Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts

Monday, November 27, 2017

This year, I was fortunate enough to celebrate two Thanksgivings – one in Düsseldorf, Germany, and one at our flat in London.

This marked our third year travelling to the ‘Dorf to celebrate an expat Thanksgiving there with a fellow American friend and our German friends. We had to skip a year in 2015 when we moved to Australia, but we managed to celebrate Thanksgivings together in 2014, 2016 and 2017. I’m sure 2018 will be on the calendar again too.

Our friends rubbed down the turkey with a BBQ-like spice rub and then smoked it for several hours outside. The turkey was delicious, and surprisingly, really moist.

The dinner table included the classic American dishes: cornbread stuffing/dressing, my cheesy green bean casserole, cranberry compote, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potato casserole, and of course, pies. Once again, I travelled with a pie in my suitcase…and landed safely in Germany with it. I’m happy no one from border patrol tried to steal my pie!
When you live abroad, friends become like your own family members.

I also made a pumpkin pie once we arrived in Germany.
A lovely autumnal view and a rainbow in Germany for our expat Thanksgiving weekend.



Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year, if you celebrated! I’m very thankful that our expat life continues to allow us to travel and meet up with our friends all over the world.

If you like to give my boozy pecan pie recipe a go, you’ll find it below.

Cheers,
Joy


Joy’s Pecan Pie
Use my standard Tart Dough for the pie shell here.

4 ea.  large eggs at room temperature, whisked
185 g. brown sugar
60 ml. light corn syrup or Golden Syrup
60 ml. molasses
1/2 tsp.  salt
1/2 tsp.  vanilla extract
45 g. butter, melted
30 ml. whiskey or bourbon, ** (optional)
285 g. walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

In a large bowl, whisk the ingredients together in the order they are listed. Cover the bottom of the tart shells with pecans. Add the filling to right below the rim of the tart. 

Bake at 350 F/175 C until lightly browned and the filling is set, about 12 minutes total for small tarts, or 30-25 minutes for the large tart. Remove tarts from molds while still warm.

We even got to see the Christmas market being set up in the Old Town of Dusseldorf.
Of course, we enjoyed some gluhwein as well
.
My first, but not my last, gluhwein of the 2017 Christmas season.

Friday, November 25, 2016



Happy Thanksgiving from London!
Xoxo
Joy 

Homemade desserts: top: blueberry pie and tres leches cake
Bottom: my pecan pie and a pumpkin pie.

My Traveling Joys

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Being an American in Australia on my favorite foodie holiday of the year proved to be less difficult than I thought it would be.

Luckily, I’ve met a few other American expats and one of them decided to host a Thanksgiving lunch at her house in Melbourne. Our international Thanksgiving meal included the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy as well as Asian dumplings, chicken wings, tofu with rice, Indian curries and samosas and a couple French desserts. It certainly was delicious!
I made two desserts – a French cherry clafoutis because cherries are in season now and a pumpkin tart using my gluten-free crust recipe. I forgot to take a picture of my whole pumpkin tart so you’ll only see a slice of it with a glass of wine that I had saved for my husband.
Though our move to Australia has probably been our most difficult one, I was happy to be included among such a warm and friendly circle of other expats. For many, this was their first time experiencing Thanksgiving, a holiday I cherish because it’s not based on religion but on being thankful for what you have and your loved ones. I’m thankful we are able to travel and see so much more of the world, but there are times I wonder what a “normal” life would be like again…if that’s possible.


After lunch, I literally took a nap for an hour before my husband came home so we could go out for dinner. A newish restaurant, Nieuw Amsterdam, an American-style bistro located in the CBD, served up a delicious spread of all the traditional Thanksgiving Day components. Our server was even from the NYC-area. The only thing missing was American football and, of course, our family and friends. 
I don't know how I managed to eat a second Thanksgiving Day meal, but I did! We’ll definitely be giving this delightful restaurant another go during the non-holidays!


Happy Thanksgiving Day to my dear US readers and any other expats who might be celebrating abroad like we are!

Joy

My Traveling Joys

Monday, December 8, 2014

Yes, it’s been 9 days since we celebrated Thanksgiving with our friends in Germany.

However, we spent three extra days visiting the infamous German Christmas markets, so I still have hundreds of photos to edit. Then, I taught a baking class and have basically been trying to catch up on our “normal” life here in Warsaw.

I am happy to report that both the Polish and German airport authorities seemed to have no problem with me transporting my Pumpkin Pie with Gluten-Free Coconut & Almond Crust across the borders. The pie arrived safely!

