Rediscovering My Inner Chef

When it comes to cooking for myself, it takes all the effort I can muster not to grab that box of Cocoa Puffs and call it a day (or night...). *See charming Jezebel blog about cooking for one* With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, however, I've begun to revisit my passion for buying, concocting and indulging in good, healthy fulfilling food. My family has charged my siblings and I with the task of cooking a Tgiving dish, so I've been tearing through various culinary blogs in search of the perfect treat. Is there such a thing as "chef's block" because I think I'm plagued! There are too too too many options. So I'm going to make a list and see if that helps me come any closer to reaching a decision.

My Top 3 Choices (THANK YOU Smitten Kitchen and Orangette for your amazing recipes and images!):

1. Rosemary Flatbread:













Perfect for mopping up the last dregs of stuffing and cranberry sauce, and delicious on it's own. Could be paired with a sprightly Chardonnay?

2. Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons













This is the perfect cozy appetizer to sip before digging into the heavy stuff. Mmmm!

3. Cranberry Chutney with Crystalized Ginger and Dried Cherries













My family doesn't get terribly involved with cranberry sauce. (Usually it's out of a can...gasp!) They like to focus on the big stuff, so I propose rectifying this by stirring up my own berriful concoction.