Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[oliviabenson]

More pumpkin pie for me! 

I love pumpkin anything.

[ECM1231]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Why do we have to adhere to the customary pumpkin pie? A lot of folks do not like it.  I never serve it (but I do serve, if my daughter is in town, the double layer pumpkin pie).  I prefer key lime pie or apple pie...or even better, apple crisp!

Our family (Italian American) never serves only one dessert. That would be blasphemous. Our dessert table for Thanksgiving usually has pumpkin bread, apple pie, coconut cream pie (a fave of my sister, my niece, and me), cookies, and some chocolate dessert. Don't even get me started about Christmas. One year my SIL (she of the sweet potato pie) made this fantastic dessert that was sort of like a whoopie pie, only it was 2 carrot cake halves filled with cream cheese frosting. I've never gotten around to making it, but really should one day. It was fabulous. Can you tell sweets are my weakness? lol

[Calvada]

My family always has an assortment of pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We love pie and always have!  Growing up when it was just my parents, my siblings and I, and my grandma (that was more than 10 people though) we would have at least 4 different pies, all made by Grandma.  Her pie crust was divine.  She always managed to have some extra bits of pie crust dough that she would roll out, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and bake.  Sooooo good. 

Now we will have at least 6 pies (our group most often is about 32 people, sometimes a few more), plus some other type of dessert, usually something chocolate, for those who don't like pie.  I love cherry, blueberry, key lime, and lemon meringue.  I like pumpkin (but it has to have some spice in it - I don't want that bland pie Costco sells) and apple, and I like to have just a bite or two of pecan or hickory nut pie.  We never have sweet potato pie, since we always have a sweet potato dish with dinner.  

The best thing about holiday pie?  Having some left so you can have a piece for breakfast the next day! 

[annzeepark914]

My godmother's apple pie was wonderful. One day, when I was a young adult, she told me her secret crust technique (& the reason why there was never a piece of crust left on a plate). After she placed the bottom crust in the pie plate (& the apples), she smeared softened butter on the rim. Then she'd sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mix on top of the buttered rim before placing the top crust on it. She also made those roll up "cookies" with left over piecrust dough for the kids.

Edited October 12, 2023 by annzeepark914

[voiceover]

First time in this thread & hoping someone can direct me…

Is there a “grief” forum, or have I found it?

[Bastet]

4 minutes ago, voiceover said:

Is there a “grief” forum,

Not that I'm aware of.  There's a thread in the Health & Wellness section for stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health related issues, and grief certainly causes all of those, so that would work.  Or you could start one specific to grieving.

[Ancaster]

4 hours ago, voiceover said:

First time in this thread & hoping someone can direct me…

Is there a “grief” forum, or have I found it?

Weirdly, there's a thread in the Duggar Family TV show part of the forum called The Prayer Closet where people ask sometimes for healing prayers and thoughts and support and posters help each other with grief and pain, but also chat about more lighthearted, day-to-day stuff.  You might find it helpful to post there; people are very supportive.  But a dedicated grief thread is also a very good idea.  Ironically I feel the need for one currently because of the situation in Israel.  No politics.  Just looking for virtual support.  I'll try to work out how to link the thread.  

ETA: I can't work out how to link, but under Candid Reality Shows, choose Counting On, then Small Talk: The Prayer Closet.  Perhaps someone more computer savvy than me can make a link.

Edited October 12, 2023 by Ancaster

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, voiceover said:

First time in this thread & hoping someone can direct me…

Is there a “grief” forum, or have I found it?

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

Not that I'm aware of.  There's a thread in the Health & Wellness section for stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health related issues, and grief certainly causes all of those, so that would work.  Or you could start one specific to grieving.

Many of us have shared our grief in various forums, but I agree that it might be worthwhile to start a grief-specific thread in the Health & Wellness area (forums.primetimer.com/forum/1322-health-wellness) of the PrimeTimer site.

