My Thanksgiving

Our table

My dish (yum!)

I love this picture!

Our desserts

 

My dee-licious trifle

Addam's Family Values at the end of the day

…. I’m hungry.

Thanksgiving Dessert

I was planning on posting some recipes from the Martha Stewart Holiday magazine, but to be quite honest with you, I wasn’t liking any of them. A little too fussy for my taste.

So instead, I’ll show you what I’ll be baking later today for Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

It’s a Paula Deen recipe, which automatically means it’s simple and delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
• 1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-gingerbread-trifle-recipe/index.html

Doesn’t that sound great?

Well, I’m off to start cleaning now for the big day…

I wish everyone a safe, filling, and happy Thanksgiving!

Martha Stewart Holiday

Well, I don’t think I’ll be able to throw my Autumn Brunch this weekend There’s simply too much going on this week to prepare for anything. For one, I got sick a couple of days ago, and ended up getting an ear infection (still have it). I also have a tremendous amount of school work, and my mother’s close friend just passed away yesterday… so, throwing a party doesn’t really seem to be in the stars for me.

Oh, well.

To cheer myself up though, I bought the Martha Stewart Holiday magazine! This year’s edition is focusing entirely on sweets from Thanksgiving to Christmas!

Naturally, this made me ecstatic.

I haven’t looked at it yet since I’ve been running around all day, but I’m sure once that I do, I will be posting many of its delicious recipes on this little blog…

Just wait!

Autumn Brunch

So, I was sitting in the couch this evening, thinking of how much I love this time of year (minus the midterms), and how nice it is to throw intimate little parties in this apartment of mine… which led me to the idea of throwing an informal, VERY last-minute, Autumn Brunch this Sunday (yikes!)

I almost immediately began to bite my tongue after the word “this Sunday” since the parties I usually throw entail weeks and weeks of planning and cleaning, but quite honestly, I would just love to have an excuse to deep cleanse and tidy up my house again.

Sure, I could always use one of my days off to clean up, but the house just never seems to feel as cozy as it does before and after a party for some reason.

A house during a party is such a magical time, I think. Everything you’re used to in your daily environment becomes completely transformed. I love the way the bathroom looks, all neat and orderly, with a cinnamon candle flickering upon the toilet bowl. I love the freshly vacuumed living room, the sofa adorned with gently folded quilts, soft music humming faintly in the background. I love the way the food looks laid out on my kitchen table, each item placed carefully in their particular spot, awaiting a hand to pick and gobble them up. I love the peacefulness that lingers in the air after the party is over, the silence, the fragrant candles licking up the ends of their dying flames…

You can just say that I love the feeling of throwing a party- knowing that for one night, your house is intended for something special, something other than its regular routine. It’s really a celebration of the home; sharing with loved ones the fortune of having a fluffy pillow to rest your head upon when the day is done.

For all these reasons, I’ve been toying with the idea of throwing a party this Sunday. Whether I have the gusto to muster something like this up in a week, is completely different story.

But I’ve come up with a rough draft of the menu, regardless. So far, this is it:

Spiced Pumpkin Waffes (Courtesy of Country Living Magazine)

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cup(s)	all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon(s)	baking powder
2 teaspoon(s)	cinnamon
1 teaspoon(s)	ginger
1/2 teaspoon(s)	baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s)	salt
1/2 teaspoon(s)	fresh-ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon(s)	cloves
4	large eggs
2 cup(s)	buttermilk
1 cup(s)	pumpkin purée
1/2 cup(s)	dark brown sugar
1/4 cup(s)	(1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon(s)	pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat a waffle iron. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin purée, sugar, butter, and vanilla in another large bowl until smooth. While whisking, add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.
3. Generously coat the waffle iron with vegetable oil and cook the batter in the waffle iron as recommended in the manufacturer’s instructions. Repeat with remaining batter.

… Hopefully I can find a waffle iron somewhere, because I don’t believe I have one. Hmm…

Apple Butter (Courtesy of Country Living Magazine)

 INGREDIENTS

5 pound(s)	cooking apples, cored and quatered
1 cup(s)	apple cider
2 tablespoon(s)	orange juice
1 cup(s)	brown sugar
1/2 cup(s)	granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the Apple Butter: Combine the apples, cider, and orange juice in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft — 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the heat. In small batches, purée the apples and any cooking liquid through a food mill. Return the purée to the Dutch oven, add the sugars, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, still stirring, until the purée thickens slightly — about 10 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Transfer the butter to a clean jar and cool completely. Store refrigerated for up to 1 month.

