We celebrated our first Thanksgiving in our new home this year!
We moved into our home just a year ago, but only 2 days before Thanksgiving, making it impossible for me to cook the holiday dinner here since we were still surrounded by unpacked boxes.
I have to admit it made me a bit sad.
We were thrilled to celebrate at a lovely restaurant with our sons and their girlfriends who now had only a 3 to 4 hour drive, rather than the coast to coast trek they had been making to Maryland for many years.
But it was a very different Thanksgiving for me not being able to spend my days as I have for the past 3 decades the weeks before preparing for the holiday…planning the meal, decorating the outside of my home, setting the table, and finally cooking and baking for the annual feast.
So it was a very special Thanksgiving this year, and it is one more thing I can add to the long list of things for which I am grateful.
Here’s a peek at what has been keeping me busy…
The outside decor…
The table…
We were thrilled to have our sons, their girlfriends, and good friends with us for the holiday.
Before dinner we toasted the day with kir royales, made by adding a splash of creme de cassis to chilled prosecco…
And nibbled on shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce, mixed nuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, assorted cheeses, locally made salumi and crackers, some crudites with a roasted red pepper hummus and assorted olives.
When we sat down to dinner we began with a salad of assorted greens, thinly sliced persimmons, dried cranberries, and thinly sliced red onion dressed with a mustard vinaigrette. I apologize for not getting a photo of this delicious colorful salad which we all really enjoyed!
And now for the main event…
The feast…
Roasted turkey with butter and fresh herbs
Maple candied sweet potatoes (with maple syrup, apple cider, cinnamon and orange zest)
Homemade cranberry sauce
Roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon
Glazed pearl and cippolini onions
Cranberry Jello Mold (with apples, mandarin ornanges, walnuts, crushed pineapple)
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel
Coconut Layer Cake and…
Blackberry Crunch (forgot to get a photo…ooops, but a big hit!)
I substituted fresh blackberries for the plums in Ina Garten’s recipe for Plum Crunch ( Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Cookbook)
and served it with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
The Crunch is flavored with creme de cassis liqueur …delicious!
In closing I just want to say that it was a wonderful day with family, good friends, good food, lots of laughs, and lots of love in the air.
We are looking forward to many more Thanksgivings in this home.