Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, CB! Sorry about your rude friends. I think I have bored people conversationally in the past; sometimes I can't think of anything to talk about that would interest anybody. Peeling pearl onions, I'll have to see what Chef John did. He used cipollini onions with brussels sprouts in a video and recipe on his blog. I hate it when he comes up with stuff I can't get like some special Italian tomatoes, sheep's milk cheese, one other thing. Then those AlmazanKitchen guys drive me mad sometimes with the neat stuff they pull out, much of it homemade.
I found my newspaper clipping for Italian Beef, very similar to what the gal who grew up in Chicago shared with me. Also found one for Bavarian pot roast which has tomato sauce rubbed on it, never made it.
One I loved were some chicken breasts served at my Jewish friend's wedding. I had to debone them myself, then it has garlic, Challah bread crumb stuffing similar to regular stuffing minus the spices, some walnuts (leave those out). Then the breasts are laid over a portion of stuffing with a ring of pineapple and maraschino cherry with a toothpick to secure and baked.
Stuffed peppers, haven't felt like I could afford the peppers for a long time, really only need 4 big ones cut in half lengthwise I finally started doing, stuff with rice, ground beef and tomato & etc., then sprinkle buttered saltine crumbs on top. At work they used to put the best beef tomato gravy on them.
Then I need to make some cabbage rolls. I usually pre cook the ground beef and pre-cooked long-grain rice. Chef John put the rice in raw and used ground lamb.
I don't know what I'm doing for Thanksgiving, will cook something, maybe even a turkey. Love my stuffing.
I've been using cheater Betty Crocker mashed potatoes. Got boxes of scalloped and au gratin ones to try, one box isn't worth heating up the oven for so got 2 of each.
One more simple thing but special in our house on the holidays. Green beans, usually canned, I boil the liquid down for better flavor. Then mom used to saute slivered almonds in butter, carefully, then put in serving bowl and top with the toasted almonds and browned butter. She always had the table nice, too.
Loved the thistle china, love thistles, let one grow and photographed a monarch on it, so pretty, shouldn't have let it go to seed, had to dig a bunch out the next spring but I got them all. Now the monarch are gone but a yellow swallowtail has come back for 3 or so years now and, thrill of thrills, a black one this year.
Enough. I get depressed around the holidays, started with my divorce a looooong time ago now. Then my son used to have it and I only had to bring something that is his favorite. I still have a hard time with losing him and miss all the elders in my family.
I had some nice china gotten from here and there, gave my Noritake to my daughter, have that grocery store Blue Garland in a box in the attic with all the serving pieces, have a Taylor and Taylor jack in the pulpit, gave my pink Depression glass set to my girlfriend who isn't my friend any more (regret letting go of that). Have a good start on a set of Belleek. Have my mom's can't think of it, the clear glass with all the pearl glass ball trim, Imperial? Lots of odds and ends of antiques. Lost half a set of antique Haviland when the shelf in basement rotted and broke, lost a big part of double set of Homer Laughlin eggshell Georgian, use for everyday. A beautiful set of I don't even know what it is, am giving that to my second cousin to keep in the family because my kids sell stuff. And on and on.
Found a piece of the set, nobody on an antique forum could ID it. It's a chocolate set, big pitcher (saw just the pitcher at a mall show for $200 years ago), little fruit dishes, the tumblers, and some cups, plates?, haven't seen it it a long time.
Sorry I rambled so, got to remembering old times and my photos.
I found the pitcher like mine but when I click on it, it's gone. I've seen the most beautiful glassware I have ever seen. Bohemian Czech art glass I think is what it is. Mine was a wedding gift to my great aunt Jennie who married in 1893. We have so few, if any, artisans like that any more, also Tiffany. I went through the Fenton factory where they were blowing glassware; it was horribly hot in there, the workmen had hoses of cooler air blowing on them still it was awful.
