thanksgiving and post-overindulgence hiking

We spent Thanksgiving this year with our close friends Rachel & Roger, Matt& Kelli and their children Noah and Garrett, and Jennifer, who is Rachel and Matt's mother. And their grandfather, whose sorrow was palpable after the loss of his wife.

It was good to be with friends, however, to be welcomed with open arms into the traditions and history of another family, without feeling that we were intruding. We have been fortunate over the last years to share Thanksgiving with other families as well, as we have no family here of our own.

This year my only contribution to the actual Thanksgiving meal (besides the appetizers) was pie. Truly, if I could get away with making and eating nothing but pie for the holiday, I certainly would choose that. Zoe was able to participate this year by helping me roll out the pie crust. I get such enjoyment from making my own crust. I love the earthy smell of flour and the fine crumbly pearls of dough.

I always make a chocolate meringue pie. It is my mother's pie, and her mother's pie. The warm chocolate filling, the browned peaks of meringue with little caramel beads, and the flaky crust combine for the perfect mouthful. This year I also decided to experiment and make a new pie: Martha Stewart's Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie. I was skeptical of the pumpkin-chocolate combination but really you can't go wrong with adding chocolate to nearly anything. I modified the recipe a little by marbling the pumpkin and chocolate. It was truly a divinely rich pie. I think it's a nice addition to my holiday repertoire, and I will be making it again.

The weather was crisp but not too cold to enjoy some pre-feast scampering on the lawn.

Good friends, good food, good fun.