Small Talk: a.k.a. 'The Meet Market'

[Emma]

MedievalGirl, Happy Birthday!!

[RadioGirl27]

Happy Birthday MedievalGirl!!

[KAOS Agent]

 

Word to the wise: the burner elements in the oven are hot, and brushing a hand against them is not advised.

 

You should come to my house, Shanna Marie. I can assure you that the baking unit won't burn you. Last week while trying to make a pot roast, I discovered that the baking element in my oven was most definitely not hot. Thanks to YouTube and Amazon, I was able to purchase a new unit and swapped it out myself yesterday. However, as I was preparing my pies for baking this afternoon, I set the oven to preheat only to find that once again, there was no heat in the oven. This time it was simply a few hours long power outage, but I'm seriously starting to think that any baking I do is cursed.

[Shanna Marie]

My mom's terrified that her oven is dying, which is why I'm doing the pies for Thanksgiving.

 

I don't know how they're going to taste, but the chocolate pecan pie looks like it came from a bakery. The regular pecan one had a minor crust issue in that the fluting came up too high above the filling and fell over (I got burned trying to fix it). I ended up nudging it down all the way around, so there's a sort of ruffled effect. On the bright side, that means every bite of crust will have some pie on it instead of having crust sticking above the pie. I haven't used that recipe before, so I have no idea how it's going to taste. I do know the crust is good because I baked the scraps and snacked on them all day.

[Dani-Ellie]

Happy birthday, Medival Girl!

[ShadowFacts]

I salute you, KAOS Agent, for fixing your own oven.  You would be a valuable asset in Storybrooke, or the Enchanted Forest.

[Mari]

However, as I was preparing my pies for baking this afternoon, I set the oven to preheat only to find that once again, there was no heat in the oven. This time it was simply a few hours long power outage, but I'm seriously starting to think that any baking I do is cursed.

Well, as long as you're having cursed baking issues, you should make apple tarts and stash them for when you really, really need them.  We won't tell.    ; )

 

And--definite kudos for fixing your own oven.  Wow. 

[Crimson Belle]

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Mom made apple pie which amuses me now every time I have it. I'm busy now smoking about 60 pounds of pork butts for various relations and friends because who wants turkey when you can have pulled pork? And tomorrow in addition to making the traditional cornbread dressing, I'm experimenting with a white chocolate bread pudding.

[HoodlumSheep]

Happy Thanksgiving! Still have a few hours before it's official where I'm at, but this year Thanksgiving is at my aunt's (we rotate between her and my mother for hosting Thanksgiving/Christmas). Our family was in charge of the pumpkin pies and pumpkin rolls. We're also in charge of bringing games (like Disney Trivia).

Can't wait to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade!

[Souris]

Happy Turkey Day! (Or Tofurky Day, for any fellow vegetarians.) I made a sweet potato casserole and pumpkin-cranberry cake this evening.

[Alex]

HappyThanksgiving!

Souris, sweet potatoes casserole... You nearly killed me with nostalgia! I had two Thanksgivings in Atlanta in the last years and when I was asked if I wanted something in particular, I answered "sweet potatoes casserole" without any hesitation!!! It's one of my favourite dishes ever!!

[ShadowFacts]

I could happily load my plate with nothing but sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie with a dash of cranberry sauce and just maybe I will.  Happy Day one and all.

[Emma]

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Busy in the kitchen and spending time with family and friends. Good day.

[Lieutenant]

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!  Got my Swedish Apple pie done - boom!  Off to my family's central meeting location at noon.  Have a great day everyone!  Just wanted to say I'm thankful for this forum and all you guys.  It seems like such a small thing in comparison to the big picture, but I do love this place (so glad we all made the "transplant" ok), and it always puts a big smile on my face to read your posts and thoughts on this show we all love.  It's one of my most favorite ways to decompress from the day. *cheers*

[InsertWordHere]

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May your bellies be full and your days free of drama!

