Here is what we contributed to the potluck. I went a little crazy this year but I'm glad I did because almost everything was gone by the end of the evening. So back to front, left to right we have homemade applesauce from apples we picked, zwiebach (or rolls), pumpkin pie, blueberry jam from berries we picked, pecan pie, vegan apple pie, pumpkin chocolate chip pie (Joseph's idea, and a good one) and apple pie.
When I was little I loved watching my Mom make designs in the top pie crust and now that I make pies myself, I love the opportunity to personalize the pies a little bit. It's a little hard to tell, but this is my attempt at a turkey. He's facing left.
These are zwiebach. Some people think they are just rolls that are shaped funny but to me they will never be just rolls. They are zwiebach, which my Great-Grandma taught me to make when I was 9 and which I have been making ever since. Both my Grandmas make them, aunts and cousins make them. It's a family tradition. Another tradition is a meal called faspa which is zwiebach, cold cuts, jams, salads and dessert. We had faspa for our wedding meal and the pecan pie I made is from the recipe my Grandma Bartel made for our wedding.
It was a good Thanksgiving and we'll probably spend Christmas in a similar way. I'm already thinking about what I want to bring. Then in mid January, we'll be going home to Kansas for late Christmas celebrations. I'm really looking forward to it. Somehow no matter how many comfort foods I make, it never feels quite like Christmas until I'm at my Mom and Dad's house with my whole family around the table.
Speaking of Christmas, I've been working on making a little present for everyone in my family. It's a pretty large crowd by now and it's taking a little longer than I thought it would but I'm pretty happy with how things are turning out. As soon as I'm done I'll mail them home and once they arrive I'll post pictures but until then you'll just have to wait in suspense because I don't want to ruin the surprise.
