Eleven Lessons from Thanksgiving 2011

Every year around Thanksgiving we consider what we are grateful for and my list is considerably longer each year. Alex and I left early last Tuesday to drive up to Cleveland and were lucky enough to avoid all of the terrible Thanksgiving traffic {I'm thankful for safe travels and Alex's flexible job}.

The rest of the holiday was spent with family and friends {I'm thankful for every single one of them} and perfect fall weather {thankful for normal fall weather in Cleveland}. On our way back to Lexington we had Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family {I'm thankful that Cincy is between Lexington and Cleveland so we can visit both families during the holidays}.

Here are eleven lessons I learned this Thanksgiving:

1 - Tradition is Important
{I'm thankful for St. Igantius football, thanksgiving dinner with family, & post-dinner dessert @ the krysiak's, church with family & friends, target shopping with Eileen, and Friendsgiving. Each of these things/events brings about quality time with those we love and allows us to strengthen our relationships with others}

2 - Love is a Beautiful Thing
{I'm thankful for all the lucky couples who have recently gotten engaged or will soon! I'm also thankful for those in my life who have been blessed with beautiful babies and I can't wait for more to join the scene next summer}

3 - It's Possible To Have It All
{I'm thankful that Alex and I were able to make the effort to see as many family and friends as possible, and that we're healthy physically & spiritually and financially stable enough to start a home and have a fulfilling life together}

4 - Bowling is Fun at Every Age
{I'm thankful that the janesz clan was able to get out of the house and find a fun (and cheap!) activity that everyone could take part in and I'm thankful that everyone enjoys spending time with each other enough to make it a priority... can we add this to the tradition list? I'm super thankful that I love my new family and that they love me back}

5 - Teamwork Makes the World Go 'Round
{I'm thankful that Alex and I are lucky enough to have family that's always willing to help out, and that we surround ourselves with friends who are willing to do the same for one another. Life is better when we're not tackling everything on our own}

6 - Hugs Make People Feel Good
{I'm thankful that Alex comes from a family of huggers and that our friends always have the habit of hugging hello as well as goodbye. Hugs automatically make you smile and feel thankful that the person you're hugging is in your life. If you don't feel this way you might just really hate physical contact, but I think it's because you just need to open up and let yourself feel happy instead of awkward}

7 - Black Friday Shopping Is Not Always About the Deals
{I'm thankful that I forgot about the $25 dollar Target gift card in my wallet until I was at the store (what a fun surprise) and that I finally have a sister to shop with! I'm thankful that we get along so well and that I'm getting to know her more and more all the time. I'm also thankful that Jcrew had a lovely sale online so we could order the bridesmaid dresses for Karleya's wedding! I can't wait to see how beautiful they are and I love the fact that my dress will remind me how lucky I am to have such a great friend and stand up by her side in 306 days}

8 - Beer Brings People Together
{I'm thankful that my father-in-law can teach fun things such as beer making and that the family is interested in learning new things. I am thankful that Alex is a dreamer and has an inquisitive soul. He constantly teaches me things and I'm impressed by his passion for learning and researching. I'm thankful that Alex's cousins make the effort to get everyone together at a neighborhood dive bar where we can reminisce and have some light-hearted fun. I'm thankful that our friends are always planning gatherings together as well. I can't imagine Cleveland without them}     
                   
                                          

9 - The Holiday Can Involve Light Meals Too
{I'm thankful that I've learned a little self-control and portion-sizes. Alex and I made Peanut Chicken Skewers with edamame and long grain rice Wednesday evening for his family; a nice light meal as a precursor to the big day. Also over the holiday we had a dinner featuring salad and another with soup and mini sandwiches. A holiday is much more enjoyable when you don't feel like the stuffed turkey itself}

10 - Slippers Do a Body Good
{I am thankful that I have been blessed and can afford to clothe myself and sleep in a warm bed every night. I was always told as a child that when you keep your feet and your head warm the rest of the your body stays warmer. Now I just need to remember this when I pack for Cleveland the next time and bring my slippers! If I didn't already have a wonderfully comfy pair I would definitely be asking for my Aunt Juli's slippers for Christmas, Wicked Good Moccasins by LL Bean}

11 - Home Is Where the Heart Is
{I am thankful that no matter where Alex and I go we always have one another and we always have friends and family not too far away. No matter what we were doing over the holiday I always tried to have my head and my heart in the moment and truly enjoy those in our lives. I think the statement "Home is Where the Heart is" is really true because I never felt like I was away from my home in Lexington}

                                          

{Chocolate + Cheesecake + Pumpkin}

A traditional pumpkin pie is wonderful, but isn't it nice to have something a little more imaginative every Thanksgiving?

