A Cuppa Kim

New Jersey is coming.
I have about half the post written, photos uploaded, etc.

But, things have been SO busy.
I haven't been able to get to the rest of it.

Let alone the piles of Christmas presents that have taken over my living room floor and I have attempted to wrap three nights in a row now.

Yesterday, I got as close as getting out wrapping paper, scissors, and tape.
But I had other things that had to be done, things I thought would take a half hour.
And took THREE.

So...

Please continue holding while we resume regular service....

In the mean time. Please enjoy some craze-amaze skies that have been gracing my world just since I have been back...

It's wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before me is God and I have no fears.
-Helen Keller

This last one, photo cred to my coworker.

So Turkey Day has come and gone.
But pictures are forever!!!

My normal Thanksgiving adventures usually include making the pumpkin and pecan pies.
Last year, I ventured out a bit, and made one pumpkin pie entirely from scratch - including roasting the pumpkin.

But honestly, I prefer the canned puree - and the recipe on the back.
Libby's.
Always and forever.

So this year, I went back to my standard Libby's pumpkin pie recipe, Karo's pecan pie recipe, and decided to supplement with a few other new recipes.

Including Kimberlee's Pumpkin Cheesecake.

OH.
MAH.
WORD.
(I don't even use that phrase)

Do yourself a favor. Make this.
Like, yesterday.

My family was salivating over it as soon as they walked in the door.
I mean, a whiff of that maple whipped cream, and everyone was ready to skip turkey and go straight to dessert.

I said MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM, you guys.

It was so good that I made it again two days later.
But here is my advice: stick with the name brands. Philadelphia & Libby's.
I used Trader Joe's cream cheese and pumpkin for the second cheesecake and it was a lumpy mess.
It still tasted good - but had some serious clumpy texture issues.
Also, I completely forgot the brown sugar in the first batch, and it didn't seem to be a problem.
So there is also that!

Another amazing dish that will entice all your senses is this Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce.
Or as I was calling it, Boozy Berries.

I'm a canned sauce girl. Through and through.
Cylindrical. Lines from the can.
No lumpy berries.
Like cranberry jello.
My mom has been making homemade cranberry sauce my whole life.
I have boycotted for 30 years.
But this recipe had me at Grand Marnier.
The hint of sweet orange paired with tart berries.
And I was converted. I think my taste buds decided to grow up this year.
Next time, I will save a bit of the orange peel for a garnish. They deserved to be prettied up a bit.

And my last new adventure was this Sweet Potato Souffle.
Normally, my family just bakes sweet potatoes plain.
I think they are one of the most wonderful Thanksgiving sides.
I eat them plain all the time.
But for years, I have been wanting to make a SP dish, with some mallows on top.
A coworker suggested this recipe to me.

I think the name is a bit of false advertising - because there wasn't much soufflé-y about it.
It doesn't raise. Or set. And it actually turned out kind of soupy.
But the TASTE.
OH THE TASTE.
Butter.
Sugar.
Sweet Potatoes.
Marshmallows.

It was heaven in a dish.
Sweet, buttery, heaven.
The leftovers nearly put me in a diabetic coma.
But it was so delightful.
(Except for the whole second degree burn on my thumb from taking this dish out of the oven part. Grrr).

My dad made his heavenly stuffing (I need to find a way to get this recipe and post it before next Thanksgiving - I do know it includes BUTTER, and a LOT of it), and it was more delicious than ever. I made a pecan pie, which was eaten before dessert time (um...violation!), and my sister's mother-in-law made her incredible potato rolls (by our begging request).