Or maybe if a grief thread is instead placed in the broader category of Everything Else (forums.primetimer.com/forum/351-everything-else), more grieving posters would find it?
Or not?

Feel free, @voiceover, to ask here or message me if you need help starting such a thread.

 

Edited October 12, 2023 by shapeshifter

[Mindthinkr]

I m the designated pie maker in my family. I usually make 4-6 of them. Pumpkin, apple, pecan, mincemeat and occasionally lemon meringue. I cheerfully do it altho it does come with one small peeve. I have never gotten a pie plate returned. It would be blasphemous to use a disposable metal one in my family, so I’m usually scouring the thrift stores for inexpensive ones during the year. 

[peacheslatour]

3 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I m the designated pie maker in my family. I usually make 4-6 of them. Pumpkin, apple, pecan, mincemeat and occasionally lemon meringue. I cheerfully do it altho it does come with one small peeve. I have never gotten a pie plate returned. It would be blasphemous to use a disposable metal one in my family, so I’m usually scouring the thrift stores for inexpensive ones during the year. 

My husband was the pie maker for my family and he never got his pie plates back in time for the next round so he started using to foil jobs from the grocery store.

[Mondrianyone]

I'm the pie person at Thanksgiving, too, and I would never leave to go home without all my pie plates. If there's still pie in any of them, I offload it onto some other dish before we head out.

I find this truly shocking, @Mindthinkr! Can't you go back to the house(s) where you left them and ask to retrieve them? I love my pie plates, and I'd be really ticked off if people just kept them.

ETA: Seriously, that's up to six plates every year! If you usually go to one house for the holiday, that person has to be running out of room for all those pie plates! Get them back!

Edited October 12, 2023 by Mondrianyone
continued shock

[Quof]

Re. pie plates.  

A friend tells the story of her grandfather who loved homemade pies.  Grandmother wasn't much of a baker, so every Saturday morning she took her pie plate to the local bakery, then went back later in the day to pick up this week's offering. 

Grandpa went to his grave believing his wife baked him a pie for Sunday dinner, every week of their marriage. 

[oliviabenson]

The empty pie plates are probably donated and she buys them back. 
 

I don’t bake anymore.

[ECM1231]

I find it very strange that your pie recipients don't return your pie plates, even at a later date, @Mindthinkr. You've been very generous to continue baking pies for them all these years. What if you had prepared a casserole instead and brought it in a Corningware casserole dish? If there were leftovers, would these people keep the casserole dish? Like @Mondrianyonesaid, " Get them back." 

Or start using disposable aluminum pie plates. Geez, I am very angry on your behalf! 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

Or start using disposable aluminum pie plates. Geez, I am very angry on your behalf! 

Yes. Unless you enjoy:

6 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

so I’m usually scouring the thrift stores for inexpensive ones during the year. 

Or maybe a combination of the 2? 

Or go all out and take a pottery class where you make pie plates with the intention of giving them as gifts with your pies.

 

[EtheltoTillie]

Joining the chorus of pie plate outrage.  They frown on disposables, but they also don't return the regular plates?  The nerve!  Foil plates are really meant for just this purpose, so you don't have to worry about retrieving your potluck plates.  I'm not one for creating more waste, but they can actually be reused or at least recycled. 

[Quof]

When bringing food to a holiday gathering, or giving food as a gift, I often use an inexpensive but nice seasonal dish that I intend the recipient to keep.   For example, I buy Christmas plates at Winners/HomeSense after the holidays, and save them to give Christmas cookies.  

[isalicat]

19 hours ago, Calvada said:

The best thing about holiday pie?  Having some left so you can have a piece for breakfast the next day! 

