Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

This Thanksgiving my family came from all over to celebrate at my parent's house.  There was so much food but the best part of course were the desserts.  Everyone brought a pie, including apple pie, blueberry pie, pecan pie, chocolate pudding pie, and carrot cake whoopee pies, which all were to die for, but what's a Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie?  To complete the scene I made an Eggnog Pumpkin Pie.  After a debate between which eggnog is the best, a taste test found that Stewart's brand eggnog came out on top.

Balsamic Roasted Buttercup Squash with Mushrooms

Buttercup squash is a popular winter squash with a sweet and nutty flavor and creamy texture.  It is more closely related to sweet potatoes than pumpkins in taste.  This recipe plays between tangy and sweet with a balsamic glaze atop the squash and mushrooms.

Black Pepper Almonds

At Thanksgiving we always have a bunch of snacks out to hold my family over until the big meal.  One of these snacks is Black Pepper Almonds which provides a spicy sweet morsel.  These almonds never last long, and when making them we have to try to limit ourselves to make sure there are enough left over for Thanksgiving.

Meyer Lemon Chess Pie

Last year at about this time I decided that I needed to add a new plant to brighten up my indoor garden.  I wanted something unique and with pizazz, and with that I went online and bought a Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree.  It came as a one-year-old twig with 3 leaves on it and has since grown into the most awkward looking plant I ever did lay my eyes upon.  With one branch sticking out so far that it is longer than the main trunk itself, the tree is growing askew.  This poor tree requires supports and stakes to keep it upright, and because it has managed to flower and grow 9 beautiful lemons it is weighed down even more.  My first 3 lemons ripened this week, the rest to ripen soon.  I was so excited to have homegrown (in upstate New York!!) Meyer lemons that I absolutely had to make a variation of the American classic Chess Pie.  Meyer lemons are sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons.

Cheddar Cheese Souffle

As Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, bringing along with it To-Do lists that are out the door, it's nice to make a dinner that is quick and cheap.  My mom and I made this delicate Cheddar Cheese Souffle for dinner last night and ate the whole thing between four of us.  The key to a souffle - no jumping in the kitchen.