Small Talk: Don't Tell Jeffrey!

[Bastet]

The instructions on requesting a forum are here; just follow those, and within a couple of days you'll have yourself a forum.

[Lura]

Thanks for the link, Bastet.  For me, it's more of an eyesight problem right now  than it is a how-to problem!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

[3pwood]

chessiegal, I made the Roasted Tomato Basil Soup today with the full amount of basil called for & love it.

 

I used the last of the reddish tomatoes from the garden (not Plum or Roma, just Early Girl, Better Boy, & Cherry) plus most of a straggly basil plant -- roasting was just what the tomatoes needed to enhance their fading flavor at this late date.  I have no foodmill & only a tired old immersion blender, so I used the regular blender & got it pretty smooth (which is my preference).  Excellent flavor, maybe too much garlic for some but the comments on the Food Network site say that it mellows the next day.  Tomorrow, I'll try it with sour cream on top.

 

Wonderful recipe for salvaging the remnants of the vegetable garden at the end of the season.

[chessiegal]

Thanks, 3pwood. I was feeling confident from the FN reviews, but you have sealed the deal. One of the women coming to the meeting works as a recipe developer consultant. She told me today she's going to be making a tomato soup later this month at a cookie baking morning we are having to give to a charity that is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner to unite foster children with their biological parents for the day. I'm looking forward to seeing if I can impress her.

Edited November 7, 2014 by chessiegal

[Lura]

3pwood, thank you for being the guinea pig and trying out the soup recipe!  I was just waiting for someone else to make it before I put 4 cups of basil into it!  I take it that you used all 4 cups and thought it was fine.  I love garlic, so a strong garlic flavor wouldn't bother me at all.  Your soup must have had a good, rich flavor from using a combination of so many different kinds of tomatoes.  I''ll have to remember that.

 

chessiegal, it sounds to me like that charity is doing something wonderful.  A special dinner for adoptees and biological parents must mean the world to most of them.  Is this something national or local?  I have a good friend who is adopted, and I can only imagine how much she would enjoy attending something like that.

[3pwood]

Continuing the saga of the Roasted Tomato Basil Soup:  on the second day, it has mellowed a bit -- good hot or cold, very nice with a blob of sour cream in the middle (or yogurt, strained or Greek).

 

Upon reflection, I do think it might be a good idea to omit or reduce the hot pepper flakes if making this for someone whose tastes you don't know -- I like it, but it is fairly apparent & could bother some people.  You can always put a bottle of Tabasco or Sriracha sauce on the table for those who want to add heat.

 

By the way, I used vegetable broth instead of chicken stock -- doubt that it made any difference, seems that the tomato & garlic flavors would dominate no matter which liquid was used.  

[chessiegal]

3pwood, thanks for the recommendation on the red pepper flakes. I think I will reduce it. I'm planning on making it Sunday, and warm it up for serving Monday at lunch (along with probably too much other stuff).

[Lura]

Chessiegal or 3pwood, I have two questions about this recipe if either of you could answer them.  Someone asked me whose soup recipe it is and said it isn't Ina's.  I didn't have an answer for her because I'd just assumed it was hers.  Who originated this recipe?

 

Secondly, I gather that you both think the soup is better if made ahead and served the next day when it has settled down.  Is that right?  I'm a dedicated basil lover and am dying to make this soup!  I hope I remember to drain the sour cream and reduce the pepper flakes.  I was thinking that a dollop of sour cream and a tiny sprig of dill (or basil?) might make a pretty presentation.  What do you think?

 

I guess this has been more than two questions, but thanks very much!






























































 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thanks very  much!

Edited November 9, 2014 by Lura

[chessiegal]

Lura, the recipe is in Ina's first cookbook, page 84. She doesn't attribute it to anyone else, and she does that if it's someone else's, so I'm assuming she came up with it. I'm making it tomorrow, and will test for seasoning toward the end. I'll let you know how it tastes on Monday.

