14 Days until T-Day

Thanksgiving is a BIG deal in our house. A friend asked if I would do a blog he could show folks telling about where he disappears to every year. Rather than create yet another blog, I decided to modify this one just a bit for the next couple of weeks and share with you a bit of history and some of this year’s “countdown” activities. Here goes…

Over 30 years ago we got together with some friends and made the menu featured in Gourmet magazine for Thanksgiving. It proved to be so much fun that we’ve been doing it ever since. Most of us like to cook and ALL of us like to eat and socialize and of course critique the menu.

We never know what’s going to be on the menu until the magazine comes out (did you know that Florida usually gets their magazine before New York?). Nor do we know what it will taste like. Who would have guessed the lima bean puree would be an all time favorite or that the 5 rice stuffing would be so bad (memorable though)??!! Regardless of the menu, we ALWAYS have for a fun time.

This year’s menu, once again, does NOT call for mashed potatoes. Gourmet has this “thing” about potatoes – they never put them on the menu. None of us can figure out what that’s all about so we usually add them anyway. Although we generally make everything here, Paul & Inez from Pennsylvania called for a “make ahead” assignment… perhaps the pear-almond cakes?

The “weird” ingredient this year is nigella seeds. As it turns out I have lots of nigella each year in my flower garden as it self-seeds all over the place. Of course all mine have long ago made it to the compost pile. How was I supposed to know that Gourmet had actually decided to EAT them! Who even knew (other than the birds) they were edible?! Luckily, friends in NYC came through (stores down there have been quickly selling out so I guess we’re not the only ones doing this menu).

No, the chickens aren't ours. They belong to our neighbor Joan - Rhode Island Reds those ladies are (aren't they pretty?) and they lay nice brown eggs with gorgeous yellow yolks. Keep your fingers crossed they'll lay enough over the next couple of weeks to provide Joan and us with our T-Day needs!