My ninety-nine year old aunt called the other day and became positively giddy when I recognized her voice. I didn't have the heart to tell her I have caller ID! Anyway, with that advantage I've been playing a little game with myself: when one of my children calls, how long will it be before the question: what shall I bring for Thanksgiving? And then I say, how about brussel sprouts? BRUSSEL SPROUTS!! NO WAY!The problem is-it's not part of the tradition.And you know you don't mess with tradition on holidays. Have you ever tried to make a different stuffing for the turkey? You might as well serve pasta instead. I remebember one year when I totally forgot the corn, which in our house, would be like not making the gravy, and the turkey was out of the oven and I am driving to every area convenient store in search of 3 cans of corn. Speaking of gravy,-is there ever enough? My mother, whose culinary skills reflect her English and Norwegian heritage,does make the best gravy and her secret is simple: potato water. After you drain the fat from the pan, place the pan over moderately high heat and add a few tablespoons of flour. Mix the flour into the pan juices and cook until it thickens. Add a ladle of water from the boiling potatoes ( you are making mashed potatoes, I presume!) and stir. Add more water as needed; simmer until ready to serve. (Use the same method for any other basic gravies-you can't fail!)
Years ago I bought a cute little 2-piece turkey with a ladle the size of a teaspoon and filled it with what amounted to a half cup of gravy and served it with great aplomb to my family of 7. Well, you can imagine how many refills that required. Lesson learned. Gravy boats are rarely big enough. Instead of a bowl, howvever, hollow out a sugar pumpkin or a large acorn squash ( level off the bottom of the squash first!). Add a large ladle and pass the gravy! Vegetables make attractive serving pieces. Fill a hollowed pepper with salsa; halve a pineapple and add turkey salad; serve dip in an artichoke. It's all about appearances! And that's what makes THE GOOD LIFE.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thanksgiving Preview
I woke this morning with the startling realization that Thanksgiving is 4 days away! Unlike Martha, I did not order my turkey 3 weeks ago, but I will do so today. Hopefully there is a 24 pounder just dying to be brined and stuffed and carved and devoured by the whole family which now numbers twenty-one. I am extremely grateful that everyone, including 3 of the "delicious grandchildren", loves to cook, so most of the meal arrives with the guests. My challenge is seating everyone; last year I had the children create the placecards and then they decided where all should sit...what a delight!
There is something that compels me to provide a centerpiece for every dinner table. It's worn off on my husband after all these years. He went on a golf vacation with 7 of his buddies and when they "ate in" he bought an African Violet at the market and put it in the center of the table. He took a lot of ribbing but they appreciated it afterall. Anyway, on a crowded Thanksgiving table, the centerpiece needs to be controlled! No higher than 12 inches so you can see the person across from you and not so wide that the leaves are spilling into the mashed potatoes!I know many of you are not into flower arranging so try this easy, seasonal trick: Select a small rectangular dish; cover it with a layer of fresh or dried leaves -even Italian parsley will do. Arrange 3 pears of similar size in a row. Surround the tray with votives. Martha has nothing on you! Of course, you could embellish the tray with berries, lady apples or sickle pears. Just let your creative juices flow.
A note about the blog...I do hope you will contribute but I now know that to do so one needs an account so just sign up with Google-if you like-it's as easy as typing in your e-mail and adding a password-that's all there is to it and with that, to paraphrase my eccentric friend, Hyacinth, remember,you can make everyday a day in THE GOOD LIFE!
There is something that compels me to provide a centerpiece for every dinner table. It's worn off on my husband after all these years. He went on a golf vacation with 7 of his buddies and when they "ate in" he bought an African Violet at the market and put it in the center of the table. He took a lot of ribbing but they appreciated it afterall. Anyway, on a crowded Thanksgiving table, the centerpiece needs to be controlled! No higher than 12 inches so you can see the person across from you and not so wide that the leaves are spilling into the mashed potatoes!I know many of you are not into flower arranging so try this easy, seasonal trick: Select a small rectangular dish; cover it with a layer of fresh or dried leaves -even Italian parsley will do. Arrange 3 pears of similar size in a row. Surround the tray with votives. Martha has nothing on you! Of course, you could embellish the tray with berries, lady apples or sickle pears. Just let your creative juices flow.
A note about the blog...I do hope you will contribute but I now know that to do so one needs an account so just sign up with Google-if you like-it's as easy as typing in your e-mail and adding a password-that's all there is to it and with that, to paraphrase my eccentric friend, Hyacinth, remember,you can make everyday a day in THE GOOD LIFE!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Welcome to The Good Life!
Welcome to The Good Life! Back in the 20th century, I wrote a weekly newspaper column , "Easy Entertaining". I still meet people today who tell me they miss reading the column. Why? because it dealt with an everyday event: making a meal ....but, making it special. And by making it special, it added to their good life.
We're all busy -working, shuttling kids to afterschool programs, volunteering, whatever- and life can get us down. The trick is to find little ways to bring us up. "Easy Entertaining" always presented a menu based on a theme-whether it be a Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed or Supper to Celebrate 100 on a Math Test. In the article was a suggestion for the table centerpiece. And now you say, "Who has time for that!" But you do...how long does it take to put your child's picture in the center of the table, write 100 on a post-it and stick it on the frame? Point is, The Good Life comes about not with time-intensive projects but with forethought and simple solutions (more on that in the future!)
I truly hope this blog will become a forum for your comments and suggestions for making life fun, easy, and rewarding. Feel free to send your ideas on anything from cooking to gardening to crafts. Talk about family life, your work place-whatever can create a better life. And thank you for all your enthusiasm!
We're all busy -working, shuttling kids to afterschool programs, volunteering, whatever- and life can get us down. The trick is to find little ways to bring us up. "Easy Entertaining" always presented a menu based on a theme-whether it be a Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed or Supper to Celebrate 100 on a Math Test. In the article was a suggestion for the table centerpiece. And now you say, "Who has time for that!" But you do...how long does it take to put your child's picture in the center of the table, write 100 on a post-it and stick it on the frame? Point is, The Good Life comes about not with time-intensive projects but with forethought and simple solutions (more on that in the future!)
I truly hope this blog will become a forum for your comments and suggestions for making life fun, easy, and rewarding. Feel free to send your ideas on anything from cooking to gardening to crafts. Talk about family life, your work place-whatever can create a better life. And thank you for all your enthusiasm!
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