Maple Country Turkey Sausage Recipe (Courtesy of Tastebook.com)

 INGREDIENTS

• * 2 pounds ground turkey
• * 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• * 2 tablespoons grill seasoning
• * 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, maple syrup and grill seasoning. Work the meat to combine all the ingredients then form patties 2- to 3-inches round.
• Place a large skillet over medium high heat with EVOO. Brown patties in the skillet for 2-3 minutes on each side. Place the patties on a baking sheet, drizzle them lightly with oil, and finish baking them in the oven until they are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 165°F, about 5-6 minutes.

 

Light and Fluffy Spinach Quiche (Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with foil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and milk until smooth. Whisk in eggs. Layer spinach, cheese, and onion in pie shell, making several layers of each. Pour in egg mixture. Place quiche on prepared cookie sheet. Cover quiche with foil.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling is set.

Fresh Fruit Salad (Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh strawberries, halved
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups seedless grapes, halved
• 1 (8 ounce) container plain or vanilla yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large salad bowl, combine strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas and grapes. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Serve with fruit.

… And that’s all that I have in mind for now. Ambitious, huh? Well, we’re just going to have to see what happens during the course of this week!

A Typical Autumn Evening…

My two kitties, Lola and Cuddles (my third, Pudge, is missing from this photo)

It’s stormy and WINDY as I write this tonight… makes you thankful for having a roof over your head (and having snuggly, snoring kitties safe and sound as well!)

My Dream Home

People have many different goals in life; some want lots of money, others a successful career…

Me, I want an historic home.

There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t fantasize about living in a cozy old house, with uneven floorboards, a crackling fireplace in each room, mahogony four postered beds adorned with colorful quilts, candles flickering in every window…

On my daily internet ”house hunting” today, I found the most perfect example of my dream home, and just had to share it with someone:

It’s in Sandwich, Massachusetts (Cape Cod, what I consider heaven), and it’s selling for $625,000

It has its own private dock! I’m feeling faint…

Oh, someday…

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Thinking of a fairly easy, and really yummy dessert for Thanksgiving this month?

Try these cookies- they’re out of this world! I made them for my Halloween party a few weeks ago, and couldn’t get enough of them. They’re so moist and chewy, and the simple chocolate glaze compliments the pumpkin immensely… just thinking about them makes my stomach growl!

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

And here’s a photo of the batch I personally made:

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 3 1/2 dozen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.
4. When cookies have cooled, set them (still on rack) over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make an 1/8-inch hole; pipe chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes

…Dee-licious!

A Christmas Carol

I know this doesn’t directly have to do with the home per se, but the message of this film certainly does!

This was such a great movie! I just saw it this evening with my aunt and cousin. Not only is the story absolutely timeless by itself, but the incorporation of the 3-D effects made it amazing.

The minute details- from the dim candlelit rooms, to the individual strands of hair on each character’s head, to the three dimensional snow that seemed to fall an inch in front of your face- honestly made you feel like you were there in 1839 with Scrooge himself.

The movie left me with such a holly-jolly feeling, I half expected to step out of the theaters into 19th century London!

Needless to say, I suggest everyone take their loved ones and see this. It’ll truly leave you wanting to deck the halls as soon as possible

So, to make this post legitimately domestic, I’ll leave you with a very ”Christmas Carol” recipe that’s sure to look festive on any Holiday table next month:

Old Fashioned Plum Pudding Recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cooked prunes, pitted
1 cup chopped walnuts

Pudding Sauce:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Brandied Hard Sauce:
1 Tbsp sweet unsalted butter
1 unbeaten egg
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp brandy

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 cake pans with tube in center. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside. Mix sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk. Add flour mixture. Fold in cooked, chopped prunes and nuts. Bake 45 minutes to an hour at 325 degrees in prepared tube pans. When puddings are done, remove from pans, prick all over immediately with a fork and pour pudding sauce over while still hot, pressing sauce into puddings with a spatula. Store puddings in refrigerator. Slice when cold. To serve: bring to room temperature. Serve with brandied hard sauce. Freezes well.

Pudding Sauce:

Prepare sauce 10 minutes before pudding is done by mixing the above in a heavy saucepan. Boil all of the ingredients together for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Brandied Hard Sauce:
Cream butter. Add egg and mix well. Gradually work in two cups or more powdered sugar. More sugar will make a tighter hard sauce. Flavor with brandy

 (Courtesy of The Governor’s Inn in Ludlow, Vermont)

Christmas Books

If you’re hankering to get a little boost on your Christmas spirit early this year, I have some lovely recommendations on books that’ll definitely do the trick! 

