Cooking & Conversation: I am Thankful in 2016- Making Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates, Italian Chopped Salad in Shells, & Pilgrim Hats!

We traveled 500 miles this year to celebrate Thanksgiving as a family.

We hitched a ride with Garrett and Liz and made the journey in record time!

We packed a lot into the three full days we were there.

This is the big 11 for Spencer.

We had two birthdays and one Thanksgiving to celebrate.

And we can't forget the "Turkey Trot 5-K".

I am a cheerleader, not a runner.

Here is the lineup of the runners.
Kevin, Evie, Dane, Duncan, & Liz.

Rise'n Shine.

Grandpa likes story time.

BACON WRAPPED DATES

Grandpa and Graham are making my favorite new appetizer.
I was skeptical, but they made a believer out of me!

The basic recipe is to stuff each date with a piece of chorizo cut into
matchstick size to fit into the date.
Then wrap a half to a third slice of bacon around the date.
Roast the dates in a 400 degree oven for 5-6 minutes,
then turn the dates over and
cook again for 5-6 minutes until the bacon is crisp.

The dates are pitted, so that makes the job much easier.

Ready for the oven.

They taste even better than they look!

This was another appetizer that Doug and Graham made.

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD IN SHELLS

Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package directions.
Drain and cool.
Put one slice of pepperoni into each shell.

Make a salad of shredded lettuce, chopped basil, sliced black olives,
sliced green onions, quartered cherry tomatoes, and capers.
Toss with a light vinaigrette dressing.

Stuff the pasta shells with the salad mixture.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Liz is plating the masterpiece.

I am thankful for our family.
Duncan, Denise, Liz, Garrett holding Madi, Kevin, Evie,Doug
Spencer,Camden, Aiden, Dane
Graham & Ceci

Cousins

Kevin celebrated a birthday and Thanksgiving!

We gather together to share the Lord's blessing.

"We Gather Together" is a Christian hymn of Dutch origin written in 1597 by Adrianus Valerius as "Wilt heden nu treden" to celebrate the Dutch victory over Spanish forces in the Battle of Turnhout. It was originally set to a Dutch folk tune. In the United States, it is popularly associated with Thanksgiving Day and is often sung at family meals and at religious services on that day.

Theodore Baker, 1894

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Gather_Together)