 

I'm packing up my pumpkin dessert products (pumpkin roll, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cheesecake) and heading out.

[Crimson Belle]

My white chocolate bread pudding is happily baking away.

[daxx]

Butternut squash simmering on the stove.

[Rumsy4]

Happy Thanksgiving, all! I'm headed off to a friend's house with store-bought pumpkin pie. heh

[Souris]

HappyThanksgiving!

Souris, sweet potatoes casserole... You nearly killed me with nostalgia! I had two Thanksgivings in Atlanta in the last years and when I was asked if I wanted something in particular, I answered "sweet potatoes casserole" without any hesitation!!! It's one of my favourite dishes ever!!

 

I love it too! It wouldn't be Thanksgiving or Christmas for me without the family sweet potato casserole. We do a pecan streusel topping instead of marshmallows (as a vegetarian, I can't eat marshmallows, and I like streusel better anyway).

[daxx]

I love it too! It wouldn't be Thanksgiving or Christmas for me without the family sweet potato casserole. We do a pecan streusel topping instead of marshmallows (as a vegetarian, I can't eat marshmallows, and I like streusel better anyway).

Oh, that sounds brilliant! I love sweet potato casserole but would like something less sweet.

[Souris]

Oh, that sounds brilliant! I love sweet potato casserole but would like something less sweet.

 

If you'd like the recipe, I can send it to you. I make it less sweet than the recipe calls for, since sweet potatoes are, well, pretty sweet already!

 

We're about to watch "Maleficent." I never got around to seeing it in theaters.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Souris

[Dani-Ellie]

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Just got home from my aunt's, where my spinach dip was once again a massive hit and I won a round of Left Center Right and got $39 out of the deal. (We play with dollar bills rather than the little chips the game comes with ... makes it more fun ;)). And then we also played Taboo and like, I really needed to be playing with you guys because I could have done SO MANY THINGS with Once clues but no one in my family would have gotten them. It was hard, haha.

[Shanna Marie]

I survived a Thanksgiving with my brother and sister-in-law present. This is a big thing. The SIL is getting more tolerable, even though she does kind of remind me of Regina. I spent a lot of time in the back yard playing with my brother's dogs, who need lessons in how to "dog." They didn't quite get the concept of "fetch," but I managed to get them to chase me a little, and by the time they left one of them had learned to come to his name (I swear, some people should not be allowed to have pets). My pies were a huge hit. I'm afraid I now have my annual family task sewn up.

 

Now that the others have left, my parents and I can relax. Tomorrow I go home and really get to relax.

[Souris]

My mom & I went to the local symphony's Christmas Spectacular today. They had an accompanying female illusionist, which was very cool. I tried so hard to see how she was doing the illusions, but I could not. The children's chorus sang, wait for it, "Let It Go." LOL. 

[Alex]

LOL Souris!

 

Could you please send me the recipe for the sweet potatoes casserole? Could be something I can do for Christmas ;)

Edited November 30, 2014 by Alex

[ShadowFacts]

 

I spent a lot of time in the back yard playing with my brother's dogs,

 

Shanna Marie, I first read playing as 'praying', and I wondered if that would be how Storybrookians would have to get through Thanksgiving with Regina.  You all sound like you had good holidays, playing Taboo and watching movies and going to the symphony.   I am getting hungry for sweet potato casserole all over again, ours was devoured with only a tiny amount of leftovers (we use pecan topping, too)!

[Souris]

For anybody that wants the sweet potato casserole:

 

It's 95% this recipe:

However, I modify it by using pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon, and I usually add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, because I happen to like it. I also don't use that much sugar -- this time I substituted a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup. I've used maple sugar or brown sugar instead of white sugar before, too. It's an easy recipe to modify for your particular tastes. Once I added coconut to the streusel, and that was yummy, too, though it took it perhaps a bit too desserty.

[Alex]

Thanks Souris! I'll do this soon :)

 

My dad doesn't know yet that he's going to have an Italo/Anglo/American Christmas dinner!!!

