Reflections & Preparations

My dad was born 55 years ago today and is, hands down, the best man I know.

He is exactly 20 years and 6 days older than I am and there are no words that can describe how incredibly grateful I am to be his daughter.  Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

My dad has been a vegetarian my whole life, so each time I plant something new in the garden I think, "I wonder if Dad would like this?".  Among his favorites?  Tomatoes and sprouts.  Well, the tomatoes didn't survive 'til Thanksgiving, like I'd hoped and I don't have any sprouts yet, but I planted some today under our grow lights to go along side our wheat grass that is just starting to sprout!  It's so green and is going to be so nice to juice!  That is, once we invest in a juicer ;-)  We're also waiting on some greens to sprout, but we do have lettuce still growing in the yard and kale and spinach in the wagons, so he will have a few greens to eat tomorrow along with the bush beans I froze and will cook up.  I'm hoping to have some sprouts to put on the Christmas dinner salad.  Fingers crossed!

Tomorrow will be the big turkey day, though.  Not only is it Thanksgiving, but because Thanksgiving always falls between our two Birthdays, we also have a little gift exchange.  YAY!  I love gifts :-)

Alright, for now I will give you two more recipes that have become traditions in our home.  

Each Thanksgiving morning, as soon as I wake up, I make Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins.  Not only are they yummy, but I've found that if I don't eat something first thing in the morning, I'll get busy with the days cooking and wind up not eating anything until 3:00 when it's meal time!  Not good!  So, if I make some muffins, I'll eat them :-)

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins


Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups cranberries, cleaned and halved

Process: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, allspice and salt.  Stir to mix well.
• Add the butter, pumpkin and eggs.  Stir until ingredients are just moist.
• Stir in cranberries.
• Spoon batter into 24 greased muffin cups and place in hot oven.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until a tester (toothpick) comes out clean.

Notes:

• I usually make 12 large muffins and 24 mini muffins.  This gives the three of us plenty of muffins to eat over a couple of days and gives us some mini muffins to put out for guests as they wait for everything to be ready on Thanksgiving.  I bake the mini muffins for about 15 minutes.
• I did not create this recipe.  I found it online in January of 2005 (yes, I still have my original print off of the recipe), but just checked for the website and it no longer exists.  Weird.

The next recipe I'll share with you is for Herbed Buttermilk Biscuits.  This has also become a tradition because 1)Fish Girl always helps me with the prepping of all the herbs that goes into them and 2)Brother could eat every single one I make, and would if I let him.  He LOVES them and that makes me happy.  This recipe comes out of The Thanksgiving Table.

Herbed Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 4 tbsp ice cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh sage
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil for brushing

Process:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
• In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and pepper.
• Scatter the butter over the top.  Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the butter pieces are no larger than peas.
• Add the herbs and buttermilk, stirring just to blend well.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then, using your fingertips, press the dough out into a circle about 1/2 inch thick
• Cut 2 inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or use the rim of a drinking glass.
• Reshape any remaining dough and cut more biscuits
• Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet
• Brush the biscuits with olive oil and place in hot oven
• Bake 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown

Notes:

• Freshly baked biscuits can be complicated with everything else that is happening on Thanksgiving, so I make the biscuits ahead of time and put them in the fridge.  After we pull the turkey out and let it rest, I put the biscuits in the oven while the turkey is being carved.  Then, they go from the oven to the table, piping hot!

I hope that, whatever you're doing, 

you're enjoying your day!

Cheers!