Here's the recipe for delicious bite size pumpkin cheesecakes covered in chocolate as requested by Maria Johnson! What more could you want?

P.S. Maria, I am very impressed at your memory. I made these quite a few years ago for a Halloween party hosted by Alex's cousin. I ended up too sick with a stomach bug of some sort, so I dropped them off at the party and went home. Worst Halloween ever.

Chocolate-Covered Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares
Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Coating:

• 24 sqaures (1 oz each) semisweet chocolate
• 3 tbsp shortening

1. Line a 9-in. square baking pan with foil and grease the foil. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans and butter. Press into prepared pan; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Add pumpkin a 1/4 tsp cinnamon; beat on low speed until just combined. Pour over crust.

3. Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled. Freeze overnight.

4. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and shortening: stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Using foil, life cheesecake out of pan. Gently peel off foil and cut into squares (suggested: 49). Remove a few pieces at a time for dipping; keep remaining squares refrdigerated until ready to dip.

5. Using a toothpick, completely dip squares, one at a time, in melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper; spoon about 1 tsp chocolate over each. (Reheat chocolate if needed to finishi dipping). Let stand for 20 minutes or until set. Store in an artight container in the refridgerator or freezer.

Note: To make it a little easier to coat you can also use skewers and make chocolate covered frozen pumpkin cheesecake bars that way.

For plain cheesecake use these ingredients for the filling:

• 2 packages cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

I'll Toast to That!

This past weekend my friend Karleya and her fiance Bryan came to visit. It was wonderful to have them come to visit for quite a few reasons; it was Bryan's first visit to our house in Lexington and it was also their first visit as an engaged couple. The weather was beautiful and there was also some wedding planning to be done!

I planned a weekend full of quintessential Lexington spots and activities. {A few might just have been quintessential in my mind, but never mind that}... Karleya and Bryan arrived in Lexington Friday evening. After some relaxing and fueling up {I made the Spinach & Artichoke Dip that I mentioned in my last post} we headed out to The Beer Trappe. Alex and I had been once before, and the entire time we were there I kept thinking that I was so excited to take some of our visitors there! I finally had my opportunity.

"The Beer Trappe is dedicated to providing the best beer experience in Lexington. We have a beer bar with eight taps of rare craft beer, specialty glassware, beer signs, collectibles, and a large selection of hard-to-find bottled beers from all over the world."

We had a low key evening trying all of the different beers on tap and swapping stories & memories. The next morning we had a sweet breakfast of cinnamon rolls and raspberries. We lounged around, got ourselves in order, and finally had lunch {homemade paninis and not so-homemade soup} and then it was off to Activity #2.  We piled into the car and headed to Versailles, Kentucky to visit The Woodford Reserve Distillery. Along the way we passed Keeneland and picturesque horse farm after horse farm. We toured the gift shop and then went on a short tour of the facility.

"Distilling on the site began in 1812 and the distillery building itself was erected in 1838, making it the oldest of the nine bourbon distilleries in current operation in Kentucky as of 2010 – although the site has not been continuously operational as a distillery during that history. In 1995 the distillery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2000 it was designated a National Historic Landmark."

The history of the distillery, and bourbon/whiskey making, is astounding to me. It's fascinating to learn about the history of my new home State. After the tour we took our samples outside on the deck and attempted to enjoy them {also known as sipping}. We're not quite that refined yet apparently as we resorted to the quick and easy way of knocking them back. We then drove into the historic downtown area of Versailles and did some old-fashioned shopping. Sadly, I didn't have any luck, but Karleya did! They were having a special holiday weekend so there was festive music, food and lots of people milling around.

We stopped at Doughdaddy's Donuts on our way back home and grabbed a few donuts and some pumpkin lattes {talk about choices, there are over 60 different donut flavors freshly made}. When then had to make a stop at the famous Liquor Barn to explore and pick out some more craft beers for the evening {don't laugh, it's truly amazing}. We finally made it back to the house to have our donut snacks and regroup before our dinner reservation at Merrick Inn.

"For over 30 years, the Murray family has owned and operated Merrick Inn, located in the immaculately maintained manor house of Merrick Place; for years, one of the finest thoroughbred farms in the Bluegrass region."

We had delicious food and a lovely evening by the fireplace. We also came across a wine by Dave Matthews, which was a fun surprise.

