I know what you’re thinking.
Where the heck was Thanksgiving #2? Well, on Friday evening after shopping all morning, I made a batch of Utica greens (without prosciutto) for Vegetarian Friday! We arrived slightly late, and rather than focusing my energy on taking photos of the food, I enjoyed the time with family and friends.
Saturday morning, I had another photo gig with a coworker and her family, and then enjoyed a date night with Adam and saw the Muppets. I haven’t laughed that hard at a movie in a VERY long time, and it was so nostalgic to see the Muppets on the big screen.
Today, after a relaxing morning, Adam and I headed to my mom’s for yet another Thanksgiving dinner! I’ll let the photos do the talking for the most part.
Strange pumpkin
A lovely and sweet wine from Oregon
prosciutto, pomegranate, arugula, and fennel salad
Leigh, with her favorite food in the world, fillets
green beans
Buttermilk mashed potatoes
Turkey sausage, sage, and cornbread stuffing
Roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic-glazed hazelnuts (recipe below)
We of course, had turkey as well, but with the clockwork-timed cooking process that my mom has down to a science, we never saw the whole thing! By the time we got there, the turkey was carved and warming while a huge pot of turkey barley soup simmered on the stove.
After dinner, we chatted for a while and then out came dessert!
My mom with her amazing pumpkin pie with graham crust
Pecan pie
And that thing on the left was the sinfully rich flourless chocolate cake Leigh made.
One thing that this week has taught me, with all its cooking and food, is that it really doesn’t matter what we eat, just as long as we’re all together as a family. It wouldn’t quite be the same without the time together. I’m truly lucky and thankful for my amazing husband, close-knit family, and the fact that we all enjoy each others’ company. </sappiness>
Now, as promised, that recipe.
This is loosely based on a dish that I had at Dukes Alehouse a while back, and I’m thrilled with how they turned out.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic-Glazed Hazelnuts
Ingredients (Makes 6 hefty portions)
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts
- 6 ounces shelled hazelnuts (a.k.a. filberts)
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut the bottoms off the Brussels sprouts, then cut large sprouts in half.
- Place the sprouts in a large roasting pan, sprinkle with the salt and drizzle with the oil. Toss to coat.
- Roast in the oven, stirring every 10 minutes, until the sprouts are soft and browned on the outside.
- Meanwhile, chop the hazelnuts and heat them in a frying pan.
- Add the brown sugar to the pan and stir to coat the nuts with sugar. Add the balsamic vinegar, and stir until a thick syrup forms.
- Remove the sprouts from the oven, immediately top with the hazelnuts, and toss to combine.
- Serve
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like a fun evening and everything looks wonderful! I love this brussel sprout recipe. I have some that I need to use up tonight so it was very timely to see a recipe like this. I have some leftover pecans so will probably sub those. I love the sweetness of the nuts in here…yum, can’t wait to have these!
Becki’s Whole Life´s last [type] ..Not your lunch lady’s Sloppy Joes
Your photos are absolutely beautiful Mara! Glad you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Lauren´s last [type] ..Oh Christmas Tree
Oh boy that looks like an awesome Thanksgiving!!! And those pies sounds delicious!!!
Melissa @TryingtoHeal´s last [type] ..Comment on Thanksgiving as Birding Thursday by Amy
That looks like a perfect Thanksgiving to me Mara!
Great photos!
Jenn@slim-shoppin´s last [type] ..Back to reality
Those desserts look magical… well, all of it does actually! My family lives far away so I am thankful for hand-picked “family” and amazing friends who I can spend time with during the holidays.
Christin@purplebirdblog´s last [type] ..CSA Saturday, errr, Monday
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