First Thanksgiving…

This is your first Thanksgiving, one of many traditional thanksgivings to come. It is the day to be even for grateful all that we have especially family and friends.

Nov 21, 2012  pre Thanksgiving Baking. It was nice having you in the kitchen with Mommy while I bake. You did not want to play by yourself these days unless Mommy is right there in the room with you. As you had your mixing bowl and spoon, water (in case you get thirsty) and measuring spoons, it was time to bake. Made the carrot cake and managed to make the crust for the apple pie and sweet potato pie for tomorrow’s baking frenzy.
 


 



Mini Carrot Cake
Recipe: (I apologize, this recipe was one of my many clippings of recipes but do not recall where it came from. So FYI, it is not my recipe)

Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour 1 3/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp grounded cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp baking soda' 1/2 tsp salt 2 jars (4oz each) of baby food carrots or baby puree (if you have some handy) 2/3 cups grated carrots 3/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup canola oil (extra virgin olive oil will do as well) 1 large egg 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting: 1 brick (8oz) cream cheese 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar Orange or green gel food color (optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 13 x9 x 2in baking pan with heavy duty foil, extending it over sides, coat with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt in a medium bowl to mix.
In another medium bowl, whisk, baby food, fresh carrots, orange juice, sugar, oil, egg, vanilla
Stir wet ingredients in dry ingredients just until blended. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 20mintues or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean
Cool in pan on wire rack 10minutes. Using foil, life cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
For the Frosting: in a bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until creamy, On low, beat in confectioners’ sugar. Beat until fluffy.
Using foil, lift cake onto work surface. With a 2 1/2 in round biscuit cutter, cut out 12 rounds from cake. Place 1/2 cup frosting in another cup and tint green-yellow.
On half of the cake rounds, spread 1 tbsp frosting each, top with remaining rounds. Frost each top with 1 1/2 tbsp frosting. Place orange and green tinted frosting in separate quart size ziptop bags, Snip off tips from each bag, pipe orange carrots and green tops on cakes.
The last two directions I choose not to do, as it means more work on this busy pre Thanksgiving baking day. After it cools, I just serve. I also tried to use an many organic ingredients as I can, such as organic carrots, extra virgin olive oil as opposed to canola oil, eggs with no antibiotics, and hormone free,


Eating the carrot cake. Lina<3 enjoyed the carrot cake Mommy made :) yum



Nov 22, 2012 Thanksgiving Day
Apple Pie
Recipe:

• FOR THE PIE CRUST:
• 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 4 Sticks Chilled Butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2/3 cup Water
• 2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 tablespoon Sugar .
• FOR THE PIE FILLING:
• 10 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
• 5 1/4 pound Granny Smith Apples cored and sliced 1/8" thick
• 1 1/4 pound Empire Apples cored and sliced 1/8" thick
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 5 tablespoon Bourbon or Brandy
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• TO FINISH:
• Whites of 1 Egg
• 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar

ingredients 2/3 cup Water 2 teaspoon Salt 2 tablespoon Sugar	instructions FOR THE FLAKY PIE CRUST:  Combine water, salt, and sugar in measuring cup. Stir and place cup in fridge for at least 15 min to chill water and to dissolve sugar and salt. If possible, chill mixing bowl and paddle attachment if possible.
ingredients 4 cups All-Purpose Flour 4 Sticks Chilled Butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes	instructions Combine flour and butter pieces in mixing bowl. On medium speed, cut butter into flour until butter pieces are the size of small pebbles. With the mixer running, pour the water into the butter mixture. Mix until the dough comes together.  Separate the dough into 2 disks. Wrap each with film and chill.
	instructions Roll chilled pastry dish out to fit a deep dish pie dish. Prick all over dough with a fork. Bake on 375 for 10-15 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
ingredients 10 tablespoon Unsalted Butter 5 1/4 pound Granny Smith Apples cored and sliced 1/8" thick 1 1/4 pound Empire Apples cored and sliced 1/8" thick 2 cups Sugar 2 teaspoon Cinnamon 5 tablespoon Bourbon or Brandy 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Juice of 1/2 Lemon	instructions FOR THE PIE FILLING: In a very large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat, then add apples, sugar, and cinnamon. When apples begin to sizzle, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples soften and release their juices, about 10-12 minutes. Add the bourbon, cook for another minute, then stir in the lemon juice and vanilla extract and allow to cool.  If needed cook in batches and lay out on a sheet try to cool.
	instructions TO MAKE PIE:  Preheat oven to 350F.
	instructions Roll out a chilled piece of pie crust large enough to cover pie.
ingredients White of 1 Egg 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar	instructions Pour filling into par-baked crust, and cover with the second piece of pie crust. Trim the cover, and fold under the edges. Flute edges together or use fork to press together. Brush the top with egg whites and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cut four slits near center of pie to vent steam.  Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.

This is my first time making apple pie and it was delicious (made with organic apples. Unfortunately Lina<3 was such a picky eater these days, a little taste of it with your tongue and shook your head “no” and did not want to eat or see it, lol. The crust was extremely good!. There was extra crust and I used it for the sweet potato pie (made with organic sweet potatoes and once I find my recipe, it’ll be posted later)  :)

Sweet Potato Pie

• 1 (1 pound) sweet potato

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (make your own)

  Directions
1. Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
2. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.

The wait before dinner… We had some family members come over for dinner, and you enjoyed playing with them, not at first but you slowly warmed up to everyone.




Thanksgiving Dinner …yum. Lina<3 did not like the turkey, (hormone free turkey from BJs) maybe ate one or two bites and that was it. You have been a picky eater lately. On your plate was some turkey breast, white rice, mashed potatoes (organic potatoes). Barely touched your food during dinner time and would rather eat carrot cake instead.





Visited aunties after dinner. You played with your cousins and played with your aunties


Nov 23, 2012 Black Friday. No, we did not do the black Friday early morning sales! Mommy had a few hours to myself at the movies, and had missed you very much. It was the first time, I really had time to myself, and spent three hours at the movies. It was three hours long, as I was thinking about you and how you were doing. You came to walk around with me afterward at the mall. Daddy had to dressed you all by himself and he said that it was hard to do, too a while, he does not know if the clothes matched or not, claimed he does not know where anything was (like your hat, or what was in your diaper bag). When you came to mall, you looked fine, with a pretty dress, tights, hat, coat, and shoes but Daddy did not button your bodysuit underneath your dress, lol, he usually does this every time he changes your diaper. @Deer Park