Merry Christmas!

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have a real spirit of Christmas.

~ Calvin Coolidge

Merry Christmas! I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday! May the spirit of the season stay with you all year long.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ok, I know that not everyone likes this holiday, but I think it's fun. I like taking the time to let the people I love know that I love them. I think we could all stand to do that more often than we do. If it takes a Hallmark holiday to remind me to take that time, I'm ok with that. So whether you buy into the whole chocolate hearts, champagne and roses routine, I'm sure you have someone who means so much to you, that you want to let them know.

Someone asked me last week to think of something that I'm grateful for, something that makes me happy. My first thought was about the big guy. Since it's Valentine's Day, it's a good time to share what I wrote about him. Because I was writing this as a response to the question- I got wordy. You're not shocked, I know. So here's what I had to say about all the people that I'm grateful for this Valentine's Day.

I'm grateful that I get to spend my days with a wonderful man who supports and encourages me in everything I do. I couldn't have taken on some of the challenges I have if he hadn't been my own personal cheerleader. I'm grateful to have such a fantastic partner building the life that we want, for the family that we want.

I'm grateful for my parents and for all that they continue to do for me, and for us, every day. Their love and support is priceless. I wish they could be closer geographically, but I think the distance has actually helped me appreciate all we have together and all that they do.

I'm grateful for our friends and family. I sent out a silly request on Facebook to some close friends and our families (his & mine) to like a page I just created for work so that we can build our numbers and get the FB URL we want. It was late last night and almost everyone has already liked it. I was floored. I seriously started to cry checking the page. They continually surprise me with their caring and the time they take for us. We're incredibly lucky.

 I'm grateful for a job that provides challenges and opportunities for me to grow professionally. Having a job at all right now is something to be valued and appreciated, let alone one that you get to truly enjoy.

I'm grateful for a happy & healthy dog waiting patiently for me to come from work. Seeing that tail wag when I walk through the door makes the day's little annoyances go away.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May you find yourself surrounded by love today, and everyday.

Thanksgiving Mantle

As we express gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

This quote was perfect for Thanksgiving, which is right around when I found it. Yup, still getting caught up, and there's more to come! In the meantime, here's what our mantle looked like for Thanksgiving.

Almost everything for the holiday (all the white pieces) came from Z Gallerie. The mirrors are from CB2, and the candle holders are from Costco. Not everything in the house is as fancy as you think. But it sure is fun to think it!

A squash on both ends for balance next to the candle holders. And of course there had to be a place for the little turkey.

My favorite new addition was probably the pheasant. Loved his lines and the curve of his head. Just right for the centerpiece of my Thanksgiving mantle. 

Thanksgiving Table

Not only did I have fun with the food, but I had a lot of fun setting the table. Sounds silly, I'm sure, but it was the first time we really got to use our china. My mom always sets a beautiful table, and she does it the night before so that the day of it's one less thing to scramble to get done. She's a smarty! Here's what our table looked like.

Thanksgiving Recipe: garlicky Mashed Potatoes with Thyme

Ingredients
4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 8), peeled and halved
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
12 sprigs fresh thyme
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Directions
Place the potatoes in a large pot and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and add 2 tsp salt. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 16 to 18 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

Meanwhile, place the milk, cream, butter, garlic, and thyme in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Set aside until the potatoes are cooked.

Strain the milk mixture into the pot with the potatoes. Add 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and mash. Sprinkle with the thyme before serving.

I adjusted this recipe just a little bit. My mom can't eat anything that has milk/cream in it, so I substituted vegetable stock. It was a little bit of a guessing game, just adding a little bit at a time to get the potatoes to a nice fluffy consistency. Mashed potatoes are a must for Thanksgiving at our house.

Thanksgiving Recipes: Orange-Rosemary Turkey and Gravy

The most anticipated part of any Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey. And of course, it was the part I was most nervous about.

Ingredients-Turkey
8 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 small oranges, cut into halves
1 turkey (size of your choice), giblets removed

Directions-Turkey
Heat oven to 375F. In a large roasting pan, place 4 of the orange halves, one in each corner, cut side up. Take one of the remaining halves and cut it into small chucnks. Place these inside the turkey as you stuff the cavity with the stuffing. Take the last half, slice and arrange on top of the turkey in the roasting pan. (You may want to use toothpicks to hold the slices in place. We didn't have any, and I think it would have helped.)

