This or That – Fall Edition

There’s a fun little meme-type called “This or That” where you have a list of choices between two things. I like to use this in my pen pal letters. But I like to then explain my choices. This is the one I’m using for Fall/Autumn…

 

Hot apple cider OR Hot chocolate

For me, if it’s a gathering, the cider wins. With cinnamon, orange slices, cloves, nothing better. Maybe a little splash of whiskey. Hot chocolate is more for alone time.

 

Pumpkin pie OR Apple pie

I will NEVER turn down a slice of either one. Pumpkin is more traditional, of course, for the colder months. LOTS of whipped cream! Warm apple pie with a scoop of ice cream is always appropriate, too.

 

Carve a pumpkin OR paint a pumpkin

Carving is the best for Halloween. So much work! But ultimately better with that candle burning inside. I’ve seen some awesome painted ones, but that is NOT where my talent lies.

 

Bonfire OR Fireplace

A bonfire is better for early Fall. Not so cold. AND there is the added bonus of marshmallows! When it’s really cold out, though, nothing beats sitting in front of the fireplace with a good book and a cup of something warm and yummy.

 

Halloween OR Thanksgiving

Halloween is OK, but it’s never been a big thing with me. When the kids were little, it was fun to get them all dressed up and go get candy. Thanksgiving is the big one, though. Food and fellowship and remembering what we have to be thankful for.

 

Candy corn OR Caramel apples

BOTH!! I know I am one of the weirdos who really loves candy corn. It’s usually seasonal, though, and once it’s gone from stores, that’s it. But caramel and apples go SO WELL together. And you can have that any time of the year. Get some juicy apple slices and caramel dip and you have a meal…

 

Turkey OR Ham

I’ve always preferred ham over turkey, but for Thanksgiving, you MUST have turkey! It’s downright un-American not to! I hate leftover turkey, though. Once a year is just fine for me. Otherwise, it’s ham every time.

 

Cranberry sauce OR Stuffing

Both! Again, you MUST have some form of cranberry sauce. It doesn’t have to be much, but you must have at least a little. Stuffing with gravy is food for the gods.

 

So…what are YOUR choices??

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Random Thought

Some people are a biscuit away from having their own gravitational pull

 

 

How to Serve a Flaming Bird, c. 1465

Just in time for Thanksgiving!!! I know, it’s a day late, but you could wow your family with this next year!! Just have a fire extinguisher handy…

 

How to Dress a Peacock With All Its Feathers, So That When Cooked, It Appears To Be Alive and Spews Fire From Its Beak

 

How to dress a peacock so that it appears to be alive: first, the peacock should be killed by stabbing it in the head with a sharp knife or by slitting its throat, as you would with a baby goat. Then slice the body from the neck all the way to the tail, cutting only the skin and delicately skinning it so that you do not ruin the feathers or the skin. When you have finished skinning the body, turn the skin inside out, from the neck down. Make sure not to detach the head from the skin of the neck; and similarly, make sure that the legs remain attached to the skin of the thighs. Then dress it well for roasting, and stuff it with good things and good spices, and take some whole cloves and use them to stud the breast, and cook the bird slowly on a spit; and place a wet cloth around the neck so that the heat does not overly dry it; and wet the cloth repeatedly.

 

When it is done cooking, remove from the spit and dress it up in its skin.

 

Prepare an iron device attached to a cutting board that passes through the feet and legs of the peacock so that the iron cannot be seen and so that the peacock stands up on its feet with its head erect and seems to be alive; and arrange the tail nicely so that it forms its wheel.

 

If you want it to spew fire from its beak, take a quarter ounce of camphor with a little cotton wool around it, and put it in the beak of the peacock, and also put a little aqua vitae or good, strong wine.

 

When you serve it, light the cotton wool and it will spew fire for a good bit. And to make it even more magnificent, when the peacock is done, you can decorate it with leaves of hammered gold and place the peacock’s skin over the gold after you have smeared the inside of the skin with good spices.

 

The same can be done with pheasants, cranes, geese, and other birds, as well as capons and pullets.

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Betcha never thought of THIS, Julia Child or Martha Stewart!!

 

 

Thanksgiving Aftermath

 

Turkey Day has come and gone, but the calories last forever...

Sarah & Co. came up for Thanksgiving and I loved it. It was very low-key and laid-back. I did a roast and potatoes in the slow cooker instead of turkey. Sarah made sweet potatoes for her and Marv. She also made Red Lobster cheesy biscuits. Lia helped us make a pumpkin pie/cake that is to die for. Sarah also brought up a HUGE pumpkin pie that someone had given her. Kevin had made shredded brisket for BBQ sandwiches. He also made mac & cheese with bacon. OMG. He also made scalloped potatoes. So we had plenty of food.

 

Thursday I did something I hadn’t done in years. Went for a walk. Sarah, Lia and I took a short stroll in the neighborhood. Short was all I could handle. We walked up to the stop sign at Ashley and Campbell and I took a breather. Then we continued on to the corner of Ashley and Stanford where I took another breather. Then up to the end of Ashley to Calvary Chapel where we sat on one of the benches for a bit. A beautiful white dog came out of the RV in the church parking lot, barking until she decided we were friendly. The pastor came out of the RV and we had a really nice chat. It gave me a nice break. Then we went back home. On Saturday we took that walk again. Definitely needed the breaks on this one. The weather was flat out gorgeous the entire weekend.

 

Sunday morning Marv went to church while the kids packed up. It’s always a melancholy task getting ready for the leave-taking. I hate saying goodbye. After they took off I went back into a VERY quiet house. I even miss my granddoggers…