Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, it's all over and I'm beat! I didn't get up early to start cooking, but I was on my feet for about 5-6 hours straight.

Paul put the turkey in the oven at about 9AM. So, I didn't have to lift that heavy thing. Once that was done, I started making my pecan pie. I made the pumpkin pie last night, so that the flavors would mingle in the fridge overnight. Here's the recipe I used for the pecan pie:

Pecan Pie
Makes one 9 inch pie:

"This is the pecan pie that we serve at our Thanksgiving Day meal. It is as traditional as it gets: rich, thick, and moist, with a great toasted pecan taste. Try serving it with some Persimmon Sorbet (on page 218 in the cookbook) or Vanilla Sauce (on page 223 in the cookbook)."

2 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (see directions below)
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons flaxseeds
1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot
1/3 cup soy milk
Pre-baked Pie Crust (on page 233 in cookbook)

To make the filling:
Place the pecans in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, rice syrup, vanilla extract, ginger, and salt. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. In a spice grinder, grind the flaxseeds to a powder. Combine the arrowroot, soy milk, and flaxseed meal with the maple syrup mixture, pour into a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour the liquid from the blender over the pecans. Mix well and pour into the pre-baked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the filling has firmed up.

For the toasted pecans:
Soak the pecans in water for thirty minutes. Drain. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Total calories per serving: 503
Fat: 31 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Carbohydrate: 51 grams
Sodium: 144 mg

Here's a picture....don't laugh...I'm not a professional and I can't get the crust to look even remotely professional. I made a whole wheat pie crust.



Here's the pumpkin....the crust looks even worse on this one!



Here's the recipe I used:

BRYANNA’S VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE

I don’t like pumpkin pie made with tofu—no one ever suspects this one doesn’t have eggs. One caution—MAKE THIS THE DAY BEFORE SERVING. It’s needs a day to set really well, I find. This is a spicy filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Have ready, one 9” unbaked pastry crust

Blend in blender until smooth:
2 c. solid-pack canned pumpkin (one 14 oz. can)
(NOTE: if you use home-cooked pumpkin, drain it for several hours hanging in a cloth bag, so it’s thick like
canned pumpkin)
1 c. non-dairy milk (preferably a rich soymilk)
3/4 c. brown sugar or Sucanat
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 T. molasses or blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. EACH ground ginger, nutmeg and salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice or cloves

Pour the filling into the pastry and bake 60 minutes, covering the edges with foil if they begin to brown too quickly. Cool on a rack, then refrigerate overnight before serving.

I had a little help with my baking.




J really liked the pumpkin pie...he cleaned the blender for me:



While I was cooking, B and Re kept J busy by painting.




Here is our menu:

Turkey (for Paul and the 3 older boys)
Vegan gravy
Vegan mashed potatoes
Vegan stuffing muffins
Steamed green beans
Dr. Fuhrman's Three Greens Salad with Fruit and Nuts and Creamy Apple/Pumpkin Dressing
Whole wheat/oatmeal dinner rolls (which I forgot to put on the table!)
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie

I got the idea for the stuffing muffins from Rachael Ray. Doing it this way, everyone gets their own crunchy muffin. I love them because I don't like mushy stuffing. Here's a pic:



Here's a picture of my dinner:




Here's everyone at dinner:



I don't usually give J meat and I didn't put any on his plate for dinner. He never really cares either way. Well, I turned around and found this. His mouth was just stuffed full. He sure showed me!



Happy Thanksgiving everyone!