Roast the turkey until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165F. Carefully tilt the turkey to empty the juices from the cavity into the pan. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, let rest for 20 mintes before carving.

I made regular stuffing with bread crumbs, I'm pretty sure it was Pepperidge Farm, using the instructions on the package. I added some butter when I checked on the turkey to keep it moist as it roasted, which also gave it a nice golden brown color on top.

I think it turned out pretty good!

Ingredients-Gravy
Roasting pan contents
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions- Gravy
Strain the pan drippings into a large measuring cup or bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, then skim off and discard the fat. Squeeze the juice of the roasted oranges into the cup of skimmed drippings.

Place the empty roasting pan over 2 burners. Add the wine and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up the bits stuck to the pan, 1 minute. Pour the liquid into the skimmed drippings and add enough broth to make a total of 4 cups of liquid.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Strain, if desired, beore serving.

Thanksgiving Recipe- Broccoli Gruyere Gratin

Ingredients
2 large bunches broccoli, roughly chopped (about 12 cups)
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated Gruyere (8 ounces)
Kosher salt
black pepper

Directions
Heat oven to 375F. Fill a large saucepan with 1 inch of water and fit with a steamer basket (or fill a large pot with 1/2 inch of water). Bring to a simmer. Place the broccoli in the steamer basket, cover, and steam until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes (do not let it darken). Whisk in the milk and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Toss with the broccoli.

Trasnfer the broccoli mixture to a shallow 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Thanksgiving Table #1

I had a lot of fun at our trial run Thanksgiving dinner. And of course I played around with the table as well as the food. I used our china and formal linens with our parents (pics coming this week) but still wanted our friends to see a pretty table.

Here's the set up!

Thanksgiving Recipe- Apple/Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients
1 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup apple cider
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions
In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, cider, and sugars. Simmer until the cranberries begin to burst and the sauce thickens, 12-15 minutes.

Yup, that's all there was to it. Throw everything together and let it cook. It came out great. It's really tart, so if that's not your style you may want to add a little more sugar. Was great with the turkey, would also be nice warmed up and served over vanilla ice cream .

Thanksgiving Recipe- Sweet Potato Bisque

I know what you're thinking. Thanksgiving? Really? And my answer is- yes, really. I've been a little caught up in the hectic whirl that is the end of the year. But now I have some time to stop and relax and smell the roses. Which means I also have time to get caught up on about two months of blog posts. So, we'll start right about where I left off- Thanksgiving.

I'll have some pictures up tomorrow of the table for both Thanksgivings. Yup, we did two. One we did about two weeks early as a trial run. I'm so glad our friends were willing to be guinea pigs for us! It went great, and we found a few minor twaeks to make before the big day with our parents.

One of the recipes that was a big hit- my Sweet Potatoe Bisque. That's it on the front right corner of the stove.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Melt butter in 4 quart saucepan. Add the onions and celery, saute for 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, until potatoes are very tender. Puree the potatoes with a hand held blender. (I used the immersion blender we got as a wedding present. Love it!) Stir in milk and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt an pepper.

What's nice about this dish is that you can make it the night before and simply warm it up on the stove top when you're getting ready to eat. So simple, but so tasty!

Happy Halloween!

I kept meaning to do this earlier, but since today is Halloween, let me show you how we spookified our house. Well, the main living area at least. I didn't go too overboard this year. But tomorrow, when all the Halloween decor is on sale, you bet I'm going over to Michael's and Target to stock up for next year!

First, up the kitchen.

I picked up this wreath at a craft fair this year only to find out that it's just s smidge too wide to fit between the front door and the storm door. So it's hanging on our bathroom door instead. My favorite part is defintely our mantle. I like how our normal candle sticks look just a little more eerie with the trees and pumpkins around them. I picked up the trees and the pumpkins at Target.

They're festive, and you know I have a hard time turning down something sparkly ;)Happy Halloween!