Pretty as pie

Our Thanksgiving tablescape
To the victor goes the spoils and the spoils this Thanksgiving were pie.  After the long-standing, annual defeat to Battle Pie, I finally finally finally have conquered baking pie - the whole damn thing - from scratch.  <Graciously bows to the crowd.>  For Thanksgiving this year, I baked a rum custard pie, bourbon pumpkin pie with pecan streusel, and a sweet-as-Texas-fall pecan pie (no corn syrup, yayz).  Nevermind that the plebes that came over for dinner, with their deadened taste buds, couldn't distinguish the pumpkin pie from the pecan pie because of the pecan streusel topping.  Nevermind that the crowd favourite was the custard pie, that one that required the least amount of work for both the crust and the filling.  Thanksgiving dessert, consider yourself vanquished.

We were also incredibly lucky to have Siri come back for Thanksgiving, her first time back home since June.  I've missed my sister a lot and despite her onesie-wearing, last-minute packing ways, she's grown up a lot since moving out to the Northwest.  We had heart-to-heart conversations about work, career, relationships, friends, and hobbies late into the night while working on the puzzle she bought me for my birthday last year.  As close as my sister and I are, we have very rarely had heavy talks, which she typically reserves for my parents, and for once, she didn't rag on me for taking things too seriously.  Adorably, she also made a video compilation of our Thanksgiving which you can find here.

This year boasted our most "classy" Thanksgiving table we've had since I put my foot down and decided that we were using real plates, cloth napkins, and silverware.  No hen party streamers and sparkly boas for our table this year.  Instead, I went with a more demure green and white theme, accented with classic pillar candles and scented pine cones.  What was funny was that my mother remarked on missing all the glitter, glam, and cheesiness that I typically bombard the table with.  Well, there's always Christmas.

PS - Links to the pie recipes here as well as a fantastic all-butter crust recipe complete with step-by-step photo instructions: Rum custard / Bourbon pumpkin / Pecan / All-butter crust


Comments

  1. Sounds like you had a wonderful thanksgiving! Hooray for conquering pie!!

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  2. Amazing Rooth! It sounds like it was a really busy couple of days for you!

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  3. I was gonna say, Rum Custard sounds amazing!!

    Cool to see how loved ones grow up from leaving the nest.

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  4. *Claps approvingly*

    Good job with the pies. Though, as you've stated, there is no telling what your audience will like. Well, as long as everything was devoured and nooone was harmed!

    The tablescape is worth a mention too. Well done, young lady, well done!

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  5. Yay on the pie! And what a cute vid:)

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  6. looks and sounds delicious. I'm glad you had a good time!!

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  7. Hooray for pie! For various reasons, our cooking/baking/decorating was low key this year. One pie (Burnt crust, not my fault). One birthday cake (hello, yum). The kids grabbed berries for table decorations and we ended up with a mosh of Christmas and Thanksgiving on the table. And then the cats started eating them and we think one had a seizure. But the rest of the food? Delish.

    Your Thanksgiving sounds splendid. Especially your time with your sister. The best.

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  8. You set a beautiful table! I associate pine cones with TG because they can be turned into turkeys with pipe cleaners and bits of construction paper (that was a 2nd grade craft project :).
    Pies from scratch are nearly a lost art, so bravo! Bourbon pumpkin sounds irrestible.
    It's great that you and Siri had some quality time together. Is that when the remaining Red River disappeared???

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  9. Wow, you are the queen of pie baking! I am glad you had such a fun time and were able to be with your sister. I can imagine yo much you must miss her. That rum custard tart sounds amazing, I need to try to make a vegan version of it.

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  10. What a beautiful table, sounds like a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  11. oh my gosh that video is awesome! and those pies! yum. i only made two this year and unfortunately by the time i went to whole foods to buy my gluten-free crust they didn't have my usual kind and the kind they did have was sub-par. next year i really want to try one of those rum/bourbon infused pies!!

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  12. You are a rockstar for making all the pies from scratch! Isn't it ironic/maddening the things that require the least amount of work garner the best compliments....cute video your sister made!

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  13. I love the green and white theme, it's Autumn like, but not a cliche with all of the oranges and browns.
    And thanks for posting the pie recipes, as soon as I saw, 'rum custard', I thought, "I MUST HAVE THAT!"

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  14. So nice to have your sister around to have those kinds of conversations :) and rum custard? sounds amazing. mhhmm. i cheated this year and grabbed a couple of slices of pumpkin and coconut pie from the grocery store this year. :P

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  15. WOW, so impressed with your pie skills! I've never even heard of rum custard pie, but it sounds delicious :-) The table looks beautiful too. Glad you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!

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  16. Such a lovely table! The rum custard pie does sound amazing. And I can see why it's a favorite. One year I made an eggnog pie (which is custard pie) . . . and that's now the official Christmas pie. :)

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  17. Three pies! Wow, you star! They all sound absolutely delish, but I have to admit that the rum custard one is the one that appeals to me the most too :-) Next year you can just make the easiest one and everyone will like it! win-win ;-)

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  18. Damn girl, you're a one-woman baking machine! Those pies sound yummy. I tried coconut custard pie for the first time this year (as in I ate it for the first time. My mommom brought it to dinner. I'm lazy!). My mom makes a killer pecan pie, though. I'll have to compare this recipe against hers ;) Love your tablescape! We used the same votives and tea lights from IKEA for our wedding. xo

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