Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

Thoughtful (and Thankful) Thursday

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Thoughtful Thursday [thawt-ful thurz-day] – 1) characterized by manifesting careful thought on the day of Thursday; 2) weekly blathering by Cooking College Chick; 3) a completely random non sequitur from your day.

Right now I am relaxing in sunny San Diego, enjoying the company of my dad and grandparents. And let me tell you, I am so dog-gone thankful to be here. (Yes, I said dog-gone, I have to keep it PG here).

When I say “here”, I don’t just mean being in San Diego. I mean here in that broad, abstract, hoity-toity literary form of the word.

When I think back, over the past year, I don’t even feel like the same person. I’ve traveled to Israel, completed an amazing internship, met new friends, and made tons of food. I’ve experienced some of my greatest personal challenges and struggles, but at the same time wonderful achievements.

All in all, I’m thankful for so much this year.

family

I’m thankful for my family – for the smartest man I will ever know (my daddy), my hot momma, and my super-cool, hip grandparents. I’m thankful for their constant support, generosity, and love.

I’m thankful for all of my extended family (and so, so thankful that they were mostly spared from the wrath of Sandy).

I’m thankful for all of my “sisters” and “moms” and “aunts” and “uncles”: those that are not related to me, but whom I consider my family nonetheless. P.S. Not all of my fabulous family is pictured.

friends

I’m thankful for my beautiful, wonderful, fantastic, giving friends.

I’m thankful that they surprise me with scones and chocolate or random (and usually incredibly inappropriate) text messages.

I’m thankful that they will run with me even though I’m slow or feel like I need to stop.

I’m thankful that they bring me my favorite soup when I am sick to make me feel better.

I’m thankful that they call me at 3AM just because they need to talk to someone.

I’m thankful that they get coffee with me and listen to me rant, or cry, or laugh, or all three simultaneously.

I’m thankful that they will continue to share an apartment with me even though I often forget to press the “cancel” button on the microwave, so it perpetually reads 7 seconds.

I’m thankful that they let me embarrass them. All. The. Time. Or maybe that they let me embarrass myself…

And most of all, I’m thankful that they are always faithfully there for me.

random

To name a few more things, I’m thankful for my puppy, the White Stallion, running, my education, my health, Downton Abbey, Cookie Butter, classical music, nail polish, my bike, volunteering, knee-high socks, sunny days, puffy clouds, fresh baked cookies, my strength and resilience, picture messaging, my Toms, my apartment, autumn and spring, airplanes that take me to my family, pretty flowers, tiny surprises, real hugs, fresh cut grass, lazy Saturday mornings, Ethiopian food, driving through the country in East Tennessee, yoga, swimming in the lake, hiking, and so, so many more things that I won’t bore you with.

And of course, I am thankful for YOU. I am very, very thankful that you visit my site and read about my life and the food that I make. I’m thankful that you leave comments and share my little place on the internet with your friends and family. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you a day full of thanks and love. And if you aren’t here in the U.S. celebrating Thanksgiving, I still wish you a beautiful day with the people that make you smile.

How has your Thursday been? What are you thankful for?

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Thanksgiving Recipes!

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While many of you may have already finalized your menu for the Thanksgiving holiday, I thought that I would still share some of my favorite holiday recipes from the site.

Because really, what’s better than a ridiculous amount of food?

A pony! But, I don’t have room in my apartment for a pony, so this will just have to do.

Breads/Muffins/Rolls/Crackers

Caraway-Rye Corn Muffins

Garlic Knots (v)

Homemade Seedy Crackers (v) – Perhaps with your favorite dip!

Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread with Cinnamon-Sugar

Spiced Pumpkin Maple Beer Bread

Whole Wheat Challah Bread - Make into tiny challah rolls!

Fruit Desserts

Apple Crisp - This is always a favorite!

Crock Pot Applesauce (v/gf)

Warm Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Bars

Maple Fluffernutter Bars

Maple Pecan Shortbread Squares

Cake and Pie

Armenian Nutmeg Cake

Crustless Cranberry Pie

Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel - This will become your new favorite pumpkin pie. It is out of this world.

