Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Looking outdoors it is a typical November day in New England. A gentle breeze rustles a few of the remaining leaves on the tree branches. The sky is gray, but inside my home the picture looks quite different. Butternut Squash Bread is baking in my oven. Yesterday, the Apple Bread was baked, cooled, wrapped in foil and placed in the large freezer downstairs. (Click links for printable recipe cards.) Tomorrow, baking Cranberry Bread is on the agenda.

Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, has always been my piemaking day - Cherry, Mincemeat and Butternut Squash Custard. Everyone in my family has two favorites of the three choices, except for me – I like all three!

What is your favorite?

Two days after Thanksgiving it is a tradition for my family to enjoy Turkey a la King for dinner. I substitute chunks of Turkey for Chicken in the recipe. It is quick and easy! Do remember the Cranberry Sauce!

This past weekend my sewing machine was humming along. I spent some time creating and adding autumn embellishments to new guest towels. Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts has the cutest fall fabric. Soon, I will be working with the Christmas fabric that I purchased. Do you visit Jo-Ann’s and see visions of items that you may make? I sure do. That is how my Guest Towel Project started. Now, I am almost ready for Thanksgiving!

Later this week when you get together with family members/friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving! It is a great time of year to remember all of the good things that we have and do for others and also the helpful people that we know.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

JG

Plan B to the Rescue!

Last Sunday afternoon I was determined to try a new muffin recipe. The Applesauce Oatmeal Raisin Muffin batter was placed in the muffin liners. My timer buzzed, so I KNEW that my oven was pre-heated and the muffin tray could go in.

My oven takes 20 minutes to pre-heat, so that is my time frame to work fast and get the food ready for the baking phase. However, on Sunday afternoon I was not attentive to the fact that my stove was not getting hotter.

Somehow, a Plan B usually steps in. No, it was not buying a dozen muffins from the local donut store. Gazing up at my trustworthy Spacemaker Microwave (of 20 years) I remembered a section in my Microwave Cookbook on “baking” muffins in the microwave.

Time to take out that cookbook!

Following the directions and using a small Pyrex pie plate, four muffins cooked at once in triple paper liners. The result – moisty, yummy and quite unusual shaped muffins … but they do taste great!

On Monday we called John, our local, reliable appliance repairman. He arrived in the afternoon and replaced the oven’s electronic igniter. Thank you, John! That afternoon we ordered the fresh turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner from our local grocery store.

The timing for my oven to need some attention was perfect! Thanksgiving would not feel the same if I was not able to use my mom’s Butternut Squash Custard Pie recipe (click here) and bake the pie two days before our dinner! The tradition of my family savoring a slice of the pie with a dollop of whipped cream lives on!

Yummy!

We will enjoy this pie, again!