November 1, 2009
Goodbye Halloween, Hello November!
It is November 1st and our annual cul-de-sac Halloween gathering is behind us. We enjoyed the trick-or-treaters, the costumes and, most importantly, the company of neighbors and friends – complete with a fire pit this year! (Thanks Bill!!). It is now time to move on to Thansgiving preparations…Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday of the year…the emphasis is on family, friends and food. What could be better? There is no stressing about who I need to give gifts to and what the perfect gift is. It is all about giving thanks and appreciating one another. Food is my biggest life passion, and no other holiday allows me to express my genuine appreciation for my family and friends through food than Thanksgiving.
Having stated that I appreciate not having to stress about the gift-giving, I must clarify that Thanksgiving is not a stress-free holiday for me. But it is generally good stress. I am able to challenge myself, try new dishes, make more pies…ah, pies. Have I mentioned that I make multiple pies for Thanksgiving? It began with six pies the first year we hosted Thanksgiving dinner. Crazy, huh? Well, there is a story behind the madness – a madness, by the way, which resulted in TEN pies last year (yes, TEN)! The history in my husband’s immediate family is that his mom has had a houseful at Thanksgiving since before I first began joining in the holiday festivities. She always has at least 10 pies, and last year I believe a record was set: fifteen pies! When I first began ‘negotiating’ with my husband to stay at our house for Thanksgiving (we live in TX, they are in the northeast) the bargaining chip was pies. He finally consented after I agreed I would make six pies to keep the tradition alive. By this point our sons had gotten used to a series of pies and would have been disappointed at the lack of such gluttony. Do we eat all of those pies ourselves? Not really. What has evolved to be known as ‘Black Friday’ to most has become ‘Pie Day’ among many of my friends. Those who join us for dinner on Thanksgiving partake of the pies after dinner, and the next day we pull out the leftovers and invite friends over to share the goodies.
And now it is that time of year once again. I will be planning the Big Meal, the number and types of pies to make, and eagerly awaiting my son’s return from college. I am setting out to document the process I go through each year and welcome anyone who is interested to sit back and enjoy the ride! Bon Appetit!
Posted by the cleansed palate at 11/1/2009 8:25 PM | Add Comment
DAY 2 OF THANKSGIVING PREPARATIONS
There is not a whole lot going on today…I did buy a few staples that will keep until the Big Day…and I will continue to do so to spread the cost out over the month. I usually order my turkey on the first of November, but this year I am contemplating getting my turkey from Whole Foods. In the past I have ordered it from a local meat market. I like to support such specialty businesses when possible; however, I have been less than satisfied with their offerings recently. And the price is significantly higher…
The other ‘complication’ I have this year is I am headed to London with my husband the week after Thanksgiving, so in addition to planning the Big Meal I am trying to have my Christmas shopping finished and the house decorated before we leave. This also means I will need to have my annual fruitcakes made and in the process of ‘marinating’ before we leave for London.
Posted by the cleansed palate at 11/2/2009 8:13 PM | Add Comment