GIRLS AND GRILLS

A few days before my shopping for festive foods was complete and my guests assembled, I read an article about Thanksgiving in The New Yorker.

The story, by journalist Jane Kramer, shared the trials and tribulations of preparing Thanksgiving dinner in seven countries.

Her most-trying experience, however, was at home in New York City when her stove broke down and she served tuna sandwiches with cranberry sauce to her patient guests.

I felt a certain comradeship with Ms. Kramer last Thursday, when my Weber charcoal grill which appeared to be roasting my family's annual turkey to perfection, suddenly came off its moorings.
The kettle section came off the supports, dumping the bird. Fortunately, my son caught our main dish as we both watched the pan filled with delectable drippings hit the patio.

Dinner was only slightly delayed as the turkey finished cooking in our indoor oven. The necessity of lingering over the beet/watercress/arugula/avocado salad gave everyone time to share their favorite Thanksgiving disaster stories.(Jonathan, Karen, Chris, Ev)

Each year, our dinner features old favorites and a few new offerings on a theme-- such as France, Hawaii, Cajun country and Italy. This year Buenos Aires provided the inspiration for empanada appetizers, chorizo stuffing (we had traditional kind, too) and dulce de leche cookies.Fresh herbs --parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, par-cel, and mint -- from our garden went into several dishes and also appeared as colorful nibble-if-you-like garnishes.

(Renita's back in her seat!)

There was much to be thankful for-- good friends, good health, and good food.

(Claire, Rachel, David, Fred and grandma Ruth)

Belgium, our golden retriever, had his own party and guests.(Belgium, his brother Ike and Ike's adopted sister Belle)

Belle and Ike thank Lorna for the extra trimmings on their evening meals. Even though they missed out on the pumpkin and pecan pie...

Fruit membrillo (guava paste confection)...

Grandma Ruth's famous cookies...And dulce de leche alfajores (sandwich cookies with caramel filling).
I hope your Thanksgiving was equally sweet.
Barbara

THE TABLES ARE SET

The tables are set, the shopping done, and the pie crusts in their pans. Here's my menu...

THANKSGIVING ITALIA 2008

OPENERS:
* Gingered Almonds

* Cheese and Crackers

* Fried Polenta with Assorted Toppings

* Antipasto

MAIN COURSE:
* Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing, Gravy & Fresh Cranberry Relish

* Grilled Italian tofu

* DIY Caesar Salad (Caesar dressing, oil & vinegar dressing, shredded cheese, anchovies & croutons)

* Neapolitan Mushroom ragout

* Baked Artichokes

* Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Sauce

* Baked White Potatoes

DESERTS:
* Pumpkin Pie

* Pecan Pie with cookie crust

* Dairy Free Sweets (arriving with guests from NYC)

* Choco Espresso Beans, Nonpareils & Figs

* Port & Chocolate liqueur

Tomorrow, the lactose-intolerant, vegetarians and omnivores will arrive!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Boo!

Not to be outdone by Sydney's cats...
Belgie put on his favorite handknit scarf to wish all of his friends in Bloglandia a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Please help yourself to some Trick or Treat candy.

AUTUMN OBSERVATIONS

When the temperature drops into the 50s in New York City (where I grew up), autumn is welcomed with really chic sweaters.

When the temperature dips into the 60s in Virginia (where I now live), fall’s arrival is heralded by displays of pumpkins and gourds.

When the temperature slides into the 70s in Los Angeles (where I was last week), the change of season is greeted with fire!
Residents in every part of town were hauling home cords of wood for their fireplaces. My son and his friends celebrated with a bonfire on the beach. And, in every backyard and restaurant patio, firepits were burning brightly.

And, once autumn has arrived, Halloween can’t be far behind. Window displays along Abbot Kinney Blvd. were ablaze with SoCal (southern California) flair--and lanterns.

One of my favorite windows was lit with Dutch designer, Tord Boontje’s chandeliers.

Famous for his amazing paper cuttings, Tord also has a line of lighting with Swarovski crystals. You can take a peek at these dazzling designs at Studio Tord Boontje (Slick on projects.)
www.tordboontje.com

Many store displays have Day of The Dead Mexican themes.

Others exhibit sassy style.

And a few aim for tradition with fuzzy spiders!

*** BLOG DU JOUR***
Please welcome new blogger Cheryl of Cheryl’s Fascinating Finds. She’s only posted twice so far, but what an eye for romantic finds!

THE HAUNTED HOUSE

Welcome to Sydney's Haunted House.

Vince will be your guide.
"Hi, I'm Vince. My friend Sydney will go to any length for Halloween. She even asks her husband Gary to "fix" the shutters every October!

Please follow me inside.

Need to sit down and rest for awhile?
As you may have noticed, I'm not a black cat, but there are plenty of those in our home!
This one spooks me and my brother Mo out every time we walk by it.

Mo, however, is planning to fight back with the help of his friend Polly.
Of course, there are lots of other frightening things around the house this time of year...
Hey, Sydney, what happened to those nice candles that are usually on the dining room table?
There's something strange to look at from the ceiling to the floor.

I'll be the first to admit that we have a real bug problem in the house.

But on the plus side, there's lots of stuff a cat can play with.
Think Sydney will notice if a few pieces are missing?
The kitchen is where Sydney really goes wild.
Shrunken houses lights up.
And when you least expect it, stuff turns, twists and makes noise.
Unfortunately, over the years, Sydney's gotten smarter. See these plates of rocks? They used to hold a buffet of Halloween cookies. Come on, can't we go back to edible treats, Sydney?
The birds aren't very tasty either.

But, sometimes, if I'm lucky, Sydney will read me a bedtime story.
No, not that ONE. I want to hear the Cat In The Hat!

Sometimes, I can swipe a bedtime treat.
But, I must admit, it's hard to sleep with all of those twinkling lights.
And, it's easy to think you're having a nightmare!

Even when you're not.

I hope you've enjoyed the tour.
Thanks for coming.
Don't forget to grab a Trick or Treat bag on your way out--if you dare."
BOO!
P.S. I'm rethinking all of my post tabs and will be coming up with a new list over the next few days. Please bear with me.