We are having a very traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We are starting out with a cheese ball and crackers and washing it down with glog- that Swedish drink that warms you to your bones and makes you feel quite happy.
Dinner will be
Turkey, of course
giblet gravy
mashed potatoes
stuffing from a very old recipe
Italian green beans
corn pudding
pumpkin pie

Well, it was indeed a rather large and very fine meal. All the women folk did themselves real proud. I estimate we all had at least a 5,000 calorie blow out! Does Walmart carry xxxxx-large pants?

I watched part of a football game and then took a long nap. Just polished off another piece of pumpkin pie and a cup of coffee.

Will take a quick walk in the swamp as the sunsets and then head back for some leftovers! Making turkey soup in the morning.

Hope you all had a super nice day!

It's only 2:30 here in L.A., so I still have that last pie (one of 6 I made) in the oven. Aside from the usual, Mom always makes chestnut soup for starters from an old recipe she got off Gourmet Magazine years ago, that has become a traditional favorite for our family.

nonasdream and Clifton, you'll be happy to know that Arlo is alive, well and touring the world. We went to his performance in Canberra a few months back - he's backed by his son and another guy and his monologues are screamingly funny, great value for money especially in the small venue we saw him at. Knowing that everyone expected "Alice's Restaurant" we got a bit of it, but not the whole thing by any means.

Neil- Oz as in Australia? Arlo is playing tomorrow night here in the US- I know he must get tired of Alice's, but I was rather hoping to hear the whole thing on the day after TG. How can you do part? What part? What other stuff does he do?

This has been a great week. I decided to save up so that I can take my 2005 trip in-season, so I took this week off to spend in NYC. Is anyone interested in a trip report? I'd post separate thread, of course. Anyway, Neil tell me more about Arlo & who else you get to see. Here's a nice red Argentinian Marbec to sip as you chat. I am going to a class to learn about your marvelous Australian wines in 2 weeks.

ninasdream, this is embarrassing, but I'm having trouble remembering many of Arlo's individual songs, although "The City of New Orleans" was one, and he did resuscitate some old stuff ("This Land is Your Land" etc) of his father's ("This Land is Your Land" etc), also some of Woody's old pals like Cisco Houston. As for the rest, all that red must have destroyed too many brain cells... oh, and all he did with "Alice's Restaurant" was sing the chorus a couple of times, I think.

As for other acts, it's more a case of who else I don't get to see because I've missed the ad in the paper. I'm ashamed to say that I've managed to miss Kinky Friedman twice.

The Argentinian red sounds tempting, but it's not yet lunchtime here. There are so many good "New World" wines, aren't there? New Zealand wines are also worth getting acquainted with too.

kayb95 - Please share the cranberry sauce recipies. Both sound fantastic. Hope everyone had a wonderfule Thanksgiving. Our meal is tomorrow so all of the work, except making the pies since I did that today, still lies ahead of me.

Neil- I am emjpying your posts. Actually, I am planning to go to the big wine expo in Jan & New Zealand has been a big seminar over the past few years. You really made me smile when you said you see all you miss in the papers, isn't that just awful. I went into the city a few weeks ago and just got tickets to everyting I liked. Last Sat I saw Badly Drawn Boy. Very good, and he has an excellent band.

Ok, so what are leftover favorites. I'll start. we don't have turkey on Fri, but make sandwiches cold plates, and as Arlo says, "another TG dinner that can't be beat". The most unusual us probably cream cheese & jellied cranberry on brioche for lunch on the weekend.

Groaning...I am sooo full!
I had to keep tasting everything as I put it in the bowls
This first Thanksgiving feast in Florida was a success.
Back on the diet tomorrow

jdraper - this is probably too late, but here they are...

<u>Traditional Cranberry Sauce</u>
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
12 oz. pkg fresh cranberries

Bring water, sugar and cranberries to a boil in medium saucepan. Berries will begin to &quot;pop&quot;. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stiring occassionally. Pour sauce into bowl and cool at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving. Makes about 2 cups.


<u>Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce</u>
(recipe from Tony Perkins-Good Morning America)

1 navel orange
1 lemon
24 oz. fresh cranberries (two 12 oz bags)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 TBSP Grand Marnier

Zest the orange and lemon, then juice them. You will have 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Place juice and zest into 4-quart saucepan. Sort and wash cranberries in colander and add to pan. Add sugar and water to pan and stir. Bring quickly to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cranberries will pop and sauce will thicken. Remove from heat, stir in Grand Marnier. Pour into bowl and place in refrigerator to cool. Makes about 4 cups.

I'll just add what may not be here already. We always have wild rice that is cleaned and soaked with aromatics and then steamed and served with diced bacon and bacon grease. We were 13 or TDay and they are all gone now. The cook is taking her kid out to dindin tonight. We are thankful.