Anyone Hungry?

Another successful meal with plenty of leftovers to send home. This year we had 16 around the table. Crowded but worth it.

I always make two turkeys just so I can try different recipes. This year I did one in the oven and one on the grill. Both came out looking great. Honestly once carved and on the plates it was hard to tell the difference.

The grilled Turkey was covered with a spice mixture including cumin, fennel and pepper. The baked turkey had sage butter under the skin and then drizzled with butter and basted with apple cider.

To complement our Turkey there were a few side dishes

White Cheddar & Sage Baked Mashed Potatoes. Also knows as crack potatoes as they are highly addictive.


Roasted Apples and Onions w/Thyme


Baby Carrots w/Shallots


Sourdough Stuffing w/local sausage and apples.
I am not a huge stuffing fan but this was pretty good and I might keep on the list.


Green Beans w/Garlic and Lemon


Individual Roasted Squash w/Butternut, Currents and Spices



Two Flavors of Gravy (can't find a pic of the other one)


Cranberries 3 ways Cranberry Sauce w/Mustard, Onion Relish w/Dried Cranberry and Cranberry Sauce w/Orange



And of course Dessert?

Chocolate Carmel Macadamia Nut Tort. The crust came from a failed batch of shortbread cookies. People said it tasted like a candy bar, a good one like Frans.


Cranberry Vanilla Sorbet
No pics for some reason, but these were easy, light and pretty.

And a friend made pumpkin and sweet potato pie for something traditional. Both were very good.

First the mess


Then the feast


Lucy has the right idea

Thanksgiving is coming....

Okay I saw some commercial as I was flipping through the channels on how to cook a thanksgiving meal in 60 minutes. Who would want to do such a thing? I plan on starting a few things this weekend and through out early next week, culminating in many hours of fun cooking for the day... This is part of the fun.

Menu so far:

Sweet and Savory Spiced Nuts

Grilled Herbed Turkey
Sage Butter Roasted Turkey w/Cider Gravy

Sourdough Stuffing
Sage Cheddar Baked Mashed Potatoes
Individual Winter Basked Squash
Thyme Roasted Apples and Onions
Carrots w/Shallots Sage and Thyme
Something Green
Cranberry Mustard Relish
Onion Cranberry Relish

Cranberry Vanilla Bean Sorbet
Chocolate Carmel Nut Tart

Lots of great wine...

Pictures and recipes for the top dishes next week

Where to go. Boat Street Cafe

Boat Steet is another "top ten" from the random list I picked. The resturant moved from it's original and is located at western and where denny curves into elliot. It is amounst artist lofts and studios.

I love the feel of Boat street. If I had a different life it is the kind of place I would like to have as a standard hang out. As it is the prices are a bit expensive. The space is inviting and is what think of as french country (though not having really been to the french countryside it's hard to say how authentic).

The food was good, not over the top good, but good. The dates in olive oil and salt were unique and delicious. The owner/chef Renee Erickson, loves to pickel things and many of these tidpits where fun to try. The main courses had lots of flavor although the odd gritty crunch in the crab cakes seemed misplaced.

I can see myself having a glass of wine and a light meal here often if I were not always in a rush on the weekdays.

Too much to do? Cook!

Behind at work, e-mails piling up, basement drain clogged, roof damaged from the wind, not getting to the gym, cats need to go to the vet, kid hurt her toe and needs to go to the doc, laundry needs folding and the list goes on and on. So what do? Cook all the meals for the coming week so at least I know I'll eat healthy food. A three hour investment today and I prepared all my lunches and dinners. No meal this next week should take more than 15 minutes.

I found an old Canyon Ranch Cookbook on sale at Third Place Books. Very nice pictures, great recipes and very healthy to boot. No recipe below is more than 350 calories a serving and some are as low as 80 (and yes even taste good)

For this week I have made

Curried Turkey Soup
Spanish Onion Soup
Autumn Vegetable Shepherds Pie
Sweet Potato Cakes
Sea Bass with Sweet Mushroom Sauce
Shrimp w/ Green Apple Chipotlie Salsa

The soups just need reheating. The Shepherds pie will bake for 15 min, the potato cakes just need final forming and cooking. For the fish dishes I'll pick up something fresh from The Fish Company and the sauces just need reheating.

Tonight I had the Turkey soup. The only issue: it was really good and I wanted seconds, which would cut into my lunch portion...

PTA-Mini Muffins in a Jiffy