Thanksgiving 2024 - Sweet Potatoes, Fruit Salad, and Dinner On the Table

 Thursday,  November 28, 2024

I got the sweet potatoes ready while the turkey was in the oven. I halved the recipe on the can.  

Ingredients: 1 29 oz can of sweet potatoes; 1 egg; 1/4 cup milk; 3/4 cups brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract;  1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. 

Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees; spray 9x9 in baking pan with Pam; mix ingredients in large bowl; add marshmallows on top. just before baking; bake 30-35 minutes and then take out of oven and let rest for 10 minutes

Mom arrived around 2:00 and Dale got the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes while I entertained her.  He got the sweet potatoes in the oven by 2:10 so they could be out by 2:45 and rest for 10 minutes. 

At 2:30 I got the fruit salad together. Easy to make. Two cans of mixed fruit with whipped cream. Dale got gravy ready using the giblets I cut up. He also got the stuffing ready.

Dinner was on the table by about 3:10 and it was delicious.

Dale seems to think I do a great job carving the turkey. I feel like I'm hacking away with an ax to the carcass but I guess I do okay since there's barely any meat on it when I'm finished. There's gotta be a youTube video out there that shows the most efficient and perfect way to cut it up. Maybe I'll look for that sometime. 

Mom brought over a pumpkin pie that some friends from church had made. She said they usually make about 100 pies every year to sell to people for Thanksgiving. It was delicious and one of the better pumpkin pies I've ever had. That's sayin' something cuz I LOVE pumpkin pie. 

She also brought over some port wine. Dale didn't think he'd ever had any before. I poured some for us after the pie. Mom and Dale didn't like it. They said the alcohol level was too hight (turned out it was 20%) and they just didn't like the taste. I thought it was fine but what do I know. 

Can't believe another Thanksgiving has come and gone.

Thanksgiving 2024 - The Turkey Part 2

 Thursday, November 28, 2024

At 11:30 Dale buttered the underside of the turkey. We flipped it over to the other side and moved it to the baking pan and buttered the other side. It sat until noon when Dale put it in the oven at 400 degrees. 

                                                             

Dale put the giblets in water and got them on the oven at medium heat (5.0) at 12:23. He realized he should have gotten them on a little earlier so he turned it up to 7.5.

At 12:30 Dale basted the turkey with white wine and turned the oven down to 350.  He then basted it at intervals of about 20 minutes. 

Just before1:30 we turned the turkey over. 

And basted it again. 

And put it back in the oven. 

When the turkey was back in the oven I went to work on chopping up the giblets. 

I diced it all up. The liver was pretty soft but the heart and gizzard were pretty tough. 

All ready for when Dale makes the gravy. 

Dale took the turkey out right around 2:00 and tented it. We let it rest for an hour. 

Thanksgiving 2024 - Cranberries

 Thursday, November 28, 2024

At 9:40 Dale started the cranberries. He brought 2 cups of water and a half cup of sugar (the recipe on the bag called for 2 cups) to a boil. 

He rinsed off the cranberries...

And by 9:43 added them back to the pot and took the burner temperature from hi to 3.0.

He let them sit for a while but continued to stir them from time to time. 

At 9:55 Dale called me in to taste them to see if they were sweet enough. He had turned the temp up to 4.0. At first I thought they might need a little more sugar but as I let them sit on my tongue a little longer I decided they were just right. 

At 10:02 Dale scooped them out of the pot.

They stayed out until they came down to room temperature and then we put them in the fridge.

Fall Golden Hour Kickoff 2024

 Saturday, November 23, 2024

Before dinner cigar.

Before dinner cocktail. 

Dale's famous baked pasta and broccoli.

We watched Desk Set. Cozy night in.

