2011年感恩节在我家 (2011 Thanksgiving in our home)

"Really, next week is Thanksgiving? All I know that our twins one year old Birthday is next Tuesday... OK!" Wow, time is really flying. I guess I was dreaming everyday until he reminded me. Thanksgiving is a traditional faimily holiday. It should be a joy and relaxing day, not a busy day. Therefore, dinner is simple and delicious.
"下个星期是感恩节了, 真的吗? 我知道下星期二是我们宝宝的一岁生日哦... OK!" 哇, 时间过得真快, 我大概是天天在做梦直到他提醒我. 感恩节是美国传统的家节, 应该是个轻松愉快的节日, 不是一个繁忙的日子. 所以,晚餐应该是简单但不失美味. 

Thanksgiving dinner menu: 感恩节菜谱

Altemate garden sala with balsomic vinegrette
Bacon wrapped dates
Shrimp coctail
Marined Italian and Spanish olives
Oven roasted yam with walnuts and maple syrup
Sausage stuffing
Roast turkey
Homemade dinner rolls
Mini means meat pie

Meue list is a little long is because we just had birthday party for our twins on Tuesday. Couple items were family favorate and they insist wanted to have them again. I have no issues... :-)
意大利香醋拌绿色色拉
BACON 卷果脯枣
鸡尾大虾
意式和西班牙式橄榄
烤枫浆红薯
烤香肠STUFFING
烤火鸡
自家做晚餐面包
小小英国MEANS MEAT 派

菜单看起来很长是因为星期二刚刚开过宝宝的一岁生日聚会， 其中有两道是我们家人最喜欢的，他们坚持还要吃，我当然没意见。。。 ：-）

Altemate garden sala with balsomic vinegrette
意大利香醋拌绿色色拉
Winter vegetable garden is slowing down. Swiss chard, carrots and hardy lettuce are still there. I added some store bought broccoli, celery and hard boiled eggs. Dressing was balsamic vinegrette. So, I wouldn't feel too guilty after the heavy meal. Goot to feed your families green vegies...
冬天的菜园已经安静了很多，只有Swiss chard，胡萝卜和生菜。我加了一些超市买来的芥兰花，芹菜，和煮蛋，酱汁用的是意大利香醋调的，让我也觉得我在给家人吃青菜。。。




Bacon wrapped dates
BACON 卷果脯枣
This is so easy todo and all time favorate for our families. It is a little bit rich becuase the real stuff. Good thing is that we don't have it everyday. So, enjoy it! No worry!
这道菜太容易了，几乎没有技术要求。是我们家人的最爱。热量高了些因为是真材实货。。。好在我们不是每天都吃这个。所以每次我做了这道，大家尽情享受没有顾忌。




Shrimp coctail
鸡尾大虾
This is our family favorate shimp cocktails. The sauce was made from fresh horseradish. See link HOW TO for recipe and instructions.
我们家受欢迎的大虾鸡尾，酱汁是用新鲜的辣根做的，很爽口。看上面有配方和做法的连接



Take a close look. It is fresh and deliciate than any store bought products. 近看看，比外面买的好吃几十倍！


Marined Italian and Spanish olives
意式和西班牙式橄榄
I didn't make this one. I bought it from our local store. We love olives...　这道不是我做的，买来的，我们都喜欢吃橄榄。。。


Sausage stuffing
烤香肠STUFFING
I found bake stuffing seperated from the bird taste better than bake them inside the bird. It is not socky and can be full of flavor as well. I have tried them several time. It never let me down. Ingredients is very flexible. I have used sausage, celery, onion, day old bread, and brassels sprouts this time. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and salt & peppers to taste. Bake it in a pre heated oven at 350F for 20 minutes.
我发现分开烤的stuffing 比放在火鸡肚子里烤的好吃，烤出来没有粘粘的感觉，味道还很丰富，我试过几次，从未失败过，原料可自定，随意，这次我用了香肠，芹菜，洋葱，“一天旧”的面包切块，和小甘蓝。加一杯鸡汤，放入盐和胡椒粉调味，烤箱预热３５０华氏度，烤２０分钟即可。



