Thanksgiving Highlights

404. Thanksgiving will always bring warm and beautiful memories from years gone by.

Delicious food, desserts and time with those we love.

  Each year I am blessed to plan and prepare and sit down to a table surrounded with people I love.  

This year was no different.  Enjoy highlights from our families day of thanks.

"For me, every hour is grace.  And I feel gratitude in my heart each time I can meet someone and look at his or her smile."

~Elie Wiesel

Apple Crostata

235. With apples a plenty from our apple picking excursion, an apple pie was a must!

Although the day we went apple picking was overcast and cool, the apple trees were loaded and there were few in the orchard picking. We had our choice of any apple from any tree.

An Apple Crostata is the simplest way of having the apple pie without all the fuss.

Apple Crostata

2 to 3 apples, peel, core and chop in to chunks or slices

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of ground cloves

pinch of kosher salt

dash of nutmeg

1 heaping teaspoon of corn starch

1 pre-made pie crust, unbaked

Roll out pie crust on a floured surface in a circle, approximately 12". Place all other ingredients in a bowl and mix to coat apples.

Transfer pie crust round onto a flat baking sheet covered with parchment paper or Silpat. Pour apple mixture into center of pie crust.

Dot with butter.

Then begin to fold the dough over the edges of the apples leaving the center uncovered. Brush the top crust with a small amount of milk or water then sprinkle sparkling sugar over.

Bake 350º oven for 25-35 minutes or till crust is light brown and center is bubbling.

Allow the Crostata to cool. Cut in pie slices and top with vanilla ice cream.

It's beautiful and easy!

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."

Apple Picking

178. Apple picking is a yearly tradition for our family. And, visiting Wickham's Fruit Farm in Cutchogue, NY is always a highlight.

When you pull into the parking lot and step out of the car, the aroma of fresh made donuts fills the air. You can purchase sugar and cinnamon, sugar or plain. We always go for the mixed bag.

They are cake like and so delicious!

Once you pay for u-pick apples, you walk across the field and climb onto a wagon. Our Girls Club came along for the fun.

After you fill your bag with apples and eat one or two you head back to the farm stand.

They have all types of fruit, cheese, apple cider, jams, jellies

and delicious baked goods.

They also have fantastic honey collected from their own hives.

We had a wonderful day and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine, time with friends and the delicious apples.

"You never know how many apples there are in one little seed."

~ Annonymous

Birthday Party

171. Happy Birthday to Maggie! My baby turned 12 and we celebrated with a "Glam-a-Pajama" Party. Maggie got the idea from an American Girl Magazine feature. She made cute little thank you notes for each of her guests. And a paper chain banner.

We decorated in the "Amy Atlas" styling...but on a budget.

Homemade chocolate and vanilla cupcakes

Gift bags with cute American Girl stickers.

Creamsicle smoothies...and munchies & pizza.

The girls decorated flip-flops with fur and had fun with a "Crazy Hair Makeover".

"If we could be twice young and twice old we could correct all our mistakes."

~ Euripides

Poached Eggs

170. The classic poached egg is a beautiful thing. Growing up my mother would make us small poached eggs in her little aluminum pot.

I always loved to have one of these little eggs...there was something special about it.

I saw this little poacher in the back of my closet the other day and decided to make a poached egg.

Very satisfying!

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

~ Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis

Tennessee Fixin's

163. Our recent trip to Tennessee was so enjoyable and relaxing. The southern hospitality was the first thing we noticed. Everyone calling you "Honey", "Sweetheart" and "Darlin'". We realized we weren't in NY any more. And patient...everyone is so patient and accommodating. Even when we couldn't get our order straight at the Dunkin Donut Drive-Thru. "That's two medium black coffee's, no, no cream, no, no sugar...yes, a medium black ice coffee with sugar, no, no cream...but cream on the side." And we ended up with a medium cream and sugar coffee...but, we were called "Sweethearts" and told that "We can fix that!" (With a very deep southern drawl.) I really got use to it.

Along with the beautiful mountains and scenery all around, we were sure to taste what Tennessee is famous for. Delicious food, sweet tea, biscuits, fried chicken, bbq and so much more.

While driving through the Great Smokies Arts and Crafts Community, we came across Glades Homemade Candies in Gatlinburg.

Their small sign that said "Homemade Ice Cream" made us stop.

The ice cream was delicious, and homemade peanut butter fudge was fantastic.

Another gem of a candy store was on the main street in Gatlinburg. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the shops, stores and attractions, The Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen had the best taffy I've ever eaten. It's not too sweet and the flavor is so subtle.

They were making peanut butter taffy and we were able to sample it. So soft, chewy and light.

It started with this large log of pulled taffy mixed with a peanut butter strip.

Then it was placed on a fantastic taffy machine

that pulled and stretched the candy

eventually pulling it into a small log, wrapped it in paper, twisted the end and then dropped it into a basket.

Each flavor was so light and delicious. We purchased a 1/2 pound of mixed flavors and enjoyed it so much, we stopped back for another box before leaving town.

Besides sweets, we really enjoyed the barbecue.

Several years ago, while passing through Tennessee we had eaten at Bennetts and couldn't wait to have their ribs once more. And we were not disappointed!

The smokey flavor went right down to the bone.

One of the best meals we had that week!

Not only did we enjoy wonderful fried chicken and biscuits at Bojangles', and gallons of sweet tea, we also enjoyed another local favorite. Grown wild throughout the area, wild blackberries were in season and seemed to be along every roadside. While we were exploring we came across a large patch, and I just had to jump out of the car and pick some.

The blackberries were sweet and juicy and so delicious.

When we got back to our cabin, I whipped up a blackberry cobbler. What a treat!

Thanks to Tennessee, we had a very "Taste"ful time!

"Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do?

Yes--Northerners."

~ Southern Quotes

"In the South, the breeze blows softer... neighbors are friendlier, nosier, and more talkative. (By contrast with the Yankee, the Southerner never uses one word when ten or twenty will do). This is a different place."

~Southern Quotes