Thanksgiving In Plenty and Want

This time of year is my very favorite and November is just a wonderful month!  My birthday is next week, and yes, I'm still like a kid on my birthday.  (Cake and ice cream and a birthday date with my groom are always something I look forward to!!)  I was born on Thanksgiving so I share it with the holiday week every year, but that's okay because Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays there is.  The sole focus is on God's goodness and blessings in our lives!  We have a tradition on the eve of Thanksgiving when we have the big dinner at my parent's house, where after the meal with a cozy sipper in hand we take turns sharing our heart on what we're thankful God has done over the past year.  It's really a beautiful tradition and probably my favorite Thanksgiving memory from years past.

No matter how amazing or downright tragic the year may have been we can always find blessings, even the shear fact that God promised to never leave us. 

I'll never forget Thanksgiving '09 was one of the very hardest to date.  That year my husband and I had been on "cloud 9" celebrating my miracle pregnancy after trying almost 3 years.  It was a surreal time!  As many of you know, just months later we buried the same baby girl that my body nurtured and we had prayed for.  Devastating!! To say the least.  It was the first major holiday I would've been big pregnant and uncomfortable stuffing my hormonal body with extra turkey and dressing.  All the while my moving belly would've been the show stopper of the night....I liked to have thought! Of course that Thanksgiving looked nothing like that as I felt oddly thin and lacked the presence of the our miracle growing inside.  I didn't "feel" Thanksgiving the same way I always had. Although I was still in the grieving process, when it came to sharing what we were thankful for, my husband and I still found blessings to share through our tears.  The most important one to us was that God had never left us!

His presence was still inside me and He promised in His Word to redeem us and turn that tragedy around for His glory. 

This Thanksgiving will be our 3rd one as parents!!!  We have two children that have turned our world upside-down with love and excitement and  has shown us what a full heart and home feels like!!  Although, I don't always understand God's timing or His ways, I don't have to.  Because I trust His plan is always better.  Through it all, it is well.

Today I'm overjoyed to show you a brand new item to my home and kitchen.  Yesterday I was just given this antique washstand that belonged to my great-grandmother, and it probably about 100 years old! 

To me, this heirloom is priceless!!  I treasure such a gift from my Grandmother that she must've grown up around! 

It has been in my grandparent's house since before I was born, and I was promised it since I was a little girl!  Now, we've moved back to my hometown and I have room to proudly use it in our new house!

It's in very good condition, especially considering it's age.  The mirror is beautiful and will reflect the pretty panoramic views we have in our kitchen.  The rod will be just perfect to display seasonal towels, which I happen to collect.

(Sorry about the overexposed pictures, but the lighting was so bright in some of these.)

Inside the cabinet is very clean and tidy.  I just wonder what it would've housed back in the early 1900s?  Was is used in a bedroom or a bathroom perhaps?  I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to store in there or how I'll decorate the top, but let me assure you I will use and love it!  I can see cakes and pies throughout the year served from here or refreshing punch at birthday parties.  Oh, the memories we will have with this heirloom piece! 

This is just one of the things I am thankful for, but there are countless others.

It's been an incredible year...

Mr. Cozy finishing his residency.  (And I lived through it! Whoohooo!)

We just found out today he passed his "Boards" and with flying colors!!

His has a great job as a pediatrician, where I see him everyday and he is home every evening.  (I'll never take that for granted again!)

Selling our Louisville house the very first day we listed and for asking price.

 

Buying our new house! 

God redeeming our children's past more everyday and making our family even closer knit!

My joy of being a parent is maturing! 

A son in kindergarten who is growing and thriving!

A daughter who is brave in Christ enough to fully trust us as parents and who is blooming in love!

A promise God has put in my heart since a youth.. to use my singing voice for Him by helping lead others into worship on our church's worship team and with my husband playing guitar again!

Living near our family and dear friends where they are actively in our life!

Learning piano for the first time and penning a new song.

