Hey there, Hivians!
For those who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with love and laughter! I wanted to take a moment to share with you the small and a bit cozy celebration that my little family had this year at our new home. As some of you may recall, I previously shared a post about the preparations I made for Thanksgiving, and today I want to share the actual celebration with you.
Let's start with the star of the show - the turkey! Unlike the traditional Thanksgiving turkey you have seen before, this one is much darker because my husband decided to get more creative in the kitchen. And mind you, his creativity knows no bounds! Haha He decided to use butter and soy sauce to brush on the skin. The thought of the nontraditional turkey never crossed my mind. Butter and soy sauce? I couldn't help but got intrigued by the enticing aroma in the kitchen. Being acquainted with Filipino cuisine, I often use the combination cooking oil and soy sauce as a marinade for various dishes. Could the soy alter the entire flavor profile? I was eager to find out!
Our nontraditional tutkey.
The unexpected outcome. After roasting the turkey, we couldn't help but notice its darkened skin tone, unlike any traditional ones I've seen before. The buttery-soy combination worked it's magic, infusing the turkey with a deep color! Although it might appear a bit too dark in the photo, the meat remained incredibly tender and the skin had crisped perfectly!
The making of pie dough.
Rolled out the pie dough.
I took the liberty of making two delicious pies but of course with the help of my little man: a classic pumpkin pie and an irresistible apple crumble. I decided to bake them the night before since the turkey was going to take up most of our oven 's attention and time. And got this idea from my husband's mom during our call the day before Thanksgiving. It was definitely a wise decision, I didn't have to rush and get stressed about baking the pies while waiting for the turkey to cook. The night before Thanksgiving day, our home felt warm and inviting already because of the aroma of those pies!
Assembling of apple crumble pie.
I opted to make an apple crumble pie because I realized I didn't have enough apples for my traditional apple pie, lol. But surprisingly, my husband and I find it more enjoyable because it has chopped walnuts in it and it gave it a delightful texture to the dish.
Apple crumble pie is done!
Preparing the pumkin pie was a breeze as it simply involves mixing all the ingredients in a bowl and pouring it in my parbaked pie crust. It was an enjoyable experience for my son , who had a great time assisting me. I assigned him the task of mixing while it observed him with delight!
Our little Bobby having fun in the kitchen!
Our traditional pumpkin pie is ready!
My husband came up an idea of buying fresh cranberries to use as a decoration on the pumpkin pie. He prepared it the night before, blanced it in hot water and let it to room temperature before sprinkling some white sugar! And I love it because it adds a beautiful contrast to the pie. He used the rest of the cranberries to make a fresh cranberry sauce.
Dinner rolls on cue!
On Thanksgiving day, I woke up bright and early to tackle the task of making roux (butter and flour gravy fir the turkey) and dinner rolls. I have to admit, they turned out fairly good, except for one minor detail - not soft enough! Our picky little eater, didn't quite finish his piece. The mistake I made was I didn't let the dough rise enough after transferring it to the baking dish. Youre supposed to let it rise twice or every time you touch the dough. Although I made the dough early, I should have anticipated the process of making it. And my son quite unpredictable when it comes to food. Maybe next year, I'll try a different recipe to win him over.
Making roux. The hardest part is standing there and whisking for a little over twenty five minutes!
Now, the most exciting part of the celebration, for me at least, was the table decor. With plenty of beautiful pine trees surrounding our home, I gathered some pine needles and intricately arranged them on the table. It gave our little dining area a touch of natural elegance. I decided to make the table smaller since it's just going to be the three of us. Our table is adjustable so it makes it convenient for me for whenever I want a bigger table or a smaller one. The table decor was a last minute idea. As I was browsing through Pinterest for some inspiration, I stumbled upon a brilliant idea - hydrating orange slices and sprinkling them with cinnamon and ground cloves. Not only did it add a pop of vibrant color to the table, but the scent was absolutely divine. Even my husband commented that it captured the essence of Thanksgiving perfectly.
Can you guess what dried spices I have on the table decor?
However, I must confess, I made a small faux pas. I completely forgot to buy the candles stick for my candle holders for the table arrangement. I blame all the excitement and last-minute rush. But hey, we live and we learn, don't we? Lesson learned for the next table decoration- to prepare the table decor items well in advance and ensure the candles makes their appearance in time! Haha
As Thanksgiving came to a close, I couldn't help but feel a tingly anticipation for the next celebration on the calendar - Christmas! To keep the festive spirit alive, I've already adorned both inside and outside of our home with some cheerful Christmas decorations. And I will share that in my next micro blogs.
All in all, our simple Thanksgiving celebration was filled with love, warm aromas, and a touch of nature's beauty. It might not have been the grandest feast, but it was perfect in its simplicity. Now, as we enter the holiday season, I can't wait to create more beautiful memories with my little family, surrounded by joy and magic that Christmas brings.
Do you have any favorite Christmas decorations? Do you incorporate unique or unconventional elements? Do you have any favorite Christmas traditions? Let me know your thoughts on this. I'd love to hear from you.
Until next time, dear readers, may your days be filled with love, laughter, and a sprinkle of holiday magic. Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed holiday season!
Next post will be the continuation of the Tales, Tents, and Too Many Bobbys, the 21Day Chronicles, so stay tuned!
Xo,
Gil
Welcome to my short blogs, a space where I share inspiring posts that you won't find on my blog page. If you're in the mood for longer reads, feel free to visit Purepinay's blog page.