Was the turkey moist? Was the stuffing delectable? Did the pies dazzle and delight?

Yes, yes and yes on my part. Although getting a hot meal out on plates for 14 people isn’t an easy task, so as people sat down, grace was said, in rounds. Two of the couples at our meal had to go to another Thanksgiving dinner, at other houses.

When Zeke and I were first married, we did the two Thanksgiving meal marathon. The problem is you’re eating the same exact meal- turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and pies- twice. The only variety is the question of the green side- green beans, brussel sprouts or (God forbid) salad. Salad is never a good idea at Thanksgiving as there are too many other yummy things to eat. At any rate, after that first back-to-back day of duplicate meals, I put the kabosh on two Thanksgiving meals in one day.

Zeke’s Dad used to serve champagne and heavy hors d’Oeuvres at Thanksgiving. I’m against heavy appetizers, since there’s so much food awaiting. My Mom always had a vegetable plate for Thanksgiving, with those black olives out of the can that taste like band-aids, so I asked her to bring that and her famous Deviled Eggs, which got wiped out. The pies were Pumpkin and Pecan and my sister Elise baked a Yellow Cake with chocolate frosting for my birthday.

I got my Empower Farms delivery last week. Normally I would be delighted to get a basket of unusual vegetable goodies, but on the week of Thanksgiving? It’s like those cooking shows where they throw you a curve ball at the last minute and you have to incorporate it into your game plan.

I got starfruit (which I don’t need because I have an overloaded tree), zucchini, plantains, papaya, yuca, okra and a small pumpkin. The pumpkin looked as if it needed to be used, so I took off the top, took out the seeds and sliced it into rings for later use. I don’t like papayas, so gave them away. Yuca and plantains scream Cuban Food, so Zeke picked up bone-in Pork Chops to go with my Cuban meal on Monday.

I’ve never cooked yuca before. I peeled it, chopped it, boiled it and served it with an olive oil, garlic and lemon dressing. I sauteed the plantains in oil and made black beans and rice as another side. Zeke seasoned the Pork Chops with a spicy Coffee Ancho Chile rub and grilled them. They were delicious!

It’s a pretty good Cuban meal for two gringos.

he said.

And it was, but I needed to start cooking and prepping for Turkey Day, so my next two meals may go down as the worst in my personal history. Tuesday I ate Fried Okra and Cinnamon Ice Cream for dinner. The only way I know how to make okra is by frying it and I’d made the cinnamon ice cream to go with the pies for Thanksgiving. The ice cream, from The Perfect Scoop, is made by steeping broken cinnamon sticks in the cream mixture; it was creamy, spicy and delicious.

I may have topped that meal with my meal the next night, which was Lays Potato Chips with French Onion Dip at Riviera for dinner and some pre-Thanksgiving Stuffing for dessert.

After Thanksgiving, I wanted to breathe a huge sigh of relief, but there was no time as I had to head down to the Keys with Wyatt to visit the Turtle Hospital on my birthday. After a meal of Turkey Sandwiches on Hawaiian Rolls (yum!) we headed to Marathon. The Turtle Hospital tour was very informative and we learned the many ways sea turtles can get injured out in the water. We also got to see some turtles in tanks and feed them.

After our tour, was a quick drink at the chickee hut for sunset and on to Di Giorgio‘s Cafe, an Italian restaurant in Key Largo, where I got a free Birthday Meal. Wyatt loved his Shirley Temple with extra cherries and his Spaghetti with Meatballs. The next day I was to meet A.J. at her new place of employ- Patch of Heaven Sanctuary– for lunch and a tour.

Wyatt and I crammed a day of activities into a half a day on Saturday. First, breakfast at Waffle House (Wyatt’s suggestion), a little tennis, some paddle boarding and then swimming in the pool. And then, off to Homestead to meet A.J. and Phoenix. We had lunch and a tour of Patch of Heaven, which is a lush, zen, tropical oasis. It was a lovely day. I kissed them goodbye and then drove back to the Keys, exhausted.

Sunday, Zeke and I took the boat out for a spin. We were trying to find Ocean Reef, where we got married. We didn’t find it, but did almost run aground. We ended up at Alabama Jacks for lunch. The food was good (Lima Bean Soup and Shrimp Egg Rolls) but our server had a major attitude. Good service can make mediocre food tolerable and make good food leave a bad taste in your mouth.

So, the last piece of pecan pie has been eaten, the last bit of stuffing put into my Turkey Soup. Thanksgiving is over, December is upon us and that mad dash to the finish line of the Holidays and a New Year.

This year I hope to remember to do things that keep me sane; things I often get too busy to do during the Holidays. These are activities Steven Covey labeled: “Important but not Urgent” in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. These things don’t necessarily keep your little world spinning, but if you don’t do them, you might stop spinning yourself.

For me these are: getting a good night’s sleep, exercising, meditating, eating healthy foods and journaling. I’m sure you have your own list. You do you and whatever keeps you sane this Holiday Season. Ho ho ho!

Up Next: My Mom’s Famous Deviled Eggs

It really isn’t a very hard recipe (as my sister Kelley notes: “So says Foodie in Miami”), but it’s true! The hardest part is peeling the apples and making sure the pecans don’t burn when you toast them. The measurements are all pretty standard as well- 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup flour- and the cake only takes 30 minutes to bake.

You can make this cake as easy or complicated as you wish.

It’s suggested to be served with Hot Caramel Sauce and Whipped Cream, but I sent it to my son in Tallahassee as-is and he thought it was the perfect amount of sweetness. It’s also a cake that ships well and stays moist (due to the apples) in the fridge for quite a while. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Sorry for the lack of photos. I was so focused on making the cake quickly, I neglected to take Step-by-Step pictures! And the first cake I made fell apart (due to leaving an egg out), so I’m showing both versions. It’s recommended to bake it in a 9-inch cake pan, but I used to make it in my trusty old Bundt pan for a prettier presentation.

Apple Pecan Cake

Recipe by The New York Time MagazineCourse: DessertCuisine: American

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

29

minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted

• 5 medium apples, like Granny Smith or Fuji, to yeild 2 1/2 cups

• 1/2 cup butter at room temp

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 cup flour

• The hot caramel sauce:

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

• The garnish:

• Sweetened whipped cream and fresh unpeeled apples

Directions

• To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans in the workbowl of the food precessor and process until fine. Set aside. Peel, core and quarter the apples and place them in the workbowl of the processor and precess until they are in medium-coarse shards, about the size of almonds. Set aside.
• Place the butter in a large mixer bowl, add the sugar and beat until blended. Add the soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix quickly. Add the flour and just blend, then the apples and nuts.
• Pour the mixture into a greased 9-inch round cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the top springs back when touched with a finger. Cool slightly. Center may sink somewhat.
• For the caramel sauce, melt the butter, brown sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and milk. Stir again with the whisk.
• To serve the sauce with the apple cake, cut the cake into eight wedges. Ladle a large spoonful of the hot sauce onto each of eight dessert plates. Place a wedge of cake on top of the sauce. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and two apple slices.

Notes

• The sauce can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave.
• A refrigerated cake will keep for a week.
• If you wish to cut some of the butter, substitute 1/4 cup of butter for applesauce.

Up Next: Technical Difficulties