Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving isn't ALL about the food.  But pretty close. 

This year we broke tradition (Thanksgiving at my parents' house) and went out my uncle's new house palace.  Dinner was FANTASTIC.  Ohhhhh, the food.  Jason said this was the best meal he's ever had...or something like that.  Here's a quick run down so I can read this and reminisce in March.  

- french onion soup (my favorite) or italian wedding soup (tough choice)

- fried turkeys (glad I finally got to try one but I may prefer traditional)

- mashed potatoes

- sweet potatoes (not in the usual sugary sauce but still sweet.  loved them!)

- sausage stuffing (i just started to salivate)

- creamed spinach

- artichoke casserole

- peas with onion and prosciutto (you didn't know peas could be this good)

- homemade rolls

- corn casserole (paula deen knows what she's doing.  this dish change you life.)

I regret dressing Anton in his Christmas outfit and not in our pink/blue color scheme.  I also regret not doing my hair.

We stayed over a few days which made it feel like a vacation.  We lounged around, went for a walk on the beach and Stella played with their patient Boston Terriers.  It was lovely.

Thanksgiving

a few samples of how the nicolais prep for thanksgiving...
1. melt about 3 cups of brown sugar in an equally alarming amount of butter and pour over sweet potatoes to negate all nutrients.
2. roast peppers until they're sufficiently blackened. peel off skin and add olive oil, garlic (see #3), and parsley. (jason's job this year)
3. chop 25 gloves of garlic. do not use garlic press because mom swears it is too hard to clean.
4. boil/steam 14 artichokes to stuff with breadcrumbs.

the best part is sharing the deliciousnes with family and friends and enjoying an evening of stories, music, and togetherness.

wedding bells...part 2

Jason rose to the wrong side of the road challenge and chauffeured all weekend. One day as he opened the gate he watched it scootch a turtle off the driveway. When he got back he dove right into the bushes (such a boy) and pulled out this little guy.
Nicolais can eat. My mom jokes that we plan dinner while we eat lunch. Needless to say, the food was enjoyed. We had several plates of these rock lobsters."
Meet Glenis,aka "The Mayor". Adam hired him as our bus driver/tour guide around the island. He knew everyone and everywhere (I realize the island is only five miles long). One night, after dinner when the main island was all but shut down, my father asked if there was a store open so he could buy some milk. In two minutes Glenis pulled over, opened up a store and acted as cashier while Franky got his milk. I loved that he was also a guest at the wedding!

Spicy Corn Chowder

As promised...

1/4 c. butter (thanks ashley for catching the omssion)
2 tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 (14.75 oz.) can cream-style corn
1 (15.25 oz.) can whole kernel corn
1 c. milk
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried parslet

Melt butter slowly. Add onions and saute 3 minutes. Add flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, and parsley, and mix thoroughly. Add milk and cook until thick, raising heat if needed and stirring. Add cans of corn, peppers, and cheese. Let simmer on low for ~1 hour.

I'm feeling like a hypocrite from yesterdays post about obesity...but oh well, this stuff is delicious.

I usually double the recipe and use a whole onion and whole peppers. Sometimes I leave the cheese out. Like any recipe it can be modified to fit what's in the cupboards.

Ok Ashley, now how about you share the Cafe Rio pulled pork recipe you tried??