Good Food and Giving Thanks

Halfway through the meal...  I had a a lot of fun preparing the food. All dishes were made from scratch except for 1 cake.

  

The stuffing recipe was found in a Rachel Ray magazine.

The yams were pured and drizzled with maple syrup.

Table decorations.

The tablecloth made by my mother.  She was an avid crocheter.

Chocolate coins - cookies.

The cake from a box.  Fresh whipped cream frosting with raspberries.

The pride and joy of this cook...  the chocolate cheesecake.

The pumpkin bars with homemade vanilla frosting.

Biscotti.  First time I made it.

The dessert spread.

My two precious daughters had a hand in this masterpiece too.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Rosemary

Picking a little Rosemary from the garden to add to the pork roast is precious.

Stuffed squash

Squash.  Stuffed with tomato, onion, and cheese.

It made for a very tasty dinner.

Harvest for Humanity

Harvest for Humanity's garden in Tempe is where I found myself planting beets and weeding the beds.

Okra.

 Okra and the rows we worked.

 Okra flower.

 Peppers.

Eggplants.

Dried sunflowers.

The supply shed.

I little lecture from Denise the organizer (in blue jeans).

 Me planting beets.

Another adult volunteer harvested eggplant for the teen helpers to see.

It was a perfect opportunity for the young middle school girls to learn about growing food.  Read about the group here.

Mashed Potato Pie

This is something my Mother used to make... Except she used rice more often.

Layer pan with mashed potatoes.  Add a layer of meat filling.  Follow with the top layer of mashed potatoes.

I brushed on a coat of egg...

Ready to eat.  Delicious.

Eggplant

I found a way to cook eggplant that makes it easier to eat it.

Slice the eggplant.  Place the eggplant slices in egg to coat.  Place in bowl of bread crumbs to coast again.

Fry in olive oil. I didn't deep fry but I wonder how that would turn out.  I also baked a batch but it is tastier cooked stove top.  Salt to taste.

Home Made Frappes

The McDonalds' Frappe is a popular beverage around our house.

 We found a machine at Target.

It makes frappes;

They are delicious!

This one is the chocolate frappe.