I decided I wanted to try something really different for Thanksgiving, so I made a pineapple pie! It’s a super easy recipe, and is really fresh and unique. I absolutely loved it, and I’ll definitely be making it again!
40 oz. crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup white sugar
6 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 pie crusts
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. white sugar
Preheat oven to 425.
Combine crushed pineapple with juice, 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, then boil for 1 minute. Cool slightly.
Line a 10-inch pie plate with crust. Beat egg and brush crust with it to prevent sogginess. Pour filling into the prepared pie dish. Cover with remaining crust; press and flute the edges to seal. Cut a few steam vents on top (or do a lattice crust as pictured), brush crust with milk and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. sugar.
Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and flaked coconut if desired.
Holo Taco has a new collection just in time for the holidays! I didn’t buy the complete set, but I did pick up a few shades, including “Starry-Eyed,” which I absolutely love because it has star-shaped glitters (see the thumbnail!) and “Midnight Owl,” a gorgeous dark, glittery purple. I also tried a non-glittery Holo Taco shade for the first time, the lovely creme formula “Bring Me the Teal,” which is a fabulous, deep color with loads of pigment.
“And that’s how Milly and Mr. Macy started a new holiday tradition. It looked a little like the old country, and a little like America, and a little like something entirely new.”
That quote from Milly and the Macy’s Parade describes pretty well how I felt about Thanksgiving this year. Our holiday was a little different, because this is the first time we’ve had a child away from home who returned to us for the holiday celebration. It was kind of familiar and kind of new, and still lots of fun!
One thing that was different this year was that instead of having “Pie Day” on Wednesday, I started my annual pie baking on Tuesday…I made three pies that day (two s’mores, another new thing because I’ve never made two of the same pie before, and a chocolate hazelnut) plus the cranberries. I got to work on baking early so that I wouldn’t have to be in the kitchen as much once Bunny returned home on Wednesday. The other six pies (plus the stuffing) were made that day, and Bunny even had time to make the caramel apple like she usually does!
Thursday was pretty normal…we watched the Macy’s Parade (Bunny and Ladybug tied at parade bingo) and the National Dog Show and some of our favorite Thanksgiving shows that we didn’t have time for on Wednesday. Chickadee took care of folding the napkins while I set our tables:
And dinner was even ready a little earlier than I expected, which is much better than it being done later! We had a fairly standard meal…turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, green beans with almonds, cranberries, and rolls. I also made roast fennel for the first time, and it was delicious!
Another change this year involved our Lego Winter Village set. Usually, we build it the day after Thanksgiving, but Bunny had to leave pretty early that day, so we built it after dinner. I love that it looks like it was lifted right from the Alps, and it has so many lovely details…the fireplace is especially cool!
Here’s a look at the previously-mentioned pies. The pineapple pie was the only new addition this year, and it was a good one…I will definitely be making it again!
In the evening, we also played “Chandler’s Dumb States Game” for the first time. I was the undisputed champion…all 50 states in four minutes, and my children are still wondering how I did it! Of course I also had to check in with Franklin and my Animal Crossing neighbors before the day was over:
The day after Thanksgiving started with one of my very favorite traditions…pie for breakfast!
We went to see Moose march in the town Santa Parade for the last time…Bunny was able to stay long enough to see the band, which was nice. After all these years, I can’t believe he won’t be marching in it again!
Of course we had turkey sandwiches for lunch:
And more pie for lunch dessert:
Dinner was another favorite…turkey soup:
After dinner, Chickadee and I went to the town tree lighting, which is always a nice event.
We walked through Christkindlmarkt:
And checked out the gingerbread houses on display on Main Street. There are some very creative and beautiful pieces done by some very talented artists!
Back home, we had even more pie:
Last night, we had one more leftovers meal…Thanksgiving casserole (one of the few casseroles I actually like!):
And one final round of pie for dessert:
So, our celebration was a lot the same, but a little bit different. But we were together for the holiday, and that was the most important thing of all!
Back in October, I entered a Miss Candyfloss giveaway on Instagram. I enter a lot of those giveaways, though, so I didn’t think any more about it. You can imagine my surprise and excitement when, on Moose’s birthday, they notified me that I was the winner of the Morie-Abalone dress, plus a hat from Mein Wunderbarer Hutsalon!
This was extra exciting for me because I had originally considered buying this dress, but when I narrowed my wishlist down, it got cut. I can’t believe it’s mine after all!
Here’s a closer look at the lovely wool felt hat…I’m ecstatic that I now own a hat from an actual hat shop!!!
In addition to the hat, I accessorized with an Erstwilder brooch and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles:
The bodice of the dress is fully lined, which is nice because wool can be kind of scratchy.
Here’s a closer look at the lovely cuff detail on the sleeve:
Between the warm fabric and the full-length sleeves, this is the perfect dress for late autumn/winter!
I’m beyond thrilled that I won something that I wanted to add to my wardrobe in the first place!
It’s the day after Thanksgiving, which means it’s now socially acceptable to get my Christmas apparel and accessories out of my wardrobe! To kick things off, let’s take a look at a new accessory I added to my collection this year…a Daisy Duck “Deck the Halls” bag charm from Baublebar!
I love Daisy in her sparkly Christmas sweater all tangled up in colorful Christmas lights, and I love how well she goes with my equally sparkly red and green sequin Loungefly “‘Tis the Season” Christmas mini backpack I got last year. It’s a glittery match made in accessories heaven!
This year, instead of “Pie Day” in preparation for Thanksgiving, I spread the work out over two Pie Days! I had nine pies to make, plus I wanted to spend as much time with Bunny as possible once she got home from college this afternoon, so I made two s’mores pies (a first for us…I’ve never made two of the same pie before!) and a chocolate-hazelnut pie yesterday (I also made the cranberries then, too). Today we took care of the rest of the pies, including a new addition to the lineup, a pineapple pie, plus pumpkin, butterscotch, caramel-apple (made by Bunny), pecan, and vanilla cream:
I have now shared a total of 52 “Mani Mondays”…a whole year’s worth! It has taken me more than one calendar year to complete this project, partly because I didn’t realize when I started that I was going to turn it into something this big and my nail painting was kind of sporadic, and partly because I just can’t always find time to do my nails every single week. I really love how it is a snapshot of a year in our family’s life…you can see the holidays we celebrated (Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter), the change of seasons (winter, summer, fall), special events we looked forward to (the Coronation, Combo Breaker), family heritage (flags), special family interests (Disney, Ahsoka), and even school spirit (college and high school colors).
First, here’s a look at my very favorite manicure I’ve done so far…I love the color blending and the added sparkle of the glitter!
And then all of the rest, in the order they were published. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel and Holo Taco were by far my two most-used brands, but there are some others mixed in there, too.
I’m by no means done with “Mani Mondays”…I’ve really enjoyed being creative in the colors I used and the techniques I’ve learned, and I already have some ideas for future designs I’m looking forward to attempting!