My family has a cheesecake tradition for Christmas: I make cheesecake (from scratch!) on Christmas morning, and we have the first piece at tea time. Then another piece for dessert after Christmas dinner, and then more for breakfast the next day (its great for breakfast!). I usually make (made - this whole tradition actually died when my husband passed on 4-1/2 years ago - I don't do it anymore as I don't see my only child at Christmas since traveling over the holiday became so fraught - we see each other via Zoom on the day to open presents and in person other times of the year) at least two - one with a crushed walnut crust and another, either with a chocolate graham cracker crust or a choclate chip crust. Plain old graham cracker crusts got too boring!

[Mondrianyone]

1 hour ago, Quof said:

When bringing food to a holiday gathering, or giving food as a gift, I often use an inexpensive but nice seasonal dish that I intend the recipient to keep.   For example, I buy Christmas plates at Winners/HomeSense after the holidays, and save them to give Christmas cookies.  

I do this when I bring flowers to someone, so they don't have the chore of scrambling around for a vase, then cutting the tips off the stems and filling the vase with water. It's a lot of extra work when you're already hosting dinner. I usually try to find something funky at a thrift store or just something simple like a glass cylinder. But nobody's getting half a dozen of my pie plates every year!

And why, if they don't bake the pies themselves, do they even want to keep the pie plates? This situation is haunting me. . . .

[peacheslatour]

16 minutes ago, isalicat said:

My family has a cheesecake tradition for Christmas: I make cheesecake (from scratch!) on Christmas morning, and we have the first piece at tea time. Then another piece for dessert after Christmas dinner, and then more for breakfast the next day (its great for breakfast!). I usually make (made - this whole tradition actually died when my husband passed on 4-1/2 years ago - I don't do it anymore as I don't see my only child at Christmas since traveling over the holiday became so fraught - we see each other via Zoom on the day to open presents and in person other times of the year) at least two - one with a crushed walnut crust and another, either with a chocolate graham cracker crust or a choclate chip crust. Plain old graham cracker crusts got too boring!

Oh, this takes me back. My mom's BFF used to make the most fabulous cheesecakes I've ever had. She gave them out as Christmas gifts every year and I was always one of the lucky recipients. One year, it snowed like mad on Christmas. We were at my aunts so we hightailed it home. The next morning, my building manager called and said all the retail in the lobby was going to be closed for the rest of the week. So I cut a slice of that cheesecake and a slice of my husband's pumpkin pie, ate a leisurely "breakfast" and went back to bed. Best Christmas ever!

[ECM1231]

Mmm, cheesecake....love it. For some reason I have never attempted to bake one, although I have made cheesecake pie, with cream cheese, sour cream, and topped with strawberries. For the longest time I didn't own a springform pan. 

My husband's aunt through marriage is a lovely person, but is not known for either her culinary or baking skills. However, she makes the most delicious cheesecake. Every Christmas Eve we'd all gather at my husband's sister's house and this particular aunt always brought her cheesecake. One day my son told her that he always looks forward to Christmas Eve because of her cheesecake. Do you know that brought tears to her eyes. She's repeated this story to me several times. It made her so happy because in a family of good cooks and bakers, she never got any recognition. 

I raised a sweet boy. 

Edited October 14, 2023 by ECM1231

[stewedsquash]

1 hour ago, isalicat said:

My family has a cheesecake tradition for Christmas: I make cheesecake (from scratch!) on Christmas morning, and we have the first piece at tea time. Then another piece for dessert after Christmas dinner, and then more for breakfast the next day (its great for breakfast!). I usually make (made - this whole tradition actually died when my husband passed on 4-1/2 years ago - I don't do it anymore as I don't see my only child at Christmas since traveling over the holiday became so fraught - we see each other via Zoom on the day to open presents and in person other times of the year) at least two - one with a crushed walnut crust and another, either with a chocolate graham cracker crust or a choclate chip crust. Plain old graham cracker crusts got too boring!

If you do make one again, try ginger snap cookies or Nilla Wafer (only that brand) cookies for a crust.

