A Silly Goose Farm Thanksgiving - 2011

Another Thanksgiving come and gone. It's hard to believe that 2011 is almost over, but I'm very much looking forward to saying au revior to this year and welcoming 2012 with open arms. Until then, how about a little retrospective on the 2011 SGF Thanksgiving celebration?

This year's dining crew was the same as last year's, except Eric was big enough this year to sit at the table with us (well, sort of at the table -- he kept trying to stick his hands in the mashed potatoes and dump the gravy boat over his head).

I made place cards out of cardstock, vintage bird images, and alphabet pasta (yes... alphabet pasta. Listen, I had to get some Martha OCD out at 2am on Thanksgiving while the pumpkin pie was cooking, okay?). I used a similar method to make a "pie banner" (see pictures below). I got my inspiration here.

I tried to keep the tablescape relatively un-fussy. Some pumpkins and gourds for centerpieces, plus my turkey candlesticks I thrifted from Goodwill, paired with fresh-pressed linens. My $30 collection of antique china, vintage silver, and wine glasses topped of the look.

The menu wasn't too complicated, either (and almost all ingredients came from within 150 miles of our table). Here's what I made:

Maple and Cider-Glazed Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

Apple, Onion and Sage Stuffing

Pan Gravy

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Grapes

Roasted Carrots

Cranberry Sauce

Biscuits

Herb Compound Butter

Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie (made by my mom)

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream

Rub some herb butter under the turkey skin and roast it breast-down for maximum juiciness

Brussels Sprouts - Best part of the meal

The feast came together pretty well! Except that my oven went on palliative care mid-point in cooking the turkey, so I had to microwave the poor bird. Based on how moist and tender the gobbler actually turned out, I might nuke the turkey every year! Thankfully, that was the only hiccup of the day (unless you count my temper-tantrum in the kitchen when I noticed the turkey was uncooked and the fact that the dog almost ate half the meal off the table before we sat down). We paired the meal with a lovely Sparkling Riesling. A few more pictures to illustrate:

Based on this face, the meal was either really good or completely awful

Edith playing with her food...

...and Grammie threatening her.

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving feast, too, and that you have counted all your blessings many times over. This year, I'm especially thankful for my independence and will to always strive to be better and achieve great things. I think that theme will continue into 2012 (and of course, I'm always thankful for my family, friends, and lovely readers like you! Thanks for reading along :-). I posted some ideas for a secular grace over on the Eat Local blog, if you'd like to take a look. If you have questions or requests for recipes, please leave a note in the comments or find me on Twitter or Facebook. Now... bring on December!

Peach Pie

My dad's birthday was last week, and given the choice between peach pie and his favorite cake (a chocolate mayonnaise cake - don't knock it until you try it), he'll usually choose peach pie. How appropriate, then, that peaches in the Northeast hit their peak right around his birthday! While I'm still dabbling in perfecting my peach pie recipe, here's the recipe I'm currently using (if you have a great recipe or some tips, please share them in the comments! I'd love to hear). It's a great way to wrap up this week's Peach-Palooza.

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Peach Pie
Makes one 9" pie

Crust:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
8-10 tablespoons ice water

1. Combine flour and salt. Add shortening and cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal or small peas.

2. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is able to form and hold a ball.

3. Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll onto a well-floured surface. Makes enough for a double-crust pie.

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 cups thinly-sliced, peeled peaches (fresh or frozen - do not thaw frozen peaches)
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon milk or cream

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add peaches and stir to cover the peaches with the sugar mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.

2. On a well-floured surface, roll out one-half of the pie crust dough to form an 11" circle. Transfer the dough to a 9" pie plate (either by gently rolling it back on to a rolling pin or by folding into quarters). Mold the dough to fit the pie plate and leave an overhang of dough. Prick a few holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Brush the bottom of the crust with the egg white. Roll out the second half of the dough (in the same manner as the first) and have it ready to cover the filling.

3. Once the filling is ready, add it all at once to the prepared pie plate. Cover the filling with the second half of the pie dough. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together. Cut three or four small slits in the  top crust to allow steam to escape.

4. Mix together the egg yolk and milk. Brush over the top of the pie, and sprinkle with sugar (optional). Cover the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil. Place pie on a baking sheet.

5. Place pie in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil from pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until pie filling bubbles and the crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (an essential for every kitchen).

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PS- I'm thinking of doing a entire series of pie tutorials. Is that something you would be interested in reading? Let me know in the comments, and in the meantime, here are a few pictures of my Dad :-)

Camping this year at Belvedere Lake

Last fall

My favorite picture of my dad and I

Blowing out his birthday pie candle with help from Edie

Chocolate Chip Butter Cake and Buttercream Frosting



I wanted to make a somewhat unexpected birthday cake for Edie's birthday. And since she's such a little thief when it comes to chocolate chips, I thought I'd try a a chocolate chip cake. I found a recipe here, and put my own spin on it.

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Old-Fashioned Butter Cake with Chocolate Chips

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup soft butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips*

1. Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla.

2. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine chocolate chips with a bit of the flour. Alternately add flour and milk, ending with flour. Add chocolate chips. Mix each addition until just combined.

3. Pour batter into greased and floured cake pans (two 8-inch round cake pans or a 9x13-inch pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. **

4. Cool cake in pans for 15 minutes before removing. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

*I used mini chocolate chips, but feel free to use any type of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate you prefer. Despite my best efforts, the chocolate chips still sank to the bottom of the cake. When I frosted the cake, I just faced the layers so the chocolate encased the frosting.

**In order to get the two-tiered cake for Edie's birthday, I made two batched of the cake. The first in two 8-inch cake pans, the second in a 9x13-inch pan, which I cut two circles out of and layered together.

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Buttercream Frosting

1 cup soft butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8-10 tbsp milk

1. Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt.

2. Gradually add half of powdered sugar. Add half of milk, one tbsp at a time, to loosen frosting. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and milk in similar fashion. Once incorporated, beat at high speed until white and fluffy.

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I added white and red drages to the cake once frosted, then rolled and cut blue and white fondant for the ribbons. When cutting the cake, I removed the top tier and served slices from that first. The bottom tier was cut by making an inner and outer circle and cuting wedges from it. For a tutorial, click here.