First ye take de boom-boom...

(I'm hoping there are some Muppet Show fans out there that recognize that line...)

Initially we were going to host Thanksgiving at our house this year.  We held Christmas here last year, which I considered a success despite the potential disaster with the potatoes (don't let them cool before mashing!), and we have a turkey in our freezer that's been there for oh, a while (*coughtwoyearscough*) that we thought would be wise to cook sometime soon.  But MIL is working the day after Thanksgiving at her friend's knitting shop, so we're trekking over to their place instead.  No big deal, I can still cook some things, and the turkey should last until Christmas (right?!).

So for Thanksgiving, here's what I'm taking:

Raspberry-Jalapeno Chutney: Basically a relish, using raspberries from our garden.  It had a little too much heat, so I added some raspberry and orange jell-o to it last night to try to temper it a bit.  B liked it zingy though, so even if it's too much for the fam I know he'll eat it.

Raspberry Chipotle Sauce: I didn't make this specifically for the holiday, but to try & use as many of these danged raspberries as possible.  This turned out even better than the chutney, with a smoky-sweet-zingy flavor that's awesome as a marinade or a dressing for sandwiches.

Puffy Potatoes: I made these for B a while back, and they turned out so stinkin' good that I'll never make plain mashed potatoes again.  The basic idea is to whip up some egg whites into a meringue and add it to mashed potatoes, along with the yolks and some cheese, then bake them until they're a little crusty on top.  YUM.  Of course they're potatoes, so me and my Irish blood are biased anyway, but you should seriously try this recipe (organic or no).

Pumpkin Pecan Pie: Unlike many recipes for this pie, this one puts the pumpkin as the top layer.  Which doesn't sound like a big deal, but to me it makes a huge difference, giving precedence to the pumpkin flavors.  Unfortunately now I can't find the website that I got it from.  If I find it, I'll update later.

What about you?

Oops.

I just remembered that I had intended to post a recipe each weekend... looks like I've forgotten a few times now!  Honestly, I haven't tried anything new lately, although I did download several yummy-sounding recipes from Organic Valley.  I recommend you check them out - they have a ton of different things that sound a-ma-zing.  This salad is definitely on my list to try soon - watermelon & feta?!  Just thinking about it makes me salivate.

Weekend Recipe

Every weekend I plan on sharing a new recipe that uses organic or fresh-from-the-garden ingredients.  This first one is a snack I love to make, then gorge myself on while watching a marathon of Tivo'ed shows on a Sunday afternoon!

Black Bean Hummus

Recipe adapted from The Daily Green

• 2 cups (one 15 oz can) organic black beans, rinsed and drained well 
  
• 1 cup chickpeas (half a can, organic if you can find them), rinsed and drained well 
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
  
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste) -OR- substitute 2 tbs creamy natural peanut butter plus 1 or so tbs toasted sesame seeds, pureed in the blender
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• Season to taste with Cholula powder or taco seasoning for a kick
  
• Add sour cream a tablespoon at a time to get the desired consistency

Puree all ingredients in your food processor.  Add sour cream and seasoning until you reach the texture and flavor you like.  Serve with fresh veggies, pita bread or chips, or crackers.