Month: October 2025

Gather / Recipes

The Featured Table: Sweet Potato Pie for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, for slowing down long enough to notice the small and beautiful moments that fill our days. It is about gathering, giving thanks, and celebrating the warmth of home. At our table this year, one of the highlights will be this delicious sweet potato pie, rich with flavor and filled with the simple goodness of roasted sweet potatoes.

This pie is smooth, fragrant, and deeply satisfying, with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla that tastes like the season itself. Roasting the sweet potatoes gives them a caramelized sweetness that sets this pie apart, making it even more comforting than the traditional pumpkin version. We serve it with a generous layer of homemade vanilla whipped cream for the perfect finish. Our table is set with the Seraphim Green Napkins from August Table – we love how the green pairs with the soft orange of the pie.

Sweet Potato Pie with the Seraphim Napkins in Green.

🥧 Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1½ cups mashed roasted sweet potato (from about 2 to 3 medium or large sweet potatoes)
  • 1 unbaked pie shell (recipe below)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 °F.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Add sugar, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, and milk.
  3. Stir in the mashed roasted sweet potatoes until smooth and well blended.
  4. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
  5. Bake at 450 °F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 °F and continue baking for about 30 minutes, or until the center is just set.
  6. Allow to cool completely before topping with vanilla whipped cream.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 medium to large sweet potatoes

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 °F and line a baking sheet with foil.
  2. Prick each sweet potato several times with a fork and rub the skins lightly with oil if desired.
  3. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tender.
  4. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh and mash or purée until smooth.

Best Pie Crust

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups flour (regular or cup-for-cup gluten-free)
  • 1 stick cold butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 big spoonful of sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

  1. Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
  2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
  3. Gradually add the cold water, mixing just until the dough comes together.
  4. If you prefer, place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a dough forms.
  5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, place it in your pie plate, and gently pinch the edges to create a pretty crust.

Homemade Vanilla Whipped Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons granulated or confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Medium peaks hold their shape softly and are ideal for topping desserts.
  3. If the cream becomes too stiff, fold in a little extra cold cream by hand until smooth again.

Golden, creamy, and delicately spiced, this sweet potato pie will be a featured highlight on our Thanksgiving table this year. It is simple, full of heart, and the perfect way to give thanks for the season’s abundance. Serve it with vanilla whipped cream and share it with those you love.

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Gather / Recipes

The Featured Table: Home Comfort Turkey Meatloaf

There is a kind of beauty in the meals that bring us back to center, the ones that fill the house with a familiar aroma and ask nothing more than to be shared. This week’s Featured Table is just that, a simple and comforting turkey meatloaf that nourishes both body and spirit.

Made with tender ground turkey, a touch of milk for moisture, and a blend of seasonings that feel both classic and cozy, this dish is one I return to often. I like to make two or three loaves at a time so there is plenty to enjoy throughout the week. It is just as good warm from the oven with coconut rice and a green salad as it is the next day, sliced between soft bread for the perfect sandwich. This is the kind of food that makes a table feel lived in and loved.

Comfort Turkey Meatloaf paired with the Seraphim Napkins in Orange and Pink.

🍽 Home Comfort Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • ¾ cup bread crumbs (panko, gluten-free, or fresh)
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried onions
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

For the Topping

  • ⅔ cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, milk, egg, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, dried onions, salt, pepper, and parsley if using. Mix gently until just combined.
  3. Shape the mixture into a loaf and place it in a lightly greased baking dish.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup and brown sugar. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the meatloaf.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden around the edges.
  6. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Moist, flavorful, and endlessly comforting, this turkey meatloaf is a favorite that never fails. Serve it with coconut rice and a crisp green salad, or enjoy it tucked into a sandwich the next day.

It is proof that the best meals are often the simplest, shared at a table where everyone feels at home.

Our table is set with the Seraphim Napkins in Pink and Orange from August Table.

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Gather / Recipes

The Featured Table: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cake

There are few things more comforting than the smell of banana bread baking in the oven. It fills the kitchen with warmth and promise, inviting everyone to linger just a little longer. This chocolate chip banana bread cake is as simple as it is satisfying, tender and fragrant with the natural sweetness of ripe bananas.

Made with five bananas, it is wonderfully moist and full of flavor. Serve it warm for breakfast when you have a house full of guests, or slice it in the afternoon with a cup of tea. It can also be served as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top. However you choose to enjoy it, this recipe feels like home, easy and nourishing and always welcome.

🍌 Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cake

Ingredients

  • Nonstick baking spray, for the pan
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 to 5 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (regular or cup-for-cup gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ to 1 cup mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for dusting on top

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and spray an 8 × 8 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Add the mashed bananas, leaving some small chunks for texture.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips if using.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar and add a few extra chocolate chips if you like.
  6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Let the bread cool slightly in the pan on a rack. Slice and serve warm with butter.

When completely cooled, cover and store for up to two days.

Simple, comforting, and filled with the goodness of ripe bananas and a touch of chocolate, this banana bread cake is the perfect way to slow down and savor the weekend.

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Gather / Recipes

The Featured Table: Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and linger a moment at the table. There is something quietly perfect about a brownie. It asks for no embellishment, yet graciously accepts it. A simple square can be enjoyed in the early morning beside a steaming cup of coffee, the deep chocolate meeting the warmth of the day’s first sip. Later, that same brownie can be transformed into an elegant dessert, adorned with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a ribbon of hot fudge.

This recipe is wonderfully forgiving and endlessly adaptable, yielding a rich, fudgy texture that rests somewhere between a classic brownie and a piece of fine chocolate fudge. It’s the kind of treat that makes itself at home in any setting, whether tucked beside a morning mug or plated beautifully for guests after dinner. I added a hint of almond extract for subtle depth, though peppermint and a glossy ganache would make a beautiful winter version. However you choose to serve it, this is the kind of recipe that reminds you that simplicity often holds the truest pleasure.

🍫 Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (12-ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
  • 3 eggs
  • 1¼ cups flour (gluten or gluten-free)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a 13″ × 9″ baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips with the butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  3. Add eggs, stirring quickly and well so they do not cook.
  4. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir well until the batter comes together.
  5. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
  6. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
  7. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Styling & Serving Ideas

Brownies are beautiful in their simplicity. Serve one warm from the pan with a morning coffee and let the deep chocolate mingle with the comfort of that first sip. Or, dress it up for a dinner party — a square on a small dessert plate, a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting just slightly over the top, a drizzle of hot fudge, perhaps even a sprinkle of sea salt or toasted almonds for texture.

For a touch of creativity, stir in almond or peppermint extract to the batter. In cooler months, finish the brownies with a layer of ganache for a glossy, wintery treat.

Even without adornment, these brownies are pure comfort — rich, fudgy, and honest. They remind us that the best things in life are often the simplest.

And if you look closely, you’ll see a peek of something special coming soon — our newest Seraphim napkin in a soft, lovely blue, the perfect companion for coffee, chocolate, and quiet moments at the table.

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