 

ETA: I saw a commercial for a custom kitchen cabinet company today and when they panned by the built in bookcase on an island, they showed an array of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. Looks like my kitchen bookcase!

Edited November 9, 2014 by chessiegal

[3pwood]

Lura, I got the Roasted Tomato Basil Soup recipe from the Food Network website, which cites an episode of Barefoot Contessa. There may well be other versions of it, but this is the only one I've seen.  And I agree with chessiegal that it seems unlikely it would be published in an Ina Garten cookbook without attribution if it weren't her own.

 

I do think the flavors are a little more developed & integrated the day after it's made -- especially with sharp flavors like minced garlic & hot red pepper, that's usually the case for me.  But I also loved it on the first day, so you should try it both days when you make it  -- & freeze some too, for a big treat in January (if it lasts that long).

[Lura]

Thanks for being on top of things, chessiegal and 3pwood!  You actually answered my questions before I could get back here to edit my post and tell you that I found the recipe!   When I went to Google and put in "Ina Garten's Tomato Basil Soup" I got nothing for Ina in the first couple of offerings.  Then, I spied someone else's website, and she had the recipe, attributed to Ina.  It seems that I needed to give Google the FIRST word, Roasted, if I wanted Ina's recipe!  *rolling my eyes*  It's ROASTED Tomato and Basil Soup!  LOL  I have all of Ina's cookbooks, so I have the recipe.

 

Thanks again to both of you for the great tips.  Chessie, I can't wait to hear how you like it on the first day and the second day!  3pwood, you read my mind.  I do plan to freeze some!  Yummy.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Lura

[Bastet]

I find it best to use "Barefoot Contessa [recipe name]" when doing a Google search, because then the first result is the direct link to the FN site's page for that recipe and episode.  I've found that using Ina's name instead may yield links to recipes for other people's variations on what we saw on the show/in her book.

[chessiegal]

I made the roasted tomato basil soup. I ended up with barely 3 cups of basil from one of those large bunches in dirt, but I decided to go with it. It is delicious. My husband also declared it a winner.

[chessiegal]

I'm happy to report that all the ladies at my meeting today loved the roasted tomato-basil soup. Even the pro in the group complimented it. It tasted wonderful, and we're having leftovers for dinner tonight. It's definitely a keeper.

 

ETA: The group also includes a young woman who graduated from culinary school, although she works in another field now.

Edited November 10, 2014 by chessiegal

[larapu2000]

My sister lives in London, and sent me this link for one of her favorite restaurants that actually shares their recipes.  Evidently, they have to.die.for salads, but everything on that site looks amazing.  I'm giving a few of these a try this week-I love a good salad.  The only downside is that everything is in metric, so there is some conversion necessary.  Sorry!

 

http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes

[Bastet]

I've been to one of those delis - the one in Islington.  Delicious! 

[Quof]

Costco (Canada) has two Ottolenghi cookbooks available, I assume they are new.

[Lura]

Ah, chessiegal, we knew you could do it!  Even with less basil than called for, you pulled it off!  I'm glad, for your sake, that the ladies loved it and were so complimentary.  It's always nice when we work hard on making something and people appreciate it.  Tell me -- Did you leave the soup real chunky or a little chunky or completely smooth?

[chessiegal]

Lura, I Ieft it somewhat chunky. It's a keeper. 

[larapu2000]

I'm kind of bummed that I'll be missing Thanksgiving dinner this year, as I'll be in Istanbul with my sister, so it's hard to feel sorry for myself, but I LOVE Thanksgiving dinner!  Especially the mashed potatoes and stuffing.  I suppose I could make Thanksgiving for myself, but since I'm single, that reads a little spinster-y.

[3pwood]

I know someone who used to work in various foreign countries & lived there for extended periods.  She always prepared a Thanksgiving dinner wherever she was on that day, inviting local friends & neighbors -- they had a chance to learn about American traditions & she enjoyed celebrating her holiday with them.  She did this in France, Germany, & Australia without too much difficulty (e.g., chicken instead of turkey, crabapples instead of cranberries, etc.), but said that China was quite a challenge (don't remember what kind of fowl she had to substitute for turkey, & no bread for stuffing).

