Thanksgiving 2010

Shakespeare's Pizza in Columbia, Mo.

We are so grateful for our family, walks in the woods, food on the table, and storytelling.

Among many other things.

Here are a few photos from the past few days:

Pumpkin Bread

In two days my family and I are driving to the Lake of the Ozarks to have Thanksgiving meal at the Lodge of Four Seasons. We rent cabins and do very little for a couple of days. Jake and I started this tradition last year. This year I hope to get in a jog or a hike (despite the cold weather) and I'm taking a book too. I also baked some pumpkin bread for us to munch on during the car ride - our baby's first longish car ride -- wish us luck!

Here's the recipe:

3 and 1/3 cup flour
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 and 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs (Note: You could make this a vegan recipe if you used 2 cups of applesauce and no eggs)
1 and 1/4 c applesauce
1 1/2 c canned pumpkin
2/3 c water

First I blended the dry ingredients, then added the wet ingredients and then put the mixture in two lightly oiled loaf pans and popped them in our at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (we have a slow oven). It's delicious.

Black Bean Soup

I forgot to take a photo of my last meal, but bean soup isn't that pretty to look at anyway.

For those of you who might not know, the Women's Bean Project gives women employment opportunities in a safe environment -- a store in the U. City loop called Plowsharing Crafts sells their tasty packages of beans and spices to make bean soup.

In addition to the packet of beans and spices, you only need vegetable stock, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 large diced onion, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 large chopped green pepper, a 6 oz. can of tomato paste, 3 T wine vinegar, and 1 bay leaf to make the soup.

First you wash and drain beans and then either soak them overnight or microwave them covered with water in a partially covered container for 15 minutes on high. Then you drain and rinse them and put them in a pot with the vegetable stock. Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer covered for two hours. Then you will add a mixture of sauted veggies: the onion, garlic, green pepper and spices. Also add the tomato paste and vinegar at this time -- it's delicious and lasts for several meals:)