. Don't use old Halloween pumpkins. You need to get pie or sweet pumpkins. The consistency and flavor will not be the same. Plus, carved pumpkins that have been sitting on your stoop for a few weeks, proabably isn't safe for consumption.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

 

 

Making your own pumpkin puree couldn't be easier. I also make a little extra puree and freeze it. That way I have fresh pumpkin puree available for pumpkin bread, bars, etc. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

 

 

 

Chop the top off of the pumpkin with a very sharp knife, then cut it in half.

 

Scoop all of the seeds out with your hands or a spoon. Our chickens were very happy to get some nice pumpkin seeds for a snack.

Next, cut the halved pumpkin in half. Place on a baking sheet. I have two quartered pumpkins on my baking sheet pictured above.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until fork tender.

With a spoon, scoop the flesh of the pumpkin into a food processor. Throw away the skin. Puree the pumpkin until it is smooth. Measure out however much you need for pie, bars or whatever you are making and measure out the remaining puree. Place remaining puree in a storage bag being sure to mark how many cups of puree are in the bag. I usually put about 2 cups of puree in each storage bag since that seems to be the usual amount of puree needed for most recipes. Place storage bag in freezer. It will keep up to a year. Now it's time to put that puree to good use. Here is how you make pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients: pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, butter and pie crust (not pictured, but if you need a recipe go here).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, throw in all of the ingredients, except for the pie crust. You could also mix these ingredients by hand or in an electric mixer. My food processor was already used to make pumpkin puree so I figured I would just use the food processor instead of dirtying my mixer.

Turn the food processor on until all the ingredients are combined.

Pour the filling into an uncooked pie crust. It will be very liquidy, that's ok. Bake pie at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 300 degrees and bake for 80 minutes until it passes the giggle test. If the pie is not done, it will giggle a lot. Once the pie is done, it will only giggle a little (think of hard jello). You can also stick a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it is done. Once the pie is done, take it out of the oven and let cool for a few hours. Once it is cooled, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. This pie can be made a few days in advance.

Serve pie with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust, store bought or homemade
• 2 cups pumpking puree
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/3 cups sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• whipped cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place all of the ingredients (except the pie crust) into a food processor. Puree until all the ingredients are combined.
3. Pour filling mixture into a pie pan lined with pie crust dough.
4. Bake pie at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower oven to 300 degrees and bake for 80 minutes more.
5. Pie is done once it passes the "giggle test" or if you place a toothpick in the middle of the pie and it comes out clean.
6. Allow pie to cool for a few hours. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge. Pie can stay in fridge for a few days before serving. Serve pie with whipped cream.



 

Snowy Days

 

 

At least these two are enjoying all this snow!

The Basics Series: How to Make a Pie Crust

Making your own pie crust could not be easier, which is why I am hesitant to put this in the "Expert" category of The Basics Series. It does take a little practice and some special kitchen tools, however, so I will leave it there for now. Yes, it is so easy to just buy a pie crust from the store instead of making your own, so why take the time to make your own? The answer is simple, homemade pie crust tastes freakin' fantastic in comparison to the stuff you buy at the store. Plus, like most things you make from scratch, you know exactly what is going into it. You can also have bragging rights when you show up to a holiday or your mother in law's house because you made the crust from scratch. Everyone will be thoroughly impressed!

How to Make a Pie Crust

Ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, cold water, butter and vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar because that's what I had, but you can use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or even vodka instead of apple cider vinegar.)

Now, I use a food processor to make my crust. If you don't have a food processor you can use a pastry cutter. You can buy these fairly cheap at Target or Walmart. If you don't have either, you will need to cut the butter into as small of pieces as you can. Then you can simply work the butter into the flour with your hands. Alright, back to the food processor, throw the flour into the food processor.

Cut the butter into chunks. European style butter is best for crust as it has a higher fat content, but regular butter is fine too. Have you ever tried European style butter? If not, it will change your life! Soooooo good!! Must be all the fat.

Throw the butter into the food processor with the flour.

Pulse the food processor until the butter is cut into small pieces and combines with the flour.

The mixture should look and feel like sand.

Throw in the salt, sugar, vinegar and cold water.

Pulse the food processor until the dough starts to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured, clean surface. It will be crumbly, but don't worry, it's supposed  be.

 

 

Now it's time to get your hands dirty a/k/a full of flour. Bring the dough together with your hands and start to knead it until it becomes smooth and pliable, like dis'.

Cut the dough in half and form into discs. Place the discs into food storage bags and put into the fridge. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

At this point you can keep it in the fridge for a few days. When you are ready to use, allow to sit at room temperature until it becomes workable, about 20 minutes. You can also throw the dough and store in the freezer for a few months. When ready to use, defrost in the fridge overnight, let the dough sit at room temperature until it is workable, about 20 minutes or so.

