Simple Thanksgiving table setting

It’s very hard for me to do anything simple and modern looking.  It just is.  I love to look at trendy simple things: clothes, home decor, scrapbooking pages, patterns….anything.  And I love it.  But when it comes right down to it, it’s impossible for me to duplicate that look in anything I touch.  It starts out simple, but very soon another element creeps in, an extra detail here or there, some brighter color sneaks in….and soon whatever I’m working on is full right up with all sorts of visual junk!  Yes, I am a messy person, and it usual shows up even in my “designing” (art, decorating, crafting,  junk making, whatever you want to call it).  It’s hard to stop myself.  I know, I know,  I’ve heard: Art is knowing when to stop.  And I agree.  And I guess that’s where the line between crafty and artist is drawn.  All this to say, I felt rather proud of myself for creating (in my mind) a simple modern-looking Thanksgiving table setting this year.  It was excruciatingly hard to hold back and not add more and more, but I forced myself and getting some new simple dishes from Ikea helped (and a time crunch helped, too).

Last year’s Thanksgiving table here was more like what I usually do.  This year I tried a new color scheme, and I must say I liked it.  I just loved the bright colors (that is normal for me) what wasn’t normal was the more simple decorations.A plain white cake stand, a dried gourd (from Guatemala), a couple of small pumpkins and pomegranates, a few candles, a bunch of purplish carnations and a few green flowers.  Yes, it did involve a shopping trip to IKEA for a few things: new blue dishes, a couple of blue candles, purple table runner, purple juice jug and purple serviettes.  I had lots of orange things already in my stash 🙂  No time for place-cards this year, just a few plain wooden leaves from Walmart.  I did print out some Thanksgiving things on kraft paper, but we didn’t really use them…..they were to make a thankful paper chain.  We were thankful without the craft.  The rest of the photos were taken under the dining room lighting so the color looks kind of weird…. I quickly crammed all the flowers into an orange bowl (and left the other non-color-coordinated flowers in the kitchen).simple but pretty, I thought.  And yes, that is an old fashioned jello mold!For that old fashioned, traditional touch.  I enjoyed it, even if few others did!  I had made one awhile ago, from an old recipe, then totally lost the recipe!!  So this was kinda made from my memory: grated carrot, crushed pineapple, orange gelatin (jello), and a cup of plain yogurt.  Does anyone have a recipe like that?  It would be nice to have the exact amounts!My daughter the turkey, I mean, my daughter cooked the turkey this year!  She did a good job, though we had a few nervous moments 😉

There was a kids’ table this year, with a few Snoopy treats…very simple (not like the other Peanuts kids’ table)When the younger kids couldn’t take the wait for supper, we gave them a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving meal.  It’s what Charlie Brown and Snoopy served in the classic cartoon: buttered toast, pretzels, popcorn and jelly beans!  (It’s starting to be a tradition!)Another food that is now a Thanksgiving tradition around here is Guatemalan enchiladas!  I think this was the day after Thanksgiving, though traditionally they are served on Nov. 1st in Guate.  (It was a short weekend with family, so we had to cram a lot of food into it) Mmmmm good!!  I’ll have to post the recipe someday…. 🙂   And so that was our little Canadian, American, Guatemalan Thanksgiving!!

 

Thanksgiving Cranberry snack food ideas

I’m afraid that when I was planning my little Thanksgiving snack table this year, I forgot that not everyone loves cranberries as much as I do.  Cranberries are just so “in” at this time of the year!!  My eyes were enticed by all the lovely-looking cranberry recipes online…their beautiful shape and color….and especially the ones robed in cheese!!!  I didn’t even think about people in this world who do not favor the red little things.Fresh cranberries were on my shopping list, and didn’t need no “checking twice!”  This baked cheese and cranberry dip was very easy and quite tasty.  Great for filling one of those hollowed out sourdough breads….I used this recipe called Gooey White Cheddar and Cranberry Dip with only four ingredients: cream cheese, white cheddar, fresh cranberries and olive oil.  Of course I added in a bunch of freshly ground black pepper because that’s what we do at our house.  It was quite a mild tasting dip, but I really enjoyed it; the tart, hot cranberries were delish.

