Epic Thanksgiving Dinner Failure...

It was just the two of us this year, so I didn't want to make a giant feast, however, I did want to make a nice dinner. Well, that well-meaning desire turned into a complete failure...  Almost!

It was - 10 degrees when I got up on Thanksgiving morning. Ice had formed on the inside of the windows. The sun was shining bright and our solar panels gobbled it up. I needed the excess power to bake our simple Thanksgiving dinner. We had decided on Chicken Pot Pie. Simple enough, right? 

No peas, please. Number One Husband does not like peas.
I personally think that peas complete the dish.

I used the Dutch oven lid as my templet for the crust. 

This is the point where it all went bad. The recipe is a great recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. I decided to do a basket weave crust, and this is why it failed. If I had made a plain crust, it would have turned out. 

The sauce overflowed all over the crust. The crust was ruined! 

I scraped the crust off the top and bagged up the delicious filling. I wasn't going to let this stop us from having a form of chicken pot pie, eventually.

A few days later I made some mini crusts and served it with the chicken pot pie filling. It was awesome! The crust to filling ratio was perfect. I really like a bottom crust on a pot pie, but never made one for fear that it would turn out soggy. This is my new pot pie technique. 

We ended up having Fajitas later in the evening on Thanksgiving. I wasn't hungry. Number One Husband fended for himself until I got hungry. Although dinner failed, Thanksgiving was a success. We were thankful and grateful for all of our blessings...

Mrs. Smith

Simple Thanksgiving Fare...

This year we are keeping our Thanksgiving feast simple and easier to prepare than most traditional Thanksgiving feasts. Number One suggested this. I like the way he thinks. We have tried all types of foods from different parts of the world on Thanksgiving Day. One year I made a German feast. It was a lot of work, but really good. We want a good meal without all the hard work and added expense, so I came up with our menu for Thanksgiving with this in mind. 

For breakfast, I will bake Green Meadows Six Week Bran Muffins. The mixture is already made up in the fridge. You can find the recipe here: Green Meadows Six Week Bran Muffins This will warm up the house nicely, so my Mile High Sweet Potato rolls will reach glorious heights. The rest of our menu will consist of a hen roasted on the rotisserie served with stuffing, traditional whole cranberry sauce from a can, creamed potatoes with butter gravy and Italian green beans. This shouldn't take any longer to prepare than a normal meal. Everything can be prepared while the chicken is on the rotisserie. 

We will have leftovers for the Sabbath. I will make a pot of Chicken and Dumplings with the leftover chicken and serve the leftover side dishes with other proteins to make complete meals. The more I think about it, the happier I am about the extra-long holiday and free time to enjoy each other's company. An added bonus is the money saving aspect with grocery prices at an all-time high. There was no reason to go to the store, because we have everything we need in our pantry for our Thanksgiving dinner. 

Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings To All From My Family To Yours

       

We thank thee for our daily bread,
For faith by which the soul is fed,
For burdens given us to bear,
For help that lifts the heart's despair.

We thank thee, Lord, for eyes to see,
The truth that makes, and keeps us free:
For faults -- and for the strength to mend them,
For dreams -- and courage to defend them.

We have so much to thank thee for,
Dear Lord, we beg but one boon more:
Peace in the hearts of all men living,
Peace in the whole world on this Thanksgiving.

                                                Thanksgiving prayer by Joseph Auslander

Thanksgiving Mishaps And The Turkey Is Still Not Done, But I Am Thankful...

Freedom From Want By Norman Rockwell

So, we do not do the traditional Thanksgiving meal very often. It's just the two of us, so sometimes we just try various foods from different countries or we just do whatever we want. This year we decided to smoke a turkey on the grill. It has been hours and hours and hours and the little popper thingy has not popped up yet. It should have finished cooking hours ago, but I am thankful that we have something to cook...

Number One was in charge of preparing his favorite pie. You guessed right, pecan! Unfortunately, he did not use the high altitude recipe, so it overflowed in the oven and filled the house with smoke. We were able to salvage most of the filling and all of the yummy crust. It is the best pecan pie that we have ever eaten. It's not beautiful, but I am thankful for an ugly pie. 

I just turned on the oven to finish cooking the jerky, I mean turkey inside the house. The Hasselback potatoes burned on the bottom side. I didn't think I would have enough time to bake the bread and the pie, (Boy was I wrong) since the pecan pie bakes at a different temperature than bread I could not bake them at the same time.(Bad planning), but I am thankful for the part of the potatoes that were still edible that will tide us over until we can eat and for the hamburger buns that we had on hand to eventually have with our meal.

I gave Princess Abigail a large soup bone for Thanksgiving as a treat to keep her busy while the turkey was cooking outside. She loves smoked meats and runs around like crazy until she gets some. Well, the new has worn off of the bone and all I can hear is the constant clicks of her toes on the floor and I keep tripping over her now that the turkey is baking inside the house. I am thankful for our 17 year old beloved dog being under my feet, the sound of her toes clicking on the floor and her endless energy. 

The smoke has finally cleared. We opened the doors and managed to not set off the smoke alarm. The thingy finally popped up. The turkey is done. We are not hungry anymore. The pie has been decimated. We played many games of Backgammon while we have been waiting and I won ever game. We laughed and laughed about the whole situation. I am thankful for the peace of God which passes all understanding. Philippians 4:6-8

 

6Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua. 8 In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy.

Shalom,

Mrs. Smith

Puritan Prayer Of Thanksgiving...

 

May You have a blessed Thanksgiving,

Mrs. Smith

A Puritan Prayer Of Thanksgiving

A week ago, I attended the Ladies Thanksgiving luncheon at Church. It was a beautiful time of fellowship. This was the prayer that was read before our meal. Number One and I will pray this prayer before our Thanksgiving meal.

I pray that each of you have a blessed day of Thanksgiving with your family and friends. May God bless each of you spiritually, physically and financially. Have a blessed day...

Thanksgiving Day Meal Finale

Veggies

Prepared Veggies

Preparing Charcoal

$5.00 Yard Sale Find

Grilling

Yummy!

Menu: Homemade Bread, Grilled Stuffed Pork Loin, Grilled Garlic, Onions, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach Salad, Honey and Butter

Praise God, it's time to eat!

Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings To All From My Family To Yours

Detail from "The First Thanksgiving" (1914), by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe

       

We thank thee for our daily bread,
For faith by which the soul is fed,
For burdens given us to bear,
For help that lifts the heart's despair.

We thank thee, Lord, for eyes to see,
The truth that makes, and keeps us free:
For faults -- and for the strength to mend them,
For dreams -- and courage to defend them.

We have so much to thank thee for,
Dear Lord, we beg but one boon more:
Peace in the hearts of all men living,
Peace in the whole world on this Thanksgiving.

                                                Thanksgiving prayer by Joseph Auslander

Black Thanksgiving?

          

          Are retailers and shoppers so desperate that they are willing to give up a day set apart for families and friends to get together and fellowship. What about the food, that glorious food? Isn't there even football or something?
           I have never witnessed Black Friday on a personal level, however, I have gone out to see all the crazy people camping in line to get the next best trinket that will be next years trash. I like to save money too, but at what cost? What will it cost those people who go shopping instead of participating in a holiday steeped in tradition?
           Most men don't appreciate the fine art of shopping. Maybe some of you are thinking that it would be a good time for the girls. The good time should be spent with your families. We already live in such a disposable society. Are we going to let our family traditions become the next sacrifice?
            Shame on those retailers. I will not be participating in the further destruction of our American families. What's next, Christmas?
                                                                                        
                                                                           We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens his will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,                            
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
Amen
                                                                     
  

 

 Psalm 95:1-6 "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." (KJV)

Psalm 100 "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." (KJV)

Psalm 107:1 "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." (NIV)

Psalm 145:7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. (NIV)

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." (KJV)