Thanksgiving

2010 Flying Feather

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For whatever reason I am really in to racing this winter season.  I’m constantly looking for races to run and this year I took a look at some Thanksgiving day races.  I would be running anyway so why not run a fun race?

I took a look around and found The Flying Feather which is a 4 mile run on Thanksgiving day and the bonus is that it is literally 10 minutes from my house.  Score!

But more importantly, what made me decide to run this race was the finish swag.  Not only would I be getting a medal but I would also be getting a bottle of wine.

Yes!

The wine is also one that Scott and I really enjoy.  It’s a lovely mild red that won’t break the bank, Beaujolais-Villages! This was by Georges Duboeuf (we typically buy Louis Jadot).

I picked up my race packet the week before and I have to tell you that this race has the best swag! Not only did I get a shirt, but a sample of lotion, gloves, a winter hat, small bottle of whiskey, and then of course the medal and wine at the finish.

Heck yeah!

I was nervous about this race.  Not because of the race but because of the weather!  Wednesday afternoon it started raining and raining really hard.  It wasn’t stopping and was not supposed to pass our area until Friday.  Thursday morning I woke up to pouring rain.  It was also cold and damp.  I watched the weather and tracked the race page to see if the race would be cancelled.

No dice.

I wasn’t about to bail because um, I wanted that bottle of wine.

Scott and I got there about 1/2 an hour before start time.  We walked to the race area and hung around until start time.  It was cold and still raining but thankfully not that hard.

This race was huge!  There were 3.500 people running and that doesn’t include the kids that were there for the Gobbler Chase before hand.

Eventually it was time to get moving!  The rain stopped which was perfect because running in the rain stinks.  I still can’t believe how many people were out on Thanksgiving day to run a race!  Plus all of the supporters taking pictures and cheering everyone on.

Even though there were so many people running the race, it surprisingly wasn’t that congested.  I didn’t feel squished nor did I feel like I was fighting and clawing my way out of the pack to get my pace going.

This picture shows so much!  You can get an idea of how wet everything was and how many people were actually running the race.  We’re taking up the entire road!  You can also see all the spectators bundled up because it was cold!

The weather was a little odd because it was cold but it was only in the 40s so it wasn’t too cold.  However since there was so much rain it was damp and that’s what made things really cold if you were just standing around.

Running was a whole other story and eventually I got hot!  I unzipped my hoodie and pushed up the sleeves as much as I could.  I also took off my gloves and stuffed them in my bra.  I looked really lopsided!  I didn’t really care though, my only concern was that I hoped it wouldn’t chafe.

The start of the race was on a road but then we headed right into a park and the majority of the race took place there.  It was a paved path and made for a lovely run through some wooded sections.

There was one water station at the 2 mile mark and that was the first indicator of how far we’d gone.

Scott said I caught him off guard and showed up at the finish earlier than he thought.  Ha!  I finished the race around 38 minutes.

Don’t under estimate my motivation to run for a bottle of wine.

Bonus, we got to see our friends, Emily and Jim!  Remember them from last week?  They were running this race too and amazingly enough we were able to find each other and meet up at the end.

I have to say that this race is really a great race to run on Thanksgiving day.  It’s short, a 4 mile run which makes it the perfect length.  You are getting some exercise in before the big day but it isn’t a super long amount which means you get more time to spend with loved ones.

Plus it’s a fun race! Everyone (well almost, you naturally have the folks who are actually trying to compete) is there to have a good time and just have fun!  Everybody is in good spirits and you get a bottle of wine at the finish!  If you are around next year, you should give this Thanksgiving day race a run.

Huge Thanks goes out to the best husband ever!

He goes to all my races, sometimes standing around for hours while I run.  He’s gotten up at 5am on days that he normally sleeps till noon.  He’s stood out in the rain, the cold, the heat, and the snow just to get some pictures of me running and to be there for me at the finish.

I think he might have caught the bug though, he said next year he’ll run this one with me. :D

Time to Eat

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Growing up my mom liked to serve Thanksgiving dinner during early afternoon, like around 1pm and it drove me bonkers.  Who wants to eat a heavy meal that early in the day?

Not me.

On TV you always saw these big elegant Thanksgiving dinners.  Huge sit-down affairs with wine bottles littering the table, decorations out in full force, and the good China sparkling away.  This is what I wanted.  An elegant candlelit dinner.

When Scott and I started having our own Thanksgivings this is exactly what I planned out.  Elegant evening meals with wine and candles and pretty plates.  Do you know what I found out?

