What is your fave side dish for Thanksgiving?
Nov 19, 2020 8:01 pm
Howdy y'all! How goes it?
As a non-American, technically I have no real business loving on Thanksgiving as much as I do. However, after having lived in Texas for over seven years (hubs lived there for fourteen) and having a Texan son, we have grabbed on to a number of American holidays which we celebrate no matter where in the world we are.
Thanksgiving really might just be my favorite.
I know we're still a week away, but I won't be in your inboxes next week, so I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone who celebrates, a happy Thanksgiving! <3
When we lived in the US we hosted an annual expat Thanksgiving meal. Every year the Americans would fly home to visit their families, and the expats would have nothing to do, so I'd make them come to my house, and I'd feed them a ton of great food.
It started out small, 6-8 people around the dining room table, but it quickly grew. I think by the time we left the US we ended up with 16 adults and 8 kids in the house (that year was a pot luck, thank goodness!)
Not only do I love feeding people, but I thoroughly enjoy cooking, too.
What's your fave side dish for Thanksgiving?
I wanted to share a side dish and a dessert that I absolutely love and thought some of you might enjoy, too.
First up, here's dessert, because life is short, right? Now, normally I don't do box cakes or dessert from a packet, I'm a DIY kinda gal, but I remember this trifle going down a storm. Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle.
Next up, this two potato gratin - as an Irish woman, I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes. Just like I hate iced tea, potatoes have no business being sweet (or, while I'm on a rant, served up as dessert with brown sugar and marshmallows!) but anyways, this gratin is DELISH!
Ingredients:
2 TBS unsalted unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
1 Cup/250ml half and half
1 Cup/250ml heavy double cream
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ½ lb/1.25kg. Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 ½ lb/1.25kg. Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds
½ lb/250g. Shredded Gruyere or aged Swiss or French Comte.
¼ lb/125g. Parmesan or Manchego cheese, grated.
Method:
Preheat oven to 325. Grease 9 x 13 baking dish.
In a large bowl, stir together the half-and half and cream, salt and pepper. Add all the potatoes and toss. Layer abut ¼ of the potato slices in the dish. Scatter ¼ of the cheeses over the potato layer. Repeat to make three layers and reserving a final sprinkling of cheese. Pour any cream mixture remaining in the bowl over the potatoes. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over all. Scatter butter pieces evenly over the cheese.
Transfer to the oven and bake until the top is browned, the cream has thickened and bubbling, and a knife inserted into the center meets little resistance, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Transfer to rack and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serves 8-10. Recipe from Williams-Sonoma, Thanksgiving.
What about you? What are your fave Thanksgiving dishes? (Bonus points for recipe sharing!)
Check out the books in this weeks recommendations - I'm reading Winter Bloom right now and I'm loving on Phae and Daniel and their cross-country roadtrip! Out of the Darkness is up next - I know (and have read) both of these authors personally, and can totally recommend their work! <3
Have a great Thanksgiving and please be safe when you're out shopping for Black Friday.
Until next time,
Have you joined my reader group yet? If not, then head over to: Margaritas, Men and Mischief with Lasairiona. As the name suggests, it's a place for my readers to chat about all things romance - with a healthy dose of sarcasm, sharp wit, conversations comprised entirely of GIFs, sneak peeks, giveaways and a plethora of memes. It's one of my absolute favorite places on the internet and I'm really enjoying getting to know readers that bit better over there. Don't be shy - we don't bite... much! Come on over!
Best friends. One week. A road-trip that could change everything.
Phae is ready to hit the road and find herself somewhere along the highway. There's a new life waiting for her in Santa Barbara and she'd love to be there by Christmas. Her original plan was to make the drive solo, but her best friend Daniel has other plans.
Daniel has been totally captivated by his friend Phae since they first met. When he hears that she's planning to drive cross-country alone, he can't help but invite himself along. She'd never stop to smell any of the metaphorical roses without a nudge from him, and distance is about to be a big issue.
Stuck in close-quarters, they are confronted with the notion that they might be meant for more than just friendship. Will their bond survive all the big life changes happening at once or will their relationship become a casualty of the move?
Claire:
I fit the quiet bookworm stereotype to a T, and that was okay with me. I thrived on routine and consistency. This summer was going to be simple — hanging out with my best friends and working as a lifeguard.
Until Brandon came into my life like a whirlwind—strong, forceful, and just about knocked me over. His love helped me move on from events in my past with grace. Being with Brandon pulled me out of my shell. I handed him my heart, trusting him to protect it like he always protected me.
The question was, would it be safe?
Some loves are undeniable. Some burn with the heat of summer.
When Homer Lovelly pulled over to help a stranded damsel in distress, he never expected he’d meet his soul mate. But from the moment Claire clocked him in the head with her boot—and then kissed him—he knew she was it.
She’d be his undoing.
Wild, sexy, and fearless, Claire is intoxicating. She’s also leaving at the end of summer, a few short weeks away. Homer knows he shouldn’t fall for her. He also knows he doesn’t have a choice. And with September rising fast on the horizon, he’s almost out of time.
The question is, can he convince Claire that what he feels is more than a summer fling, or will he watch as the woman he’s meant to marry walk out of his life forever?
Another freebie promo this month - samples, excerpts and free books can be found in the Give Thanks for Romance Giveaway!
[Book 1 in the Lisa Millar Series]
Is there such a thing as too perfect?
Lisa Millar wasn’t supposed to fall in love with a guy on the Internet. But she did. Other than living over five thousand miles away in America, AJ Williams is seemingly her perfect match. Strikingly handsome, musically talented, plays hockey and has a typical college-guy life. In a moment of carpe diem, Lisa flies from Ireland to Alabama to surprise her internet-beau and finds herself face to face with an inconceivable reality that she couldn’t possibly have prepared for. How well can you truly know someone you meet online?
Will true love win out, or will AJ’s secret life be too much for Lisa to bear?
[Book 1 in the AJ Williams Series]
AJ Williams wasn’t supposed to fall in love with a girl on the internet. But he did.
Other than living over five thousand miles away in Northern Ireland, Lisa Millar is seemingly his perfect match. AJ can’t quite believe his luck, not only is she beautiful, but she has an appreciation for both music and hockey - two of his favorite things.
Surprised by Lisa turning up unannounced in Alabama, AJ is under pressure to deal with the issue at hand.
Should he risk losing her, come clean and tell her the truth?
Or should he try to keep his secret under wraps?
Will true love win out? Or will AJ’s secret be too much for Lisa to bear?
