Thankful for butter.

Mmm... what a delicious few days!  Thanksgiving truly is the best food holiday in existence.  While in Long Island this year, my uncle taught me how to make some easy appetizers that are always a hit:


Stuffed Mushrooms

Baked Clams

  

The stuffed mushrooms were vaguely reminiscent of the Grilled Margherita Portobello Mushrooms that I've made before.  You could stuff them with crabmeat or sausage if you want, but we used the stems of the mushrooms instead.  That means they're healthy, right?  ;-)  Hehe.  Yeah... if you're looking for healthy appetizers, this may not be a good post to read. 

Thanksgiving recipes aren't necessarily supposed to be healthy.  So there.  Be thankful for butter. 

Using the mushroom stems does mean that they are vegetarian AND that Jimmy was able to eat them (woohoo!).  Silly shellfish allergy.  Ah well... for those not allergic to shellfish we made baked clams. 

Baked clams happen to be one of my personal favorites, so I was very excited about this recipe!  Pretty easy, too.  My uncle talked me through it... so I figure that means I technically made them.  ;-)  Not sure I can post the authentic recipes, though.  You might just have to find me this holiday season so that you can taste them for yourself.  I figure I have to make them and bring them to at least one holiday get-together for Christmas.  I even have a bag of the little shells so that I can!  :-)

Seriously, though... there are a bunch of different recipes for baked clams.  Try this one, or this one, or this one! 

I also have to say that Long Island included some fabulous bagels from Bagels 'N' A Hole Lot More and pizza from O Sole Mio.  Maryland bagels can't compare (and I'm sure there are bagel connoisseurs out there who would say that there are even better places...).  Our car stank of delicious bagel all the way home and we loved every minute of it.  Mmm...