Thanksgiving 2013 Recap (It's Not Too Late!)

I know Christmas is less than a week away, but I really want to share some quick snapshots of my two Thanksgiving dinners this year.  I contributed dessert to each, making a new variation of pumpkin pie and an Appalachian apple stack cake.  So here, before it's too late, I'll share...


First, there were 2 weeks of intensive brainstorming, complete with lists of all the things I wish I could make.  Discussions with family to coordinate food, including a conference call in the grocery parking lot to finalize my family's menu.  While I was flipping through cookbooks, I also made lists for Christmas cookies and Christmas dinner foods (with the emphasis on desserts, naturally).

Dinner 1:  Eric's family

Style: deliciously traditional

(I fall for a classic green bean casserole with French's fried onions on top!)

My contribution:  Appalachian apple stack cake + Eric made his incredible mashed potatoes

When I asked Eric's mom what I could bring, she asked if I would have the time and desire to make a cake from her childhood in Tennessee - an Appalachian stack cake.  The cake itself is composed of several thin layers of a dense spice cake, each spread with an apple butter-like filling.  I was game for a seemingly simple challenge.  I did, however, have a bit of an issue using shortening in something other than pie crust.  The only other time I've seen shortening used in a cake recipe was in the various Baked cookbooks, so I did some research.  A few sources later and I now know shortening:

• ...can be made from different fats.  Lard = fat surrounding specific organs in animals that's been rendered (I'll stay away from that, thanks).  Vegetable shortening = oil derived from vegetables (such as palm plants) that is in a solid state.
• ...is used in baked goods to provide a stronger structure.  In cookies, shortening aids in maintaining the shape of the cookie, so it doesn't spread out too much when baking.  In cakes, shortening helps create a sturdier cake than using butter alone.  Since I was building a multi-layer cake, sturdier seemed like the wiser option.
• ...can have a distinctive and, for many people, off-putting mouthfeel when consumed.  This is because shortening melts at the body's natural temperature, so it literally melts in your mouth.  Some people find this very noticeable and will avoid items containing shortening for that reason.  It makes me think of Krispy Kreme glaze - while delicious, it somehow coats my mouth in a less than pleasant way.
• ...can usually be substituted with an equal amount of butter, if you'd prefer not to use shortening.  Your baked good make have less structural strength or may spread out more, but it'll be delicious from butter.  I was tempted to go this route....but in the name of kitchen experimentation, I stuck with using shortening.

The cake wasn't difficult to make, aside from manipulating the thick, sticky batter to cover the entire pan.  Also, I was only able to coax 5 layers from the recipe instead of the promised 6, but that's hardly a problem.  Each layer is baked separately, so I had a four pan (2 cake pans + 2 springform pans) operation going. The filling is simply dried apples, cider, brown sugar, and spices cooked and pureed to apple butter consistency.  The key to this cake's flavor is assembling it at least 24 hours in advance, so the filling can soak into the dense cake layers. 

My aunt is serving this cake for Christmas dinner with her in-law side of the family, except she's swapping the apple filling for a boozy fig one.  It sounds even better!

Dinner 2:  My mom's side of the family

Style:  Traditional items with a twist

(hello, roasted brussels sprouts! mashed potatoes with goat cheese! apple slaw!)

My contributions:  bruleed pumpkin pie with chocolate crust + apple-pear-cranberry pie with crumble topping + white bean dip

The usual deliberation that goes into an family meal involves several phone calls and emails between me, my mom and my aunt.  All of use love to cook and to try new flavors.  Thankfully, our family will eat almost anything we put in front of them.  It doesn't hurt that we have an overwhelming selection for every meal!  This year, our unofficial theme seemed to be Bon Appetit magazine's Thanksgiving issue, since over half our dishes originated in its pages.  That includes my bruleed pumpkin pie with chocolate crust...though it stubbornly refused to develop much of that gorgeously crunchy brulee crust.  

I was nerdily excited when making the chocolate crust, as the recipe called for me to roll the dough into a thick disc, cut it into quarters, stack the quarters up, and roll it back into a disc.  Three times total.  It was basically like the process of lamination when making puff pastry (not that I've actually done such a thing! But I've heard about it from Alton Brown and other baking geniuses).  During lamination, you roll the dough into a rectangular sheet, fold it into thirds (like a letter), and roll it out again.  This creates layers of butter in the dough so it can puff up during baking when water evaporates from the butter.

My other pie is just...everything.  It's a crumble topping + apples + pears + fresh cranberries + rum soaked raisins + an all butter crust. If that's not a combination for wintry pie perfection, I don't know what is!  It's a recipe from Melissa Clark, whose cookbooks have become one of my absolute favorites in the kitchen.  I made it last winter and have been biding my time to make it again.  It's a simple pie to make and the layers of flavor and texture are so worth it.

So, well after the fact (sorry!), I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

But I'm just in time to wish you a Happy Holidays!

we did

As promised by everyone, the wedding came and went faster than an eye blink.  It was a whirlwind of family and friends, celebration (lots of champagne!), preparation and fun.  From the Thursday before to the Sunday after, we were surrounded with our dearest ones and showered with more love, good wishes, and generosity than I ever expected.  It made my heart sing to be so completely surrounded by wonderful, amazing people.  Thank you, my loved ones, for making the entire wedding such a memorable time.

