We’re still completely off turkey. See blog entry Beach Ball from Hell for details. Other than not having roast turkey, our first Thanksgiving in our riverside home went very well – the sun shone, the leaves crackled under foot, the power didn’t go out and no wild dogs broke in to wreak havoc. It was just the four of us but I cooked enough for eight, just in case we got extra hungry.
The pies were baked and ready to go the day before; one for the table and one for number one son to take home.
I always start the day of a celebration by setting the table. Nothing fancy, all my favourite dishes and cutlery are still in Prospect.
First the chicken got stuffed. Tip of the day: use your canning funnel to control the turkey stuffing (or in this case chicken – I cooked two):
Then we all got stuffed. Jigg’s dinner with doughboys did the trick. Thanks Mary, for the family mustard pickle recipe – they worked out great even though they only had a week to cure.
Just in case the pie was no good, there were tarts made with Uncle Willie’s frost sweetened partridgeberries.
But we could have done without them because the pie was good. Even better than good with French vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of real Nova Scotia maple syrup.
There is so much more to be thankful for than just food; family, good friends, health, a beautiful place to live, a safe country…I could go on and on….and last but not least, thank you to my reading audience. I have so many more stories to tell.
(c) Judy Parsons 2013
That apple pie is to die for!! You are a baker extraordinaire!! We also enjoyed a delish turkey dinner at the cabin. Had not been able to get my propane oven working for weeks so prayed to the turkey gods to please accomodate. Sure enough!! Oven heated up and worked beautifully all afternoon. Methinks it was not due to my skeptical prayers but jiggling all the knobs on the stove and the wires and pipes on the back for an hour that did the trick. Oven hasn’t worked since!! Also enjoyed a Jigg’s Dinner with all the trimmings, minus the pease pudding, which I sadly forgot. Unfortunately, my apple pie came from the store, topped with the traditional Fussell’s cream (will be showing that on the hips all winter). Made up for that by making three pumpkin pies the next day, which lasted less than 24 hours (ate them for breakfast, lunch and supper).
Aah, the Fussell’s cream. Most people in this neck of the woods don’t seem to know what we’re talking about when we speak of Fussell’s. I used to always want to be the first to shake the can (to thicken it; it would separate slightly on the shelf) but after one or two shakes I would quickly become bored and pass it on to the next fellow. Cream on partridgeberry pie was the best. Am I remembering correctly that sometimes when we didn’t have cream we would pour evaporated milk on the pie? I know we had tinned milk on fresh blueberries with a sprinkle of sugar. I might have to pick up a can just for nostalgia’s sake. Oh me hips indeed.