"Matthews himself has teamed up with award-winning Sonoma County winemaker Steve Reeder to produce The Dreaming Tree Wines, a collection of high quality wines developed in partnership with Constellation Wines U.S. If you're a DMB fan at all, you know that "The Dreaming Tree" is a track from their 1998 album, Before These Crowded Streets.

The line, which is available nationwide, contains a 2010 Central Coast Chardonnay, 2009 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 North Coast Crush red blend."

It had been such a lovely day I couldn't let it end, so I suggested we head over to Drake's for a drink, more specifically a Pixie Stick Martini. Of course that led to more drinks, dancing and shuffleboard.

Pixie Stixx Martini Recipe:

3/4 ounce DeKuyper Island Blue Pucker

3/4 ounce DeKuyper Grape Pucker

3/4 ounce vodka

Splash of sour mix

Splash of 7-Up

Serve chilled in a martini glass garnished with pixy stix candy. Makes 1 serving.

The next morning we ate brunch and Karleya and I spent the early afternoon looking up things relating to the wedding while the men sat on the couch and watched football. It was a perfect end to the weekend. I love having visitors so we can take them around Lexington, but I also love just having them in our home with us, doing those normal weekend things. It makes me feel like they're aren't so far away after all.

All in all we spent the weekend toasting to Karleya and Bryan's upcoming wedding and also to friendship {everlasting love}. I'll toast to that any day.

A Heart Full of Love & A Stomach Full of Cheese

This past weekend Alex and I drove up to Cleveland for a weekend with family and friends. Alex's family was hosting a Clambake with a friend of the family, Father Eric. The only times I have ever experienced a clambake have both been in Cleveland with Alex's family. Either this tradition is more popular in Cleveland, or I just don't know the right people in Cincinnati! 

In preparation for the evening's dinner we had to decide on a couple appetizers to satisfy hungry stomachs while the clams were steaming. Cheese-based appetizers are an easy choice because there are so many different types of crackers and chips that can be used with these dips, or you can even go the veggie route as well. We decided on Artichoke and Spinach deep, as well as Beer Cheese dip. Both were DELICIOUS and easy to make. See below for recipes.

Later that evening Alex, Pat, and I headed out to meet some friends for a celebration. Our friend Jon passed the Bar! It was so touching to see so many friends come together in one place to celebrate his exciting news. The next day we met up with many of the same friends for an alumni mass at St. Ignatius (Alex's alma mater). The traditions of the school are so different from my experience at a public high school. I myself feel a strong connection to the high school; I can't imagine how it must feel to be an actual alum. I can understand how it can easily become a tradition to send your own children. 

Following mass Alex and I set off to meet my friends Amy and John for brunch. It was so wonderful to see both of them in Cleveland when we typically meet up in Cincinnati. Although living in a city away from our friends and family can be very difficult at times, it's such an experience when we travel because we do have so many friends in different places. Each trip becomes an adventure. Based on our situation I think it's allowed us to appreciate our true friends even more than we did before. At the beginning of the weekend, I was able to spend all day Friday with another one of my friends, Karleya, in Columbus, while she began the task of wedding dress shopping. I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to be there for my friends in the important moments, as well as just the everyday. 

All in all the weekend was filled with family, so many of our friends, loads of food & drink as well as lots of driving. We were truly exhausted when we returned home last night, and while we weren't full of energy we were definitely full of the love and support from everyone in our lives. 

...Along with the appetizers we made this past weekend, I also have another favorite cheese recipe from Alex's Aunt Brenda, a Hot Pepper Peach Cheeseball. The first recipe can be made the day ahead and is a chilled appetizer, the second can be made an hour or two ahead and is baked in the oven for 30 minutes. The last recipe, is made right before serving and must be stirred continuously. 


HOT PEPPER PEACH CHEESEBALL
Recipe from Brenda Harshman 

• 2-8 oz pkg cream cheese
• 1/3 cup of pepper peach preserves
• 1 heaping tbsp chopped onion
• 1 level tbsp chopped Jalapeno
• Mozzarella shredded cheese

Cream together well all but the shredded cheese and chill for an hour. Form into a ball and roll in shredded cheese. Keep chilled until ready to use. Can be made 48 hours ahead.

Use any kind of pepper preserves for this recipe, it always tastes great with any flavor. The cheese ball is soft so do not expect it to feel real firm. Roll it with plastic wrap around it in order to make it easier.

