it's not all doom and gloom

as you no doubt know i have been pretty bummed about my friend jamie, but life does go on, so if you're at all inclined to, don't get worried about me. :)

i am really looking forward to thanksgiving! it did make me a little homesick for a while, but i've rallied. drew and i did the first round of shopping yesterday and despite forgetting my list i only forgot to buy two things, which i can easily pick up on my vegetables shopping trip on wednesday. our tom heritage turkey is arriving tomorrow via fedex, so drew is staying home to receive him and put him in the fridge. so far our yummy menu includes:

turkey (of course!) brined in williams-sonoma apple & spices turkey brine (i can't find it on their site anymore... totally annoying), a baked ham (one of drew's family traditions), mashed potatoes (using my potato ricer; i'll report on it soon), stuffing, gravy, sesame green beans (these are seriously yummy, a huge hit at our dinner parties), roasted asparagus, a blue cheese salad our friends are bringing, and of course pumpkin pie w/ whipped cream and mincemeat pie, plain or a la mode. :) i was so stoked to find the nonesuch mincemeat at save mart yesterday; safeway only carried that brand i don't like, the crosswell something or other. totally inferior to nonesuch imho. even better, it's the little boxes, the kind you have to cook up with some water which smells divine while cooking!!! that's such a childhood memory... my mom cooking up the mincemeat on the stove. it's funny how much of what we do for holidays has to do with what we did (or in some cases didn't) do as a child. luckily for me it's a case of what my family did do that influences me. :)

all of this writing about food is making me hungry! i think it's time for lunch.

oh, and if you've never had brined turkey, you have no idea what you're missing. the article includes the chez panisse turkey brine recipe. i've never had turkey there, but i'm betting it's pretty excellent.