Early Christmas

I was very pleased with my newest son-in-law last night. Jim is a very sensible, meat and potatoes kind of guy, and last night he was stuck in a room full of foodies. So many of our gifts to each other had to do with food and cooking. Lynn made homemade pestos for all of us. Mine were sun-dried tomato and cilantro-parsley. Delicious - I am spreading some right now on the last of Susan's rolls. She (Susan) gave me a jar full of teeny-tiny little jars of saffron threads, packed so they would only be opened as you needed them. Linda brought her fresh apple cake for our dessert. I gave Jim a jar of special cocoa mix for the mugs I gave to him and Susan, and she was delighted with the coffee spoons seasoned with dark chocolate and various coffee flavorings, to stir her coffee (from one of those new mugs). I filled her request, and gave them all more jars of my home-mixed herb blends, which I started last Christmas, and Susan said were almost used up. I made soup mixes for Linda and Clint.

Lynn gave out a delightful cackle when Chris, who was opening the package, read out my tag identifying the no-fish dinner plates. She knew immediately what I meant.

I fixed the Real Simple magazine recipe for Roast Turkey with Sage and Orange Gravy from their 2003 Thanksgiving issue. I cooked it that year, and liked it so much it has replaced the old traditional one:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/roast-turkey-sage-orange-gravy-10000000524253/index.html

but made Mom's dressing - it goes back for several generations. Mom updated it a little when she learned that Corn-kits cornbread tasted just like her old recipe. I left out the apple this time, and the chicken gizzards, since I wasn't making giblet gravy.



Lynn made Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Sweet potatoes with scallions and bacon - yum. Jim told Lynn he wasn't even going to try the Brussels Sprouts. She said she forgave him.

I love feeding people. If we could eat in cyberspace, I would fix a dinner for all of you. I would include a veggiechicken meatloaf for Alice, and get Lynn's recipe for Bubble and Squeak for those of you from across the pond, and find out what else everybody liked, and we would have a banquet in my dining area.

Love you all,

Ann

12/22/2009

Ann..

Love the Turkey recipe and corn bread
recipe, have to try them, I'm keeping them on
my favorites....Thanks..

Cheers..Joe