So...whats for dinner?

Debbie, thanks for the interesting research on Italians and cole slaw. Who knew??!!! Now we do!

Sounds like everyone had bountiful Thanksgiving dinners. Susan I hope it went well for your mom. I'm sure just being with her "kids" was comforting.

Last night, had a long chat with my sister who remained in VT for the holiday and improvised a turkey dinner with the use of her only appliance, a microwave. Stove is yet to arrive to the barn/house. I had been arranging to have dinner sent to her, but ascetic that she is, she would not allow for that. I am glad that she is at least getting settled in a toasty warm way in "barney" (love that she named her barn house....and that was the name of our first dog as children), and is doing well, with the help of local contractors doing some much needed repairs. Amazing hardy woman! I am thankful that she is doing well...and living her dream.

DH and DS2 have left for their annual "frostbite golf date" with our friend and his son, a peer of DS2. I drive down later to meet up with DH and our friends and we head out to dinner in their South Shore town which has many new restaurants. I am hoping for a small portion of salmon after all we ate yesterday. Will let you know. Off to the treadmill.....

I do think the potato flakes will work. I'm thinking the potato starch would work too, maybe even better.  I often freeze potato water so I usually have some on hand. Works quite nicely as well.

I hate all the Christmas ads and use the mute button quite freely.

The pictures have arrived. For some reason, the pre-dinner nibbles didn't warrant a picture, so I have no salmon pinwheels to show you. The turkey is smoked using cherry wood. This year Mr. 02143 used his new workshop in the basement as "command central" and that is where the turkey went to rest before carving.

Here is the buffet. I gave up on passing food around the table years ago. Please note Lacey, the turkey plates. These were my great-grandmother's and were passed to me the third year that I made T-Day dinner for the family. My father hated to send them away.

And finally, the infamous pumpkin roll with the more traditional pies. My daughter makes the pies. She is really good at it!

*susan*

Beautiful!

My sister cooked a Turkey and all the trimmings for her sons and since she lives with me they ate here. All I cooked was the pie but still can eat her leftovers. This is my nephew Richie, he surprised her for Thanksgiving.

Great plates, Susan! And sumptuous buffet! Kudos to the turkey carver who can get such a perfect presentation. Impressive!

Love the pie pictures, too...

Tonight we ate at a restaurant in Hingham (Square Cafe). I had a multicolored beet salad with arugula, pecans and blue cheese molded into a circle form, then a lovely duck breast with winter squash cubes and haricot verts in a tasty citrus sauce. It was all really good. Had dessert at our friends' since she had a lot of pie leftover...I had a sliver of chocolate cream, as well as a sliver of a cake-like apple/ cranberry pie that was really delicious. Worth the extra miles of walking it off tomorrow.

I am going to sound like a tech idiot - but I can't post my pictures.  I used to do it by uploading them to shutterfly but I can't copy them anymore.  How are you guys posting them?

Yay!  It worked!  Here is my pumpkin cake - it has pumpkin chiffon-like frosting, caramel sauce and candied pecans.  I tried it out at our Tampa BCO ladies lunch and it was enjoyed, so I made it in place of the dreaded pumpkin roll - there was no swearing!

Wow - delicious looking (especially that pumpkin cake!)

Special, What a beautiful "spread" and that cake does look very special. I might also add, your kitchen is beautiful as well!

Moon, DD2 Loosing ALL your white meat leftovers seems very unfair indeed. On the other hand, having T-Day with your family might be worth the loss of turkey.

Debbie, how are you doing?

*susan*

Guys, this is food porn!

So far, none of my food is worth taking a picture of. Our meal is today, so things aren't cooked yet, but the things I have done ahead have been problematic. I made pie crusts ahead of time and froze some. When I was taking one out I dropped it and it cracked. It wouldn't repair easily so the apple pie is ugly. I decided to make pecan bars because one of my guests loves it, but that crust was too small so the filling leaked out underneath the crust. Now they have filling on top and bottom. I had one for breakfast. Interesting. I scraped the filling off the bottom but they're a sticky mess. The pumpkin pie looks good, but who know what surprises are inside given the way everything else has gone.

The food spreads look delicious and magazine worthy. Food porn is right Nancy. Love the dishes and kitchens. Special - does the cake need refrigeration?

Susan - what is the turkey pattern? I had a wonderful time looking at vintage turkey plate images on Google. Wish I could justify turkey dishes but alas just not enough family.

Monica - I can identify (well more like DD can) with the no turkey. I opened a foil packet thought to contain green beans; no it was DD's turkey - she got the green beans.

DB and sis--in-law and I were talking about jello salad DM used to make - black cherry jello, cream cheese balls, green olives, bing cherries, pecans. I don't seem to have the recipe but then I didn't look very hard. All agreed the recipe is better left lost. Lol.

Those are some hefty kitchen shears! Not to mention a giant roasting rack. Yes food porn. She looks like she has boobies.

I have a frozen whole chicken somewhere - buried deep in the chest freezer. I think I need to do this with her next week when we get cold again.

loving all these pictures and posts!

That is one handsome bird! What happens when it isn't naked? Does s/he get butter, herbs, oil, salt, pepper? Living vicariously here in 02143.

*susan*