Thanksgiving Healthiness

I decided 2015 was the year to re-visit making Thanksgiving healthier. I had planned to eat healthy in 2014 but being pregnant made that idea  a non-starter. In 2013 I decided to do a roasted vegetable medley with winter squash. It was beautiful – but nobody ate it.

Next to the ooey-gooey mac & cheese and the collards most of my family thought the butternut squash was just baked sweet potato. I guess they assumed I had just strayed away from the traditional presentation. I almost got away with it, until my mom announced that she had ordered a sweet potato casserole from a family friend ( & chef )!

This left everyone circling my platter of orange veggies waiting on a little description card that you usually see at piccadilly or in a banquet catering line.

Frustrated, I put my hands on my hips an explained loudly enough for everyone to hear my Top Chef worthy description on roasted carrots,  butternut squash, & onions seasoned with olive oil, garlic, thyme, & rosemary.

They looked at me then looked over me and reached for the green bean casserole with the fried onions on top.

 

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Chess Pie – A Southern Staple

To close out 2015 and make good use of my vacation time, I decided to bake  my friends & neighbors pies as Christmas gifts and a way to share some cheer.

Chess pie sometimes called buttermilk pie was on the list. Why? because sugar makes every one happy and any pie with 2 cups sugar is sure to make you happy!

This was my first attempt at it and I really thought I had failed. The color wasn’t perfect and my custard did not raise as high as I would have liked.

But my neighbor was so complimentary. In fact he told us he had been looking for this pie for years and no one new what it was called or where to find it. He had tried all the freezer sections looking for it.

Despite my own disappointment with my 1st attempt, I had the courage to share it anyway and the result was better than expected. 🙂

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