Thanks for Thanks

Well, we made it through Thanksgiving and I am oh so thankful for that (among other, more important things of course - like health, happiness and family).  All those spreadsheets and hours of planning paid off because the day went off without a hitch!  Everyone loved it, we had a great time and great food. Here are some pics of our day of food...

9am - Shove that bad boy in the oven

The finalized tablescape.  I think the pears with brown bows really do it.  Eat your heart out Martha Stewart!

There she blows! The most luscious, perfectly browned turkey we could have ever been thankful for...

In addition to the luscious turkey, we had stuffing, homemade applesauce, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and homemade gravy.  We were too hungry to stop and take pictures, sorry!  You'll just have to conjure up these cozy Thanksgiving images on your own ;)

Everyone's favorite part of the meal, dessert!

I was so excited to eat dessert, I forgot to take a pic of the pumpkin cheesecake before we served it!

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Lots of wine and great people and food, for me that's a success!  

Martha Freakin' Pumpkin Stewart Cheesecake

I did it! I managed to successfully make a cheesecake - a pumpkin cheesecake no less! No cracks, no mushy inside, homemade crust, this is restaurant quality stuff here people. After hearing how difficult it is to make cheesecake I was weary but I soldiered on and by god, won the prize. It tastes amazing, cheesy not-too-pumpkin-y goodness.  This could easily sit alongside one of my mother-in-law's homemade goodies.  

The recipe can be found here courtesy of the happy homemaker, Martha Stewart. She may not be able to manage her finances legally, but she sure can cook!  

I concentrated so hard while making it I thought my eyes would fall out. I painstakingly read each and every direction again and again to get it right. Patience and fortitude paid off because I got a Martha Stewart Cheesecake. Sorry Martha, I know it is your recipe but I'm taking all the credit for how this puppy turned out!

I even made my own graham cracker crust!

I said the cheesecake was a success, but I didn't claim it was sans mess!

There she is in all her un-cracked glory!

Tell me this beauty couldn't be in a bakery somewhere

So much for my diet...