A Quiet Thanksgiving ~ Just The Four Of Us And Good Food

The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving kept the family busy such that we hardly saw each other so it was a blessing to get away, just the four of us. 

The Pemigewasset River

We headed to New Hampshire after hearing about all the snow the White Mountains were getting.

Even though I've made Thanksgiving dinner there for the past couple of years, I always forget what it's like since I make the meal only once a year. The pantry is pretty basic so it forces me to cook simply. We brought up all the food I had purchased back at home, including the fresh turkey that came from a local farm (story here). In the end, the simplicity worked in our favor and I made a very fresh and flavorful meal. 

The Meal

Stuffing

It started with drying cubes of multi-grain bread, one loaf, overnight which turned into the delicious and flavorful stuffing, or dressing, the next day. Below, the stuffing was made from fresh bread crumbs, fresh sage, chopped celery, onion, chestnuts (jarred), apples, and low-sodium chicken broth.

Cranberry Sauce

Making the fresh cranberry sauce was next with local cranberries I found at the grocery store (there are many beautiful bogs in nearby Cape Cod), oranges, and sugar. The aromas developing were amazing! It raised our holiday spirits.

I love serving cranberry sauce in a glass dish. It looks so pretty and sparkly.

Roasted Butternut Squash With Parsnips And Apples

This is a simple side dish of coarsely chopped squash and apples (of equal size), chopped parsnips (of smaller size), butter, and freshly grated nutmeg. I roast them in the oven until tender in this cast iron pan, but they roast nicely in a baking sheet also. I like to give them a rustic mash.

If we were home, this dish would have looked as pretty as the picture below. Below is the same side dish idea, without the parsnips, and with roasted butternut squash seeds that I made in late August for a kidney nutrition newsletter.

  

Roasted Green Beans And Leeks

Next, and my favorite new dish creation, was this side dish made by simply roasting green beans with leeks and extra virgin olive oil at 400 degrees for just a few minutes. In the past, I've made roasted green beans with almonds. But this was more savory. A great healthy alternative to the processed canned green bean casserole - which I've never made but have eaten a few times growing up and really never liked.

Mashed Potatoes And Gravy

Mashed potatoes and gravy were the last to be made. I never got a chance to photograph the gravy because that's when it got a little crazy and the entire meal was put together. The gravy was simple, slowly whisking a little flour with strained pan drippings and adding low-sodium chicken broth as needed. 

Meanwhile 
The fresh turkey had been roasting in the oven.

And the kids played.

White Friday

We skipped Black Friday and skied. I never really liked Black Friday anyway. I prefer to rest or decorate for the holidays.

Feeling exhilarated by the snow, the mountain, and gorgeous scenery, I kept calling the Friday after Thanksgiving our White Friday.

Cannon Mountain

View of Franconia Ridge

Brussels Sprouts Roasted On The Branch and Ideas for Meals During Busy Times

The fabulous high school musical my daughter was in is over, the sets I painted are down, the costumes I worked on are stored away. I'm so happy I helped but it's great to be back to my routine cooking fresh meals for my family.

Before I get to the brussels sprouts - a few cooking ideas when busy
While the past few weeks were extremely fun, they were also extremely busy and exhausting. Often, I didn't have much energy to cook after standing on my feet all day. Shopping for organic or local food was a real challenge. I know I sound snobby when I talk about shopping at Whole Foods or farmers' markets, but as open minded as I can get about conventional grocery stores, I just felt that shopping  was an unpleasant, unfriendly, and depressing experience in comparison. I do like to shop at Dave's for its smaller, cozier environment with attractive displays (a place I occasionally shop when in a pinch). But the selection of organic produce was very limited, local produce was non-existent, and the quality and flavor were poor. Eating during the past few weeks was not a joy. Thankfully, I had some bagged organic vegetables, homemade pesto, and local meats in the freezer.

Working around the inconvenience, meals were simple and our creativity came from using up pretty much anything we had on hand. We often picked the fridge and pantry clean. Dinner was often salads, sometimes we just snacked on fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, yogurts, or hummus. When I had time to cook, dinner was a comforting meal that provided leftovers for more busy days, like meatloaf and lasagna. American chop suey was my son's favorite (easy to make and not that dreadful boxed meal which "helps hamburger"), and soup, from whatever was on hand, was my daughter's favorite. Batches of cooked pasta or rice were handy, making quick meals when leftover meat, vegetables, or meatballs were added. We did eat out more than I wanted, but I'm happy to say that we favored local independent restaurants or delis over fast-food chains, and picked up a rotisserie chicken once a week.

 Some meals that provided our leftovers

Back To My Routine 
I want to share this terrific way to cook and serve brussels sprouts - a light and easy meal we had the other night. The idea came from a "Thanksgiving Made Easy" flyer I picked up at Whole Foods. I changed the recipe somewhat.

