Flip the Bird IX...not so xs after all....
First off, sorry folks, but I forgot to take pictures at any of the 3 Thanksgivings I had this year including the 9th annual Flip the Bird at my own place. Oops.
You read that correctly though - 3 turkeys, 3 days, 3 pumpkin pies. And for those of you who think that there can't be too much Thanksgiving, I am here to tell you that you are WRONG.
Last Sunday, Rachel and Susan's friend Cliff made a Thanksgiving dinner but hosted at our house since it's bigger. Turkey, broccoli and velveeta casserole, heaps of stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and biscuits all made an appearance. Interestingly, he put both a stick of butter AND a package of cream cheese into his potatoes - it was the fluffiest, whitest, most coronary-inducing side dish perhaps ever. There was a pumpkin pie with Cool Whip as well as chocolate cake and I made a Pear Cake with Pine Nuts a la Cooking Light (one of the few desserts that I've remade from there). At some point in the evening I described this cake as "an upside down cake, but right-side up" in response to a question about whether is was like a fruitcake.
Thanksgiving Day I went over to Terri and Larry's house at their kind invitation for dinner (just like old times in Hyde Park!) Terri's sister and brother-in-law were there too so it was a nice small dinner. Larry rotisseried a turkey on the grill (mmm, smoked turkey) which was as yummy as I'd remembered and there was bread stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Casserole a la Cooks Illustrated, and garlicky Sauteed Kale. We had some of the 2007 Beaujoulais Nouveau which is pretty good - a little more body and less fruity this year and made some fun white sangria drinks with some Rose champagne I'd brought over from Provenance during the move. That's right, I packed a bottle of Thanksgiving champagne in August to bring with me to Denver. Terri made pumpkin pie from homemade puree and an apple pie - her crusts are so flaky and I was jealously enjoying every bite. Highlight of the evening had to be seeing Mara walking or rather running around and also eating as much sweet potato casserole as her 16 month old belly could take, and then some. That girl is a good eater just like her parents! I can't wait to have them over for Chinese New Year. We digested while watching Live Free or Die Hard and I got quite a bit done on the scarf I'm knitting (for myself).
Finally Friday was my 9th Annual Flip the Bird dinner! (It's actually a pretty funny story how it got that name....) It should be #10, but last year I went over to Eric and Ariel's instead of hosting my own. The challenge this time was to make pretty much everything except for the turkey and 1 batch of chinese sticky rice stuffing vegetarian (Larry was coming after all and it's just not the same without pork and chinese sausage). In true Flip the Bird tradition, the bird was marinated in soy sauce, but instead of sherry, I threw in a can of PBR and used a trash bag and the cooler with some ice since fridge space was at a premium (2 other roommates after all). Does this make my turkey white trash? Just a little? Didn't stuff it this year, instead opting to do the Cook's Illustrated high heat roasting at 400F which worked well, but overly browned the skin since I do a soy and honey glaze on the outside and our heating element is at the top of the oven. Coincidentally, this method involves 3 flips of the bird while it is roasting which seems fitting. Also made Chinese Sticky Rice Stuffing with and without meat, 5-spice Sweet Potato Puree topped with Paprika-Almond Streusel, Cranberry Chutney, Maple Cornbread Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes from The Best Light Recipe, and Jacques Pepin's Butternut Squash Gratin (butternut squash + cream). I think I balanced between the high fat and the lighter recipes pretty well this year. And for dessert a Pumpkin Pie and a Chocolate Pecan Pie from the Pie and Pastry Bible. This time I made the actual recipe for pumpkin pie from there complete with the crushed gingersnap/pecan buffer layer. My pie crusts are still not so flaky but that's ok...my cakes rock! I noticed that the pie filling pulled from the sides of the crust this year which was annoying - perhaps it's a moisture content thing. I'm pretty sure I didn't overbake the pie...next time maybe I'll throw in a pan of water. Anyhow, Larry brought over the Riesling we didn't get into the day before and it is quite tasty with pie. Finished off the evening with stair surfing and sofa jumping with Mara and then some Scattergories.
Next year is Flip the Bird X! It's gonna be wicked awesome! Or it will be tofurkey and tater tots.... Maybe some Chicagoans can make it out - that would be great. I'm thankful to be able to have Thanksgiving x2 with Terri and Larry again in a sunnier location than Chicago. And for new friends, great roommates and a cute little monkey bib wearing girl that I can be "crazy Asian 'aunt' Cathy" to. Oh and the sweet sweet kitchen downstairs.