Doing that is a pain in my butt.  You spend all day cooking, you end up eating late, and then you still have to clean up!  It’s 8pm before you’re sitting down to relax for the day.  I had enough of that real quick!  I thought back to childhood and realized maybe my mom knew what she was doing.

I switched tactics and started providing us with an early dinner, around 2pm is what I shoot for.  This means we can have a relaxed morning and nibble on some goodies for breakfast.  Then I get started making the big dinner.  By the time eating is over and the kitchen is cleaned up, I still have the entire rest of the day to do whatever I like.  When we get hungry again, we just have to heat up leftovers and not worry about messing up the kitchen.

Now that’s my kind of holiday!

Of course I still get out the good China and light candles.  We still have wine while having a very calm and fancypants dinner.  We don’t feel rushed or feel like we’re eating way too late.  It ends up being the perfect plan for us.

How about you?  Are you evening eaters or do you enjoy an earlier meal?  Has it always been that way or did you create your own tradition?

Thanksgiving Table Decorations

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I like to decorate my table for Thanksgiving dinner.  I think it makes the dinner more festive and helps set the right mood.  My trick to getting a lovely table that doesn’t stress me out is by keeping things simple.

Because it’s just Scott and I eating dinner, I decorate the back of the table.  If I were hosting and doing a buffet style, I would put the decorations down the middle with the food intermingled on each side.

I tend to stick with things I already have on hand at home for decorating, which include:

  • Fall decorations
  • Fake flowers and leaves
  • Candles
  • White twinkle (or Christmas) lights

Everything I buy, I buy on the cheap.  You don’t have to spend a crazy amount of money to make your table look fancy.

Dollar stores can have some really great knick-knacks, like little pumpkins and fall scented small candles.

Garden Ridge is my go-to store for all decoration needs.  They are cheap and they have a ton of stuff that looks amazing.  I can get glass and ceramic pumpkins there for a dollar.

Fake flowers and leaves can be purchased anywhere and you don’t need a large batch of them.  Just a few stems work because you can break them apart and sprinkle them around your table.  They are easy to put back together or keep them separate and store in a bag when not in use.  They have some really amazing ones out now that look frosted or have some glass beads in among the flower petals.

The best time to get seasonal decorations is after the holiday is over.  I know that seems counterproductive but this way you’ll be prepared for the following year.  Once the holiday is over, seasonal items get marked way down.  Spring into action and take advantage of the sales!

Use a simple tablecloth and one that you don’t mind getting food or wine spilled on.  Let’s be honest, it’s Thanksgiving and people want to EAT.  Stuff is going to spill, husbands are going to slop, and Auntie Millie may have just had one too many White Wine Spritzers.  Stuff happens and that’s OK! By using a simple tablecloth that can be thrown in the wash you won’t stress about the spills, slops, and sloshes.

Same goes for placemats!  Easy ones that can be wiped down or tossed in the wash at the end of the day (Or the next morning).

Some fake flowers, simple tablecloth and candles will make your table look amazing and complement the dinner.  Keeping things simple won’t stress you out nor will it break the bank!

Stretching The Drinks At Thanksgiving

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If you are hosting and putting on Thanksgiving dinner, then you know that it can come with a hefty price-tag.  Whether you’re feeding two, 12, or 25, food costs money and so do the drinks that go along with it!

And even though everyone is hungry and ready to eat now, drinks tend to go the quickest.  Am I right?  Drinks are free flowing all day long, “because it’s a holiday!” and it’s easy to spend a lot of money just keeping everyone supplied.

If you are hosting, having guests chip in and bring a drink or five is a great way to keep your budget in check and also for others to show their gratification for your hospitality.

However drinks are still going to go quickly!  How can you make the drinks last longer?

By combining them with something else! Yes technically it’s a mixed drink of sorts but the kind that won’t kill your budget or have you wondering if you are going to run out of beverages.

White Wine can be combined with seltzer to make White Wine Fizzies.  These are highly popular here at the HQ.  Great for when you want a just a sip of wine but want a full glass of drink.  A splash of white wine (stick with the non-sweet varieties) in the glass, then top it off with some seltzer creates the fizzie.  Flavored seltzer works too!  Or you can add a twist of lime or orange to give it kick.  Frozen cranberries keep the drink cool and festive looking.  Seltzer is cheap, under a $1 for a liter.  Most all grocery stores carry them and even run deals on them.  If you prefer Club Soda, use that! A little bit more expensive then seltzer but it works just as well.