[ECM1231]

2 hours ago, Quof said:

When bringing food to a holiday gathering, or giving food as a gift, I often use an inexpensive but nice seasonal dish that I intend the recipient to keep.   For example, I buy Christmas plates at Winners/HomeSense after the holidays, and save them to give Christmas cookies.  

I go to Dollar Tree where they sell holiday plates/platters made of that melamine material. I'll also buy cookie tins there, too. I don't expect them to be returned. I've yet to see cheap holiday pie plates there, in either glass or stoneware or other materials. 

[Mindthinkr]

8 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

I find this truly shocking, @Mindthinkr! Can't you go back to the house(s) where you left them and ask to retrieve them? I love my pie plates, and I'd be really ticked off if people just kept them.

They felt entitled to them. After I’d go anyone who’d want the rest of the pie got the pie dish. My mother thought this was the way it should be. She was a piece of work. 

6 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

You've been very generous to continue baking pies for them all these years.

Thank you 

Edited October 13, 2023 by Mindthinkr

[Caoimhe]

Holidays and grief. Thanksgiving this year is going to be sad, it was the last holiday we had with my brother. He insisted on cooking a whole turkey and even managed to carve it though he wasn’t able to eat any. My sister-in-law is talking about having something simple and not a lot of food which I’m completely on board with, I offered to have it at our house but she prefers to have it at hers. It’s tough so whatever she decides she wants to do I’ll just say yes.

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, stewedsquash said:

If you do make one again, try ginger snap cookies or Nilla Wafer (only that brand) cookies for a crust.

Or, there's always a shortbread crust (that's my favorite!) I don't really enjoy baking but whenever I make a key lime or a double layer pumpkin pie, I use the Keebler shortbread crusts. One of these days I think I'll use the shortbread crust recipe for lemon bars that's so good and use it for a pie.

[Laura Holt]

Speaking of seasonal pies, I am making a French Canadian Tourtière for a family get together tomorrow and the recipe is super easy even for someone, like me, who isn't good with pies.  However I've just reached the point where I am to put on the top crust of my "so easy even a child can make this" tourtière and the directions are "vent pie in a fleur de lys pattern".  Yeah, that's not happening!

 

[Mondrianyone]

I would do the fleur-de-lis, but I'm compulsive that way. I'm sure it will taste delicious with or without it. We have tourtières in Maine, where there are lots of people of French descent. I love them (the tourtières, I mean, but the people, too). Have a great party!

[oliviabenson]

I had a weird dream… I dreamt I met Tom Cruise in the movie theater. Yeahhh.

[shapeshifter]

32 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

I had a weird dream… I dreamt I met Tom Cruise in the movie theater. Yeahhh.

Did you eat pizza right before bed or forget to turn down the heat? 
(my motherly go-to reasons for weird dreams)

[StatisticalOutlier]

My family is so low rent.

Last year my sister complained that she was going to the usual friends' house for Thanksgiving because she doesn't have a better offer, even though she doesn't really like their dressing.  She said she wished I was there to make our mother's dressing. 

I felt bad for her and was planning to figure out how to make a batch of it, freeze and vacuum seal it, and fed-ex it to her as a surprise.  But then I realized we could be at her place for Thanksgiving (weather permitting). 

So here's the elaborate menu:  dressing, fruit salad, and canned cranberry sauce.  She'll probably have wine for us, although when I make it for Mr. Outlier and me we drink milk. 

My mother always made a turkey, but I realized a long time ago that with the meat and stock of a dozen chicken thighs in the dressing, a turkey isn't necessary.  The fruit salad doubles as a dessert (some as a side with the dressing, then in a bowl later).  The canned cranberry sauce is mandatory as tradition (plus I love it).  That is the Thanksgiving spread.

What I find hilarious is that I'm the specialist being brought in to do the cooking.  I do not cook, while my sister hosts actual dinner parties, which I have never done (except the time I made Frito pies for my bowling team group before heading to the lanes).

