In a Land of No Thanksgiving
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Pumpkin Pie Squares are my absolute favorite Thanksgiving dessert. I’ve made my mom’s recipe in every country I’ve ever lived, and they always remind me of family gatherings in warm sweaters, cozy cups of coffee, and full-to-bursting afternoons watching football even though I don’t understand it.
That’s just what we do back home.
This year I find myself again in a land of no Thanksgiving. It’s harvest season and the vineyards shout out in shades of purple, red, orange and yellow. But whoever heard of grapes at Thanksgiving? (I’m sorry if grapes are your favorite Thanksgiving treat.)
There are a few pumpkins around, but I’m not sure I’m up for all the work it takes to prepare my beloved Squares from scratch without my own kitchen and all the tools needed. (We are a bit nomadic at the moment.)
So I think I’m in a Thanksgiving slump.
Without all the familiar foods and faces, can we really be grateful?
Maybe you aren’t in another country right now, but you feel the same way I do. Sorta lonely and a little sorry for yourself.
But I’m a glass-half-full kind of person, and if I think about it, a land of no Thanksgiving has one enormous advantage.
It strips down my gratitude attitude (or lack of) to the bare-bones and asks the question:
Is it possible to give thanks in all circumstances? Without the pie? The people? #thanksgiving #ThanksgivingDay #gratitude Click To TweetThe answer, of course, is ABSOLUTELY!
So maybe I can begin Thanksgiving this year by being thankful for the circumstances that have forced me to examine my heart.
Wow. It’s much easier to see what I’m grateful for with all that cooking out of the way!
If I’m honest, this has been perhaps the most gratifying year of our lives. A global pandemic, suffering on multiple personal fronts, moving across the globe… all have made the good stand out.
Forgive me as I cut this short so I can start writing my list of things I’m thankful for.
Happy early Thanksgiving!
Lord, help me give thanks in all circumstances this year. Amen.
Audrey's Pumpkin Pie Squares
Ingredients
- 1 box butter yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 sticks butter
- 1 large can pumpkin pie filling mix (1 lb. 4 oz)
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup sugar
- whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Crust: Grease bottom only of a 13x9x2 inch pan. Reserving 1 cup dry cake mix, combine remainder with 1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick) and 1 egg with a pastry blender. Press into pan.
- Filling: Combine filling mix with 2 eggs and 2/3 cup of milk. Pour over crust.
- To use solid packed or fresh cooked pumpkin: Combine 1 lb. pumpkin, 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg), 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2/3 cup milk, and 2 eggs. Pour over crust.
- Topping: Combine 1 cup reserved cake mix, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick). Mix together with a fork or pastry blender. Crumble and sprinkle over pumpkin filling.
- Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. If desired, top with whipped cream.
- Tip: Use your favorite simple yellow cake mix recipe to substitute for a boxed mix.
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