Red Wine can be combined with apple cider and warmed up on the stove or in a crock pot that has a warm setting.  Toss in some orange slices, maybe some cloves, and cinnamon sticks and you have a great drink.  If you think that might be overpowering for some guests leave out the spices.  Red wine and cider are perfect just on their own.

Okay, so you have some beer loving folks coming over.  If you get some of the higher-end cheaper beer (and this will probably be the only time you see me recommend cheap beer), you can mix a few bottles with limeade.  It has the flavors of a margarita but made with two very simple things.  A lime slice on the glass to garnish and you’ve got a tasty beverage.

If you have some hardcore fellas who won’t drink that, well then have them bring their own beer!

Stick to your budget this year and make those drinks work for you!  Stretch them out and everyone will be happy and you’ll be stress free!

Happy Thanksgiving from OHC!

Thanksgiving Links 2010

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Here are some links I came across that you might find interesting for some weekend reading.  All Thanksgiving related, everything from turkey to wine. :)

Budget friendly Thanksgiving Tips

100 Links to recipes and tips

Hilarious post on how to handle the possible stressors of hosting for the big day

Wine-Time:

List of wines for the big dinner and they aren’t too expensive either!

Also? Give beer a shot! You might find a great craft beer for dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving from OHC!!

Thanksgiving Apple Stuffing

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I have been cooking with apples more and more lately.  Before I couldn’t stand the taste and texture of cooked apples and now I’m finding that I can tolerate it a bit more.

I still don’t want any apple pie though!  You all can have that.

I’ve also been toying around with new ideas for some holiday dishes and one I played with was stuffing.  Oh man both Scott and I love stuffing.  Mmmmm!  I love it super seasoned with crispy edges.  My mom made alright stuffing but you know, I used to really like the box mix stuff!  I used to make that for Scott and I all the time.  Then about nine years ago, I started researching how to make stuffing from scratch and I discovered that it’s not hard at all.

From that point on, I started making homemade stuffing.  This allows me to control the ingredients and how much seasoning I want, it’s a win-win for us all!  Plus you know homemade is better than any box of whatever.

Since I was playing around with stuffing ingredients I decided to add in some chopped apples.  I have a bunch in my fridge and I’ve been using them in lots of dishes lately.  I have seen a lot of talk about apples in stuffing before but never gave it a second thought until now.  In went some apples and out came a great stuffing!

Andrea’s Thanksgiving Apple Stuffing

  • 1/2 Onion, chopped
  • 2 Large Sweet Apples (I used a combo of honeycrisp and Macintosh)
  • 2 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 Clove garlic, grated
  • 1/2 Whole Grain Baguette, cubed
  • 1tsp Garlic Powder
  • Big pinch of Red Pepper flakes
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2tsp All-Purpose Seasoning (Or poultry seasoning)
  • 1C Chicken Stock (May need additional)
  • Olive Oil for sautéing
  • Shredded Cheddar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a large casserole dish.  In a medium high-sided skillet, drizzle in some olive oil, about 1 TBSP and heat over medium heat.  Add in onions, apple, and carrots.  Coat with oil and season with all of the above seasonings.  Sauté for about 3-4 minutes until all the veggies and apples start to soften.  Add in the bread cubes and combine.  Slowly add in the chicken stock, 1/2C at a time.  Allow the bread to absorb the stock and then add in some more.

The mixture should pull together and start to combine.  If not, add in a touch more stock.  Once everything is combined, remove from heat and place in the casserole dish.  Heat in oven for about 15 minutes until it starts to crisp up.  Then top with shredded cheddar and allow to melt, about another 5 minutes.  Remove and serve immediately!

If I would have had some celery I would have used that here also, but I didn’t have any one hand.  Aside from the missing veg, this stuffing turned out amazing.  It was full of flavor and had plenty of texture from the different ingredients.  The whole grain bread made it way more filling and satisfying.

Of course you can use white bread here if you can’t find whole grain baguette.  The cheddar is optional, I used it because we were having this as a standalone side dish and there was no gravy or sauce to accompany it.  When we have this with Thanksgiving, it should pair really well with the turkey gravy!

If you have turkey stock from your roasting turkey, feel free to use that instead of chicken.

I found a lovely seasoning, called All-Purpose seasoning and it is like a poultry seasoning just with a few extra things tossed in.  Poultry seasoning would be completely fine in this dish if that is what you have available to you.

