And so it Begins

[mixfinder]

Weight of Cranberries

Weight of cranberries is a bit like weighing the wind. Here they are sold in 12 ounce bags and I look for Marmelade in 8 ounce jars. I tried adding fresh ginger to the mix one year but its too over the top and sometimes too much brilliance is not a good thing.

 

[norgeway]

Oh Kelly!

It all looks so wonderful....but I still cant make pie crust!!LOL...Biscuits yes, piecrust NO...

 

[mattl]

Kelly- Great Job!

 

Everything looks fantastic. 

 

i was wondering about your pie crust recipe, you use a bit more shortening than most recipes I've seen.  I made a pumpkin and apple pie for Thanksgiving using your technique and they turned out perfect, though I did reduce the amount of lard I used just a bit.  With the two pies I made last week using a full 1/2 cup of lard the dough seemed a bit different - not sure how to describe it.  Anyway I used a small mountain of flour on the board and they rolled out perfectly.  Thanks again for all your baking tips..

 

Hope you have an enjoyable Thanksgiving.

 

[foraloysius]

Thank you Kelly, I think some Dutch products come close to Golden Treacle.

 

[oldskool]

Just Wonderful!

That island covered with baked goods is simply wonderful. I'm sure your house smells great with all of the baking that's been in progress. It says, home! It says love! What an absolutely stupendous gift and passion you have for fine food. Thanks for sharing some of your thanksgiving tradition with us. So meaningful and from the heart.

Much appreciation
John

PS - I'm looking for a Braun.

 

[petek]

Looking at your pie made me want pie this afternoon so I figured why not and made one myself. I had 3 1/2 sticks of butter languishing in the fridge I need to use up so that was also a bit of an incentive. Then I cheated and bought a can of apple pie filling and used the food processor because I've never tried it for crust and it worked quite well. Other than it being canned pie filling it's good

 

[gredmondson]

Kelly,
I so enjoy reading your posts, and I love the great photos, too.
George

 

[philr]

Pecan Pie is my favorite but I never even tried to make one myself!

Maybe I should try! Thanks for sharing your recipes!

Kelly, I really like your range BTW!

 

[mixfinder]

The Family Party

My consolation prize for not hosting Thanksgiving is having my grand daughter's first birthday party. Relatives, friends and Josie's play friend families are coming (35 to 40) Roast Turkey, Pork Loin, Macaroni and Cheese, Build your own fajitas using prok and turkey, salads, Angel Food Cake, Red Velvet cake and Coconut Cake plus homemade ice cream. My son and I have been having a great time. I don't want to look haggard today because my stamina is fading so having time with Kyler is wonderful. A gentle giant is the only way to describe him, unless he's mad. Then the giant part is more noticable.

 

[kevin313]

Kelly - I read your posts with such utter amazement. How lucky your guests are to be welcomed into your home with so much love and care given to each and every morsel of food. What I wouldn't give to be on the guest list someday!

From an early age I learned from my mother that preparing food for others was much more than slopping something on a plate and dishing it out. Cooking for others - whether close loved ones or total strangers - was a way of reflecting one's love and respect for humanity, and a means to express the affection in one's heart for those gathered around your table. In reading your wonderful posts and seeing you in action, I know that your cooking and baking comes directly from your heart, and I think it is the most beautiful gift that you share with those around you.

How blessed to celebrate your grandaughter's first birthday with such a feast! So even if the Thanksgiving crowd was small, I'm glad you had a houseful to enjoy the birthday party - lucky guests one and all! I would have loved a piece of that coconut cake!!

Hugs to you!

 

[appnut]

Oh my!!  In my own way, when I cook for one or 20, it's also a way of saying I love you. 

 

[mixfinder]

Cake Extravaganza

I find making multiple smaller cakes is easier than trying to piec together a sheet cake at home. After a sheet cake is half eaten it looks used and no so appetizing.

 

[mixfinder]

Queen for a Day

With her daddy behind.

 

[mixfinder]

SRO

47 guests with 17 being under the age of five, three of them newborn. Josie didn't grasp present unwrapping so the little kids opened them for her.

 

[mixfinder]

On Many Levels

Thank you all for the many kindnesses expressed. For me there is nothing heroic about cooking, its how I enjoy spending my time. Having people around feeds my soul rather than feeling like any kind of work. Its a real gift to have a house so large it swallows 50 people and still feels roomy. Judy's mom, the tall white haired lady behind her in the present opening shot is nearing the end. My parents don't have a lot of connection to what's happening around them but they still enjoy being included. Judy's family has always celebrated events alone and more than 3 is considered a crowd. Kyler is much like all my kids, the party only gets better with more people. Kids have a job description at every age. As babies their job is to induce sleep depravation, as toddler's they break everything reachable and find all things dangerous, as little kids they are ready to bolt and find new experiences, as teenagers they rage and tell you you're stupid and none of it should be taken personally, they are simply fulfilling their job description. I have learned, perhaps painfully, if you want to see your grandkids, keep your opinions to yourself. Moments like these make the whole process of being connected to family worth the journey.

 

[westingman123]

...and homemade ice cream, too!

Kelly, you are amazing. I cooked for six and was tired for two days. How I wish for your talent of making food tasty AND gorgeous. My presentation pales by comparison.

We've got to meet up some day. I'd be honored to just WATCH you cook.

 

[mickeyd]

Ceaseless Amazement

What a really nice looking bunch of people, and with 17 of them under 5, it must have been a real hoot. The house, the people, the food: such beauty! You are a lucky man, Kelly!

 

Now I'm finally getting a glimpse of understanding how and why you survive every time you're challenged, which has become one of the main mysteries and miracles in my lifetime. Thank You!

 

[sudsmaster]

greatest lie ever purpetrated on the American population is

Well, what do you know.

All these years I thought it was the Gulf of Tonkin resolution.

Or maybe the Checkers speech.

LOL.

Seriously, looks like two wonderful dinners. The recipients were very lucky.

I wonder about spoilage leaving the turkey in the ice chest for five days, but I suspect you had a remote sensing electronic thermometer with an alarm, just in case. I usually thaw the turkey overnight in the patio sink in a big covered pot of cold water. Any residual ice is dealt with the day of cooking, by directing tap water into the more frigid parts. But then I've never brined a bird.

Now that all that is done with, will you be having a chance to try the home made Twinkie recipe I posted the other day?

 

[petek]

OKAY OKAY I'm gonna say it because everyone else is too chicken..

All I see is a cowboy LOL

 

[mixfinder]

Hunk

I have a.portrait size photo of Kyler on a paint horse with his dog running in the bucking stock. He has a winsome look which a lot of guys have commented on. They are usually embarrassed to say something suggestive and then find he is my son. He's truly a great guy and has always been one of my most ardent supporters.