The countdown continues with a lyrical Latin favorite (think “classical language” not “salsa-dancing”!): Dona Nobis Pacem, performed by Richard Stoltzman on The Carols of Chrismas—A Windham Hill Collection.

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Please note: It is my goal to provide a top-quality, content-driven, ad-free blog. That said, I do occasionally include affiliate links in some of my posts. For example, if you click on the CD cover above, you will link to Amazon.com, where you will have an opportunity to purchase the CD—and if you do buy it after clicking through from my site, I will receive a small commission to support my work here. No pressure—just a fun way to share resources and ideas!

No, I didn’t experience any kitchen disasters during my Thanksgiving cook-a-thon, but after a solid week of spending more time in that one room of my house than all the other rooms put together, I’m ready for a little less intensity in that area and a little more time to spend on other things that require my attention. Still, we’ve gotta eat, and so, I’ve gotta cook.

I do want to report that Thanksgiving dinner was incredible and was completely worth all of the time and effort it took to pull it off. I added to and otherwise modified my menu as the day got closer—most notably by including healthy, allergy-friendly versions of Mushroom Gravy, Green-Bean Casserole and Coconut Milk Whipped Cream that were part of the Thanksgiving menu plan offered by Heart of Cooking’s Sarah Schatz. (Click here to see the blog of this personal chef and menu planner for those on limited diets.) And Kellen requested his favorite gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free biscuits (a recipe from Living Without magazine.) My variation on my mom’s fruit salad was as good as the original. (My only disappointment there was that I couldn’t incorporate the homemade mayonnaise because the farm I buy from didn’t have enough pastured eggs for me to purchase any on the day I picked up our turkey. So that experiment will have to wait for another time.) And the pecan pie recipe I followed—inspired by Sarah Schatz and her inspiration, a Nourishing Traditions recipe—was a delicious take on the traditional dessert. (Substituting raw honey for corn syrup, using pecans that had been soaked and dried, and creating a sprouted-grain crust made for an indulgence I didn’t feel at all guilty about eating.) Here is a mini-gallery of photos from the memorable meal:

"Best" biscuits.

Scrumptious salad.

Turkey and trimmings.

Perfect pie.

In the days since Thanksgiving, I’ve made homemade turkey stock and turkey noodle soup—and I have plenty of turkey leftover to make enchiladas later this week. I also made a big batch of Apple Butter in the crockpot—enough to enjoy on pancakes, waffles and toast for probably the rest of the month. (Click here for my recipe.)

Top-notch turkey noodle soup.

Incredible apple butter.

After a little time with a lighter cooking load, I’m sure I’ll be ready to do it all again when Christmas arrives in a few weeks. How about you? What’s cooking—if only in your mind for the moment—for your next feast?

This post is part of the Tuesday Twister blog carnival hosted by www.gnowfglins.com. To link to today’s Tuesday Twister on that site, click here.

One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is the music my mom would play early each morning during the holiday season. It wasn’t always easy to leave the warmth and comfort of my bed on cold, dark winter mornings—especially on school days!—but the wake-up call was a little easier to heed when it came in the form Christmas carols playing on the turn-table (did I mention that it was the good, OLD days?).

I’ve decided this year to update the tradition around our house to awaken my own sleepyheads to start their days. First, I’ll randomly select a CD from our Christmas collection and play it while I prepare breakfast—hoping that both the sweet strains and delicious aromas will give my Littles the incentive to rise and shine. Then, I’ll share one particularly meaningful song from the CD here each day until Dec. 25, to impart a bit of the spirit of the season that we are all beginning to feel.

Today’s CD is Christmastime, by Michael W. Smith. It’s hard to choose a favorite song, but because this is the first day of December and the first day for us to begin the tradition anew, I’ll share the first one on the CD: The Happiest Christmas. (Click the play button on the audio player below to hear it.) Hope it helps you start your own day—and the holiday season—on the right note!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Please note: It is my goal to provide a top-quality, content-driven, ad-free blog. That said, I do occasionally include affiliate links in some of my posts. For example, if you click on the CD cover above, you will link to Amazon.com, where you will have an opportunity to purchase the CD—and if you do buy it after clicking through from my site, I will receive a small commission to support my work here. No pressure—just a fun way to share resources and ideas!