 

larapu2000, if you have access to a kitchen in Istanbul, you & your sister might enjoy doing that -- at least you'll be in Turkey on Thanksgiving....

[larapu2000]

I think I'm going to cook Thanksgiving for me and some friends the weekend before I leave.  I'm only gone 6 days.  But we WILL be in a kitchen on Thanksgiving-we're signed up for a cooking class!!!  So excited.  They'll be taking us to a local bazaar to teach us about which spices to buy and how to buy them, and then delicious recipes for the home cook.  I'm really looking forward to it.  My sister and I were planning a 5 day cooking school session in Normandy next spring (which I think we'll still do), and so it inspired us to look for cooking course options in Turkey, as we both love and adore Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cuisine.  

 

Has anyone here done a cooking school in Europe that they would recommend, and that is reasonable in price?  

[Lura]

I don't know anyone who has taken cooking classes abroad, Larapu, but it's a nice idea if it appeals to you.  When I've been in Europe, I've always let them do the cooking.  Much as I enjoy cooking, I'm happy to let someone else do the honors while I take a break!   Have a nice trip.

[larapu2000]

I am always more than willing to let someone else do the work, but I feel like I always come home wishing I knew how to make the dishes I sampled in Europe!  Especially with the Middle Eastern slant on Mediterranean that you find in Turkey-I have a feeling the spices that I don't normally work with (like sumac, etc) are the key to replicating those wonderful dishes at home.  Like how I have to use European butter to make French pastry that measures up!  LOL

[Lura]

Does anyone here shop at Penzey's (online or in one of their stores)?  They have a treasure trove of the freshest herbs and spices I've ever seen!  I did a taste test of their dried thyme and a recently bought tin of store-bought thyme.  The results were astounding.  Penzey's thyme was stronger and more flavorful by far!  From then on, when using my store-bought herbs, I've added an extra 1/4 tsp. in my recipes -- but there's no need to do that with Penzey's.  I LOVE that store!   If you've never visited  Penzey's, I heartily recommend that you go to www.penzeys.com and take a look!

Edited November 19, 2014 by Lura

[Lava VaVoom]

I was taken to Penzey's in Philadelphia on a date some years ago.  It was beyond heaven!  The fragrances in the store were delightfully overwhelming.  I can't remember what I bought -- sage, I think -- back then I was on a tight budget.  It's worth a trip if it's near you.

[chessiegal]

Our merry band of bakers made cookies in 2 shifts yesterday for Harmony House's Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. They are now going to have 95 guests. We made enough so everyone could have at least 2 cookies. Thank goodness for our organizer - a professional cook who worked for Ringling Brothers for 20 years and recently was a consultant for The American Turkey Council. I worked the 2nd shift and worked on making Snickerdoodles. It cracked me up that none of the ladies from the South had heard of them - I grew up with them in PA. They were delivered today and the staff was so grateful for our dessert donation.

 

Lura, I didn't answer your question about Harmony House because I wasn't sure. It's part of Anne Arundel County, MD Social Services. Hopefully some of these biological parents can get their acts together enough to take their children who are now in foster care home for good.

Edited November 19, 2014 by chessiegal

[larapu2000]

That's awesome!  And snickerdoodles are fucking awesome.

[chessiegal]

Our organizer told the funniest story. She did a radio interview with a station in Pittsburgh about Thanksgiving this past week, and the 2 male hosts were talking about how today's busy woman didn't have time for this or that. She bit her tongue until she couldn't anymore and told them it wouldn't kill either one of them to go into the kitchen and help! Go Norma!!

[Lura]

You done good, Chessie!   Yes, let's hope that some of those biological parents can take some of those kids home.  Wouldn't that be wonderful?  Of course, it depends on the home and the situation, I guess.  Your cookies sounded so good.  It was a day well spent, I'd say.

 

If your soup even impressed the "experts" at lunch, you must be holding your head a bit higher these days!  I would be.

 

I'm just now trying to put my Christmas cookie and candy list together.  I call it my Impossible List because I always put way too many things on the list and wind up making far less.  Wish I had a full month to do nothing but baking.  Actually, one year I was so determined to get through that list that on Christmas Eve, I had no gifts wrapped for my wonderful DH.  We wound up celebrating Christmas on New Year's Eve.  LOL  *blush*  Since then, I've tried to be more realistic!  We'll see how it goes this year. 

Edited November 20, 2014 by Lura

[larapu2000]

Lura, I'm doing the same thing!  And I also have the same problem, but this year, a friend of mine wants to help me because she wants to learn how to make candy and confection and make more homemade gifts.  So far, I'm making my great aunt's toffee, sea salt caramels, Ina's marshmallows, Mexican hot chocolate mix, probably some kind of caramel & chocolate covered pretzel stick, maybe hazelnut truffles, and for the first time, I'm trying to make peanut butter cups.  I've made buckeyes before (a free form version of peanut butter cups), but I've never used a candy mold before.  Does anyone have any tips?  Before I found the mold, I was going to pour chocolate into a candy sized paper cup, use a tiny scoop of peanut butter, then cover in chocolate, but I don't know if that's a better way than the molds.  

 

I don't usually do cookies because I'm worried they'll get stale.  Do shortbread work better in this regard?

[LazyToaster]

larapu2000 -- your "make-it" list sounds AWESOME! I'm getting off the couch right now and making some Mexican hot chocolate. Sadly, it is a (store bought) mix so I will have to pretend.

Good luck with all your yummy stuff!

Edited November 21, 2014 by LazyToaster

[Lura]

Larapu, the last (and only) time I made chocolate truffles, I googled "how to make chocolate truffles," and I got many websites with instructions about how to make them.  Sometimes, too, a site that sells chocolate molds will have a page of instructions.  You could probably find something on "stuffed truffles" (or whatever they're called) as well.  It's also worth a try to go to YouTube and look for a video that shows you exactly how to do them.

 

Are you using straight peanut butter or a peanut butter mousse filling?  I think you might find recipes for the filling if you're interested.  It's been so long since I made mine that I don't remember any specific website.

[larapu2000]

I'm pretty good on making truffles, I've never used a mold for those, I like the handmade look when you roll them yourselves.

 

The peanut butter filling I had in mind was what I've used for making buckeyes, which is peanut butter, margarine/butter, and powdered sugar.  It gives it more of a Reese's texture.  

 

I didn't even think about googling YouTube videos on the molds, thanks for the tip!  I mean, duh, right?  

[Lura]

Do I smell Thanksgiving yet?  I taped Bobby Flay's special and watched it last night.  His guests were Alex Guarnaschelli, Mike Symon, Katie Lee, and Sonny/Sunny Anderson. The dishes they prepared were mouth-watering, every single one, and each person showed how to make the dish.  I've seen several other Thanksgivings, including Ina's repeats.  They all have me excited about the flavors of the day.

 

Is  your Thanksgiving food traditional or modern?  Ours is the same every year, mainly because it's what I grew up with, and my DH loves it.  The only "new" dish I added was a cranberry jello salad with lots of fruit in it.  Yesterday I did the cranberry bread, and today I've done the cranberry salad and a cranberry relish, or compote, that we love.  I have a weekly list that helps me stay on schedule.  The only thing we do differently is that I reluctantly bowed to DH's wishes and switched from turkey to chicken.  He's OK with turkey, but he prefers chicken because it has more flavor.  We'll also have mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, a sweet potato casserole, a green bean casserole, dinner rolls and pumpkin custard pie with whipped cream.  I wonder why we always gorge ourselves, but it wouldn't be Thanksgiving if I eliminated one dish.  We have lots to be thankful for!

 

One thing Bobby Flay did (that I won't be doing) was to serve a fruity Sangria to his guests before the meal.  It seemed like the perfect thing to serve, filled with fruit. 

 

I'd love to read about what your Thanksgivings will be like.  Have a happy one!

Edited November 25, 2014 by Lura

[chessiegal]

I'm planning on living vicariously through everyone else's Thanksgiving meals. It's just the 2 of us with no family nearby. I've lost over 48 pounds since last December and am no longer over weight for the first time in 12 years. I'm within 5 pounds of where I want to be, and I'm not blowing it on Thanksgiving. I'm so thankful for having a supportive spouse. We're planning on spending the day with a visit to the gym and being thankful for all the blessings we have.

[Bastet]

Ours is simple, because there are only three of us and we're in a motorhome, so while we do have all the conveniences of home, there just isn't room to be feasting on a dozen different things.  The dinner isn't our favorite, anyway; it's a normal meal that just happens to involve turkey after we've been noshing on appetizers all day while watching football.

 

We do a turkey breast, deboned but skin left on and rolled/tied up like a roast, on the charcoal grill.  It's a natural, organic turkey and we brine it and then baste with butter while cooking; it comes out wonderfully moist and flavorful at 165 degrees.  (A world of difference from the frozen Butterball breast I grew up with, before we knew about brining and not over-cooking -- based on that, for the longest time I thought I didn't like turkey!)  The gravy gets made ahead of time; I cook up some turkey wings/legs for drippings.  My mom makes cornbread stuffing from my paternal grandmother's recipe, but I don't eat it (my mom isn't overly fond of it; my dad gets his tradition for Thanksgiving and my mom makes her family recipe to go with whatever we have for Christmas dinner).  I have rolls instead; I'm not a big bread person, but for some reason I crave them on Thanksgiving.  Whatever roasted veggies we're in the mood for - often Brussels sprouts - plus a mixed green salad, and that's it.  My mom makes a pumpkin pie for dessert, but I don't eat that either.  I'm full by then, anyway.

 

I like hearing about others' traditions as well.  The camping tradition started many, many moons ago, when I was seven.  My maternal grandma had died early December of the year before, so Thanksgiving was her last holiday with us; she was released from the hospital for those few hours, but needed to go lie down in my bed after dinner.  We used to watch family movies after holiday dinners sometimes - the old Super 8 films you showed on a light-colored wall if you didn't want to mess with a screen - so we set up the projector in my room and watched them on the closet doors.

 

Anyway, that Christmas obviously sucked, and then when Thanksgiving was on the horizon the following year, my mother just couldn't deal with the thought of that empty chair at the table.  My parents had bought their first motorhome that spring, and my grandpa had accompanied us on several of our weekend excursions.  So my dad suggested we just can the traditional Thanksgiving routine, grab a turkey frozen turkey breast, and hit the road to one of our favorite campgrounds.  My grandpa came with us, and we all loved it so much it became our family tradition from that year forward. 

 

So, here we are, just the three of us for some time now - four when my best friend (who has been my BF and part of the family since we were five) decides she'd rather endure my family than hers - a different motorhome, sometimes a different campground, the same old arguments but a greater ability to agree to disagree, but the same general idea.

 

My parents are already at the lake (they go all week), and I'll drive down Wednesday morning.  I'm taking Maddie with me this year; now that she's an only cat, I don't want her home alone that long with no companionship other than once a day visits from my friend.  So this could be interesting, heh.  But she's a very easy-going cat who actually likes being in the car and doesn't get antsy in new situations (she was always fine going over to my parents' house), so I think she'll enjoy it.  Fingers crossed!  I may wind up back at home sharing a tuna sandwich for Thanksgiving dinner.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Bastet

[larapu2000]