After baking in the oven, this is what it looked like. Delicious just like the look. Hope you like the look.
烤完了是这个样子的，味道和看上的样子一样好吃。



Oven roasted yam with walnuts and maple syrup
烤枫浆红薯
Peel yam and cross slice them as a quarter inch thick. Brush surface with butter and dot butter on the top. Drizzle maple syrup (~1/4 cup) on the top and bake them in a pre heated oven at 350F for 20 to 30 minutes or till yam is soft, golden. After you have tried this, you will never go back to the canned "candy yam" with marshmellows...   
红薯去皮切厚片，加入些奶油在上面，撒上１／４杯的枫浆，烤箱预热３５０华氏度，烤２０　到３０分钟，直到红薯烤软。吃过这道后，你再也不会吃罐头的“candy yam"烤棉花糖了。。。


Ready to serve. From oven to the table. No dressing up. It delieved the simple delicious yam you have ever tasted before.
烤好了的样子，很朴实，从烤箱到桌上，没有打扮。好好吃！


Roast turkey
烤火鸡

I am sure everyone knows how to make your turkey delicious. I got a fresh bird this year, so called organic turkey... So the baking temperature and time were different than the frozen one. The rest of procedures are the same, pat dry with paper towls, rub butter all over the bird, sprinkle salt and peppers, etc.. See below pictures.
大家自有自己的“拿手火鸡”。我就不罗嗦了，今年我买了只新鲜的火鸡,所谓的有机火鸡。。。所以烘烤的时间和温度与冷冻的不一样。其他和步骤都一样。看下图。


Turkey turned out very good on both look and taste. Yes, it tasted betther than frozen one. Of course. What did I think?
烤出来装盘了，样子还好，吃起来还真比冷冻的好吃，唉，说什么呢，冷冻的怎么会比的上新鲜的？想来好笑。


All right! Let's eat! Someone started carving...
好了好了，吃饭了，主人开始切火鸡了。。。


Homemade dinner rolls
Here we go again. I don't remember how many times I have made in the past years. Our families never get tire of it. It is must have item in our family.
自家做晚餐面包
我做的每次都一样，这么多年来做过无数次，家人也吃不烦。总是点这个。。。



Mini means meat pie
小小英国MEANS MEAT 派

This is traditional desert for Thanksgiving in my husband family. It was made from real meat in the old days. I have searched on line for trditional recipes. Turned out it would take a week to make from scratch. It is too late this year. I just bought means meat pie stuffing from the local store, twisted a little big and made mini ones instead of big pie. The individual pie was very susccesful. I was not sure at the beginning... They were delicious.
这道小点心是先生家的传统点心。在过去是用牛肉馅做的，可惜没有人记录下配方，我查了一下，网上说真正自己做要花上一星期，太晚了，我还是买现成的馅吧，总比吃不上强。。。 下次再说。 不过做了一点点变化，变成了小小MEANS MEAT 派。好看，好玩，重要的是还好吃！

Make shape for the mini pies
做型状。。。


Brush surface with egg batter. Bake them in a pre heated oven at 350F for 30 minutes or till golden brown on the surface.
表面刷上蛋液，烤箱350度预热，烤30分钟左右直到表面金黄。


They are out of oven and ready to enjoy!
烤好了，可以吃了。。。


In my plate:
我的盘中：
Lots stuff in my plate. I remember I ate all...
盘子装得好满，我记得我都吃光光了。。。


Our Thanksgiving dinner table. Red wine are from our own grapes...
我们家的感恩节餐桌。红酒是自家葡萄酿的。回味无穷。





2011 Thanksgiving holiday is over. Our twin "tiger" are one year old. We have so much thankful this year as every year. Wish the best to you and our families in coming years. Cheers!!!
一年一度的感恩节就这样又过去了，虎妞和虎娃也一岁了，我们有无尽的感谢，希望来到的一年带给我们更多的如意！干杯！