Hazelnut Reflections

holiday wrap-up and start-up

Two pies down, one to go. Verdict: will definitely make Spirited Brown Sugar Pecan Pie on Epicurious website again. Pumpkin Pie: I mucked around with a couple of Epicurious recipes. Will see how it tastes out of fridge today. I think it hadn't set enough yesterday. (I threw in some orange extract for good measure--that was a pleasing addition, I think).

Why all the Epicurious surfing? Because before we moved, I had a friend pack up all 12 years of Bon Appetit magazines I had hoarded and take them away. I just couldn't justify hauling them around anymore, not with most of their recipes archived at Epicurious.

Since clergy don't get to leave town for holidays, we have celebrated the past few years with a family who also lived in St. Louis, some of our closest friends. It was a real sadness to me this week as Thanksgiving approached, that we would not be gathered around their table (they are very good cooks), and lolling around in front of their fireplace discussing who knows what, and taking a brisk walk between entree and dessert to open up that extra little nook for pie or cake.

We had an invitation to go to a parishioner's house, which we gratefully accepted. The food was unbelievable. We are just close enough to the real South here to have cornbread dressing (not stuffing). Three kinds of cranberries (canned, jelled, relish), two turkeys (smoked and roasted), mashed potatoes, cloverleaf rolls, the list goes on.

When we rolled ourselves home, our friends in St. Louis had called. Although I missed them, it helped to know they were thinking about us, too.

This morning's realization--I have a lot of work to do now, for Advent and Christmas. So there will be some participation in the Great American Obsession of the day (mostly to stock up on wrapping paper, which was also shed in the move), but also feverish writing and planning.

Hope everyone else had a lovely day.

posted by Emily @ 7:25 AM