You read that correctly though - 3 turkeys, 3 days, 3 pumpkin pies. And for those of you who think that there can't be too much Thanksgiving, I am here to tell you that you are WRONG.
Last Sunday, Rachel and Susan's friend Cliff made a Thanksgiving dinner but hosted at our house since it's bigger. Turkey, broccoli and velveeta casserole, heaps of stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and biscuits all made an appearance. Interestingly, he put both a stick of butter AND a package of cream cheese into his potatoes - it was the fluffiest, whitest, most coronary-inducing side dish perhaps ever. There was a pumpkin pie with Cool Whip as well as chocolate cake and I made a Pear Cake with Pine Nuts a la Cooking Light (one of the few desserts that I've remade from there). At some point in the evening I described this cake as "an upside down cake, but right-side up" in response to a question about whether is was like a fruitcake.
Thanksgiving Day I went over to Terri and Larry's house at their kind invitation for dinner (just like old times in Hyde Park!) Terri's sister and brother-in-law were there too so it was a nice small dinner. Larry rotisseried a turkey on the grill (mmm, smoked turkey) which was as yummy as I'd remembered and there was bread stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Casserole a la Cooks Illustrated, and garlicky Sauteed Kale. We had some of the 2007 Beaujoulais Nouveau which is pretty good - a little more body and less fruity this year and made some fun white sangria drinks with some Rose champagne I'd brought over from Provenance during the move. That's right, I packed a bottle of Thanksgiving champagne in August to bring with me to Denver. Terri made pumpkin pie from homemade puree and an apple pie - her crusts are so flaky and I was jealously enjoying every bite. Highlight of the evening had to be seeing Mara walking or rather running around and also eating as much sweet potato casserole as her 16 month old belly could take, and then some. That girl is a good eater just like her parents! I can't wait to have them over for Chinese New Year. We digested while watching Live Free or Die Hard and I got quite a bit done on the scarf I'm knitting (for myself).
Finally Friday was my 9th Annual Flip the Bird dinner! (It's actually a pretty funny story how it got that name....) It should be #10, but last year I went over to Eric and Ariel's instead of hosting my own. The challenge this time was to make pretty much everything except for the turkey and 1 batch of chinese sticky rice stuffing vegetarian (Larry was coming after all and it's just not the same without pork and chinese sausage). In true Flip the Bird tradition, the bird was marinated in soy sauce, but instead of sherry, I threw in a can of PBR and used a trash bag and the cooler with some ice since fridge space was at a premium (2 other roommates after all). Does this make my turkey white trash? Just a little? Didn't stuff it this year, instead opting to do the Cook's Illustrated high heat roasting at 400F which worked well, but overly browned the skin since I do a soy and honey glaze on the outside and our heating element is at the top of the oven. Coincidentally, this method involves 3 flips of the bird while it is roasting which seems fitting. Also made Chinese Sticky Rice Stuffing with and without meat, 5-spice Sweet Potato Puree topped with Paprika-Almond Streusel, Cranberry Chutney, Maple Cornbread Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes from The Best Light Recipe, and Jacques Pepin's Butternut Squash Gratin (butternut squash + cream). I think I balanced between the high fat and the lighter recipes pretty well this year. And for dessert a Pumpkin Pie and a Chocolate Pecan Pie from the Pie and Pastry Bible. This time I made the actual recipe for pumpkin pie from there complete with the crushed gingersnap/pecan buffer layer. My pie crusts are still not so flaky but that's ok...my cakes rock! I noticed that the pie filling pulled from the sides of the crust this year which was annoying - perhaps it's a moisture content thing. I'm pretty sure I didn't overbake the pie...next time maybe I'll throw in a pan of water. Anyhow, Larry brought over the Riesling we didn't get into the day before and it is quite tasty with pie. Finished off the evening with stair surfing and sofa jumping with Mara and then some Scattergories.
Next year is Flip the Bird X! It's gonna be wicked awesome! Or it will be tofurkey and tater tots.... Maybe some Chicagoans can make it out - that would be great. I'm thankful to be able to have Thanksgiving x2 with Terri and Larry again in a sunnier location than Chicago. And for new friends, great roommates and a cute little monkey bib wearing girl that I can be "crazy Asian 'aunt' Cathy" to. Oh and the sweet sweet kitchen downstairs.
Comments
We are going to have to have a make-up turkey day soon. Butter and cream cheese in the potatoes - why didn't I think of that. I have been using a silly egg.