My Thanksgiving Menu

Hello, friends.

As many of you know, I returned from Portland on Thursday.

I saw lots, I ate lots, and I drank beer.

I drank a LOT of beer.

But most importantly...

I fell in love.

I can't say I'm surprised by this. For a while now, I've had this fascination with Portland. Everyone I talked to assured me that I'd love it and I had this weird internal pull to the city. It was almost like that cheesy 90's Savage Garden song that's every 20-something's guilty pleasure (don't deny it):

It's true.

When I expressed my interest in visiting the City of Roses to my mother, she immediately groaned and said, "Oh, please. Don't go. You'll never come back." I almost didn't.

However, I would be completely robbing myself and you guys by trying to slap together a blog about my Portland adventure right now. I'm saving that whopper for this Thanksgiving break, on an afternoon that'll find me hopefully snuggled in a blanket and on the verge of a food coma.

Which brings me to the topic of this mini-post. My Thanksgiving menu.

I've never been a huge Thanksgiving fan. Those of you who know me personally know that my dedication to Christmas is...well...a little overwhelming, to put it lightly. Thanksgiving has always kind of fallen into the shadow of the ecstasy-inducing, month-(or more)-long celebration that is Christmas. (I'm serious...ask me about how I need a Christmas tree in every room of my house. That's totally another story, though). HOWEVER, I'm coming to love the holiday for the sole purpose that now, I'm finally getting to have control of the kitchen. 

I've recently discovered my love for cooking. I absolutely love to cook, bake, and share food with people. I especially love to cook with beer. 

This Turkey-day, I'm sharing the reins with my mother (trust me, if I had complete control over the menu, there'd be beer in EVERY bite). The menu this year includes:

• Cornish Game Hens
• WHISKEY (pleasant surprise on T-Day) Stuffing with Sausage and Apples
• Mashed Potatoes with Horseradish Cream
• Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Vinaigrette 
• Sweet Potato Beer Biscuits with Maple Sage Butter (this is the third time in like, 2 months that I'm making these bad boys -- they are my go-to biscuit recipe. So simple and SO flippin' yummy)
• Cranberry Log -- yes, from the can. For a while I pondered this Orange Blossom Ale Cranberry Sauce, but there is just something so sentimental about opening a can of gelatinous red cranberry substance and listening to it "sccccccchhhhlllmUCK" onto the best crystal serving dish in the cupboard. Oh man -- I can't wait. 

And the one I'm looking forward to the most (I have a slight infatuation with baking/desserts):

• Lemon Cream Pie with Raspberry Beer Sauce

I know this dessert kinda sounds like a summery pie, but there is something oh-so-yummy about lemon and raspberry together, and I really want to try a new recipe. If you'll remember, I already made Jackie Dodd's Pumpkin Ale Cheesecake with Beer Caramel Sauce, so I decided to branch out. 

Of course, I'll be washing it all down with some lovely brews. Holidays are a wonderful excuse to bust out the fancy bottles, and I'll be headed to the liquor store tomorrow to pick out some gems. I want to find a yummy yam/sweet potato/pumpkin beer for my biscuits and a big, bright DIPA (double IPA) for my pie, but otherwise I think I'll just do some exploring. I already have some beautiful dessert beers to save for later in the evening, but I'm looking for some nutty, roasty ambers and reds to complement the actual meal. Any suggestions?

I'd love to hear what you all are planning on eating/drinking this Thanksgiving break. I'll be keeping an eye on your Untappd feeds and I'd love it if you did the same for me. 

Most importantly, I hope you all have a safe and blessed holiday with your loved ones. I know I'm feeling especially thankful this year.

Cheers!

Rach