Then there was this spicy sounding recipe for Cranberry Salsa that just looked so gorgeous and used all of my favorite ingredients.  It is pictured in the orange bowl in the middle of the table above.  Now this recipe was interesting…..so easy to make.  But it was not a favorite with my bunch.  In fact, no one really liked it much….except me.  I ate it for days afterwards!  On and in everything.  Sometimes I’d be eating it and it just tasted like a regular tomato salsa, the cranberries didn’t stand out super much.  But other times I really got the cranberry flavor.  And it was sweet.  So sweet and spicy!!  I think I will totally make it again and eat it all, by myself if necessary!  Such a healthy salsa!  The main ingredients are fresh cranberries, cilantro, green onions, honey, cumin, lime juice and a jalapeño (I didn’t have a fresh one, so used some pickled ones. Careful, don’t make it too hot!)  You can click on the link above for the how to.

I also made some hot pink cranberry punch with more fresh cranberries and juices (smells wonderful).  With all the cranberry going on, it was a good thing there were also a few non-cranberry foods on the snack table, like some cheeses, grapes, chips, Texas Trash and Turkey Cheese-ball for those non-fans of the tart berry!!
It was a fun Thanksgiving snack table to put together, though almost as much work as the main meal!  Oh well….. Happy cranberries everyone!

Thanksgiving Pies

Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone.  But we are thankful still!  This fall was fairly busy for me, hosting Thanksgiving, several birthdays and a surprise trip!  I haven’t posted any pics from our little Canadian Thanksgiving celebration and thought that now would be a good time, as our Southern Neighbors take their turn to celebrate.  So here’s a word of gratitude for our family and friends who are celebrating this week!  “Thankful for y’all!!”

And there were some pies that I made.  Of course the idea of a “typography pie” was something I found on Pinterest, but I switched it up a bit…and cut the letters right into the top pie crust, instead of laying the baked letters on the pie.  Last year I had made a cherry cheesecake pie, and liked it so much I figured we should make it a tradition.Of course there was a more traditional pumpkin pie, don’t they look yummy, just out of the oven??   But looks can be deceiving….Some little elves were helping me in the kitchen that day…..just sayin’…….

Cookies were baked, for our (also traditional) Linzer cookies (though I tried a new recipe, haven’t found one I love yet).  Little acorn cookie cutters from my sister and leaves for pie decorating!

{Linzer cookies are the ones with jam in the middle.  This year I tried baby squirrels inside of mommy squirrels and hearts in hearts.}The pie crust “cuttings” baked up and dipped in cinnamon and sugar (another tradition!)  ❤ you!!So the pumpkin pie made it to the Thanksgiving table, all dressed up in it’s Linzer cookie finery….with dollops of maple whipped cream….and thank goodness for that whipped cream!!  After a few bites, I felt that something was wrong with the beautiful pie, the one I had so looked forward to eating.  My husband says, “Don’t take this wrong, but it’s kind of salty!”  And yes, yes it was.  Could it be the “extra twists” I gave to my traditional pie crust recipe this year?  Oh dear, and here everyone was bravely eating away…but I couldn’t stop commenting on it!  And could hardly eat it, even slathered in whipped cream.  Was it the crust or the filling that was so salty?  When I announced that I was going to throw the leftovers away, my husband said, “no offense, but go ahead!” (or words to that effect)  I begged everyone to stop eating and leave the rest.  What a disappointment (for those of us who love pumpkin pie, I don’t think the other people were super heart-broken).

What is happening to my baking? I thought. In the end, I like to think that it happened because of one of those “helpful elves” who helped me in the kitchen that morning….either adding or distracting me!!!

Good thing it was the filling and not the crust, so the really special pie tasted great!!Thank You God for family and friends, cozy homes and food on our tables.  Love You, God!!