"Thanksgiving" 2013

Maple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

     We celebrated Thanksgiving this past Sunday with my husband's side of the family.  We started the day doing the Lincolnwood Turkey Trot.  My husband and I did the 10K along with our daughter while our son and daughter-in-law did the 5K.  Our other son came to cheer us on while our son-in-law stayed home with our grandson who had a croupy cough.

Green Beans Gremolata

     It was a cold morning, about 12-15 degrees but sunny and little wind.  My husband paced our daughter-in-law for the first half of her run while I paced our daughter who hasn't raced or even run much since a half-marathon in April 2012.  With pregnancy, bedrest and some postpartum surgery she hasn't been able to do much running.  We wound up doing it in 1:04:40 which wasn't bad all things considered.  My husband came in just over an hour.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

     

     Then it was on to I-Hop for breakfast.  They were all out of hot chocolate so afterwards we stopped at Starbucks for some hot chocolate.  How can you not have hot chocolate?

Cornbread Dressing

     The home for showers and getting ready for company.  I had cooked all day before so it was mostly final cooking and making biscuits.  I had put a couple of pork roasts in the crockpot with apple juice, onions, cinnamon and basil before heading out to the race.  They smelled so good when we walked in.

Buttermilk Biscuits

     My son and his wife picked up my mom from her new place in Palatine.  Our son-in-law came with our grandson.  My sisters-in-law came, one with her hubby and the other with her daughter (her hubby and son had to work).  My son's mother-in-law also came.  We had 14 for dinner.

Apple Crostata

     We had the pork roasts with roasted sweet potatoes and carrots, cornbread dressing, green beans gremolata, maple-orange cranberry salad, and buttermilk biscuits.  It was all delicious except the biscuits didn't raise and were not all that tasty.  Probably won't make them again.  The sisters-in-law provided the salad and wine.

Cinnamon Swirl Sweet Potato Cheesecake

     For dessert we had apple crostata and cinnamon swirl sweet potato cheesecake.  The cheesecake didn't quite turn out as swirled but it was delicious!

     Very thankful for a wonderful family.  Happy Thanksgiving!