November

The stripped and shapely
Maple grieves
The loss of her
Departed leaves.

The ground is hard, 
As hard as stone.
The year is old, 
The birds have flown.

And yet the world,
Nevertheless,
Display a certain loveliness -

The beauty of 
The bone. Tall God
Must see our souls
This way, and nod.

Give thanks: We do, each in his place
Around the table
During grace.

-John Updike

 It is special to see poem in this section which is normally reserved for food. But I wanted to remind you about the goodness of grace and thankfulness before I give you a few recipe options from this blog and others. After all, it was reflections on thankfulness, on being grace filled, that this blog began. Happy thanksgiving!

Here are a few choices for your thanksgiving!

Spiced and Super Juicy Turkey

Sweet Potato Casserole

Mushroom Casserole

For those of you looking for turkey alternatives:

Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin
​
​Four Corners Lentil Soup

I end this with my gratitude list: grace, family, friends, an abundant thanksgiving table, love, Sunday school moments, October/November walks, love. and most importantly Christ's sacrifice for us:

Thanksgiving Prayer

Use any cooked grain you like. Feel free to use low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream, or yogurt if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) brown mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 1 large onion, well chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• toppings: toasted almonds, or a bit of fresh tarragon, chopped

​INSTRUCTIONS:
​
1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of olive oil or butter and set aside. The pan I use is slightly smaller than a classic 9x13 baking dish - just grab for something in this ballpark.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms in a glug of olive oil sprinkled with a couple pinches of salt. Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and salt.

4. Combine the rice mixture and cottage cheese mixture in a large bowl, stir until well combined and then turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 or 30 minutes more or hot throughout and golden along the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, and toasted almonds (and/or tarragon) and enjoy.
​
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes