Modern Vespa

Jeebus. There is a lot of work going on at Chez Jess. I doubt the effort at the KBBQ will be as exhaustive and exhausting.

Thanksgiving in Pismo. 71 degrees tomorrow.

Stock is done. I'm left with a nice pot of golden liquid, ready to be skimmed. I might go back and re-do the roux with the turkey fat, on the theory that if you have to add fat to gravy (and you most certainly do), it might as well be turkey-flavored fat.

Roux II - Electric Boogaloo

This one is made with the turkey fat I skimmed from the stock, plus just a pinch of butter.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication....

Your Mom must have been as lovely as you are. The apple never falls too far for the tree no matter which way the wind is blowing. That being said my Mom was loving but sort of absent. I had to share my love with the nanny. Mother was all about cooking though and always fretting about my Dad putting more fire in the wood stove too soon. Of course Dad never listened to her so she kept switching the pots and pans around the top of the stove for temperature control. We had a gas stove but in the Winter the wood stove was our main source of heat. Oh good times those were!

That's so sad!

Show up at my house tomorrow anytime after 2 and we will stuff you with turkey. All the cool kids will be there.

And the not-so-cool.

Award winning.

"My wife will do the green bean casserole by herself"

Explains why I thought it might be more than soup base. Which, after 38 thanksgivings, I've just been informed is something the lovely misses. I find it so easy...seems if there's a pile in the yard, I'm certain to step in it.

"They" are having a "non-traditional" thanksgiving, whatever the hell that is.

I am have a traditional thanksgiving.....alcohol and football.

I suspect this Thanksgiving has elements for being the worst ever. My brother's fiance is in a non-responsive coma after an automobile accident yesterday. We are awaiting word of her passing. Their wedding is scheduled for June after living together for over 18 months.

Dinner will be smoked turkey, spiral honey ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, cranberry relish, potatoes au gratin, garlic roasted brussel sprouts, salad, fruit salad, rolls and whatever other side dishes my other brother and his wife are bringing. Deviled eggs, salami, cheese, fruit tray, veggie tray, pickles, olives crackers for appetizers/munchies. Pumpkin cupcake, cake and ice cream for dessert.

Leftover will follow for days.

Edit: My brussel sprouts are oven roasted with olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, then tossed with salt and pepper. Even folks who don't like them normally do seem to like mine if they can be convinced to actually try them. Much better than a green been casserole.

Oh cdwise that's so terribly sad
My best to your family at this awful
time for you

Actually, I'll be avoid cooking altogether. We have reservations at Claim Jumper, and they make the best turkey dinner ever! 8)

Well it was meant to be funny, not sad.

Anyhoo, thnx for the invite. Alas, I have a date with the desert - going to beta-test a variable regulator on the flamethrower. 80+ psi - yeah babe!

Ooh Fire!

Dessert is done. All of the fruit was grown within 15 miles of our house.

nice cutting board

Thanks. It's a butcher block island I made.

Somebody mentioned bacon earlier...





And no, that's not our turkey wrapped up like that.

A friend sent me the pic because he's evil that way.

Thanks, got word she passed at 2 today with her mother at her bedside. My brother so far is holding up better than I would have thought but he's focusing on how his daughters will take the news when they return from their maternal grandmothers after the holiday. Hug your loved ones.

Our house is the big old house with the big old dining room big enough to seat the whole extended family. For years then, Thanksgiving and other large family get-togethers were held at our place.

With all but one of our parents now passed and our kids on their own, with work and travel restrictions that don't always allow for Thanksgiving travel (it came down to getting time off for Thanksgiving or Christmas...They chose Christmas), it was downsized this year to me, the wifey, my mother, and a cousin.

And a Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel.
Which turned out to be a damn fine meal, prepared nicely.
Even the coffee was good.

And among so many things to be thankful for (regardless of my frequent submissions to the "pissed off" topic), my wife was very thankful she was able to relax and enjoy a good Thanksgiving meal that she didn't have to cook. 8)

Got everything to the table, almost warm.

Conspicuously absent in that picture are the rolls.

Did the dog under the table get at them?

You did say traditional.

Please pass the chocolate what's it.

Nice work on the turducken!

Gratzie mille. We had 11 people and a 15 lbs. bird. We have a third of it left.

I was quite impressed with the table at your place.

Happy Thanksgiving. .

And now the traditional day-after activity:

Very nice table set up KT! Everything sparkles.

P.S. I just had turkey for breakfast for the first time in my life. Delish!

So sorry to hear of this CD! Really terrible. My condolences to your brother, your family and hers.

CD so sorry about his loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you guys. Around the holidays is worse IMHO Hang in there.

Belkwinith and Judy,

It is hitting my brother very hard. I don't think his daughters (previous marriage but very attached to Lauren who was also their coach) have taken it in yet. I'm really wishing I had spent more time getting to know her better but I thought there would be plenty of time since I enjoyed her company and thought she brought out the best in my brother.

Thank you

See, your brussel sprouts LOOK good to me. I like cabbage. I am a fan of almost anything cooked with bacon or ham or pancetta. And STILL, I just cannot stand the sprouts - I tried them again at dinner Thursday, cause my nephews love sprouts, and I will try ANYTHING for those boys. (Weird eaters - cannot tell you how often the last few years I have made broccoli cheese soup or mushroom pizza for breakfast). Kat, my sister, I'm sure makes them very tasty - I just can't get behind sprouts or apricots. Only fruits and vegetables I don't eat. Yuck.

Lovely Thanksgiving weekend here, hope everyone else had the same.

I've yet to fail to convert a nonbeliever. Everyone who has tried them, even the people who hate brussels sprouts, have become believers. I've even taught some other people to make the dish the way I do, and they've gone off and converted more nonbelievers.

Eventually, we will conquer the world.

Challenge accepted.

I have been a confirmed hater of brussel sprouts since childhood, but my wife loves them and it is a point of friction between us (is it just me, or is this starting to sound like a Dear Abby column).

If you have shared your recipe for preparing them in your special way, please point me to it. If not, please share it here with enough detail to make it virtually idiot proof.

I will do just about anything for my wife, but so far this has been beyond my reach.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Barfing in Bethlehem

Don't leave home w/o it!

Nevada cranberries? Radioactive?