Thanksgiving in London

I didn't realize I would miss Thanksgiving so much, but I really did (even with my mom and sister visiting). Obviously, people don't celebrate Thanksgiving here, and I knew that as the holiday approached, but that didn't make it any less strange. If my family weren't here, it would have been just a normal, mundane day here in the UK. Daniel worked, the tubes were crowded, children were at school. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday: you're with your loved ones, you eat a ton of food, and it signifies the start of the holiday season. People are a little extra cheerful, strangers smile at you, you can feel the joy and excitement in the air. All of that was missing, and it made me feel deeply lonely, especially after my mom and sister left.

Plus, all of you facebookers posting pictures of your turkey dinners, Christmas trees, and families didn't help with my homesickness :-P

The absolutely adorable couple...J. Crew called, and they want y'all to model for their Holiday catalogue...

SO, we were very thankful that our friends Sadia and Keith were hosting a Thanksgiving dinner on the Saturday after turkey day.

Keith went to an international high school in Jakarta and several of his class mates now live in London. They were all there for dinner, and for nearly all of them it was their first Thanksgiving meal ever!

The food was so crazy good! My mouth is watering just thinking about it...one of the best Thanksgiving meals I have ever had! Not a single dish was missed...we had turkey (duh), mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, mac and cheese, corn bread, and one of the most delicious sweet potato casseroles I have ever had (and that is saying a lot, since I bake sweet potatoes all the time. But there is something that can be said about sweet potatoes covered in brown sugar, with marshmallows drowning in them). The wine seemed to be limitless, as well, which is a good thing when A. It's Thanksgiving and you're 6 time zones away from home and B. You don't drive! Also, we had pumpkin pie and gingerbread cake! Not to mention a bunch of cheese and olives that I devoured while waiting for the turkey. Ohhh how I wish I scooped up some leftovers while nobody was looking!



Could Sadia be an any more gorgeous hostess? She looks like she came straight from a magazine spread!

 

Us, about 5 minutes before we practically licked our plates clean.

 It was so, so very kind of the Turner family to host Thanksgiving at their flat. We will NEVER forget our first Thanksgiving abroad and are so thankful for that delicious meal and great company!

Pumpkin and Sweet Potatoes

Thank the Lord for pumpkin and sweet potatoes...and for a husband that has learned to love these wonderful autumn treats over the years almost as much as I do.

I am working on perfecting this recipe, but I still wanted to share what I have so far. I change it every time I make it, and they are always good, no matter what.

Healthy Pumpkin Bites

This picture proves that I do not care to be a photographer. I just wanted you to see what the cookie looks like. Only 1 cookie left...I've made about 2 dozen in the past 3 days, but I have a husband that loves them!

Ingredients:
-2 cups of your favorite blend of nuts and seeds (I did a combo of walnuts, almonds, flax seeds, and chia. I think some hazelnuts or pecans would be fab, too. I would pass on cashews, peanuts, and pistachios for this, though...I just don't think it would taste right. )
-1/2 can of pumpkin
-2 spoonfuls of honey or agave (give or take some, depending on your sweet tooth! Just try the dough and see what you think)
-3 dates
- handful of dark chocolate chips, if you happen to be from the camp that thinks chocolate and pumpkin go together
-1 TBL of pumpkin pie spice (or more!)

So easy and versatile! Just chop the seeds in your food processor until they're a fine, nearly flour-like consistency, then add the pumpkin, spice, dates, and honey. Lastly, stir in some chocolate chips.

Form the dough into little balls and lightly flatten onto an oiled cookie sheet.

Bake in the oven at 350 (or 180 C...)  until brown and a bit crisp on top (took about 15 minutes). These don't even NEED to be cooked, so just bake them until they are a "done" consistency.

They turn out to be a very moist, custard-like cookie. I'm sure they would be amazing with an added grain, but I wanted to keep them grain-free (I love grains, but if it tastes good without 'em, then might as well keep 'em that way!). The beauty of this recipe is that you can really tailor it to your wants and needs. If the consistency is too moist, add more nuts! If it's dry, add more pumpkin. You get the picture.

Easy Peasy Sweet Potatoes

I have such a love for sweet potatoes. They are best in their most pure state. Why adulterate them with marshmallows, sugar, and butter when they taste so heavenly as is? You can add some simple, natural ingredients that compliment them well and take their deliciousness to the next level.

