Some Favorites for the Holidays

My favorite holiday is tomorrow.
Yes, it’s thanksgiving. I don’t think anyone is surprised. I know it has some pretty sketchy roots, but I just love the idea of a holiday that celebrates eating and drinking. I’m also off from school for a few days, giving me time to relax and restore a little. I’m quite happy.
A friend asked me last week if I would be writing about thanksgiving, and while I have been so busy I haven’t had much time to cook outside of school (see previous post), I’m always on the lookout for cool holiday recipes. I’ve found a few from some of my favorite blogs. Thought I’d share.
So I love turkey, but sometimes cooking a whole bird can be a little much, if you’re not having a big gathering, or turkey can be easy to overcook. When I have my first thanksgiving away from home, I’ll probably make something like this instead:

That’s a turkey roulade from No Spoon Necessary , and I think it’s a great way to have turkey and stuffing but save on time and wasting product (I feel like the turkey usually sits in the fridge til Christmas).
I love potatoes, and Jody Adams (of Rialto and Trade in Boston) does them serious justice in her blog, The Garum Factory. The blog is shot by her husband and features incredible striking shots of food. These potatoes are sliced thin and baked with onions and topped with cheese.

Thanksgiving is anything without cranberry sauce. I found this incredible recipe on Chocolate and Marrow that uses Pinot Noir, which just happens to be my favorite wine. Coincidence? I think not.

The holidays would be just another day without something sweet to finish the meal. I couldn’t decide between pumpkin cheesecake bars from Serena Bakes Simply from Scratch and butterscotch pudding from Chocolate and Marrow, so here’s both.