Countless miracles of undeserved answered prayer day in and out that I couldn't begin to name all!

" Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,

for His steadfast love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

to Him who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever. "

Psalm 136:1-4

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Mama's Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole

Let me introduce to you my mom's "famous" sweet potato casserole recipe!  

This holiday dish is the best there is!  The sweet potato filling is sweet and smooth while the cinnamon-brown sugar topping is adorned with delicious pecans.  As if that's not enough, butter is poured over the top of it all to give it a praline-like crust.

Mom has made this as long as I can remember Thanksgiving, and once I introduced it to my other family (Mr. Cozy's) it's become a tradition there as well!!  It's served on the savory table with dinner, but it can just as likely be a dessert-cobbler.  

This one is hot out of the oven.  I made it ahead of time and baked it halfway.  I'll refrigerate it tonight and bake it the rest of the way just before Thanksgiving dinner.  I love making things ahead of time to make the day go smoother.  We have 3 Thanksgiving get-together starting tonight at my parents, and we love them all!!! This is such a wonderful holiday.

Before I share the recipe, I have to tell you that God has overwhelmed us with His goodness this year!!!  He answered our prayers and brought us together with our two precious children.  

He showed us first hand what redemption looks like.  4 years ago we were still grieving the baby girl we lost in my 2nd trimester, but I was clinging to Hope.  This year we doubled our family all through His grace and providence in our lives!!!

All good things I have-- big or little-- are from the Lord.  I can't forget to be thankful for the fact that I was born in (1st. world) America, and that I've never seen a hungry day in my life.

That I just lived to celebrate my 30th (wowza!) birthday last Sunday.  Here I am with my chocolate chip cake with chocolate chip icing and chocolate cherries at the celebration my parents had for me.  (Thank you!!)

I'm so thankful my husband really treated me with the perfect, romantic get-away to a bed & breakfast nestled in in the beautiful countryside and quaint hamlet of Augusta, Mo.  We went shopping in historic St. Charles, and everything was decorated for Christmas!  It was so wonderful!!!

Here is a gorgeous Christmas shop in historic Kimmswick.

The inviting Lindenhof Bed & Breakfast.

Historic St. Charles, MO. is a treat to visit!

So thankful for an exceptional and beautiful coffee at Picasso Coffee Shop.

Of course there are countless things I thank God for...

I get so happy thinking about Thanksgiving and sharing delicious food and fun fellowship with family, but that pales in comparison to the bigger picture of thanks I hold inside.  Thanksgiving is a state of mind and heart for what all Jesus has done for me, and that something more satisfying that any meal, as delicious as it may be!

Mama's Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole 

2 cans of Sweet potatoes (yams)

3 Eggs, beaten

1/2-3/4 c. Sugar

3/4 c. Butter, melted

3 Tbsp. Evaporated milk

2 dashes of Salt

Dash of cinnamon

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Topping:

1 c. Brown sugar

1/3 c. All purpose flour

1 c. Pecans (half chopped, half left halves)

1 tsp. Cinnamon

6 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mash the potatoes well.  Add all of the filling ingredients together and mix together with a wooden spoon.  Pour into a 3 quart dish.

Make the topping by mixing together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans. Spread all over the top of the sweet potato mixture.

Decorate around the edges with the pecans halves and pour melted butter evenly all over the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbly and pecans are toasted!

            Happy Thanksgiving!

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  

For The Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

Psalm 100:4-5

Moist Cranberry Orange Bread

This is the perfect quick bread for the holiday season to wake up to, have with a sip of afternoon tea or a midnight snack with a glass of frosty milk!  I've been wanting to make fresh cranberry-orange bread for a few years, and I've finally done it.  Gosh, have I been missing out!  This is unbelievably moist and the flavor is wonderful!!

