happy monday! i hope everyone had a lovely thanksgiving. after spending 8 hours on my feet cooking, i was thrilled beyond words to have a seat in the late afternoon with family and friends as we came together to give thanks, celebrate, and enjoy one another's company. i really do love thanksgiving. my husband is about as old school as they get, so i stick to the traditonal fare, but i sneak in a few tricks each year as well.
new to our menu this year:
- sweet paul's mushroom tart to which i added a few crumbles of goat cheese - super delicious and easy to make. i made extra mushrooms and saved them to add to the gravy later. bonus!
- glazed sweet potatoes in the crock pot which were (so i've heard) really yummy and caramely. i'm really not a sweet potato girl, but they definitely looked gooey and smelled amazing. i found this particular recipe while looking specifically for a crock pot version and it's staying in my file for future thanksgivings. one caveat would be to watch the time - they were done after about 4 hours on low as opposed to the recommended 8, so adjust the time accordingly.
- i also brought back an old favorite by whipping up a batch of union square cafe's bar nuts - i am not one to mix savory and sweet, but these are completely irresistable. the rosemary, that hint of butter, a gentle sweetness from the brown sugar and then the tiniest bit of cayenne wakes you up. before you know it, you're reaching for more. did i mention you serve them warm? oh my, yes.
one thing - if you do make these nuts (and you want to, trust me), be sure to make extra - put them into jelly jars to share as party gifts, or stash away a big jar and nibble on 'em the next day when nobody is looking. after eight hours of cooking, i think that's a fair trade off.
did you cook anything new this year? what was your favorite item on your thanksgiving menu? what did you sneak seconds of when nobody was looking? i'd love to hear! xoxo
