Thanksgiving 2012: A Recap

I'm sitting at home wrapped in a blanket, sipping a cup of tea and enjoying my new wood wick candle I got today and I feel completely at ease. The past few days have been extremely busy- Thanksgiving dinner, lots of driving and even some holiday shopping and a movie. I feel like I've been going nonstop for two weeks; I need to just sit and relax and do some writing.

Just part of our dining room table...

Aaron prepping the relish tray.

This Thanksgiving was not like any other. For the very first time my parents and my husbands parents enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner together (of course, Aaron and I were there too!) Typically my Mom makes the traditional turkey dinner and we make the hour and a half journey home to spend the day with them. Aaron's family usually gathers together in Pennsylvania at his sister's house..some years we've even joined them there, or had to split our day... dinner at my parents then another at his. It gets quite crazy sometimes. However, this year both families dined together...and boy did we have a feast! Aaron's sister, his mother and I did the cooking and we made enough to feed an army. We had everything- turkey, stuffing, vegetables, pies, fruit salads, breads, wine, cocktails etc...It was quite an incredible sight, and boy did we all want a nap afterwards!

The "kids" table...for the 23-26 year olds, including myself!

Last year, Thanksgiving was a pretty rough- I was in a bad place emotionally and that night on our way home Aaron and I hit a deer with my car (there was minimal damage, and the deer walked away unharmed...I think)... so I was looking forward to having a nice day with my family sans deer. I'm so fortunate to have parents that take an initiative to get to know my in-laws, and vice versa. It's great to be able to have both families come together to celebrate the holidays..it means less time split between houses and more time for Aaron and I to enjoy our families under one roof. I'm also very fortunate to have in laws that welcome my last minute guests to dinner- whether it was our weekly Wednesday night dinner back when Aaron and I were still in high school, or Thanksgiving- my friends have always had a spot at their table and are welcomed.

Needless to say, this year, I am very thankful for all that I have. 2012 hasn't been the best year for my family, my friends or myself...but regardless of the things we've had to go through this year, we've stuck together. Lots of people did the "I'm thankful for..." thing on Facebook this month and I just haven't had the time to sit and think about posting every day...so here's my list: I'm thankful for those that have remained close to me, that have encouraged me to stay strong, helped me through difficult times and decisions, and remained willing to sit and just listen to me rant and rave when my emotions get too high. I'm thankful for a caring and compassionate husband who never fails to make me smile at least once a day, despite how low I may feel...and for my best friends Brittni and Candi, who love me for who I am and encourage me day after day to be true to myself. I'm thankful for a family that loves me unconditionally; parents who still provide me with a voice of reason when I'm in need of one, and a brother who, despite the odds, continues to be the strongest person I know, and who inspires me to overcome the obstacles that stand in my way. I'm thankful for my cat (yes..my cat.) because nothing else in this world calms me like she does, or comforts me in my darkest moments like she can; she keeps me sane when everything else fails. I'm anxiously awaiting the beginning of the New Year; a chance to start over, to finish what I've started (yes, that means my Thesis) and to begin a new chapter of life.

Oh, I almost forgot! We had this amazing butternut squash dish at dinner- Here's the recipe!! Try it- it's amazing and I'll be making it again soon because I'm already craving it! :)

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin

 Recipe from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (2 1/2 lb)

1/4 cup butter

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange with slices overlapping slightly in bottom of baking dish.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with garlic flavor. Do not let butter brown. 

In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese and 1 tablespoon of the butter-garlic mixture. 

 Brush squash slices with remaining butter-garlic mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and bread crumb mixture.

Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with fork. Increase oven temperature to 425°F; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Before serving, sprinkle parsley over top. 

 

Slow Cooked Beef Minestrone Soup- My Favorite!!

Since it has been getting colder and colder outside I decided that its time to post the recipe for my favorite Crock-Pot meal ever: Slow-Cooked Beef Minestrone Soup. I stumbled across this in a Wegmans magazine last fall ( I know, you're shocked I didn't find it on Pinterest!) and I've been in love with it ever since. It's so easy and tastes amazing. I've even been able to convince my mom to make it a couple of times and she enjoyed it as well (for those of you who know her, you know that she's not one to change her dinner routine/menu that quickly...so since she's added this to the rotation you know it's good!).

Crock-Pot meals are my favorite. I'm pretty sure that next to sliced bread, the Crock-Pot was one of the greatest inventions of all time. It's the perfect kitchen gadget! No other kitchen gadget allows you to put everything in one pot and forget about it for 6 hours. Seriously, genius.

Now, keep in mind this is a Wegmans recipe, so everything on their ingredients list is a Wegmans brand. There isn't a law out there that says you have to buy the Wegman's Italian Classics or their prepackaged vegetables...there are other easy and delicious substitutes out there. The only reason I buy this brand is for convenience; when I prep a Crock-Pot meal its usually on a day that neither my husband nor I are going to be home and I have little to no time in the morning to dice and chop vegetables, let alone pan sear the meat (maybe if I got my butt out of bed earlier before work this wouldn't be an issue..but oh well!). It's a personal preference and you can't mess this recipe up- use what you want!

So here you go, here's the list of ingredients and the directions:

Slow Cooked Beef Minestrone Soup:

Ingredients:

1 pkg (about 1.6 lbs) Boneless Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
Wegmans Pan Searing Flour
2 Tbsp Wegmans Pure Olive Oil
1 pkg(16 oz) Food You Feel Good About Cleaned & Cut Minestrone Soup Vegetables*
Salt and pepper
1 carton (32 oz) Food You Feel Good About Beef Culinary Stock
1 can (14.5 oz) Wegmans Italian-Style Diced Tomatoes
1 pkg (24 oz)Italian Classics Seasoned Tomato Sauce (Prepared Foods)
1/2 cup dry Italian Classics Ditalini Soup Pasta
1 can (15.5 oz) Italian Classics Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed**
1 pkg (5 oz) Food You Feel Good About Baby Spinach 

*Minestrone Vegetables include: Potatoes, zucchini, leeks, carrots, celery, onions & cabbage- if you choose to chop your own fresh vegetables.
** I omit the beans- just not my thing.

Directions: (seriously, just 6 easy steps!)

1. Coat beef with pan-searing flour; pat off excess.
    
2. Heat oil in large braising pan on MEDIUM-HIGH until oil faintly smokes. Add beef; sear 10 min until all sides are brown.
   
3. Place beef in slow cooker; don't discard pan drippings. Add vegetables to pan with beef drippings; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 3 min; add to slow cooker.
   
4. Add stock, tomatoes, and sauce to slow cooker. Cover, cook 4 1/2-6 hours on HIGH or 8-10 hours on LOW.
     
5. Add dry pasta and beans 30 minutes before end of cooking on HIGH (45 minutes before end of cooking on LOW).
   
6. Add spinach to slow cooker; stir to blend well. Allow spinach to lightly wilt, about 2 min. 

That's it! This meal will make your house smell amazing and your mouth will be watering all afternoon while you anxiously await dinner! Don't forget to add some Italian Bread on the side to dip- you can't have soup without bread!