Thanksgiving: Success and Failure!

Basic rule: When you use a brine with sugar, expect dark skin.  Also, make sure to check the actual weight of your turkey and check temp! I almost had a National Lampoon turkey situation when you overcook turkey.  (No, it did not deflate, but man, it was a close call!)

Luckily, shooting up the damn bird with chicken broth after it roasted helped it regain some moisture again, but I may just go back to chicken next year. So much easier!



Warren Brown's chocolate cake with peanut butter crunch buttercream




Sandra and a cute pilgrim - love that they color coordinated

 This cake took all morning - and it has a scary amount of butter (try over a pound) but wow, it was delicious and worth the work!

Below are the other items, some appetizers and desserts. Guests, I think, had to loosen their belts, but overall, I think it was a success, most importantly because we were all able to give thanks for all of our blessings and spend quality time together.

I think that is why I love cooking and sharing food; it simply gets people together and makes people happy.  It's that moment while you're stuffing your face, you are not distracted by tv, phones, work, etc., and you can just concentrate on the joy of something sensational or something as comforting as a classic dish in the company of people you love.  I am thankful, for so much.


Cathy's pumpkin gooey butter squares - so addictive




Sugared cinnamon pecans - great with spiced apple wine