Happy Thanksgiving!

Can one have too many desserts? We had four--for eight people, but some things are "must haves" and then others are ones I want to try as well. So here's the Thanksgiving wrap-up, from turkey to stuffing to the many desserts:

Apple pie (based on this recipe)


Pumpkin-Praline Cheesecake


Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (from Joy of Cooking)


Chocolate-Pecan Pie with Fresh Cranberries


The bird and a mountain of mashed potatoes


Stuffing (cornbread, apples, cranberries, pecans etc)


Butternut squash, green beans, cranberry-orange sauce, gravy

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

2 c brown sugar (plus more for adjusting)

3 c water

1 c freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)

zest of the oranges

3 12 oz bags of cranberries
1 Tbs or so freshly grated ginger

Wash cranberries and check them for stems and/or mushy berries. Combine brown sugar, water, orange juice, and zest in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. When boiling, add the cranberries and return to a boil; they will start to pop open. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10-15 min., til they start to thicken. Carefully test sauce for sweet/tartness and add more sugar as necessary (depending on how you like it). Let cool completely and then refrigerate.