thanksgiving tried and true.

i want to share with you my two favorite tried and true thanksgiving recipes.

love sweet potatoes from a can smothered in marshmallows?  me too. but, sooner or later we all have to grow up.

first and forever cookbook:  sweet potatoes with praline topping.

3 pounds sweet potatoes
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
contents of 1 vanilla bean.  here's how.
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 teaspoon salt

topping
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (1 ounce) chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

preheat oven to 425 degrees f.  line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

rinse sweet potatoes and prick in several places with a fork. place on baking sheet and bake until very soft when pierced with knife, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.  remove the sweet potatoes from oven and reduce to 325 degrees f.

when sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and put the pulp in a large bowl.  add evaporated milk, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and contents of vanilla bean, if desired, brandy, and salt.  mash up with a potato masher until all ingredients are blended well.  transfer to an 8 inch square glass baking dish.

to make topping
combine brown sugar, flour, butter, pecans, and salt in a medium bowl.  spoon topping evenly over the potatoes.  bake until the top is golden brown, 24 to 35 minutes.

serves 8.

do-ahead
sweet potato mixture can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.  topping can be prepped 3 to 5 days in advance and stored in a sealable plastic bag in the refrigerator.  spoon topping over potatoes just before baking.

if kids are celebrating thanksgiving with you, there is no harm in setting a portion of the sweet potato mixture aside and adding mini marshmallows for them.

next up: pumpkin semifreddo

semifreddo: Italian for "half frozen."

i love pumpkin pie just as much as everyone else...but, thanksgiving dessert isn't the same when this isn't on the table each year.

it's light, sweet, and refreshing. a perfect way to finish off thanksgiving day gorging.

it says to use a metal loaf pan. i have found the crust is sometimes too thick to cut through when frozen, so i just make it in an 8 inch springform pan.

aaaaand. i also coat the walls and pan bottom with a thin layer of butter. plastic wrap is too cumbersome for me when using a springform.  use it for the loaf pan, though.

aaaaand. i sometimes just nix homemade caramel for store bought.

aaaand. you can make it three days ahead.

(just one more aaaaand).

aaaaand. i hope you give this a try, despite the ingredient list. it is totally worth it.  if now isn't an option, give them a try for christmas.

what are your tried and true, go-to recipes?

whatever you are doing this year, i hope you are spending it with close friends and family.  don't forget to serve those who are less fortunate.  your local supermarket most likely has a food bank collection bin with a list of items you can pick up and donate.

happy thanksgiving.

jill

acorns a mast.

if you are as blessed (or cursed) as we are when it comes to oak trees, you may have noticed this is a mast year.

mast year = a lot of acorns.

running in the dark over acorns at six in the morning to get the garbage out in time may be the equivalent to running over your children's wood blocks or legos.  the curse of acorns.

but, you know me...i harvest what i'm given.  this is the blessing, free/cheap material for fall decorations.

different oaks produce different acorns.  if dendrology is not your thing, just keep searching on the ground under oaks until you find the ones you like.

or for $15 you can get 54 plastic acorns from pottery barn.

i've collected enough acorns to cover five jelly roll pans.  however, i'm down to one pan.  i had to toss most of them. who would have thought such things as acorn weevils exist. within a day or so after collecting, all the acorns had holes in them with ugly, little larva slithering around.

getting rid of them was easy.  lightly cook them in the oven. really, you should do this if you want to use acorns for any decor.  even if they don't have weevils in them, they are still full of moisture and have the potential for getting green and fuzzy.

spread acorns out on a pan and put in an oven set at 250 degrees for 30 minutes.

if you are using the acorn caps, a glue gun may be handy to have to keep them together.

so, you have your acorns...now what?  here are some ideas i found.

i love wreaths, so naturally i used the acorns to make one for our front door. it can easily be transformed into a Christmas wreath by choosing Christmasy spray paint colors.  

disclosure: this is not my front door, mine is in the process of getting a facelift. much needed facelift.

or filled up a jar with a teal pillar candle.

living in the pine barrens has surely given me ample material to work with.  some more desire than others ie moss over half my lawn.  what have you found in nature that has made it's way into your home as decoration?  i'd love to hear about your finds.  

hope everyone has a safe and relaxing thanksgiving week.  enjoy your family and friends and remember to give thanks each day to the lord for what he has blessed you with.

jill