I hope I'll be forgiven for yet another off topic post...but since I'll be gone for a month, I thought I'd take a chance ;-)

How did you do with your Thanksgiving feast ??

I was sending good wishes your way. It can be such an intimidating meal.

I think I was in my late 30's before I actually did the meal. And although I read all the recipes, I had a great problem in understanding the anatomy of the bird. Breast side up ? OK...but now that the bird is dismembered, where IS the breast ? Now that some cooks advise breast side down, I could have saved some stress and some *turkey walking* in the kitchen.

When my masterpiece was finally ready to be presented (and can you imagine that I was going to carve ? ) my elder daughter informed me that I needed a "hair dryer" to accomplish the task. With a typical holiday smile on my face, I said "WHAT" ??

Grandad always uses a hair dryer....or in an adult frame of reference, an electric knife.

Since then, I've learned the anatomy of a turkey, but still resist the "hair dryer". I now make reservations !

I do hope your meal was a success !

Will your Christmas meal be prime rib and Yorkshire pudding ? I'm better at that !

Marion

Marion,

The feast went well, thank you for asking. I bought a turkey from honeybaked ham (because I get sick thinking of the inside of a turkey). I made mashed potatoes, asparagus, cranberry blackberry & blueberry salad, bruschetta, gravy, and an apple pie. It tasted very good and I am happy to report that it wasn't too overwhelming.

I don't know what's on the menu for Christmas. Probably a ham from Honeybaked Ham! I wanted to do filet mignon for Thanksgiving, but my husband didn't want to part from the traditional fare.

Have a wonderful time in Jamaica! Are you renting a villa? How exciting!

Congratulations on your success !!

I'm actually staying at three different houses. Two, outside of MBJ, rented through Linda Smith.

My last two weeks, including Christmas, will be in Treasure Beach, at one of the properties that Tiverton represents.

If you really want to explore Jamaica and I know your husband is wary...communicate with Tiv. He will guide you wisely.

And just another "shameless plug" for him....I have never had such personal attention and concern for *my* needs/wishes than I have with Tiverton.

He gives wonderful advice and it should be clear to all who have been reading here for awhile, that he understands and responds to individual concerns.

ENJOY your holiday ! Honeybaked Ham is one of my favorites...no worries about anatomy with a ham

Marion

Mah,
The Blueberry,Blackberry,and Cranberry salad sounds good.

My dad made a cranberry type salad that was wonderful..it was made with fresh cranberries,walnuts,pecans,oranges,and a little lemon juice..very good.

I don't care for the traditional canned cranberry sauce.

Glad to hear that your meal turned out good!

Christie

Marion,

It sounds like you have quite a month ahead of you. What an exciting adventure. I wish that we could be going on an adventure too but this hurricane situation has been the unfortunate adventure of a lifetime.

I'm actually starting to consider going back to school at Tulane for a year to get my L.L.M. with a tax emphasis so it would be easier for us to move out-of-state and I could focus on practicing in the Estate Planning area of law. We are getting very frustrated with the snail's pace of recovery here and it might be good to get away for several years. We're considering Nashville, Charleston (my birth place), Richmond, the NC research triangle area, and Birmingham. My husband practices in the corporate defense area right now so he would have to find a job elsewhere too.

We're going to make the decision soon and see what happens. It's just amazingly frustrating so we're going to take the situation in our own hands.

Christie- the mixed fruit salad was very easy to make. I mixed fresh cranberries (I disliked canned ones too) with blackberries and blueberries, and added a cup of sugar. Bake at 300 for an hour. Right before serving add 2 1/2 tbsp. of brandy. I think it would make an excellent filling for a shortcake cup with whipped cream or ice cream on top.

mah1980
Best of luck with your endeavors!!! I can't even imagine the frustration you are going through now. Life does have a way of getting quickly back on track for those that strive for it. Keep a positive attitude a do what you have to do.

Mah,
Thanks for the recipe..very easy!

We live near the Research triangle area..so if you move to the area..maybe we could both make the next NC fodorites GTG!

It is a growing area right now.My husband is an Electrical Contractor and stays very,very busy.

I'm sure that we could use a few more attorneys in the area!..who knows..my husband might could use your husbands services in the future.

Take care and good luck with the decision on where to move.

Christie