You would think that fresh cranberries would make this bread too tart, but it's not like that at all.  The sugar added and orange zest and juice all balance this bread making it an aromatic and delicious holiday treat!  The cinnamon struesel on top is amazing, but you can also add a quick glaze to give this already scrumptious loaf even more richness.  This time I couldn't wait to let it cool for add the glaze before I had to have a slice. :D 

Consider using fresh cranberries for more than just your Christmas cranberry sauce, and please give this yummy quick bread a try.  This beautiful bread will be a new favorite!

Cranberry Orange Bread

Sally's Baking Addiction

Streusel:

1/4 c. All purpose flour

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon

3 Tbsp. Butter, cold

Bread:

2 c. All purpose flour

1 tsp. Baking  soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 c. Chopped Fresh Cranberries, not frozen

1/2 c. Pecans (toasted tastes best*)

1 large Egg 

1/2 c. Brown sugar

1 c. White sugar

1 c. Buttermilk

1/3 c. Canola oil

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. Orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 9x5 loaf pan (or 3 mini loaf pans) with non stick spray.

Make the streusel first: toss together flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Cut the cold butter with 2 forks or a pastry cutter.  Large crumbs are okay.  Set aside in the fridge.

Make the bread: In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, salt, cranberries and pecans until combined. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk egg, brown and white sugar and stir together well.  Make sure there are no lumps from the brown sugar.  Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and orange zest.  (Here I used half buttermilk and half orange juice from a bottle to make more orange flavored.

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently whisk until there are no more lumps.  Try not to overmix in order to keep the bread light.

Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Top with streusel.

Bake the bread, covered loosely with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour.  Mini loaves bake about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make a glaze, just mix powdered sugar with orange juice and drizzle after they've cooled.  I didn't do that this time, but it's delicious both ways!  Wrap well with plastic wrap or consume the bread goodness at once! :)

* To toast pecans, spread out pecans on an ungreased pan and bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes stirring once.

Beautiful Cranberry Sauce

 

I want to share with you the deliciously sweet and tangy cranberry sauce I made for Thanksgiving dinner!  It has a beautiful combination of fresh cranberries, orange zest, dried cherries and toasted pecans.  The one apple in this recipe adds a little texture, but also adds natural pectin to slightly thicken the ruby sauce. This dish is actually really easy to make and can even be made the day before, only it might not make it to the dinner table that way! ;)

 

I like a cranberry dish on the Thanksgiving and Christmas table, not just because I think you should always have cranberries in a holiday meal, but it seems to accompany whatever you serve.  Whether it be roast turkey or pork, glazed ham or rack of lamb, the cranberry's bright flavor will add that zing you want on your plate.  Cranberries are like the pretty little jewels that dress up your dinner with their deep red hue!

 

My family loved this cranberry sauce so much that I put the leftovers in little jam jars and sent one with everybody on their way. (In this house you never leave empty handed!)  If you're a cranberry lover like I am, I hope you'll find room for this recipe at your next festive dinner! 

 

 Cranberry Sauce

 

12-14 oz. Fresh Cranberries

1 c. Brown Sugar

1/2 c. Maple Sugar

1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and chopped

Zest of 2 Oranges

Juice of 1 Orange

1/3 c. Dried Cherries

3/4 c. Pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

 

Cook cranberries, sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes or until skins pop.  Add apple, zest and juice and cook for 15-20 more minutes until berries burst and mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and add dried cherries and pecans.  Let cool and serve chilled.

 

This recipe is slightly adapted from an Ina Garten recipe--love her!--that I changed enough  I actually  just shared with you exactly what I did instead.  I used maple sugar because Papa just gave me some as a gift, but if you don't have that don't worry, just use white sugar!!  :)  Omit the pecans if you're not a nut lover.

 

 

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Our Thanksgiving Dinner!

 

Mr. Cozy took this picture about an hour before everyone arrived.  I think he did a good job of capturing the essence of the moment.....

 

 

It was a perfect November day with clear blue skies and brisk cool air.  The Japanese maple just outside the dining room window is fiery red and radiant!  It welcomes family as they come up the walk to the front door.

