Potlucks galore

Here is a short list of some of my most favorite things:
friends
food
community
laughter

I am constantly thankful for these things, and it seems that potlucks magically incorporate the very best of these in a wholesome way! How lucky for me then, that Sunday, both of my meals were in potluck form. A delightful brunch potluck at our dear friend Alicia's home, followed by a warm and cozy Thanksgiving dinner potluck at the garden unit: I couldn't be happier. And one of the very best things about potlucks, is that when everyone is gathered, even those people most important to you who could not attend are ever present in there glowing spirits.

Jill, Kelsey and I, often host potlucks at our apartment and just about every aspect of hosting them is wonderful. Even cleaning seems fun, when it is in anticipation of a potluck. However, I must say, that the preparation of food is my most favorite pre-potluck preparation. As our potluck was focused on Thanksgiving, Jill, Kelsey and I chose to prepare classic Thanksgiving favorites with a homemade spin. While Kelsey made homemade cornbread and Jill's and my family's recipe for "party potatoes", Jill prepared stuffing. I (have lately been loving to make pies) made an apple pie. Of course, we also sipped on mulled wine, our fall and winter favorite... Here are our recipes:

Party potatoes (a Patrick family-Clark family Hybrid recipe)
4 pounds of potatoes
1 cup of sour cream
8 ounces of cream cheese
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of butter

1. Cut the potatoes into large chunks (don't peel em, you can do that in a minute!) and place them in a pot of boiling water. Boil them until a fork is easily poked through the center of the largest potato. Then, strain the water off and allow the potatoes to cool for a minute. After they are cooled, you can easily peel the potatoes.

2. Then, mash the potatoes and add remaining ingredients. Place them in a casserole, and bake them at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. If you'd like, you can sprinkle some cheese on top before the last 5 minutes of baking for an extra tasty topping!

These potatoes can be refrigerated for about 5 days after made, and let me say they are even better with age! This is surely one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

Apple Pie
For the crust:
2 cups of flour
1/3 cup of butter
4 tablespoons of ice cold water

1. Blend the flour and butter with your hands until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces of dough.

2. Gradually add the water and gently work into a ball. Don't over blend the dough at this time, or it might be too tough.

3. Roll out the dough into a large circular sheet. Then, to easily place the dough into a pie dish, gently fold it into quarters, place in the pie pan and unfold.

For the filling:
4-5 large apples
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of butter, plus 1/4 cup of butter
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 tablespoons of flour, plus 1/2 cup of flour

1. Slice apples into thin slices and lay into the unbaked pie crust.

2. In a small dish, mix honey, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons of flour. Pour over the apples.

3. In another small dish, blend the remaining butter, cinnamon and remaining flour into small crumbles. Sprinkle over the apples.

4. Bake at 425 degrees for about one hour or until the apples are sufficiently cooked and the topping is crispy. Enjoy!

Holidays are such a special time, and they are even better with delicious recipes. Hopefully your holidays are filled with good food and great friends and family!

Mara and I, with our pie!

Happy eating