I usually go back to my family in Italy for Xmas, but as my brother has to work, we decided for my dad to come to Paris. As as in late years all the Christmas lunch was prepared by my brothers in laws, I'm happy to finally have to choose and cook the lunch meself!!!

(yes, meself not myself! LOL)

[Shanna Marie]

Shanna Marie, I first read playing as 'praying', and I wondered if that would be how Storybrookians would have to get through Thanksgiving with Regina.

That's also necessary for getting through Thanksgiving with my brother and his wife, but not with the dogs. These dogs aren't quite smart enough to manage to be dogs, so I think theology is probably beyond their grasp. I'm now looking forward to Christmas, which will be just my parents and me and therefore much more relaxing.

 

Now I think I'm going to start decorating for Christmas so I can have at least some of the indoor lights up in order to watch TV tonight. It's hitting me that this is probably going to be my last Christmas in this house, and while I'm excited about starting over in a new house, I have enjoyed this one. I'm planning on putting this house on the market after the holidays (if I get my act together) and buying a new one in the same neighborhood. I've kind of outgrown it after living here sixteen years, and I can finally afford to move. I just hate moving.

[daxx]

Watching the husband and boys raise the giant Christmas light tree and sipping some good rum in eggnog. :)

[KAOS Agent]

This week in broken appliances, my furnace has started leaking water right onto some electric looking parts. Of course this happened on a holiday weekend. Youtube helped me out enough to dianose the issue, but sadly, the easily fixable issues were not my problem. Since I'm paranoid that my furnace will blow up or something, I've turned off the heat until I can get a repairman out here. One hopes that will happen tomorrow.

Happily, I do have an alternate source of heat in my woodstove. The dog and I have moved down to my basement where I've got a lovely fire going.

[HoodlumSheep]

Watched Miracle on 34th Street today with my parents. That is the official and first movie we start out with for our Christmas movie season every year. And yes, we are the kind of people that reject everything Christmas-y until after Thanksgiving, preferably Dec. 1st.

At least now I can start practicing Christmas piano music.

All snuggly and warm in front of a fire, counting down until Once!

[KingOfHearts]

Watched Miracle on 34th Street today with my parents.

 

 

Fun fact: Jennifer Morrison was actually in the 1990s version as "Denise".

[MedievalGirl]

Freezing rain last night led to no school today and this unwelcome Frozen reference 
"Hey Mom, can we go down to the creek and cut ice blocks like Kristoff."

"Um, no. Not a good idea."

Instead we peeled leaves off of their icy layer making really neat leaf-shaped ice sculptures.

And still, no one wanted to watch Frozen today.

[Shanna Marie]

Ooh, next ice storm, I'm totally making some hot cocoa, curling up under a blanket and watching Frozen. Never mind that I work at home and an ice storm shouldn't stop me from doing anything. If everyone else gets a snow day, so do I.

 

It was about this time last year that we essentially had a hockey rink -- four inches of solid ice -- dropped on us and I was iced in for a week. It was sheer bliss.

[Souris]

I splurged and bought an iPad online on Thanksgiving. It wasn't supposed to be delivered until Wednesday, but it came today -- so there was a little advantage in being home sick with a godawful head cold/laryngitis.

[MedievalGirl]

We did have hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon. Will Scarlet may have added something to mine as well. Because of the civil unrest last week DD1 was off for two days. We've all be together for a week. I was really looking forward to kiddos going back to school today. I don't say that lightly since I generally like my kids. We just need to talk to people we are not related to.

Hope you feel better soon Souris. 

[Crimson Belle]

Meanwhile, it was 75, and we ran the air conditioner here on the Gulf Coast after it was in the 20's a week or so ago.

[HoodlumSheep]

We had a heat wave 2-3 says ago too. It reached 40 degrees. It was like being in a tropical paradise. It's cold again though. Our house thermometer was reading about 13 and then there was the windchill.

