Happy Thanksgiving! (and a Recipe)
Posted on November 24, 2005 3 Comments
Happy Thanksgiving!
For readers outside the US who may not have experienced Thanksgiving, it’s truely an amazing holiday that Americans, for the most part, cherish. Not really religious (though I’m sure most families spend time blessing food and praying), Thanksgiving is a time when friends and families gather together to slow down, reconnect, and mostly eat TONS of home-cooked food. You can read a great summary about it here.
In my opinion, Thanksgiving is important to our culture because it celebrates all the things we take for granted. We give thanks for our good fortune, relish in the company of our loved ones and remind ourselves just how much better life is when experienced at a snail’s pace. Although most of us travel long distances to be home with our familes, we arrive with nothing to do except share stories, help cook, eat and watch (or play) some football. It’s not necessarily a consumer holiday – no gifts are traditionally exchanged. Rather, wishes are exchanged in warm smiles and hugs. It’s one of my favorite days of the year.
Americans know that Thanksgiving is all about the food, and I have no shame in admitting that I am an absolutely horrible cook. I was one of those little girls whose grandmothers secretly worried would never find a husband because I couldn’t cook.
I admit the above point because I want to pass along a tasty, traditional and EASY recipe to you. Trust me, anything I make has to be foolproof. I don’t want to spend hours over the stove only to pull out half-cooked sweet potatos (it’s happened). The recipe you’ll find below is simple to make, with ingredients you can borrow from your mom (although you may want to keep them around to mix into cookie batter, French toast and pancake mixes). The best part? It’s guaranteed to mask any cooking inadequecies you face and have your family oohing and aahing for more.
Nicole’s Super Easy Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie (adapted from several other recipes)
*Note: This recipe involves a foray into the baking aisle. Handle with caution and keep your guard up. Serious bakers can be VERY mean. I suggest bringing a regular with you, such as your grandma…
Ingredients
CRUST
1 Frozen pie crust (I chose Pilsbury – seems to be the best store crust out there)
1/4 Cup of crushed Ginger Snap cookies (optional for added flavor and general panache. You can use a coffee grinder to crush them, or just put them in a small ziplock bag with no extra air and whack with a hammer.)
FILLING
3 Large eggs
1 15-oz. can of pumkin puree (I use Libby’s or Whole foods 360 brand)
1/2 Cup of heavy whipping cream (Located next to the milk. Will be in a small carton.)
1 and 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
1) Pre-heat your oven to 375.
2) OPTIONAL STEP: Pour the crushed ginger snap cookies into the frozen crust. Press evenly into the bottom and sides of the unbaked pie crust. Return to freezer.
3) Make the filling.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork or whisk. Add the remaining filling ingredients and stir to combine.
4) Pour the mixture into your frozen pie crust.
5) Bake the pie for 45-55 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust has browned (the center will still look wet!). Stick a knife in the filling about 1 inch from the crust – it should come out clean.
6) Cool the pie at room temperature and store in the refridgerator.
Serve with vanilla cool-whip for best results!
Note: If you buy all these ingredients from your local grocery store, you’ll end up with one very, very expensive pie. If you can’t borrow the ingredients from someone, go to Aldi’s grocery store. Their Spice Club spices are only 89 cents each and vanilla for only $1.99.
If you don’t want to bake or don’t have all the ingredients lying around, you may be better off just buying a store-baked pie.
Enjoy your turkey today!
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3 Responses to “Happy Thanksgiving! (and a Recipe)”
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November 26th, 2005 @ 7:05 pm
This is a great site. I think it helps us to understand the importance of keeping perspective and having fun while we work to manage our family budgets.
November 28th, 2005 @ 10:01 pm
Nicole, thanks for your recipe. I got one for you, too; a recipe from hell called “How to ruin family relationships by borrowing money from relatives”.
December 16th, 2005 @ 9:04 am
i’m going hungry..