ARTICHOKE AND SPINACH DIP  - RESTAURANT STYLE

from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
3. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

BEER CHEESE DIP

• 8 oz. Velvetta (cubed)
• 1 (8 oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups beer (use any type of beer, but keep in mind this will alter the flavor of the dip)
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic 
• 1 teaspoon Worcester Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

Directions:Melt the cream cheese in a large saucepan over medium heat; stir in the remainder of the ingredients, stir continually, until all the cheese is melted; pour the hot cheese mixture into a bread bowl or serving dish.

Trick-or-Treat! Give Me Something Good to Eat

Our Halloween weekend was definitely full of tricks and treats. Friday evening Alex and I had a pumpkin-themed evening in. We carved our mini pumpkins, ate (crustless) pumpkin pie, drank Shock Top Pumpkin Ale, roasted pumpkin seeds and watched Hocus Pocus! (Alex had never seen it before, I don't think he was too impressed lol). I love having nights in with Alex like this. It's just nice to slow down every once and a while and enjoy the little things in life.

I decided to decorate the pumpkins a little bit more by adding a little black paint!

The next day we went tailgating at the football stadium and also to a Halloween party with our neighbors. Alex and I both opted for simple costumes. I dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Alex dressed as an Ohio State football player (a mockery of everything going on recently with OSU).

It was great to get out and meet some new people. Alex played a prank on our neighbors at the end of the party. You'll have to ask him for the full story, but we'll just say they had a real treat waiting for them that night!

The next day we ended up meeting more new people through a friend from Columbus. We explored yet another orchard/pumpkin patch, this time in Georgetown, KY. Although we had already checked pumpkins off the list, we did stock up on more fresh apple cider (I'm slightly obsessed) and also bought some Snickers and Pumpkin Pie flavored fudge (they were both ridiculously delicious).

On Monday we finally bought our Halloween candy. I got a great deal by buying it at Big Lots! We weren't sure how much to purchase since this was our first Halloween with a house. Trick-or-Treating was due to start at 6 p.m. and about 5:30 p.m. you could start to see and hear all of the kids outside preparing for one of their favorite nights of the year. We lit the tea lights in our pumpkins and brought out some chairs so we could watch the madness first hand. We had a steady stream of kids of all different ages from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. I had some hot cider in hand, but skipped the rum! Although, a cup of Father Eric's Essence of Fall would have been perfect for the night.

My favorite incident was when Alex was speaking to a little girl (maybe 5 years old) and he was asking her what kind of candy she would like. He asked her if she would like some Dots, and then made a side comment about how they stick to your teeth. She chose the Dots, and as she's walking away she says to her mom, "Look Mom, I got Dots, they stick to your teeth." It was so adorable. Alex called after her and said "Don't forget to brush your teeth." We ran out of candy around 7 p.m. so we walked over to our neighbors to chat and hand out the rest of their candy with them. (If you weren't so lucky and end up with lots of leftover candy, check out the Trick-or-Treat bar recipe below, it's a great way to use up chocolate candy!)

When Alex and I bought our house, I had high hopes that we would make friends with some of our neighbors, and Katie and Len have definitely made my dreams come true! It's wonderful to have next door neighbors close in age that you get along with so well. I also love the fact that we live in a neighborhood with so many friendly families. I can't wait to celebrate more holidays in our home.


"Trick-or-Treat. Give me something good to eat."


CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE
from Food.Com

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated skim milk
• 3/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 -2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (I like mine spicier)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup splenda sugar substitute

Directions:

1. 1
   Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.
2. 2
   Pour into 9-inch pie pan sprayed with cooking spray.
3. 3
   Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes; reduce temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes more.
4. 4
   Pie is done when knife inserted into center comes out clean

Note: If you have a 9" x 9" square pan this may work better for cooking the pie. 


TRICK-OR-TREAT BARS
An adaptation on Chocolate Chip Blondies from The Taste of Home Cookbook

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1tsp vanilla extract

1- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking power

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped Halloween candy (even 2 cups would work, depending on how much you like chocolate)

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla just until blended. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt: add to brown sugar mixture. Stir in the chocolate pieces. 

Spread into a greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. 

ESSENCE OF FALL
Spiked Cider Recipe from Father Eric

• 1 gallon apple cider
• 1 gallon of apple juice
• Small package of cinnamon sticks
• 5 cups of sugar
• 2 bottles (750 ml) 151 rum
• 5 wine bottles or other bottles for packaging

In a large pot bring the apple cider, apple juice and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the sugar. Stir and allow the entire mixture to cool. Add the rum, stir and then bottle!

I love the recycled bottle that we received.... how fitting for a Priest!