[Leia1979]

I'm going to Disneyland today for my birthday and thought about dressing as Emma, but I never did find a red jacket I liked. I did have to get a photo of my husband getting sucked in to the giant sorcerer's hat in front of the Disneyland Hotel. :)

[Worsel]

I really enjoy this forum.  All the clever comments and thoughtful analysis are interesting and entertaining.  I used to lurk but decided to participate, and I am so flattered when someone likes something I wrote - it is very kind of all of you.  So, I wanted to say thanks for being so friendly and generous with your praise.  On a weather related note since that is the most recent topic here, I am staying warm in my home while a foot of snow accumulates outside, wondering if I will make it out past my driveway tomorrow to go to work, and thinking that it looks like Arendelle outside.

[HoodlumSheep]

Good luck with the snow, Worsel! Today is sunny and coldish, and I'm hoping we get some snow for Christmas where I'm at in Michigan.

Last night we watched Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and The Little Drummer Boy. Gotta get through quite a few Christmas movies still. We still have to get our tree and put lights on the house too.

Random question: Can you 'like' someone's post, and how? I use my iPod when I'm on here so I'm using the mobile version, and am still confused about some things.

Edited December 11, 2014 by HoodlumSheep

[ShadowFacts]

My Kindle Fire has thumbs up icon at bottom of each post but don't have iPod so I guess that's not helpful.

[yeswedo]

Good luck with the snow, Worsel! Today is sunny and coldish, and I'm hoping we get some snow for Christmas where I'm at in Michigan.

Last night we watched Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and The Little Drummer Boy. Gotta get through quite a few Christmas movies still. We still have to get our tree and put lights on the house too.

Random question: Can you 'like' someone's post, and how? I use my iPod when I'm on here so I'm using the mobile version, and am still confused about some things.

Not all options are available on mobile and I believe the like button is one of them. The good news is an upgrade is coming soon and mobile users will get a better experience.

Year without a Santa Claus is my favorite special. I love the Miser brothers!

[Mari]

When I use my Kindle in mobile, there's a little check at the top right of the post.  Clicking on that usually "likes" the post.

[Rumsy4]

I can "like" posts on safari on my iPhone. And you can quote by pressing on a post until the quote button is revealed, though multi-quoting is not straight-forward.

Edited December 11, 2014 by Rumsy4

[HoodlumSheep]

Thanks for the info everyone! I just feel so guilty not knowing how to 'like' someone's post, when people can 'like' mine. I want to spread the love :(.

Mari!!! I have a check mark at the top right post! I was thinking it had to do something with the "mark as read" stuff, because that symbol is also a check mark and it confused me.

Yay, hopefully that means I can 'like' peoples' posts now!

Thanks agin, everyone!

[Worsel]

Once again, thanks for all the "likes".  I made it to work today despite the snow but roads still not great (but loads better than last night.)  Don't know what I'd do without snow tires.  HoodlumSheep you're welcome to some of the snow here as we have more than enough for Christmas.  Also you aren't the only one confused about the technology here - can anyone tell me how to quote someone's comment?  I see the little quote icon in the bottom right of each message but I'm not sure how to use it.  Do I highlight the quote and hit the icon?  Icon and then pick out the quote?  

[Shanna Marie]

I haven't ever quite made the quote icon thingy work the way I think it's supposed to. I just copy the part I want to quote, paste it into the reply box, then highlight it and hit the quote marks formatting thingy. I think hitting the quote icon on the post copies the whole thing (at least, it has the times I've tried it).

 

I never really think about "likes." I guess I'm just an old person who's sort of pretending that this is still Usenet. All this newfangled social media stuff with its like buttons and all. If I like a post, I usually have something to say in response, so I respond to it.

[Worsel]

Thanks Shanna Marie.  I tried it a couple of times and it kept quoting the whole thing instead of the portion I tried to highlight.  I'll join you in the ranks of the social media challenged ancient ones.