Wow, Bastet, what a great story!  I'm so bummed I'm out of the country on Thanksgiving, it's my favorite holiday-it's not about the presents, it's about your loved ones and reflecting on how much we have!  I cooked myself Thanksgiving dinner last night and made my brother come over for dinner.  Well, my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner-mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy (I used turkey tenderloins), and cornbread stuffing.  We make our cornbread stuffing with half cornbread, half white bread, sausage, onions, and celery, some sage, and chicken broth.  For our family Thanksgiving, we make a roasted vegetable, most of the time brussel sprouts, but have also done root vegetables, butternut squash, or carrots-kind of whatever we're in the mood for, as only my immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sister) are the ones that eat the veg.  I also make a raw corn salad with grape tomatoes and green onions with a white balsamic vinaigrette, and I make a double batch and stash one half in the fridge because my dad loves it so much.  My grandma is the only pumpkin-crazed member of the family, so desserts also vary year to year-we've done pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust, cobblers, stone fruit tarts, cranberry cake, butterscotch pudding, and on and on-definitely fall flavors.  My cousins love green bean casserole, but I can't stand it.  I love green beans, but the canned cream of mushroom soup just makes me ill to contemplate.  My aunt usually brings corn pudding and these yeast rolls that my dad and uncle love, but I think are terrible.  They're a sweet yeast roll, but they're not yeasty enough to be delicious if that makes sense.  I'd love to make the bread/rolls for the holiday, but I don't want to insult her. Plus, like I need the carbs!

 

Our holiday is my immediate family, plus 2 grandmas, my aunt and uncle and their 4 daughters, and their spouses, sometimes my great aunt as well.  It's a large Thanksgiving as well as a LOUD Thanksgiving.  Boyfriends/spouses are always taken by surprise the first time they come to a family holiday of ours!

 

My sister and I are planning on getting a good buzz/drunk on Thursday evening and then Skyping with the family from Turkey.  It should be a riot!

[MissMel]

I don't know about molds for peanut butter balls/cups but I make mine with the basic peanut butter/butter/powdered sugar mix. I also add Rice Krispies, though. So good!

We are frying two turkeys this year, one Cajun and one just plain. Mashed potatoes (with cream, not milk), gravy (probably noodles too because we are from the Midwest), and two homemade pies-pumpkin and pecan. We are still debating on the other sides. I'm the only one who likes stuffing with gravy that has hard boils eggs in it. So that probably won't show up. Everyone got sick of green bean casserole but I think it should make an appearance again so..... Other than that, I have asparagus and brussel sprouts to roast but those will probably perk up our leftovers. Of course, Chex mix. Can't have any holiday without that!

I'm also making a seven layer salad. This will be our second Thanksgiving without my sister and that's what she brought for her last one with us. I think our salad must be weird to most people because I see recipes that look great but aren't "seven layer salad" to me.

Edited November 25, 2014 by MissMel

[Diane]

I saw Bobby's special too and really enjoyed it, but who was that Katie Lee?  She drove me nuts. I liked everyone else. The food looked amazing. 

 

This year there is only 3 of us, my parents are out of town helping one of my younger brothers.  So we are going to go out to eat.

[MargeGunderson]

It's just me and the spouse, but I'm cooking anyway, just because I like it. I'm dry brining a bone-in turkey breast which I'll then roast. It will be accompanied by mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing (just basic, nothing fancy), and green bean casserole from the Smitten Kitchen website. Oh, and homemade rolls and pumpkin pie. It's very traditional this year, since last year Thanksgiving was with my vegetarian mother-in-law.

This assumes that my new stove is delivered and set up successfully tomorrow. The old one went up in flames on Sunday - sparks and actual flames. I'm really irritated because I didn't have time to have a gas line extended to my kitchen so I could get a gas stove. So, my only criteria was a stove that could be delivered before Thanksgiving.

[MissMel]

Sorry about your stove, MargeGunderson. Isn't it spectacular when they spark into flames, though? My last oven did that, twice. My mom's boyfriend came out and replaced the heating element and told me most people can live 80 years without ever seeing that happen. It looks like welding is going on inside, it's amazing. The second time it happened he said, "Melinda, it's time for a new stove.".