The first book I recently found laying on a pile of clothes in T.J. Maxx for $4!

Old-Fashioned Country Christmas

 I can’t express how much I love looking at this book. Not only does it have delicious themed recipes, but also contains pages among pages of decorating tips from Gooseberry Patch readers… and they are great! 

There are so many adorable ideas, that it’s extremely difficult for me to choose just one to share with you! But here is one of my favorites that I’ll definitely be utilizing for my Christmas Party this December:

“During the year, purchase holiday cookie cutters (especially when on sale.) Using red, green, or plaid ribbon as a “hanger,” display them on your tree. As holiday guests leave, each gets a cookie cutter along with a copy of your favorite cookie recipe, as a little token of a special time spent together”

Oh, and I can’t help but share this with you as well: 

“Christmas Potpourri

6 thin-skinned oranges  

10 cinnamon sticks

cloves

2 oz. orange oil

 6 drops cinnamon oil

 Use a potato peeler to make long strips, about 1/2″ wide, from the oranges. Stud the peels with cloves, 1/2″-1″ apart. Pour orange oil and cinnamon oil in a bowl and dip peels in oil. Allow excess to drip off from rind. Dip cinnamon sticks in mixture as well. Place potpourri in an attractive glass or ceramic bowl and enjoy! This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled so make a large batch to have on hand for gifts. Should the scent diminish, reapply the oil mixture to peels.”

 Cute, huh?  Here’s the link to the book via their website, although I suggest you look on Amazon for a more reasonable price. Either way, here ya go! http://www.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/products.nsf/v.weball/Old-Fashioned_Country_Christmas_Cookbook_-Itemm312

 Okay, on to the next book.

 Here’s another fun fact about myself and the things I love. My idol, and who I aspire to be in life, is Susan Branch. There’s so much I could say about her and how she’s impacted who I am today, but that’s a whole other post. For now, I’d like to share with you her Christmas book that I keep by my side all December:

Christmas From the Heart of the Home

This book has traditional and innovative recipes that are all equally mouth-watering. Not only that, but the entire book is beautifully illustrated, as all Susan Branch books are, and speckled generously with charming quotes, her own personal Christmas experiences, and advice for having a wonderful Holiday season.

I not only recommend you purchasing this book, but adding all of  her books to your reading collection,  for there is nothing like them… I assure you!

“Candy houses, cinnamon hearts, chocolate kisses, plates of cookies, candy canes, ribbon candy, gingerbread houses, loaves of bread, popcorn balls & candied apples all perk things up. Use children’s toys to decorate: blocks, trains & teddy bears.

For the table: a colorful quilt, a special lace tablecloth, or even a nice white bedspread. Hang stockings (with care) at fireplace or on backs of chairs.

Tie ribbon around the dog’s neck, put a bell on the cat, dress up your children, put on a cute apron, send your mom a corsage, get dad a boutonniere, put jingle bells on the baby’s shoes. Fill your house with love.”

Need I say more?

Purchase Susan Branch’s book on her website: http://www.susanbranch.com/stores/showdetl.cfm?&DID=50&Product_ID=529&CATID=1

And last but not least, to indulge my New England fixation, a book I received last Christmas that has yet to detach itself from my hip:

A Yankee Christmas (excuse the small photo)

This book is just… wonderful. It has breath-taking photographs, amazing recipes (menus included) with interesting histories behind them, stories, crafts, you name it.

I can literally spend hours with this book, absorbing New England’s unparalleled culture page by page. You can certainly say this is one of my favorites!

I’ll share with you a simple little craft that is great to do with a child, described below:

Baby Doll

Materials

24″ square of muslin or other fabric

An old nylon stocking or other filler for head

12″ narrow satin ribbon

6″ piece of lace

Generations of New England grandmothers and great-grandmothers have soothed fussy babies with these simple dolls, which you can make in less time than it takes to sing “Away in a Manger.” For the fabric, you can use a dishtowel, diaper or any large piece of nonbulky material, adding a scrap of lace and a few stitches to “fancy up” the baby a bit. Make the doll as small or as large as you wish, and don’t worry if the muslin or other fabric isn’t quite square.

1. Lay the fabric flat and fold one side over about 6 inches. Wad up an old stocking or other filler into a fist- size ball and place under the fold, about halfway across the side. This is the baby’s head.

2. Gather the folded material on one side of the head and tie a knot in the fabric to make one arm. Repeat on the other side of the head to make the other arm. Turn the baby over so the fold is in the back.

