Yam and Marshmallow Whoopie Pies

Thanksgiving is already upon us. If you follow this blog then you know we've been making Thanksgiving inspired recipes all month and there's no better way to end November than with something sweet. Yams with marshmallows are usually pretty delicious, but the yams turn out too soggy half the time. Instead of making those soggy tubers, make the stickiest damn cookies EVER. If you have kids I highly recommend giving them these cookies. They'll be so sticky that you can just kind of stick them to a wall and not have to worry about them for a while. Or they'll just make everything in your house sticky. Do whatever you want, they're not my kids.

Despite being so sticky that NASA uses the filling to patch holes in the space station, these cookies are pretty damn good to be honest. They're a nice break from the traditional pumpkin and pecan pie and they still feel extremely seasonal too. So now is the time to bust out this new recipe and finally show grandma who's really in charge of the kitchen.

Thanksgiving Appetizers

Before we get into this week's post I'd like to mention Sugpiaq Seafoods. They are a family seafood company that is centered in Portland. They sustainably catch all their seafood in Alaska. If you're in the Portland area you should definitely check out their king crab dinner. They're featuring sauces made by a local chef and a hand selected wine pairing. Can't make it to the dinner? No problem - you can order your king crab directly from their website!

Keeping in the theme of the reimagined Thanksgiving dishes we present the appetizer versions of pumpkin pie and green bean casserole. The first is a Savory Pumpkin Tart with Sage Whipped Cream and the second is Tempura Green Beans & Onions w/ Cream of Mushroom Dipping Sauce. 

The focus on Thanksgiving has always been about the meal, but what about the pre-meal food? The appetizers are an important part of the Thanksgiving meal; they ensure that the post-dinner food coma will last until dessert is served.

No, that's not gravel. That's some black lava salt that is going to be available soon from GrubNW! 

Sure, these appetizers may not be as healthy as your kale chips, but it's been proven by scientists (I assume they work for NASA) that heavy whip cream makes everything taste magical and 125% better. Mix it up this year and make something better than just okay. Plus, new experiences make us better people, or at least more well-rounded. Especially with these heavy-cream-rich recipes, you'll get round real quick! #Comedy!

Turkey Cakes with Potato Spätzle and Gravy

Before we get into this week's post I'd like to mention Sugpiaq Seafoods. They are a family seafood company that is centered in Portland. They sustainably catch all their seafood in Alaska. If you're in Portland on Nov. 20th you should definitely check out their king crab dinner. They're featuring sauces made by a local chef and a hand selected wine pairing. Can't make it to the dinner? No problem - you can order your king crab directly from their website! 

Now for a recipe completely unrelated to seafood. As we all know Thanksgiving is coming up at the end of the month, unless you're Canadian and you celebrated your "Thanksgiving" back in October for some reason. So this month we're featuring Thanksgiving themed food! It's basically all the fun of Thanksgiving, without having to deal with your family. And the nice thing about this recipe is, it can be adapted to turn those leftovers into Thanksgiving 2: Leftovers of Vengeance. 

Spiced Apple Cider and Butternut Squash Snickerdoodles

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I'm not going to write a post about how things change with the seasons. It's been done too many times (we get it Ben Gibbard, you're sad). Instead, just enjoy these fun and easy seasonal recipes. If you don't enjoy them, you probably read the recipes wrong. These recipes are like hugs while wearing your favorite sweater... or that warm feeling could just be glucose rushing to your brain.

Spiced Apple Cider

• 1 quart Apple Juice/Cider 
• 2 Cinnamon Stick
• 5 Whole Cloves
• 1/3 cup Dark Spiced Rum (Kraken of kourse)
• 1 Fuji Apple sliced
• 1 1 in. Orange zest

1. Heat everything in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat until the liquid comes to a simmer and your entire house smells like autumn. 
2. Serve in fancy mugs or mason jars and garnish with an apple slice. Then drink to keep the cold weather at bay.

Butternut Squash Snickerdoodles

• 2 3/4 cup A.P. Flour
• 2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1/4 cup Shortening
• 1 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon ground
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/3 cup Butternut Squash as prepared in this recipe 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Mix the sugar (1 1/2 cups of sugar), eggs, butter, vanilla, shortening and butternut together in a large mixing bowl. Mix with one of those new fangled electronicized mixers until the consistency of the mixture is that of canned icing.
3. In a separate bowl sift the salt, baking soda, flour, and cream of tartar together, (if you don't have an extra mixing bowl you can use the hollowed out skull of your enemies). Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. 
4. In a small bowl mix the rest of the sugar and cinnamon together.
5. Using a kitchen scooper make small dough balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place the balls on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place directly in your mouth. 

Uhh, in conclusion enjoy everything fall has to offer and watch out for cloves in your cider! Enjoy!

All photos taken by Katy Weaver. Check out her site!