I start by baking some sweet potatoes. For just Daniel and me, I find that one American sized sweet potato is enough (2 UK sized ones, though). I poke a few holes with a fork, wrap it in foil, and  bake it at about 425 F until it is very soft to the touch (really depends on the size of the potato, but usually takes an hour or two). I take 'em out and let 'em cool for a bit.

Next, cut off the skin and mash the potatoes up with a fork, and then  just add some cinnamon and a couple of splashes of orange juice. You really don't need butter, but if you insist on making them a bit more rich, try adding a dollop or two of Greek yogurt. These are also amazing with some roasted pecans thrown in.

Also, I always cut up the skins in to small pieces and add them to the mix. It adds some extra fiber and nutrients, and I have simply always loved the taste of potato skins.

I would love to hear about YOUR favorite way to cook up some sweet potatoes or pumpkin!

November is Here!

 

November is my favorite month of the year, and not just because it is my birth month. I love the excitement of the holidays approaching, pumpkin and sweet potato EVERYTHING, the cooler weather, etc etc. I just love it!

It is strange enjoying November here. First of all, I never have any concept of what time of year it is here since it has been cold and rainy for the past 3 months. It really does take me a while to remember that it is only fall and not winter yet. Along with the weather having felt the way it is supposed to feel in fall for enough time that it is now starting to get old, it is weird being excited for Thanksgiving since we won't celebrate it here, and for Christmas since we don't even have our plane tickets yet to go home. One of my favorite things about Christmas is shopping for gifts, and I am not sure how that is going to look with us being so far away from everyone.

This post was supposed to be a happy post, so forgive me for being a downer! Here is what I am REALLY excited about November for...

 

Woohoo! We'll be in Budapest in exactly one week!

 

 

And we'll be in Paris in exactly 3 weeks....WITH MY MOM AND SISTER (the best part about November 2013!)

 

 

So excited to see this with Daniel, my mom, and sister! Tickets are really hard to find, so I am so happy that we get to go!

 

AND my mom and sister will be here for my birthday (Which happens to be on Thanksgiving this year). So, we have a ton to look forward to this month!

 

I <3 november="" p="">

Making it a Texas Fall

I know it sounds like blasphemy, but pumpkin isn't all the rage in the UK during Fall. People don't have pumpkin pie, or carve jack-o-lanterns, or even place pumpkins around their homes or work to celebrate fall and Halloween. So, with that, comes a lack of canned pumpkin.

Really, pumpkin as a sweet isn't heard of here. The market sells whole pumpkins that people cook as a savory vegetable, but that's about it. These people actually think that pumpkin pie and bread sounds gross!

Pumpkin is my favorite thing about fall, and today I was in a mood to create pumpkin EVERYTHING! Thank God for Panzers, the little market by our flat that sells some American goods. They have a special American section, and today they had a display of canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice, marshmallows, and Texas Chili spices! Yum! I hit it up BIG TIME!

Firstly, I made this pumpkin bread today:

From http://www.anediblemosaic.com/?p=7181

 

Oh man, was it ever delicious! It is almost like cheesecake on the top. We have already eaten one of the loafs...in just one day! Definitely make it for a fall treat!

Since I had some left over canned pumpkin, I decided to make my own latte out of it. On the stove top, I poured in about 3/4 of my cups worth of almond milk (regular milk and me just don't mix well), lots of pumpkin pie spice, a couple of scoops of pumpkin, some stevia, and instant coffee. I whisked it together until it was hot, then poured it in my cup and enjoyed. Not really latte-y...the whisking and pumpkin made it pretty thick (and I mean that in the best way). I thought it tasted great!

To complete our Texas-fall night, we opened up the windows to feel the cool breeze (our radiators work a little too good and our place was steaming hot) and I made a huge pot of Texas Chili. Panzers sells a spice kit that is actually shipped there from Mongomery, Texas! Now, I know I could just use the spices I have to make chili...but it never turns out as good as when I use the kit. So, I cooked up the chili, added some carrots, onion, spinach, and beans, and voila! Would have been perfect with fritos, but we used some black bean tortilla chips instead, Delicious!

Feeling TOTALLY huge and full now, but really, isn't that what Fall is all about?