But you want some pictures and some details, right?  We don't have photos from our photographer back yet (it's not even 4 weeks ago!), but a few kind friends shared their pictures with us...

Saturday started out with a trip to the salon for me, my bridesmaids, and my mother to have our hair done.  We toted a basket filled with breakfast items and were done up so prettily!

The ladies returned to my parents' house to continue preparations, meaning mimosas and makeup.  My best friend/sister Moe applied fake eyelashes to me, since I couldn't keep myself calm enough to put them on in a straight line.  More family arrived at our house, and we traveled to the church in a gigantic party bus.  The ladies and I continued to prep upstairs, munching Panera sandwiches and sipping fresh made juices (I recently discovered I love juicing, guys!).  My bridesmaid Jackie engineered a paper clip into a necklace shortening device for another bridesmaid - so clever!

Eventually, it was time to put on my dress and get the real events started. All 5 of my bridesmaids and my mother helped me into the dress.  Not that it was a complicated dress.  They all wanted to help, and I loved the team effort and flurry of activity - it felt like we were actors waiting in the wings, scurrying around before the curtain rose.  Another round of photos and we snuck down the stairs to line up for the processional.

Walking down the aisle - it was so amazing and surreal at the same time!  I couldn't stop smiling hugely or take my eyes off Eric, but somehow I also looked around at all the marvelous people there to witness our marriage.  Time did one of those too-fast/too-slow tricks it's wont to do in significant moments, where every minute felt like an eternity yet also flew by.  My stomach started to flutter for the first time that whole weekend  Then, before I knew it, we were husband and wife.

More pictures, of course.  There were a few glorious (but very, very cold) moments of clear skies amid all the grey skies and drizzle when we were able to sneak a few pictures at the arboretum.  My poor bridesmaids were shivering, huddling together for warmth.  I didn't feel a second of the cold--too excited!--though my feet were kind enough to alert me to their displeasure with heels.  And they weren't even that high....  

Back to the party bus for more pictures at our reception venue.  And some serious dress bustling.  I love our friends and family!

And the party started.  Dancing, drinking, dining, chatting, and all around merriment with the ones we love.  There's truly nothing better.  I only wish we could do this every weekend!

We did it.  

And I couldn't be happier.

An Update and The Things I've Learned from Apt. 6

Hello! I'm back! And I'm once again sorry for my long and mysterious absence.  Let me dust off these cobwebs and quickly catch you up on my life...

• Eric and are have been eyeballs-deep in wedding planning and prep...but we're fast approaching the big day (less than 60 days! It's so exciting and surreal and will it just hurry up and get here, thankyouverymuch!).  
• We've coordinated all the vendors we can think of (We're going to have party bus that could fit twice the amount of people we have...but that's what happens when my father insists on a the newest and nicest model. Hey, we're not complaining!).  
• We've designed, printed, and assembled our own Save the Dates and invitations.  I'm pretty dang proud of Eric's design abilities and our quick turnaround on addressing them.

• We've also designed and started working on the day-of crafts, like escort cards and their display, ceremony programs and whatnot. 
• We recently had our engagement photo shoot (only many months late, but whatever!) and are anxiously awaiting the images...! It was incredibly humid that day, so you might get some awesome pictures of my impressive sweating ability and my humidity-poofed hair (I literally felt it increasing in size as the shoot progressed). 
• My mother and aunt have gone all out on planning and preparing for the bridal shower. It's this weekend, and I am so darn excited for the food and drink (it's at one of my favorite restaurants).  I'm also eager to see the final product of my mother's crazy-hard work on dozens of giant tissue paper flowers (one of two photo backdrops....she took an idea an ran with it, DIY-style).
• I also cannot wait to find out what my bridesmaids have planned for my bachelorette celebration! It's a complete surprise to me, and the suspense is terrible!
• My mother has also become a jewelry maker and I helped her make the bracelet I will wear with my wedding dress. Let's just say we're ready for Etsy if we can increase our production capabilities (I'm sensing the cats will somehow be trained to work...)

• I've continued to teach TRX and other fitness classes at the University of Cincinnati, taking on more classes than ever this spring and summer. It's been tremendously fun, but it's been nice to teach and take fewer classes this fall. It means I get home early enough to make dinner and do something each night, even if it is a basic as hanging out with Eric. 

• A few more cookbooks have made their way into my collection, despite the lack of room on my new bookshelf. My two newest?  Piece of Cake: Home Baking Made Simple by David Muniz and David Lesniak (thanks to the marvelous Shannon!) - it has red velvet cheesecake! rhubarb and strawberry coffee cake! rhubarb pudding!  A Year of Pies: A Seasonal Tour of Home Baked Pies by Ashley English.  I have her canning and preserving book and couldn't resist the variety of innovative pies she offered, both savory and sweet.  