The beautiful brussels sprouts on a branch came from a scenic local organic farm, where I also bought our fresh turkey, along with other in-season greens and root vegetables. The farm, which usually sells its food at the farmers' market only 20 minutes away, was almost one hour away. But, after weeks of so-so food, I was overjoyed . . . thrilled . . . ecstatic . . . yes, ecstatic to make the special trip there right before Thanksgiving.

Brussels Sprouts Roasted On The Branch 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash branch but don't rinse. Place on a baking sheet then sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil (or olive oil) and balsamic vinegar. I used white balsamic vinegar but regular dark balsamic vinegar can be used. Cover loosely with foil and roast for about 30 minutes or until sprouts are tender. When the oven is opened for the first time to check doneness, there'll be smoke so be careful.

And Serve
It was fun placing the branch on a board in the middle of the table for everyone to cut from, like the recipe creator suggested in the flyer. The verdict? My husband has a "new found appreciation for brussels sprouts". My daughter was impressed but still doesn't like them. My son, a picky eater but who likes brussels sprouts, said, "cool!" He wasted no time cutting in.

Cheese and lettuce on the side made it into a nice salad. Adding a bowl of walnuts was an afterthought for the next time!

* * *

The Play

In the end, my daughter's Edwardian-period hats turned out better than the first.

Of the four scenes I worked on, the millinery store was my favorite. Not quite done here but it's the general idea:

All my art supplies are back in their places and I think I'll keep the millinery store mannequin around a while.

It's Time To Make Art!

I've hit the wall!

I'm frazzled this fall.

The science project has taken over the dining room.

Homework was all over the kitchen this afternoon.

Dishes are piling up in the sink.

Laundry is piling up everywhere, I think.

And my dog keeps stealing socks. What's up with that?

Um . . . oh, yes . . .

The dogs need to be fed.

Books need to be read.

And I did not make this hat fancy enough, I dread,

for my daughter's upcoming high school production.

So while I'm busy working on painting sets, 

I won't be around much, my regrets.

A few weeks is the call.

I'll be back soon to tell you it all.

* * *

The painting (from the original by Marc Chagall) we worked on together for a backdrop in her last high school production:

Like the animated fiddler (by Raz on YouTube), eventually, all the pieces fall into place . . .

Wheat Berry And Cranberry Salad

I'm sharing this recipe because it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and because I'm contributing a cookbook recipe to Louise's Cookbook Party at Months of Edible Celebrations (open to everyone). This recipe falls under the Cranberry Month category.

I learned about this salad from my close friend when her mom had breast cancer. I'm very happy to say that she survived her long and difficult battle. She is also my neighbor and friend and I can't tell you enough how happy I was to see her gardening again this summer.

My friend bought this, The Pink Ribbon Diet, cookbook so she could cook healthy meals for her mom when she was weak. I've tried the salad at her house and another friend made it recently, who is also a neighbor and friend of my friend's mom (sorry about the confusion). She made it during a girl's weekend at her summer home on Block Island that I was invited to in September and I've been wanting to make it ever since.

The Beautiful Block Island

We arrive!

A wheel barrel and wheat berry salad await us

Chatty Ladies

Artists setting up easels at The Spring House on a foggy morning

Back on mainland

Wheat Berry And Cranberry Salad
If you look for the recipe in the cookbook it's actually called Wheat Berry Salad. Since I doubled the recipe, I changed some of the ingredient portions that I thought would overwhelm the flavor if they were also doubled. So I doubled wheat berries down to cranberries but kept remaining ingredients portions the same, as explained in parentheses.

1 cup hard red winter wheat berries (instead of 1/2)
2 cups chopped pecans (instead of 1)
2 cups dried cranberries (instead of 1)
1/2 red onion, medium (same, I didn't double)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (same, I didn't double)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, I used regular but white would be nice (same, I didn't double)
Salt and black pepper to taste (I just used pepper)

First rinse the wheat berries in a strainer then place in a pot and cover with about two inches of water. Let them soak overnight or eight hours (according to the package). Drain. I soaked the wheat berries at 8 in the morning and they were ready by 3 pm.

The recipe says to then simmer the wheat berries for about 50 minutes in 4 cups of water until soft but chewy, or less for a firmer texture. However, after soaking my wheat berries for eight hours, they were already soft and chewy so I eliminated this step.

While the wheat berries cool (if you cook them). Make the dressing by whisking oil, vinegar, and pepper together. In a large bowl, combine the wheat berries with pecans, dried cranberries, and red onion. Pour dressing over and mix together.

Serve at room temperature or cold.

Tastes great like this - an easy busy school night meal with a rotisserie chicken (organic/no salt/Whole Foods). Tastes great just by itself as a salad, or over red or other soft lettuce, with sandwiches, along side pork, ham, or with turkey on Thanksgiving.