thanksgiving

although I am in japan, somehow I managed to have 2 thanksgivings, which was great. full of new experiences, like cooking duck, and trying fried okra, and lemon sponge pie. I still have some leftover cranberry sauce.

thankful

i'm thankful to have this chance to live in japan, and for the many opportunities that i am so very lucky to have.

i'm thankful for my wonderful friends and family, and the ability to keep in touch and feel close to people that i care about, even though i am thousands of miles away.

today it's thanksgiving day in the u.s., and for those of you who celebrate it, i hope you have a lovely time gathered with family or friends to share a special meal.

i had a little mini vacation this week (i'm thankful that i have the freedom to do that too!) filled with local sightseeing, cooking and learning and eating, shopping and maple leaf viewing, and more eating, and even a japanese thanksgiving dinner! and i will tell you all about it soon, i promise, as soon as i get caught up on a few things around here.

tiny knit turkey from spud and chloë

and here's a little knitting project for november! the pattern for this cute little turkey is available for free over on the spud and chloë blog.

happy thanksgiving

my contribution to thanksgiving this year. on the front left burner is my new (2nd annual) thanksgiving recipe–pumpkin pie crepes. i love them because it's a good way to use the extra pumpkin pie filling that i always have left over after making the pumpkin pies, and it's the perfect easy breakfast for a house full of thanksgiving guests, or a quick snack to keep everyone going during food preparation time.

pumpkin pie crepes

start with:
3-4 cups extra pumpkin pie filling (i used the simple joy of cooking recipe: pumpkin, eggs, cream, and spices). you can keep this refrigerated until ready to use, but it's best if you use it by the next day after you mixed it.

add:
about 1 cup of flour, with 1 teaspoon of baking power mixed into the flour
about 1 cup of milk

optional:
add more vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar for a stronger flavor.

whisk together. you can let this batter sit in the fridge for a few hours if you want.
you can add more milk or flour to get the right consistency or increase the amount of batter.

cook on a well greased griddle. serve plain, with syrup or powdered sugar, or with cream cheese as a snack.

thanksgiving eve and reya

i love thanksgiving. it's far and away my favorite holiday. this year, for the first time since about 2001, i am not organizing/hosting the meal. i'll just be making pie. and rolls. last year i was in japan, roasting tiny rock hens (quite tasty, by the way), explaining thanksgiving to my japanese conversation students, and giving them their first taste of stuffing and cranberries. i tried to explain the history of this holiday, and the difference between the myth of cooperation vs. the true history of genocide of native americans. but what i love about thanksgiving is the way we celebrate it–gathering with family or friends who feel like family, to share a special meal and enjoy each other's company.

i also want to share the work of a wonderful artist, reya. she created the felt acorns at the top of this post, as well as these lovely natural felt sculptures. her shop is here, and is full of beautiful works in a variety of media.