[oliviabenson]

20 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Did you eat pizza right before bed or forget to turn down the heat? 
(my motherly go-to reasons for weird dreams)

No weird foods and landlord gives no heat. 
 

I don’t know why I dreamt of TC.

[peacheslatour]

I have a recipe you all might like or hate but in lieu of green bean casserole, my mom's BFF (she of the brilliant cheesecake) used to make this casserole that I still make. You mix a package of frozen broccoli florets (thawed) with a small container (8oz) of sour cream,  a small can of sliced water chestnuts (optional) add a package of Lipton onion soup mix, stir and place in a casserole dish and top with those crunchy fried onions. Bake at 350f for 3/4 of an hour. My super picky son loves it.

[Suzn]

I love Thanksgiving.  It is for everyone, regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture - in other words, it is inclusive.  I love it too, for being a great vegetarian meal - I don't need a big hunk of meat, there are all the wonderful sides and desserts.  I love the green bean casserole, not fancied up, dressing made with veggie broth, candied yams, mashed potatoes with veggie broth gravy, rolls and pies - pumpkin of course and others.

[Caoimhe]

Tourtière filling stuffed into a turkey and roasted.  Heavenly. 

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

I have a recipe you all might like or hate but in lieu of green bean casserole, my mom's BFF (she of the brilliant cheesecake) used to make this casserole that I still make. You mix a package of frozen broccoli florets (thawed) with a small container (8oz) of sour cream,  a small can of sliced water chestnuts (optional) add a package of Lipton onion soup mix, stir and place in a casserole dish and top with those crunchy fried onions. Bake at 350f for 3/4 of an hour. My super picky son loves it.

Just curious, what size package of broccoli florets? 8, 16, and 32 oz seem to be the most common. 8 oz of sour cream would probably overpower 8 oz of broccoli, so I’m guessing a pound?

[annzeepark914]

We serve two types of cranberries: cranberry relish (cranberries, apple, orange, & sugar in blender) & homemade cranberry sauce. I could easily eat that, shrimp cocktail (😁), whipped sweet potato casserole, & a biiiiig Thanksgiving salad. 

[PRgal]

4 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

We serve two types of cranberries: cranberry relish (cranberries, apple, orange, & sugar in blender) & homemade cranberry sauce. I could easily eat that, shrimp cocktail (😁), whipped sweet potato casserole, & a biiiiig Thanksgiving salad. 

My husband HATES cranberry sauce and my parents and son are meh.  I'm the only one who eats it and there's always enough left over for me to top oatmeal or use as a jam on toast for the few days it lasts in the fridge.  I make my own, usually with frozen cranberries and a bit of maple syrup.  

[peacheslatour]

45 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Just curious, what size package of broccoli florets? 8, 16, and 32 oz seem to be the most common. 8 oz of sour cream would probably overpower 8 oz of broccoli, so I’m guessing a pound?

A pound would be just right!

[ECM1231]

My sister serves her candied yams with marshmallows on top. Neither I nor my husband's family makes it that way; plus my vegetarian and vegan sons don't eat marshmallows. Every year, without fail, sis burns the marshmallows. They just need to broil for a minute or two. It's become the running joke in our family. Honestly, the candied yams are sweet enough without the marshmallows. But she and her family also put butter on Pillsbury buttery crescent rolls, so go figure!

[SoMuchTV]

24 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

But she and her family also put butter on Pillsbury buttery crescent rolls, so go figure!

Whoa whoa whoa. If I dared suggest to my family that you don’t put butter on crescent rolls, I would be cast out of the family. 

One year, I got fresh croissants from the bakery instead of the poppin fresh ones. A huge nope!

Edited October 13, 2023 by SoMuchTV
Fixing stupid autocorrect

[shapeshifter]

20 minutes ago, PRgal said:

I'm the only one who eats it and there's always enough left over for me to top oatmeal or use as a jam on toast for the few days it lasts in the fridge.  I make my own, usually with frozen cranberries and a bit of maple syrup.  