 

 

The candles lit, the table set and my wedding china placed, for this is Thanksgiving dinner! 

 I was so excited to fill up the antique table with 7 place settings for my family!  My sister's hubby is a new addition, and that makes the table as full as it's ever been at our house!  Here's a table about to be overflowing in the tradition and love that my family brings!

 

 

I really love my china, though I don't get to use it too often. (That's going to change!)

It's Noritake "White Palace".  The hubs and I both thought the gold trim on it was different and pretty.  There is also lots of raised ivory detail around the edges.  I find it dainty and beautiful!

 

 

I used gold chargers for a bit of fancy flair and the ends were flanked with cranberry red ones. The table cloth is filled with rich autumn colors, perfect for Thanksgiving. That was a gift from Mom for us hosting the dinner!

 

I topped the plates with neatly folded cloth napkins--that I also received at a wedding shower--and each person had their own baby pumpkin! When we took a seat for prayer before filling our plates everybody put their little pumpkin above their plate, and it decorated the table! 

 

 

I don't have real silver flatware, so I used out everyday forks and knives.  The stemware are crystal goblets my parents gave us the Christmas after we married.  We drank some delicious "House of Grace" or "9th Street House" fruit tea, which is special to us.  It was also served at our wedding.

 

The table isn't large enough to have a big centerpiece, but I thought the crystal candlesticks that were Mr. Cozy's great-grandmother's would be perfect for the occasion!  I think they should always be candles lit on the table to set a nice ambiance! Between them was a new leaf-patterned platter, I bought at Home Goods, that held the warm rosemary rolls!

 

 

Here's a small side table that was passed down to us that we just began to paint and refinish it last week!  (I'm not completely finished with the top.)  It had a dark wood finish, and I wanted to give it a French inspired antiqued look!  Mr. Cozy was a huge help with this!! 

 

This was where everyone could come and get a drink of hot spiced apple cider in their glasses where I already had cinnamon sticks in.  The white pumpkin held the delicious maple spiced nuts to munch on while Mom and I finished dinner!

Note: When I took this picture, I had yet to put the cider in or the cinnamon stick....I tried to take a few of these photos earlier that afternoon before things got busy!

 

 

The desserts were scrumptious!!!  Mom made her frosty famous lemon cake with lemon drizzle that's always so moist it fall apart on the fork!  We so look forward to it every Thanksgiving.  Faith brought a delicious pumpkin pie that was so cute with a couple of pumpkin shaped pieces of crust on the top.  This was yummy with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon!  I made some easy chocolates that were kind of like a rocky road candy with marshmallows, but also had toasted pecans and coconut.  Yum!  We enjoyed these after dinner while watching The Christmas Carol. :)

 

 

I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of much of the food! I was way too busy and hungry to. Our delicious dinner menu consisted of our favorites: herb roasted turkey and creamy gravy, sage dressing, green bean casserole, cooked down Italian green beans, sweet potato casserole with streusal topping, homemade mashed potatoes, baked macaroni and cheese with butter-crumb topping, delicious cranberry sauce with pecans, rosemary rolls with garlic butter and honey butter with House of Grace tea to drink.

 

Mom and I made the food, and I have to say that it was mouth-watering!  Doesn't Thanksgiving food always taste the best??

 

 

I love this cute pilgrim couple standing proudly on the mantle!  I thought they were fun!

 

 

 

As the sun went down, dinner was ready and we were about to eat in the glow of candle light. 

 

 

Mom was oh so sweet to say that being there reminded her of what it would be like at Fred's house (From the Christmas Carol!) for one of his cheery Christmas parties! That made my night!  ....I've always wanted us to have a house with that kind warmth and character that's filled with laughter and love when you come over!

 

 

 God has been so good to us!  We have each other!

 

 

The night was a magical one to remember....

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

 

 

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