Sing a Thanksgiving Song (all year long)

Who says there are no Thanksgiving songs? I actually heard someone on the radio say this. Well, they are wrong! There are beautiful Thanksgiving songs, but you might have to look in the hymnbook to find them. One of my favorites is "For the Beauty of the Earth."  I cannot limit this hymn only to the Thanksgiving season for I often find it drifting through my mind as I survey the world I live in and gawk at the amazing Kansas skies. Here then are the words to this beautiful hymn supplemented by photos from my garden and my childhood.

Thanksgiving blessings to you and yours!

 Lord of all, to thee we raise

 this our hymn of grateful praise.

A Puritan Prayer of Thanksgiving

Over 300 years ago a pious Puritan wrote a prayer of thanksgiving. The Puritans often wrote out prayers that read like poetry. It would seem that there would be few similarities between the life of this Puritan and me.  Yet as I look through the list of things for which he (or she) is thankful, it's hard to think of anything to add. I, too, wish to give thanks for those things. Here then, is the Puritan Prayer with photos both recent and bygone.

I thank Thee for the temporal blessings of this world—

the refreshing air, 

the light of the sun, 

the food that renews strength, 

the raiment that clothes, 

the dwelling that shelters, 

the sleep that gives rest, 

the starry canopy of night, 

the summer breeze, 

the flowers' sweetness, 

the music of flowing streams, 

the happy endearments of family, kindred, friends. 











Things animate, things inanimate, minister to my comfort. My cup runs over. Suffer me not to be insensible to these daily mercies.  

Thy hand bestows blessings: Thy power averts evil. 

Photo by Monica Warren

I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces, 
the full warmth of faith, 
the cheering presence of Thy Spirit, 
the strength of Thy restraining will, 
Thy spiking of hell's artillery. Blessed be my sovereign Lord!

Take the Cake: Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Streusel Topping

Imagine a moist, spicy sweet potato cake with a mellow cream cheese filling topped with the buttery, brown sugar crunch of streusel. One bite and your mouth rejoices! Two bites and you burst into song! 

Don't just imagine this cake, make it! It is equally at home on the Thanksgiving table as it is in the break room at work. It would make a lovely addition to your brunch or a weekend dinner. 

And it has sweet potatoes.  As long as you're making a cake, why not add something both nutritious and delicious?

An unexpected harvest- Though not a bumper crop, we were pleasantly surprised after a brutally hot summer to dig up some fairly nice sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Cake

Begin by baking a sweet potato. Pierce it with a fork and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Or do what I did and pop it in the microwave. It's faster and for this cake it works just fine.

Peel and mash the sweet potato. You'll need 1 cup. Set aside.

There's a sad story behind this egg, one of the last we'll be getting.

In a mixing bowl beat:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
2 eggs

Add and mix well:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt


Then mix in
1 cup mashed sweet potato

Pour into a 9X12 greased pan.

Cream Cheese Filling

Mix together until smooth:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yolk


Using a spatula loaded with about 2 tablespoons of filling, insert filling into cake.  I do this by going down through the cake batter and rotating the spatula leaving pockets of filling throughout the cake. 

Streusel Topping

Mix together until crumbly:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

Sprinkle streusel topping over cake. Bake cake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

This might just be the best thing you serve on your Thanksgiving table. (And it tastes better than it looks!)

 Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Streusel Topping

Cake:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweet potato, baked and mashed
In a large bowl beat together sugar, salad oil and eggs. Add flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix in sweet potato. Pour into a 9X12 inch pan.


Cream Cheese Filling
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yolk
Mix together until smooth. Insert into cake by large spoonfuls.


Streusel Topping
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of cake. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.