3. Tie the ribbon in a bow around the baby’s neck. If you want to dress up your baby, tack on lace to frame the face like a bonnet.

Want to buy a copy of this book? Barnes & Noble is selling them used for as low as $1.99! http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Yankee-Christmas-Featuring-Vermont-Celebrations/Sally-Ryder-Brady/e/9780899093666

… I hope these recommendations were helpful to you! If you have any of your own, please share them with me. I’m always looking for fresh ideas

Welcome!

     Wow, my very first post! This is quite exciting… now, how should I start this? I guess I’ll just jump right in!

     Is it just me, or are the holidays exceptionally appealing this year? I just can’t seem to get my mind off of cranberry sauce and Frosty the Snowman for a second. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I swoon over holidays constantly. They are, after all, “my thing.” But this year has a slightly different jingle to it (that pun was intended.) I can honestly say I’m feeling like Mrs. Claus over here now! I’m even beginning to resemble her after all of those chocolate chip muffins I made this week (recipe to follow.) I’m certainly looking forward to sharing my Holiday obsessions with you over these coming weeks. Oh, and I’m not just talking about Christmas. Thanksgiving is very much on my mind too.

I found this adorable decorating idea the other day on Martha Stewart’s website:

Fall Garland

The directions are as follows:

“Create a seasonal garland to drape around the doorway using multicolored decorative dried corn. 

Space cobs 6 to 8 inches apart on a length of raffia (available at crafts stores), tying it around each piece where the husk meets the kernels. 

The cobs will hang vertically; if you’d like them to be horizontal (as shown in the center of garland), tie the tip of each cob to the husk of the next using floral wire.”

How great is that? I think it would look perfect over the two adjoined windows in my living room, but good luck to those who can find indian corn in the store anymore. As much as I love Christmas, I find it a little ridiculous that every store in my area (and I’m sure yours too) has long since taken their autumn merchandise completely down to make room for everything Christmas, and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet! This isn’t anything new, though. Stores have been doing this from as long as I can remember. I guess profit proceeds logic. Blah. Well, the garland will definitely be in my mind for next Thanksgiving!

Now, I think it’s a good time to reveal to you one of my utmost loves in life. I won’t even beat around the bush- New England.

I love New England.

Oh yes, I do very much intend to reside there one day. Preferably Marblehead, Massachusetts, and preferably in this house:

A (my) Marblehead home

But that’s not what I wanted to say. Coinciding with my adoration of New England, is my adoration of the closest means of me living there: their Bed & Breakfasts. You might ask me how Bed & Breakfasts are domestic- they’re not your house, and they entail you traveling which is anything but domestic. I beg to differ though. Bed & Breakfasts are extremely domestic to me. They become your home while you travel. When you are fortunate enough to stay in a good B&B, with kind innkeepers and a personal enviroment, you sometimes have to remind yourself that you are, indeed, away from home.

This past month I stayed in a wonderful Bed & Breakfast in, lo-and-behold, Marblehead, MA, called The Golden Cod.

The Golden Cod

The inn was a gorgeous Victorian near the heart of the village on a quiet old road. The innkeepers, Rufus and Jean Titus, were one of the kindest, most hospitable people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. My friends and I enjoyed our experience so much, we left them a Thank You card with promises of sending them Christmas cards just to keep them in our lives.

So, my point is that Bed & Breakfasts can be incredibly domestic. They are not merely a place to rest your head after a night of wining and dining, but a warm, and intimate abode that strives to make you feel at home as much as possible. The good ones, that is…

Blueberry pancakes and poached apples for breakfast at The Golden Cod

My friends and I with the innkeepers

So, if you’re ever in the Salem/Marblehead area, and you’re looking for a charming place to stay, look no more. The Golden Cod is most definitely your best bet! http://www.goldencodbnb.com/

 

I think that’ll do for a nice first post, eh? There will be many more posts to come; on the approaching Holidays, delectable recipes I stumble upon, decorative ideas, and much, much more!

Oh, and before I forget, here is the Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe I mentioned before (eat three a night if you’d like to resemble Mrs. Claus by Christmas):

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

 

Tip: Increase the amount of chocolate chips and nuts to make your muffins even better.

Method

 

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray the bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups with cooking spray or use a nonstick muffin pan

Beat the egg, milk and melted better together. Dump remaining ingredients in all at once, and mix only until the flour is moistened. Do not overbeat. The batter should still have lumps

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Tip: If you tip the muffins out of the pans promptly, the crust on the sides and bottom will be crisper.

(Courtesy of http://best-chocolate-recipes.com )