The Salsky Update: Much to be thankful for...

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor. . . . Now, therefore, I do appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 . . . that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection."

George Washington, establishing the America's first Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Andy and I are in Califon, NJ, where Andy grew up, to celebrate Thanksgiving with his mom and stepdad, Ron. We're enjoying a few days relaxing and just spending time together. My family is spending the holiday in Marblehead in the new house. We wish we could split ourselves in two so we could be with both families, but we'll be up there for Christmas.

Lyn (Andy's mom) and I spent the morning and afternoon cooking and baking, and we sat down to eat around 3:00 today. It was sort of funny making so much food for only four of us, but everything was delicious! I made a few recipes from my favorite blogs, Annies Eats and Baked Bree... spinach artichoke dip, green beans almandine (with bacon!), and sweet potato casserole. I also made a pie from my favorite line of cookbooks, Gooseberry Patch. Amish Apple Pie... uses a filling based from sour cream and a buttery crumble topping. It was delicious! Lyn also made a yummy pecan chocolate tart from Martha Stewart Living. Here are a few pics from our feast:

Spinach Artichoke Dip before the meal

Green Beans Almandine with bacon and red onions

Sweet Potato Casserole with a praline-like topping

The moist turkey--brined overnight

Amish Apple Pie

My plate full of delish!

Tomorrow we'll be doing some "Black Friday" shopping, but I think we'll be staying clear of the malls. I'm excited to visit the Lamington General Store, this sweet, old fashioned country store a few towns over. I love good ole Americana, and there's a ton of it around here!

I also wanted to post some pictures from my half marathon two weeks ago. I did it! Thank you, Lord! It was tough, but I pressed through the pain... aaaand had Andy pushing me from 8 miles and onward. Hehe. But I crossed the finish line and have pictures to prove it :)