Our dear friend, JT, whom we stayed with in Düsseldorf, had prepared the majority of our Thanksgiving meal in advance. This, his friend, Tobias, whom we met during our beer weekend in Prague, kindly picked us and ALL our Thanksgiving meal fixings up in his large SUV. We drove to T’s suburbian home because it had more room to host our Thanksgiving meal. T and his wife, Dee, also have a lovely and practically professionally-outfitted kitchen so I had every gadget at hand to help prepare our dinner.
Dee set up a lovely dining table for us.
JT and me in the midst of cooking green bean and sweet potato casseroles.
JT and hubby checking on the turkey, which was closely guarded by the family dog later.
JT was in charge of his bacon-wrapped turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin soup, grandfather’s recipe of sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and stuffing/dressing (made with gluten-free cornbread). I helped here and there and made my classic green bean casserole with a cheesy béchamel sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts and helped finish the pies.
By the time we sat down to dinner, we had already been drinking a bit of bubbly and wine, as one should when they are cooking. The best part was sharing this delicious meal with friends from the U.S., Germany, Turkey, U.K. and Poland, making it a true expat Thanksgiving!
Celebrating Thanksgiving together always makes me reflective on what I’m thankful for in life. This year has been a bit of an emotional one for me personally as I keep hoping and trying (unsuccessfully) for a baby. I’m thankful to have such a wonderful and supportive husband as we’ve gone through these low periods this past year. Secondly, I’m thankful to live abroad and travel as much as we do. I’m also thankful to have a fantastic group of friends from all over the world, and it’s even more special to celebrate these holidays together.

As long as you have good food and friends, you can celebrate an American Thanksgiving anywhere!
A Thanksgiving collage of food photos.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

If you’re celebrating today, Happy Thanksgiving!

We won’t be eating a turkey dinner today because we’re hopping on a plane to visit our friends in Germany. However, we will be helping to cook an expat Thanksgiving meal on Saturday after we’ve seen some of the infamous German Christmas markets for the first time.

Yesterday, I baked a healthier version of my normal pumpkin pie and I’m carrying it on the plane this afternoon. I hope it arrives safely with me!

Since I’ve been trying to do gluten-free baking, the biggest obstacle was how to make a gluten-free crust. I’ve tried an almond flour crust a couple of times, but funny enough, I find it tastes too nutty. So I went back into the kitchen to figure out a recipe that didn’t require xanthum gum or some other strange gluten-free replacements.

The easiest solution was using a combination of almond and coconut flours. Then, I used melted coconut oil instead of butter to make it a bit healthier. The crust did brown faster than others I’ve used, so I would definitely recommend covering the crust with aluminum foil while baking the pumpkin pie.

Now that I’ve got the crust figured out, I’m just hoping I can get through airport security with my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie in tact! I’ll let you know how it goes!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Joy
My previous version of Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie with an almond flour crust.
Gluten-Free Coconut & Almond Crust
Yields: one 9-inch crust

120      g.                     almond flour
70        g.                     coconut flour
70        g.                     melted coconut oil
3          Tablespoons    maple syrup
Pinch                           salt

Using a food processor fitted with a blade, combine the almond and coconut flours and salt.

Slowly, drizzle in the coconut oil and maple syrup, and blend until you have a wet dough.

Press this dough into your pie pan. I use my hands and then a flat-bottomed glass to get the crust pressed down evenly.

Bake at 350 F/175 C until lightly browned, about 7-10 minutes.

While the tart shell is baking, make the pumpkin custard recipe below.
For the Pumpkin Custard:
255      g.                     homemade pumpkin puree
130      g.                     organic palm sugar
70        ml.                   almond milk or cream (36% Smietanka Tortowa)
1          tsp.                  vanilla extract
1          tsp.                  ground cinnamon powder
¼         tsp.                  ground cloves
¼         tsp.                  ground allspice
¼         tsp.                  freshly grated nutmeg
¼         tsp.                  salt
2          ea.                   organic or free-range large eggs***
60        g.                     melted coconut oil

In a medium-sized bowl, place all the ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Add the melted coconut oil last as it can seize up into little chunks of solidified fat.

Pour the pumpkin filling into the prepared pie shell.

Place the pumpkin pie onto a flat baking sheet. Bake the tart in a preheated 350 F/175 C for about 25-30 minutes until the center is set or a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool at room temperature. Then refrigerate. Garnish the pie with whipped cream, slightly sweetened either with maple syrup or your choice of sugar substitute.
***Note: I still use eggs in my baking, but if you would prefer an egg-free version, simply blend 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 Tablespoons of hot water. Let rest 5 minutes or so until the mixture has the texture of a raw egg. This ratio = 1 egg.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Sure the holidays are fun when you’re surrounded by family members, but it’s also utterly exhausting.

I’ve been in the U.S. for 23 days and have a few more days to go – the longest I’ve ever been back since we moved abroad in June 2010. I’m sure you’ve been there…when you travel, you end up sleeping in hotels, beds and couches that just aren’t the same as your own bed back home. I miss our comfortable bed and quiet apartment in Warsaw.

