Dare You To Move

Gobble Game Plan Day 5

It is time to talk about dessert. My favorite! I mean, who doesn’t love something sweet? In school they taught us to remember that dessert has the extra ‘s’ vs desert which stands for the extra piece of cake you want. My grandfather’s strategy at holidays was to ask for a little slice of everything. Smart. There really is no room for dessert. After that epic meal, there is no way anyone is still hungry. What is a feast with no dessert, though? So, we press on and make it happen. There really wasn’t room to comfortably ride with 5 people in a Toyota Avalon for 13 hours to Gainesville, Florida for an away game either, but we made it happen. We won, so there’s that. Sweet Victory. We make room for the things we want, and we want dessert. You probably need a sweet strategy.  A good variety so there is something hopefully everyone will like. Do you have the traditional options like pumpkin or pecan pie, or do you have another tradition to top off your holiday meal? In my family, we have tastes that span the spectrum, so we usually have some recipes that provide a good mix. Plus, we have a homemade custard recipe that is delicious for something a little different. For some fun activities with the kids, our focus was on the Native Americans and their amazing part in our first Thanksgiving story.

Delicious Testimonials

1. Fudge Pie: Ok, so if chocolate is your thing, this pie delivers. It is extremely rich and very chocolatey. You will definitely need some vanilla ice cream to serve with this dessert. A little bit goes a long way. Yummy!

Fudge pie: Recipe here

2. Berry Cobbler: I have some cobbler lovers at my house, so I wanted to try making a good berry cobbler as an option this year for the holidays. This recipe is from the Pioneer Woman and it is really easy but also good. The recipe calls for 2 cups of blackberries, but my family prefers a cobbler that has a good bit of fruit, so we add more. Again, add some vanilla ice cream and this is a great dessert.

Cobbler: Recipe here

3. Fresh Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Icing: This recipe is one of my favorites. It is a yummy apple spice cake topped off with cream cheese icing. For those folks to lean toward apple pie, here is a great alternative for something different. I will say, I do not add the pecans when I make it and it is just as good. This cake is just a great fall dessert option.

Recipe:

1 cup of cooking oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs, well beaten

2 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups chopped, peeled apples

1 cup ground pecans (optional)

Instructions:

Combine oil and sugar. Beat in eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Fold in vanilla, apples, and pecans (if using). Bake at 325 in a 13×9 inch pan for 55 minutes. Cool and ice cake with vanilla cream cheese icing. (below). 12 servings.

Icing:

1-pound box of confectioners’ sugar

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

½ cup margarine

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:

Have all ingredients at room temperature. In a large bowl with mixer at low speed beat sugar, cream cheese, and margarine until smooth. Add vanilla and stir in pecans (if using).

4. New York Cheesecake: This is a plain, yet creamy cheesecake. If you or your family love cheesecake, it is worth a try. We have used this recipe in the article found at the link below several times and it is really, really good. I have also included a link to a raspberry sauce that you can make to go with it.

New York Cheesecake: Recipe here

Raspberry sauce: Recipe here

5. Homemade Custard: This is my grandmother’s recipe. I grew up eating this custard. It is rich, creamy, and is honestly great to eat by itself or poured over a cake such as a pound cake, for example.

Recipe:

1-quart milk

5 large or 6 medium eggs

2/3 or ¾ cup of sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions:

Scald milk in the top of a double boiler. (Heat through but not to boiling point) Add sugar. Beat eggs until foamy and pour while stirring into milk/sugar mixture. Stir while it cooks in top of boiler over hot water until it begins to thicken and coats the spoon. Strain it through a strainer in a bowl. When cool, add salt and vanilla.

6. Pecan Pie: For those of you that need a traditional pecan pie to have as a dessert option, this is a good, basic recipe.

Recipe:

1 cup sugar

¾ cup white corn syrup

½ stick Oleo

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

Dash of salt

10-inch pie shell unbaked and set out to cool for 5 minutes

Instructions:

Be sure to grease pie plate. Mix sugar, syrup and Oleo and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour slowly over lightly beaten eggs. Add vanilla, pecans, and salt. Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until firm in center. Serves 8.