Very similar to mine: 

• Fresh cranberries in the package from the produce aisle.
• Put them in a pot on the stove and add a little water, then on medium-ish heat, bring them to a simmer until some are popping open. 
• Add honey to taste.

Yours sounds a little easier, but maybe we should try each other's? 

[peacheslatour]

1 minute ago, shapeshifter said:

Very similar to mine: 

• Fresh cranberries in the package from the produce aisle.
• Put them in a pot on the stove and add a little water, then on medium-ish heat, bring them to a simmer until some are popping open. 
• Add honey to taste.

Yours sounds a little easier, but maybe we should try each other's? 

A little orange peel is good in there too.

Quote

My sister serves her candied yams with marshmallows on top. Neither I nor my husband's family makes it that way; plus my vegetarian and vegan sons don't eat marshmallows. Every

I serve them with a very light sprinkle of brown sugar and some toasted pecans.

[shapeshifter]

Non-Thanksgiving food post:

Some here may recall a month ago my laptop died. 
I had a laptop holiday for 2 weeks (lived on my iPhone), and then 2 weeks with my son-in-law's Mac (he also has a work laptop). 

A couple of hours ago I picked up my new new laptop at BestBuy. 
After 30 years of PCs, I got a Mac. 
I went a little higher price, but not crazy.
If it poops out too soon, next time I'll go cheap, but I'm hoping a good 7-9 years like my 2 Lenovos before my dead HP.
So far, so good.

Going to take a 10 minute nap before Jeopardy!

[annzeepark914]

2 hours ago, Suzn said:

I love Thanksgiving.  It is for everyone, regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture - in other words, it is inclusive.  

And now we have Friendsgiving which is a wonderful gathering for folks whose families live too far away, or who don't have family (for one reason or another). 

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Very similar to mine: 

• Fresh cranberries in the package from the produce aisle.
• Put them in a pot on the stove and add a little water, then on medium-ish heat, bring them to a simmer until some are popping open. 
• Add honey to taste.

Yours sounds a little easier, but maybe we should try each other's? 

I've done yours too.  Just didn't want to buy a whole package of fresh cranberries this year, so I went to the frozen food aisle.  Same method, just maple syrup instead of honey.  Maybe I'll try honey for Christmas.  :) 

[shapeshifter]

13 minutes ago, PRgal said:

I've done yours too.  Just didn't want to buy a whole package of fresh cranberries this year, so I went to the frozen food aisle.  Same method, just maple syrup instead of honey.  Maybe I'll try honey for Christmas.  :) 

That does sound better for me. One year I wound up throwing out a package of fresh cranberries because the deal was buy one, get one free, and I didn't cook them all at once. 😶
And the maple syrup I have is not as sweet as honey, so, maybe? I could always add some honey too.

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Going to take a 10 minute nap before Jeopardy!

10 minute nap? What even is that? Is it like this “leftover wine” I’ve heard about?  Seriously, I’m jealous of anyone who can fall asleep, get refreshed, and wake back up in a 10 minute time span!

[shapeshifter]

9 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

10 minute nap? What even is that? Is it like this “leftover wine” I’ve heard about?  Seriously, I’m jealous of anyone who can fall asleep, get refreshed, and wake back up in a 10 minute time span!

Heh, 10 minute naps are not very effective or efficient. But sometimes they work if, for instance, you have to drive home and it's too late for caffeine.
The 20 minute nap is better.

[Gramto6]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

My husband HATES cranberry sauce and my parents and son are meh.  I'm the only one who eats it and there's always enough left over for me to top oatmeal or use as a jam on toast for the few days it lasts in the fridge.  I make my own, usually with frozen cranberries and a bit of maple syrup.  

This sounds really good! I'm going to have to get some frozen cranberries. I always have real maple syrup in the refrigerator! This would be so good stirred into my morning yogurt!! Thanks for sharing @PRgal!!