Pantry Collective

Oh, wow. I am so sorry, internet. It’s been about five weeks since I’ve posted anything new. It’s not because I haven’t missed you, dear reader(s), I promise. (Speaking of which, how many readers are there, really? It’s hard to say on a recipe blog. I have had an amazing number of hits in the past five weeks without a single new post, but most of them have been through random google searches.)

Anyway, I do this for you, the reader(s), but I also do it for me, because I like food, I like cooking, and I like having a record of the things I have cooked and eaten. I like to look back and see my progression as a home cook. And I won’t lie, I like the validation of positive comments (usually on Facebook, but hey, they’re still comments!). I don’t have the readership to get negative comments, I think. I’m still very low on the food blogging totem pole, which saves me from the terrible, vicious comments from anonymous people on the internet who have too much time on their hands and too many angry thoughts in their heads. (Maybe I am opening myself up to those comments by addressing the issue? It’s an experiment!)

Wow, okay, you’d probably like a food post. I’m going to try to hop back on the posting bandwagon, back to weekly postings of yummy foods. My absence can be explained mostly by a crazy fall semester, which has led to two things: little time to create blog posts and little time to cook new and exciting foods. I do have a backlog of photos from a simpler time when all I had going on was a lot of fun events requiring fun recipes, though. I have some deliciousness in store, and a couple of really yummy looking things to try out this week, so there might actually be a post with some seasonal food soon too. I’m looking forward to it!

In 2005, my husband and I moved to Chicago from Connecticut. Traveling home for both Christmas and Thanksgiving was just too much, so we decided to stay in Chicago for Thanksgiving and travel for Christmas. That first year, two friends flew in from CT to celebrate Thanksgiving with us and visit Chicago. It was the first Thanksgiving dinner I had ever cooked or really even been involved in, since my mom and grandma basically ran the show back home. I admit I was a little nervous, but consoled myself that at least it was just my friends and not my in-laws or some other group I had to really impress.

I don’t remember specifics from that first year; all I really know is that a tradition was born. Since is is a friend-centric event, we dubbed it “Friendsgiving”, which I suppose is not very clever, but it does the job. Each year since, Amie has flown in from CT to spend the holiday with us, and we invite all our local friends who don’t have family/travel plans to join us. Last year after moving to a larger home we finally got a table that could seat all those guests - the first couple years were pretty tight in our postage-stamp sized apartment.

The menu varies from year to year. Last year was a Moroccan-themed affair, inspired by a recipe for Moroccan Pumpkin Soup (which I will have to dig up and post here). Every year we make more and more things from scratch as we get more comfortable with the routine. Amie and I have a tentative plan to post a Friendsgiving retrospective here in the coming days (or weeks). For now, here is the menu for this year’s event. I’ll be posting recipes and photos after the big day.

Appetizers:
Sweet & Spicy Toasted Nuts
Roasted Garlic Hummus and pita bread
Brie & Blackberry pastry purses with toasted almond slices

Main Meal:
Butternut Squash Soup
Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce
Simple Roast Turkey & homemade gravy
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Honey-Brandy Glazed Carrots
Apple & Onion Stuffing
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Desserts:
Poached Pear Pie, redux (this is going to be gooooood)
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies