Is IT Done YET?!?!?!?! The Day After...

Yesterday meant a day of giving thanks for our blessings...of feasting on delectable delights...of relaxation and family...

Yesterday meant hearing the cats ask "Is the turkey DONE yet?!?!?!"  

 Tilly giving eyeblinks in hopes that the turkey is done finally! 

In our home, my husband cooks the holiday birds.  In the seven years we've been married, he's never had a turkey come out underdone, overdone, dried out or anything else that can a person can do to ruin the centerpiece of the meal. I also need to mention that because he does the turkey so well,  it's taken a lot of the pressure off me. It also means I get to concentrate making the the side dishes. 

This year I chose do squash, mainly because it's part of my husband's heritage, and because I found some awesome recipes.  Ree Drummond over at The Pioneer Woman has simplified squash cooking and made my life easy. I got a lot of compliments from making her Butternut Squash Puree this year. At Christmas, I'll make her Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges.

Now because of my allergies to food preservatives, I haven't had pumpkin pie or pecan pie for three long years. My food preservative allergies include anything made with corn or soy, including high fructose corn syrups. The past three days, I've been searching online for recipes that I could modify, substitute, or adapt to my needs. Yesterday early morning, I found two of the best. I was so excited that I just scribbled down the ingredients, the amounts, and what temperature to turn the oven on. Yes I did. Took that piece of scribbled paper into the kitchen and proceeded to make pie. 

 

They came out beautifully. Thin crusts, but flaky. The pecan pie was made with maple syrup--the real stuff, not that colored-flavored stuff that's called syrup. The pumpkin was also made with maple syrup and organic half-n-half, rather than evaporated milk--which I cannot have.  I only had a sliver yesterday of each of the pies because I was also worried about the glutamate acid content. I have to watch the glutamate acid content in foods, thanks to my preservative/additive allergies. 

This morning I realized that I didn't save the two recipes to my recipe files. No I did not save those recipes. Now I have to hunt through the 'Net again, looking for those two perfect recipes. I cannot find my paper scraps with the list of ingredients. Silly me. 

Wednesday's newspaper was full of advertisements, screaming about Black Friday sales. Again, and for another year, I sit smug at my computer. I will not participate in Black Friday Mental Breakdown Shopping-Frenzy Madness. I will not get up at o'dark-thirty to stand in line at freezing-my-toucus o'clock to get a "limited supply" of anything. I will not fight crowds of people trying to obtain the same limited supply something.  I will not watch humanity at its worst in this season of when we are supposed to be sharing and giving our best to all. 

I'm liking the simplicity of giving from the heart, which means handcrafted or handmade gifts. I'm enjoying the thought behind the gifts I give and the process of making them. It soothes me to know that I can plan in advance what I want to make and give, rather than get caught up in the last minute turmoil and fury. It means I can enjoy taking my time during the holiday season. It gives me time to reflect and volunteer at the charities I support, enjoy friends and family, and brings a sense of peace to my soul. 

It means taking life the way a cat would! :D

Tryptophan cats