Thanksgiving Recap

I hope all of my online pals who celebrated Thanksgiving had a nice holiday with family and friends.

 Since I was a small child, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Getting out the good china, polishing all the heirloom silver, laying out the lace tablecloth and my grandmother's linen napkins, using  mini salt cellars, napkin rings, and placecards, and all the family that would arrive from many states away, just made me so happy. Even though I was relegated to the "kids" table until I was 12, I loved listening to the adults talking and laughing while sitting around my mother's dining room table with all four extra leaves put in to accommodate everyone.

I always host Thanksgiving at my house now and I spend days cooking up a storm!

Not too many family members trek out to the boonies to celebrate at my house, but my mother always comes and usually a few other guests as well. 

Thanksgiving morning always begins with this cake for breakfast. It is a staple and I have been making it on Thanksgiving morning since 1999. Some years I even make it vegan. Simple and delicious.

Thanksgiving Morning Breakfast Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

8 oz. sour cream

1 tsp. almond extract

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt (1/4 tsp if using salted butter)

1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce (or 1 1/2 cups homemade)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a bundt pan very well, being sure to get into all the nooks and crannies.

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add eggs, sour cream, and almond extract.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix into wet batter until fully incorporated.

4. Dollop half of batter into bundt pan, swirl in half of the cranberry sauce, cover with rest of batter and top off with rest of cranberry sauce, swirling it in. 

5. Bake 1 hour.

Invert cake onto plate, let cool 10 minutes. Drizzle with icing.

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 T. lemon juice

hot water to make icing 

This is a photo of our table this year. The adults drink wine, but the kids get "kid's wine" which is actually sparkling grape juice:) 

Here's my requisite full plate photo! *chuckle* 

People always ask what on earth vegetarians eat on Thanksgiving...well, here it is!

Mashed potatoes and vegetarian gravy, hickory smoked sliced Tofurky, sweet potato biscuits, green beans with almonds, a yummy dish that my boyfriend contributed (roasted red potatoes, artichoke hearts, and kalamata olives with lemon), traditional celery & onion stuffing, buttered rutabaga, creamed pearled onions, honey/balsamic roasted brussel's sprouts, burgundy mushrooms, and homemade cranberry sauce! 

And just like the adults did when I was small, we sit around the table talking and eating and sharing stories until evening when we dig into dessert:)

I am very thankful for my family and friends, our good health, and all that we have.

Card above uses: Cornucopia, Houndstooth background, Autumn Stamp Set, Solid Leaves, Happy Thanksgiving, and Wire Fence embossing folder. 

If you want to get a head start on your Christmas stamp shopping, check out the ONE DAY sale happening at Denami today. 

Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO