Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
We’re nearly ready to head to my parents’ place for dinner…with the pumpkin pie, green beans, and cranberry sauce. The pie sorta flopped… I used the organic healthfood store brand of canned pumpkin which seemed way too watery — and indeed, it was. The pie filling took forever to set, and the crust got overdone while that was happening. Now I know to always use Libby’s pumpkin! I also used electric beaters to mix the filling and I think I overmixed it and turned the thing into a bit of a souffle. I think it’ll still be good though, even if we’re just scraping pumpkin-pudding-souffle out of an overdone crust! (Who needs those crust calories, anyway.)
The beans turned out nicely — just cooked those in salted water and added a bit of butter and Penzey’s RuthAnn’s Muskego Ave Seasoning. They’re yummy.
The cranberry sauce I think will be very nice too; I started with a can of organic whole cranberry sauce, then added my own fresh cranberries and freshly squeezed orange juice, and then simmered it along with a cinnamon stick, strips of fresh orange zest (use a carrot peeler to peel off strips), and fresh ginger slices.
On the phone a minute ago, my mom and I were marvelling at how it’s the exact same food every year, but each year it seems like a totally new meal — like we’re reinventing the wheel and things we’ve made year in and year out turn out differently, somehow!
Anyway, have a happy time with friends and family!
*****
and now, the REST of the story…the pumpkin pie did NOT turn out to be a flop. It was firm, just like it should be, VERY tasty and not too sweet–but just right! The crust was not soft and almost mushy like other pumpkin pie crusts I’ve had, but almost crunchy (it was a very self-confident crust) and I liked it. It held together extremely well. I thought it was a hit!! an aside–beans were good, as usual, and cranbery sauce was excellent, with pieces of apple included to add more and different texture and flavor. Muy bien hecho…