Why Dogs and Food?



Why Dogs and Food?

It's simple. Write about what you love. And what is better than dogs and food? If you are anything like me - and millions of other people - you will relate to and understand the unwavering love I have for my dogs and my passion for cooking - and eating - great food. I hope you will enjoy reading about my day to day experiences with good food and a couple of very special dogs.

Thanks for visiting.

Friday, November 25, 2011

GIVING THANKS

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." ~ Thornton Wilder

Our Thanksgiving Table

I do hope everyone had a memorable Thanksgiving Day.  It is an American holiday when we are reminded to give thanks for all the things that make our life worth living.  We celebrate with lots of food and sit around with family and friends and of course, our faithful furry companions.  It's great to have one day dedicated to being grateful.  I try to live by that every day and take the time to look around, appreciate the beauty and whisper some words of thanks for my good fortune.

It was only me and Brian and the boys around the Thanksgiving table this year, but still, I made a traditional Thanksgiving feast with the anticipation of leftovers and some creative meals to follow.  Enclosed are some photos of my Thanksgiving creations which were lovingly and happily prepared.

As we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on television, I prepared some appetizers:

Stuffed Mushrooms

Brie cheese with Kahlua and Roasted Pecans
I prepared an organic turkey which I stuffed with crusty french bread, celery, onions, cranberries, apples and pecans and seasoned with sage, thyme and rosemary.
Before
After
For the sides, I made traditional mashed potatoes and gravy, sauteed green beans with garlic and sliced almonds, raspberry dill carrots and yams with brown sugar and pecans.


Here you have a glimpse of my dinner plate, packed with a sample of everything on the table:


And last but not least, I made some homemade pies.  The banana creme pie is made with a cream cheese crust and filled with a lovely vanilla creme custard and organic bananas topped with freshly made whipped cream and sprinkled with organic coconut flakes and shaved Ghirardelli dark chocolate.  I forgot to take a photo before we cut into it but you can get a glimpse of it in the photo of the full table at the top of this post.

I did take some photos of the apple pie.  This crust was made with lots of cold butter and finely grated Gruyere cheese.  What a fantastic crust this was!  It was flaky and light from the butter and savory from the Gruyere cheese which incredibly complimented the sweet honey crisp apples that were baked with butter, brown and white sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. I brushed egg whites on the crust to make it shine a beautiful golden brown.  Delicious!

Apple Pie BEFORE

Apple Pie AFTER!
Well, that's does it for this year's Thanksgiving Dinner.  I hope you all ate heartily and are as thankful as I am for the bounty in our lives!  Thanksgiving Day is only a remembrance of what should be in our hearts every day.

P.S.  The boys had a nice walk and some skinless turkey on top of their crunchies which made them very happy, too!

5 comments:

Susan Campisi said...

Wow, Liz. Everything looks fantastic! You are so talented. I swear my mouth is watering right now. I might have to reserve a spot at your Thanksgiving table for next year. I can't let life whizz by without ever experiencing your Thanksgiving cooking. I'm so impressed. And I love your words about gratitude. Such a sweet post.

Liz Berry said...

Thank you Susan! I would love to see you sitting at my welcome table next Thanksgiving! As for being grateful, it is part of my everyday existence. We have had some rough spots and I can't help but feel blessed that I am able to set a meal like this on our table and be alive and well enough to enjoy it!

kkshaw47 said...

Hi L iz:
Oh girl can we come too? I want some of the carrots with pecans. Pecans are one of my new favorites. Thanksgiving doesn't get any better than in Marin County - right?
Your dogs are snowy and white and happy. I can only imagine how you love and take care of them. To be our dogs right? I so so so so love my doggy too.
Take care Liz and keep all of the wonderful words and photography coming our way.
Love
Kristen

Liz Berry said...

Kristen - you can come over any time you want, girlfriend! I will cook up a storm for you. You can inspire me with your descriptions of nature and your words of wisdom while I whip you up a fabulous meal...and my doggies will love you to pieces.

Anonymous said...

Liz you really outdid yourself with that feast! I can't believe that pie. Sounds so amazing with the cheese in the crust. I'm so inspired to stop by the store and get the ingredients for one to make tonight!
Heather