Busy Saturday

Pre-Thanksgiving.  We’re not even having the family here but are going on a five-hour drive to see everyone in my husband’s clan.  I was up cooking at 6:00 a.m. and running laundry.  We had a ton of errands today and hopefully I’ll get everything done before we leave perhaps Wednesday afternoon (only if we can beat the traffic) or early Thursday morning.

Zoe scratched the top of the leather console in our “new” car after I told her to stay in the back and she moved to the second seat, then the front.  Bad girl.  That gave me license to get the dog barrier to keep her in the back, and spend nearly as much on an orthopedic bed for her new area.  I hope she likes her first long trip in it – she is a great car dog except when she thinks we’re leaving her.

So at 6:00 a.m. I made spicy almonds and cashews (look it up for the link on my site, they wouldn’t let me print it nearly 20 years later), spinach balls and a cranberry/orange/ginger compote that is way too tangy for these southern taste buds.  I’ll have to heat it up and add more sugar.

Last weekend Jim bought me a real “torch” for sugar and other work in the kitchen.  So today we went to pricy Sur La Table and in five minutes I spent enough for the day.  Two non-stick tart pans for quiche at Jim’s mother’s next weekend; ramekins for creme brulee; two lions-head French onion soup bowls (there’s a story, if you don’t already know it); and Jim wanted two ceramic spoons ostensibly for soup, but who knows.

Guest chef CJ served individual omelets for brunch in our community kitchen today.  All the floors are torn up, another Ike victim.  But after losing Mom and everything, it was good to see people again and we made the best of it.

I’m trying to get ready for a cooking class for a couple of teenage cousins post-Thanksgiving and work on a number of other things.  I probably won’t be writing as much but you’ll be involved in family preparations and will not be reading as much!

I wish you a happy, heart-felt Thanksgiving.  We will join over fifty of Jim’s relatives this year with three new babies and at least one new pup.  Whatever happens, it will be an interesting day.  This is my seventh year at this Thanksgiving and I always thank Nanny and Ann and all the others who make it happen.

Cheers, Dee