I never thought I would be eating apples in a stuffing and yet here I am and I can’t get enough!  I’m now desperately excited for Thanksgiving so that I can make this again!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Talking Thanksgiving with Chef Michael Chiarello

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OHC is in full Thanksgiving mode!  It is next week but there’s still plenty of time to talk side dishes, wine, and turkey.  Recently I had the great opportunity to submit a few Thanksgiving questions to Chef Michael Chiarello and I have to tell you that I was excited beyond words.

Chef Chiarello was (and still is) by far my favorite Chef that was on the Food Network.  I love his show because he proved how easy it is to get in the kitchen to cook something and also how that simple food can be elegant and sophisticated.  He threw amazing dinner parties that were simple to put together leaving the guests satisfied and the host with time to chat and enjoy themselves.

I asked him three questions and here he is presenting his answers.

I hope you enjoyed it!

A huge thank you to Chef Chiarello for taking the time to answer this food blogger’s questions.  And another big thank you to Jackie for setting all of this up!

Disclaimer: This interview was sponsored by Progresso.

Creamy Cauliflower

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Growing up, cauliflower wasn’t one of my favorite vegetables.  I would eat it if I came across it on a veggie tray but that was with the help of some serious ranch dressing.  Otherwise I didn’t touch the stuff.

Developing into an adult and with my ever expanding list of “Foods I Didn’t Eat But Do Now”, I decided to give cauliflower another try.  I liked it well enough but then I discovered roasted cauliflower and fell immediately in love.  We’ve been having roasted cauliflower at the HQ a lot this year!

Recently Scott and I were discussing Thanksgiving plans and possible side-dishes to make.  The topic revolved around either sticking with the same old stuff or branching out and trying something new.  One of the things he suggested was a creamy cauliflower type dish.

Hrm….

That got my wheels spinning and I decided to do a test run that very night!  I came up with this creamy cauliflower casserole that both of us adored.  It’s got a cheese sauce and prosciutto, so how can you go wrong?

Andrea’s Creamy Cauliflower

  • 1 Small Onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 Medium Head of Cauliflower, core removed and chunked
  • 1/2C Unsweetened Coconut Milk (not from a can)
  • 1C Chicken Stock
  • 4 TBSP All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2C Shredded Sharp Cheddar
  • Sprinkled of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4-5 Prosciutto slices, chopped
  • 1/2 TBSP Butter
  • Pinch Red Pepper Flake
  • Salt and Pepper to taste (I like a lot of pepper)
  • 1tsp Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a large casserole dish.  Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add in just a touch of olive oil, about 1 TBSP.  Sprinkle in the chopped prosciutto and allow to crisp up.  Keep an eye on the prosciutto because it crisps fast and can burn.  Once crisp, remove from pan and place on a paper towel.  Check to see if you need to add more oil and if so, about another TBSP or so.  Add in the butter at this point and the sliced onions.  Let the onions sauttee for about 3 minutes just until the start to get soft.  Add in your seasonings and stir.  Add in the cauliflower and sautee for about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the flour and stir, making sure to coat the cauliflower and the onions.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Add in the chicken stock and stir.  Let it thicken up a bit and then add in the coconut milk.  This should result in a creamy sauce.  Now add in the cheddar and stir.

Remove pan from heat and dump contents into the greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle some parm on top (however much you want), and the crispy prosciutto.  Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, just till the cauliflower is completely cooked through.  Serve up immediately and enjoy!

I added some chopped chives on top just for a punch of color but you can leave them out or add in some fresh herbs.  Some parsley and sage would work well with this.  Both of us adored this dish!  It was creamy and full of flavor but not so heavy as to cause your stomach to feel weighed-down.  Sometimes that can happen with cream based dishes but using a mix of stock and coconut milk kept this dish a tad lighter.

Of course you can use any unsweetened nondairy liquid of your choice or you can use milk.  Totally up to you and your preference.

The cheddar gives the dish a bit of tang but doesn’t make it overly cheesy.

The onions are what make this dish I think.  Without them the cauliflower wouldn’t have a partner to compliment it so nicely.

Of course the prosciutto tastes fantastic!  I happened to have that on hand as well, so I used it.  Certainly you can sub in bacon or even some ham cubes here if you wanted to.  If you have ham at your Thanksgiving table, this would make a great idea for using the leftovers.

This dish certainly will be making a repeat appearance here at the HQ!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

OHC’s Approach to Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving Dinner

OHC loves Thanksgiving!  It means that I can spend all week cooking and Scott can spend all weekend eating good food.  I realize that spending a week cooking can be most people’s worst nightmare but when you love cooking as much as I do, then Thanksgiving is a dream come true.

