Reporting back from Thanksgiving
I’m back home at last. Being away was a nice respite, but I kept wondering what was going on in the world (with only a hard copy of the NY Times to tell me!) and I kept wondering what was going on with the blog. And I even managed the feat of passing the entire three days without getting caught up in any political discussions.
For Thanksgiving itself, there was a very large organic turkey and a very small wild turkey with the usual tasty accompaniments, and a few unusual ones as well. My favorite was a mashed potato and roasted celery root dish, which sounds awful but was unbelievably good—and I don’t even like mashed potatoes. But when I looked at the recipe, I saw that it was helped along to deliciousness by a vast quantity of butter and heavy cream.
To me, Thanksgiving just isn’t complete without that biggest gut-buster of them all, pecan pie. But it was decreed by those in charge this year that pecan pie tends to do people in, and so it was taken off the list. Somehow, we managed to make do with an apple pie, a trifle, and two chocolate dishes (alas, off-limits to me; you can find the sad story here).
It was good seeing the family. My nearly-96-year-old mother was there, sprung from her assisted living facility for the occasion. She’s quieter than before, and has lost weight recently, but she still manages to play a mean game of boggle.
When I went out for my walk, I was told that I had to wear something bright to avoid getting shot by hunters. I ended up wearing both of these at once, a symphony in red and orange:
I’m tired—but happy to have gone, and happy to be home again.
glad your back. Climategate will be even more fun now!
Neo said, “But when I looked at the recipe, I saw that it was helped along to deliciousness by a vast quantity of butter and heavy cream.”
Just amazing! Who would have thought butter and heavy cream could make such a difference? Hah!
Welcome back. As you no doubt already know, Climategate or Climaquiddick, depending on one’s preference, is still a non-story in the Lame Stream Media. There is, however, an interesting article written in Fall 2007 edition of 21st Century Science and Technology that purports to shed some light on the history of how the left got the idea of using climate science to scare we, the sheeple. I found it interesting and was not very shocked to see some of the names involved. Read it here:
http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/Articles%202007/GWHoaxBorn.pdf
Woof! (“Welcome back!”)
Glad you made it back and didn’t get mistaken for a deer. 🙂
I bet you’d like MY mashed potatoes. I cook them (and pretty much everything) from scratch. Of course, they too are helped along by a vast quantity of good butter and heavy whipping cream. 🙂
Whew. Needed my fix.
I once was backpacking with some friends and none of us were wearing bright clothing as the area was not designated for hunting…
A few miles in we had to turn and go in a different direction because we heard shots and saw a hunter in the distance.
The shots did not come in our direction.
We had ham. My daughters don’t like Turkey.
My sweetie told me she is getting Ted Kennedy’s book. 🙁 My one sentence reply was I’m reading Sarah’s book (and then I smiled warmly)
Welcome back. Everything is better with butter and cream. I, too am looking forward to your points on Climate-gate.
As for Baklava, above, sounds like you need to re-edumacate your sweetie….or is sshe just researching the “why”?
😉
Powerline’s KSM post part 4
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/11/025038.php
Steve,
She says she voted for Obama. She is completely unaware of an alternative press and alternative viewpoints other than what the local news presents except for things I forward and that she “has” the time to read.
I give her an article every other week (two per month) and have played the “respect” card with regards to those emails. She loves and responds to all my emails except those – which she is too busy for.
I say it doesn’t feel right that the time isn’t taken. That it is a personal interest of mine and that I take the time to listen and respond to entertainment news with her. (never have been interested in reading or seeing anything Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt until now)
I see it as non-interest. What she is interested in is not policy or liberalism versus conservatism. She is interested in the celebrity – the man – Ted Kennedy and his highly public family. She is interested in anybody who is very public. She wants to get a feel for their family life and the relationships…..
You may try to avoid being taken for a deer but you will always be dear to us.
Sounds like research to me. If she makes any money at all, she’ll get real interested, real soon.
Good luck and Regards.
I’m envious of those genes from your mother’s side of the family. May you enjoy a long life as well.
I haven’t even thought of pecan pie till you mentioned it. Now I gotta go rustle one up.
I spent the holiday encouraging liberals I know to be one with nature by donning buckskin and antlers and roaming the woods.
My wife, rest her soul, bought an older cook book (Toll House?) at some fair. She was a cook book junky and would occasionally follow one of their recipes, to my delight. The first chapter of this cook book was devoted to BUTTER and how it was absolutely essential for flavor. IT’S TRUE.
Glad you had a fun Thanksgiving. Same old, same old in the real world, except that the NYT had an article critical of the capabilities of the Obama WHite House staff to handle foreign affairs. They let the big guy off the hook and put the blame on the putz. I got a great laugh out of that.
3 days without getting into political discussion once? That’s heroic. No wonder you’re tired. I would be exhausted.
Glad you’re back!
Re: J.J. formerly Jimmy J.:
November 29th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Hi J.J. That was a very interesting PDF. Didn’t have time to read the whole thing now, but have it bookmarked to digest later.
Always glad to see your comments here and elsewhere.
There isn’t much that butter and heavy cream can’t make better. Except maybe bacon. Perfection doesn’t need help.
Bacon, butter, cream and pecan pie. This post and comment thread should have a warning across the top for Michael Bloomberg.
What a wonderful group of politically incorrect gourmets we have here.
My husband worked really hard this year to perfect his Grandmothers pecan pie recipe that was never written down and was learned from her mother. We recently got his grandmother to tell us the recipe. Unfortunately for us, she had never actually measured anything and had a “secret ingredient” that she added. By the time we were trying to get the recipe, she had forgotten what that “secret ingredient” was.
This year, he finally figured out the secret ingredient and made some stellar pies. Yes, we are writing it down.
I just love a man who can cook!!
Was it cloves Army Mom?
I have a spiced nut recipe that nobody guesses that one ingredient.
of course they guess the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg etc.
But they always think there is egg or butter and there isn’t. You just carmelize the sugar mixture on the stove and stir in the nuts and then separate on wax paper. So easy.
If anybody wants exact amounts – let me know.
@Cappy — Hahahaha!!
@Army Mom — well????? what’s the secret ingredient?
After we finally found my step-sister’s house, we had a wonderful time. They have a pecan orchard, so there were pecan pies.
And caramel pie, apple pie, chocolate pie, carrot cake, Italian cream cake…
… fried turkey, roast chicken, ham, dressings, sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole, broccoli salad, corn casseroles, green beans, spinach salad, mashed potatoes…
And I’m still full.
No Jello? 🙂
It sounds like a wonderful holiday. You deserve it!
Let’s all pray for the people of Honduras, whose elections are today.
I think all that red buffalo plaid and bright orange must have clashed dreadfully with the green apple.
But we are glad you are home and unshot!
I have on occasion run across fellow hunters who would probably use the red or orange clothing as a targeting aid. A very small minority, to be sure, but they’re out there. These are the guys we used to call “cityboy hunters”, who had expensive hunting gear but still thought alcohol and firearms were a good mix, who walked to their deer stands with a round in the chamber and the safety off, and who couldn’t keep their fingers off the trigger. In other words, a hunting accident waiting to happen. Glad you didn’t run across any of these bozos.