[MargeGunderson]

Thanks MissMel. It really did look like welding, at least until the flames started. I was yelling at my husband to shut off the circuit breaker.

The new stove is in place. I'm going to christen the oven with Ina's cheddar jalapeno crackers!

[Lura]

Chessiegal, I sensed a real determination behind your words about skipping the big dinner and going to the gym instead.  Losing 48 pounds is nothing to sneeze at!  Congratulations!  You reminded me of me a few years ago -- always skinny, then a big weight gain, and having to spend a year getting back to normal.  I wouldn't eat Thanksgiving dinner, either.  I was too afraid I'd never go back to my new habits and not reach my goal.

 

So, while the rest of us stuff ourselves, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your goal is right around the corner, and you're not stopping 'til you get there! 

 

In the midst of my weight loss, I became discouraged one day, and my mother offered some good advice.  She told me to hold one pound of hamburger and see how heavy it was.  (It really was!)  Then, she said to consider how much of those one-pounders I'd lost.  It was A LOT!

Edited November 26, 2014 by Lura

[chessiegal]

Thanks for the kind words, Lura. I'm fortunate enough to have a very supportive husband. We now have gym dates 6 days a week. :)

[Lura]

He sounds like a keeper, chessie!  By next year, we will expect to see the two of you on the cover of a fitness magazine as the "Svelte Couple of the Year."

[chessiegal]

Lura, he's definitely a keeper. We went to the gym this morning, and this afternoon I made a big batch of ratatouille for a snack before dinner and to freeze for the future. My keeper of a husband said it was his best Thanksgiving ever.

 

Wishing all my Ina friends a Happy Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season.

[vera charles]

My mom, my sister and I all cooked at my mom's house. I did the turkey using a Robert Irvine recipe that had onion, carrot, celery, an orange and an apple inside the turkey, plus a stick of butter and chopped fresh herbs under the skin and all over the outside. Delicious! I made the gravy and fresh Brussels sprouts - I got them at the farmer's market Wednesday and they had just been picked that day. My sister made the stuffing and the sweet potatoes. My mom made the mashed potatoes and cole slaw. We had ten people, all over age 20, and now we have a ton of leftovers. My husband's favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the cold turkey sandwiches the day after, so today is his day!

[Lura]

Chessiegal, thank you for your warm wishes.  I wish the same to you and to the friends I've made here.  Which reminds me -- when I was counting my blessings, I forgot to include everyone on this board.  I think that if anyone left this board, it would diminish the board greatly because everyone is so kind, giving and helpful.  What a great group this is!

 

Vera Charles, I loved reading about your Thanksgiving. Your turkey sounded wonderful with all of those fruits and herbs.  I'm going to have to remember Robert Irvine's recipe next year.  I'm trying to remember where you live to have a farmer's market available at this time of the year.  The FN or the CC was educating us yesterday about all of the vitamins and other healthy things found in Brussels sprouts. 

 

We really lucked out this year and had the best Thanksgiving food we've ever had..  Every dish came out tasting like it was made in a four-star restaurant, thanks mostly to the help from my wonderful DH.  He is always so willing to chip in and help me.  Our day was marred, though, when he came down with the flu the night before and didn't have much of an appetite, or so he said, but I noticed that he ate everything on his plate.  We had an organic chicken (his preference), and he brined it first.  It made a world of difference in the moistness and flavor.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Lura

[Lura]

Did anyone happen to read what the Obamas were eating for their Thanksgiving dinner?  I thought it all sounded good, but I thought one traditional food was missing.  (BTW, the President pays for the dinner out of his own pocket, a tradition.)  Do you see anything usually on your table that the Obamas didn't have on their menu?

 

thyme roasted turkey

honey baked ham

cornbread stuffing

oyster stuffing

braised winter greens

macaroni and cheese

sweet potato gratin

mashed potatoes

green bean casserole

dinner rolls

pie:  banana cream

        coconut cream

        pumpkin

        apple

        pecan

        cherry

Edited November 28, 2014 by Lura