Oh my god I am FULL. Thanksgiving was two nights ago, and I still feel like much like I did when I wore that awful, too-tight dress to my brother's wedding.
Which is to say, stuffed. (Minus the really bad hairdo the hair and make up person inflicted on me, at least. At least that.)
The food was okay, in parts quite good. I did, however, forget the turkey in the oven just long enough for it to dry out a bit. So much for my track record of moist turkeys. Menu is below, and recipes for anyone who wants, but let's talk about something really interesting:
what did the Toddles eat this weekend?
Geez, Louise, the kid ate all kinds of things, so long as they weren't being served to other people. (No mass production for our boy, no sirree.) He ate:
watermelon
blueberries
strawberries
rice pasta
rice crackers with sunflower seed butter
green olives
tofu
cucumber
a massive quantity of green beans
a dribble of whole milk.
O yes, and lots and lots of mama milk.
Part of me is impressed. Much of these foods is new to him, and it's lovely to see him branching out. Part of me is appalled that now, when berries and melon are ruinously expensive, he's fallen in love. Oy. But no turkey, no stuffing, no sweet potato streusel... Of course, he does have a painful swollen bit inside his mouth, since he banged his mouth into one of his two lower teeth, cutting it, last week. So maybe that's why the soft fruits? Or maybe he's really a wee rabbit, and he's been keeping up this baby thing as a part-time affair.
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Menus and Tables
It was a motley group around our table this past Thursday. Mary Jr., partner and fascinating friend, the Pater, the MIL/FIL, some delightful lab rats and their equally delightful daughter, and of course, we merry four. The group worked really well, I thought, and we all walked away from the table reluctantly.
And in case you were wondering, most of us are grateful this year for the people and opportunities in their lives. Oh, and one person is grateful for George Washington. All in all, not too shabby.
First course:
green olives, yoghurt honey rolls, avocado/hearts of palm/radiccio/lettuce salad, tapenade for olive haters (see recipe below), a roasted eggplant dip that needs some work.
Ahh.
Main course:
Toikey! Dead, dead bird galore
wild rice sausage, pear and fennel stuffing. There were a few more things in it, but you get the idea
cranberries
steamed green beans
curried chickpeas
streuseled sweet potato casserole
kimchee
whoa, nelly.
Dessert:
clementines
lemon rice crunchies (cookies - see them under 'bonus recipe' here)
apple ginger crisp
groan
Curious? Ask and I'll post the recipe. Oh yes, and other than the chickpeas, everything was Toddles and Eldest friendly. So no dairy, beef, sesame, poppy, tree nuts, peanuts, legumes (barring chickpeas), wheat, oats, barley, corn, spelt or eggs.
For we Imperfects, this was a Thanksgiving when we felt embraced by our odd little community, joined by snippets of family (some of whom stayed the weekend - yay for the Pater and Amtrak, brave journeyer!). The Eldest's attempt at invoking Murphy's Law of Hemophilia (the kid will get a nasty, visibly freaky bleed just as guests arrive) via an unexpected mouth bleed sailed right under the radar screen of Things to Focus On, as we dispatched bleed and re-bleed in excellent form. Serve and return. Ha!
Hoping your Thanksgivings were indeed times for giving thanks, and for happy and safe munching, not to mention clotting.
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Olive Tapenade for Olive-Haters
1 clove garlic, peeled (select the clove's size as per garlic preferences)
two pinches salt
juice of 1 lemon
handful parsley (avoid stems)
1 can tasteless black olives (the non-Kalamata, house brand supermarket black olives)
In a food processor, finely chop garlic and salt. Add remaining ingredients and process until finely chopped. Serve!
Keeps well in the refrigerator for at least a week. Liquid will separate from tapenade, just stir before serving.
Excellent with bread, celery, cucumber and as a spread with sandwiches.
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BONUS!
Ask Shifra, an occasionally annoying blog that I look at, offered up this morsel on the subject of modesty (tzniut) and lookin' a little too good. See here for Shifra on the Hot Chani problem, or this thoughtful blogger for his approach. As for me, I'm throwing my hands up. Those rabbis - first they're in my bra, now in my closet. Oy.
4 comments:
my oldest brother is severely allergic to grains, most vegetables because they have salicilates (sp?) in them, many fruits and no fermented products such as vinegar.
this means that dressing has to be a simple rice dressing of sage, onion, maybe parsely, and garlic.
the last time i made that stuffing i sort of forgot that rice tends to keep growing. the turkey exploded. :) well, not exploded, but it split down the sides. the gravy was self thickened and tasted great!
*giggle*
no, wait, ONTFLMAO!
Exploded turkey....(dissolves) bet it was just splendid.
Where did my comment disappear to? I wondered how you made yoghurt rolls with turkey. . .
Actually I quite like Shifra; the only thing I find annoying is her obsession with being cool and normal. Two things I am not!!
m.i.i., no idea. Comments have been appearing on the site without giving me the email heads up, clearly something is wonky in the state of blogger.com.
As for the yoghurt-turkey combination, I used soy yoghurt, of course! The only trick was finding some without cornstarch, which most have.
I'll put the recipe up tonight, so that you can see it. (Oh, and dykewife - this one might be a good one for feeding your brother..let me know if it is.)
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