240 days until Thanksgiving!

We tried. We really did. But sometimes it just isn't meant to be. Who knew something as simple as scalloped potatoes would prove to be so frustrating? Potatoes, milk, and butter. Add cheese and rosemary, and you've got something worth blogging about, right?

Well let's just say that it wasn't all we dreamt of--not nearly creamy enough for our tastes--but if you're looking for a lower-fat version of scalloped potatoes with a bit more flavor than old classics like Fanny Farmer and Better Homes and Gardens provide, this recipe will not disappoint. The potatoes have a great al dente texture with nice caramelization on that top layer, and the rosemary and cheddar flavors definitely add dimension to this often bland Thanksgiving staple.

247 days until Thanksgiving!

I know, I know, it seems so far away, especially now that we’re smack dab in the middle of March, with spring showers dribbling down the window, baby green crocus shoots poking up from thawed garden plots and cracks in the sidewalk, and buds forming on the knobby tips of bare tree branches.

So in this first post we’re easing in, dipping our toes into the Great Thanksgiving Recipe Project of 2010 and testing the water with a deliciously modest apple cake.

And who doesn’t love apple cake? I’ve adapted this recipe from a smattering of sources, tweaking a measurement here, adding or omitting an ingredient there, so by now it’s safe to say that this is an original…a really yummy, moist, chunky, simple-to-make original.

Make your life easier by baking this a day or two before T-Day. It also makes for a great breakfast if, by some miracle, there are any leftovers after the big feast.

~Peggy