• I have so many recipes to share with you! My collection of food awaiting a post is astounding...and I apologize. It will happen. And hopefully my long desired revamp of this blog will also happen, with Eric's savvy aid. 
• My rhubarb obsession is still going strong. I'm going to hit you hard with rhubarb recipes and I apologize in advance if you haven't stockpiled at least 3 freezer bags full of chopped rhubarb like I did. You're going to want to make these.

• Aside from wedding, the other huge event of these past few months was my move from my apartment in Cincinnati into Eric's house in Dayton.  I hate leaving my roommate, Kayleigh, but I have to admit it's awfully nice having all your belongings in a single location. I haven't done that in almost 6 years!
• That means I have a much larger kitchen of my own to play with! 

• And a beautiful bar and liquor cabinet (a wedding gift from my family and made by my incredibly talented and generous uncle) at which I can mix cocktails in style! 
  
  
  

• I have a garden, though I tried to take it easy this year since we had to rip out nearly all the old foliage and I wasn't moving in until halfway through the summer.  But I have some pretty flowers (I only completely killed one, that's victory!) and a few herb plants.  Next year, rhubarb and tomatoes! 
  

• And I have a home with excellent ventilation and central air conditioning!!!  You have NO idea how amazingly necessary these are in the hot, humid days of July, August, and early September.  I had no idea how much of a difference it made in my mood and productivity levels!
• I'm the proud almost-mama of a ridiculous polydactyl (she has thumbs!) cat named the Fonz.  She may be a bit bipolar (bite! pet me! bite! loooooove me!), but when she snuggles onto my lap for a petting session, it just melts my heart. 
  

• I'm almost entirely unpacked and settled (there were many weeks of clutter and random piles of junk sitting everywhere...sorry, Eric!), which is a huge relief. I'm a tidy person, so I want things to be in their place. Just a few more stacks of papers...
• I've got the insatiable urge to start tackling the house's interior -- painting rooms, changing curtains, adding floor rugs, finding the perfect knicknack to put on that shelf...  It's hilarious to me, but I'm seriously excited to make this house our grown-up (but still fun and functional!) home.
• The only drawback is that I'm now commuting an hour each way to and from grad school (nope, I'm still not done, but there's more light appearing at the end of the tunnel. Maybe next spring or summer?).  I didn't think the commute would suck so much time out of my day, but it really, really does. Oof. I'll adjust, and it will get better. 

And in honor of my move, I thought I'd share a bit about my old home and my new one, including the important lessons I learned from living in Apartment #6 for 5 years...

1.  You can totally make too-small spaces work.
You just get creative with your storage.  That might mean you bring in a free-standing cabinet and an industrial grade metal shelving unit to house your food and cookware, but, by thunder, you made it work.  Until your excessive amount of food spilled out of the pantry and found a home on top of and underneath the "dining room" table (which we have never sat at). It's not a Martha Stewart-worthy solution, but it totally works.

top: the dining room/pantry/kitchen storage area of our apartment

bottom: the galley-like kitchen. outstretched arms can almost touch both walls.

and the refrigerator door cannot even open completely.

a wee kitchen where we worked marvels.

2a.  Air conditioners are clutch.
Even when you avoid turning on the AC as much as possible, there is nothing that can replace it on the days when you're dripping sweat just walking from room to room.

2b.  There is no number of fans that can compensate for AC.
Trust me.  We tried it for 4+ years.  Even draped in front of two fans, you're still overheated and sweating.  And your sinuses are constantly dry.

2c.  It's nice to be able to control the heat in your dwelling on nights when the temperature is below freezing.
It means you might not procrastinate your shower for several hours because its just too dang cold inside.

3.  Decorating your home makes you feel like a grown-up.
Alternatively, not decorating makes you feel like a poor college student just on the edge of adulthood.  Lesson for next home:  decorate!

4.  Got mold?  Use bleach!
It won't get rid of the mold, but it'll keep it at bay long enough.  Just to be safe, don't touch it without gloves. And don't remember the episodes of House where the person is almost dead from breathing in fungal spores (Aspergillis, anyone?).

5.  I can play a mean game of Tetris in the refrigerator.
It's not my favorite game to play, but, oh boy, am I good at it.
Make a note:  get bigger refrigerator in grown-up house.

6.  Neighbors are meant to be far enough away that you can't smell their cigarette smoke or hear them talking through your door.
Good thing houses have yards, even if they are tiny.

7.  Bugs can appear at any time and in any place.
The best way to attack bugs on the ceiling?  A Swiffer broom and paper towel combo.  Bonus points if you're casually talking to your roommate when you decimate a bug.  Bam.

8.  A window in the shower is a truly terrible idea.
Seriously. It's absolutely miserable in the winter.  It's fine in the summer, but just weird overall.  Lesson:  do not put a window in the shower.

9.  The lady who occasionally cleans the hallway stairs in the building has more clout with the landlady than I (or any other resident) do.
I'm fairly certain her complaints about the resident (well, resident's boyfriend) who continued to track mud up the stairs almost daily propelled the landlady into evicting that couple.  This happened within a few months of the mud trail starting.  Compare this to multiple residents complaining about no hot water in the mornings (and sometimes evenings) for a year or more, with no action taken. Bam. Beware the cleaning lady.


I've missed you, my friends, and I can't wait to be back here regularly.