7. Pumpkin Pie: If pumpkin pie is a must for you or your crowd at Thanksgiving, here is a great recipe for this classic holiday dish.

Recipe:

1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked and chilled

½ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup margarine, softened

1 ½ cups canned pumpkin

½ cup unsulfured molasses

3 eggs

1 cup evaporated milk

Instructions: Prepare unbaked pie shell. Mix sugar, flour, and spices. Blend in margarine, pumpkin, and molasses. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until tip of knife comes out clean in center. Cool.

For an optional topping, follow instructions below:

2 Tablespoons margarine

¼ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

½ pint whipping cream, whipped

Stir in margarine and sugar in a small skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Add pecans and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour onto foil. Cool. Crumble into small pieces. Spoon whipped cream over cooled pie. Sprinkle topping over whipped cream. Serves 6-8.

Hopefully, these recipes give you some good options for a variety of sweets to finish off your Thanksgiving feast. After eating all that, I dare you to move.

The Native Americans played a critical role in the survival and success of the first American colonies. I grew up like many of us learning of the harsh experience the pilgrims had after landing in the new world. It is a familiar tale. What I did not know, or perhaps had forgotten was that Squanto had been previously kidnapped by English settlers. He had been taken overseas and forced into slavery. At some point, he escaped and ended up on a ship headed back to his homeland. He found things very different at home. His tribe had been almost completely wiped out by disease and at some point, ships carrying more English settlers landed in the area. If I were him, I would have been afraid. Afraid they would do to me what the other settlers had done. I would have probably stayed away, honestly. Even if he was made to help with interpretation by the tribe that had taken him in, he helped the settlers tremendously by working hard as an expert on resources. He taught them about planting and cultivating crops. Most importantly he saw a need and befriended them. A people he had every reason to despise. However, he decided to step in and help the pilgrims. He made such an impact that the first Thanksgiving feast was held, and the Native Americas were invited to take part. As a thank you.

To go along with this story, the boys and I will be making this corn craft. It is super easy and using the pencil eraser worked perfectly. I read “The Legend of the Five Kernels,” and thought this would be good to teach them yet another way they can stop and be thankful. The legend explains that they would take 5 kernels in their hand during the Thanksgiving feast as a reminder of a time when that was all anyone had to eat.

Corn craft: Instructions here

As a treat, we enjoyed making (and eating) these Teepees. This was a big hit because they could also participate in making them. Click the link below to see the full recipe and instructions and enjoy!

Teepees: Recipe here

Now you have a complete list of all sorts of yummy food from appetizers all the way through dessert. Plus, you have a week’s worth of fun Thanksgiving activities for you and your kids to do together. I hope this will be helpful to you as you head into the holiday.

I recently added, “Sweetest Thing,” by U2 to my Thanksgiving playlist. I feel like we southerners say things like, “well isn’t that just the sweetest thing,” more than other areas of the country. Then again, maybe it’s just our charming accent that makes it stand out. Really sweet moments are unexpected, like when my 5-year-old just says, “Mom, I love you,” out of nowhere. Or perhaps when I observe my boys together and my oldest does something instinctively protective of his little brother. When I turned 22, my dad made a special trip to go buy some birthday candles for my cake. We had candles but apparently, they were not good enough, so he went in search of better, snazzier candles. Not necessary and certainly unexpected, but extremely sweet. The little unexpected moments like that are the icing on your day. Reading about Squanto was very inspiring for me. After all, it’s easy to do the kind, unexpected thing for the ones we love, right? He was kind and went above and beyond for a people he had every reason to avoid. His perceived enemy. Certainly unexpected, but in no way little. Being kind and gracious to those whom we may not like and who might even do us harm is also unexpected. Loving your enemy. That just might be the sweetest thing.

Have a wonderful, safe, and Happy Thanksgiving!