After letting the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes, turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Bust out your trusty rolling pin and begin rolling out the dough, starting in the middle of your dough and working your way out.

Roll the dough out so it is larger than your pie or quiche/tart pan.

The easiest way to transfer the dough to your pie pan is to roll it up in your rolling pan then roll it out over your pan, like dis.' (Sorry, I've been watching The Little Mermaid a lot lately "you've got to bat your eyes, like 'dis', you've got to pucker up your lips, like dis.'" Anyone?)

Pick up the sides of the dough and place them along the sides of the pan. Try not to stretch the dough while doing this. If you have a bare spot, no problem, just take some dough from a spot that has extra and patch the bare spot. No one will notice.

Trim the edge with your fingers or a knife.

If you are using a quiche/tart pan like me, pinch the dough into the creases. If you are using a pie pan, make decorative creases around the edge of the pan by pinching some dough between your pointer fingers and repeating the process around the pan. You could also use a fork and press the tongs of the fork around the edges.

Cover the uncooked crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to overnight. The butter needs to get cold again so it can create that delicious flakiness that makes this pie crust so delicious.

This is the crust after it has sat in the fridge for at least an hour. They aren't showing as well in the picture, but the little white specks are the butter that has gotten cold and hardened. This is what you want. After this, cook your pie crust in whatever way your pie recipe states. If your recipe calls for a pre-baked pie crust shell, see below for instructions.

How to Bake a Pie Crust Shell

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take your cooled pie crust shell and pierce the bottom of the shell with a fork.

Line your pie crust with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. This prevents the bottom of the pie crust from puffing up.

Bake the covered pie crust for 10 minutes. Take the pie crust out of the oven and remove the foil and beans. When you are done with the dried beans you cannot eat them. Set them in a mason jar labeled "pie weight beans" and reuse them the next time you make pie.

If your recipe calls for a "par baked crust" your crust is ready for filling. If your recipe calls for a fully baked crust (these are usually for cold or frozen pies), return the crust to the oven and bake another 15 minutes until the crust is light to golden brown, depending on your preference. I like my pie crust only slightly browned, but do whatever you want. After 15 minutes, take the crust out of the oven and cool completely before filling it with pie filling.

Congratulations, you just made your own pie crust!

Troubleshooting

My dough is not coming together when I knead it. Add a few teaspoons of water until it comes together.

When I take my dough out of the fridge it is way too hard and won't roll out. Let it sit a while longer on your counter until it becomes workable.

My crust is starting to get really dark brown and the pie filling isn't cooked yet. Cover just the crust with aluminum foil and continue to bake until your filling is cooked through. The foil should prevent your crust from browning further.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 12 oz. (3 sticks) cold salted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cups cold water
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. In a food processor, throw in the flour and butter. Pulse until the flour and butter come together. I will have the consistency and feel of sand.
2. Throw in the salt, sugar, water and vinegar. Pulse the mixture until the dough starts to come together.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured, clean surface. Knead the dough until it all comes together and is pliable and smooth.
4. Cut the dough into two pieces. Form each dough piece into discs and place in storage bags.
5. Place dough into fridge and let rest for 30 minutes. (Notes: At this point you can keep it in the fridge for a few days. When you are ready to use, allow to sit at room temperature until it becomes workable, about 20 minutes. You can also throw the dough and store in the freezer for a few months. When ready to use, defrost in the fridge overnight, let the dough sit at room temperature until it is workable, about 20 minutes or so.)
6. After 30 minutes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured, clean surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, starting in the middle and rolling out.
7. Roll out dough to desired size.
8. Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin, then roll the dough out onto your pie pan.
9. Pick up the sides of the dough and place them onto the sides of your pie pan. Do not stretch your dough, lift and place instead.
10. Trim the dough around the edge of the pie pan with your fingers or a knife.
11. Pinch the edges of the dough with your pointer fingers around the edge of the pie pan to make a decorative edge.
12. Cover the dough and place back into the fridge for at least an hour until you are ready to use.
13. Baking a Pie Crust Shell: If your recipe calls for a "par baked" or "fully baked shell" here is what you do.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take your cooled pie crust shell and pierce the bottom of the shell with a fork.
2. Line your pie crust with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. This prevents the bottom of the pie crust from puffing up. 
3. Bake the covered pie crust for 10 minutes. Take the pie crust out of the oven and remove the foil and beans. When you are done with the dried beans you cannot eat them. Set them in a mason jar/food storage container labeled "pie weight beans" and reuse them the next time you make pie.
4. If your recipe calls for a "par baked crust" your crust is ready for filling.
5. If your recipe calls for a "fully baked crust" (these are usually for cold or frozen pies), return the crust to the oven and bake another 15 minutes until the crust is light to golden brown, depending on your preference. After 15 minutes, take the crust out of the oven and cool completely before filling it with pie filling.