Taking Dale and Mom to Creekside

Mom, Dale and I went out recently to celebrate our birthdays at Creekside Lounge and Supper Club. We were again fortunate to have Rebecca as our server (twice in a row!). We dug right in to the relish tray. Mom mentioned that Baba used to can pickled beets. Dale said they're packed with vitamins and that the pickling process somehow makes them even more nutritious. Being it was Dale's birthday Rebecca (I mentioned it to her while Dale was parking the car) brought each of us some champagne and launched into singing a portion I Get a Kick Out of You by Cole Porter starting with the line, "I get no kick from champagne." The three of us toasted to Dale's birthday but also to mine and Mom's recent birthday's.

I started with an Old Fashioned and Mom and Dale both had some nice red wine.  Rebecca brought us some popovers which were delicious. She told Dale she was taking a survey and asked him, "chocolate or strawberries?" Dale answered, strawberries. 

Mom had a little salad but Dale and I got the soup of the day which was a potato and cauliflower puree with fennel. So delicious. 

For dinner I ordered the spare ribs which came with carrots and loaded (with onions and white cheddar cheese) hash browns. Dale ordered the risotto with chicken. Mom wanted the capellini with shrimp but Dale mentioned that he had it last time and that it might be a little spicy for her taste. Mom asked about it when she ordered and Rebecca said she'd check with Chef Marcus to see if he could accomodate her. He could! He ended up putting on a substitute sauce which was garlicy but otherwise not spicy hot. 

After we were finished with our entrees Rebecca placed a white cake with strawberries in front of Dale. I said, "I guess the survey results are in!" It was so delicious. 

Despite having cake for dessert I still ordered a Pink Squirrel. When I asked Rebecca if there was a song for that she just smiled and said, "you go, squirrel!" However when she brought it she launched a version of the Temptations My Girl but changed it to My Squirrel. Mom, Dale and I talked about the recent visit of Sam and Pete and their families and also quite a bit about Dad. 

So nice to have dinner with two of my most favorite people. Rebecca helped make the evening extra special. 

Brunch at Creekside

Sunday, September 16, 2023

Brunch at Creekside after church this morning.  It was a lovely morning and this is the first time we've sat outside. 

We were fortunate to have Rebecca as our server. She's always a delight. I ordered the prime rib scramble and when she brought me my knife she told me I'd be needing it because there's a lot at steak (get it?). She mentioned that her jokes are like UFOs. They're far out there and they never really land. 

While being seated Dale decided to run off to the restroom and the host told him to enjoy the Patrick Swayze shrine. I told him we were well aware of said shrine and mentioned that one of the last times we were here we sent a spy (we'll call her Jenny) into the ladies room to see if there was anything comparable but that the only thing of note was a chair. The host said he's been pushing for a Molly Ringwald theme. 

Dinner with Sam and His Family

Wednesday, Augsut 16, 2023

Mom, Dale, Sam & Becky & their boys, and Pete  & his kids, along with Becky's cousin Cass, Cass's mother in law, and Cass's daughter Abby, all went out for dinner at Creekside to celebrate their last night in town. Pete's family was with us earlier in the week but they went home Tuesday evening. It's the first time we'dall been together since Dale and I got married in 2014. Wow, nine years. 

I'm having suregery on my foot tomorrow to have my broken fibia fixed. I know that's one of the leg bones but it broke just above the ankle. I'll be getting general anesthesia for the survey but the doctor said I could have one mixed drink the night before. I, not surprisingly, went with the Wisconsin style Old Fashioned.

As we left I noticed a VCR tape of The Three Stooges was playing on the grandma style floor console television set. What a hoot. Outside on Chicago Avenue we all said our goodbyes. It was bittersweet as I think it'll be a long time before all our families reunite again. 

Brunch at Creekside

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Creekside is now offering brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

We were pleased to find this out. 

I started with a Bloody Mary with a beer chaser. They make a good one. Dale had coffee.

We ordered some coffee cake. Quite good. 

I got the prime rib scramble and Dale got the salmon scramble. Also good!

Glad they're offering brunch now.