Thanksgiving!

I worked again this year on Thanksgiving, and the day after. Normally our work meal is quite impressive. This year it consisted of Honey Baked Ham's ham and turkey breast, pre-made mac & cheese, pre-made potato salad, my homemade cranberry, and cafeteria food. It was not the picturesque day, but it was a nice day as far as the actual work was concerned.

Family Thanksgiving occurred yesterday. Nick and I rubbed our 16 pound bird, stashed it in the smoker, and commenced the cooking. I made a pumpkin pie and corn bread. Nick worked on prepping the green beans, arugula salad, potatoes, and stuffing. While he finished the later, I finished the former. Mom brought the cranberry, and Melissa brought wine and herself. (She's studying for finals!)

While the first Thanksgiving might have been riddled with unpleasantries augmented to smooth the rough edges of British settlement, I believe the present day celebration is different. With the passage of time, Americans have turned Thanksgiving into their own day. I believe the focus on family time is a central theme. No matter what you serve, or who is there, the together-time fills the special day with grace.

We had quite the spread. I have to say, and I really looking forward to eating the leftovers for lunch the next week. I think the pumpkin pie recipe I made was pretty fabulous, so here it is.

Olivia's Easy Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
pre-made pie crust
1 can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon (1 pinch) clove
1/3 cup tightly packed and a little bit mounded over brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk until the ingredients are well combined. Pour into your pie shell and bake for about an hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.