Thankful

This year has brought me so very much for which to be thankful. I think it would test my readers' patience if I were to list everything that I am grateful for, so suffice it to say that I pinch myself on a daily basis.

We had a really lovely Thanksgiving and I hope you did too! A few photos from the day below:

 Centerpiece by Ink and Peat.

We haven't figured out window treatments for this room as of yet, but I wanted something to soften the window, especially as it grew dark.  I made this hanging by attaching strands of gold paper cut-out leaves to a garland strung with cranberries and chrysanthemums from our garden. It came out better than I expected and looked really pretty in the candle light.

 Excited that we didn't burn the turkey!

Cuddle time with Aunt Whitney. 

 Dessert table

Whitney made this incredible apple pie, one of the best I've ever had! She was kind enough to share the recipe with me so that I could post it here: 

Double Crust Apple Pie
inspired by Magnolia Bakery

For the crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled or frozen
1/4 cup vegetable shorting, chilled or frozen
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water

Combine flour, salt, and sugar and mix well. Working quickly, cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes. Add butter to flour. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, break up the chunks of butter until the cubes are the size of large peas. Add shortening and break up any pieces. Drizzle ice water into mixture and mix until just combined. Dough should come together when pressed, but still feel shaggy. If necessary, add an additional tablespoon of ice water and repeat until dough comes together.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Press dough together (don't knead) and be sure to stop handling the dough before the butter heats and it appears shiny. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a flat disk and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once dough has cooled, turn out onto a floured surface. Use a heavy rolling pin to whack the dough into a wide, flat circle. If the dough appears to be cracking at the edges, stop and wait for it to warm up. Roll out dough in a circular shape until it's about 13 inches around. Gently fold into quarters and place in a 9 inch pie dish. Unfold and press into the pan with your fingertips, taking care not to stretch the dough. Roll out the top crust in the same manner and refrigerate both crusts while preparing the filling.

For the pie
6-8 medium size Fuji, Jonagold or Gala apples (Whitney used Honeycrisp), peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4" to 1/2" slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar plus 2 teaspoons
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Toss apple slices with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add sugar mixture to apples. In a small bowl, separate egg white and mix with 1 teaspoon water. Brush bottom pie crust with egg wash. Pile the apples in the pan, heaping them in the middle of the pan to form a mound. Dot apples with butter. Gently cover the apples with the top crust dough and press (don't stretch) against the apples and bottom crust. With a pairing knife, trim dough flush to pan. Dip a fork in flour and press along crust edges to crimp and seal the crust. Cut several steam vents in the top crust. In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Place in the center rack of oven and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and place a cookie sheet under the pie to catch juices. Bake an additional 10-20 minutes, or until juices bubble through the steam vents and apples still give resistance when pierced with a knife. Let cool completely before serving.

Notes:
• When mixing the crust dough together, the mixture should always remain dry and your hands shouldn't become shiny. If this happens, the mixture is too warm and should chill before continuing.
• Slice more apples than you think you'll need -- having a few left over to snack on beats a flat pie.
• If the crust is browning too much, brush with heavy cream.

Thanksgiving Recipe Inspirations 2013

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, I wanted to share some new recipes that I'll be trying this year.

Since Oregon has so many wild mushrooms in season right now, I decided to do a mushroom pâté for an appetizer.

I found some beautiful baby carrots at the farmers market this weekend, so I'll be making this for a side dish:

I'm making cranberry sauce for the first time this year and have been researching recipes. I think I've found a winner.

Last year I made Martha Stewart's Maple Whipped Sweet Potatoes, but I thought they were only so-so. My mother-in-law, Amy, came to my rescue with a recipe for Cheesy Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Looks yummy!

We'll be serving traditional pumpkin and apple pies for dessert (of course!), but I also wanted to do something a little different. These cranberry orange mini cheesecakes fit the bill:

Don't they look so festive and delicious?!?

And speaking of dessert, loving this pie crust guide from Martha Stewart.  I think I'll try "G" on my pumpkin pie.

A. Pinch dough to crimp, then use a fork to mark edge.

B. Use a fork to crosshatch marks.

C. Braid three strips of dough and adhere them with egg wash.

D. Flatten with a fork.

E. Pinch to crimp.

F. Cut tabs and alternate folding forward.

G. Mark twice with an inverted spoon.

H. Cut out leaf shapes, mark veins with a knife, and adhere with egg wash.

Martha also has a Thanksgiving timeline, which I'm sure I'll be referencing :).

Hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Thanksgiving Recap

I'm happy to report that Thanksgiving went off without a hitch at the Parkman house! It was a gorgeous day in DC and it was so nice to have friends and family over. Our youngest guest, Jake, is Lute's new best friend after giving Lute copious amounts of attention (Lute's favorite thing!) and playing "football" on the back deck. I wished I'd snagged a picture of them, so cute!

I think our table turned out pretty well too! I wasn't planning on doing a floral arrangement for the table, but Ian got me this awesome Teco vase for my birthday and I thought it would look great with our plates, plus I found some beautiful flowers while I was doing a bit of last minute shopping for all of my Thanksgiving recipes and that sealed the deal. I also added some red hues with napkins and pomegranates.

I love snapdragons!

Ian and I prepping the appetizers

I've never cooked a whole turkey before, and I have to admit I was a little nervous about how it would turn out. I followed a recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, which calls for you to place the turkey breast side down and then flip it half way through the cooking process to allow the bird to cook evenly and for the breasts to brown. Flipping the turkey was easier than it sounds (just use clean pot holders or towels), and I have to say, the turkey turned out great!  I like America's Test Kitchen cook books, because they do a great job explaining why they use certain techniques and give tips about the best ingredients and tools to use.

Per usual, my favorite dish of the night was one of the desserts. Smitten Kitchen's apple cider caramels were divine! The flavor was so complex and so so so good. The next day I commented to Ian that I was surprised at how few of the caramels were left (I'd made a lot, plus we had three other dessert options for only 7 of us), and he said Jake had slipped a few in his pocket before leaving. A kid after my own heart!

The caramels and white chocolate bark

I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving as much as I did.  I certainly have much to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving Inspirations

Love this Thanksgiving table. I'm going to try to recreate it in my dining room!

For the first time, I'll be hosting Thanksgiving this year! Ian's cousin and his family will be joining us, along with one of my best girlfriends.  I've been having fun searching the interwebs for recipes, decor ideas, serving ware, etc.  I'm planning on using a white table cloth, with a burlap runner down the middle (I've recruited my mom to make this for me, yay for moms that can sew!), with nuts, gourds, and leaves to add some color. I'm going to use my gramma's white au naturel Noritake china that I LOVE with some orange-y gold napkins. I really like the idea of a neutral base (white table cloth, white dishes, and burlap runner) with pops of fall colors. Basically, I want a traditional feel, but with a contemporary update.

Some decor inspirations:

I like the rustic feel of the burlap

The white/orange combo I like

For the menu, I'll serve all the stuff you'd expect: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, the brussel sprouts from a few posts back, green beans, cranberry sauce, green salad,  and rolls. For dessert I'll make pumpkin pie of course, plus Ina Garten's cranberry apple cake, and her white chocolate bark, and maybe some yummy apple cider caramels.

Maple whipped sweet potatoes from Martha Stewart

Apple cider caramels from Smitten Kitchen

 I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! I can't wait!