Graham Cracker Torte

Old-Fashioned Gooey Butter Cake

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel, Chocolate Chips, and Walnuts

Vegan Chocolate Mousse Pie (v/gf)

Main Course/Sides

Caramelized Mushroom and Vegetable Pot Pie with Parmesan Biscuits

Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes and Toasted Bread Crumbs

Roasted Pesto Vegetables and Quinoa

Simple Risotto

Walnut-Raisin Stuffing with Sage

butternut squash soup

Soup and Salad

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (v/gf)

Caesar Salad

Charoset (v/gf)

Pumpkin-Apple Soup (v/gf)

Sweet Potato Soup with Yellow Split Peas (v/gf)

Looking for more Cooking College Chick? Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest! You can also subscribe on the upper right hand bar to receive email updates! Happy Cooking!!!

Foodie Friday: Thanksgiving Baked Goods

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As I mentioned in my last post, I am super excited for the Thanksgiving holiday to roll around. There is something magical about pies (there is something magical about dessert in general…), cranberry sauce, fresh bread, potatoes, turkey, green beans, pumpkin, sage… Really, don’t get me started.

I’m posting a few recipes that I hope to bake this season (and post online too). I’m also posting a few that look way too good to only keep to myself. Friends help friends eat delicious dessert (at least that’s the type of friend I am).

BREADS

American Pumpkin Cornbread from Baltic Maid. Do you ever get a hankering for cornbread? Growing up in the Southeastern United States, I’ve been exposed to “southern” and “northern” cornbread. I don’t really have a preference (cough… northern… cough), but I feel like this one would be more northern because it has the brown sugar addition.

Buttered Rosemary Rolls from the Pioneer Woman. These look so yummy. Rosemary is one of my favorite fall herbs. And a little butter and salt. It looks like a winner!

Hearty Sweet Potato Braids from Once Upon a Cutting Board. I love bread (obviously) but I especially love braided breads. They are so easy and the result is usually pretty stunning. This bread is no exception!

CAKE

Pumpkin-Cranberry Pudding Cake from the Professional Palate. I’ve never made a pudding cake, but I’ve been dying to bake one for a while. This one sounds delicious and festive!

One-Skillet Gooey Pumpkin Cookie Cake from Willow Bird Baking. Basically this cookie cake looks like the best flavor/texture party in a pan I can imagine. I can almost hardly restrain myself from finishing this post and running into the kitchen to bake it!

Pumpkin Cheesecake from Food Network. We can thank Paula Deen for this caloric wonder. It looks divine!

PIE

Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie from Chocolate and Carrots. I have had this pit on my to-make (now!) list since I saw it a few weeks ago. It has two crusts: a flaky pastry crust and a crushed gingersnap crust. I cannot wait to have this in my kitchen, on my plate, in my mouth.

Crustless Cranberry Pie from Allrecipes. Since I go to school so far from home, it’s difficult for me to go back for Thanksgiving. So instead of having Thanksgiving when the rest of the United States celebrates, I have a lovely Thanksgiving-Birthday-Christmahanakwanzika celebration. When I saw this pie last year, I knew that I wanted it on the menu. And I am so glad that I did. It’s slightly sweet, slightly tangy, 100% delicious!

Pecan Praline Tart from Waiting for Gateau. Gorgeous tart with the flavors of fall. Super Yum!

OTHER TASTY TREATS

Cornmeal Cranberry Drop Scones from NYTimes. I love the flavors of cranberry and citrus together. These scones combine the two and are made with whole wheat flour for a healthier Thanksgiving breakfast option

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars from MyRecipes. These look so delicious and also seem to be a healthier, but also super tasty option for an after dinner snack!

Maple Pecan Shortbread Squares from me! I loved these squares. They are great for a crowd because you can cut them into tiny pieces and serve them that way. They were very festive, rich, and delicious.

Basically this is only a tiny list of some of the amazing things that I see online and in cookbooks.

Do you have any wonderful dessert recipes to share? What types of foods do you always have on your table? Do you have an unusual family tradition or no tradition at all? I’d love to hear about them!