Thanksgiving wind down

After a wonderful 3 days with my girls, I'm winding down....back to soapmaking, laundry and cooking with something other than turkey.

It's not just about the food....

I'm making a traditional T-Day dinner. Both daughters will be here. Something that doesn't happen very often.

Sometimes Sarah and I plan special gourmet sides for dinner, but we've both been too busy to think about menu. So......I'm making a simple meal with family favorites from years past. Way past.

Like date nut bread. Mom's recipe. Served with cream cheese and jam.

We always served the cream cheese in this dish. This little octagon beauty was used only for that purpose as long as I can remember. I only use it for that, too.

One 8 oz. block of Philadelphia brand NO LOW FAT PLEASE!...with a jar of jam poured on top. Has to be homemade. Has to be strawberry. I made the jam last night...with berries we picked in June and crushed and froze just for this purpose.

Then there's the pie...in my mom's glass pie plate...
I love that pie plate. Browns the bottom crust so nicely. (Yes that's the jam behind)

So, here's the menu:

One 16 lb. farm raised turkey from the CSA.
Stuffing with sausage and apple
Mashed potatoes (with roasted garlic)
Candied Sweet with Marshmallows on top
Brussels Sprouts (from the CSA)
Date Bread/Cream Cheese/Jam
Apple Cranberry Crisp and Pumpkin Pie

Now we just need the airlines to cooperate. Jess flew from Atlanta to Detroit at 7:30 this AM. Was suposed to be in White Plains at noon. Now her flight is delayed and we're hoping she'll arrive at 3 PM.

Good thing we don't eat until 6 or 7...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE !

Any Mah Jongg players out there?

Some (my husband) would say I was addicted to Mah Jongg.

I just like the game.

It's challenging, social and fun!

So, my friend Barbara (who likes Mah Jongg at least as much as I do) and I, have become the Mah Jongg Doctors: DR, that is, for Dellon and Ryhanen.

check out our new blog if you're so inclined: MahJonggDoctors

We've got lots of stuff in the works.

63 degrees/Nov. 15

and Clarisse decides to sun herself on the top of the grill.

What a life.....she is SO good at relaxing.

I wish it were summer again.

a minimilast dessert

From Mark Bittman a Maple Pear Upside-Down Cake.

Slice pears over the syrup base.


make a simple butter cake batter to spread on top.


Bake and then invert on a large plate.


Voila! My friends last night enjoyed it.

Guess who's coming to dinner

there you are Clarisse....all comfy in my bedroom chair.

But soon Nea will be here...with her friend Siouxsie.

Where will you go then??

Pie Photos

I baked this in my favorite little 8" pie plate.....so it almost popped it's top in the oven.



It came down a bit as it cooled...but the curds on top were a bit chewy....I liked them that way.
Go ahead...make one!

Cottage Cheese Pie

Why did folks start making pie out of cottage cheese? Did they have a surplus?
In my family we made it. I don't know why. But think how healthy it must be.

I had a small frozen bit of pie crust and an abundance of cottage cheese. It was 3 / $5 at the store the other day..and I like cottage cheese. I often eat it for breakfast with fruit.

So, off to make the pie.

here's the stuff you need:

1. 2T. flour
2. 3/4 c. sugar
3. 1 tsp. cinnamon
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 cup cottage cheese
6. 2/3 c. milk
7. 2 T. melted butter or cream
8. 1 unbaked pie shell
9. nutmeg

And here's what I do. In a 4 cup glass measure I mix 1, 2, and 3. Add # 4 and beat it all up.
Stir in # 5, 6 and 7. Pour into #8 and sprinkle with #9.

Bake as a custard pie. How's that? I put it in a 350 oven and check it after 30 min.
If a knife comes out clean, it's done. Cool and enjoy! Photos later.

Manhattan Mah Jongg!

The big tournament was today. 24 games of MahJongg with brunch and lots of fun. My first time at a tournament...but not my last.

It began at 10 AM at One If By Land, Two If By Sea in the West Village. What a lovely restaurant. Great service and food, too.

It was organized by Shelley and Brian of Manattan Mah Jongg. That's Brian and I before the games begin.

We played with some hard core players from New Jersey, Long Island and Manhattan....I didn't win any prizes, but was able to hold my own, and had a great day.

Our parting gift was a soap made to look like a white dragon...which is also called 'soap' Imagine my surprise to find that it was made by my colleage Patricia Robbins of Sea Blossom Soaps.