Thanksgiving Always Puts Me in the Mood for the Holiday Season!

I’m so looking forward to the holiday week of Thanksgiving! Even in these trying times we all have so much to be thankful for. For my daughter and I, Thanksgiving day is spent at my gracious sister Catherine and her husband Ted’s home. Coming from a family of 11 children, her hosting Thanksgiving is no easy feat! She actually has a sit-down Thanksgiving feast that accommodates anywhere from 40 to 50 (with full china!) and that’s just our siblings, spouses, children, and of course the beloved matriarch of the family, Mary Catherine Ciardelli. But,with the growing Ciardelli group, my sister felt a change might be needed; is it time to disband, would we be relegated to a lottery system, turkey sandwiches anyone? After we all put in our 2 cents, I just looked at her and said, “Do you think Ted Kennedy would have canceled Thanksgiving?” and that was enough. So again, dinner will be set for 50 on Thanksgiving day. The Ciardellis, not to be outdone by the Kennedys!

It’s time to start thinking of holiday traditions. Baking is always something I look forward to even if it’s just one batch of sugar cookies with sparkle frosting that my daughter and I eat faster than we can deliver as gifts! We’re always able to manage one gingerbread house; definitely a tradition since she was three. But our newest holiday fascination is with French Macarons! We first tasted these amazing treats on our travels to Paris a few years back and again in London last January. So now it’s time for this new tradition! Wish us luck, they look more difficult than any other baking project we’ve tackled. No matter how they turn out, a great memory will be created in the kitchen. Even if they don’t look great, I’m sure they will taste great! Here’s the recipe we are going to attempt…

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/10/how-to-make-macarons-recipe.html

Let me know if your Macaron attempts are successful!