Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm in Mexico today, and there's no turkey or pumping pie in my near future, but I have a lawn chair by the pool and a whole lot to be thankful for.

So in the spirit of the holiday, here's a list of the top 5 things that I'm thankful for today:

1.  My family.

2.  My awesome friends back home who put up with me being away at ice shows all the time.  (I'm looking at you, Karleen!)

3.  Getting to do what I love for my job.  It's seriously the best.

4.  Spending today by the ocean in Mexico.  If I can't be at home; this is a pretty great second choice.

5.  The internet, for keeping me connected to all my friends and family all over the world.

What are you thankful for?

xoxo
Laura

Knitting for Christmas

It's the week of Thanksgiving and I'm proud to say that I've already begun knitting this year's Christmas presents!

This is monumental because I'm normally the procrastinator of all procrastinators.

My early start doesn't necessarily mean that I'm completely safe from the Christmas Eve knitting frenzy that occurred the last two years in a row, but I'm extremely hopeful that this will be the year that I break the pattern.

What are your Christmas knitting habits?  Do you put everything off until the last minute like I normally do?  If you have a good knitting schedule that helps you avoid the last minute panic, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm pretty sure that Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start.  I'll let you know if I still feel that way when Christmas comes!

Some Christmas knitting from years past: An Ice Skate Ornament, Men's Mittens, and Little Knitted Flowers.

Happy knitting!
xoxo
Laura

Thanksgiving on Etsy

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and if you don't have the time to make your own decorations and accessories this year, there are tons of great ones for sale on Etsy.  (I know because I may or may not be developing an Etsy browsing addiction; there are just so many great handmade things on there!)  Here are my five favorites this Thanksgiving.

1.  I would absolutely love to whip up a turkey wearing this Ruffled Retro Apron from Creative Chics, wouldn't you?

2.  Or you could dress your little boy in this adorable Thanksgiving Bow-Tie from The Director's Cabin.

3. Welcome your guests in style by hanging this Autumn Crochet Wreath from Alice Remembers on your door.

4. I also love this tablecloth from Danielle's Corner.

5.  And wouldn't these clay pumpkins from Skye Art look super cute sitting on your mantle?

All of the photos in this post are courtesy of their Etsy shop owners.  Aren't they pretty?

However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo
Laura

(Gluten-Free) Pumpkin Pie!

Last weekend, my good friend hosted an early Thanksgiving party, and when he invited me, I offered to bring a homemade pie.  I don't really know why I did it, seeing as how I had never made a pie in my life.  I guess I was just so taken with the idea of being the sort of girl who whips up a pie to bring to a friend's house that I lost touch with reality for a second.  I started kicking myself as soon as I walked away.  But here's the thing: situations like this are exactly why I started this blog.  I genuinely want to be able to do things like this.  So on the morning of the gathering I took a deep breath, asked my mom a lot of questions, and went for it.

Crust:

I really lucked out with the crust because my dad had made extra gluten free dough and put it in the freezer, so all I had to do was roll it out, put it back in the fridge for 20 minutes to make it easier to work with, and then shape it into the pie pan.  He made the dough from the Gluten Free Pantry Perfect Pie Crust mix, and it tastes great; my gluten-eating friends didn't notice a difference.


Filling Ingredients:

• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cups evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425
• Beat eggs
• Gradually add sugar while beating
• Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, salt and beat well
• Add cream
• Beat well
• Pour into crust
• Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then 350 for 50 minutes

When I finished beating the pie filling, I got really nervous because it seemed like way too much of a liquid, but it thankfully turned into the right consistency once I baked it.



Doesn't the finished product look nice next to the pumpkin I carved for Halloween?  I was so happy when I brought it to the party and everyone liked it.  I succeeded!



I hope you have an equally happy and successful Thanksgiving!
xoxo
Laura