Let the Rejoicing Begin!

And it begins....

We are two days away and we start with the brine for the turkey. Our particular favorite is full of spices and apple cider!

And Dad has started as well.

He is just getting read to put the pumpkin cheesecake into the oven. Mmmm.

Tomorrow is full of preparation: tablecloths and napkins need ironing, pies need baking, sauces need mixing. There is such blessing in the work it takes to bless those we are so grateful for. It's the least we can do.

What are you all doing to get ready? I would love to hear!

Recipe review: Pumpkin French Toast Bake

Baked Pumpkin French Toast

So this Saturday I tried an entirely new recipe (c/o Pinterest). I'd never made french toast before, let alone baked pumpkin french toast. I used this recipe, and for baked french toast I thought it was okay, but I'm really not  fan of baked eggs in anything. Like. Anything. Shoulda thought of that before I picked this out as my weekend splurge. sigh  I really couldn't taste the pumpkin; but that might have had something to do with the fact that I used pumpkin puree not pumpkin butter, and that I only had cinnamon not pumpkin pie spice mix. Ah well, that's life. Noel really liked it, which is always handy when you forget that you're only feeding two people and accidentally make a 9x13 pan of it anyway! At least it keeps in the fridge for a few days. So, *if* you have pumpkin Butter and/or pumpkin pie spices (also, if bread puddings are *totally* your thing) then you might really like this. But if you're like me, and don't have pumpkin butter or the spices and you really are not a fan of baked eggs of any sort, I'd wager that your life would continue on just nicely without it

My kitchen has totally scary retro counters and backsplashes....

Chicken Parm Meatloaf

Tonight I tried a new recipe for Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf, and it was so tasty! I was a little concerned when there was still a *lot* of liquid in the bottom of the pan at the end of the cooking time, but I figured that must have something to do with the water content of my onion (or something, I really don't know, this was my first meatloaf of any kind) and it didn't seem to have any effect on the finished product.  Noel and I both liked it immensely; the seasoning levels were perfect and the melty cheese on top made my day. So, go! Eat! Be happy. :) 

(Photo c/o the actual author of the recipe. One day I will remember to take my own photos!)

~Noble

New recipe success!

I like to keep things interesting around here which, for me, means trying new recipes on a pretty regular basis. Sometimes two or three times in a week, (but sometimes none!) it really depends on how much energy I have whenever I plan on which meals to make for the week. Anyway, this week I made plans to try two (possibly three!) new recipes and I have to tell you that the first one was a smashing success! 

 Ladies, let me introduce you to Italian Chicken! (I'm going to go ahead and borrow a picture from her blog since I forgot to take any of my own, so props to her for pretty pics!) 

 The recipe was exceptionally straight forward and it turned out beautifully. I didn't even have any fresh basil on hand to sprinkle over it and it was *still* yummy. Also, I feel like this is one of those super handy dishes that feels fancy enough (thanks to the artichokes) that I would serve this to company in a heartbeat, or if I was feeling greedy just make it and keep it all to myself.

 Happy eatings!
~Noble

Apple Pie!

So this week I baked not just one but *two* apple pies;
basically by myself. It's pretty much been a good week.

Simple Dressing...or simply delicious

I am not eating buttermilk right now due to allergies so how can I make yummy salad dressing, I am wondering. Then the light bulb turns on and I see clearly that the answer is so simple. Creme Fraiche.

So with four simple ingredients I have some pretty good stuff.

Here we have homemade mayonnaise, homemade creme fraiche, fresh garlic and some dry dill. I am afraid I didn't measure...shocking to those who know me best. Equal parts mayo and creme,  a couple cloves of garlic, pressed, and a pinch of dill. 

I tossed it with spring greens and didn't even miss the Parmesan... although Parmesan is definitely a must if you can eat it!

Food

We Handermanns are doing a detox diet this month (and seeing great results with our eczema: we're pretty excited!). But right now our food choices are limited by that: it's been meat and veg boiled in broth for the last week, for every meal. Tomorrow we get to have scrambled eggs for breakfast and I am so thrilled. I keep talking about it. And really, I keep thinking about food in general -- all my favorite foods that I will be so grateful to get back to!

I hadn't realized before just how much food is part of my daily routine -- Ryan laughed when I said this to him. But, look, until this week I ate two eggs for breakfast every morning, I had a cup of tea with cream in it while Blaze was down for his nap, salad or soup for lunch, a meat dish for dinner and sometimes a little something sweet or even some popcorn for winding down with Ryan in the evening. Having just soup really throws off my day! It's hard to feel the rhythm without my markers.

A lovely side effect, though, is that during all the thinking I'm doing about food, I've been reminiscing about the key foods I remember throughout my life. So many of my big memories are tied up in food! Sitting with my dad at McDonalds, learning to eat french fries just the right way (two at a time, dipped in ketchup). Chocolate-tofu pudding during Mom's meatless kick. Dad's guacamole, and his omelets! Pumpkin pie for breakfast every Thanksgiving morning; swedish hots with berry syrup for breakfast on Christmas or New Years. Summertime shopping dates with my mom and sisters, getting Safeway chinese food and two-scoop waffle cones on the way home. Coffee shop cinnamon rolls during finals weeks at college. Barely-browned hamburgers with Ryan on our dinner dates while we were engaged. Just a spattering, but it's been a tasty life.     God has definitely given me my daily bread.

(I'm already making my recipe to-do list for next month...I've never wanted to meal-plan this far in advance before!)