Thanksgiving - and 2 recipes

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! I love this holiday. Not only do I get to make and eat lots of yummy food, but I am surrounded by my family. And family and food are some of my favorite blessings! I am also very thankful to the Lord for His support and love throughout everything we've been through this year.

Sadly, we misplaced the camera in all the upheaval and I couldn't take any pictures! My sister got some, so when I can, I will add some so you can see how tasty everything looked and how gorgeous my family is!

We had 10 people at my house this year, the five of us plus my parents, my sister and her son, and Randy's father-in-law. We had to set up a table in the living room this time. We put the food on the bar/counter and it covered almost every inch! We had turkey, stuffing, gravy (from a jar, I admit! I hate gravy.), 2 kinds of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, green beans, peas, olives, pasta and sauce, sweet and sour cabbage, stuffed mushrooms, acorn squash rings, punch, and finally, pie. That is what we like best, right? We had pumpkin, chocolate mousse, caramel apple, and cherry pies. Plus a pumpkin cake. I'm getting full just typing all this! 

And I thought since I haven't posted any recipes for a while, I would share the recipes for the chocolate mousse pie and for a Southwestern turkey soup I made with my leftovers.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Chocolate Crust (bought or homemade, recipe follows)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. whipping cream

Beat cream cheese and cocoa together in large mixing bowl until fluffy and well blended. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend well. Set aside. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared crust; chill until firm. Garnish with chocolate curls. Makes 1 pie.

Chocolate Crust

1 1/2 c. chocolate cookie crumbs (I used chocolate graham crackers from Albertson's)

1/3 c. melted butter

3 Tb. sugar (if you use the graham crackers, do not add sugar; they have sugar on the outside)

Combine ingredients together. Press mixture onto bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes; cool.

This is a very rich pie with only a little sweetness. Great for dark chocolate lovers.

Southwestern Turkey Soup

I'm just guessing on amounts because I just threw this together and didn't measure anything.

3-4 c. chicken broth

2 c. chopped cooked turkey

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. sage

1-3 cloves garlic, depending on taste

1 c. medium shell pasta or macaroni

Combine broth and turkey, carrot, celery, beans, and pasta. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until carrots are cooked. Add seasonings and black pepper. Serves 4-6.