But our first American Thanksgiving since 2009 was a memorable experience. We celebrated this traditional American holiday with 24 members of my husband’s family in Pennsylvania. It’s amazing how my mother-in-law puts the entire meal together for aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. She likes to do many recipes on her own because that’s the way she’s always done them, so I actually stayed clear of the kitchen for the most part. However, I did contribute by making my cheesy green bean casserole and two desserts.
My homemade cheesy green bean casserole. None of that canned junk for me! 
Like most American kitchens, not every dish was completed on schedule. Thanksgiving is always a difficult meal to pull off because most of the traditional dishes are baked in the oven. And you can only have so many dishes in the oven at one time. The turkey needed more time to brown on top and then the dinner rolls still needed to be baked.

But we did pull it off, and our meal was delicious!
My father-in-law and cousin carving up the turkey. 
Here are a couple photos from our first American Thanksgiving in five years. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday as well!
Making pies the day before Thanksgiving.
My nine-year-old niece wants to be a pastry chef. I love that!

Just some of our Thanksgiving dishes.
Thanksgiving 2013 group family photo.
Our Thanksgiving pies - chocolate cream, apple crumb and pumpkin.

Friday, November 22, 2013

A golden brown, herbed turkey, casserole dishes of cheesy green beans and dressing and five pounds of cream cheese-enriched mashed potatoes.

These were just some of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes I made last Sunday for my family in Nebraska. We celebrated our first Thanksgiving meal on American soil since 2009 with my mom, dad, brother, aunt and uncle. I had the menu all planned out and found it went off without a hitch minus the 12-pound turkey taking a bit longer to cook.

Since my dad’s health isn’t the greatest, I modified my normal recipes by using reduced-fat cheese and fat-free sour cream for my cheesy green bean casserole dressed with panko bread crumbs instead of fried onions. To make the potatoes richer, I used low-fat cream cheese instead of butter and heavy cream. For the dressing, I only used chicken stock in place of butter to make the dish more moist.
Then, I rubbed down the turkey with lots of garden-fresh herbs, freshly ground black pepper and some Smart Balance as well as filled the cavity with more herbs, onions and celery. The end result was still a moist and golden brown turkey.
I have to say you wouldn’t have noticed a difference!

Even for my Thanksgiving baking, I lightened up my recipes. Instead of my normal buttery pastry crust for pumpkin pie, I used ground gingersnap cookies and graham crackers mixed with a little apple cider and corn syrup. The crust was a little sticky and more rustic looking, but most importantly, it tasted great with the pumpkin pie filling.

Then, instead of an apple pie, I decided to make a low-fat apple cake for our second dessert. I found a recipe in one of my mom’s old issues of Light & Tasty magazine and made it even healthier with some substitutions below. The cake was moist and tasted like fall with the addition of ginger and cinnamon spices. I knew this cake was going to be a winner as soon as I tasted the spiced cake batter!
Our Thanksgiving desserts!
Though we’ve celebrated the last three Thanksgivings abroad in Istanbul, it certainly was nice being surrounded by my family members. We toasted each other with wine or sparkling cider and shared stories about our new expat life in Warsaw. My aunt and uncle filled us in on our other relatives living in the Midwest. It was wonderful to be “home.”
Family pics from Thanksgiving 2013.
Next week, we will be celebrating a second Thanksgiving dinner with more than 20 members of my husband’s family on the East Coast. More food is definitely in store for us!

Wherever you may be this holiday season, I hope it’s a happy one filled with plenty of good food!

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!
Low-fat apple cake topped with Cool Whip, of course!
I'm ready to serve desserts!
Low-fat Apple Cake for Thanksgiving
Adapted from Light & Tasty magazine
Yields: One 9-inch metal springform pan

Ingredients:
3          Tablespoons    melted Smart Balance or butter
¾         cup                  granulated sugar
¼         cup                  Egg Beaters or 1 each large egg
1          ea.                    egg white
1          cup                  low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/3       cup                  unsweetened applesauce
2          Tablespoons    vegetable oil

2          cups                 all-purpose flour
½         cup                  golden raisins
1          teaspoon          baking powder
1          teaspoon          pumpkin pie spice
½         teaspoon          ground ginger
½         teaspoon          baking soda
½         teaspoon          salt

Topping:
2          ea.                    peeled, diced Gala apple
3          Tablespoons    chopped walnuts
1          Tablespoon      brown sugar
½         teaspoon          ground cinnamon
1/8       teaspoon          ground allspice

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until crumbly, about 2 minutes.

Add the egg, egg white, yogurt, applesauce and oil. Mix together.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Combine the dry ingredients with the yogurt mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Spread the cake batter into a nonstick pan lined with baking paper. Using a pastry brush, brush the pan with sunflower oil.

In a separate bowl, toss together the apple, walnuts, sugar and spices. Spread this mixture on top of the cake batter. 

Bake the cake at 350 F/175 C for about 45 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Our final Thanksgiving table shot.