The reason I spend all week cooking is because I plan out Thanksgiving.

If you know anything about me, then you know I love Google web-products.  GCal and Google Docs have saved my life time and time again.  Google can be your best friend during the holidays.

With GCal I plan out the week before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving week.  Then I print this out and stick it to my fridge so I have in front of me and can stay on task.

The week before I plan out my grocery list.  I have my menu in front of me and I write down every ingredient I need for that recipe.  Off of that I make a master list of things I’ll need from the grocery store.  Then I do a walk-through, looking over each of my fridges (I have two) and my pantry to see what I already have on hand.

Once that’s done, I have my grocery list ready to go.  I keep it on the fridge as well because if I use up something during the week, I make sure to note that I’ll have to pick up more at the store.

Friday before Thanksgiving (yes this means the weekend before Thanksgiving) I go to the grocery store and do my BIG shopping.  Sales typically have already started by this point and the stores stay relatively empty.  A lot of people wait till the last minute to buy stuff but not me!

If you think about it, the staples will stay fresh and you will still be able to use them the following week.  Carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes will all be fine the following week.  Herbs, if treated properly will be fine too!

The week of Thanksgiving is when I start all the prep work.

Monday I check over my menu and double check that I have all the necessary ingredients.

Tuesday of that week is when I pick up my turkey from the butcher.  I place the order for my turkey at the beginning of the month and then all I have to do is pick it up the week of Thanksgiving! This saves time and I’m not fighting people in the grocery store over turkeys.

You can chop the veggies for stuffing, brining, and for the turkey ahead of time.  I do veggie prep either on Tuesday or on Wednesday.

Despite what the experts say, you CAN make pumpkin pie ahead of time.  You CAN also freeze it and then thaw it out the day of.  Yes it might pull away from the crust a bit but who cares?  Slap some whipped cream over the edge and no one can see anything.  Besides, most people just want  eat, they aren’t really focusing on if your pie is perfect looking.  I make my pies either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I also make the cranberry sauce and try to keep Scott away from it till Thursday.

Wednesday I prep the brine for the turkey.  You know how I love brining!  If I am doing a whole turkey, it goes in the brine Wednesday evening.  If I’m doing just a breast, I put it in a brine super early in the morning.

Sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole get made and assembled on Wednesday.  This means on Thursday all I have to do is heat them up.

Those can be heating up while I make the stuffing.  I make mashed potatoes ahead of time on Thursday because they can be kept warm on the stove.  You can use Ina’s method of a double boiler to keep them warm or you can just keep them on the stove with a very low heat.  Stirring occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom.  I start the potatoes when the turkey is about halfway through cooking.

The gravy is the very last thing I make while the turkey is resting and the stuffing is finishing off in the oven.  I use some of the roasting juices and some boxed stock that I jazzed up for the gravy.

Once the gravy is done then it’s time to eat!  Scott slices the turkey and dishes it up on our plates.  Then we get to down eating a fab meal that I didn’t stress over because it was all planned out.

Sticking to a plan makes life easier and makes the idea of a huge Thanksgiving dinner seem approachable and not intimidating.

What’s Thanksgiving like at your place? Do you cook or do you travel?

Get Your Turkey 2010

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For those of us in the US, it’s that time of year again, Thanksgiving!

You all know I am a big advocate of local foods!  This means turkeys too!  Support your local farmers and purchase a turkey that not only do you know where it was raised but you know how it was raised and treated.

This year I’m putting together a list of places I know of that you can purchase locally raised turkeys for your Thanksgiving table.

Poultry and Game at North Market has Bowman and Landes turkeys.

We’ve gotten our turkeys here now for the past five years.  They’ve always been excellent, decently priced, and great tasting turkeys.  They do turkeys of all sizes and also just breasts if you are feeding a small crowd.

Hills Market has Bowman and Landes turkeys along with Tea Hill Organic Farm turkeys.

One of my twitter friends just told me that The Anderson’s is also doing free-range veggie fed Turkeys this year.

For even more Turkey information, check out Rachel’s post on a few other places to get the goods for your Thanksgiving this year!

Looking for some inspiration this Thanksgiving?  Check out these links!

Thanksgiving on a budget

Tips for hosting and being a guest at Thanksgiving

And we can’t have Thanksgiving without wine, here’s some tips on buying wine for the holidays from Food and Wine.

Hooray for Thanksgiving!