A Thanksgiving Prayer For You

Lord, often times, and any other day
When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make the fast blessing
"Thanks, Amen." and then "Pass the Dressing"

We're slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer 'fore the meal gets cold

But today may I take a few minutes more
To really give thanks for what I'm grateful for?

For my family, my health and a nice soft bed
For my friends, for my freedom, a roof over my head

I'm thankful to be surrounded by those
whose lives touch me more than they ever will know

Thankful that you've blessed me far beyond measure
That in my heart thrives life's greatest treasures

It's your light, dear Jesus, that lives in that space
And I'm ever so humbled by your unending grace

So, please, bless this food and this family united
and bless each and every person invited

Amen.

Peace, Love & Thanksgiving Blessings -

Penni

adapted from the original prayer by Ken Walsh

Another great recipe for your ThanksGiving table!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them - JFK

Our Thanksgiving meal has remained unchanged for decades - the only thing that changes is the cook of a specific dish from time to time.  And now I'll share the recipes for the food that keeps our family running to the table each year.

First up:  Sweet Potato Casserole
It's so good you'll go back for seconds.  And just keep repeating this mantra:  "There are no points in Thanksgiving foods".  LOL

Things you need (the ingredients)

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (fresh is best, but we'll accept canned yams!)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter (has to be butter - no spreads or margarine will do!)

Topping:

• Marshallows -  a whole bag.  Large, small - you pick.  (The kids will eat about 1/4 before you put this in the over anyhow)

How you do it (the directions)

Combine the first 6 ingredients, and pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish (by Amy Manson Pottery, perhaps!)

Bake at 350° for about 30  until hot. 

Remove from oven briefly and place marshmallows on top of mixture.

Return to 350° oven and watch it like a hawk.  Between 7-10 minutes the marshallows will start to rise and brown.  You'll want to remove it from the oven just before the mallows start to rise over the top of the casserole (they'll deflate while cooling).

Nom Nom!

PL&BB - 

Penni

DIY you never thought of - Home Made MarshMallows

You're killing me Smalls! These are s'more's stuff! Ok, pay attention. First you take the graham, you stick the chocolate on the graham. Then you roast the 'mallow. When the 'mallows flaming... you stick it on the chocolate. Then cover with the other end. Then you scarf. Kind of messy, but good! Try some! - Ham Porter - (The Sandlot)

As easy as scrambled eggs and toast - but I bet the notion intimidates you anyways.   I found this recipe in the MNN and adapted it (as we always do) to my own preferences.  YUMMY

Here's what you will need (the ingredients)

• 1/2 cup local honey, agave syrup, or maple syrup
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin or, if you're vegan, 3/4 tablespoon agar agar powder 
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• A few tablespoons organic cornstarch or cocoa (or toasted coconut, instant coffee, almond flour, or other dry tasty material) to use for finishing the sticky surface
• 1 teaspoon vanilla, almond, mint, orange, or coffee extract, optional (or any other flavored extract in your spice cabinet or 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, dissolved in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon hot water)

 

Put it all together (the directions)

1. Dissolve the gelatin in water (in a pan)
2. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or use a silicone pan (I used silicone muffin cups) and have a silicone or rubber scraper ready.
3. Measure and add your sweetener of choice to the dissolved gelatin.
4. Stir, bring to a boil, and boil for no longer than 1 minute (CHEMISTRY LESSON:  any longer and the syrup will be too thick to whip for as long as is required). 
5. Add flavoring extract or cocoa paste if desired.
6. Use an electric mixer to whip the syrup until it becomes fluffy and, somewhat amazingly, white (unless you added cocoa of course).
7. When it is too thick to whip any longer — this will depend on how thick your syrup was, but anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes is possible — immediately scrape the confection into your prepared loaf pan (dip the scraper in hot water if it sticks).
8. When it is too thick to whip any longer — this will depend on how thick your syrup was, but anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes is possible — immediately scrape the confection into your prepared loaf pan (dip the scraper in hot water if it sticks).
9. You need to work quickly to avoid sticky messes because marshmallow sets up rapidly as it stops moving and cools.
10. Let the marshmallow rest for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
11. After it rests, sprinkle a cutting board or tray with either cornstarch or cocoa powder, and dump the slab out onto it.
12. Wet fingers work well for teasing the marshmallow away from the parchment paper or silicone pan.
13. Sprinkle the top with more of your coating. Using scissors dipped in hot water (keep a glass beside you for re-dipping), cut the slab into finished chunks the size you want.
14. Roll and toss your marshmallows in more coating to cover all the sides (this keeps them from sticking together), tap off any excess, and let them sit on the work surface for a few hours to dry a little more.
15. Store the finished confections in an airtight container so they don’t dry out excessively.

 

Yields 12 good-sized marshmallows.

 

Nom Nom!

PL&BB - 

Penni